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The following free professional development webinars for educators, speech-language pathologists, and special educators will provide you with the latest research on how the brains of our struggling students learn best. These can be viewed on any smartphone, making them easy to watch or listen to whenever you like! We also offer Certificates of Attendance. Take a look below at our most popular sessions.
Picture one student's face now. Can you tell what's going on in his/her brain? What stress is doing to his/her learning? New research is showing the impact of stress and poverty on the brain - and best of all - what can be done to reverse these effects. There's more going on "behind the scenes" with your students than you may realize. Listen to this webinar to gain a better understanding of how to make a difference in their learning at the classroom, school and district levels.
Several new studies have shown that students from families below the poverty line are at the greatest risk for academic failure. Research reveals that low family income has a bigger impact on academics than ethnicity or English language proficiency. Listen to Dr. Martha Burns as she reviews the newest research and provides evidence of how the Fast ForWord intervention has been found to have a significant impact on academic achievement in children of poverty.
The majority of students from poverty struggle in reading. If everyone knows that, how can we get FAR better results? This fast-moving webinar gives you the 5 secrets that can help jumpstart your students. You'll get to see and hear the amazing new research. More importantly, you'll leave with ideas you can implement immediately. Yes, you can reverse the impact of poverty. You'll be able to personally initiate the changes that make miracles happen for students from poverty. And yes, this webinar can be life-changing for your students.
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Despite educators' best efforts to teach students English as quickly as possible, many never develop academic English fluency. In this webinar, Dr. Martha Burns reviews the newest research on the ELL brain, the advantages of true bilingualism, and how effective technological adjuncts can build the English brain, quickly, moving ELL students to proficiency.
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Triplogue - Poland
23 August, Suwalki to Elk, 81km
I woke up groggy this morning after sleeping badly in our commie era hotel. Our entry into Suwalki yesterday revealed a town of a million shares of gray. The stunningly beautiful countryside stands in stark contrast to the nearly disgusting towns. Looks like Hitler and Stalin left a horrific architectural legacy on poor Poland. (For those of you who don't know the evil story, both perpetrated incredible horrors on the populations of this area. First the Germans pummeled Poland. The exiled Polish government struck up a deal with the Russians to oust the Germans. The Russians ignored their agreement to cooperate as soon as they saw that the Polish had independent aspirations. The brave Soviet forces watched the Germans make mincemeat of the Polish army from just over the border. After the Polish forces suffered some 200,000 casualties and the Germans systematically burned Warsaw the valiant Russians stepped in to "liberate" the Poles.)
Our breakfast was in another Soviet-style dining room. This time the management had tried to redecorate using camouflage netting to cover a decaying ceiling. The server did her absolute best to minimize contact with us and again Andy was left wanting another cup of his morning addiction. I was happy to hit the road.
Today the countryside seemed even more picturesque, especially since we weren't rushing to beat the sunset like the evening before. Yesterday Andy noticed a stork in a field as we rode along, and we'd also seen their massive nests atop telephone poles but not made the connection between the two. Today we saw many storks atop barns, houses and utility poles. Often they were with their mates tending to their young. It looked like the farmers had made special accommodations for the big white birds, which left us wondering if they represented good luck for the residents.
Today I was still fearing drivers. Not only did they behave as badly as the Lithuanians, but they also appeared to be spatially impaired. Today a lovely Lada wagon raced past me, then hit his brakes hard and swerved right onto the shoulder in front of me in order to make a spontaneous U-turn, forcing me off the road. The day before I tried to figure out how to menace the drivers into being more considerate. I composed this threat, "Yeah!, come any closer with your new Audi and I'll get my blood all over your shiny car and then flip end-over-end like a pinwheel helplessly through the fields." We have determined that the biggest buttheads drive Audis and we cringe anytime we see one. I am thinking about trying to get a stork to nest on my bike to bring me some good luck.
Olecko, our lunch spot, came pretty quickly despite our roadside dramas. We looked for a lunch spot, came upon a charming little restaurant on the way into town and decided to see what we could find in the center. What we did find was the worst pizza in the East. Our sidewalk meal was not without redeeming value, since it did provide a great people-watching opportunity. Olecko's natural beauty and lakeside setting appear to draw many Polish tourists.
A navigational error on the way out of town turned out to be another gorgeous mistake. It placed us on a tree-canopied road through the most rural area, where the only other traffic was Stosh on his tractor on his way to reap his wheat. Before long we were in Elk and ready to call it a short day. We decided to find a little snack before seeking lodging. At the train station we shared a hot dog that would have its own zip code if found in the States.
Finding a hotel was not as easy as we anticipated. First we tried to find one that looked like it should be on an island of the lake. It turned out to be in yet another ugly residential area on a road paved in massive concrete blocks that didn't quite fit together. The sensation caused by the pavement was like riding on a path cobbled with the world's largest stones. As we fled this nasty burb we were chased by a persistent little barking gnat of a dog. It liked Andy's pepper spray so much it came back for a second helping.
Our next stop was an upscale affair on the lake that looked deserted, however the desk clerk told me that they were full but we could check back at 8pm. He told us about the two other hotels in town, one being the one we'd seen on pepper poodle lane and the other up the street. We decided to check out the Zodiak Hotel upon his recommendation and discovered a hotel that was built and furnished during the communist administration. We decided to press our luck and returned to the upscale lakeside one. We sat and drank beers on their terrace by the lake until eight and then asked for our room. The clerk told Andy that the cancellation had been called in hours before and asked if we really wanted our room now. (duh!?, no we'd like to sit out here dirty and sweaty and be eaten alive by the mosquitoes.)
While we waited we met an American girl and her Polish boyfriend. Karolyn and Martin run the Yahoo-like Internet service of Poland (www.PolishWorld.com). They shared some great secrets on how to get connected in Warsaw and offered to show us around town when we get there later in the week. We munched in the hotel restaurant because it was the only place in town that would take credit cards. Our communications with the waitress were limited to our very bad German and much gesticulation. Even in the face of our limited vocabulary everything came as we asked except Andy's beer which was warm. This left Andrew pondering why he has such bad beverage Karma. We retreated to the room, opting to skip the disco that came highly recommended by the barman in favor of an evening at home with NBC Europe and our computer.
Click on image to see full-sized version
Storks: good luck?
Fred yucks it up with some locals, "really, thanks, but no more vodka...."
24 August, Elk to Lomza, 99 km
We were the center of attention, surrounded by over a dozen young men, several of them bare-chested and all wanting to talk to us and buy us drinks. Unfortunately, this scene's being completely outside of any queer context made it mostly unpleasant, even claustrophobic. We had stopped at a roadside refreshment stand and ersatz bar in Radzilow, a godforsaken shithole if there ever was one. Our fellow patrons were all hopelessly wasted, and most of them looked like they'd spent last night in a nearby gutter, but our arrival on the scene was enough to shake them from their alcoholic stupor. We might as well have been invading aliens for all the stir we caused, and I'm sure that those among them who remain conscious (if there are any, that is) are still talking about it now. Most of them spoke loudly to us in Polish or used course pantomime (e.g. sticking the business end of a bottle of vodka in our faces and insisting we drink). Only one teenager among them spoke a few words of English, "motherfucker" being a favorite. There was also an older guy spoke to us in bad Spanish, who told us he had lived in Madrid for five years and that we could call him Juan. We kept trying to explain to our overly friendly hosts that we couldn't drink if we were expected to ride another 50 kilometers.
This event marked the middle of an otherwise unremarkable day. It was a lot like yesterday, with the same strong wind blowing in our faces, the same warm temperature and summery feeling to the air, the same pastoral splendor all around us. Has Poland already lost its gloss of exoticism for us?
I suppose the day wasn't entirely without distractions. Heading out of town this morning we passed two churches belching out mass-goers. There were so many that I wondered how they could all fit inside, and said a silent prayer hoping that the priest's sermon had extolled the virtues of safe driving.
Drivers weren't a big issue today, though. The roads we took were very calm for the most part, but for this we had to pay a price, since the surfaces of Poland's secondary road system are cobbled, bumpy, buckled, potholed, or worse. It's a day I'll remember more with my sore butt than with my brain.
While we ate lunch in Grajewo (we ordered schnitzel again, it being the only thing we recognized on the menu) we watched a blind man walk by on the street outside encounter our bikes –a major obstacle. An hour's ride beyond was where the really bad roads began, and by the time we stopped for our encounter with the jeunesse dorée of Radzilow, we were pretty well rattled, seriously wondering if we (and our bikes) would arrive intact in Lomza, still 42 kilometers away. Miraculously, the last hour of riding was relatively smooth sailing. I still had to stand up in my pedals half the time to give my poor taint a rest ("taint" is Bratese for perineum, i.e. the part of the body that is most intimately connected to one's bicycle seat). For what felt like the first time today, I caught myself admiring my surroundings rather than bemoaning the miserable state of the road. There were huge pyramids of hay everywhere, and farmers plying the roads with tractors. We played leap-frog with one such vehicle for a long time over the rolling terrain. Inside it were a farmer and his wife, causing Fred to theorize they were on their way into town for an elegant Sunday dinner.
Lomza –the sleepy provincial capital where we're staying tonight—is situated above the deeply-cut valley of the Narew River. It wasn't hard finding a place to stay, with the familiar Soviet-style hotel visible for miles around. Checking in, a squat little old dude hovered around like a fly, offering to help us with our bikes. First he showed us a closet near the lobby, which looked fine, but when it came time to park the bikes he led us back outside and proceeded to load them into a little shack in the middle of the hotel's parking lot. Unable to communicate and exhausted from the day's bumpy ride, we decided to put our fate in hands of this earnest little parking gnome. "He must be working us for a tip", Fred and I both thought aloud, in the eerie simultaneous way that comes from being around each other twenty-four hours a day.
No such person came forward to assist us with the dining process. Our hotel is full of young athletes in town for some event or another, and the staff refused to let us eat in the dining room. Fred had to make a small scene –which I thankfully didn't have to witness—in order to get us served in the bar. The food was decent and there was an approximate English translation of the menu, upon which three of the desserts were listed simply as "ice cream," while a fourth was mysteriously differentiated as "ice cream dessert." We ordered the latter since it was more expensive, and then headed out for a walk around town and a bottle of drinkable water.
Lomza is pretty quiet on a Sunday night, apart from the heavy traffic on the highway to Warsaw. From the unlit streets, it looked attractive enough, with lots of green squares and older buildings. The only market we found open was doing a brisk business, and we were disappointed to find they only carry fizzy water (flat bottled water is a rare commodity in these parts, and we hoard it when we find it).
Feeling we had pretty much exhausted Lomza's night-time offerings, we slumped our way back to our room, where Fred snores behind me as I type in the dark.
25 August, Lomza to Ostroleka/Warsaw
I had looked forward to this day especially after the yesterday's rough and windy ride. My butt was still screaming over the bumpiness of yesterday's road, though I could hardly hear its complaints over those of my quads. We'd anticipated rolling out of bed, packing up our bikes and taking the train into Warsaw. Neither of us had relished the idea of riding 150 kilometers on a busy highway full of Polish urban drivers. We'd come to this decision when we entered our first Polish town, where I was almost run down by a taxi driver who seemed to be in a coma while driving. Graphic signs on the roadside depicting cars hitting both people and one another confirmed for us that even the Poles know that driving skill is at issue here.
Andrew was just a little disappointed. He had hoped that we could ride from Tallinn to Turkey without using any form of transportation other than our bikes. Integrity of the ride was overridden by concern for our safety.
We sauntered down to the restaurant anticipating cold cuts, cabbage, cucumbers, canned juice and bread like every other breakfast for the last dozen days. The experience was surprisingly different. First, our waiter was about the warmest one we'd encountered. Not only was he polite, but a menu offered us a choice of a hot breakfast. After munching some half-heartedly scrambled eggs (more like a fried egg that someone broke the yoke on) and ham we put the friendly staff to the test. Andrew asked for another helping of coffee. The waiter grinned and within a few minutes came back with two cups of refreshingly warm caffeinated beverages and a bill for 10 zloties. I was happy to pay for it and savored my second cup and the simple fact that it was available. Am I becoming addicted to the morning mud like Andy?
Andy went to the travel office next door to find out the train schedule and exchange some greenbacks while I packed. I decided to stop by the front desk to ask a question. One can only imagine my disappointment when the desk clerk told me that we'd have to ride on to another to catch the train to Warsaw. I raced over to the travel office to find Andy. On my way over the parking lot mafia dude grabbed me and stuffed a twently (whopping) zlot invoice for attending to our bicycles. Alternatively I cursed our logistic predicament and my foolishness for not sniffing out the parking rip-off the night before.
Approaching the Orbis Travel office I saw Andy looking puzzled while waiting outside. I noticed a woman scurrying about inside looking out occasionally at him through the locked door. Andy recounted how he had come up to the front door hearing her frantic steps behind him. Reaching for the door she nearly shoved him out of the way, opened the door, slammed it behind her and told him to wait there. When I informed Andy of our plight, we decided to abort our first visit to the Polish National Tourist Bureau.
While I loaded my bike in front of the hotel the sleazy parking dude hovered over me as though I would run off without paying him the protection money he demanded. Can't say it didn't cross my mind, since the whole thing reeked of impropriety. While I exchanged pleasantries with the parking mafia Andy handled our transportation crisis. He learned that the nearest town with a rail connection (whose name sounded like the fat-free fat substitute Olestra) was 45 kilometers away and asked the hotel worker to find out the schedule. According to Andy's watch we had a mere hour and a half to make the 45K distance. Otherwise, there would be a five hour wait for the next train. Hmmm, that would mean that we'd have to beat our fastest daily average ever to make the train, which seemed an unlikely event.
Once on the road we found that the wind had shifted 180 degrees. It was now blowing us along as we pumped as hard as we could down the busy and narrow highway. Strangely the traffic seemed less menacing as we raced along at nearly 30k/h. The goal of making the next town became more reasonable as we watched our average speed climb. After about 25K it became apparent that we would most likely make our train. Andrew had been riding in my jet stream and remarked that it he "wasn't even having to push it." I invited him to lead for a few kilometers. I was definitely "pushing it" and sweat was dripping off my nose readily as we cruised down the highway.
Not knowing where to find the station in Olestra was our undoing. We essed about the town asking various people where to find it until we finally came upon the tracks and saw the station. The only issue was that we were five minutes late for the train when we huffed into the station. The sales clerk looked at us as though we'd lost our minds. I can't imagine what we looked like. Sweat was dripping off of me, I was nervous and breathing hard. We thought that we had missed the train by moments and asked when the next train was. The friendly (genuinely) woman behind the counter didn't speak English well wrote the time of the train we were trying to make from Lomza. Something didn't make sense, the train should have left at least five minutes before. "No, really, when is the next train?," We asked more emphatically. She shrugged, and pointed to her note and then the clock in the station which showed the time one hour earlier than Andrew's watch. We'd been in Poland for three nights not knowing that the time had changed when we crossed the Border from the Baltics. (Andrew thinks this time change is the reason that the Polish authorities held us up at the border for an hour; in this country where nothing comes for free, they weren't about to let us get away with a free hour).
An hour later we were on our way to Warsaw. The train itself was a rustic affair with more in common with a tractor than a train, its solid plastic red bench seats evoking a communist era feel. The ambiance inside the train was more like the village square than a form of transportation. All the peasants knew one another and conversed, shared food and helped one another board their baggage as we rattled down the tracks. The train stopped every five minutes in the most unlikely places. Often we'd pause in the middle of a field next to a cow or rows of wheat where no one would get on or off. Through most of the ride the four women next to us chatted and ate. I have never seen so many sausages and sandwiches consumed by so few people. Admittedly I was a little jealous; we'd only had a meager snack at the train station. One of the country women had bought a soft drink in Olestra and none of them could figure out how to open it and asked me to help. Two-thirds of the way through the voyage the train stopped and everyone hopped over to the next quay to change trains for the final ascent into Poland's capital. It was easy for most, but a little more complicated with our 100 pound (40 some-odd kilogram) bicycles. We had to lower them from the train, down to the ground from the platform, then up to the next platform, and finally into the new train. A helpful older Pole helped us load our bikes onto the new train that looked suspiciously like the last. After three hours of travel I'd finished my book and we were rolling into the outskirts of Warsaw. It would have taken only a little while longer for us to have ridden our bikes into town.
The suburbs looked just as I remembered. Gray housing blocks and factories were surrounded by more of the same. It was a little shocking to come into a big city from the solitude of the countryside. The station and square were very busy, as were all the streets of Warsaw. On our ride the day before I'd joked that we'd have a Burger King lunch when we arrived in town. I was craving a hamburger. As we wound our way up a steep hill that leads from the river to the city's center, a vision greeted us: a Burger King with a terrace next to a cyber café. It seemed like a sign from the almighty, so we stopped in for a little dose of America.
Sun sets over Warsaw
Disneyland Warsaw?: The entirely reconstructed market square
26-29 August, Warsaw
It had been five or six years since I had been to Warsaw and the change was remarkable. My last time here the streets and shops were gray and empty. I had considered Warsaw to be one of the saddest places on earth. It looked uglier than Los Angeles. Still, now as then, Warsaw is clearly designed for cars, huge boulevards criss-cross the city, culminating in the center where a huge Stalinist tower dominates the square.
The city has changed phenomenally, it doesn't seem sad at all. Active, busy and thriving are the words I would use to describe it. The bustling new shopping artery that leads from the center to the old city is alive and colorful. Shoppers peruse wide varieties of goods in stylish boutiques and refresh themselves at hip little cafes. Capillary walking streets feed the busier artery that leads to the old town. I remembered this street as shabby and ugly and was happily surprised to see this new vitality. The center square of the old town which I recalled as the diamond in the pile of sand that was Warsaw glitters more brilliantly than before. The once empty square is now filled with terrace restaurants and public benches. At night it fills with people eating, drinking, walking, and talking. The sounds of their activity bounce off the buildings and their colorful facades, lending a lively atmosphere to a beautiful spot. At night young lovers walk the ramparts and treat onlookers to intimacy that might better be reserved for their bedrooms or hotels.
Still, amongst all the prosperity there are signs that there is some distance to go. Wandering among the crowds of cell-phone-toting yuppies are many homeless and indigents. There are just a few more dirty mothers using their equally dirty and pathetic looking children to solicit cash than you would find in most other European capitals. Straying off the "Disney" track in Warsaw you'll still come upon buildings that recall the previous regime and its utilitarian architectural leanings. Soviet era gray block buildings and underground arcades host an unusual mix of traditional variety stores and western fast-food establishments. The little local Seven-Eleven style stores still operate under the Eastern shopping conventions. All the goods lie behind the counter and the shop keep helps you find the goods you want. This system promotes interaction but makes you feel helpless as a foreigner if you are unable to articulate what you need or want.
This is a town that was not created with the pedestrian in mind. Cars zing along the wide streets at astounding speeds. Drivers dripping with testosterone gun their engines and spin the wheels of their shiny new western vehicles with alarming frequency, scaring pedestrians onto the sidewalks. The effect is that there are huge insurmountable canyons separating the sidewalks on either sides of the boulevards. The crevasses can only be crossed by braving the zebra-stripe crossings or the dreary pedestrian underpasses. A walk across any street in a crossing or out is a test of will between the pedestrian and the driver. No drivers stop or even appear as though they might unless you walk into the street as though you intend not to stop. Only then will drivers yield unwillingly. The last moment before they stop I find myself wondering whether I should run, stop or continue my path.
We had a night out with our new found friends Martin and Karolyn whom we met a few days before in Elk. Martin took us out for a traditional Polish meal. I ate duck that was tasted like a simple countryside confit de canard. And the dinner washed down well with a cool, large and tasty Polish beer. Karolyn joined us late with one of her Polish students whom she tutors in English. Her dour student, though young, acted old and reminded me of a spinster. She voiced her disdain for tourists, admitting she didn't understand what benefit they provided to her country. After dinner we hit the cyber-café to talk a little shop and show off our respective web sites. Ours feels a little shabby next to the slick diversity of theirs. I had to remind myself that our primary purpose is travel not the web, but it left me wishing we had more time to make the BikeBrats site more beautiful and easier to use.
We had another date with queer Warsaw later that night. We were off to the only homo nightspot open during the week, the Kozla Pub. It has an ambiance somewhere between a basement recreation room and a picnic. The small underground room has a few wooden tables and was filled with happy Poles enjoying the night out. At first I felt like I was an uninvited guest at a BBQ. All of the patrons seemed to be hanging out in cliques and not very open to meeting others. After a few beers we became more aggressive and were able to meet many new friends who opened up if approached. We met two brothers, one straight and the other gay. The gay law student seemed more conventional and boring than his brother, who smiled and joked with us. As usual, the ex-pat crew was much more welcoming to us. We met a German called Jurgen and two Americans who had moved here to work in Poland. All three seemed very at home and welcomed in Warsaw.
Walking home I saw the parks of the center. I walked for tens of blocks without ever feeling like I was in a big city. On the way I passed the tomb of the unknown soldier which stands guarded by two sentries at all hours. Their eerie silhouettes against the eternal flames spooked me and I rushed past to make it home to our hotel.
The Warsaw Marriott deserves some mention. It is more American than America. Prices are quoted in dollars, the outside temperature in degrees Fahrenheit, the decor is distinctly American and there are even American power outlets in the rooms. The breakfast is obscene. It is like the most extravagant Sunday brunch served every day. There are three counters that are over 25 meters long spread with food including a make-to-order omelet and waffle bar. Wait staff greet you with a smile and say "sir" and "madam". We are staying here thanks to Andy's mom's good friend Linda Grunau. She kindly offered to arrange a very special rate for us and we thank her for our little dose of Americana in the East. It is so comfortable that we have barely left its walls, having been so busy trying to clean up our website, attend to our business and bikes.
29 August, Warsaw to Radom, 116 km
We got a late start today due to continuing technical problems. Fred had to taxi out to the suburbs to get new pedals as I grappled with tires once again. After battling rude and dangerous drivers for the first few kilometers, we were surprised and relieved to find bike path running parallel to our intended route. It was full of fellow cyclists, too. Through miles and miles of suburban apartment blocks, we followed a pair of shirtless young Poles like greyhounds chasing a mechanical rabbit. Then a voice beside us said something in Polish. It was Jan, our angel du jour. When he learned we were Americans, he spoke to us in perfect and articulate English as he pedaled alongside us. With his ponytail and casual manner, Jan would look right at home in Silicon Valley, so it came as no surprise when he told us he writes code for a living ("I prefer riding my bike," he added). He also explained the presence of the bike path and all the other cyclists, saying that everyone was headed to a forest a few kilometers beyond, where the bike path would abruptly end, forcing us onto a busy highway.
Fortunately, our willing and able guide knew of an alternate route. He led us down a labyrinth of country lanes, past elegant country homes, rolling meadows and dikes holding back the waters of the mighty Vistula (a.k.a. Wisla). At one point he asked us if we wanted to see an old Polish manor house, and soon we were poking around inside an elegant old place which was obviously private. Jan said it belonged to an organization of writers. He had the good sense to put on a tee shirt before entering, but that didn't keep us from getting thrown out by a security dude. "But these are important visitors from California," Jan pleaded to no avail, our sweaty cycling gear hardly befitting visiting dignitaries.
After another stop in an orchard to steal plums, anarchistic Jan took us to the restaurant he always stops at on his bike rides, where we had salads and beers. Everyone there knew him, including many of the other customers, and they all shook his hand while looking at us with bewilderment and curiosity. Then we were on the main road again, following Jan at a very brisk pace. After 50 kilometers of riding together, we parted ways, just outside the town of Warka.
Beyond Warka the traffic dwindled to a trickle and we were able to enjoy our surroundings. Thick forests were interspersed with little villages and scenes of pastoral life: a hunched-over old man herding his cars home with a stick; two young girls on bicycles with their single cow; another ancient woman sitting in front of her hovel plucking a chicken. The houses in this area are made of wood and barely distinguishable from barns or stables. Most had smoke coming out of their chimneys, which given the heat of the day were evidently being used for cooking. It almost felt like we'd been transported back to the Middle Ages. As the hot sun sunk into the horizon, people began to abandon their work and sit outside their houses, hoping to catch a cooling breeze. Many waved at us and smiled –behavior we hadn't really witnessed since Spain. Had we finally crossed to the south of the "scowling line"?
It was almost totally dark by the time we got to the big, nasty, industrial town of Radom. The only available lodging we could find was in a drab office building doubling as a hotel. Our two-room suite had been recently remodeled without using any natural materials or fibers; the beds, the shower, the carpeting and even the walls were made of plastic. After the usual ablutions we dried ourselves on the postage-stamp towels and went out in search of dinner, the only place still open being a very lively Laotian restaurant called "A Million Elephants." Incredibly, the waitress provided us with an English version of the menu and brought us edible Asian food. I had to pinch myself to assure I wasn't hallucinating the whole thing.
After dinner, I could hardly manage to haul my ass up the three flights of stairs to our weird room/office. Forty-year-old Jan's stamina and pace had really done me in.
Our guide Jan, brat du jour
Boarding the first of today's three trains
30 August, Radom to Krakow, 8.5 K
At four this morning the forecasted rain began to fall. First a trickle and then a drench fell on the streets. When we finally awoke at around eight it was pouring, which made sleeping another hour seem a better idea than rousing. Radom's grayness was hard to distinguish from that of the sky. When we did finally emerge from our cocoons we were not encouraged. We decided to get up and get some coffee and figure out the day's game plan. Our bikes loaded, donning rain gear, we set out into the pouring rain.
The road in front of our hotel, like many roads in Poland, had a trench running down it just left of the curb and rain gutter formed by heavy trucks. This mid-road canyon forms a perfect conduit for rain water to gather and race towards lower parts. Coincidentally this space corresponds to the place that motorists expect bicycles to ride. The drivers seemed especially impatient with us as we occupied "their" part of the lane in order to avoid having to ride through the torrent. They honked, spun their tires impatiently and shouted curses at us with little empathy for our situation.
We wandered about town in the downpour getting soaked to the bone in search of coffee and breakfast. We found no such thing; the only recommendation we were able to solicit was McDonald's, which seemed wholly unpalatable. We gave up and went off towards the train station. I wondered if we should change our name to TrainBrats when we decided to take one all the way to Krakow. It seemed like the only logical option after hearing that there would be rain for the next three days and seeing that the Polish drivers take no mind of cyclists rain or shine. On the way to the train station I nearly became an adornment of a Lada station wagon. The Lada's driver made a left hand turn into me as I raced down a hill to the station. I was so furious as I locked my breaks and slid towards him I cursed at the top of my lungs. Several other pedestrians witnessing his madness joined me in my futile ravings. This incident led both Andrew and me to the conclusion that the automobile should be deemed illegal in Poland and that everyone should be forced to take public transportation, walk or ride a bike.
Getting to Krakow was to be an ordeal from the start. None of the agents nor the information counter spoke English nor were they very patient with our few words of Polish (consisting mainly of town names) and gesticulation. Seeing the ridiculousness of our predicament, a youngster who spoke English beautifully volunteered to act as translator. Even after this good Samaritan's effort we managed to miss our train. While we waited on the platform a notice announcing that the train would be ten minutes late was displayed on the quay's information screen. At my suggestion Andy happily went off to find us a second coffee and a snack for the train. Just after he ordered coffee the train rolled into the station. I ran to find Andy and we made it back to the platform just in time to watch our train depart without us. Despondently I trudged back to the ticket windows to try a second time to play charades with the rail staff. Already tired of my antics, but understanding (and laughing about) our situation the information clerk grimaced and gave me the time of the next train. Her facial expression left me wondering if she'd lead me to the platform by the hand and put me on it herself. Regrettably she sent me off to brave the Polish transportation system on my own. This time we'd have to change trains two times instead of once. Our first train seemed to stop every two hundred yards at stations that had more grass than people on the platforms. One phenomenon we've not been able to understand on these small and slow trains is why so many people opt to stay in the baggage cars and drink profusely. I'm not so worried that they'll steal anything from the bikes as barf on them.
While I wasn't watching our bikes to make sure that they were not mistaken for "in-flight" bags I gazed out the window. The terrain seemed to change from gently rolling to roller-coaster, from occasional forested patches to mostly wooded with some pastures.
Our first transfer put us on a more traditional European style train with compartments. We sat in a car with an older man who looked like my grandpa Jack (long deceased). We were eating chocolate cookies and I shared them with him. We'd been told to place our bikes in the end of the last car near the door since this train had no drunk's baggage area. There they substantially blocked entry and exit which would not normally be problematic. The train was an enormous and nearly empty. Yet everyone wanted to exit and enter at the door near our bikes, each time risking that Andy's bike would roll out the door onto them on the platform and crush them to death. When I went to the bathroom at the other end of the car I got some idea why there was more traffic than normal through "our" door. A huge and sour-smelling woman was blocking the door to the train and the toilet at the other end of the car. She and her enormous box made it nearly impossible to get to the toilet. I finally slid by her and recall trying to decide which smelled worse, her or the lavatory. When my Grandpa Jack look-a-like stood up to exit the train I grabbed his suitcase and helped him hoist it over our bikes and handed it to him on the platform. He slammed the door and waved goodbye. When I returned to our compartment I noticed he'd left his shopping bag. I grabbed it and ran back to the door that was hopelessly stuck. I tugged at it and yelled to the old man helplessly through the closed door and window. When Andy and I finally wedged the door open, the train made a warning signal and lurched forward. The bag contained two loaves of bread and some vegetables. I couldn't help but imagine the poor old dude's empty and growling stomach.
When we finally arrived in Krakow we were cursed by the conductors for trying to cross the tracks with our bikes. There was, after all, an unmarked ramp nearly a kilometer up the platform.
After exiting transit hell, a short ride in the mist through the old town led us to our hotel. There we gladly soaked ourselves in a hot shower before seeking our first meal of the day. A pizza the size of a trash can lid did the trick for me. A quick spin around the center confirmed my memory of Krakow as one of the great cities of Europe. Great examples of architecture from every era of the city astounded us at every turn. I was unfathomably impressed by how well scaled the old city was for pedestrians and relieved by how little traffic there was. The streets burble with the voices of people out for wild time on a Saturday night instead of ringing with the screaming of tires and engines. The center square is among the most impressive I've ever seen. At 200m x 200m it stands as one of the largest and liveliest I've been in. Arcades and cafés ring the square and the central market building that sits in the middle. Crowds of weekenders wander about and listen to music, reveling in the town's energy. All this in a heavy mist! Imagine what must happen here when the weather is accommodating?
1 September, Krakow to Oswiecim, 67 km
The sky was appropriately gray as we set off to Auschwitz this morning. Fred and I had decided that after a full day of walking around in the glowing serenity that constitutes Krakow, we could both stand a dose of sobering reality. The desired effect of gloominess was quickly dispelled, however. After a brief encounter with Krakow's suburbs, we found ourselves surrounded by gorgeous scenery, all crickety-sounding and harvest-smelling, with a fuzzy yellow sun poking through the clouds above our heads. It felt terrific to be riding unburdened for a change, slicing through a ripping headwind with relative ease. Many of the houses we passed were made of interlocking notched beams, reminding me of the Lincoln Logs I played with as a kid.
At every turn of the winding, roller-coaster road, our eyes were greeted with more scenes of pastoral life: a man tilling his field with a horse-drawn plow; a hunchbacked "apple lady" (Fred's term for an old woman whose face resembles a dried apple) shlepping two buckets of milk on a yoke across her shoulders; peasants of both sexes pulling hand-hewn wooden carts full of hay; a skinny man riding his bike while carrying a long-handled scythe (a common sight for us over the past few weeks, which normally arouses superstitious feelings in me, though today it seemed fitting). The people engaged in these menial tasks are invariably elderly, making you realize that they're a vanishing breed. Their offspring doubtless ride tractors and drive cars, which I realize saves them a lot of toil; but bourgeois American that I am, I still find the older ways more picturesque.
After only 2½ hours and sixty kilometers of swift pedaling, we had arrived in Oswiecim, a small and nondescript town made famous by the Nazis' decision to build their largest concentration camps here. We first stopped at Birkenau (a.k.a. Auschwitz II), which despite having been largely destroyed by Germans fleeing the Soviet army, is as horrifying and imposing a sight as I've ever seen. Its vast size attests to the massive scale of the operation. Only several rows of buildings remain, framing a huge field of foundations and chimneys belonging to what was once over 300 separate prison barracks. High barbed wire fences, punctuated by watch towers, surround the whole complex. Train tracks lead right through the center of the camp to the gas chambers and crematoria on the far side of the site, where over a million people were systematically exterminated.
Fred and I wandered around under the drizzle, seeking refuge in barracks buildings when the rain got harder. On the walls inside, the German slogans in gothic font were chillingly intact, as were sketches and paintings made by prisoners. What struck me was how recent it all seemed, especially after medieval Krakow. All of these buildings were occupied, with trains of people arriving to be gassed every day, less than twenty years before I was born. It's enough to make one question the very nature of civilization.
Auschwitz I was only a couple of kilometers away, but strikingly different in scale and feel from the vast and efficient killing machine of Birkenau. With it tree-lined streets and tidy buildings reminiscent of college dormitories, the older camp felt almost like a country village, harboring a cottage industry in the shadow of its behemoth, assembly-line style neighbor. Inside the buildings, though, are literally heaps and heaps of testimony to the horrors of the place. One hall housed 43,000 pairs of victims' shoes, many of them belonging to murdered children, while another contained a virtual mountain of human hair, once destined to be shipped back to the Reich and made into cloth. Other buildings were devoted to accounts of life in the camp, while still more were assigned to individual countries' experience of the war and its atrocities. We stumbled into the hall of the Soviet Union, which suffered a total of 20,000,000 war dead. Confronted with such massive tragedy, Fred and I felt awash in an overwhelming numbness.
At five p.m. there was a screening of a film documenting the Soviet liberation of Auschwitz dubbed in English. After a prolonged misunderstanding between Fred and the projectionist-ticket-taker, we sat in the dark while mosquitoes munched on us and a group of Germans talked loudly and behaved as if on a visit to Disneyland.
While we had intended to ride back to Krakow, the sun was already low in the sky by now. Polish roads are no place to be riding at dusk, so we grudgingly climbed aboard another train, the slowest I've ever been on. It deposited us in Krakow at about the same time that our bikes would have, and the short ride from the station to the town center was no fun at all. A concert benefiting flood victims in the west of Poland was underway on the central square, where we had to push our way through throngs of drunken teens. We intentionally chose a quiet place for dinner, the restaurant of the Hotel Francuski, which features mediocre food and appallingly bad service in an elegant setting.
Back in our room, the t.v. is tuned to the only station broadcasting in English. Fred and I have determined that Sky News –the UK's answer to CNN—should be renamed "Di News," since that's all that they've been covering, commercial free, since yesterday morning. The princess's death has actually affected me more than I'd ever thought it would, probably since it happened in Paris and involved a car. An evil car.
Storm clouds over Auschwitz II (Birkenau)
Our Salty Lady of Wieliczka
3 September, Krakow to Picim, 72 km
Tourism figures so infrequently into our trip that it is always relaxing when we're able to make time for it. Krakow is for the tourist, so we had to take advantage of the moment and visit it. When the kings of Poland left it to govern from a more central spot (Warsaw) it ceased to grow and change. Luckily from a political standpoint it was not worth destroying. It was so unimportant to the invading forces that it remains much as it was.
Before departing we spent a day touring the Wawel (Vah-vehl). It stands on a stone mound by the Vistula lording over the old city. Behind its fortifications are a Cathedral, the royal residence, the royal treasury, former military buildings and some ruins. Legend tells us that a cave below the castle was home to a voracious dragon noted for carrying off virgins to his cave and eating them. One brave king had a sheep stuffed with sulfur, ignited the beast and fed it to the dragon who upon finishing his meal found himself a little thirsty. Drinking from the river to quench his aforementioned thirst the dragon made an evil cocktail in his stomach and exploded, thus ridding the community its scourge.
The dragon wasn't the only problem the people of Krakow faced over time. When the invading force of the Tartars arrived and took over the city they shot an arrow through the throat of the town crier as he played the song of warning on his horn. To this day the tune remains truncated and sounds as it did that day marking each hour in the old city. The Austrians and Germans had their time in Krakow too, both managing to carry off many of the city's treasures during their occupations. Knowing the legacy of theft, the Poles sent much of the Castle's artwork to Canada just before the first war. When the Soviets demanded its return so they could adorn the Wawel the Canadians balked. It was not until the 1970's that it all came back and now sits in the museum there. One of the remarkable works that is on display is the "Last Judgment" by Bosch, lovely and horrible at the same time. The King's thrown room is worth mention. The ceiling is an enormous wood grail accented with gold leaf. In each of the center squares there are busts of prominent townspeople. Once every indentation in the giant waffle was filled in with a head, now only forty remain.
Upon arriving at the castle we began to look for a guide, but the geeks who approached us at the gates of the Wawel made us decide it might be better to see it on our own. As we looked out upon the river, in earshot of a guide's presentation we realized we wanted to be with this little group. It was a man, a woman and their tour leader. The guide was stylishly dressed, strikingly tan, articulate, concise and interesting. We were reluctant to propose joining the three of them thinking that the couple was British. They turned out to be from North Carolina and were supervising the construction of a Southern Baptist Church in Prague. They'd taken a day off from work and had but 24 hours to see all of Krakow. They graciously invited us to join them and we proceeded to "do" the Wawel. It was an accelerated tour; we booked through the castle and then the cathedral as fast as John and Libba Pruitt could walk.
As Izabella the tour guide dragged the Pruitts off to see the other twenty attractions in and around Krakow for what remained of the day we were left to see the rest of the Wawel on our own. We'd noticed a young woman wearing bicycling clothes throughout the day as we had visited the site. Finally mounting the bell tower of the cathedral we approached and met brave Ylva. She'd toured much of Northern Europe on her own, getting as far north as the Lofoten Islands. Ylva mentioned that her only woe was that she had run out of things to read in English and was on the prowl for new reading material. Her secret to remaining sane was talking to herself. I really admire her tenacity, knowing I'd have difficulty doing such a voyage by myself. Ylva will ride for another two more months before returning to her native Adelaide.
Today's ride included another tourist opportunity, the famous Salt Mine. It stands as the only mine in the UNESCO registry. After having seen it we are not sure why it is a tourist destination. The only really cool part of the exhibit was a church carved into a cavern of salt. Chandeliers, Mary, Jesus, a bas relief of the last supper and all the other adornments of the place of worship were carved from rock salt. The lighting designer of the attraction took advantage of the translucence of the rock salt, making Christ's sacred heart glow. The mine employed three miners to create all of the sculpture in the Church, paying them only salt miners wages. The underground workers apparently had a lot of time on their hands because they created 26 other chapels and various other sculpture (including more dwarfs than you can imagine). We spent nearly two hours bored to death 100 some odd meters below ground in temperatures hovering around 55 degrees Fahrenheit (14 degrees Centigrade). We did manage to meet two more cyclists, Monica and Greg. They'd been traveling for a few more months than we had, but only in Europe. Monica commented that she was glad to be going back to the States in a month. She thought she'd appreciated about as much as she could and the rest would better be left for another trip.
After a brief lunch in town we hit the road again. Leaving the salt mine village we mounted a hill that made us climb another 100 meters. Climbing would be the theme for the day. Andy had cleverly plotted out a route that would keep us off a nasty four lane highway. Unfortunately he didn't anticipate how badly the roads were marked and how inadequate our maps were to make such a trip. We missed a turn and ended up hopelessly in the wrong direction. Not being able to correct our navigational error we had to go to the big highway anyway. Andy complained continuously about the error for the remainder of the day. He was very disappointed with our miscalculation which put us some 50 km out of the way and forced us to climb some 500 meters unnecessarily. The big highway turned out to be not-so-bad. It wound through a beautiful river valley and there was a little road on the other bank that gave us 12 km of refuge from the whirring cars. My head throbbed from lack of food and Andy's crooning about our mistake so I insisted we stop at a roadside motel. Slovakia will have to wait for tomorrow. | {
"redpajama_set_name": "RedPajamaCommonCrawl"
} |
\section{Technical Details}
\label{sec:tech_details}
In this section, we present the mathematical details we have omitted in the
main body of this paper. First, we describe the analytics expression for the
double-integrals in \cref{eq:simple_cov}. Second, we extend the result of
\cref{sec:model} to categorical attributes. Third, we provides details on some
correlation parameter computations.
\vspace{2mm}
\subsection{Double-integration of Exp Function}
\label{sec:double_int}
\rev{C2.1c}{
For the analytic computation of \cref{eq:simple_cov}, we must be able to
analytically express the result of the following double integral:
\begin{align}
f(x, y) = \int_a^b
\int_c^d \,
\exp \left( -\frac{(x-y)^2}{z^2} \right)
\, d x \, d y
\label{eq:double_int}
\end{align}
To obtain its indefinite integral, we used
the Symbolic Math Toolbox in Matlab, which yielded:
\[
f(x, y) = - \frac{1}{2} \left(
z^2 \exp \left( - \frac{(x-y)^2}{z^2} \right)
\right)
- \frac{\sqrt{\pi}}{2} z (x-y) \erf \left( \frac{x-y}{z} \right)
\]
where $\erf(\cdot)$ is the \emph{error function}, available from most
mathematics
libraries. Then, the definite integral in \cref{eq:double_int} is obtained by
$f(b, d) - f(b, c) - f(a, d) + f(a, c)$.
}
\subsection{Handling Categorical Attributes}
\label{sec:discrete}
\rev{C2.2}{
Thus far, we have assumed that all dimension attributes are numeric. This
section describes how to handle dimension attributes that contain both numeric
and categorical attributes.
Let a tuple $\bm{t}\xspace = (a_1, \ldots, a_c, a_{c+1}, \ldots, a_l)$, where $c$ is
the number of categorical attributes; the number of numeric attributes is
$l - c$. Also $\bm{t}\xspace_c = (a_1, \ldots, a_c)$ and $\bm{t}\xspace_l = (a_{c+1},
\ldots, a_l)$. The covariance between two query snippet answers in \cref{eq:query_cov}
is extended as:
\[
\sum_{\bm{t}\xspace_c \in F\xspace_{i}^{c}}
\sum_{\bm{t}\xspace'_c \in F\xspace_{j}^c}
\int_{\bm{t}\xspace_l \in F\xspace_{i}^l} \int_{\bm{t}\xspace_l' \in F\xspace_{j}^l}
\cov(\nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace), \nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace')) \; d\bm{t}\xspace \; d\bm{t}\xspace'
\]
where $F\xspace_{i}^c$ is the set of $\bm{t}\xspace_c$ that satisfies $q_i$'s selection
predicates on categorical attributes, and $F\xspace_{i}^l$ is the set of
$\bm{t}\xspace_l$ that satisfies $q_i$'s selection predicates on numeric attributes.
The first question, then, is how to define the inter-tuple covariance, {i.e.},
$\cov(\nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace), \nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace'))$, when two arbitrary tuples $\bm{t}\xspace$ and
$\bm{t}\xspace'$ follow the schema with both categorical and numeric
attributes. For this, Verdict\xspace extends the previous inter-tuple covariance in
\cref{eq:tuple_cov}, which was defined only for numeric attributes, as follows:
\begin{align*}
&\cov(\nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace), \nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace'))
\approx
\sigma_{g}^2 \cdot
\prod_{k=1}^c
\delta(a\xspace_k, a\xspace'_k)
\prod_{k=c+1}^{l} \exp \left(
-\frac{(a\xspace_k - a\xspace'_k)^2}{l_{g,k}^2} \right)
\end{align*}
where $\delta(a\xspace, a\xspace')$ returns 1 if $a\xspace = a\xspace'$ and 0
otherwise. The inter-tuple covariance between two tuples become zero
if they include different categorical attribute values. Note that this is a
natural choice, since
the covariance between the two random variables, independently and identically drawn from the same distribution, is zero.
With the above definition
of the inter-tuple covariance, $\cov(\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i, \bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_j)$ is expressed as:
\begin{align}
\begin{split}
&\sigma_{g}^2
\prod_{k=1}^{c}
|F_{i,k} \cap F_{j,k} | \\
&\prod_{k=c+1}^{l}
\int_{s_{i,k}}^{e_{i,k}}
\int_{s_{j,k}}^{e_{j,k}} \,
\exp \left( -\frac{(a\xspace_k-a\xspace'_k)^2}{l_{g,k}^2} \right) \,
d a'_k a_k
\end{split}
\label{eq:cov_exact}
\end{align}
where $F_{i,k}$ and $F_{j,k}$ are the set of the $A_k$'s categorical attribute
values used for the \texttt{in} operator in $i$-th and $j$-th query snippet, respectively.
If $q_i$ includes a single equality constraint for a categorical attribute
$A_k$, {e.g.}, \texttt{$A_k$ = 1}, the equality constraint is conceptually treated as
the \texttt{in} operator with the list including only that
particular attribute value. If no constraints are specified in $q_i$ for a categorical attribute
$A_k$, $F_{i,k}$ is conceptually treated as a universal set including all
attribute values in $A_k$.
The above expression can be computed efficiently, since
counting the number of common elements between two sets can be performed in a
linear time using a hash set, and the double integral of an exponential
function can be computed analytically (\cref{sec:double_int}).
}
\subsection{Analytically Computed Parameter Values}
\label{sec:anal_param}
\rev{C2.4}{
While Verdict\xspace learns correlation parameters, {i.e.}, $l_{g,1}, \ldots, l_{g,l}$,
by solving an optimization
problem, the two other parameters, {i.e.}, the expected values of query answers
(namely $\vec{\mu}\xspace$) and the multiplier for $\rho_g(\bm{t}\xspace, \bm{t}\xspace')$ (namely $\sigma_g$),
are analytically computed as follows. Recall that $\vec{\mu}\xspace$ is
used for computing model-based answers and errors (\cref{eq:infer2}), and
$\sigma_g$ is used for computing the covariances between pairs of query answers
(\cref{eq:cov_exact}).
First, we use a single scalar value $\mu\xspace$ for the expected values of the prior
distribution; that is, every element of $\vec{\mu}\xspace$ is set to $\mu\xspace$ once we
obtain the value. Note that it only serves as the
means in the prior distribution. We take different
approaches for \texttt{AVG($A_k$)} and \texttt{FREQ(*)} as follows. For \texttt{AVG(*)}, we
simply set $\mu\xspace = \sum_{i=1}^n \theta\xspace_i / n$; whereas, for \texttt{FREQ(*)},
we set $\mu\xspace = \sum_{i=1}^n \theta\xspace_i /
|F\xspace_i|$ where $|F\xspace_i|$ is the area of the hyper-rectangle
$\prod_{k=c+1}^l (s_{i,k},e_{i,k})$ specified as $q_i$'s selection
predicates on numeric attributes.
Second, observe that $\sigma_g^2$ is equivalent to the variance of
$\nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace)$. For \texttt{AVG($A_k$)}, we use the variance of $\theta\xspace_1,
\ldots, \theta\xspace_n$; for \texttt{FREQ(*)}, we use the variance of $\theta\xspace_1 /
|F\xspace_i|, \ldots, \theta\xspace_n / |F\xspace_i|$.
We attempted to learn the optimal value for $\sigma_g^2$ in the course of solving the optimization
problem (\cref{eq:log_likelihood}); however, the local optimum did not produce a
model close to the true distribution.
}
\ignore{
\subsection{Proof to \cref{thm:accuracy} and \cref{lemma:time}}
\label{sec:theorem_proof}
}
\section{Learning and Validation}
\input{learn}
\input{safeguard}
\section{Additional Experiments}
\label{sec:more:exp}
This section contains additional experiments we have not included in the main part of our paper.
First, we study the impact of two factors that affect the performance benefits of Verdict\xspace
(\cref{sec:exp:contribution}).
Second, we show that Verdict\xspace can achieve error reductions over time-bounded AQP
engines (\cref{sec:time-bound}).
\input{model_benefit}
\input{time_bound}
\input{special}
\input{correlation_study}
\input{analytic_cov}
\ignore{
\input{learn_fig_simplest}
Informally, Verdict\xspace finds the \emph{simplest model that is consistent with the raw
answers (and raw errors) to past queries.} To illustrate such Verdict\xspace's behavior,
we prepared two types of datasets: in the first dataset
(Figure~\ref{fig:learn:simplest}(a)), the aggregate (represented on Y-axis) is a
slowly changing function of $a\xspace_d$, where $a\xspace_d$ is the value for one of dimension
attributes; while in the second dataset
(Figure~\ref{fig:learn:simplest}(b)), the aggregate is a fast changing function
of $a\xspace_d$. One can observe that the models determined by Verdict\xspace are identical for
those two datasets even if those two aggregates were different, which is because
the answers to the past queries (represented in grey boxes) are the same, and
the only information that Verdict\xspace relies on is the answers (and errors) to the
past queries. Although the internal model does not truly reflect the groundtruth
in the second dataset, the model would be still useful for computing improved
answers because the high frequency components barely affects query answers when
aggregated (they cancel out to zero).
}
\section{Formal Guarantees}
\label{sec:benefit}
Next, we formally show that the error bounds of Verdict\xspace's improved answers are never
larger than the error bounds of the AQP engine's raw answers.
\begingroup
\setlength{\abovedisplayskip}{2pt}
\setlength{\belowdisplayskip}{3pt}
\begin{theorem}
Let Verdict\xspace's improved answer and improved error to the new snippet be $(\widehat{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace, \widehat{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace)$ and the
AQP engine's raw answer and raw error to the new snippet be $(\theta\xspace_{n+1}, \beta_{n+1})$. Then,
\[
\widehat{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace \le \beta_{n+1}
\]
and the equality occurs when the raw error is zero, or when Verdict\xspace's query synopsis is
empty,
or when Verdict\xspace's model-based answer is rejected by the model validation step.
\label{thm:accuracy}
\end{theorem}
\endgroup
\begin{proof}
Recall that $(\widehat{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace, \widehat{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace)$ is set either to Verdict\xspace's model-based answer/error, {i.e.}, $(\ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace,
\ddot{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace)$, or to the AQP system's raw answer/error, {i.e.}, $(\theta\xspace_{n+1}, \beta_{n+1})$, depending
on the result of the model validation. In the latter case, it is trivial that $\widehat{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace \le
\beta_{n+1}$, and hence it is enough to show that $\ddot{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace \le \beta_{n+1}$.
Computing $\ddot{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace$ involves
an inversion of the covariance matrix $\Sigma_{n+1}$, where
$\Sigma_{n+1}$ includes
the $\beta_{n+1}$ term on one of its diagonal entries. We show $\ddot{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace
\le \beta_{n+1}$ by directly simplifying $\ddot{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace$ into the form that involves $\beta_{n+1}$ and other
terms.
We first define notations. Let $\Sigma$ be the covariance matrix of the vector of random variables $(\bm{\theta}\xspace_1,
\ldots,$ $\bm{\theta}\xspace_{n+1}, \bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_{n+1})$; $\vec{k}\xspace_n$ be a column vector of length
$n$ whose $i$-th element is the $(i,n+1)$-th entry of $\Sigma$; $\Sigma_n$
be an $n \times n$ submatrix of $\Sigma$ that consists of $\Sigma$'s first $n$
rows/columns; $\bar{\kappa}\xspace^2$ be a scalar value at the $(n+2,n+2)$-th entry of
$\Sigma$; and $\vec{\theta}\xspace_{n}$ be a column vector $(\theta\xspace_1, \ldots, \theta\xspace_{n})^\intercal$.
Then, we can express $\vec{k}\xspace_{n+1}$ and $\Sigma_{n+1}$ in
\cref{eq:infer,eq:impstd} in block forms as follows:
\begin{align*}
\vec{k}\xspace_{n+1} = \begin{pmatrix}
\vec{k}\xspace_n \\ \bar{\kappa}\xspace^2
\end{pmatrix}, \quad
\Sigma_{n+1} = \begin{pmatrix}
\Sigma_n & \vec{k}\xspace_n \\
\vec{k}\xspace_n^\intercal & \bar{\kappa}\xspace^2 + \beta_{n+1}^2
\end{pmatrix}, \quad
\vec{\theta}\xspace_{n+1} = \begin{pmatrix}
\vec{\theta}\xspace_{n} \\ \theta\xspace_{n+1}
\end{pmatrix}
\end{align*}
Here, it is important to note that $\vec{k}\xspace_{n+1}$ can be expressed in terms of
$\vec{k}\xspace_n$ and $\bar{\kappa}\xspace^2$ because $(i,n+1)$-th element of $\Sigma$ and
$(i,n+2)$-th element of $\Sigma$ have the same values for $i = 1, \ldots,
n$. They have the same values because the covariance between $\bm{\theta}\xspace_i$ and
$\bm{\theta}\xspace_{n+1}$ and the covariance between $\bm{\theta}\xspace_i$ and $\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_{n+1}$ are same
for $i = 1, \ldots, n$ due to \cref{eq:query_cov2}.
Using the formula of block matrix inversion~\cite{mat_inverse},
we can obtain the following alternative forms of \cref{eq:infer,eq:impstd} (here, we assume zero
means to simplify the expressions):
\begin{align}
\gamma^2 &= \bar{\kappa}\xspace^2 - \vec{k}\xspace_n^\intercal \Sigma_{n}^{-1} \vec{k}\xspace_n, \qquad
\theta = \vec{k}\xspace_n^\intercal \Sigma_{n}^{-1} \vec{\theta}\xspace_{n}
\label{eq:model_only} \\
%
\ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace &=
\frac{\beta_{n+1}^2 \cdot \theta + \gamma^2 \cdot \theta\xspace_{n+1}}{\beta_{n+1}^2 + \gamma^2},
\qquad
%
\ddot{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace^2 = \frac{\beta_{n+1}^2 \cdot \gamma^2}{\beta_{n+1}^2 + \gamma^2}
\label{eq:infer2}
\end{align}
Note that $\ddot{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace^2 < \beta_{n+1}$ for $\beta_{n+1} > 0$ and $\gamma^2 < \infty$, and $\ddot{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace^2 =
\beta_{n+1}$ if $\beta_{n+1} = 0$ or $\gamma^2 \rightarrow \infty$.
\end{proof}
\ignore{
Interestingly, the above theorem still holds even if the relation is subject to
data additions (see \cref{sec:append}).
In proving the above theorem, we observe an interesting fact. In
\cref{eq:model_only,eq:infer2}, the raw answer and the error to the new snippet are not required for
computing the value of $\gamma^2$ and $\theta$. This observation helps to
keep Verdict\xspace's inference process at
query time fast, as described in the following lemma.
}
\begin{lemma}
The time complexity of Verdict\xspace's inference is
\rev{C2.1f}{$O(N^{max}\cdot l \cdot n^2 )$}
\rev{C9}{The space complexity of Verdict\xspace is $O(n \cdot N^{max} + n^2)$,
where $n \cdot N^{max}$ is the size of the query
snippets and $n^2$ is the size of the precomputed covariance matrix.}
\label{lemma:time}
\end{lemma}
\begin{proof}
It is enough to prove that the computations of a model-based answer and a
model-based error can be performed in $O(n^2)$ time, where $n$ is the number
of past query snippets. Note that this is clear from
\cref{eq:infer2,eq:model_only}, because the computation of $\Sigma_n^{-1}$
involves only the past query snippets. For computing $\gamma^2$, multiplying
$\vec{k}\xspace_n$, a precomputed $\Sigma_{n}^{-1}$, and $\vec{k}\xspace_n$ takes $O(n^2)$ time.
Similarly for $\theta$ in \cref{eq:model_only}
\end{proof}
\rev{C2.1f,C9}{These results imply that the domain sizes of dimension attributes do not affect
Verdict\xspace's computational overhead.
This is because Verdict\xspace analytically computes the covariances between pairs of
query answers without individually computing inter-tuple covariances
(\cref{sec:data_stat}).}
\ignore{
Let $(\widehat{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace^*, \widehat{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace^*)$ be a pair of improved answer and improved error
computed from the ME distribution based on true statistics (which are
typically unknown).
Also, let $\theta\xspace_{n+1}'$ be the answer obtained solely from Verdict\xspace's
model (\cref{sec:safeguard}) for the new query.
\begingroup
\setlength{\abovedisplayskip}{1pt}
\setlength{\belowdisplayskip}{1pt}
\begin{theorem}
Assume the probabilistic correctness of $(\widehat{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace^*, \widehat{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace^*)$, namely:
\[
Pr( |\widehat{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace^* - \bar{\theta}\xspace^*_{n+1}| \le \alpha_\delta \cdot \widehat{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace^*)
\; = \; \delta.
\]
where $\bar{\theta}\xspace^*_{n+1}$ is the (unknown) true answer, and $\alpha_\delta$ is the
confidence interval multiplier for probability $\delta$.
If the two conditions $\widehat{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace^* \le \widehat{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace$ and
$|\theta'_{n+1}-\theta\xspace_{n+1}| \le \alpha_\delta \cdot \beta_{n+1} / 2$ hold
true, then Verdict\xspace's answer $(\widehat{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace, \widehat{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace)$ satisfies the following:
\begin{align}
\widehat{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace &\le \beta_{n+1} \label{eq:acc_guarantee} \\
Pr( |\widehat{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace - \bar{\theta}\xspace^*_{n+1}| &\le \alpha_\delta \cdot \widehat{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace)
\; \ge \; \delta
\label{eq:correct}
\end{align}
\label{thm:accuracy}
\end{theorem}
\endgroup
This theorem states that, as long as Verdict\xspace's estimated errors are conservative,
Verdict\xspace's confidence intervals are both (i) probabilistically correct and
(ii) never larger than those returned by the underlying AQP engine.
This implies that Verdict\xspace's actual errors are also smaller than the underlying AQP engine's actual errors
\emph{in expectation}, since the actual errors of both systems are bounded by
their respective confidence intervals with the same probability.
Our empirical study (\cref{dbl-supp}) shows that
Theorem~\ref{thm:accuracy}'s assumption
regarding the probabilistic correctness of \rev{the ME distribution based on
true statistics}
and
the condition $\widehat{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace^* \le \widehat{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace$ are satisfied in most test
cases.
The last condition $|\theta'_{n+1}-\theta\xspace_{n+1}| \le \alpha_\delta \cdot \beta_{n+1} / 2$
is from our safeguard (\cref{sec:safeguard}).
Although we do not have a formal guarantee for
the case where $\widehat{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace^* > \widehat{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace$, we empirically show
that Verdict\xspace's probabilistic correctness hold true (\cref{sec:exp:stat_error}).
Next, we present the proof of the above theorem.
}
\ignore{
\begin{proof}
Besides showing (\ref{eq:acc_guarantee}) directly, we show (\ref{eq:correct})
by proving $|\widehat{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace - \widehat{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace^*| \le \alpha_\delta (\widehat{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace - \widehat{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace^*)$,
which is a sufficient condition for (\ref{eq:correct}). We show each of them
after presenting common parts.
\vspace{2mm} \noindent
\textsc{Common Parts:}
Let $\Sigma$ be the covariance matrix of the vector $(\bm{\theta}\xspace_1,
\ldots,$ $\bm{\theta}\xspace_{n+1}, \bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_{n+1})$; $\vec{k}\xspace_s$ be a column vector of length
$n$ whose $i$-th element is the $(i,n+1)$-th entry of $\Sigma$; $\Sigma_{s}$
be an $n \times n$ submatrix of $\Sigma$ that consists of $\Sigma$'s first $n$
rows/columns; $\bar{\kappa}\xspace^2$ be a scalar value at the $(n+2,n+2)$-th entry of
$\Sigma$; and $\vec{\theta}\xspace_{s}$ be a column vector $(\theta\xspace_1, \ldots, \theta\xspace_{n})^T$.
Then, we can express $\vec{k}\xspace_{sub}$ and $\Sigma_{sub}$ of
equation (\ref{eq:infer}) in block forms as follows:
\begin{align*}
\vec{k}\xspace_{sub} = \begin{pmatrix}
\vec{k}\xspace_s \\ \bar{\kappa}\xspace^2
\end{pmatrix}, \quad
\Sigma_{sub} = \begin{pmatrix}
\Sigma_s & \vec{k}\xspace_s \\
\vec{k}\xspace_s^T & \bar{\kappa}\xspace^2 + \beta_{n+1}^2
\end{pmatrix}, \quad
\vec{\theta}\xspace_{sub} = \begin{pmatrix}
\vec{\theta}\xspace_{s} \\ \theta\xspace_{n+1}
\end{pmatrix}
\end{align*}
Using the formula of block matrix inversion~\cite{mat_inverse},
we can obtain the following alternative forms (using zero means without loss
of generality) from (\ref{eq:infer}) and (\ref{eq:impstd}):
\begin{align}
\gamma^2 &= \bar{\kappa}\xspace^2 - \vec{k}\xspace_s^T \Sigma_{s}^{-1} \vec{k}\xspace_s, \qquad
\theta'_{n+1} = \vec{k}\xspace_s^T \Sigma_{s}^{-1} \vec{\theta}\xspace_{s}
\label{eq:model_only} \\
\widehat{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace &=
(\beta_{n+1}^2 \cdot \theta'_{n+1} + \gamma^2 \cdot \theta\xspace_{n+1}) /
(\beta_{n+1}^2 + \gamma^2) \label{eq:infer2} \\
\widehat{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace^2 &= \beta_{n+1}^2 \cdot \gamma^2 / (\beta_{n+1}^2 + \gamma^2)
\label{eq:impstd2}
\end{align}
\vspace{1mm} \noindent
\textsc{Proof for (\ref{eq:acc_guarantee}):}
We can easily show $\widehat{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace^2 - \beta_{n+1}^2 \le 0$ using (\ref{eq:impstd2});
thus, the inequality follows.
\vspace{1mm} \noindent
\textsc{Proof for (\ref{eq:correct}):} Note that $\widehat{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace^2$ is an increasing function
of $\gamma^2$. Therefore, it suffices to show that
\begin{align}
\partial (\widehat{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace + \alpha_\delta \cdot \widehat{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace) / \partial \gamma^2 &\ge 0,
\label{eq:partial1} \\
\partial (\widehat{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace - \alpha_\delta \cdot \widehat{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace) / \partial \gamma^2 &\le 0
\label{eq:partial2}
\end{align}
since we can show that the second inequality holds for arbitrary $\gamma$ (and
$\widehat{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace$) by integrating (\ref{eq:partial1}) and (\ref{eq:partial2}).
We can find that (\ref{eq:partial1}) holds if
$|\theta'_{n+1}-\theta\xspace_{n+1}| \le \alpha_\delta \cdot \beta_{n+1}^2 / 2 \widehat{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace$
by computing the derivatives of (\ref{eq:infer2}) and
(\ref{eq:impstd2}).
Observe that this inequality always holds since
$|\theta'_{n+1}-\theta\xspace_{n+1}| \le \alpha_\delta \cdot \beta_{n+1} / 2 $ and
$\widehat{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace \le \beta_{n+1}$.
We can show (\ref{eq:partial2}) similarly.
\end{proof}
}
\ignore{
Method 1 uses a random sample (which consists of multiple tuples) to
estimate $X_{p+1}$. Since Method 1 uses a random sample instead of an
original database, it produces an \emph{error} as far as not all tuple
attributes are identical --- for this \emph{unlikely} case, retrieving a
single tuple is enough to compute any aggregates. We denote the \emph{error}
by $\beta$, where $\beta$ follows a normal distribution in our cases.
On the other hand, the \emph{error} by Method 2 is expressed as $1 - k^T
C^{-1} k$ where $k$ is a $(p+1)$-by-$1$ column vector whose $i$-th element
is $E(X_i X_{p+1})$. $C$ is a $(p+1)$-by-$(p+1)$ matrix, where its element
at the position $(i,j)$, or $C_{ij}$, is $E(X_i X_j)$. Without loss of
generality, we assume $E(X_i^2)$ is equal to 1 for $i \in \mathcal{T}$. In
this proof, we aim to show
\[
(\text{\emph{error} of Method 2}) = 1 - k^T C^{-1} k \le \beta = (\text{\emph{error} of Method 1}).
\]
Let $b = (E(X_1 X_{p+1}), \ldots, E(X_p X_{p+1}))^T$, then we can express
$k$ and $C$ as
\[
k = \begin{pmatrix} b \\ 1 \end{pmatrix}, \quad
C = \begin{pmatrix} A & b \\ b^T & 1 + \beta \end{pmatrix}
\]
where $A$ is a $p$-by-$p$ submatrix of $C$. Note that the expression, $1 +
\beta$, in $C$: the first term (1) comes from our assumption that $E(X_i^2)
= 1$. The second term ($\beta$) comes from the fact that the \emph{error} of
the answer computed using a random sample is identical to that of Method 1
because both Method 1 and Method 2 use the same sample size.
We use the formula of blockwise matrix inversion
\begin{align*}
C^{-1} = \begin{pmatrix}
M^{-1} + \frac{1}{1+\beta} A^{-1} b b^T A^{-1}
& -\frac{1}{m} A^{-1} b \\
-\frac{1}{m} b^T A^{-1} & \frac{1}{m}
\end{pmatrix},
\\
m = 1 + \beta - b^T A^{-1} b
\end{align*}
to obtain that
\begin{align*}
(\text{\emph{error} of Method 2})
= 1 - \alpha + \frac{(1 - \alpha)^2}{1 + \beta - \alpha},
\\
\text{where } \alpha = b^T A^{-1} b.
\end{align*}
Note that $\alpha = b^T A^{-1} b$ must be no larger than 1 because $1 - b^T
A^{-1} b$ is the variance (which is non negative) when $X_{p+1}$ is
estimated by Method 2 \emph{without} the random sample. Also, when $\alpha$
must be larger than 0 because the inverse of a positive-definite matrix $A$
is also positive-definite; thus, $b^T A^{-1} b > 0$ by the definition of
positive-definite matrix. When $\alpha \in (0, 1]$, both $1 - \alpha$ and
$\frac{(1 - \alpha)^2}{1 + \beta - \alpha}$ are decreasing functions of
$\alpha$, which means the \emph{error} of Method 2 cannot be larger than the
case with $\alpha$ being 0. Therefore,
\begin{align*}
(\text{\emph{error} of Method 2}) &< 1 - \frac{1}{1 + \beta} \\
&< \beta = (\text{\emph{error} of Method 1})
\end{align*}
}
\section{Conclusion and Future Work}
\label{sec:con}
In this paper, we presented database learning (DBL), a novel approach to exploit past queries'
(approximate) answers in speeding up new queries using a principled statistical methodology.
We presented a prototype of this vision, called Verdict\xspace, on top of Spark SQL.
Through extensive experiments on real-world and benchmark query logs,
we demonstrated that Verdict\xspace supported 73.7\% of real-world analytical queries,
speeding them up by up to 23$\times$ compared to an online aggregation AQP engine.
Exciting lines of future work include: (i) the study of other inferential
techniques for realizing DBL,
(ii) the development of \emph{active database learning}~\cite{park2017active}, whereby the engine
itself proactively executes certain approximate queries
that can best improve its internal model, and (iii) the extension
of Verdict\xspace to support visual
analytics~\cite{el2016vistrees,park2016visualization,crotty2015vizdom,joglekar2014interactive,kim2015rapid,vartakRMPP15,battle2015dynamic,wu2014case,idreos2015overview}.
\section{Acknowledgement}
This work was in part funded by NSF awards 1544844, 1629397, and 1553169.
The authors are grateful to Aditya Modi, Morgan Lovay, and Shannon Riggins for their
feedback on this manuscript.
\subsection{Accuracy of Parameter Learning}
\label{sec:exp:correlation}
In this section, we examine the effectiveness of Verdict\xspace's correlation parameter estimation process
presented in \cref{sec:learn}. Similar to \cref{sec:exp:validation}, we used the synthetic datasets
generated from pre-determined correlation parameters to see how close Verdict\xspace could estimate the values
of those correlation parameters. We let Verdict\xspace estimate the correlation parameter values using three
different numbers of past snippets (20, 50, and 100) for various datasets with different
correlation parameter values.
\input{fig_exp_correlation_learning}
\Cref{fig:param_learning} shows the results. In general, the correlation parameter values discovered
by Verdict\xspace's estimation process were consistent with the true correlation parameter values. Also, the
estimated values tended to be closer to the true values when a larger number of past snippets were
used for the estimation process. This result indicates that Verdict\xspace can effectively learn statistical
characteristics of the underlying distribution just based on the answers to the past queries.
\section{Prevalence of Inter-tuple Covariances in Real-World}
\section{Prevalence of Inter-tuple Covariances in Real-World}
\label{sec:covariance:study}
\afterrev{
In this section, we demonstrate the existence of
the inter-tuple covariances in many real-world datasets by analyzing well-known datasets from
the UCI repository~\cite{Lichman:2013}. We analyzed the following well-known 16 datasets:
cancer, glass, haberman, ionosphere, iris, mammographic-masses, optdigits, parkinsons,
pima-indians-diabetes, segmentation, spambase, steel-plates-faults, transfusion, vehicle,
vertebral-column, and yeast
We extracted numeric attributes (or equivalently, columns) from those datasets and composed each of
the datasets into a relational table. Suppose a dataset has $m$ attributes. Then, we computed the correlation
between adjacent attribute values in the $i$-th column when the column is sorted in order of another
$j$-th column---$i$ and $j$ are the values (inclusively) between 1 and $m$, and $i \ne j$. Note that
there are $m (m-1) / 2$ number of pairs of attributes for a dataset with $m$ attributes. We analyzed
all of those pairs for each of 16 datasets listed above.}
\input{fig_overview_corr2}
\afterrev{
\Cref{fig:overview:corr} shows the results of our analysis. The figure reports the percentage of
different levels of correlations (or equivalently, normalized inter-tuple covariances) between
adjacent attributes. One can observe that there existed strong correlations in the datasets we
analyzed. Remember that the users of Verdict\xspace do not need to provide any information regarding the
inter-tuple covariances; Verdict\xspace automatically detects them as described in
\cref{sec:learn}, relying on
the past snippet answers stored in the query synopsis.}
\section{Details on Computing Covariances Between Query Answers}
\label{sec:appendix:cov}
Let $g$ be an aggregate function on attribute $A_k$,
$\bm{a}\xspace_k$ be a random variable representing the possible values of
attribute $A_k$,
$\bm{t}\xspace = (a_1, \ldots, a_l)$ be a vector of length $l$ comprised of values for $r$'s
dimension attributes $A_1, \ldots, A_l$, and $\omega(\bm{t}\xspace)$ be the fraction of tuples in $r$ that have the same values for their
dimension attributes as $\bm{t}\xspace$.
We use $\nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace)$ to denote the expected value of aggregate function $g$ given the values of dimension attributes.
Thus, we have:
\begin{align*}
\nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace) = \begin{cases}
E[\bm{a}\xspace_k \mid \bm{t}\xspace] & \qquad \text{if $g$ is \texttt{AVG($A_k$)}} \\
\omega(\bm{t}\xspace) & \qquad \text{if $g$ is \texttt{FREQ(*)}}
\end{cases}
\end{align*}
Therefore, $\nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace)$ is a random variable dependent on
$\bm{t}\xspace$ (since relation $r$ is drawn from an underlying
distribution).
Let $F\xspace_i$ denote the set of tuples satisfying the
selection predicates of $q_i$. Then, the random variable $\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i$ representing possible true answers to $q_i$ can be
expressed in terms of $\nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace)$:
\begin{align}
\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i =
\begin{cases}
\begin{aligned}
\frac{1}{\mathcal{Z}_i}
\int_{F\xspace_i} \nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace) \, \omega(\bm{t}\xspace) \; d\bm{t}\xspace
\end{aligned}
& \text{if $g$ is \texttt{AVG($A_k$)}} \\
\begin{aligned}
\int_{F\xspace_i} \nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace) \; d\bm{t}\xspace
\end{aligned}
& \text{if $g$ is \texttt{FREQ(*)}}
\end{cases}
\label{eq:appendix:query_answer}
\end{align}
where $\mathcal{Z}_i$ is a normalization term defined as $\mathcal{Z}_i = \int_{F\xspace_i} \omega(\bm{t}\xspace) \; d\bm{t}\xspace$.
Based on equation (\ref{eq:appendix:query_answer}),
the covariance between random variables $\bm{\theta}\xspace_i$ and
$\bm{\theta}\xspace_j$ can be expressed as follows. (This quantity corresponds to the variance of $\bm{\theta}\xspace_i$ if
$i = j$.)
\begin{align}
& E \left[ (\bm{\theta}\xspace_i - \mu\xspace_i)(\bm{\theta}\xspace_j - \mu\xspace_j) \right]
= E \left[ (\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i + \bm{\varepsilon}\xspace_i - \mu\xspace_i)(\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_j + \bm{\varepsilon}\xspace_j - \mu\xspace_j) \right] \nonumber \\
&=
\begin{cases}
\begin{aligned}
\frac{1}{\mathcal{Z}_i \mathcal{Z}_j}
\int_{F\xspace_i} \int_{F\xspace_j}
\cov(\nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace), \nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace')) \, & \omega(\bm{t}\xspace) \omega(\bm{t}\xspace') \, d\bm{t}\xspace' d\bm{t}\xspace \\
\; + \; \delta(i,j) \cdot \beta_i \qquad
&\text{if $g$ is \texttt{AVG($A_k$)}}
\end{aligned} \\[2em]
\begin{aligned}
\int_{F\xspace_i} \int_{F\xspace_j}
\cov(\nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace), \nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace'))
\, d\bm{t}\xspace' & d\bm{t}\xspace \; + \; \delta(i,j) \cdot \beta_i \\
& \quad \text{if $g$ is \texttt{FREQ(*)}}
\end{aligned}
\end{cases}
\label{eq:appendix:query_cov}
\end{align}
where $\delta$ is 1 if $i = j$ and 0 otherwise; and $\bm{\varepsilon}\xspace_i$ is a random
variable with variance $\beta_i$ representing
the deviation of the raw answer from $q_i$'s true
answer.
\section{Covariance Computation}
\label{sec:cov}
This section in interested in analytically calculating the following expression:
\[
\int_a^b \int_c^d
\exp \left( -\frac{(x_1 - x_2)^2}{2 l^2} \right) \; d x_1 d x_2.
\]
The result of the above double integral calculation can be applied directly to obtain the result of Expression~\ref{eq:cov} if $g_{A_1}(a_1)$ and $g_{A_1}(a'_1)$ are uniform within the range $(l^{(i)}, u^{(i)})$ and $(l^{(j)}, u^{(j)})$ respectively. If $g_{A_1}(a_1)$ and $g_{A_1}(a'_1)$ are not uniform and are available as histograms, one can break the integral expression into subranges within which pdf is uniform, then combine their results.
The computation of the double integral above relies on the following two facts~\cite{ng1969table}:
\begin{align*}
\int_0^x e^{-t^2} \; dt &= \frac{\sqrt{\pi}}{2} \erf(x) \\
\int_0^x \erf(at) \; dt &= x \erf(ax)
+ \frac{1}{a \sqrt{\pi}} \left( \exp(-a^2 x^2) - 1 \right)
\end{align*}
where $\erf(x)$ is an error function.
\section{Deployment Scenarios}
\label{sec:overview:deployment}
Verdict\xspace is designed to support a large class of AQP engines.
However, depending on the type
of AQP engine used, Verdict\xspace may provide both speedup and error reduction, or only error
reduction.
\begin{enumerate}[nolistsep,itemsep=3pt,wide,labelwidth=!,labelindent=0pt,topsep=3pt,partopsep=3pt,partopsep=3pt]
\item \textbf{AQP engines that support online aggregation}
\cite{online-agg,g-ola,online-agg-mr1,zeng2016iolap}:
Online aggregation continuously refines its approximate answer as new tuples
are processed, until users are satisfied with the current accuracy or when
the entire dataset is processed. In these types of engines, every time the
online aggregation provides an updated answer (and error estimate), Verdict\xspace
generates an improved answer with a higher accuracy (by paying small
runtime overhead). As soon as this
accuracy meets the user requirement, the online aggregation can be stopped.
With Verdict\xspace, the online aggregation's continuous processing will stop
earlier than it would without Verdict\xspace.
This is because
Verdict\xspace reaches a target error bound much earlier
by combining its model with the raw answer of the AQP engine.
\item \textbf{AQP engines that support time-bounds}
\cite{mozafari_eurosys2013,surajit-optimized-stratified,aggr_oracle,dbo,sample_subset,mozafari_sigmod2014_abm,easy_bound_bootstrap}:
Instead of continuously refining approximate answers and reporting them to the user,
these engines simply take a time-bound from the user,
and then they predict the largest sample size that they can
process within the requested time-bound;
thus, they minimize error bounds within the allotted time.
For these engines, Verdict\xspace simply replaces the user's original time
bound $t_1$ with a slightly smaller value $t_1-\epsilon$
before passing it down to the AQP
engine, where $\epsilon$ is the time needed by Verdict\xspace for inferring the improved answer and improved error.
Thanks to the efficiency of Verdict\xspace's inference, $\epsilon$ is typically a small value,
{e.g.}, a few milliseconds (see \cref{sec:exp:overhead}).
Since Verdict\xspace's inference brings larger accuracy improvements on average compared to the
benefit of processing more tuples within the $\epsilon$ time,
Verdict\xspace achieves significant error reductions over traditional AQP engines.
\end{enumerate}
In this paper, we use an online aggregation engine to demonstrate Verdict\xspace's both
speedup and error reduction capabilities (\cref{sec:exp}).
However, for interested readers, we also provide evaluations on a time-bound
engine~\cref{sec:time-bound}.
Some AQP engines also support error-bound queries but do not
offer an online aggregation interface~\cite{mozafari_pvldb2012,mozafari_sigmod2016_demo,mozafari_cidr2017}.
For these engine,
Verdict\xspace currently only benefits their time-bound queries,
leaving their answer to error-bound queries unchanged.
Supporting the latter would require either adding an online aggregation interface to the AQP engine,
or a tighter integration of Verdict\xspace and the AQP engine itself.
Such modifications are beyond the scope of this paper, as one of our design goals is to treat
the underlying AQP engine as a black box (\cref{fig:overview:workflow}),
so that Verdict\xspace can be used alongside a larger number of existing engines.
\rev{C3}{
Note that Verdict\xspace's inference mechanism is not affected by the specific AQP
engine used underneath, as long as the conditions in \cref{sec:infer} hold, namely the error estimate $\beta^2$
is the expectation of the squared deviation of the approximate answer from the
exact answer.
However, the AQP engine's runtime overhead ({e.g.}, query parsing and planning) may affect
Verdict\xspace's overall benefit in relative terms. For example, if the query parsing
amount to 90\% of the overall query processing time, even if Verdict completely
eliminates the need for processing any data, the relative speedup will only be
1.0/0.9 = 1.11$\times$. However, Verdict is designed for data-intensive scenarios where
disk or network I/O is a sizable portion of the overall query processing time.}
\section{Experiments}
\label{sec:exp}
We conducted experiments to
(i) quantify the percentage of real-world queries
that benefit from Verdict\xspace (\cref{sec:exp:query_analysis}),
(ii) study Verdict\xspace's average speedup and error reductions over an AQP engine (\cref{sec:exp:speedup}),
(iii) test the reliability of Verdict\xspace's error bounds
(\cref{sec:exp:stat_error}),
(iv) measure Verdict\xspace's computational overhead and memory footprint
(\cref{sec:exp:overhead}), and
(v) study the impact of different workloads and data distributions on Verdict\xspace's
effectiveness (\cref{sec:exp:parameter}).
In summary, our results indicated the following:
\begin{itemize}[leftmargin=5mm,itemsep=1pt,nolistsep,topsep=0pt,partopsep=3pt,partopsep=3pt]
\item Verdict\xspace supported a large fraction (73.7\%) of aggregate queries in a real-world workload, and
produced significant speedups (up to 23.0$\times$) compared to a sample-based AQP solution.
\item Given the same processing time, Verdict\xspace reduces the baseline's approximation error on average
by 75.8\%--90.2\%.
\item Verdict\xspace's runtime overhead was $<$10 milliseconds on average (0.02\%--0.48\% of total
time) and its memory footprint was negligible.
\item Verdict\xspace's approach was robust against various workloads and data distributions.
\end{itemize}
We also have supplementary experiments in \cref{sec:more:exp}.
\cref{sec:exp:contribution} shows the benefits of model-based inference in
comparison to a strawman approach, which simply caches all past query answers.
\cref{sec:time-bound} demonstrates Verdict\xspace's benefit for time-bound
AQP engines.
\input{fig_exp_laterr}
\subsection{Experimental Setup}
\label{sec:exp:setup}
\ph{Datasets and Query Workloads}
For our experiments, we used the three datasets described below:
\begin{enumerate}[leftmargin=5mm,itemsep=1pt,nolistsep]
\item \texttt{Customer1}\xspace: This is a real-world query trace from
one of the largest customers (anonymized) of a leading vendor of analytic
DBMS.
This dataset contains 310 tables and 15.5K
timestamped queries issued between March 2011 and April 2012, 3.3K of which
are analytical queries supported by Spark SQL.
We did not have the customer's original dataset but had access to their data
distribution, which we used to generate a 536 GB dataset.
\item \texttt{TPC-H}\xspace: This is a well-known analytical benchmark with 22 query types,
21 of which contain at least one aggregate
function (including 2 queries with \texttt{min} or \texttt{max}).
We used a scale factor of 100, i.e., the total data size was 100 GB.
We generated a total of 500 queries using \texttt{TPC-H}\xspace's workload generator with
its default settings.
The queries in this dataset include joins of up to 6 tables.
\item \texttt{Synthetic}\xspace: For more controlled experiments, we also generated large-scale synthetic
datasets with different distributions (see \cref{sec:exp:parameter} for details).
\end{enumerate}
\ph{Implementation}
For comparative analysis, we implemented two systems on top of
Spark SQL~\cite{armbrust2015spark} (version 1.5.1):
\begin{enumerate}[leftmargin=5mm,itemsep=1pt,nolistsep]
\item NoLearn\xspace: This system is an online aggregation engine that creates
random samples of the original tables offline and splits
them into multiple batches of tuples.
To compute increasingly accurate
answers to a new query, NoLearn\xspace first
computes an approximate answer and its associated error bound on the first
batch
of tuples,
and then continues to refine its answer and error bound as
it processes additional batches.
\rev{C4}{NoLearn\xspace estimates its errors and computes confidence intervals using
closed-forms (based on the central limit theorem). Error estimation based on
the central limit
theorem has been one of the
most popular approaches in online aggregation
systems~\cite{online-agg,g-ola,zeng2016iolap,kandula2016quickr} and other AQP
engines~\cite{mozafari_eurosys2013,surajit-optimized-stratified,join_synopses}.}
\item Verdict\xspace: This system is an implementation of our proposed approach, which uses NoLearn\xspace as its AQP
engine. In other words, each time NoLearn\xspace yields a raw answer and error, Verdict\xspace computes an
improved answer and error using our proposed approach.
Naturally, \rev{C4}{Verdict\xspace incurs a (negligible)
runtime overhead,
due to supported query check, query decomposition, and computation
of improved answers;}
however, Verdict\xspace yields answers that are much more accurate in general.
\ignore{ when users append a
special prefix (\texttt{l}) in front of regular aggregate functions. For
instance, if an aggregate function \texttt{LSUM(X)} is specified inside a
regular SQL statement in place of \texttt{SUM(X)}, Verdict\xspace inserts an extra
query analysis step before running the query and modifies NoLearn\xspace's result
set right before returning the query's answer to users.}
\end{enumerate}
\ph{Experimental Environment} We used a Spark cluster (for both NoLearn\xspace and Verdict\xspace) using 5 Amazon EC2 \texttt{m4.2xlarge} instances,
each with 2.4 GHz Intel Xeon E5 processors (8 cores) and 32GB of memory.
Our cluster also included SSD-backed
HDFS~\cite{shvachko2010hadoop} for Spark's data loading. For experiments with cached datasets,
we distributed Spark's RDDs evenly across the nodes using Spark SQL DataFrame \texttt{repartition} function.
\ignore{For \texttt{TPC-H}\xspace, samples were
prejoined with other tables to reduce online query times. Note that samples were
significantly smaller than original tables, so the sizes of the joined tables
were also very small compared to original tables.}
\input{tab_exp_generality}
\vspace{5mm}
\subsection{Generality of \protect{\fontsize{13}{12}\bfseries\scshape Verdict}\xspace}
\label{sec:exp:query_analysis}
To quantify the generality of our approach, we measured the coverage of
our supported queries in practice.
We
analyzed the real-world SQL queries in \texttt{Customer1}\xspace.
From the original 15.5K queries, Spark SQL was able to
process 3.3K of the aggregate queries.
Among those 3.3K queries, Verdict\xspace supported 2.4K queries, i.e., 73.7\% of the analytical queries could benefit from Verdict\xspace.
In addition, we analyzed the 21 \texttt{TPC-H}\xspace queries and found 14 queries supported by Verdict\xspace.
Others could not be supported due to textual filters or disjunctions in the \texttt{where} clause.
These statistics are summarized in
Table~\ref{tab:exp:generality}.
This analysis proves that Verdict\xspace can support a large class of analytical queries in practice.
Next, we quantified the extent to which these supported queries
benefitted from Verdict.
\subsection{Speedup and Error Reduction}
\label{sec:exp:speedup}
In this section, we first study the relationship between the processing time and
the size of error bounds for both systems, i.e., NoLearn\xspace and Verdict\xspace. Based
on this study, we then
analyze Verdict\xspace's speedup and error reductions over NoLearn\xspace.
In this experiment, we used each of \texttt{Customer1}\xspace and \texttt{TPC-H}\xspace datasets in two
different settings. In one setting, all samples were cached in the memories of
the cluster, while in the second, the data had to be read from SSD-backed
HDFS.
We allowed both systems to process half of the queries (since \texttt{Customer1}\xspace queries
were timestamped, we used the first half). While processing those queries, NoLearn\xspace
simply returned the query answers, but Verdict\xspace also kept the queries and their
answers in its query synopsis.
\rev{C5}{After processing those queries, Verdict\xspace
(i) precomputed the matrix inversions and (ii)
learned the correlation parameters.
The
matrix inversions took 1.6 seconds in total; the correlation parameter
learning took 23.7 seconds for \texttt{TPC-H}\xspace and 8.04 seconds for \texttt{Customer1}\xspace. The learning
process was
relatively faster for \texttt{Customer1}\xspace since most of the queries included
\texttt{COUNT(*)} for which each attribute did not require a separate learning.
This offline training time for both workloads was
comparable to the time needed for
running only a single approximate query (\cref{tab:exp:speedup}).}
For the second half of the queries, we recorded both systems' query
processing times ({i.e.}, runtime), approximate query answers, and
error bounds. Since both NoLearn\xspace and Verdict\xspace are online aggregation systems, and
Verdict\xspace produces improved answers for every answer returned from NoLearn\xspace, both systems
naturally
produced more accurate answers ({i.e.}, answers with smaller error bounds) as
query processing continued. Approximate query engines, including both NoLearn\xspace and
Verdict\xspace, are only capable of producing expected errors in terms of error bounds.
However, for analysis, we also computed the actual errors by comparing those
approximate answers against the exact answers.
In the following, we report their relative errors.
\Cref{fig:exp:laterr} shows the relationship between runtime and average error
bound (top row) and the relationship between runtime and
average actual
error (bottom row). Here, we also considered two cases: when the entire data is cached in memory
and when it resides on SSD.
In all experiments, the runtime-error graphs exhibited a consistent pattern: (i) Verdict\xspace
produced smaller errors even when runtime was very large, and
(ii) Verdict\xspace showed faster runtime for the same target errors.
Due to the asymptotic nature of errors, achieving extremely accurate
answers ({e.g.}, less than 0.5\%) required relatively long processing time even for
Verdict\xspace.
\input{tab_exp_speedup}
Using these results, we also analyzed Verdict\xspace's speedups and error
reduction over NoLearn\xspace. For speedup, we compared how long each system took
until it reached a target error bound.
For
error reduction, we compared the lowest error bounds that each system
produced within a fixed allotted time. \Cref{tab:exp:speedup}
reports the results for each combination of dataset and location (in memory or on SSD).
For the \texttt{Customer1}\xspace dataset, Verdict\xspace achieved a larger speedup when the data was
stored on
SSD (up to 23.0$\times$) compared to when it was fully cached in
memory
(7.7$\times$). The reason was that, for cached data,
the I/O time was no longer the dominant factor and
Spark SQL's default overhead (e.g., parsing the query and reading the catalog)
accounted for a considerable portion of the total data processing time.
For \texttt{TPC-H}\xspace , on the
contrary, the speedups were smaller when the data was stored on SSD.
This difference stems from the different query forms between
\texttt{Customer1}\xspace and \texttt{TPC-H}\xspace. The \texttt{TPC-H}\xspace dataset includes queries that join
several tables, some of which are large tables
that were not sampled by NoLearn\xspace. (Similar to most sample-based AQP engines, NoLearn\xspace only samples fact tables, not dimension
tables.)
Consequently, those large tables had to be read each time NoLearn\xspace
processed such a query. When the data resided on SSD, loading those tables became
a major bottleneck that could not be reduced by Verdict\xspace (since they were not sampled).
However, on average, Verdict\xspace still achieved an impressive 6.3$\times$ speedup over NoLearn\xspace.
In general, Verdict\xspace's speedups over NoLearn\xspace
reduced as the target error bounds became smaller; however, even for 1\%
target error bounds, Verdict\xspace achieved an average of up to 5.7$\times$ speedup over NoLearn\xspace.
\cref{tab:exp:speedup} also reports Verdict\xspace's error reductions over NoLearn\xspace.
For all target runtime budgets we examined, Verdict\xspace achieved massive error reductions
compared to NoLearn\xspace.
The performance benefits of Verdict\xspace depends on several important factors, such as the
accuracy of past query answers and workload characteristics. These factors are further
studied in \cref{sec:exp:parameter,sec:exp:contribution}.
\subsection{Confidence Interval Guarantees}
\label{sec:exp:stat_error}
To confirm the validity of Verdict\xspace's error bounds, we configured Verdict\xspace to produce error bounds at 95\%
confidence and compared them to the actual errors.
We ran Verdict\xspace
for an amount of time long enough to sufficiently collect error bounds of
various sizes.
By definition, the error bounds at 95\% confidence are probabilistically correct if the actual errors are smaller than
the error bounds in at least 95\% of the cases.
Figure~\ref{fig:exp:staterror} shows the 5th percentile, median, and 95th
percentile of the actual errors for different sizes of error bounds (from 1\% to 32\%).
In all cases, the 95th
percentile of the actual errors were lower than the error bounds produced by Verdict\xspace,
which confirms the probabilistic correctness of Verdict\xspace's error bound guarantees.
\input{fig_exp_stat_error2}
\vspace{5mm}
\subsection{Memory and Computational Overhead}
\label{sec:exp:overhead}
In this section, we study Verdict\xspace's additional memory footprint (due to query synopsis)
and its runtime overhead (due to inference).
\rev{C6}{
The total memory footprint of the query synopsis was 5.79MB for \texttt{TPC-H}\xspace and 18.5MB
for \texttt{Customer1}\xspace workload (23.2KB per-query for \texttt{TPC-H}\xspace and 15.8KB per-query for
\texttt{Customer1}\xspace).
This included past
queries in parsed forms, model parameters,
covariance matrices, and the inverses of those
covariance matrices.}
The size of query synopsis was small because Verdict\xspace does not retain any of the input tuples.
To measure Verdict\xspace's runtime overhead, we recorded the time spent for its regular
query processing ({i.e.}, NoLearn\xspace) and the additional time spent
for the inference and updating the final answer.
As summarized in Table~\ref{tab:exp:overhead}, the
runtime overhead of Verdict\xspace was negligible
compared to the overall query processing time.
This is because multiplying a vector by a $C_g\times C_g$ matrix
does not take much time compared to regular query planning, processing, and
network commutations among the distributed nodes.
(Note that $C_g$$=$$2,000$ by
default; see \cref{sec:overview:internal}.)
\input{tab_exp_overhead}
\input{fig_exp_parameters}
\subsection{Impact of Different Data Distributions and Workload Characteristics}
\label{sec:exp:parameter}
In this section, we generated various synthetic datasets and queries to fully
understand how Verdict\xspace's effectiveness changes for different data distributions,
query patterns, and number of past queries.
First, we studied the impact of having queries with a more diverse set of columns in their selection predicates.
We produced
a table of 50 columns and 5M rows,
\rev{C6}{where 10\% of the columns were categorical. The domains of the numeric columns were the real values
between 0 and 10, and the domains of the categorical columns were the integers
between 0 and 100.}
Also, we
generated four different query workloads
with varying proportions of frequently accessed columns.
The columns used
for the selection predicates were chosen according to a power-law
distribution. Specifically,
a fixed number of columns (called \emph{frequently accessed columns}) had
the same probability of being accessed, but the access probability of the remaining columns decayed according to the power-law distribution.
For instance, if the proportion of frequently accessed columns was 20\%,
the first 20\% of the columns ({i.e.}, 10 columns) appeared with equal probability in each query,
but the probability of appearance reduced by half for every remaining column.
\Cref{fig:exp:param}(a) shows that as the proportion of frequently
accessed columns increased, Verdict\xspace's relative error reduction over NoLearn\xspace gradually
decreased (the number of past queries were fixed to 100). This is expected
as Verdict\xspace constructs its
model based on the
columns appearing in the past.
In other words, to cope with the increased diversity, more past queries are needed to understand the complex
underlying distribution that generated the data. Note that, according to
the analytic queries in the \texttt{Customer1}\xspace dataset, most of the queries included less
than 5 distinct selection predicates.
However, by processing more queries,
Verdict\xspace continued to learn more about the underlying distribution, and produced
larger error reductions even when the workload was extremely diverse (\cref{fig:exp:param}(c)).
Second, to study Verdict\xspace's potential sensitivity,
we generated three
tables using three different probability distributions: uniform,
Gaussian, and a log-normal (skewed) distribution.
\Cref{fig:exp:param}(b) shows Verdict\xspace's error
reductions when queries were run
against each table.
Because of the power and generality of the maximum entropy principle taken by
Verdict\xspace, it delivered a consistent performance irrespective of the underlying
distribution.
Third, we varied the number of past queries observed by Verdict\xspace before running our
test queries. For this study, we used a highly diverse query set (its
proportion of frequently accessed columns was 20\%).
\Cref{fig:exp:param}(c) demonstrates that the error
reduction continued increasing as more queries were processed, but its increment slowed down.
This is because, after observing enough information, Verdict\xspace already had a good knowledge of the
underlying distribution, and processing more queries barely improved its knowledge. This result
indicates that Verdict\xspace is able to deliver reasonable performance without having to observe too many
queries.
This is because, after observing enough information, Verdict\xspace already has a good knowledge of the
underlying distribution, and processing more queries barely improves its knowledge. This result
indicates that Verdict\xspace is able to deliver reasonable performance without having to observe too many
queries.
Lastly, we studied the negative impact of increasing the number of past queries on Verdict\xspace's overhead.
Since Verdict\xspace's inference consists of a small matrix multiplication,
we did not observe a noticeable increase in its runtime overhead even
when the number of queries in the
query synopsis increased (Figure~\ref{fig:exp:param}(d)).
\rev{C6}{Recall that the domain size of the attributes does not affect Verdict\xspace's
computational cost since only the lower and upper bounds of range
constraints are needed for covariance computations (\cref{sec:data_stat}).}
\ignore{
\subsection{Benefits of Model-based Inference}
\label{sec:exp:contribution}
\rev{To study the benefits of Verdict\xspace's model-based inference, we compared the
performance of Verdict\xspace and \textsc{Baseline2}\xspace, using the \texttt{TPC-H}\xspace dataset.
Figure~\ref{fig:exp:contribution}(a) reports the average actual error
reductions of Verdict\xspace and \textsc{Baseline2}\xspace (over NoLearn\xspace), when different sample sizes were
used for past queries. Here, the same samples were used for new queries.
The result
shows that both systems' error reductions were large when large sample sizes were used for
the past
queries. However, Verdict\xspace consistently achieved higher error reductions
compared to \textsc{Baseline2}\xspace, due to its ability to benefit novel queries as well as
repeated queries ({i.e.}, the queries that have appeared in the past).
Figure~\ref{fig:exp:contribution}(b) compares Verdict\xspace and \textsc{Baseline2}\xspace by changing the
ratio of novel queries in the workload.
Understandably, both Verdict\xspace and \textsc{Baseline2}\xspace were more effective
for workloads with fewer novel queries ({i.e.}, more repeated
queries); however, Verdict\xspace was also
effective for workloads with many novel queries.
Figure~\ref{fig:exp:contribution}(c) further confirms that Verdict\xspace did in fact benefit both
novel and repeated queries, and their actual errors were low when the new
queries were strongly correlated ({i.e.}, low estimated errors).
Lastly, we examined if Verdict\xspace can still improve the quality of new queries even if
there are no inter-tuple correlations in the data. For this experiment, we executed two sets
of new queries: the queries in the first set overlapped with the past ones while the
queries in the second set did not. We ran each set of queries against two synthetic datasets with
strong and extremely weak\footnote{We did not
use zero correlation dataset, since in that case, the summations over
zero-correlated data ({i.e.}, white noise) would tend to be trivial values ({i.e.},
mostly zeros).} inter-tuple correlations, respectively.
Figure~\ref{fig:exp:contribution}(d) shows that Verdict\xspace could
successfully reduce the errors of the query answers from the underlying AQP
engine even when inter-tuple correlations were extremely weak.
As expected, the only case in which Verdict\xspace was not effective was when
the new queries did not overlap with the
past ones, and inter-tuple correlations were close to zero.}
}
\subsection{Effect of Model Validation}
\label{sec:exp:validation}
This section studies the effect of Verdict\xspace's model validation described in \cref{sec:safeguard}. For
this study, we first generated synthetic datasets with several predetermined correlation parameters
values.
Note that one can generate such synthetic datasets by first determining a joint probabilistic
distribution function with predetermined correlation parameter values and sampling attribute values from the
joint probability distribution function. In usual usage scenario, Verdict\xspace estimates those correlation
parameters from past snippets; however, in this section, we manually set the values for the
correlation parameters in Verdict\xspace's model, to test the behavior of Verdict\xspace running with possibly incorrect
correlation parameter values.
\input{fig_exp_model_validation}
\Cref{fig:model_validation} report the experiment results when Verdict\xspace was tested without a model
validation step and with a model validation step, respectively. In the figure, the value on the X-axis
indicates the value multiplied to the true correlation parameters before setting the values in
Verdict\xspace's model. For instance, if a true correlation parameter was 5.0, and ``artificial correlation
parameter scale'' was 0.2, Verdict\xspace's model was set 1.0 for the correlation parameter. Thus, the values of
correlation parameters were the same as the true correlation parameters when ``artificial correlation
parameter scale'' was 1.0. Since the Y-axis is reporting the ratio of the actual error to Verdict\xspace's error
bound, Verdict\xspace's error bound was correct when the value on the Y-axis is below 1.0.
In the figure, one can observe that, Verdict\xspace used without the model validation produced incorrect error
bounds when the correlation parameters used for the model deviated largely from the true correlation
parameter values.
However, Verdict\xspace's model validation could successfully identify incorrect model-based answers and
provide correct error bounds by replacing those incorrect model-based answers with the raw answers
computed by the AQP system.
\section{Inference}
\label{sec:infer}
In this section, we describe Verdict\xspace's inference process for computing an improved answer (and
improved error) for the new snippet.
\rev{C7}{Verdict\xspace's inference process follows the standard machine learning
arguments:
we can understand in part the true distribution by means of observations,
then we apply our understanding to predicting the unobserved.
To this end, Verdict\xspace applies well-established techniques, such as
the principle of maximum entropy and kernel-based estimations, to an AQP setting.}
To present our approach, we first
formally state our problem in \cref{sec:infer:prob}. A mathematical interpretation of the
problem and the overview on Verdict\xspace's approach is described in \cref{sec:infer:math}.
\Cref{sec:infer:prior,sec:infer:posterior} present the details of the Verdict\xspace's approach
to solving the problem. \Cref{sec:infer:challenge} discusses
some challenges in applying Verdict\xspace's approach.
\subsection{Problem Statement}
\label{sec:infer:prob}
\input{tab_notations}
Let $r$ be a relation drawn from some unknown underlying distribution.
$r$ can be a join or Cartesian product of multiple tables.
Let $r$'s
attributes be $A_1, \ldots, A_m$, where $A_1, \ldots, A_l$ are the
\emph{dimension attributes} and $A_{l+1}, \ldots, A_m$ are the \emph{measure
attributes}. Dimension attributes cannot appear
inside aggregate functions while measure attributes can. Dimension attributes
can be numeric or categorical, but measure attributes are numeric. Measure
attributes can also be \emph{derived attributes}. \Cref{tab:notations} summarizes the notations we
defined earlier in \cref{sec:workflow}.
Given a query snippet $q_i$ on $r$, an AQP engine returns a raw answer
$\theta\xspace_i$ along with an associated expected error $\beta_i$.
Formally,
$\beta_i^2$ is the expectation of the squared deviation of $\theta\xspace_i$ from the (unknown) exact
answer $\bar{\theta}\xspace_i$ to $q_i$.\footnote{Here, the expectation is made over $\theta\xspace_i$ since the value
of $\theta\xspace_i$ depends on samples.} $\beta_i$ and $\beta_j$ are independent if
$i \ne j$.
Suppose $n$ query snippets have been
processed, and therefore the query synopsis $Q_n$
contains the raw answers and raw errors for the past $n$ query snippets.
Without loss of generality, we assume all queries have the same aggregate
function $g$ on $A_k$ ({e.g.}, \texttt{AVG($A_k$)}), where $A_k$ is one of the measure
attributes. Our problem is then stated as follows: \emph{given $Q_n$ and ($\theta\xspace_{n+1}$, $\beta_{n+1}$), compute the
most likely answer to $q_{n+1}$ with an associated expected error}.
In our discussion, for simplicity, we assume static data, {i.e.}, the new
snippet is issued against the same data that has been used for answering past snippets in $Q_n$.
However, Verdict\xspace can also be extended to situations where the relations are
subject to new data being added, {i.e.}, each snippet is answered against a potentially different
version of the dataset.
The generalization of Verdict\xspace under data updates is presented in \cref{sec:append}.
\subsection{Inference Overview}
\label{sec:infer:math}
In this section, we present our random variable interpretation of query answers
and a high-level overview of Verdict\xspace's inference process.
Our approach uses (probabilistic) random variables to represent
\emph{our knowledge of the query answers.}
The use of random variables here is a natural choice
as our knowledge itself of the query answers is
uncertain. Using random variables to represent degrees of belief
is a standard approach in Beyesian inference.
Specifically, we denote our knowledge of the raw answer
and the exact answer to the $i$-th query snippet
by random variables $\bm{\theta}\xspace_i$ and $\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i$,
respectively.
At this step,
the only information available to us regarding $\bm{\theta}\xspace_i$ and $\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i$ is that $\theta\xspace_i$ is
an instance of $\bm{\theta}\xspace_i$; no other assumptions are made.
Next, we represent the relationship between the set of random variables
$\bm{\theta}\xspace_1, \ldots, \bm{\theta}\xspace_{n+1}, \bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_{n+1}$
using a joint probability distribution function (pdf).
Note that the first $n+1$ random variables are for the raw answers to past $n$ snippets and the
new snippet, and the last random variable is for the exact answer to the new snippet.
We are interested in the relationship among those random
variables
because our knowledge of the query answers is based on limited
information:
the raw answers computed by the AQP engine, whereas we aim to find the most likely value for the new snippet's exact answer.
This joint pdf represents
Verdict\xspace's \emph{prior belief} over the query answers.
We denote the joint
pdf by $f(\bm{\theta}\xspace_1 =
\theta\xspace'_1, \ldots, \bm{\theta}\xspace_{n+1} = \theta\xspace'_{n+1}, \bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_{n+1} = \bar{\theta}\xspace'_{n+1})$.
For brevity,
we also use $f(\theta\xspace'_1, \ldots, \theta\xspace'_{n+1}, \bar{\theta}\xspace'_{n+1})$ when the meaning is clear from the context.
(Recall
that $\theta\xspace_i$ refers to an actual raw answer from the AQP engine, and
$\bar{\theta}\xspace_{n+1}$ refers to the exact answer
to the new snippet.)
The joint pdf returns
the probability that the random variables $\bm{\theta}\xspace_1, \ldots, \bm{\theta}\xspace_{n+1}, \bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_{n+1}$ takes a
particular combination of the values, {i.e.}, $\theta\xspace'_1, \ldots, \theta\xspace'_{n+1}, \bar{\theta}\xspace'_{n+1}$.
In \Cref{sec:infer:prior}, we discuss how to obtain this joint pdf from
some statistics available
on query answers.
Then, we compute the most likely value for the new snippet's exact answer, namely the most likely value
for $\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_{n+1}$, by first conditionalizing the joint pdf on
the actual observations ({i.e.}, raw answers) from the AQP engine, {i.e.},
$f(\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_{n+1} = \bar{\theta}\xspace'_{n+1} \mid \bm{\theta}\xspace_1 = \theta\xspace_1, \ldots, \bm{\theta}\xspace_{n+1} = \theta\xspace_{n+1})$.
We then find the
value of $\bar{\theta}\xspace'_{n+1}$ that maximizes the conditional pdf.
We call this value the
\emph{model-based answer} and denote it by $\ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace$.
\Cref{sec:infer:posterior} provides more details of this process.
Finally, $\ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace$ and its associated expected error $\ddot{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace$ are returned as Verdict\xspace's improved answer and
improved error if they pass the model validation (described in \cref{sec:safeguard}).
Otherwise, the (original) raw answer
and error are taken as Verdict\xspace's improved answer and error,
respectively. In other words, if the model validation fails, Verdict\xspace simply
returns the original raw results from the AQP engine without any improvements.
\ignore{
Using Bayesian probability,
we treat the (unknown) tuples in $r$ as random
variables. We can then encode the possible values of the raw and true answers
as random variables $\bm{\theta}\xspace_i$ and $\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i$, respectively,
since they are unknown to us.
Then, the estimated error $\beta_i$ associated with a raw answer $\theta\xspace_i$
is formally defined as
$\beta_i^2 = E[(\theta\xspace_i - \bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i)^2]$.\footnote{Technically,
$\beta_i^2 = E[(\theta\xspace_i - \bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i \mid \theta\xspace_i)^2]$ where
$\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i \mid \theta\xspace_i$ indicates our belief on $\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i$ given
$\theta\xspace_i$. However, we use $\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i$ instead of $\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i \mid
\theta\xspace_i$ when its meaning is clear from the context.}
Based on this random variable interpretation, we can restate our problem as follows:
find the most likely value for $\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_{n+1}$
given the available assigned values, {i.e.}, $\bm{\theta}\xspace_i = \theta\xspace_i$
for $i = 1, \ldots, n+1$.
To solve this problem, Verdict\xspace first expresses the relationship among those random
variables ($\bm{\theta}\xspace_1, \ldots, \bm{\theta}\xspace_{n+1}, \bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_{n+1}$) using a joint
probability distribution function (pdf), {i.e.}, $f(\theta\xspace_1, \ldots, \theta\xspace_{n+1},
\bar{\theta}\xspace_{n+1})$.
The symbols $\theta\xspace_i$ and $\bar{\theta}\xspace_i$ (not in bold) denote the particular
values assigned to the random variables for the raw and true answers, $\bm{\theta}\xspace_i$ and $\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i$, respectively.
Intuitively, this joint pdf encodes Verdict\xspace's \emph{prior belief}
over the chance that
a particular combination of values, {i.e.},
$\theta\xspace_1, \ldots, \theta\xspace_{n+1}, \allowbreak \bar{\theta}\xspace_{n+1}$,
are assigned to their corresponding random variables.
Determining this joint pdf is a challenging task given that
we cannot directly inspect the tuples in $r$.
Verdict\xspace overcomes this challenge by applying the principle of maximum
entropy, assuming certain statistics are provided (\cref{sec:infer:prior}). The best values for
those statistics are estimated from past queries and their answers
(\cref{sec:learn}).
Once the joint pdf is determined, the most likely value for $\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_{n+1}$
given past query answers is
estimated by computing a conditional pdf, {i.e.}, $f_{\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_{n+1}}(\bar{\theta}\xspace_{n+1} \mid \bm{\theta}\xspace_1 =
\theta\xspace_1, \ldots, \bm{\theta}\xspace_{n+1} = \theta\xspace_{n+1})$, and then finding the value of
$\bar{\theta}\xspace_{n+1}$ at which the conditional pdf is maximized.
Verdict\xspace returns this value as an improved
answer. This inference process will be presented in more detail in the following
sections.
}
\subsection{Prior Belief}
\label{sec:infer:prior}
In this section, we describe how Verdict\xspace obtains a joint pdf $f(\theta\xspace'_1,
\ldots, \theta\xspace'_{n+1}, \bar{\theta}\xspace'_{n+1})$ that represents its knowledge of the
underlying distribution.
The intuition behind Verdict\xspace's inference is to make use of possible correlations between pairs of query
answers.
This section applies such statistical information of query answers ({i.e.}, means,
covariances, and variances) for obtaining the most likely joint pdf. Obtaining the query statistics
is described in \cref{sec:model}.
To obtain the joint pdf, Verdict\xspace relies on the principle of maximum
entropy (ME)~\cite{skilling2006data,berger1996maximum}, a simple but powerful statistical tool for
determining a pdf of random variables given some statistical
information available.
According to the ME principle, given some testable information on
random variables associated with
a pdf in question, the pdf that best represents the current state of our knowledge is the
one that maximizes the following expression, called \emph{entropy}:
\begin{align}
h(f) = - \int
f(\vec{\theta}\xspace) \cdot \log f(\vec{\theta}\xspace) \; d\vec{\theta}\xspace
\label{eq:entropy}
\end{align}
where $\vec{\theta}\xspace = (\theta\xspace'_1, \ldots, \theta\xspace'_{n+1}, \bar{\theta}\xspace'_{n+1})$.
Note that the joint pdf maximizing the above entropy differs depending on the
kinds of given testable information, {i.e.}, query statistics in our context. For
instance, the maximum entropy pdf given means of random variables is different
from the maximum entropy pdf given means and (co)variances of random variables.
In fact, there are two conflicting considerations when applying this principle.
On one hand, the resulting pdf can be computed more efficiently if the provided statistics are
simple or few,
{i.e.}, simple statistics reduce the computational complexity.
On the other hand, the resulting pdf can describe
the relationship among the random variables more accurately if richer statistics are
provided, {i.e.}, the richer the statistics, the more accurate our improved answers.
Therefore, we need to choose an appropriate degree of statistical information
to strike a balance between
the computational efficiency of pdf evaluation and its accuracy in describing
the relationship among query answers.
Among possible options, Verdict\xspace uses the first and the second order
statistics of the random variables, {i.e.}, mean, variances, and covariances. The use of second-order
statistics enables us to capture the relationship among the answers to
different query snippets, while the joint pdf that maximizes the entropy can be expressed in an
analytic form. The uses of analytic forms provides computational efficiency.
Specifically, the joint pdf that maximizes
the entropy while satisfying the given means, variances, and covariances is a multivariate normal
with the corresponding means, variances, and covariances~\cite{skilling2006data}.
\begingroup
\setlength{\abovedisplayskip}{2pt}
\setlength{\belowdisplayskip}{3pt}
\begin{lemma}
Let $\bm{\vec{\theta}}=(\bm{\theta}\xspace_1, \ldots, \bm{\theta}\xspace_{n+1}, \bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_{n+1})^\intercal$ be a vector of $n$$+$$2$
random variables with
mean values $\vec{\mu}\xspace = (\mu\xspace_1, \ldots, \mu\xspace_{n+1}, \bar{\mu}_{n+1})^\intercal$ and
a $(n$$+$$2)$$\times$$(n$$+$$2)$ covariance matrix $\Sigma$ specifying their variances and pairwise covariances.
The joint pdf $f$ over these random variables that maximizes $h(f)$ while satisfying the provided means, variances,
and covariances is the following function:
\begin{align}
f(\vec{\theta}\xspace)
= \frac{1}{\sqrt{(2 \pi)^{n+2} |\Sigma|}}
\exp \left(
-\frac{1}{2} (\vec{\theta}\xspace - \vec{\mu}\xspace)^\intercal \Sigma^{-1} (\vec{\theta}\xspace - \vec{\mu}\xspace)
\right),
\label{eq:prior_pdf}
\end{align}
\label{lemma:pdf}
and this solution is unique.
\end{lemma}
\endgroup
In the following section, we describe how Verdict\xspace computes the most likely answer to the new snippet
using this joint pdf in \cref{eq:prior_pdf}. We call the most likely answer a \emph{model-based
answer}. In \cref{sec:safeguard}, this model-based answer is chosen as an improved answer if it
passes a model validation.
Finally, in \cref{sec:infer:challenge}, we discuss the challenges involved in obtaining $\vec{\mu}\xspace$
and $\Sigma$, {i.e.}, the query statistics required for deriving the joint pdf.
\subsection{Model-based Answer}
\label{sec:infer:posterior}
In the previous section, we formalized the relationship among query answers, namely
$(\bm{\theta}\xspace_1, \ldots, \bm{\theta}\xspace_{n+1}, \bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_{n+1})$, using a joint pdf.
In this section, we exploit this joint pdf to infer the most likely answer to
the new snippet.
In other words, we aim to find the most likely value for $\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_{n+1}$ (the random variable representing
$q_{n+1}$'s exact answer),
given the observed values for $\bm{\theta}\xspace_1, \ldots, \bm{\theta}\xspace_{n+1}$, {i.e.}, the raw answers from the AQP
engine. We call the most likely value a \emph{model-based answer} and its associated
expected error a \emph{model-based error}.
Mathematically, Verdict\xspace's model-based answer $\ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace$ to $q_{n+1}$ can be expressed as:
\begin{align}
\ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace = \underset{\bar{\theta}\xspace'_{n+1}}{\argmax}
f ( \bar{\theta}\xspace'_{n+1} \mid \bm{\theta}\xspace_1 = \theta\xspace_1, \ldots, \bm{\theta}\xspace_{n+1} =
\theta\xspace_{n+1}).
\label{eq:impmean}
\end{align}
That is, $\ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace$ is the value at which the conditional pdf has its maximum value. The conditional
pdf, $f(\bar{\theta}\xspace'_{n+1} \mid \theta\xspace_1, \ldots, \theta\xspace_{n+1} )$, is obtained by conditioning the joint pdf obtained in \cref{sec:infer:prior} on the
observed values, {i.e.}, raw answers to the past snippets and the new snippet.
Computing a conditional pdf may be a computationally expensive task. However, a conditional
pdf of a multivariate normal distribution is analytically computable; it is
another normal distribution. Specifically, the conditional
pdf in \cref{eq:impmean} is a normal distribution with the following mean
$\mu_c$ and variance $\sigma_c^2$~\cite{bishop2006pattern}:
\begin{align}
\mu_c &= \bar{\mu}_{n+1} + \vec{k}\xspace_{n+1}^\intercal \Sigma_{n+1}^{-1}
(\vec{\theta}\xspace_{n+1} - \vec{\mu}\xspace_{n+1})
\label{eq:infer} \\
\sigma_c^2 &= \bar{\kappa}\xspace^2 - \vec{k}\xspace_{n+1}^\intercal \Sigma_{n+1}^{-1} \vec{k}\xspace_{n+1}
\label{eq:impstd}
\end{align}
where:
\begin{itemize}[itemsep=0pt]
\item $\vec{k}\xspace_{n+1}$ is a column vector of length $n+1$ whose $i$-th element is $(i,n+2)$-th entry of $\Sigma$;
\item $\Sigma_{n+1}$ is a $(n+1)\times(n+1)$ submatrix of $\Sigma$ consisting
of $\Sigma$'s first $n+1$ rows and columns;
\item $\vec{\theta}\xspace_{n+1}$$=$$(\theta\xspace_1, \ldots, \theta\xspace_{n+1})^\intercal$;
\item $\vec{\mu}\xspace_{n+1} = (\mu\xspace_1, \ldots, \mu\xspace_{n+1})^\intercal$; and
\item $\bar{\kappa}\xspace^2$ is the $(n+2,n+2)$-th entry of $\Sigma$
\end{itemize}
Since the mean of a normal distribution is the value at which the pdf
takes a maximum value, we take $\mu_c$ as our
model-based answer $\ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace$. Likewise,
the expectation of the squared deviation of the value
$\bar{\theta}\xspace'_{n+1}$, which is distributed
according to the conditional pdf in \cref{eq:impmean}, from the model-based answer $\ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace$
coincides with the variance $\sigma_c^2$ of the conditional pdf. Thus, we take $\sigma_c$ as
our model-based error $\ddot{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace$.
Computing each of \cref{eq:infer,eq:impstd} requires $O(n^3)$ time
complexity at query time. However, Verdict\xspace uses alternative
forms of these equations that require only $O(n^2)$ time complexity at query
time (\cref{sec:benefit}).
\rev{C13}{As a future work, we plan to employ
inferential techniques with sub-linear time
complexity~\cite{lawrence2003fast,williams2000using} for a more sophisticated eviction policy for past queries.}
Note that, since the conditional pdf is a normal distribution, the error bound at confidence
$\delta$ is expressed as $\alpha_\delta \cdot \ddot{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace$, where $\alpha_\delta$ is
a non-negative number such that a random number drawn from a standard normal distribution
would fall within $(-\alpha_\delta, \alpha_\delta)$ with probability $\delta$. We call $\alpha_\delta$
the confidence interval multiplier for probability $\delta$. That is,
the exact answer $\bar{\theta}\xspace_{n+1}$ is within the range $(\ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace - \alpha_\delta
\cdot \ddot{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace, \; \ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace + \alpha_\delta \cdot \ddot{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace)$ with probability $\delta$,
according to Verdict\xspace's model.
\subsection{Key Challenges}
\label{sec:infer:challenge}
As mentioned in \cref{sec:infer:prior}, obtaining the joint pdf in Lemma~\ref{lemma:pdf}
(which
represents Verdict\xspace's prior belief on query answers)
requires the knowledge of means, variances, and covariances of the random
variables $(\bm{\theta}\xspace_1, \ldots, \bm{\theta}\xspace_{n+1}, \bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_{n+1})$.
However, acquiring these statistics is a non-trivial task for two
reasons.
First, we have only observed one value for each of the random values
$\bm{\theta}\xspace_1,\ldots,\bm{\theta}\xspace_{n+1}$, namely $\theta\xspace_1,$ $\ldots,$ $\theta\xspace_{n+1}$.
Estimating variances and covariances of random variables from a single value is nearly impossible.
Second, we do not have any observation for the last random variable
$\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_{n+1}$ (recall that $\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_{n+1}$ represents our knowledge of
the exact answer to the new snippet, {i.e.}, $\bar{\theta}\xspace_{n+1}$).
In \cref{sec:model}, we present Verdict\xspace's approach to solving these
challenges.
\section{Introduction}
Approximate query processing systems distinguish themselves from
traditional \emph{exact} query processing counterparts for their blazingly fast query response
times at the cost of marginal query accuracies. For example,
BlinkDB~\cite{agarwal2013blinkdb} answered queries from 7.5TB of data more than 100
times faster compared to a modern distributed database system, Hive on
Spark~\cite{engle2012shark}. These approximate database systems are becoming more
important as we live in the era of \emph{ever-growing} database sizes.
The major approach to the approximate database systems is to use \emph{database
samples} created
offline~\cite{condie2010mapreduce,acharya2000congressional,olston2009interactive,zeng2014analytical}.
When queries are submitted, those pre-generated samples (with fewer number of
tuples than an original database) are used to answer queries. The answers
computed based on the samples are \emph{approximate} because not all tuples are
used for computing answers. However, the runtime needed to process
the sampled tuples is only a fraction of what is required to process
the entire dataset. As a result, the users of the systems can enjoy
fast response times.
In such approximate database systems, we observe an important opportunity that
has been missed in all previous works. That is, existing big database systems
spend their huge processing power to process as many database tuples in a
limited query processing time; however, all those expensive computational
efforts invested to manufacture query answers are abandoned immediately after
returning the answers to the users. On the other hand, if a database
system can characterize the relationships between past queries and a new
query, the system might be able to exploit the analyzed relationships for
improving the accuracy of new approximate query answers without accessing large
number of additional queries.
For example, suppose a following query:
\begin{lstlisting}[
mathescape,
basicstyle=\small\ttfamily,
columns=fixed,basewidth=.5em,
]
SELECT SUM(price * (1 - discount)) as revenue
FROM sales_record
WHERE shipdate between date '2015-01-01'
and date '2015-01-31'
GROUP BY region;
\end{lstlisting}
All previous approximate systems will retrieve the tuples that satisfy the filtering
constraint (January of 2015) and compute the summation. However, if a database
system has encountered in the past the queries asking for the \texttt{revenue}
of each week of January, the system can use those answers either (1) for
answering the above query directly or (2) for improving the accuracy of the answer
that would have been returned by an existing approximate database system. In this
particular example, a system can computes an answer by summing the
revenues of all the weeks of January.
Note that reusing the past query answers provides an opportunity to increase
response speed enormously. For example, suppose 1 million tuples were processed
for computing an approximate revenue of each week of January. Then, answering
the above example query by combining these only four query answers would cost a tiny
fraction of the time needed to answer the example query without using any
of the past query answers --- the system needs to process about 4 million tuples
to achieve the same accuracy.
In this work, we generalize this idea to achieve significant query processing
speedup (or error reduction) even for complex query patterns that appear in
real-world query workloads. Although the principle implied in the above example
might look simple on the surface, supporting more various queries in a
principled way requires more technical advances. We develop our approach based
on a robust probabilistic principle that has been widely adopted in machine
learning and statistics literature. The key property of the principle is that it
proposes what is the most best estimate based on the currently available
observations. In our case, this principle is interpreted to provide the best
answer to a new query based on the answers to past queries.
Interestingly, this probabilistic approach makes it possible to exploit past
queries even if the past queries and a new query touch exclusive areas of a
database due to their different filtering constraints. \young{Show a simple but
real example with a figure.} Our empirical experiments
show that our system can either answer approximate queries much \emph{more
accurately} for a fixed response time or can answer much \emph{more quickly} for
a fixed error constraint.
\section{Introduction}
Approximate query processing has become an indispensable concept in many
important modern database
systems~\cite{agarwal2013blinkdb,online-agg-mr1,aqua1,dynamicp-sample-selection,chakrabarti:wavelets,ioannidis:histogram}.
When a small margin of error is permissible for query answers, approximate
database systems can return answers orders of magnitude faster than traditional
counterparts which only outputs \emph{exact} query answers.
\input{intro_fig_area}
In this paper, we propose \emph{database learning}, a comprehensively novel
approach to approximate aggregate query processing. In many aspects, database learning
resembles the works in artificial intelligence: database learning makes
\emph{observations} (past queries and their answers) and \emph{learns} a model from
those observations. Moreover, database learning is a continuous process; each time a query
is processed, learning module refines the model to make it more
comprehensive\footnote{If a new query touches a data area that was not asked
before, the updated model includes information on the fresh area.}
and sophisticated\footnote{If a new query overlaps with some of past queries,
the model about the area becomes more accurate.}
In query time, database learning combines both its internal model and an answer
computed based on a sample\footnote{A sample is a subset of an entire database,
which is used to compute an approximate answer. Common approaches to sample
creation includes uniform random sampling and stratified sampling.} to
\emph{infer} a more accurate answer. Because the internal model maintained by
the database learning is the result of all past computations, the accuracy of
the inferred answer amounts to that of the answer computed using a much larger
sample. More technically, what underpins database learning is a solid
mathematical principle, \emph{the principle of maximum
entropy}~\cite{skilling2006data}; in other words, database learning reasons
about ``what is the most likely answer given all these observations?''~by
treating database queries as random variables with a joint probability
distribution.
The idea of interpreting past queries as \emph{advice} shares some similarity with
\emph{view selection}~\cite{shukla1998materialized,gupta1997selection,agrawal2000automated,mami2012survey}
and \emph{dynamic indexing}~\cite{idreos2007database,petraki2015holistic,alagiannis2012nodb}.
However, database learning is based on a starkly different idea; thus, it results in many important distinctions:
\begin{enumerate}[noitemsep,nolistsep]
\item Little extra storage cost: Database learning does not need large extra
space to store indices or materialized views; it only retains past queries
and their aggregate answers.
\item Oblivious of data size: The size of indices and materialized views
increase in general as data size grows. Database learning is oblivious to
the data size growth because it only uses final aggregate answers.
\item May accelerate even untouched data: the model learned by database
learning often involve even the portion of the data that has been untouched
in the past. See below for a more concrete example.
\end{enumerate}
\input{intro_fig_model}
To demonstrate database learning's behavior, suppose a following aggregate SQL query:
\begin{lstlisting}[
mathescape,
basicstyle=\small\ttfamily,
columns=fixed,basewidth=.5em,
]
SELECT AVG(price * (1 - discount)) as sales
FROM sales_record
WHERE shipdate between date ':from'
and date ':to';
\end{lstlisting}
The above SQL query asks for an average of a discounted price, and the range for
the \texttt{shipdate} may change query by query. We first generated five queries
as altering the two placeholders (\texttt{:from} and \texttt{:to}), and let
database learning process those queries. In Figure~\ref{fig:intro:model}(a), the five yellow
bars express the ranges and average values of those five aggregate queries, and
the curve in gray indicates the groundtruth average values for all data
ranges.\footnote{The curve was generated by issuing average queries with very
small range sizes and by connecting their query answers by lines.} Also, we
depicted in a red curve the model learned by database learning. In the figure,
we observe two important properties of database learning:
\begin{enumerate}[noitemsep,nolistsep]
\item The model by database learning is accurate for the areas asked by
queries, whereas the model does not accurately capture untapped areas.
\item Database learning finds the best likely explanations even for the areas
not covered by past queries. The area right from \texttt{Apr 1} and the area
around \texttt{May 1} are such examples.
\end{enumerate}
Importantly, the database learning's ability to model the unseen areas is the
fundamental property of the maximum entropy principle. Since database
learning's inference module is based on the principle, it naturally inherits the
property. Figure~\ref{fig:intro:model}(b) illustrates the model updated after five
additional queries. Those additional queries cover some of the areas that were
not touched by the initial five queries, and the new model now has accurate
information on those areas.
\section{Introduction}
\label{sec:intro}
In today's databases,
the answer to a previous query is rarely useful for speeding up new
queries. Besides a few limited benefits (see \emph{Previous Approaches} below),
the
work (both I/O and computation) performed for answering past queries is often wasted
afterwards.
However, in
an approximate query processing context
(e.g.,
\cite{mozafari_eurosys2013,surajit-optimized-stratified,aggr_oracle,easy_bound_bootstrap,online-agg,zeng2016iolap}),
one might be able to change this paradigm and reuse much of the previous work done by the database
system based on the following observation:
\begin{quote}
\emph{The answer to each query reveals some \emph{fuzzy knowledge} about the answers to
other queries, even if each query accesses a different subset of tuples and columns.}
\end{quote}
This is because the answers to different queries stem from the same (unknown) underlying
distribution that has generated the entire dataset. In other words,
each answer reveals a piece of information about this underlying but
\textbf{unknown distribution}. Note that having a concise statistical model of the
underlying data can have significant performance benefits. In the ideal case,
if we had access to an incredibly precise model of the underlying data, we would
no longer have to access the data itself. In other words, we could answer
queries more efficiently by analytically evaluating them on our concise model,
which would mean reading and manipulating a few kilobytes of model parameters
rather than terabytes of raw data. While we may never have a perfect model in
practice, even an imperfect model can be quite useful. Instead of using the
entire data (or even a large sample of it), one can use a small sample of it to quickly produce a rough
approximate answer, which can then be calibrated and combined with the model to
obtain a more accurate approximate answer to the query. \textbf{The more
precise our model, the less need for actual data, the smaller our sample, and
consequently, the faster our response time.} In particular, if we could somehow
continuously improve our model---say, by \emph{learning} a bit of information
from every query and its answer---we should be able to \textbf{answer new queries
using increasingly smaller portions of data, i.e., become smarter and faster as
we process more queries.}
We call the above goal \emph{Database Learning} (DBL), as it is reminiscent of the inferential goal of Machine Leaning (ML)
whereby past
observations are used to improve future
predictions~\cite{ml-coined,ml-textbook-old,carlson2010toward}.
Likewise, our goal in DBL is to enable a similar principle by \textbf{learning from past observations, but in a query
processing setting}.
Specifically, in DBL, we plan to treat
approximate answers to past queries as observations, and use them to
refine our
posterior knowledge of the
underlying data, which in turn can be used to speed up future queries.
\input{intro_fig_model2}
In \cref{fig:intro:model}, we visualize this idea using a
real-world Twitter dataset~\cite{anderson2013brainwash,antenucci2016declarative}.
Here, DBL learns a model for the
number of occurrences of certain word patterns (known as \emph{n-grams}, {e.g.}, ``bought a
car'') in tweets.
\Cref{fig:intro:model}(a) shows this model (in purple) based on the answers to the
first two queries asking about the number of occurrences of these
patterns, each over a different time range. Since the model is probabilistic, its 95\% confidence interval is
also shown (the shaded area around the best current estimate).
As shown in \cref{fig:intro:model}(b) and \cref{fig:intro:model}(c),
DBL further refines its model as more new queries are
answered.
This approach would allow a DBL-enabled query engine to provide increasingly more
accurate estimates, \emph{even for those ranges that have
never been accessed by previous queries}---this is possible because DBL
finds the most likely model of the entire area that fits with the past query answers.
The goal of this simplified example\footnote{In general, DBL does not make any \emph{a prior} assumptions regarding
correlations (or smoothness) in the data; any correlations present in the data will be naturally
revealed through analyzing the answers to past queries, in which case DBL
automatically identifies and makes use of them.}
is to illustrate
the possibility of (i) significantly faster response times by processing smaller samples of the data
for the same answer quality, or (ii) increasingly more accurate answers for the
same sample size and response time.
\ph{Challenges}
To realize DBL's vision in practice, three key challenges must be overcome.
First, there is a \emph{query generality} challenge.
DBL must be able to transform a wide class of SQL queries into
appropriate mathematical representations so that they can be
fed into statistical models and used for improving the accuracies of new queries.
Second, there is a \emph{data generality} challenge.
To support arbitrary datasets,
DBL must not make any assumptions about the data distribution;
the only valid
knowledge must come from past queries and their respective answers.
Finally, there is an \emph{efficiency} challenge. DBL needs to strike a balance between
the computational complexity of its inference and its
ability to reduce the error of query answers.
In other words, DBL needs to be both
effective and practical.
\ph{Previous Approaches}
In today's databases, the work performed for answering past queries is
rarely beneficial to new queries, except for the following cases:
\begin{enumerate}[leftmargin=5mm,noitemsep,nolistsep]
\item \textbf{View selection / Adaptive indexing}: In predictable workloads, columns and expressions commonly used by past queries provide
hints on which indices~\cite{db-cracking,holistic-indexing,adaptive-indexing}
or materialized views~\cite{surajit-materialized} to build.
\item \textbf{Caching}: The recently accessed tuples might still be in memory
when future queries access the same tuples.
\end{enumerate}
Both techniques, while beneficial, can only reuse previous work to a limited extent.
Caching input tuples reduces I/O if the data size exceeds memory, but does not reuse query-specific computations.
Caching (intermediate) final results can reuse computation only if future (sub-)queries are \emph{identical} to those in the past.
While index selection techniques use the knowledge about which columns are commonly filtered on, an index per se does not allow for reusing computation
from one query to the next. Adaptive indexing schemes (e.g., database cracking~\cite{db-cracking}) use each query to
incrementally refine an index to amortize the cost across queries.
However, there is
still an exponential number of possible column-sets that can be indexed.
Also, they do not reuse query-specific computations.
Finally, materialized views
are only beneficial when there is a strict structural compatibility---such as query containment or
equality---between past and new queries~\cite{halevy2001answering}.
The fundamental difference between DBL and these traditional approaches lead to a few
interesting
characteristics of DBL:
\begin{enumerate}[leftmargin=5mm,noitemsep,nolistsep]
\item Since materialized views, indexing, and caching are for exact query processing, they are
only effective when new queries touch previously accessed \rev{C10}{ranges}.
On the
contrary, DBL works in AQP settings; thus, DBL can benefit new queries even
if they query ranges
that were not touched by past queries.
This is due to DBL's probabilistic model, which provides most likely extrapolation even for
unobserved parts of data.
%
\item Unlike indices and materialized views, DBL incurs \emph{little storage overhead} as it only
retains the past $n$ aggregate queries and their answers.
In
contrast, indices and materialized views grow in size as the data grows,
while DBL's
storage requirement remains \emph{oblivious to the data size} (see
\cref{sec:related} for a detailed discussion).
\end{enumerate}
\ph{Our Approach}
Our vision of database learning (DBL)~\cite{mozafari_cidr2015} might be achieved in
different ways depending on the design decisions made in terms of
query generality, data generality, and efficiency.
In this paper, besides the introduction of the concept of DBL,
we also provide a specific solution for achieving DBL, which we call Verdict\xspace to distinguish it
from DBL as a general vision.
From a high-level, Verdict\xspace addresses the three challenges---query
generality, data generality, and efficiency---as follows.
First, Verdict\xspace supports SQL queries by decomposing them into
simpler atomic units, called \emph{snippets}.
The answer to a snippet is a single scalar value; thus, our belief on the answer to each
snippet can be expressed as a random variable, which can then be used in our mathematical model.
Second, to achieve data generality, Verdict\xspace employs a \emph{non-parametric} probabilistic model, which
is capable of representing arbitrary underlying distributions.
This model is based on a simple intuition: \emph{when two queries share
some tuples in their aggregations, their answers must be correlated.}
Our probabilistic model is a formal generalization of this idea using \emph{the principle of maximum
entropy}~\cite{skilling2006data}.
Third, to ensure computational efficiency, we keep our probabilistic
model in an analytic form. At query time, we only require a matrix-vector
multiplication; thus, the overhead is negligible.
\ignore{
\barzan{I wonder whether we should just summarize our approach in one paragraph instead of a bulleted list here}
\begin{enumerate}[noitemsep,nolistsep]
\item \textbf{Encoding:}
Complex SQL queries are first decomposed into simpler \emph{snippets}.
The answer to each snippet is then
expressed
as an integration of relevant tuples, and modeled as probabilistic random variables
\tofix{drawn from an unknown underlying distribution}.
\item \textbf{\tofix{Generality}:}
We employ a \emph{non-parametric}
probabilistic model where
both observed and unknown query answers are
described \tofix{using} a joint probability distribution function (pdf).
We derive this joint pdf by exploiting a powerful statistical principle, the \emph{principle of maximum entropy}, offering
the \emph{most
likely} \tofix{pdf given limited statistical knowledge} of past queries and
their approximate answers.
\item \textbf{Efficiency:} To ensure the efficiency of our inference, we restrict ourselves to only the first
and second-order statistics of the query answers (i.e., mean, variance, and
covariance) when applying the principle of maximum entropy.
\ignore{\tofix{According to the} principle, the most likely probability density
function given those statistics is a multi-dimensional normal distribution
whose characteristics are determined by \emph{snippets}.}
We show that this instantiation \barzan{i wonder if reviewer may find this mention of `instantiation' unclear or not } of DBL, leads to significant speedup of query processing.
\end{enumerate}
}
\ph{Contributions}
This paper makes the following contributions:
\begin{enumerate}[leftmargin=5mm,noitemsep,nolistsep]
\item We introduce the novel concept of \emph{database learning} (DBL). By
learning from past query answers, DBL allows DBMS to continuously become smarter and faster
at answering new queries.
\item We provide a concrete instantiation of DBL, called Verdict\xspace.
Verdict\xspace's strategies cover 63.6\% of
TPC-H queries and 73.7\% of a real-world query trace from a
leading vendor of analytical DBMS.
Formally, we also prove that Verdict\xspace's expected errors are never larger
than those of existing AQP techniques.
\item We integrate Verdict\xspace on top of Spark SQL, and conduct
experiments using both benchmark and real-world query traces.
Verdict\xspace delivers up to 23$\times$ speedup and 90\% error reduction compared to AQP engines
that do not use DBL.
\end{enumerate}
The rest of this paper is organized as follows.
\Cref{sec:overview} overviews Verdict\xspace's
workflow, supported query types, and internal query representations.
\Cref{sec:infer,sec:model} describe the internals of Verdict\xspace in
detail, and \cref{sec:benefit} presents Verdict\xspace's formal guarantees.
\Cref{sec:summary} summarizes Verdict\xspace's online and offline processes, and
\Cref{sec:overview:deployment} discusses Verdict\xspace's deployment scenarios.
\cref{sec:exp} reports our empirical results.
\Cref{sec:related} discusses related work, and \cref{sec:con}
concludes the paper with future work.
\section{Parameter Learning}
\label{sec:learn}
This section describes Verdict\xspace's correlation parameter learning. In
\cref{sec:learn:optimal}, we presents mathematical description of the process,
and in \cref{sec:exp:correlation}, we study its effectiveness with experiments.
\subsection{Optimal Correlation Parameters}
\label{sec:learn:optimal}
In this section, we describe how to find the most likely values
of the correlation parameters defined in \cref{sec:data_stat}.
In this process, we exploit the joint pdf defined in \cref{eq:prior_pdf}, as it
allows us to compute the
likelihood of a certain combination of query answers given relevant statistics.
Let
$\vec{\theta}\xspace_{\text{past}}$ denote a vector of raw answers to past snippets. Then,
by Bayes' theorem:
\[
\mathrm{Pr}(\Sigma_n \mid \vec{\theta}\xspace_{\text{past}})
\propto \mathrm{Pr}(\Sigma_n) \cdot \mathrm{Pr}(\vec{\theta}\xspace_{\text{past}} \mid \Sigma_n)
\]
where
\rev{C2.1e}{$\Sigma_n$ is an $n \times n$ submatrix of $\Sigma$ consisting of
$\Sigma$'s first $n$ rows and columns, {i.e.}, (co)variances between pairs of past
query answers,}
and $\propto$ indicates that the two values are proportional,
Therefore, without any preference over parameter values,
determining the most likely correlation parameters
(which determine $\Sigma_n$) given past queries
amounts to
finding the values for $l_{g,1}, \ldots, l_{g,l}, \allowbreak \sigma_g^2$ that maximize the
below log-likelihood function:
\begin{align}
&\log \, \mathrm{Pr}(\vec{\theta}\xspace_{\text{past}} \mid \Sigma_n)
= \log \, f(\vec{\theta}\xspace_{\text{past}}) \nonumber \\
&= - \frac{1}{2} \vec{\theta}\xspace_{\text{past}}^\intercal \Sigma_n^{-1} \vec{\theta}\xspace_{\text{past}}
- \frac{1}{2} \log |\Sigma_n| - \frac{n}{2} \log 2 \pi
\label{eq:log_likelihood}
\end{align}
where $f(\vec{\theta}\xspace_{\text{past}})$ is the joint pdf from
\cref{eq:prior_pdf}.
\rev{C2.1d}{
Verdict\xspace finds the optimal values for $l_{g,1}, \ldots, l_{g,l}$ by solving the
above optimization problem with a numerical solver, while it estimates the value
for $\sigma_g^2$ analytically from past query answers (see \cref{sec:anal_param}).
Concretely,
the current implementation of Verdict\xspace uses the gradient-descent-based
(quasi-newton) nonlinear
programming solver provided by Matlab's \texttt{fminuncon()} function,
without providing explicit gradients.}
Although our current approach is typically slower than
using closed-form solutions or than using the solver with an explicit gradient (and
a Hessian),
they do not pose a challenge in Verdict\xspace's setting, since
all these parameters are computed \emph{offline}, {i.e.}, prior to the arrival of new queries.
\rev{C2.1d}{We plan to improve the efficiency of this offline training by using
explicit gradient expressions.}
\input{fig_exp_correlation_learning}
\rev{C2.1d}{
Since \cref{eq:log_likelihood} is not a convex function, the solver of our
choice only returns a locally optimal point. A conventional strategy to handle
this issue is to obtain multiple locally optimal points by solving
the same problem with multiple random starting points, and
to take the one with the highest log-likelihood value as a final answer.
Still, this approach does not guarantee the correctness of the model.
In contrast,
Verdict\xspace's strategy is to find a locally-optimal point that can capture potentially large inter-tuple
covariances, and to validate the correctness of the resulting model against a
model-free answer (\cref{sec:safeguard}).
We demonstrate empirically in the following section that this strategy is
effective for finding parameter values that are close to true values.
Verdict\xspace's model validation process in \cref{sec:safeguard} provides robustness
against the models that may differ from the true distribution.
Verdict\xspace uses $l_{g,k} = (\text{max}(A_k) - \text{min}(A_k))$ for the starting point
of the optimization problem.}
Lastly, our use of approximate
answers as the constraints for the ME principle is properly accounted for
by including additive error terms in their (co)variances
(\cref{eq:query_cov2}).
\subsection{Accuracy of Parameter Learning}
\label{sec:exp:correlation}
\afterrev{
In this section, we demonstrate our empirical study on
the effectiveness of Verdict\xspace's correlation parameter estimation process.
For this, we used the synthetic datasets
generated from pre-determined correlation parameters to see how close Verdict\xspace could estimate the values
of those correlation parameters. We let Verdict\xspace estimate the correlation parameter values using three
different numbers of past snippets (20, 50, and 100) for various datasets with different
correlation parameter values.}
\afterrev{
\Cref{fig:param_learning} shows the results. In general, the correlation parameter values discovered
by Verdict\xspace's estimation process were consistent with the true correlation parameter values. Also, the
estimated values tended to be closer to the true values when a larger number of past snippets were
used for the estimation process. This result indicates that Verdict\xspace can effectively learn statistical
characteristics of the underlying distribution just based on the answers to the
past queries.}
\section{Additional Techniques}
\subsection{Incremental Update}
\label{sec:inc}
\subsection{Updating Past Queries}
As new tuples are inserted, the answers to previous queries may no longer valid,
and we may need to mark some of them invalid and discard.
\section{TODO}
\begin{enumerate}[noitemsep,nolistsep]
\item How to get vector representation of a query efficiently and how to change
the vector representation dynamically.
\item How to do the training more efficiently.
\item How to generalize the technique to multi-dimensional cases.
\item How to efficiently compute the inner products between vector
representations.
\item Why is it better than central limit theorem.
\item How to mix SUM / AVERAGE / COUNT / QUANTILE.
\end{enumerate}
\section{Introduction}
This manuscript aims to describe how to \emph{infer} the answer to a new
database query using past queries and their answers. The result of this
manuscript may be extended to incorporate the knowledge coming from the sampled
records \emph{specifically for} the new query and to obtain more precise result
to the new query, but currently this version does not include that part.
The fundamental idea behind ``inference using past observations'' is that the
data characteristics we distill from past observations may apply well to the
unobserved data, which has been a central concept behind learning theory and
machine learning researches. This abstract idea, of course, does not lend itself
to a single form that can be extended to arbitrary applications, so we need to
focus our attention to a specific problem for which we can find a meaningful
mechanism that extracts data characteristics general enough to be applicable to
unseen data.
In this paper, we limit ourself to the following problem.
Let $X$ be a real-valued \emph{attribute} and $Y$ a real-valued \emph{measure}.
We think there exists an underlying distribution of $X$ and $Y$ that populates a
relation, and we denote the probability distribution function of the
distribution by $p(X = x, Y = y)$ or simply $p(x, y)$. Given such a relation
$r$ that includes $X$ and $Y$ in its columns, we want to answer queries of the
following type:
\begin{lstlisting}[
mathescape,
columns=fullflexible,
basicstyle=\tt\small,
]
SELECT $AVG(Y)$
FROM $r$
WHERE $a < X < b$;
\end{lstlisting}
where $a$ and $b$ are arbitrary real-valued constants. Let us use $q_1, q_2,
\ldots, q_n$ to indicate past queries (they may have different selection
ranges), $q_{n+1}$ to indicate a new query, and $\theta_1, \ldots, \theta_{n+1}$
to indicate associated \emph{true} answers to those queries. In reality, we only
have estimates to those true answers; we use $\tilde{\theta}_1, \ldots,
\tilde{\theta}_{n+1}$ to denote approximate answers obtained via sampling.
Using these notations, we can describe our problem as obtaining an estimate of
$\theta_{n+1}$ using a set $\{ (q_i, \tilde{\theta}_i)\, |\, 1 \le i \le n, i
\in Z \}$. Importantly, we want an estimate with confidence interval rather than
a \emph{point estimate}.
\section{Background: Bayesian Linear Regression}
We briefly cover background information on ``Bayesian linear regression'' which is crucial to understanding our
query answer inference solution. Note that for now we do not make any
connections between regression and our query inference problem, but the
relationship will be made clear in the following section. First, we introduce a limited version of
Bayesian linear regression which applies only to the cases in which an underlying
function we aim to model is a linear function. Second, we describe a known
approach that converts the limited version to a general one that can also model
non-linear functions via a technique called \emph{kernelization}.
\ph{Modeling Linear Functions}
Say we have a set of observations $D = \{ (\mathbf{x}_i, y_i))\, |\, 1 \le i \le
n, i \in Z \}$ where $\mathbf{x}$ is a $d$-dimensional input vector, and $y$ is
a scalar output. We concatenate those input vectors as column vectors in a $d
\times n$ matrix and denote the matrix by $D_X$. The following assumptions are
made on the underlying function and observations:
\[
f(\mathbf{x}) = \mathbf{x}^T \mathbf{w}, \quad y = f(\mathbf{x}) + \epsilon
\]
where $\mathbf{w}$ is the parameter of a model which is expressed as a
$d$-dimensional vector; $\epsilon$ is an
independent and identically distributed Gaussian noise with zero mean and
variance $1/\beta$. Our goal is accurately estimating the parameter $\mathbf{w}$ so that
the errors between $f(\mathbf{x})$ and $y$ are minimized for the observations.
One important property in the estimation (under the Bayesian formalism)
is that the estimation on $\mathbf{w}$ is not a point-estimate, but rather, a
probability distribution of $\mathbf{w}$ is obtained to answer ``what is the
probability that $\mathbf{w}$ has a certain value?'' This type of answer is
analogous to
the case in which we estimate a population mean based on a sample mean in statistics: a sample
mean follows a normal distribution with a mean begin a population mean.
Furthermore, based on the
variance of the distribution, we can compute a confidence interval. In a similar
fashion, we can also obtain how accurate the estimate on $\mathbf{w}$ is by
looking at the variance of the computed distribution.
In general, Bayesian inference starts with a \emph{prior} belief on
$\mathbf{w}$, and the belief is updated based on observations. The \emph{prior}
belief on $\mathbf{w}$ is expressed as a probability distribution, and the updated belief
on $\mathbf{w}$ is expressed as a conditional probability distribution (because it is
conditioned on past observations); also, the updated belief is referred to as a
\emph{posterior}.
Bayesian linear regression uses a mean-zero normal distribution
$\mathcal{N}(\mathbf{0}, \Sigma_p)$ for a \emph{prior}; then, the posterior is
computed as follows (we omit the details of derivations):
\[
p(\mathbf{w}\,|\,D_X, \mathbf{y}) = f_{\mathcal{N}}(\beta A^{-1} D_X \, \mathbf{y},\; A^{-1}),
\]
where $A = \beta D_X D_X^T + \Sigma_p^{-1}$, and $f_{\mathcal{N}}(\mathbf{m},
\Sigma)$ is the probability distribution function of a normal distribution with
a mean $\mathbf{m}$ and a covariance matrix $\Sigma$. For an unseen input vector
$\mathbf{x}_{n+1}$, the prediction on $f(\mathbf{x}_{n+1})$ is computed by averaging the
outputs of all possible models with respect to the \emph{posterior} distribution on
the models as follows:
\begin{align*}
&p(f(\mathbf{x}_{k+1})\, |\, D_X, \mathbf{y}) \\
&= \int p(f(\mathbf{x}_{k+1})\, |\, \mathbf{w})
\, p(\mathbf{w}\, |\, D_X, \mathbf{y}) \; d\mathbf{w} \\
&= f_{\mathcal{N}} \left( \beta \mathbf{x}_{k+1}^T A^{-1} D_X \, \mathbf{y},\;
\mathbf{x}_{k+1}^T A^{-1} \mathbf{x}_{k+1} \right).
\end{align*}
Note that the predictive distribution is again expressed as a normal distribution with its mean
being a multiplication of the mean of $p(\mathbf{w} \, |\, D_X, \mathbf{y})$ and the
new input vector $\mathbf{x}_{k+1}$, which is an expected result from the linear
assumption on the function. The variance
of the distribution determines how confident our prediction is, and, for example, 95\%
confidence interval can be computed by multiplying 1.96 to the standard
deviation of the above predictive distribution.
\ph{Modeling Non-linear Functions}
The basic version of Bayesian linear regression we described above is extended
to non-linear function regression by considering the function $f(\mathbf{x})$ as
a linear function of some underlying factors $\phi(\mathbf{x})$ instead of a
linear function of an input vector itself. In other words,
\[
f(\mathbf{x}) = \mathbf{w}^T \phi(\mathbf{x}), \quad y = f(\mathbf{x}) +
\epsilon.
\]
The underlying
factors are commonly expressed as a high-dimensional vector and are
referred to as \emph{features} of associated input vectors. Certainly, how to
project an input vector into a feature vector may involve lots of engineering
process depending on one's
application, and we will describe what is an appropriate form for our use in the
following section. An important ramification of this feature mapping is that, as
we will observe shortly, we do not have to know the explicit feature mapping;
all we need is computing inner products between two feature vectors.
Imagine a matrix that has input feature vectors in its columns; we denote the
matrix by $\Phi$ and use it in place of $D_X$.
Then, computing a posterior distribution of $\mathbf{w}$ with respect to
$\Phi$ (instead of $D_X$) and computing predictive distribution of $f(\mathbf{x}_{n+1})$
follow the same steps. As a result, we obtain:
\begin{align*}
&p(f(\mathbf{x}_{n+1}) \,|\, x_{n+1}, \Phi, \mathbf{y}) \\
&= f_{\mathcal{N}} \left( \beta \phi(\mathbf{x}_{n+1})^T A^{-1}
\Phi\, \mathbf{y},\;
\phi(\mathbf{x}_{n+1})^T A^{-1} \phi(\mathbf{x}_{n+1}) \right).
\end{align*}
where $A = \beta \Phi \Phi^T + \alpha \Sigma_p^{-1}$.
We define the following notations:
\begin{align*}
k &= \Phi^T \Sigma_p \phi(x_{n+1}), \\
c &= \phi(\mathbf{x}_{n+1})^T \Sigma_p \phi(\mathbf{x}_{n+1}), \\
C &= \Phi^T \Sigma_p \Phi + \frac{1}{\beta} I.
\end{align*}
Then, $\beta A^{-1} \Phi = \Sigma_p \Phi C$,
and we can rewrite the above equation in a simpler form:
\begin{align*}
&p(f(\mathbf{x}_{n+1}) \,|\, \Phi, \mathbf{y})
= \mathcal{N} \left( k C^{-1} \mathbf{y},\; c - k^T C^{-1} k \right).
\end{align*}
It is important to note that the computation of both the mean and the variance of the predictive
distribution entirely depends on the inner products between features. Regression
literatures commonly substitute a function for the inner product between two
features; the function is referred to as a \emph{kernel} function, and the process
itself is referred to as a \emph{kernelization}.
Researchers have proposed different kernel functions for this traditional
function regression setting, and most of those kernel functions is a function of
the distance between two input vectors.\footnote{Euclidean distance is a popular
choice for a distance function.} One popular choice is a squared
exponential function $\kappa(\mathbf{x}, \mathbf{x}') = \exp
(-\|\mathbf{x}-\mathbf{x}'\|^2/h)$ where $h$ is a
hyperparameter that must be tuned depending on data.
\section{Query Answer Inference}
While the purpose of performing regression analysis in traditional setting
is to model an unknown function based on pairs of input and output
observations, the primary purpose of performing regression analysis in our
setting is to circumvent the expensive query processing based on past
queries and their answers. Although the motivations differ,
they share fundamentally the same property: we want to estimate the output of a
system from past input/output data.
\subsection{Problem Definition}
For an $i$-th query $q_i$, let $X_{q_i}$ be a random sample retrieved from a
database to compute an aggregate query answer $\tilde{\theta}_i$ (sample mean)
which is an estimate of true mean $\theta_i$; and let $|X_{q_i}|$ be the
cardinality of the set. Also, we use $\Delta_n$ to denote \emph{query logs} up
to the $n$-th query. The query logs is composed of three components (queries,
approximate answers to the queries, and the number of the tuples used to
estimate each answer), and we can express the set as $\Delta_n = \{(q_i,
\tilde{\theta}_i, |X_{q_i}|) \,|\, 1 \le i \le n, i \in Z\}$. Note that our
summary does not contain individual tuples in $X_{q_i}$ which could take
considerable amount of in-memory space as the number of past queries increase.
In addition to the query logs, we have a database catalog $\mathcal{M}$ to store
various statistics about the data, and the catalog may be updated as more tuples
are seen. Our task is to estimate $\theta_{n+1}$ for $q_{n+1}$ with a
confidence interval using $\Delta_n$ and $\mathcal{M}$.
\subsection{Regression for Query Answer Estimation}
\normalsize
\end{document}
\section{Introduction}
This manuscript aims to describe how to \emph{infer} the answer to a new
aggregate query using only the past aggregate queries and their results
without looking at the tuples that may reside on disk. The result of this
manuscript may be extended to incorporate the knowledge coming from the sampled
records \emph{specifically for} the new query and to obtain more precise result
to the new query, but currently this version does not include that part.
Let $x$ be a real-valued \emph{attribute} and $Y$ a real-valued \emph{measure}.
We think there exists an underlying distribution of $X$ and $Y$ that populates a
database, and we denote the probability distribution function of the
distribution by $p(X = x, Y = y)$ or simply $p(x, y)$. Given such a database
that includes $X$ and $Y$ in its columns, the type of the queries we are
interested in from now on is limited the following:
\begin{lstlisting}[
mathescape,
columns=fullflexible,
basicstyle=\tt\small,
]
SELECT $AVG(Y)$
FROM $r$
WHERE $a < X < b$;
\end{lstlisting}
where $a$ and $b$ are arbitrary real-valued constants. We use $q_1, q_2,
\ldots, q_n$ to indicate past queries (they may have different selection
ranges), $q_{n+1}$ to indicate a new query, and $\theta_1, \ldots, \theta_{n+1}$
to indicate associated \emph{true} answers to those queries. In reality, we
only have estimates to those true answers, so we use $\tilde{\theta}_1, \ldots,
\tilde{\theta}_{n+1}$ to indicate approximate answers to them, and these are
the values that we keep in query log history.
Using these notations, we can describe our goal as obtaining an estimate of
$\theta_{n+1}$ (which we denote by $\tilde{\theta}_{n+1}$) using a set $\{ (q_i,
\tilde{\theta}_i)\, |\, 1 \le i \le n, i \in Z \}$. Importantly, we want
$\tilde{\theta}_{n+1}$ to be an estimate with confidence interval rather than a
\emph{point estimate}. The confidence interval provides
users the opportunity to determine whether they want the
database to stop the computation or to fetch more data to provide a more
accurate estimate on $\theta_{n+1}$.
\section{Background: Bayesian Linear Regression}
\ph{Modeling Linear Functions}
Before answering ``how to estimate the answer to a new query using past
queries?'', we describe how to solve a much simpler but similar type of question:
estimating the output $y_{n+1}$ at an unobserved input vector
$\mathbf{x}_{n+1}$ based on the observed data $D = \{ (\mathbf{x}_i, y_i))\,
|\, 1 \le i \le n, i \in Z \}$ where $\mathbf{x}$ denotes a $d$-dimensional
input vector and $y$ denotes a scalar output; the column vector inputs for all
$n$ cases are aggregated to compose a $d \times n$ matrix $D_X$, and the outputs
are collected in a column vector $\mathbf{y}$. The key to answering this question is
modeling a function between input vectors and associated output values starting
from a reasonable assumption. The observed data help refining the model, and
more observations lead to more accurate modeling of the function and
more accurate estimation.
We describe one of the methods developed for solving such a problem. The method
starts with a linear function assumption (which is called Bayesian linear
regression), but we will also present how to extend the method so as to solve
estimation problems with non-linear functions as well. Although this method
requires more involved technical depth compared to a traditional linear
regression that provides only point estimates, a great advantage is that it
provides information on how confident our estimate is.
Bayesian linear regression starts with the following assumption on the unknown function
$f(\mathbf{x})$:
\[
f(\mathbf{x}) = \mathbf{x}^T \mathbf{w}, \quad y = f(\mathbf{x}) + \epsilon
\]
where $\mathbf{w}$ is the parameter of a linear model and $\epsilon$ is an
independent and identically distributed Gaussian noise with zero mean and
variance $1/\beta$. In Bayesian linear regression, a \emph{prior belief} on
$\mathbf{w}$ is typically expressed as a normal distribution $N(\mathbf{0},
\alpha^{-1} I)$ where $\mathbf{0}$ is an all-zero column vector.
The distribution or the belief on $w$ changes conditioned on observed data.
Given a set of
observed data $D$, the Bayes' theorem decomposes a \emph{posterior} distribution
of $\mathbf{w}$ as a multiplication of \emph{likelihood} and \emph{prior}
with a normalizing constant. In other words:
\[
p(\mathbf{w}\, |\, D_X, \mathbf{y}) \; \propto \; p(\mathbf{y}\, |\, D_X, \mathbf{w}) \;
p(\mathbf{w}).
\]
The first factor $p(\mathbf{y}\, |\, D_X, \mathbf{w})$ is the \emph{likelihood} which
captures how well the linear model with the parameter $\mathbf{w}$ fits with the
observed outputs $\mathbf{y}$. Intuitively, models that show small error between the
model's predictive outputs and the actual observed outputs receive high
likelihood scores. Using the above formula, the updated belief on the model
parameter $\mathbf{w}$ becomes:
\[
p(\mathbf{w}\,|\,D_X, \mathbf{y}) = \mathcal{N}(\beta A^{-1} D_X \, \mathbf{y},\; A^{-1}),
\]
where $A = \beta D_X D_X^T + \alpha I$, and $\mathcal{N}$
indicates the probability distribution function of a normal distribution. For an unseen input
vector $\mathbf{x}_{n+1}$, the predictive distribution on the output value
$f(x_{n+1})$ is computed by averaging the outputs of all possible linear models
with respect to the updated belief on $\mathbf{w}$ as follows:
\begin{align*}
&p(f(\mathbf{x}_{k+1})\, |\, \mathbf{x}_{k+1}, D_X, \mathbf{y}) \\
&= \int p(f(\mathbf{x}_{k+1})\, |\, \mathbf{x}_{k+1}, \mathbf{w})
\, p(\mathbf{w}\, |\, D_X, \mathbf{y}) \; d\mathbf{w} \\
&= \mathcal{N} \left( \beta \mathbf{x}_{k+1}^T A^{-1} D_X \, \mathbf{y},\;
\mathbf{x}_{k+1}^T A^{-1} \mathbf{x}_{k+1} \right).
\end{align*}
The predictive distribution is expressed as a normal distribution with its mean
being a multiplication of the mean of $p(\mathbf{w} \, |\, D_X, \mathbf{y})$ and the
new input vector $\mathbf{x}_{k+1}$, which is an expected result. The variance
of the distribution determines how confident our prediction is, and, for example, 95\%
confidence interval can be computed by multiplying 1.96 to the standard
deviation of the above predictive distribution.
\ph{Modeling Non-linear Functions}
One of the limitations of the above result is the linear function assumption we
made to model the unknown function, which results in inability to express any
functions that are non-linear. This greatly limits the applicability of this
approach in practice because there exist many important classes of non-linear
functions, such as sinusoidal functions, exponential functions, piece-wise
linear functions, {etc}.
A simple idea to overcome the limitation
is to think the output is not a linear function of input vectors
themselves but a linear function of underlying factors. This is possible by
projecting input vectors into a high-dimensional space and by performing a
linear regression using those projected elements instead of directly working
with the original input vectors. The projected representations are referred to
as \emph{features} of associated input vectors. In addition, we will observe that we even do
not need to know how to explicitly project the data into the high-dimensional space; it is
sufficient to design a function that has an effect of computing inner products
between those features.
First, we denote the mapping of an input vector $\mathbf{x}$
to a high-dimensional space by $\phi(\mathbf{x})$
and think $f(\mathbf{x}) = \phi(\mathbf{x})^T \mathbf{w}$ with all other
assumptions being preserved. Then, deriving the
predictive distribution with this new representation follows the same steps
as the linear counterpart we described above. Let $\Phi$ (in place of $D_X$)
denote the matrix that
is composed by concatenating the feature vectors in its columns, the predictive
distribution of $f(\mathbf{x}_{n+1})$ becomes
\begin{align*}
&p(f(\mathbf{x}_{n+1}) \,|\, x_{n+1}, \Phi, \mathbf{y}) \\
&= \mathcal{N} \left( \beta \phi(\mathbf{x}_{n+1})^T A^{-1}
\Phi\, \mathbf{y},\;
\phi(\mathbf{x}_{n+1})^T A^{-1} \phi(\mathbf{x}_{n+1}) \right).
\end{align*}
where $A = \beta \Phi \Phi^T + \alpha I$.
We define the following notations:
\begin{align*}
k &= \frac{1}{\alpha} \Phi^T \phi(x_{n+1}), \\
c &= \frac{1}{\alpha} \phi(\mathbf{x}_{n+1})^T \phi(\mathbf{x}_{n+1}), \\
C &= \frac{1}{\alpha} \Phi^T \Phi + \frac{1}{\beta} I.
\end{align*}
Then, $\beta A^{-1} \Phi = 1/\alpha \cdot \Phi C$
and, we can rewrite the above equation in a simpler form:
\begin{align*}
&p(f(\mathbf{x}_{n+1}) \,|\, x_{n+1}, \Phi, \mathbf{y})
= \mathcal{N} \left( k C^{-1} \mathbf{y},\; c - k^T C^{-1} k \right).
\end{align*}
Notably, the computation of both the mean and the variance of the predictive
distribution entirely depends on the inner products between features. Regression
literatures commonly substitute a function for the inner product between two
features; the function is called a \emph{kernel} function, and the process
itself is referred to as \emph{kernelization}.
Researchers have proposed different kernel functions for this traditional
function regression setting, and most of those kernel functions is a function that
depends on the distance between input vectors. One popular choice is a squared
exponential function $\kappa(\mathbf{x}, \mathbf{x}') = \exp
(-\|\mathbf{x}-\mathbf{x}'\|^2/h)$ where $h$ is a
hyperparameter that must be tuned depending on data.
On the other hand, note that
\[
E [f(\mathbf{x}) f(\mathbf{x}')]
= \phi(\mathbf{x})^T E[\mathbf{w} \mathbf{w}^T] \phi(\mathbf{x}')
= \frac{1}{\alpha} \phi(\mathbf{x})^T \phi(\mathbf{x}')
\]
which indicates that we can compute the inner products between features by
computing the expected value of the product of the outputs. We use this property
for our purpose in the following section.
\section{Query Answer Inference}
While the purpose of performing regression analysis in traditional setting
is to model an unknown function based on pairs of input and output
observations, the primary purpose of performing regression analysis in our
setting is to circumvent the expensive query processing based on past
queries and their answers. Although the motivations differ,
they share fundamentally the same property: we aim to estimate the output of a
system from past input/output results.
\subsection{Problem Definition}
For $i$-th query $q_i$, let $X_{q_i}$ be a random sample retrieved from a
database to compute an aggregate query answer $\tilde{\theta}_i$ which is an
estimate of true mean $\theta_i$; and $|X_{q_i}|$ is the cardinality of the set.
Also, we use $\Delta_n$ to denote \emph{query logs} up to the $n$-th query. The
query logs is composed of three components (queries, approximate answers to the
queries, and the number of the tuples used to estimate each answer), and we can
express the set as $\Delta_n = \{(q_i, \tilde{\theta}_i, |X_{q_i}|) \,|\, 1 \le
i \le n, i \in Z\}$. Note that our summary does not contain individual tuples in
$X_{q_i}$ which could take considerable amount of in-memory space as the number
of past queries increase. In addition to the query logs, we have a
database catalog $\mathcal{M}$ to store various statistics about the data, and
the catalog may be updated as more tuples are seen.
Our task is to estimate $\theta_{n+1}$ for $q_{n+1}$ with a
confidence interval using $\Delta_n$ and $\mathcal{M}$.
\subsection{Regression for Query Answer Estimation}
From the description of Bayesian linear regression with feature mapping, we
learned that it is sufficient to know the expected value of the product of every
pair of outputs for estimating the output of a new input. In our setting, we
need to know $E[\theta_i \theta_j]$ for all $i$ and $j$ such that $1 \le i, j
\le n+1$. Let us denote a kernel function between two queries by $\kappa(q_i,
q_j) = E[\theta_i \theta_j]$ and redefine the following notations
accordingly for our setting:
\[
k = \frac{1}{\alpha}
\begin{bmatrix}
\kappa(q_1, q_{n+1}) \\
\vdots \\
\kappa(q_n, q_{n+1})
\end{bmatrix}
\quad
c = \frac{1}{\alpha}\kappa(q_{n+1})\kappa(q_{n+1})
\]
\[
C = \frac{1}{\alpha}
\begin{bmatrix}
\kappa(q_1, q_1) & \cdots & \kappa(q_1, q_n) \\
\vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\
\kappa(q_n, q_1) & \cdots & \kappa(q_n, q_n)
\end{bmatrix}
+ \frac{1}{\beta} I
\]
Note that all the above values can be determined by the kernel computations.
With the knowledge on these quantities, the estimation on
$\theta_{n+1}$ is equivalent to the function regression case:
\begin{align*}
&p(\theta_{n+1} \,|\, q_{n+1}, \Delta_n)
= \mathcal{N} \left( k^T C^{-1} \mathbf{y},\; c - k^T C^{-1} k \right).
\end{align*}
Now, the primary question we must answer is how to compute those kernel
functions $\kappa(q_i, q_j)$ between two arbitrary queries $q_i$ and $q_j$.
\ph{Kernel Models} It is important to note that the kernel computations may vary
depending on how we view the relationship between two columns $X$ and $Y$. One
view is that the aggregate results of two queries are likely to be similar each
other if the selection ranges of those queries are close even without overlap.
For example, if a database contain {\tt time} in its $X$ attribute and {\tt
temperature} in its $Y$ attributes, we intuitively think there exist a
correlation between the two columns. The other view is that the aggregate
results do not depend on the closeness of selection ranges, but rather, they are
only similar when two selections ranges overlap each other. For instance, if a
database contains {\tt time spent on web browsing} in its $X$ attribute and {\tt
exam scores} in its $Y$ column, there may not be any correlation between them.
We see that there does not exist any definite answers as to which view is right
or which view is wrong; we can only determine which view could have produced
more correct answers in retrospect by comparing the predictions with the true
answers (or a close estimate of them). For this reason, we take an empirical
approach in choosing a more \emph{correct} view in estimating a query answer. In
other words, we maintain models based on different data assumptions and
provide an estimate answer using the model that fits best with the past
observations. The decision about which model has fitted the best is continuously
updated for future estimations.
We consider two approaches to kernel computations. The first is white-noise
approach. In this approach, aggregates are correlated only when $x$ is equal.
The second is distance-based approach. In this approach, the correlation
between aggregates is a function of the distance between the input parameters.
Different from function regression setting, we do not assume a specific
functional form for deriving predictive distribution. Rather, we construct a
function completely from empirically observed data. We describe how to compute
kernel functions separately for each of the two approaches.
\ph{White-noise Approach}
White-noise approach assumes that the aggregate of the tuples that belong to one
range is independent of the aggregate of the tuples that belong to the other
range unless the two ranges overlap. This assumption enables us to compute
kernel functions between two queries easily. The kernel computations between pairs of
queries are performed in an iterative fashion; more concretely, $\kappa(q_i,
q_j)$ for all $i < j$ is computed and saved in a database catalog when we are answering the
query $q_j$, and
\ph{Distance-based Approach}
\normalsize
\end{document}
\subsection{Verdict\xspace vs.~Simple Answer Caching}
\label{sec:exp:contribution}
\input{fig_exp_contribution2}
To study the benefits of Verdict\xspace's model-based inference, we consider another
system \textsc{Baseline2}\xspace, and make comparisons between Verdict\xspace and \textsc{Baseline2}\xspace, using the \texttt{TPC-H}\xspace
dataset. \textsc{Baseline2}\xspace is similar to NoLearn\xspace but returns a cached answer if the new query
is identical to one of the past ones. When there are multiple instances of the
same query, \textsc{Baseline2}\xspace caches the one with the lowest expected error.
\Cref{fig:exp:contribution}(a) reports the average actual error
reductions of Verdict\xspace and \textsc{Baseline2}\xspace (over NoLearn\xspace), when different sample sizes were
used for past queries. Here, the same samples were used for new queries.
The result
shows that both systems' error reductions were large when large sample sizes were used for
the past
queries. However, Verdict\xspace consistently achieved higher error reductions
compared to \textsc{Baseline2}\xspace, due to its ability to benefit novel queries as well as
repeated queries ({i.e.}, the queries that have appeared in the past).
\Cref{fig:exp:contribution}(b) compares Verdict\xspace and \textsc{Baseline2}\xspace by changing the
ratio of novel queries in the workload.
Understandably, both Verdict\xspace and \textsc{Baseline2}\xspace were more effective
for workloads with fewer novel queries ({i.e.}, more repeated
queries); however, Verdict\xspace was also
effective for workloads with many novel queries.
\section{Estimating Query Statistics}
\label{sec:model}
As described in \cref{sec:infer}, Verdict\xspace expresses its prior belief
on the
relationship among query answers as a joint pdf over a set of random variables $(\bm{\theta}\xspace_1, \ldots,$ $\bm{\theta}\xspace_{n+1}, \bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_{n+1})$.
In this process, we need to know the means, variances, and covariances of these random variables.
Verdict\xspace uses the arithmetic mean of the past query
answers for the mean of each random variable,
$\bm{\theta}\xspace_1, \ldots, \bm{\theta}\xspace_{n+1}, \bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_{n+1}$.
Note that
this only serves as a prior belief, and will be updated in the process of
conditioning the prior belief using the observed query answers.
In this section, without loss of generality, we
assume the mean of the past query answers is zero.
Thus, in the rest of this section, we focus on obtaining the variances and covariances of these random
variables, \rev{C2.1e}{which are the elements of the $(n+2) \times (n+2)$ covariance matrix $\Sigma$ in
\cref{lemma:pdf} (thus, we can obtain the elements of the column vector
$\vec{k}\xspace_{n+1}$ and the variance $\bar{\kappa}\xspace^2$ as well).
Note that, due to the independence between expected errors, we have:
\begin{align}
\begin{split}
\cov(\bm{\theta}\xspace_i, \bm{\theta}\xspace_j) &= \cov(\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i, \bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_j) + \delta(i,j) \cdot \beta_i^2 \\
\cov(\bm{\theta}\xspace_i, \bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_j) &= \cov(\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i, \bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_j)
\end{split}
\label{eq:query_cov2}
\end{align}
where $\delta(i,j)$ returns 1 if $i = j$ and 0 otherwise.
Thus, computing $\cov(\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i, \bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_j)$ is sufficient for obtaining $\Sigma$.
}
Computing $\cov(\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i, \bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_j)$ relies on a straightforward
observation: \emph{the covariance between two query snippet answers is computable using the covariances between the
attribute values involved in computing those answers.}
For instance, we can easily compute the covariance between (i) the average revenue of the years 2014 and 2015 and (ii) the
average revenue of the years 2015 and 2016, as long as we know the covariance between the
average revenues of every pair of days in 2014--2016.
\rev{C2.2}{In this work, we further extend the above observation. That is, if
we are able to compute the covariance between the average revenues at an infinitesimal
time $t$ and another infinitesimal time $t'$, we will be able to compute the
covariance between (i) the average revenue of 2014--2015 and (ii) the average
revenue of 2015--2016, by integrating the covariances between the revenues at infinitesimal
times over appropriate ranges. Here, the covariance between the average revenues
at two infinitesimal times $t$ and $t'$ is defined in terms of the underlying data
distribution that has generated the relation $r$, where the past query answers
help us discover the most-likely underlying distribution.}
The rest of this section formalizes this idea.
In \cref{sec:query_stat}, we present a decomposition of
the (co)variances between pairs of query snippet answers into \emph{inter-tuple covariance} terms.
Then, in \cref{sec:data_stat}, we describe how inter-tuple
covariances can be estimated analytically using parameterized functions.
\subsection{Covariance Decomposition}
\label{sec:query_stat}
To compute the variances and covariances between query snippet answers ({i.e.}, $\bm{\theta}\xspace_1,
\ldots, \bm{\theta}\xspace_{n+1}, \bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_{n+1}$), Verdict\xspace relies on our proposed \emph{inter-tuple covariances},
which express the statistical properties of the underlying distribution. Before
presenting the inter-tuple covariances, our discussion starts with the fact that
the answer to a supported snippet can be mathematically represented in terms of
the underlying distribution. This representation then naturally leads us to the
decomposition of the covariance
between query answers into smaller units, which we call inter-tuple
covariances.
Let $g$ be an aggregate function on attribute $A_k$, and $\bm{t}\xspace = (a_1,
\ldots, a_l)$ be a vector of length $l$ comprised of the values for $r$'s
dimension attributes $A_1, \ldots, A_l$.
\rev{C1, C2.1a}{To help simplify the mathematical descriptions in this section,
we assume that all dimension attributes are numeric (not categorical),
and the selection predicates in queries may contain
range constraints on some of those dimension attributes.
Handling categorical attributes is a straightforward extension of this process
(see \cref{sec:discrete}).}
We define a continuous function
$\nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace)$ for every aggregate function $g$ ({e.g.}, \texttt{AVG($A_k$)},
\texttt{FREQ(*)}) such that, when integrated,
it produces answers to query snippets.
That is (omitting possible
normalization and weight terms for simplicity):
\begin{align}
\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i = \int_{\bm{t}\xspace \in F\xspace_i} \, \nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace) \; d\bm{t}\xspace
\label{eq:query_answer}
\end{align}
\rev{C2.1a}{Formally, $F\xspace_i$ is a
subset of the Cartesian product of the domains of the dimension
attributes, $A_1, \ldots, A_l$, such that $\bm{t}\xspace \in F\xspace_i$ satisfies
the selection predicates of $q_i$. Let $(s_{i,k}, e_{i,k})$ be the range
constraint for $A_k$ specified in $q_i$. We set the range to
$(\text{min}(A_k),~\text{max}(A_k))$ if no constraint is specified for $A_k$.
Verdict\xspace simply represents $F\xspace_i$ as the product of those $l$ per-attribute
ranges. Thus, the above \cref{eq:query_answer} can be expanded as:
\begin{align*}
\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i = \int_{s_{i,l}}^{e_{i,l}} \cdots \int_{s_{i,1}}^{e_{i,1}}
\, \nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace) \; d a_1 \cdots d a_l
\end{align*}
For brevity, we use the single integral representation using
$F\xspace_i$ unless the explicit expression is needed.}
Using \cref{eq:query_answer} and the linearity of covariance,
we can decompose $\cov(\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i, \bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_j)$ into:
\begin{align}
\begin{split}
\cov(\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i, \bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_j) &=
\cov \left( \int_{\bm{t}\xspace \in F\xspace_i} \nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace) \; d\bm{t}\xspace,
\int_{\bm{t}\xspace' \in F\xspace_j} \nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace') \; d\bm{t}\xspace' \right) \\
&= \int_{\bm{t}\xspace \in F\xspace_i} \int_{\bm{t}\xspace' \in F\xspace_j}
\cov(\nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace), \nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace')) \; d\bm{t}\xspace \; d\bm{t}\xspace'
\end{split}
\label{eq:query_cov}
\end{align}
As a result, the covariance between query answers can be broken
into an integration of the covariances between tuple-level function values, which we call
\emph{inter-tuple covariances}.
To use \cref{eq:query_cov}, we must be able to compute the inter-tuple
covariance terms. However, computing these inter-tuple covariances is
challenging, as we only have a single observation for each $\nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace)$.
Moreover, even if we had a way to compute the inter-tuple covariance for
arbitrary $\bm{t}\xspace$ and $\bm{t}\xspace'$,
\rev{C2.1a}{the exact computation of \cref{eq:query_cov} would still require
an infinite number of
inter-tuple covariance computations, which would be infeasible.}
In the next section, we present an
efficient alternative for estimating these inter-tuple covariances.
\subsection{Analytic Inter-tuple Covariances}
\label{sec:data_stat}
To efficiently estimate the inter-tuple covariances, and thereby compute
\cref{eq:query_cov},
we propose using \emph{analytical covariance functions}, a well-known technique in statistical literature for approximating
covariances~\cite{bishop2006pattern}.
In particular,
Verdict\xspace uses squared exponential covariance functions,
which is capable of
approximating any continuous target function arbitrarily closely as
the number of observations (here, query answers) increases
~\cite{micchelli2006universal}.\footnote{
\rev{C1}{This property of the universal kernels is asymptotic ({i.e.}, as the
number of observations goes to infinity).}}
\rev{C1}{Although the underlying distribution may not be a continuous
function, it is sufficient for us to obtain $\nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace)$ such that, when
integrated (as in \cref{eq:query_answer}), produces the same values as
the integrations of the underlying distribution.}\footnote{\rev{C1}{The existence of such a continuous
function is implied by the kernel density estimation
technique~\cite{wasserman2006all}.}}
In our setting,
the squared exponential covariance function $\rho_g(\bm{t}\xspace, \bm{t}\xspace')$
is defined as:
\begin{align}
\cov(\nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace), \nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace'))
\approx \rho_g(\bm{t}\xspace, \bm{t}\xspace')
= \sigma_{g}^2 \cdot \prod_{k=1}^{l} \exp \left(
-\frac{(a\xspace_k - a\xspace'_k)^2}{l_{g,k}^2} \right)
\label{eq:tuple_cov}
\end{align}
Here, $l_{g,k}$ for $k$$=$$1\ldots l$ and $\sigma_g^2$ are tunable
\emph{correlation parameters}
to be learned from past queries and their answers (\cref{sec:learn}).
Intuitively, when $\bm{t}\xspace$ and $\bm{t}\xspace'$ are similar, i.e.,
$(a\xspace_k - a\xspace'_k)^2$ is small for most $A_k$,
then $\rho_g(\bm{t}\xspace,
\bm{t}\xspace')$ returns a larger value (closer to $\sigma_{g}^2$), indicating that the
expected values of $g$ for $\bm{t}\xspace$ and $\bm{t}\xspace'$ are highly correlated.
\rev{C2.1c}{
With the analytic covariance function above, the $\cov(\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i, \bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_j)$
terms involving inter-tuple covariances can in turn be computed
analytically.
Note that \cref{eq:tuple_cov} involves the multiplication of $l$ terms, each
of which containing variables related to a single attribute. As a result, plugging
\cref{eq:tuple_cov} into \cref{eq:query_cov} yields:
\begin{align}
\cov(\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i, \bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_j) &=
\sigma_{g}^2
\prod_{k=1}^{l}
\int_{s_{i,k}}^{e_{i,k}}
\int_{s_{j,k}}^{e_{j,k}} \,
\exp \left( -\frac{(a\xspace_k-a\xspace'_k)^2}{l_{g,k}^2} \right) \,
d a'_k a_k
\label{eq:simple_cov}
\end{align}
The order of integrals are interchangeable, since the terms including no
integration variables can be regarded as constants (and thus can be factored out of the
integrals).
Note that the double-integral of an exponential function can also be computed
analytically (see \cref{sec:double_int}); thus,
Verdict\xspace can efficiently compute $\cov(\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i, \bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_j)$ in $O(l)$ times by
directly computing the integrals of inter-tuple covariances, without
explicitly computing individual inter-tuple covariances.}
\rev{C2.1e}{Finally, we can compose the $(n+2) \times (n+2)$ matrix
$\Sigma$ in \Cref{lemma:pdf} using \cref{eq:query_cov2}.}
\ignore{
Assume without loss of generality that the largest possible joined table
(according to a given star/snowflake table schema) contains $D$ number of
columns, in which the first $D_n$ numeric columns and the next $D_c$ categorical
columns may appear in selection predicates and group-by clauses, and the last
(or $D$-th) column appears in the aggregate function $g$ for which we are computing
query statistics. The last column may be a duplicate of one of the other
columns, or it can be a column derived from other columns.
Let $x_k$ represent the $k$-th column value of a tuple, and $\bm{t}\xspace$ denote $(x_1,
\ldots, x_{D-1})$, {i.e.}, the tuple except for the last column.
Then, to express an underlying distribution that produced a table, Verdict\xspace uses the following
probability density function:
\begin{align}
f_t(a\xspace_1,\ldots,a\xspace_D) &= f_t(a\xspace_D \mid \bm{t}\xspace) \cdot f_t(\bm{t}\xspace) \\
&= f_t(a\xspace_D \mid \bm{t}\xspace) \prod_{k=1}^{D_n + D_c} f_{t,k}(a\xspace_k)
\label{eq:data_gen}
\end{align}
where $f_{t,k} \;\forall k \in [1,D_n]$ are probability density functions, and $f_{t,k}
\;\forall k \in [D_n+1,D_n+D_c]$ are probability mass functions.\footnote{Given a
probability mass function $f(x)$ that has non-zero probabilities for $m$ items
in the set $\{x_1, \ldots, x_m \}$, we map those items to distinctive integers
and define $\int_R f(x) dx$ over a certain set $R$ as $\sum_{x \in R} f(x)$.
This provides seamless treatments of probability density function and
probability mass function in our paper. More rigorous definitions are available
using the Dirac delta function, which we omit in this paper.} \tofix{Although Verdict\xspace does not directly
model those unknown functions $f_t$, they are the basis for deriving query statistics in the
following section.}
\mike{This last sentence is very surprising and needs more explanation} \young{Added a sentence, but
not sure if this is OK enough.}
}
\ignore{
In reality,
$\rho_g(\bm{t}\xspace, \bm{t}\xspace')$ may have a different value for every different combination of
$(\bm{t}\xspace, \bm{t}\xspace')$, but importantly, such a treatment does not provide any
chance for deducing common data characteristics, based on which Verdict\xspace
builds a model that covers unseen tuple areas. \mike{This sentence
reads strangely. The words 'such a treatment' are a bit vague. I
think you mean something like, 'Even if we had the true probability
values for each different combination of x vectors, it wouldn't do us
any good, so the covariances are fine'. (Though you don't clear up
why that is true.) Am I correct?} To capture common
data characteristics, Verdict\xspace
approximates the tuple covariance using a \emph{tuple-distance-sensitive
function} parameterized by a $g$-specific vector $\lambda_g = (l_{g,1}, \ldots,
l_{g,D-1}, \sigma_g^2)$ as follows:}
\ignore{
Then, Verdict\xspace captures the impact of $\bm{t}\xspace$ on $\nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace)$ by measuring how
different the values of $\nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace)$ will be for two different tuples. More specifically,
let $\bm{t}\xspace$ and $\bm{t}\xspace'$ denote two tuples, then we denote the covariance
between $\nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace)$ and $\nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace')$ by $\rho_g(\bm{t}\xspace, \bm{t}\xspace')$,
which we call \emph{tuple covariance}.
Intuitively, large value of $\rho_g(\bm{t}\xspace, \bm{t}\xspace')$ indicates
$\nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace)$ and $\nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace')$ are likely to have similar values, which
means they are more related.
}
\ignore{
Note that, \tofix{in order for Verdict\xspace to have the ability to infer aggregate values even for
unobserved tuples, it is required for Verdict\xspace to be able to estimate the value of
$\rho_g(\bm{t}\xspace, \bm{t}\xspace')$ even if the function involves $\bm{t}\xspace$ or
$\bm{t}\xspace'$ that has not been observed in the past. For this,} Verdict\xspace computes the
tuple covariance using a \emph{tuple-distance-sensitive function}
parameterized by a $g$-specific vector $\lambda_g = (l_{g,1}, \ldots, l_{g,m},
\sigma_g^2)$ as follows:
\begin{align}
\rho_g(\bm{t}\xspace, \bm{t}\xspace')
&\approx \sigma_{g}^2 \cdot \prod_{i=1}^{m} \exp \left(
-\frac{\Delta(a\xspace_i,a\xspace'_i)^2}{l_{g,i}^2} \right)
\label{eq:tuple_cov}
\end{align}
where
\begin{align*}
\Delta(a\xspace_i,a\xspace'_i) =
\begin{cases}
|a\xspace_i - a\xspace'_i| & \text{if } A_i \text{ is numeric} \\
1 - \delta(a\xspace_i, a\xspace'_i) & \text{if } A_i \text{ is categorical}
\end{cases}
\end{align*}
with $\delta(a\xspace_k, a\xspace'_k)$ being the Kronecker delta function which
returns 1 if its two arguments are equal and 0 otherwise. Informally speaking,
if the distance between $\bm{t}\xspace$ and $\bm{t}\xspace'$ is small, the value of
$\rho_g(\bm{t}\xspace, \bm{t}\xspace')$ becomes large, or equivalently, the values of
$\nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace)$ and $\nu_g(\bm{t}\xspace')$ are more \emph{related}. Here, the
\emph{closeness of distance} is defined in terms of the column-wise $l_{g,k}$
parameters in the $g$-sensitive parameter vector $\lambda_g$.
\tofix{This approach, {i.e.}, capturing similarities using a function, is related to to kernel-based approaches in machine learning
literature~\cite{bishop2006pattern}. How to compute the optimal values for the $g$-speific vector
$\lambda_g$ is described in \cref{sec:learn}.}
}
\ignore{
As stated earlier,
this section assumes the optimal values of $\lambda_g$ are known.
\mike{Is this akin to a kernel-based approach?}}
\ignore{
\tofix{
Verdict\xspace chose to use the particular covariance function in eq~\ref{eq:tuple_cov} mainly because
the choice enables fast computations of query statistics in Section~\ref{sec:query_stat}. However, there exist
other types of covariance functions available in the literature~\cite{rasmussen2006gaussian}, and
one can use any of them if query statistics can still be computed in a tractable way.
}
\mike{This sentence is really hard to
understand. You mean it is flexible enough to capture many data
distribtions? And that it has the added benefit of being
computationally efficient? What are some other options? What would
be another more expressive option, even if it is computatioanlly
worse? Seems like you are making a design decision here, but not
discussing all the design alternatives.} \young{I updated sentence.}}
\ignore{
Note that Verdict\xspace chose this particular tuple covariance
function due to its flexibility while providing great computational efficiency
for computing \emph{query covariances} in
Section~\ref{sec:query_stat}; however,
the discussions in the other sections of this paper are not affected by this
particular tuple covariance function, and one can use any other tuple covariance
functions if query covariances can be computed in a tractable way.
}
\section{Overhead Minimization}
Provides a formula of block matrix inversion.
\section{Verdict Overview}
\label{sec:overview}
In this section, we overview the system we have built based on database learning
(DBL), called Verdict\xspace.
\Cref{sec:workflow} explains Verdict\xspace's architecture and overall workflow.
\Cref{sec:overview:query} presents the class of SQL queries currently supported by Verdict\xspace.
\Cref{sec:overview:internal} introduces
Verdict\xspace's query representation.
\Cref{sec:overview:infer} describes the intuition behind Verdict\xspace's inference.
Lastly, \cref{sec:overview:limit} discusses the limitations of Verdict\xspace's approach.
\subsection{Architecture and Workflow}
\label{sec:workflow}
Verdict\xspace consists of a \emph{query
synopsis}, a \emph{model},
and three processing modules: an
\emph{inference module}, a \emph{learning module},
and an off-the-shelf
\emph{approximate query processing (AQP) engine}.
Figure~\ref{fig:overview:workflow} depicts the connection between these components.
We begin by defining \emph{query snippets}, which serve as the basic units of
inference in Verdict\xspace.
\begin{mydef} \textbf{(Query Snippet)}
A query snippet is a \emph{supported} SQL query whose answer is a
\emph{single scalar value}, where supported queries are formally defined in
\cref{sec:overview:query}.
\end{mydef}
\Cref{sec:overview:internal} describes how a supported query (whose answer may be a set)
is decomposed into possibly multiple query snippets.
For simplicity, and without loss of generality,
here we assume that every incoming query is a query
snippet.
For the $i$-th query snippet $q_i$, the AQP engine's answer includes a pair of an
approximate answer
$\theta\xspace_i$ and a corresponding expected error $\beta_i$.
$\theta\xspace_i$ and $\beta_i$ are formally defined in \cref{sec:infer:prob},
and are produced by most AQP
systems~\cite{online-agg,g-ola,online-agg-mr1,zeng2016iolap,mozafari_eurosys2013,mozafari_sigmod2014_abm}.
Now we can formally define the first key component of our system, the \emph{query synopsis}.
\begin{mydef} \textbf{(Query Synopsis)}
Let $n$ be the number of query snippets processed thus far by the
AQP engine. The query synopsis $Q_n$ is defined as the following set:
$\{(q_i, \theta\xspace_i, \beta_i) \mid i = 1, \ldots, n \}$.
\end{mydef}
We call the query snippets in the query synopsis \emph{past snippets}, and call the
$(n+1)$-th query snippet the \emph{new snippet}.
The second key component is the \emph{model},
which represents Verdict\xspace's
statistical understanding of the underlying data. The model
is trained
on the query synopsis, and is updated every time a query is added to
the synopsis (\cref{sec:model}).
The query-time workflow of Verdict\xspace is as follows. Given an incoming query snippet
$q_{n+1}$, Verdict\xspace invokes the
AQP engine to compute a raw answer $\theta\xspace_{n+1}$ and a raw error $\beta_{n+1}$.
Then, Verdict\xspace combines this raw answer/error and the previously
computed model to \emph{infer} an \emph{improved answer} $\widehat{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace$ and an associated
expected error $\widehat{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace$, called \emph{improved error}.
\Cref{thm:accuracy} shows that the improved error is never larger than
the raw error. After returning the improved answer and the improved error to the user, $(q_{n+1},
\theta\xspace_{n+1}$, $\beta_{n+1})$ is added to the query synopsis.
\input{tab_terminology}
A key objective in Verdict\xspace's design is to treat the underlying AQP engine as a black box.
This allows Verdict\xspace to be used
with many of the existing engines without requiring any modifications.
From the user's perspective,
the benefit of using Verdict\xspace (compared to using the AQP engine alone)
is the error reduction and speedup, or only the error reduction, depending on the type of AQP engine used
(\cref{sec:overview:deployment}).
Lastly, Verdict\xspace does not modify non-aggregate expressions or unsupported queries, {i.e.},
it simply returns their raw answers/errors to the user.
\Cref{tab:terminology}
summarizes the terminology defined above. In \cref{sec:infer}, we will recap the mathematical
notations defined above.
\subsection{Supported Queries}
\label{sec:overview:query}
\lstset{aboveskip=0pt,belowskip=0pt}
Verdict\xspace supports aggregate queries that are flat (i.e., no derived tables or sub-queries)
with the following conditions:
\begin{enumerate}[leftmargin=5mm,noitemsep,nolistsep]
\item \textbf{Aggregates}. Any number of \texttt{SUM}, \texttt{COUNT}, or
\texttt{AVG} aggregates can appear in the \texttt{select} clause.
The arguments to these aggregates can also be a \emph{derived
attribute}.
\item \textbf{Joins}.
\rev{C14}{Verdict\xspace supports foreign-key joins between a fact
table\footnote{Data warehouses typically record measurements ({e.g.}, sales)
into fact tables and normalize commonly appearing attributes ({e.g.}, seller
information) into dimension tables~\cite{silberschatz1997database}.}
and any number of dimension tables, exploiting the fact that this type of join does not
introduce a sampling bias~\cite{join_synopses}.
}
For simplicity, our discussion in this paper is based on a denormalized table.
\item \textbf{Selections}. Verdict\xspace currently supports equality and inequality
comparisons for categorical and numeric
attributes (including the \texttt{in} operator).
Currently, Verdict\xspace does not support disjunctions and
textual filters (e.g., \texttt{like
'\%Apple\%'}) in the \texttt{where} clause.
\item \textbf{Grouping}. \texttt{groupby} clauses are supported for both stored and
derived attributes. The query may also include a \texttt{having} clause.
Note that the underlying AQP engine may affect the cardinality of the result set depending on the \texttt{having}
clause ({e.g.}, subset/superset error).
Verdict\xspace simply operates on the result set returned by the AQP engine.
\end{enumerate}
\ph{Nested Query Support} Although Verdict\xspace does not directly support nested
queries, many queries can be flattened using
joins~\cite{query_flatten}
or by creating intermediate
views for sub-queries~\cite{halevy2001answering}.
In fact, this is the process used by Hive for supporting the
nested queries of the TPC-H benchmark~\cite{tpchonhive2009}.
We are currently working to automatically process nested queries and to expand
the class of supported queries (see \cref{sec:con}).
\ph{Unsupported Queries}
Each query, upon its arrival, is inspected by Verdict\xspace's query type checker to determine whether it is supported,
and if not, Verdict\xspace bypasses the
Inference\xspace module and simply returns the raw answer to the user.
The overhead of the query type
checker is negligible (\cref{sec:exp:overhead}) compared to the runtime of the AQP engine;
thus, Verdict\xspace does not incur any noticeable runtime overhead, even when a query is not supported.
Only supported queries are stored in Verdict\xspace's
query synopsis and used to improve the accuracy of answers to future supported
queries.
That is, the class of queries that can be improved is equivalent to
the class of queries that can be used to improve other queries.
\subsection{Internal Representation}
\label{sec:overview:internal}
\input{fig_overview_rep}
\ph{Decomposing Queries into Snippets}
As mentioned in \cref{sec:workflow},
each supported query is broken into (possibly) multiple \emph{query snippets} before being added to the query synopsis.
Conceptually, each snippet corresponds to a supported SQL query with a single
aggregate function, with no other projected columns in its \texttt{select} clause, and with no \texttt{groupby}
clause; thus, the answer
to each snippet is a single scalar value.
A SQL query with
multiple aggregate functions ({e.g.}, \texttt{AVG(A2)}, \texttt{SUM(A3)}) or a \texttt{groupby} clause is converted to
a set of multiple snippets
for all combinations of each aggregate function and each \texttt{groupby}
column value. As shown in the example of \cref{fig:overview:snippet},
each \texttt{groupby} column value is added as an
equality predicate in the \texttt{where} clause.
The number of generated snippets can be extremely large, {e.g.}, if a
\texttt{groupby} clause includes a primary key. To ensure that the number of
snippets added per each query is bounded, Verdict\xspace only generates snippets
for $N^{max}$ (1,000 by default) groups in the answer set. \rev{C2.1b}{Verdict\xspace
computes improved answers only for those snippets
in order to bound the computational overhead.}\footnote{\rev{C16}{Dynamically adjusting
the value of $N^{max}$ (e.g., based on available resources and workload characteristics)
makes an interesting direction for future work.}}
For each aggregate function $g$, the query synopsis retains a maximum of $C_g$ query snippets by
following a least recently used snippet replacement policy (by default,
$C_g$$=$$2,000$).
This improves the efficiency of the inference process, while maintaining an
accurate model based on the recently processed snippet answers.
\ph{Aggregate Computation}
Verdict\xspace uses two aggregate functions to perform its internal computations:
\texttt{AVG($A_k$)} and \texttt{FREQ(*)}.
As stated earlier, the attribute $A_k$ can be either a stored attribute ({e.g.},
\texttt{revenue}) or a derived one ({e.g.}, \texttt{revenue * discount}).
At runtime, Verdict\xspace combines these two types of aggregates to
compute
its supported aggregate functions as follows:
\begin{itemize}[itemsep=1pt,nolistsep]
\item \texttt{AVG($A_k$)} = \texttt{AVG($A_k$)}
\item \texttt{COUNT(*)} = round(\texttt{FREQ(*)} $\times$ (table cardinality))
\item \texttt{SUM($A_k$)} = \texttt{AVG($A_k$)} $\times$ \texttt{COUNT(*)}
\end{itemize}
\subsection{Why and When Verdict Offers Benefit}
\label{sec:overview:infer}
In this section, we provide the high level intuition behind
Verdict\xspace's approach to improving the quality of new snippet answers.
Verdict\xspace exploits potential correlations between snippet answers to infer the
answer of a new snippet. Let $S_i$ and $S_j$ be multisets of attribute
values such that, when aggregated, they output exact answers to queries $q_i$ and
$q_j$, respectively.
Then, the answers to $q_i$ and $q_j$
are correlated, if:
\begin{enumerate}[nolistsep,itemsep=5pt,wide,labelwidth=!,labelindent=0pt]
\item \textbf{$S_i$ and $S_j$ include common values.}
$S_i \cap S_j \ne \phi$ implies the existence of correlation between the
two snippet answers.
For instance, computing the average revenue of the years 2014 and 2015 and
the average revenue of the years 2015 and 2016 will be correlated since
these averages include some common values (here, the 2015 revenue).
In the TPC-H benchmark, 12 out of the 14 supported queries
share common values in their
aggregations.
\item \textbf{$S_i$ and $S_j$ include correlated values.}
For instance, the average prices of a stock over two consecutive days are
likely to be similar even though they do not share common values.
When the compared days are farther apart, the similarity in their average
stock prices might be lower.
Verdict\xspace captures the likelihood of such attribute value similarities
using a statistical measure called
\emph{inter-tuple covariance}, which will be formally defined in
\cref{sec:data_stat}. In the presence of non-zero inter-tuple covariances,
the answers to $q_i$ and $q_j$ could be correlated even when $S_i \cap S_j \ne \phi$.
In practice, most real-life datasets
tend to have non-zero inter-tuple
covariances, {i.e.}, correlated attribute values (see \cref{sec:covariance:study} for an empirical study).
\end{enumerate}
Verdict\xspace formally captures the correlations between pairs of snippets
using a probabilistic distribution function.
At query time, this probabilistic distribution function is used to infer
the most likely answer to the new snippet given the answers to past snippets.
\subsection{Limitations}
\label{sec:overview:limit}
Verdict\xspace's model is the most likely explanation of the underlying distribution given the limited information
stored in the query synopsis.
Consequently, when a new snippet involves tuples that have never been
accessed by past snippets, it is possible that Verdict\xspace's model might incorrectly represent the
underlying distribution, and return incorrect error bounds.
To guard against this limitation,
Verdict\xspace always validates its model-based answer against the (model-free)
answer of the AQP engine.
We present this model validation step in \cref{sec:safeguard}.
Because Verdict\xspace relies on off-the-shelf AQP engines for obtaining raw
answers and raw errors, it is naturally bound by the limitations of the underlying engine. For example,
it is known that sample-based engines are not apt at supporting arbitrary joins or \texttt{MIN}/\texttt{MAX} aggregates.
Similarly, the validity of Verdict\xspace's error guarantees are contingent upon the
validity of the AQP engine's raw errors.
Fortunately, there are also off-the-shelf diagnostic
techniques to verify the validity of such errors~\cite{mozafari_sigmod2014_diagnosis}.
\ignore{
First, the computation of improved answers and improved errors exploits
the joint pdf determined by the principle of maximum entropy;
\barzan{terrible sentence. i dont see how the prev fact implies the following part after `therefore'.}
therefore, the
correctness
\barzan{i just explained to you today why correctness for approximate answers or error estimates is a terribly vague notion}
of the improved answers and improved errors relies on the assumption
that the joint pdf determined by the principle is faithful
\barzan{what the heck does this mean? r u saying that the underlying dist is exactly the same as the true distribution? if so,
of course this assumption is NEVER true in reality and by saying this u re telling ppl that ur technique is never correct}
to the true pdf
that generated a relation. The role of the principle is to provide the most
likely pdf given some statistical information on random variables, and
statistics literature provide much justifications on why the pdf provided by the
principle is the most likely one~\cite{guiasu1985principle,skilling2006data}.
\barzan{terrible place. the last sentence is useful but not here, somewhere more visible where u need to justify ME.}
For example, if we are asked to estimate the probability of a coin landing on
heads without any further information, the most likely estimate would be 1/2,
based on our implicit assumption that the coin is unbiased. The principle of
maximum entropy is an application of this idea to more general situations: what
would be the most likely pdf when we are given some statistical information on random
variables. Then, our search of the pdf should be more sophisticated, since we
want the most likely pdf that also satisfies
the provided statistical information on the random variables (since a pdf is
basically concrete description of random variables.) Note that the pdf
determined by the principle may not always be the true solution, just as we
cannot completely ignore the possibility of a biased coin. Nevertheless, it is
still our best estimate given limited amount of information; moreover, the pdf
becomes more faithful when the principle is provided more information, for
example, the results of some past experiments with the coin.
\barzan{awful wording. you could have given this example in 1-2 sentences without being so long winded man}
Second, for Verdict\xspace's improved errors to be much lower than raw errors, the high
correlations between pairs of possible query answers are required.
\barzan{what??? what does this even mean?}
Loosely
\barzan{i have never heard this expression in english!}
speaking, this is related to the \emph{smoothness} of an aggregate
function.
\barzan{last sentence seems like the most useful part of this paragraph, yet you leave it so underspecified and vague and move on to something else}
(The argument of the aggregate function is some other attributes of a
tuple
\barzan{what the heck is this man? this sentence makes no sense.}
as in Figure~\ref{fig:intro:model}. We formally define this function in
Section~\ref{sec:query_stat}.). Since the answers to aggregate queries may
involve more than a single tuple, Verdict\xspace requires a more weaker condition.
\barzan{what are you talking about Young?? weaker than what? what is this?}
That is, Verdict\xspace's improved error can be much
lower than raw errors when \emph{there exists some smooth function that, when
used in place of an actual aggregate function, could generate the observed
answers to queries.}
\barzan{this sounds very difficult to digest. how often is this assumption true? and do u make use of this assumption in your proof?}
If no smooth function is
available to explain the observed answers to queries, Verdict\xspace's improved answers
(and improved errors) effectively retract to raw answers (and raw errors).
If the argument of the aggregate function is a categorical attribute,
\barzan{none of the supported queries u have defined in sec 2 allow for an agg on a categorical attr!}
the
high correlation between two possible query answers is possible when the
selection predicates of two queries have a large intersection, {e.g.}, by including
\texttt{in} operators that select multiple values for categorical attributes.
\barzan{impossibile to understand. this is not the level of details i was looking for. too technical, too useless:)}
Lastly, Verdict\xspace requires that the second moments, {i.e.}, variances, of the aggregate
function to be bounded. We believe this is true in most of the cases we are
interested in.
\barzan{why do u believe this is the case? and where in your proof are u using this assumption??}
}
\section{Verdict Process Summary}
\label{sec:summary}
\input{dbl_offline}
\input{dbl_online}
\rev{C8}{
In this section, we summarize Verdict\xspace's offline and online processes.
Suppose the query synopsis $Q_n$
contains a total of $n$ query snippets from past query processing,
and a new query is decomposed into $b$ query
snippets; we denote the new query snippets in the new query by $q_{n+1}, \ldots,
q_{n+b}$.
\ph{Offline processing}
\Cref{algo:offline} summarizes Verdict\xspace's offline process. It consists of learning
correlation parameters and computing covariances between all pairs of
past query snippets.
\ph{Online processing}
\Cref{algo:online} summarizes Verdict\xspace's runtime process. Here, we
assume the new query is a supported query; otherwise, Verdict\xspace simply forwards the
AQP engine's query answer to the user.
}
\section{Related Work}
\label{sec:related}
\ph{Approximate Query Processing}
There has been substantial work on sampling-based approximate query
processing~\cite{surajit-optimized-stratified,dynamicp-sample-selection,join_synopses,aqua2,interactive-cidr,sciborq,mozafari_eurosys2013,ganti2000icicles,hose2006distributed,kandula2016quickr,considine2004approximate,meliou2009approximating,potti2015daq,wang2014sample,fan2015querying}. Some of these systems differ in their sample generation strategies.
Some of these systems differ in their sample generation strategies (see~\cite{approx_chapter} and the references within).
For instance, STRAT~\cite{surajit-optimized-stratified} and
AQUA~\cite{aqua2} create a single stratified sample, while BlinkDB creates samples based on \emph{column sets}.
Online Aggregation (OLA)~\cite{online-agg,online-agg-mr2,online-agg-mr1,cosmos} continuously
refines its answers during query execution.
Others have focused on obtaining faster or more reliable error estimates~\cite{xu2008confidence,mozafari_sigmod2014_diagnosis}.
These are orthogonal to our work, as reliable error estimates from an underlying AQP engine will also benefit DBL.
There is also AQP techniques developed for specific domain, e.g., sequential
data~\cite{arasu2004approximate,perera2016efficient},
probabilistic
data~\cite{gatterbauer2015approximate,olteanu2010approximate},
and RDF data~\cite{huang2012approximating,souihli2013optimizing}, and
searching in high-dimensional space~\cite{mozafari_pvldb2015_ksh}.
However, our focus in this paper is on general (SQL-based) AQP engines.
\ph{Adaptive Indexing, View Selection}
Adaptive Indexing and database
cracking~\cite{db-cracking,holistic-indexing,idreos2009self} has been proposed
for a column-store database as a means of incrementally updating
indices as part of query processing; then, it can speed up future queries that
access previously indexed ranges.
\rev{C15}{While the adaptive indexing is an effective mechanism for exact analytic
query processing in column-store databases, answering queries that require
accessing multiple columns ({e.g.}, selection predicates on multiple columns)
is still a challenging task: column-store
databases have to join relevant columns to reconstruct tuples.
Although Idreos {et al.}~\cite{idreos2009self}
pre-join some subsets of columns, the number of column combinations still grows exponentially
as the total number of columns in a table increases.
Verdict\xspace can easily handle
queries with multiple columns due to its analytic inference.}
Materialized views are another means of speeding up future
aggregate queries~\cite{joshi2008materialized,halevy2001answering,el2009statadvisor,mozafari_sigmod2015}.
Verdict\xspace also speed up aggregate queries, but Verdict\xspace
does not require strict query containments as in materialized views.
\ph{Pre-computation} COSMOS~\cite{cosmos}
stores the results of past queries as multi-dimensional cubes,
which are then reused
if they are contained in the new query's input range,
while boundary tuples are read from the database.
This approach is not probabilistic and is limited to low-dimensional data
due to the exponential explosion in the number of possible cubes.
Also, similar to view selection, COSMOS relies on strict query containment.
\ph{Model-based and Statistical Databases}
Statistical approaches have been used in databases for various goals.
MauveDB~\cite{deshpande2006mauvedb} constructs views that express a statistical
model, hiding the possible irregularities of the underlying data.
MauveDB's goal is to
support statistical modeling, such as regression or interpolation.
, rather than
speeding up future query processing.
BayesDB~\cite{mansinghka2015bayesdb} provides a SQL-like language that enables
non-statisticians to declaratively use various statistical models.
\rev{C11}{
Bayesian networks have been used for succinctly capturing
correlations among attributes~\cite{getoor2001selectivity}.
Exploiting these correlations can be an interesting future direction for DBL.}
\ph{Maximum Entropy Principle}
\rev{C11}{
In the database community, the principle of maximum entropy (ME) has been previously
used for determining the most surprising piece of
information in a data exploration context~\cite{sarawagi2000user}, and
for constructing histograms based on cardinality
assertions~\cite{kaushik2009general}.
Verdict\xspace uses ME differently than these previous approaches;
they assign a unique variable to each non-overlapping area to
represent the number of tuples belonging to that area. This approach poses
two challenges when applied to an AQP context. First, it requires a slow
iterative numeric solver for its inference.
Thus, using this approach for DBL may eliminate any potential speedup.
Second, introducing a unique variable for every non-overlapping area can be
impractical as it requires $O(2^n)$ variables for $n$ past queries.
Finally, the previous approach cannot express inter-tuple covariances in
the underlying data.
In contrast,
Verdict\xspace's approach handles arbitrarily overlapping ranges in multidimensional space
with $O(n)$ variables (and $O(n^2)$ space), and its inference can be performed analytically.
}
\section{Model Validation}
\label{sec:safeguard}
Verdict\xspace aims to provide correct error bounds even when its model
differs significantly from the true data. In \cref{sec:safeguard:process}, we
describes its process, and in \cref{sec:exp:validation}, we empirically demonstrate
its effectiveness.
\subsection{Model Validation Procedure}
\label{sec:safeguard:process}
Verdict\xspace'd model validation
rejects its model---the most likely explanation of the underlying distribution
given the answers to past snippets---if there is evidence that its
model-based error is likely to be incorrect.
Verdict\xspace's model validation process addresses two situations: (i) negative estimates for \texttt{FREQ(*)},
and (ii) an unlikely large discrepancy between a model-based answer and a raw
answer.
\ph{Negative estimates for \texttt{FREQ(*)}}
\rev{C12}{
To obtain the prior distribution of the random variables,
Verdict\xspace uses the most-likely distribution (based on the maximum entropy
principle (\cref{lemma:pdf})), given the means,
variances, and covariances of query answers. Although this makes
the inference analytically computable, the lack of explicit non-negative
constraints on the query answers may produce negative estimates on
\texttt{FREQ(*)}. Verdict\xspace handles this situation with a simple check; that is,
Verdict\xspace rejects its model-based answer if $\ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace < 0$ for \texttt{FREQ(*)}, and
uses the raw answer instead. Even if $\ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace \ge 0$, the lower bound of the
confidence interval is set to zero if the value is less than zero.
}
\ph{Unlikely model-based answer}
Verdict\xspace's model learned from empirical observations may be different from the true
distribution.
\Cref{fig:learn:safeguard}(a) illustrates such an example.
Here, after the first three queries,
the model is consistent with past query answers (shown as gray boxes);
however, it incorrectly estimates the distribution of the unobserved data,
leading to overly optimistic confidence
intervals.
\Cref{fig:learn:safeguard}(b) shows that the model becomes more consistent with the data as
more queries are processed.
Verdict\xspace rejects (and does not use) its own model in situations such as \cref{fig:learn:safeguard}(a)
by validating its model-based answers against the \emph{model-free} answers obtained from the AQP engine. Specifically,
we define a \emph{likely region} as the range in which
the AQP
engine's answer would fall with high probability (99\% by default) if Verdict\xspace's
model were to be correct.
If the AQP's raw answer $\theta\xspace_{n+1}$ falls outside this likely
region, Verdict\xspace considers its model unlikely to be correct.
In such cases, Verdict\xspace drops its model-based answer/error, and simply returns the raw
answer to the user unchanged. This process is akin to hypothesis testing
in statistics literatures~\cite{freedman2007statistics}.
Although no improvements are
made in such cases, we take this conservative approach to
ensure the correctness of our error guarantees.
(See \cref{sec:benefit,sec:exp:validation}
for formal guarantees and empirical results, respectively).
Formally, let $t\geq 0$ be the value for which
the AQP
engine's answer would fall within
$(\ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace - t,\, \ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace + t)$
with probability $\delta_v$ (0.99 by default) if $\ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace$ were the
exact answer.
We call the $(\ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace - t,\, \ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace + t)$ range the likely region.
To compute $t$,
we must find the value closest to $\ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace$ that satisfies the
\rev{C2.3}{following expression}:
\begin{align}
\mathrm{Pr}\left( | X - \ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace | < t \right) \ge \delta_v
\label{eq:model_val}
\end{align}
where $X$ is a random variable representing the AQP engine's possible answer to
the new snippet if the exact answer to the new snippet was
$\ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace$. The AQP engine's answer can be treated as a random variable
since it may differ depending on the random samples used.
The probability in \cref{eq:model_val} can be easily
computed using either the central limit theorem or the Chebyshev's
inequality~\cite{lovric2011international}.
Once the value of $t$ is computed, Verdict\xspace rejects its model if $\theta\xspace_{n+1}$ falls outside the likely region $(\ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace - t,\, \ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace + t)$.
In summary, the pair of Verdict\xspace's improved answer and improved error, $(\widehat{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace, \widehat{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace)$, is
set to $(\ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace, \ddot{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace)$ if $\theta\xspace_{n+1}$ is within the range $(\ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace - t, \ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace + t)$,
and is set to $(\theta\xspace_{n+1}, \beta_{n+1})$ otherwise.
In either case, the
error bound at confidence $\delta$ remains the same
as $\alpha_\delta \cdot \widehat{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace$,
where $\alpha_\delta$ is the confidence interval multiplier for probability
$\delta$.
\input{fig_exp_model_validation}
\subsection{Empirical Study on Model Validation}
\label{sec:exp:validation}
This section studies the effect of Verdict\xspace's model validation described in \cref{sec:safeguard:process}. For
this study, we first generated synthetic datasets with several predetermined correlation parameters
values.
Note that one can generate such synthetic datasets by first determining a joint probabilistic
distribution function with predetermined correlation parameter values and sampling attribute values from the
joint probability distribution function. In usual usage scenario, Verdict\xspace estimates those correlation
parameters from past snippets; however, in this section, we manually set the values for the
correlation parameters in Verdict\xspace's model, to test the behavior of Verdict\xspace running with possibly incorrect
correlation parameter values.
\Cref{fig:model_validation} reports the experiment results from when Verdict\xspace was tested without a model
validation step and with a model validation step, respectively. In the figure,
the values on the X-axis are artificial correlation parameter scales, {i.e.}, the product of the true correlation
parameters and each of those scales are set in Verdict\xspace's model.
For instance, if a true correlation parameter was 5.0, and the ``artificial correlation
parameter scale'' was 0.2, Verdict\xspace's model was set to 1.0 for the correlation parameter. Thus, the values of
the correlation parameters in Verdict\xspace's model were set to the true correlation parameters, when
the ``artificial correlation
parameter scale'' was 1.0. Since the Y-axis reports the ratio of the actual error to Verdict\xspace's error
bound, Verdict\xspace's error bound was correct when the value on the Y-axis was below 1.0.
In the figure, one can observe that, Verdict\xspace, used without the model validation, produced incorrect error
bounds when the correlation parameters used for the model deviated largely from the true correlation
parameter values.
However, Verdict\xspace's model validation could successfully identify incorrect model-based answers and
provide correct error bounds by replacing those incorrect model-based answers with the raw answers
computed by the AQP system.
\ignore{
, \barzan{replace the following with a few mathematical equations and maximum of 2-3 sentences explaining
what each term or symbol represents} \tofix{we test if the raw answer falls within the likely range by comparing the threshold value
({e.g.}, 99\%) to the quantity computed below. The quantity we compute expresses the probability of an
AQP engine's answer falling within the range determined by the raw answer; thus, the quantity's being
larger than the threshold indicates the raw answer is outside the likely range.}
Recall that Verdict\xspace's model-based answer/error to the new snippet were obtained from a
normal distribution with mean $\ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace$ and variance $\ddot{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace^2$,
which are computed using \cref{eq:infer,eq:impstd}.
For simplicity, let us assume that the normal distribution has a zero
variance, {i.e.}, $\ddot{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace = 0$
(we will shortly discuss the case with non-zero variance).
Since the AQP engine's raw answer follows a normal distribution with its mean being the exact
answer and its variance being $\beta_i^2$, the probability that the raw answer deviates no more than
$|\theta\xspace_{n+1} - \ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace|$ from the assumed exact answer $\ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace$ can be computed as:
\[
2 \int^{|\theta\xspace_{n+1} - \ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace|}_0 \frac{1}{\sqrt{2 \pi \beta_i^2}}
\exp \left( - \frac{x^2}{2 \beta_i^2} \right) \; dx.
\]
Let us denote the above quantity by $g(|\theta\xspace_{n+1} - \ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace|,
\beta_i)$, since it will appear again in our analysis.
In general, the variance of the conditional pdf in \cref{eq:impmean} may not be zero.
In such cases,
the assumed exact answer $\ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace$ is
distributed
according to the conditional pdf, {i.e.}, the normal distribution with mean $\ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace$ and variance
$\ddot{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace^2$. Therefore,
the quantity to be compared against our \tofix{??give it a name} threshold can be expressed as:
\[
\int_{-\infty}^\infty g(|\theta\xspace_{n+1} - t|, \beta_i)
\frac{1}{\sqrt{2 \pi \ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace^2}} \exp \left( - \frac{(t - \ddot{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace)^2}{2 \ddot{\beta}_{n+1}\xspace^2} \right) \; dt.
\]
Unfortunately, there is no
closed-form solution for this integration; thus, Verdict\xspace approximates
the integration using a weighted average of $g(|\theta\xspace_{n+1} - t|, \beta_i)$ for several different
values of $t$. Note that this approximation only affects this validation step, without
altering the AQP engine's raw answer/error or Verdict\xspace's model-based answer/error.
}
\ignore{
Insufficient number of past queries may lead to parameter values that do not
accurately reflect the characteristics of the underlying data,
as demonstrated in Figure~\ref{fig:learn:safeguard}.
\rev{Let $\theta'_{n+1}$ denote Verdict\xspace's (approximate) answer to a new query \emph{without} using
the raw answer $\theta\xspace_{n+1}$ from the AQP engine.\footnote{\rev{Mathematically, this value can be
obtained using equation
(\ref{eq:model_only}).}}
Intuitively, $\theta'_{n+1}$ should be close to $\theta\xspace_{n+1}$ as they
are estimating the answer to the same query $q_{n+1}$.}
Therefore, to detect and prevent overfitting, Verdict\xspace uses the following
before returning the final answer $\check{\theta}_{n+1}$ to the user:
\begin{align}
\check{\theta}_{n+1} =
\begin{cases}
\widehat{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace &
\text{if } |\theta'_{n+1}-\theta\xspace_{n+1}| \le \alpha_\delta \cdot \beta_{n+1} / 2 \\
\theta\xspace_{n+1} & \text{otherwise}
\end{cases}
\label{eq:safe}
\end{align}
where $\widehat{\theta}_{n+1}\xspace$ is the improved answer (equation \ref{eq:infer}), and $\alpha_\delta$ the confidence
interval multiplier for probability $\delta$.
In other words, Verdict\xspace ignores its
model-based answer if it deviates too much from the raw answer.
}
\section{Generalization of Verdict\\ under Data Additions}
\label{sec:append}
Thus far, we have discussed our approach based on the assumption that the database is static, {i.e.}, no
tuples are deleted, added, or updated. In this section, we suggest the possibility of using Verdict\xspace
even for the database that allows an important kind of data update: data append.
In \cref{sec:method:appending}, we present the approach, and in
\cref{sec:exp:appending}, we show its effectivess with experiments.
\vspace{5mm}
\subsection{Larger Expected Errors for Old Queries}
\label{sec:method:appending}
A na\"ive strategy to supporting tuples insertions would be to re-execute all past queries every time new tuples
are added to the database to obtain their updated answers. This solution is
obviously impractical.
Instead, Verdict\xspace
still makes use of answers to past queries even when
new tuples have been added since computing their answers.
The basic idea is to simply lower our confidence in the raw answers of those past queries.
Assume that $q_i$ (whose aggregate function
is on $A_k$) is computed on an old relation
$r$, and a set of new tuples $r^a$ has since been added to
$r$ to form an updated relation $r^u$. Let $\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i^a$ be a
random variable representing
our knowledge of
$q_i$'s true answer on $r^a$, and $\bar{\theta}\xspace_i^u$ be $q_i$'s true
answer on $r^u$.
We represent the possible difference between
$A_k$'s values in $r$ and those in $r^a$ by a random
variable $\bm{s}\xspace_k$ with
mean $\mu_k$ and variance $\eta\xspace_k^2$. Thus:
$$
\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i^a = \bar{\theta}\xspace_i + \bm{s}\xspace_k
$$
The values of $\mu_k$ and $\eta\xspace_k^2$
can be estimated using small samples of $r$ and $r^a$. Verdict\xspace uses the following lemma to update the
raw answer and raw error for $q_i$:
\begin{lemma}
\begin{align*}
E[\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i^u - \bm{\theta}\xspace_i] &= \mu_k \cdot \frac{|r^a| }{|r| + |r^a|}
\\
E[(\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i^u - \bm{\theta}\xspace_i - \frac{|r^a| \; \mu_k }{|r| + |r^a|})^2] &= \beta_i^2 +
\left( \frac{|r^a| \; \eta\xspace_k }{|r| + |r^a|} \right)^2
\end{align*}
where $|r|$ and $|r^a|$ are the number of tuples in $r$ and $r^a$,
respectively.
\end{lemma}
\begin{proof}
Since we represented a snippet answer on the appended relation using a random
variable $\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i^u$, we can also represent a snippet answer on
the updated relation $r^u$ using a random variable. Let the snipept answer on
$r^u$ be $\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i^u$. Then,
\begin{align*}
E[\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i^u - \bm{\theta}\xspace_i]
&= E \left[ \frac{|r| \; \bar{\theta}\xspace_i }{|r| + |r^a|}
+ \frac{|r_a| \; \bm{s}\xspace_k }{|r| + |r^a|} \right]
- \bar{\theta}\xspace_i
= \frac{|r^a| \; \mu_k}{|r| + |r^a|}
\end{align*}
Also,
\begin{align*}
&E \left[ (\bm{\bar{\theta}}\xspace_i^u - \bm{\theta}\xspace_i -
\frac{|r^a| \; \mu_k }{|r| + |r^a|})^2 \right] \\
&= E\left[ \left(
\bar{\theta}\xspace_i + \frac{|r^a| \; \bm{s}\xspace_k }{|r| + |r^a|}
- \bm{\theta}\xspace_i - \frac{|r^a| \; \mu_k}{|r| + |r^a|}
\right) \right] \\
&= E\left[ (\bar{\theta}\xspace_i - \bm{\theta}\xspace_i)^2
+ \left( \frac{|r^a| }{|r| + |r^a|} \right)^2 (\bm{s}\xspace_k - \mu_k)^2 \right. \\
&\qquad \qquad + \left. 2 \left( \frac{|r^a| }{|r| + |r^a|} \right) (\bar{\theta}\xspace_i - \bm{\theta}\xspace_i) (\bm{s}\xspace_k - \mu_k)
\right] \\
&= \beta_i^2 +
\left( \frac{|r^a| \; \eta\xspace_k }{|r| + |r^a|} \right)^2
\end{align*}
where we used to independence between $(\bar{\theta}\xspace_i - \bm{\theta}\xspace_i)$ and $(\bm{s}\xspace_k -
\mu_k)$.
\end{proof}
Once the raw answers and the raw errors of past query snippets are updated using this lemma,
the remaining inference process remains the same.
\input{fig_exp_appending}
\subsection{Empirical Evaluation for Data Append}
\label{sec:exp:appending}
In this section, we empirically study the impact of new data (i.e., tuple insertions) on Verdict\xspace's effectiveness.
We generated an initial synthetic table with 5 million tuples and appended additional tuples
to generate different versions of the table.
The newly inserted tuples
were generated such that their attribute values gradually diverged from the attribute
values of the original table.
We distinguish between these different versions by the ratio of
their newly inserted tuples, e.g., a 5\% appended table means that 250K (5\% of 5 million) tuples were
added.
We then ran the queries and
recorded the error bounds of \textsc{{\dbl}Adjust}\xspace and \textsc{{\dbl}NoAdjust}\xspace (our approach with and without the technique introduced in \cref{sec:method:appending}).
We also measured the error bounds of NoLearn\xspace and the actual error.
As shown in \cref{fig:exp:appending}(a),
\textsc{{\dbl}NoAdjust}\xspace produced overly-optimistic error bounds ({i.e.}, lower than the actual error) for 15\% and 20\% appends,
whereas \textsc{{\dbl}Adjust}\xspace produced valid
error bounds in all cases.
Since this figure shows the \emph{average} error bounds across all queries,
we also computed the fraction of the individual queries for which each method's
error bounds were violated.
In \cref{fig:exp:appending}(b), the Y-axis indicates those cases where the actual error was
larger than the system-produced error bounds.
This figure shows more error violations for \textsc{{\dbl}NoAdjust}\xspace,
which increased with the number of new tuples. In contrast, \textsc{{\dbl}Adjust}\xspace
produced valid error bounds in most cases, while delivering
substantial error reductions compared to NoLearn\xspace.
\ignore{
\tofix{Specifically, Verdict\xspace operates under the assumption that the answers to queries
have been added the same error terms (a random variable $\bm{s}\xspace_k$ with mean
$\alpha_k$ and variance $\eta\xspace_k^2$) if the queries are on the same measure
attributes $A_k$. The raw answers and raw errors in a query synopsis are
updated using $\bm{s}\xspace_k$, where the values for $\alpha_k$ and $\eta\xspace_k^2$ are estimated
using a sample of added tuples. See \cite{park2016learningsupp} for more details.}
}
\ignore{
\section{Special Topics}
\label{sec:special}
This section extends database learning's basic workflow we have described.
Section~\ref{sec:inter} describes how database learning uses the past queries
with different aggregate functions. Section~\ref{sec:append} explains database
learning's approach to supporting a special type of database updates: append.
\subsection{Inter-Column Inference}
\label{sec:inter}
So far, database learning has used only the past queries with
the same aggregate function $g$ as a new query. Here, the information needed for
the inference was captured by the $g$-specific parameter vector $\lambda_g$. In
this section, we extend this basic function for database learning to use past
queries whose aggregate functions may not be equal to the aggregate function of
a new query.
Without loss of generality, we suppose that the first $n_a$ past queries had an
aggregate function $g_a$, the next $n_b$ past queries had another aggregate
function $g_b$, and a new query has the aggregate function $g_b$. Also, we
suppose that the number of columns in a table is $D = D_c + D_n + 2$, where
$D_c$ is the number of numeric columns, $D_n$ is the number of nominal columns,
and the last two columns are for $g_a$ and $g_b$, respectively. The key to the
inter-function inference is the \emph{inter-column tuple covariance} that
database learning introduces in addition to the \emph{tuple covariance} in
Equation~\ref{eq:tuple_cov}. That is,
\[
\rho_{g_a,g_b}(\bm{t}\xspace,\bm{t}\xspace')
\approx \sigma_{g_a,g_b}^2 \cdot \prod_{i=1}^{D_c+D_n} \exp \left(
-\frac{\Delta(a\xspace_i,a\xspace'_i)^2}{l_{g_a,g_b,i}^2} \right)
\]
where a new parameter vector $\lambda_{g_a,g_b} = (l_{g_a,g_b,1}, \ldots,
l_{g_a,g_b,D-2}, \allowbreak \sigma_{g_a,g_b}^2)$ is used to approximate the inter-column
tuple covariance as the same way in Equation~\ref{eq:tuple_cov}.
Once the above inter-column tuple covariance is defined for $g_a$ and $g_b$, the
remaining steps for the inference procedure are identical --- the only different
is that when two queries $q_i$ and $q_j$ have different aggregate functions
$g_a$ and $g_b$, $\rho_{g_a,g_b}$ must be used in place of $\rho_g$ for
\emph{query covariance} computations in Equation~\ref{eq:query_cov}. If query
covariances are computable, learning optimal parameter values for
$\lambda_{g_a,g_b}$ is also identically performed using the log-likelihood
expression in Equation~\ref{eq:log_likelihood}.
In general when past queries have more than two distinct aggregate functions,
finding $\lambda_{g_a,g_b}$ for every pair of aggregate functions
might not be an efficient choice since the number of the parameter vectors
increase as a square function of the number of aggregate functions that have
appeared in the past. Currently, database learning performs \emph{inter-column}
learning for pre-declared pairs of columns by the user. Using statistical
techniques similar to \cite{parameswaran2013seedb} for detecting
highly-correlated pairs of columns is one of our future plans. When performing
an inference for a new query which has an aggregate function $g_b$, database
learning uses (1) the past queries in which the same aggregate function $g_b$
appeared \emph{and} (2) the past queries for which the inter-column covariance
that involves $g_b$ is discovered.
}
\section{Advantages of Learning Database}
Describe system architecture and conditions for which our proposed techniques
can provide the best performance gains.
\begin{enumerate}[nolistsep,noitemsep]
\item Instant answers to supported aggregate queries
\item Improve the accuracy of sampling-based approximate answers
\item Natural \emph{hotspot} identification
\item No \emph{ahead-of-time} index construction
\item Full-predictive distribution and optional switch to existing methods
\item Able to use both exact and approximate answers
\end{enumerate}
\subsection{Error Reductions for\\ Time-Bound AQP Engines}
\label{sec:time-bound}
\label{sec:time-bound:setup}
\label{sec:time-bound:results}
Recall that, in \cref{sec:exp}, we demonstrated Verdict\xspace's speedup and error reductions over
an online aggregation system. In this section, we show Verdict\xspace's error reductions
over a time-bound AQP system. First, we describe our experiment setting.
Next, we present our experiment results.
\ph{Setup}
Here, we describe two systems, NoLearn\xspace and Verdict\xspace, which we compare in this section:
\begin{enumerate}[leftmargin=5mm,noitemsep,nolistsep]
\item NoLearn\xspace: This system runs queries on \emph{samples} of the original
tables to obtain fast but approximate query answers and their associated
estimated errors.
This is the same approach taken by existing AQP engines, such
as~\cite{surajit-optimized-stratified,aqua1,mozafari_eurosys2013,easy_bound_bootstrap,RusuQT15,mozafari_sigmod2014_demo}.
Specifically, NoLearn\xspace maintains uniform random samples created offline
(10\% of the original tables), and it uses the largest samples that are
small enough to satisfy the requested time bounds.
\item Verdict\xspace: This system invokes NoLearn\xspace to obtain raw answers/errors but
modifies them to produce improved answers/errors using our proposed inference process.
Verdict\xspace translates the user's requested
time bound into an appropriate time bound for NoLearn\xspace.
\end{enumerate}
Observe that we are using the term NoLearn\xspace here to indicate a time-bound AQP system in this
section. (In \cref{sec:exp}, we used NoLearn\xspace for an online aggregation system.)
\ph{Experiment Results}
This section presents the error reduction by Verdict\xspace compared to NoLearn\xspace. For
experiments, we ran the same set of queries as in \cref{sec:exp} with both Verdict\xspace
and NoLearn\xspace described above. For comparison, we used the identical time-bounds for both
Verdict\xspace and NoLearn\xspace.
Specifically, we set the time-bounds as 2 seconds and 0.5 seconds for the
\texttt{Customer1}\xspace and \texttt{TPC-H}\xspace datasets cached in memory, respectively; and we set the
time-bounds as 5.0 seconds for both \texttt{Customer1}\xspace and \texttt{TPC-H}\xspace datasets loaded from SSD.
\Cref{fig:timebound:errred} reports Verdict\xspace's error reductions over NoLearn\xspace for each
of four different combinations of a dataset and cache setting.
In \cref{fig:timebound:errred}, one can observe that Verdict\xspace achieved large error
reductions (63\%--86\%) over NoLearn\xspace. These results indicate that the users of Verdict\xspace
can obtain much more precise answers compared to the users of NoLearn\xspace within the same
time-bounds.
| {
"redpajama_set_name": "RedPajamaArXiv"
} |
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Pennsylvania Educator, Leslie Nicholas, receives top honor at the 2013 Awards Gala
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(L to R: Harriet Sanford, President & CEO of The NEA Foundation; Leslie Nicholas, language arts educator at Wyoming Valley West Middle School in Kingston, PA; Gary Phoebus, President & CEO of NEA Member Benefits)
More than 800 national leaders in education, philanthropy, and business, gathered at the National Building Museum in the nation's capital on February 8, 2013 to celebrate the best in public education. Through dance, music, and readings, student performers from Lee County, FL— an NEA Foundation funded site— brought to life the essays, poems, and short stories written by their peers and inspired by their teachers.
In addition to the 38 educators honored with the California Casualty Awards for Teaching Excellence, the following top honors were presented.
Leslie Nicholas accepted the evening's top honor: The NEA Member Benefits Award for Teaching Excellence and $25,000.
Kevin Eubanks, former music director of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," son of a music teacher, and proponent of music in the classroom, hosted the evening's event. Eubanks shared the stage with Lee County students to perform the evening's finale.
Five educators received the Horace Mann Awards for Teaching Excellence and $10,000, making each of them finalists for the evening's top award.
(L to R: Mark Chichester, Board Chair of The NEA Foundation Board of Directors; Harriet Sanford, President & CEO of The NEA Foundation; Julia Marshall, Teacher Interventionist and Literacy Coach at Rosewood Elementary International School (Rock Hill, SC); Melissa Collins, Second Grade Teacher at John P. Freeman Optional School (Memphis, TN); Jennifer Thomas, Instructional Coach and English Language Arts Teacher (San Jose, CA); Leslie Nicholas, Language Arts Teacher at Wyoming Valley West Middle School (Kingston, PA); Kellie Blair Hardt, Special Education Teacher at Metz Middle School (Manassas, VA); Peter Heckman, President & CEO of the Horace Mann Educators Corporation)
Leslie Nicholas accepts with the evening's top honor: The NEA Member Benefits Award for Teaching Excellence.
Kyle Zimmer, President of First Book, accepts the Security Benefit Corporation Award for Outstanding Service to Public Education on behalf of First Book.
Daniel Leeds, cofounder and board chair of Alliance for Excellent Education, accepts The NEA Foundation Award for Philanthropy in Public Education.
Kevin Eubanks shares the stage with Lee County, FL students to perform the evening's finale- a tribute to their late teacher, Mr. Skip Perry.
Lee County student performers brought to life the essays, poems, and short stories written by their peers and inspired by their teachers.
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© 2020 The NEA Foundation | {
"redpajama_set_name": "RedPajamaCommonCrawl"
} |
You could settle for less, but chances that could be negative karma talking. Instead, what you need to do is invest in yourself and your art. And that means investing in the best tools available to stimulate your creativity and guarantee results. Here are just a few ideas to get you started.
For example, back to basics and time management. Remember that the time and effort you spend organizing could be used more effectively on your more creative efforts. And no one understands this fact better than session stylist and Editorial Director for Paul Mitchell, Lucie Doughty. It was for this very reason that she came up with the idea of Straight Pin Studio. "I wanted to provide tools to help stylists in their everyday work... but I've selected only the best available and with extra tips on how to make them multi-task for any kind of look on-set," Lucie shares. For example, the Essentials Kit has 14 spiffy compartments in a stylishly black case. The details make the difference, as you will find out when you discover the lightweight magnetic strip on the inside lid to make access to pins easier and keep your work area tidy. Plus! – there are synthetic hair padding and quality hairnets in both blond and brunette colors to give your creativity free rein on the spot. And remember not to skimp on hairbrushes, as once again quality can make all the difference in your final results.
Look no further, because now, after more than two years of development, Moroccanoil has launched its first ever Boar Bristle Brush Collection. Moroccanoil Artistic Director Antonio Corral Calero admits, "We set the bar high... these brushes have been performance tested backstage at Fashion Weeks around the globe..." Old fashion Boar Bristle promotes healthy shiny hair by delicately stimulating and massaging the scalp to distribute natural oils down the shaft. Available in round, classic and teasing versions, they also have a heat-resistant wooden handle and advanced vented ceramic barrel to speed up drying time.
Once you have your basics, you should consider your battery of high-tech styling tools and new breakthroughs to help simplify your life and boost your creativity. A Parlux 385 Power Light hairdryer might be a good place to start, with 2150 Watts of power controlled with 4 temperature settings and 2 speeds. There is even an instant cold shot button for perfect setting. Plus it's extremely lightweight and stylish, making this necessity a spiffy accessory in your salon.
What sets the Glamour Ceramic Round Textured Curling Cone by FHI Heat apart is the diamond-shaped pattern that prevents sliding, allowing hair to grip the barrel. Obviously it has FHI Heat's Nano-Fuzeion technology to prevent damage as well.
Once you've got your creative juices flowing freely, you might even have time to take care of retail business. Making your life easier in this department is Farouk Systems, who have developed an interactive tool bar to eliminate barriers between customers and products by allowing them to 'test drive' DURA CHI blow dryers, flat irons, curling irons, and brushes. "Salons have an advantage when retailing," explains Basim Shami, Farouk Systems CEO, "because consumers trust their stylists and rely on them for expert advice." The tool bar even comes pre-assembled – leaving you more time to create new styles with your other tools! | {
"redpajama_set_name": "RedPajamaC4"
} |
Are you looking for a smart way to exit your business while benefiting the managers and employees you leave behind? If so, you might consider an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). This type of plan can be a tax-efficient technique for sharing equity with employees as well as a powerful retirement and estate planning tool.
An ESOP is a qualified retirement plan, similar to a 401(k) plan. But instead of investing in a selection of stocks, bonds and mutual funds, an ESOP invests primarily in the company's own stock.
ESOPs are subject to the same rules and restrictions as qualified plans, including contribution limits, minimum coverage requirements and nondiscrimination testing.
An ESOP can be an appealing alternative to selling on the open market. It offers flexibility in structuring the payout to meet your income needs after you sell. For example, you can receive a steady stream of funds to support your living expenses if you plan to retire after selling. Or you can structure income payouts to invest in another business if you're not yet ready to hang up your hat.
ESOPs also can have a positive effect on employee morale, productivity and loyalty. Many employee-owners work harder, smarter and more efficiently than nonowner employees because they have a stake in the business's success. This can lead to faster growth, higher profitability and lower employee turnover rates — all of which may result in a higher selling price for your dealership.
You could also realize significant tax benefits by making an ESOP the centerpiece of your dealership succession plan. You'll make tax-deductible contributions of cash or ownership shares to a trust that's established when you set up the ESOP. Cash is used to buy ownership shares on behalf of employees, who don't have to pay income tax until they later take distributions from the ESOP.
Also, dealership profits contributed to an ESOP are taxed at the preferable long-term capital gains rate of 20%. If these profits are distributed to the business owner, taxes are assessed at ordinary-income tax rates that are as high as 37%.
An ESOP can be a good succession plan for the dealer who has no children or relatives interested in taking over the dealership's operations. It also can be attractive to a large dealership group that might be difficult to sell without splitting up the stores. An ESOP can help transition dealer ownership to a large group of owners and employees.
There are two different types of ESOPs: unleveraged and leveraged. With an unleveraged plan, the dealership will contribute cash or shares to a tax-exempt trust, as described above. With a leveraged ESOP, the dealership will borrow money to buy the stock and then contribute cash to the plan. The cash is used to repay the loan.
Ownership shares in the ESOP trust are allocated to accounts set up for all participating employees, usually in proportion to their compensation. When the owner is ready to exit, the dealership can make tax-deductible contributions to the ESOP to buy out his or her shares. Or the ESOP can borrow money to buy the shares.
The dealership must formally adopt the ESOP and perform other administrative duties, including submitting plan documents to the IRS. Annual business valuations also may be required to determine the current stock price.
Thus, you should carefully consider the potential costs — in both time and money — of setting up and maintaining an ESOP. For instance, private companies must repurchase the shares of any departing employees, which can be a major expense. Also, if the ESOP is ever terminated for any reason, there can be significant costs and tax penalties.
An ESOP isn't the right business strategy for every dealership. Discuss the pros and cons in depth with your CPA. | {
"redpajama_set_name": "RedPajamaC4"
} |
MEF Roundtable explores A2P RCS in Italy
By Iain McCallumNovember 19, 2019November 22nd, 2019Enterprise Communications
Iain McCallum, mobile industry veteran and MEF Advisor shares discussions from the recent MEF Future of Messaging RCS Round table in Verona, held in association with MEF Member rdcom. At the event, members of the MEF Messaging Working Group gathered with Italian MNO's, enterprises and digital advertising agencies to discuss the potential of rich communications services (RCS).
In Verona, a large crowd of companies gathered to discuss the potential of RCS business messaging in Italy. The event was a success by all expectations. Maybe it shouldn't be surprising, as enterprises have a growing appetite for deeper and more meaningful ways to communicate with their customers (both existing and prospective).
The benefits of A2P RCS gives them an exciting and profitable way of driving greatly enhanced customer interaction, closing new and repeat sales, acquiring new customers and realising significant savings in their provision of customer care against existing methods.
As Nick Lane, Chief Analyst at MobileSquared, put it during his presentation at rdcom's HQ in Verona '…some people are saying that RCS is SMS 2.0, I fundamentally disagree with that assessment. Such are the profound benefits inherent in RCS, I would call it SMS 5.0, not 2.0!'.
Daniele Poerio and his company rdcom, a MEF member of many years standing, believes that the launch of A2P RCS by MNOs across the globe during 2019 and 2020 represents the single biggest development in this industry sector since a number of bright sparks in the 1990s saw the commercial possibilities of using the newly-fangled SMS capability in GSM handsets for marketing and charging purposes.
So convinced is he of the business opportunities that RCS promises, Daniele asked MEF to help him stage this event in the beautiful city of Verona and to invite the Italian MNOs (TIM, Vodafone & WINDTre), global leaders in RCS (Google, GSMA, Vodafone Group, LivePerson, SINCH, Infobip, Mavenir, Summit-Tech, Commify, iConnectiv, Kaleyra, PureBros et al) to share with his Italian brand customers what RCS can deliver.
Advertising agencies and their brand customers should take note – RCS delivers conversion rates far in excess of any other channel you are currently using!"
On the day, Fabian Teichmüller of Google shared with the audience Google's global plans for RCS and explained why they saw it as such an important part of their customer engagement strategy moving forward. Google's ongoing co-operation with MNOs around the world is a testament to their partner-driven strategy on RCS, seeing this as an eco-system play not one solely for Google.
Catherine Maguire then shared the GSMA's global overview of the impressive number of new launches by MNOs across all major regions of the world and the exciting use cases that these have produced. The GSMA's provision of the RCS Standards and their Universal Profile 1.0 through to the latest 2.2 iteration have led the industry and particularly MNOs globally in understanding and committing to launch A2P RCS.
Nick Lane of MobileSquared's presentation was illuminating for all, focusing as it did not just on the impressive projections for growth in RCS globally in the next two years, but equally exciting was the consumer research showing clearly the appetite for consumers have in using RCS to communicate with and purchase the products of their preferred brands.
Not only that, but the ability to carry out transactions within an RCS session means that, for the first time, the mobile operators and their aggregator partners can deliver real customer acquisition and sales directly attributable to their provision of RCS.
The further addition of significant and compelling customer behavioural metrics within an RCS session make this an exceptionally compelling product offering.
Chatbots in RCS can take a lot of the heavy lifting out of many stages of customer service interactions with customers, freeing up call centre agents to concentrate on delivering the service levels that customers deserve and which have been sorely lacking in the explosive growth of online consumer transacting.
MEF members, LivePerson have some very interesting research statistics and real call centre agent reporting that points to a significant hike in staff retention rates and employee satisfaction KPIs amongst call centre agents using their chatbot-augmented customer service solution.
Liz McCord of Vodafone Group shared with the audience their view of the growth of RCS and where and when Vodafone launches of A2P RCS will happen over the remainder of 2019 and into 2020, as well as some new use cases from the UK and globally.
The afternoon session was a closed-door MEF Member-only session to review and discuss with the Italian MNOs and their Group counterparts some remaining GTM issues that remain to be resolved, the work that MEF have done here with our recently published A2P RCS Best Practise Guidelines is starting to have a significant effect on these – the next iteration of the Guide will add P2A RCS to the areas covered and is expected to be released in early December 2019.
Feedback from the brands and enterprises present at the Verona event was overwhelmingly positive, as well as from MEF members with over 130 in attendance on the day.
The next A2P RCS Round Table is planned for Germany on Wednesday 5th February 2020 at the O2 Tower in Munich for invited brands, enterprises and MEF Members with the same closed-door, member-only Round Table session with MNOs, (German, Austrian & Swiss), in the afternoon. This event will be sponsored by MEF Member LivePerson.
MEF have been asked to consider repeating this event in the UK, Spain, Mexico and Scandinavia, if you would like to be involved in making these events happen, please contact me directly on the contact details below. For more information on RCS from rdcom, please visit their website.
Iain is a MEF Advisor and has, since 2012, worked extensively with mobile network operators across Europe and the Russian Federation to drive adoption and uptake of the GSMA's Mobile Connect identity, RCS and Smart Cities initiatives. Prior to this, he ran third-party Messaging at Telefonica O2 UK from 2002 until 2010, working with Aggregators and Brands (Lloyds, ITV, C4, et al), driving the uptake of premium and bulk services and managing the issues of self regulation (PayForIT, a UK joint-MNO initiative), and subscriber protection.
If you are interested in finding out more about the next A2P RCS Roundtable please contact Iain.
Iain McCallum
MEF Advisor
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Verizon Says Fixed 5G Will Happen in 2018, Less Clear on Mobile
News Analysis Dan Jones, Mobile Editor 10/19/2017
Verizon is still promising to start delivering commercial fixed wireless 5G sometime in 2018, but won't yet be drawn on the timing for the arrival of its next-generation mobile service.
"Pre-commercial fixed wireless 5G trials are continuing." said CFO Matt Ellis on the operator's third-quarter earnings call Thursday morning. "We'll have more specifics later in the fourth quarter."
Verizon has field trials continuing in 11 cities in the US. It is largely using 28GHz millimeter wave (mmWave) setups for fixed wireless tests.
Later, in the Q&A session, Ellis did elucidate a little further, saying that the trials are going "very well" and that Verizon has non-line of sight (NLOS) connections over mmWave. "We've experienced delivering service to MDUs [multi-dwelling units]," Ellis commented. "Over 20 floors, which is more than we expected when we started the trials."
The company is expecting to start offering 5G as a gigabit-plus fixed wireless alternative to cable commercially in 2018. "Nothing has changed," Ellis said.
Ellis, however, wouldn't be drawn on exactly when Verizon will start deploying mobile 5G for smartphones and more. "It's certainly not a 2018 activity," Ellis allowed.
Want to know more about 5G? Check out our dedicated 5G content channel here on
Light Reading.
This is significant because Verizon said this week that it will work with Qualcomm Inc. (Nasdaq: QCOM) on "over-the-air" trials of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) 5G New Radio (NR) standard in 2018. This suggests that Verizon will use its own 5GTF standard for initial 5G fixed wireless service, while working on a "migration path" to the 3GPP standard. Light Reading has asked Verizon about its migration plans this week but the operator hasn't replied yet. (See Verizon Migrating From Homebrew 5G, Enlists Qualcomm for Trials.)
Ellis also wouldn't be drawn on how much a nationwide 5G network might eventually cost to deploy and whether that would push Verizon's current capital expenditure (capex) up. An analyst stated on the call that he had seen media reports that it could cost up to $50 billion to deploy.
Contextually, this is because mmWave-based 5G is expected to have a much lower coverage range than current 4G. In fact, 5G mmWave small cells might need to be deployed every block or so to provide coverage.
Like a dutiful CFO, Ellis downplayed any future cost concerns. "I think of the people who are estimating those numbers are getting ahead of themselves and it's just way too early to tell," he said.
In fact, Verizon is still waiting on a couple of mmWave transactions to close -- the XO spectrum licenses and Straight Path acquisition -- before it has access to commercial licenses anyway. These are expected to close in 2018.
Meanwhile, Ellis is expecting 2017 capex on the lower end of its guidance, even as Verizon updates its 4G network. "That's still going to be around $17 billion of spend, so that's not an insignificant number," he noted.
Ellis says that Verizon is now using just over 50% of its low- and mid-band portfolio for 4G. The operator expects to start rolling out new AWS-3 spectrum for 4G in 2018 and refarming PCS spectrum for 4G use.
For the third quarter, Verizon reported net phone additions of 274,000. The operator listed 603,000 postpaid net additions (monthly subscribers) overall, of which 91,000 were tablets, and 238,000 were wearable devices, such as smartwatches.
The CFO is expecting those numbers to rise in the fourth quarter with the launch of the iPhone X and Google Pixel 2. "If you're paying a thousand dollars for a new handset, you're going to want it to be on a good network, so we're confident we're going to get more than our fair share," Ellis boasted.
He said that Internet of Things (IoT) sales were up approximately 13% overall. Car-based telematics represented over $220 million for the quarter, Ellis noted.
Verizon added 66,000 Fios Internet connections, but lost 18,000 video customers due to OTT competition. "Fios video was pressured by over-the-top offerings," Ellis noted.
The new Oath business -- combining AOL and Yahoo -- brought in $2 billion in revenue for the quarter, Ellis said in the call rundown. He also suggested that Oath brings in 1 billion "content customers" for Verizon "globally."
Meanwhile, the major video content partnership that CEO Lowell McAdam hinted at earlier this summer is still in the works, Ellis said. "Probably around live programming," Ellis allowed. "But how -- and when -- we do that is still TBD."
He wouldn't comment on the expected Sprint-T-Mobile merger, which could be announced as early as next week. "There's various rumors around M&A all the time ... I'm not going to comment on other people's businesses." (See Sprint & T-Mobile Aim to Keep as Much Spectrum as Possible in Merger – Report.)
Verizon's total revenue came in at $31.72 billion, compared to $30.94 billion a year ago. Net income for the quarter was flat compared to the same quarter last year at $3.62 billion, or $0.86 a share. The third quarter 2017 earnings included a $0.01 per-share impact as a result of the hurricanes in Florida and Texas in September. So adjusted earnings per share were $0.98, concurrent with analyst expectations.
Verizon's shares are trading up just over 2% at $49.63 after the earnings call on Thursday.
— Dan Jones, Mobile Editor, Light Reading
Phil_Britt 10/27/2017 | 8:28:55 AM
Re: FYI I'll believe it when I see it. I wrote about 2.5G for several years while 3G was "just around the corner." Though the jump to 4G and then to 5G coming faster, the promise of these launch of these developments always seem to be far in excess of the the reality.
Reply | Post Message | MESSAGES LIST | START A BOARD
KBode 10/23/2017 | 4:33:09 PM
Re: 5G Will Build Off Fixed Wireless Yeah their $300 billion investment highlights much of what this will look like.
JDonahue 10/20/2017 | 1:40:40 PM
5G Will Build Off Fixed Wireless A Verizon spokeperson in the New England area told the Provisence Journal that 5G mobile will be built off fixed wireless and that they would have an announcement about fixed wireless before the end of the year regarding a commercial roll out.
They have several 5G cans on top of poles in Providence for testing even though that was never announced.
DanJones 10/19/2017 | 3:01:29 PM
Re: FYI Qualcomm says 1H19 for 5G smartphones. So I would imagine that will be the vague target for mobile 5G, but they won't quite say that yet.
Michelle 10/19/2017 | 2:37:18 PM
Re: FYI Thanks for the extra info. It would have been nice to have an idea of the timing.
FYI FYI, I've asked Verizon and multiple vendors about timing on moving from 5GTF to 3GPP for 5G. Either no reply or people don't want to talk about migration plans yet. | {
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Officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern part of the Syrian Desert down to the Gulf of Aqaba. It shares borders with Syria to the north, Iraq to the north-east, the West Bank and Israel to the west, and Saudi Arabia to the east and south. It shares control of the Dead Sea with Israel, and the coastline of the Gulf of Aqaba with the State of Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Much of Jordan is covered by desert, particularly the Arabian Desert; however the north-western area, with the Jordan River, is regarded as part of the Fertile Crescent. The capital city of Amman is in the north-west.
Ethnic groups 98% Arab (48% Palestinian, 17% Jordanian, 14% Iraqi, 12% Bedouin, 5% Syrian, 1.6% Cherkess) and 2% others (Race = Mostly Caucasian). | {
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EXCELLENCE IN HEALTHCARE STANDARDS
Future Medicine India|November 2020
As observed by Richard Franke and Barbara Chasin in the book 'Radical Reform as Development in an Indian State', Kerala's health care is a popular demand that the government is compelled to meet.
Anthropologist Joan Mencher, who has worked in Kerala and other parts of India for thirty years, sums up the situation as follows: "In the nearby Indian state of Tamil Nadu, more than half the times I visited a Primary Health Centre (PHC), one doctor was on leave, another was attending a conference, or one doctor had just been transferred and another was off on some training programme, or had gone to see his or her sick mother, etc. This was not the case in Kerala".
Health care as a public demand
Right from the time of formation of the state, health care was one of the governments' top priorities. It was developed in such a way that it incorporated both Western and traditional medicine and the three categories in view of its ownership: public, private and cooperative sector. Allopathic facilities of the public sector are systematically organized in rural areas, where 74% of the population resides. Each Community Health Centre serves roughly 230,000 people, and each PHC serves a population of approximately 26,000. In addition, there are 5,094 sub-centres of PHCs as grass-root institutions.
Public health programmes in Kerala
Kerala has made its own hallmarks through its accomplishments in both of these areas. At the same time, the point to note is that, the gains in health are not the product of health programmes alone, but due to the combined effects of the various reform programmes planned and executed by the state government. Kerala's public health efforts are seen to be concentrating on four areas: housing, sanitation, safe water, and vaccination programs.
Housing and living standard
Poor housing can be a major source of disease. Dirty floors and palm roofs attract bacteria and mosquitoes. Overcrowding exacerbates the spread of infections and parasites. In order to provide quality housing options to the underprivileged sections of society, the Kerala government has unveiled a Livelihood Inclusion and Financial Empowerment (LIFE) programme. The LIFE Mission is a housing scheme, to provide shelter to landless and homeless people in Kerala. The target is to build 4.3 lakh homes in five years.
High sanitation standard
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Taiwan Semiconductor's $25 Billion+ 2021 Capex a Boon for These 5 Suppliers
Paul Ausick
Chip manufacturer Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (NYSE: TSM), aka TSMC, reported fourth-quarter and full-year 2020 results early Thursday morning. Full-year revenue was up more than 31% to $45.51 billion, and gross margin was up by 710 basis points to 53.1%. Earnings per share rose by 50% to NT$19.97 (US$0.70 at an exchange rate of NT$28.52 to US$1.00).
A key number in the annual results is the company's capital spending. TSMC reported capex last year of about $17.8 billion and forecast spending in 2021 in the range of $25 billion to $28 billion. Operating cash flow in 2020 totaled $28.8 billion, and free cash flow totaled about $11.1 billion. In other words, TSMC can pay cash for investing in its future and still have a nice pile left that it could share with investors.
Compare TSMC's planned level of spending this year with planned spending in a capital intensive industry like oil and gas production. Exxon Mobil already has said it plans capex in the range of $16 billion to $19 billion in 2021, and Chevron has set a target of around $14 billion.
The suppliers that will benefit from TSMC's capital spending are semiconductor equipment makers like Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT), Lam Research Corp. (NASDAQ: LRCX) and KLA Corp. (NASDAQ: KLAC), among others. We reviewed a half-dozen semiconductor capital equipment stocks late last month following a sector review by analysts at Needham. Given TSMC's plans for this year, that review is worth an update.
ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ: ASML) is based in the Netherlands and is the largest company by market cap ($216.4 billion) in this group. It makes extreme ultraviolet (EUV) systems and has reportedly received an order for 13 from TSMC for delivery in 2021.
Since December 29, ASML's stock has added more than 6% to its share price, and it traded at a new 52-week high of around $536 shortly after Thursday's opening bell. The stock's 52-week low is $191.25, and the consensus price target on the shares is $438.11. ASML pays a dividend yield of 0.56% ($2.85 annually), and the company's stock price jumped more than 66% in 2020.
Applied Materials makes and sells a variety of manufacturing systems used to make semiconductor chips. More than half the company's sales are to chip foundries (fabs), with the remaining 44% divided equally between memory chip and flash memory makers.
Shares added 16.4% since the end of December and more than 43% in 2020. Shares posted a new 52-week high of nearly $105 in the first few minutes of Thursday's trading session, about $9 above the consensus price target of $95.96 and nearly 7% higher than Wednesday's closing price. The stock trades at around 21 times expected 2021 earnings. The company pays an annual dividend of $0.88 (yield of 0.90%).
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Ocean treat to sink your teeth into
New sensation: Neil Perry's Glacier 51 toothfish dish. Photo: SuppliedTen years ago, Patagonia toothfish conjured images of illegal fishing and endangered species.
Now, one of the world's rarest, hardest-to-catch fish is about to land in restaurants and, in about six months, in shops.
The Australian government has patrolled its territorial waters to keep out illegal fishers and Austral Fisheries, which now has a 2500-kilogram annual quota, uses hooks and lines to selectively catch the toothfish.
Chef Neil Perry describes the fish they catch 4000 kilometres offshore as "supremely delicious, sustainable and Australian". Perry isn't the only enthusiast. Launched at the Noosa International Food and Wine Festival, Glacier 51 toothfish – named after the Heard Island glacial waters in which it's caught – was so well received, salesman Dylan Skinns admitted, "we can barely keep up with the orders".
This week it goes on the menu at Rockpool Bar & Grill in both Sydney and Melbourne, as well as at Sake in Sydney and Grossi Florentino in Melbourne.
The fish lives in the ice-cold water of the Antarctic's Great Southern Ocean. It's an oily fish with a high fat content to withstand the freezing conditions, but this makes for a fish of great versatility and deep, rich flavour.
"A chef's dream, they tell me," Skinns says.
There were other chefs' dreams at the festival, with Martin Benn of Sydney's Sepia discovering salumi – handcrafted smallgoods, including rolled pancetta, flat pancetta, salami of all varieties, cured loin, dried Sardinian sausage, and guanciale (cured pork jowl). "It will be on the bar menu [at Sepia] before the end of the week," Benn says.
Food of the future was the focus of a panel discussion, with Peter Gilmore of Quay restaurant saying there would be less focus on foraging by chefs. More technique-driven cooking with a "big emphasis on texture" were his tips for restaurant trends.
And David Kinch of Manresa restaurant in California agreed texture was growing in importance. "There are certain cuts of meat that have texture … more people are realising that's just the inherent nature of the meat and something to be celebrated," he said.
Sue Bennett was a guest of Sunshine Coast Destination.On trend
● Marine Stewardship Council-certified sustainable Patagonia toothfish is appearing on menus in Sydney and Melbourne restaurants.
● Dining at home will enjoy a revival. For the well heeled, it will mean staff in the kitchen and a butler at the door.
● After a 12-year gap, apprenticeships for waiters are to be reintroduced. Research shows people will go back to a restaurant if the food is poor but the service is good, but finding skilled staff remains one of the industry's greatest challenges. "My fear is we don't have enough kids looking for that career in the industry, but we have the resources [money to run courses]," says John Hart, Restaurant and Catering Australia chief executive.Something we never knew
Mussels change sex. When the meat is white, a mussel is male and tastes the sweetest. Mussels with orange meat are female and are generally less tasty.
It's impossible to determine the sex before cooking.
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The way we'll cook
Ancient grains are the future, especially quinoa. Photo: Danielle Smith1. Dust off your aprons
We'll be turning into our own grandmothers – pickling, preserving, jamming and marmalading, smoking and curing, dehydrating and fermenting. We'll make fewer cheffy desserts, but there will be more baking, of cakes, pies, tarts, biscuits, slices, and what Americans call "pie", a cheesecake-style open tart with a biscuit crumb base and creamy filling. Sweet potato, white chocolate and banana-cream filling, come on down.
2. Remodel the kitchen
To the horror of clutter-hating kitchen designers, our kitchens will continue to change shape, as we surround ourselves with the things that make us happy and allocate more room for recycling, growing things and grills. We'll also pinch the things we like about our favourite cafes and install them at home, from custom-made espresso machines and food served on planks and boards to smoothies and all-day breakfasts. And quinoa, of course.
3. Ancient grains are the future
The United Nations declared 2013 to be the International Year of Quinoa. It says the 3000-year-old grain is the organic food of the future, with a significant role to play in potential food security and the eradication of poverty. And there you were, thinking it was so last year. Along with other grains and seeds, quinoa is already on our shopping lists. In Donna Hay's latest hit, Fresh and Light, it appears 13 times, in roles as varied as piecrust and sushi "rice".
4. We'll probably dabble in a bit of these, too.
Singaporean laksa, ramen noodles and summer rolls, from our love and understanding of being part of south-east Asia; meatballs from Mexican to Moroccan, pasta al forno (oven-baked), slow roasts and everything-on-toast, for familiarity and much-needed comfort. Latin salsas, flavoured salts and Mexican chillies are on the menu for sheer excitement value, and porridge, native greens and raw foods for feeling good.
First blow as Gidley hit by injury
Laurie Daley's first camp as NSW coach was just a few hours old when he suffered his first major setback: the withdrawal of bench utility Kurt Gidley due to a foot injury.
Scans on Gidley's foot, following an injury during the Knights' 28-12 loss to the Warriors on Sunday, stunned the Blues just 24 hours after the squad was announced for game one. Daley said he would name a replacement on Tuesday.
Daley will likely decide who to bring in for the ANZ Stadium clash on Wednesday week by around lunchtime, to have the replacement in camp by Tuesday's afternoon training session.
But it is clear that the replacement will not be apples for apples. Daley will now decide whether to possibly bring in a second-rower or a prop to replace Gidley, given there are few players with the Newcastle player's ability to play so many positions. Willie Mason, Aaron Woods, Boyd Cordner, Feleti Mateo, Josh Reynolds, Josh McCrone and Wade Graham are set to be considered. Daley may decide to add more size to his side, knowing starters Luke Lewis and Greg Bird can offer utility value.
Blues skipper Paul Gallen said on Monday night he hoped Daley opted for a bigger player.
"Personally, I think they should pick another bigger bloke," Gallen told Triple M. "Cordner, Tim Grant, Tariq Sims or someone like that. I think they should pick a bigger bloke. I just don't think there's another player in the game who can do what Kurt Gidley can do. I don't think there's any point in picking a McCrone or someone like that. I think we maybe should go a bigger guy."
Daley wanted to watch Monday night's clash between South Sydney and Cronulla before making a decision, which suggested that he was considering Rabbitohs five-eighth John Sutton, who can play in the forwards, as well as Cronulla's Todd Carney, who were both pitched as options at No.6.
Further disruptions are also possible this week, with skipper Paul Gallen (knee) and Lewis (shoulder) missing Monday night's clash with the Rabbitohs.
Gidley played on after the injury on Sunday but MRI scans on Monday confirmed a torn ligament in his right foot.
Fifita's future is not so blue
Andrew Fifita: Turned his life around and has earnt his first Origin cap for NSW. Picture: John VeageSIX years after Andrew Fifita was bailed out of jail by his frustrated mother, again, the giant Cronulla Sharks prop gets to represent his state for the first time at Origin level.
Better than being either a ward of the state, a state inmate, and much better than being just another state crime statistic.
Fifita, about to turn 24, admitted he could easily have become a teenage statistic, if he didn't turn his life around in Sydney's wild, wild west.
"I was running with some gangs on the streets up around home [Blacktown], and after mum got me out I was told in court that I had to get out of town," admitted the twin son of an indigenous Australian mother and Tongan father.
"I sort of already realised that if I didn't leave the streets, I might go to jail for good."
His is an amazing story. His family encouraged him to move away, and he ended up in Griffith — to grow up, and rehabilitate.
So there the nephew of former St George forward John Fifita lived and breathed country football, finished his HSC, and despite some knockbacks along the way, eventually returned to Sydney with a small contract to play for Wests Tigers, along with twin brother David Fifita (he played lower grade and is now overseas).
Andrew Fifita, the once skinny giant who was told he was too thin by some other clubs, put on weight.
Plenty of it, and soon he ended up in the scrum, alongside the more seasoned and experienced Bryce Gibbs.
Andrew also gladly represented Tonga, and the Aboriginal All Stars, and City, too.
But his promising start with the Tigers in 2010, and into 2011, he couldn't get a big go in the top Tigers team towards the latter part of 2011.
With salary cap problems in trying to buy Kiwi international and Melbourne Storm forward Adam Blair, the Tigers on-passed Gibbs to the Sharks, who got Fifita as part of the "bargain deal" in 2012.
Today, the Tigers wish they had kept both.
With a partner and their first child born just before Christmas, Andrew Fifita is now one of the biggest impact-forwards in the NRL, averaging more than 170 metres and impressing enough to gain a bench spot in the Blues pack, and alongside team-mates Blues captain Paul Gallen and fellow international, Luke Lewis.
"He's still a bit of a mad, big kid … but he's settled down to become one of our very best," said Lewis of the 196-centimetre, 118-kilogram, prop forward.
"I think he'll create havoc when he comes on from the bench."
This time, legal havoc, with those big damaging runs through the rucks.
Lynch coach award 'deserved'
Big win: NSW Swifts captain Kimberlee Green (pictured) led her team to only their second win of the ANZ Championship. Picture: Murray WilkinsonSUTHERLAND Netball's popular representative coach Maria Lynch was a deserved winner of the 2013 coach of the year award at the NSW Sports Federation 2013 Community Sports Awards held at Parliament House.
Lynch beat four other finalists after her successes with multiple teams at the national, state and association levels.
Lynch celebrated a fifth consecutive 21/U National Netball Championship title with the NSW team in March last year, steered Sutherland Shire to a grand final victory in the Dooleys State League Waratah Cup last July, and became an integral member of the runners-up, NSW Waratahs, in the Australian Netball League last September. Lynch was assistant coach.
Lynch is "over the moon".
"In a team sport, you share things with your team and as a coach, you are always looking for your athletes to go further and see accolades," she said.
"It's a wonderful recognition for the hours of work you put in, but in saying that it's all part of being in a team sport and I share this with all the players I've worked with and coaches over the years."
■Sutherland Shire Netball Association will field teams in two age groups at the three-day 2013 State Championships starting on Saturday week, June 8.
Sutherland Shire will have teams in the opens and 17 years and under divisions at Baulkham Hills, and St George Netball Association will field a 19-years and under championship team. More than 130 teams will converge on two venues for one of Netball NSW's largest marquee events on the calendar.
■Australia will be the first country to use newly developed indoor player tracking technology to gain a competitive advantage ahead of the 2013 World Youth Netball Championships, 2014 Commonwealth Games and 2015 Netball World Cup in Sydney.
Third-straight loss pains Hodgson
AG COLLEGE coach Stu Hodgson was lost for words on Saturday after the Southern Inland Rugby Union premier sunk to its third-consecutive defeat at Beres Ellwood Oval.
Creeping further into the history books with the disappointing loss, the Aggies were outclassed in all facets of the game by an enthusiastic Waratahs performance, 32-8.
Scoring just one try in the effort, the Aggies were depleted with injury and confidence against an effervescent Tahs backline that refused to quit.
Sparking him into action, Hodgson struggled to comprehend the third-straight loss for the premier on Saturday.
"I told the boys at the start of the year that being the premier we pretty much had to gift every team 10 points on us before we started, because teams lift against the premier and that's our burden," he said.
"I never thought it would end up as untidy as this, ever. But, we just have to move on."
Coping with a heavy injury toll, which also claimed captain Dave Armstrong and James Whiteley during the game, the Aggies failed to display their trademark confidence and precision. Despite his disappointment, Hodgson said the problem isn't attitude based.
"I feel sorry for the boys, you can see they're really trying but nothing seems to be working, it can't be fun," he said.
"Just going into contact we build pressure and then throw silly passes or make a mistake that turns the ball over and we get punished for it, and you just can't do that.
"Waratahs played very well, their structures are in place and they're a good side, our scrum was dominant and then we'd knock it on or have massive lapses in concentration.
"I just don't know what it is."
However, Hodgson said he was happy with the forward pack, but something needs to be tinkered in the backline to improve confidence.
"You play with the cattle you've got, but it's just so frustrating that we can't bank the profit from a good forward pack," he said.
"We can't go on making any excuses, we're gutted but we're just not doing the basics right.
"Ben Leaper was terrific again, but I don't know how long he can last doing that every week, but Cam Jenkins and Stu Garret were great."
Waratahs captain Jock Munro sails across the line to score despite a late tackle from Ag College five-eighth Ben Tett.
Apple's tax dodge leaves Ireland uncomfortably in spotlight
They say there is no such thing as bad publicity. Ireland might beg to differ, having been at the centre of a US Senate hearing on Apple's tax practices at a time when the EU is working hard to crack down on tax evasion.
On May 21, the Senate Permanent Subcommittee for Investigations dug into Apple's tax activities in gory detail. Their findings show that Ireland has been at the centre of Apple's success in tax avoidance.
The subcommittee found that the company used subsidiaries in Ireland to funnel about $US74 billion in income away from the US. The subsidiaries involved were incorporated in Ireland but not tax resident anywhere.
The structure allowed Apple to pay an effective tax rate of 2 per cent or less since 2003, well below Ireland's corporate tax rate of 12.5 per cent. Perhaps the most damning part for Ireland came in the explanation of the low rate in the subcommittee's report: "Apple told the subcommittee that, for many years, Ireland has provided Apple affiliates with a special tax rate through negotiations with the Irish government."
This is serious. It would be awkward, to say the least, to have the government cutting deals with multinationals while also, as the holder of the EU presidency, presiding over a push for greater transparency in corporate tax dealings. Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny immediately rebutted Apple's version of events. Is there another explanation for why Apple pays such a low tax rate?
Seamus Coffey offers one on the Irish Economy blog: Apple benefited from a loophole in the way Ireland defines taxable income. The country's 12.5 per cent tax rate applies to income after subtracting expenses such as royalty payments for intellectual property licences. In Apple's case, these payments are huge, significantly reducing taxable income.
The royalties are paid to another Apple subsidiary in a different tax jurisdiction. This is sometimes referred to as a "Dutch sandwich", because the payments are typically funnelled through the Netherlands on their way to Bermuda, where there is no corporate tax.
Whether Ireland really is a tax haven, the perception could be just as damaging as the reality. The countries calling the shots in the EU (namely, Germany) aren't favourably disposed to countries that lure away their tax revenue. Just ask Cyprus, which received little sympathy for its banking troubles. Ireland will almost certainly succeed in exiting its bailout program in the next year, but it may need assistance from its eurozone partners in the future.
Ireland should use the Apple drama as an opportunity to consider whether the benefits of an attractive tax regime are worth the costs. Many multinationals have set up in Ireland for access to the European market. The low corporate tax is clearly a draw, but so is the skilled, English-speaking talent pool. Multinationals have helped to keep Ireland's exports buoyant throughout the crisis, with pharmaceuticals, chemicals and business services performing well over the past few years. As of last year, multinationals employed about 150,000 people in Ireland.
Some analysts question how much Ireland benefits from the multinationals. Most of their profits flow to shareholders outside the country. Without them, Ireland would have struggled to achieve the export-led growth it posted last year. In the longer term, a sustainable growth model must involve Ireland weaning itself from exports and fostering domestic demand.
Perhaps the Apple embarrassment will awaken it to that reality.
Analysts agree: the big four banks are expensive
Analysts are again questioning whether Australian banks are overvalued, after the financial sector led last week's sharemarket sell-off.
The big four banks have been trading near their historic valuation highs, with Commonwealth Bank's price-to-earnings ratio recently lifting to about 15.5 times its annual earnings.
Before last week's falls, CBA's share price had risen more than 50 per cent in 12 months. The share price closed at $68.19 on Monday, 38 per cent higher than last May.
CIMB analysts John Buonaccorsi and Ashley Dalziell said local banks were about 20 per cent overvalued on most fundamental ratios.
"Using the Gordon growth model, current market pricing implies the Australian bank sector can achieve a constant 7 per cent terminal growth rate, or alternatively a 27 per cent [return on tangible equity], both of which are unlikely to be achieved," the analysts said.
Platypus Asset Management's chief investment officer, Don Williams, said CBA's highest p/e ratio was in 1999 at about 17 times earnings. "We would argue that 14 or 15 times is at the high end of its valuation range and the low end is around 10," he said
Last week, UBS analyst Jonathan Mott described CBA as the "most expensive large bank in the world by nearly every measure".
Using measures such as pre-provision profit, which looks at a bank's core earnings, and tangible book value, which calculates the net asset value of a company excluding intangible assets and goodwill, the big four Australian banks were at the top of the world's most expensive banks list, followed by the Canadian and Scandinavian banks.
Mr Williams said banks remained relatively attractive compared with other investments if investors were focusing only on yield.
"One of the reasons [banks] are trading expensive versus their own histories is because they still deliver a very high, safe, and for most of them, growing yield. As long as interest rates remain low and globally as well, the hunt for yield hasn't disappeared … it's just having a correction."
But analysts said a falling dollar and expectations of an end to quantitative easing in the US led foreign investors to sell their shares in local banks last week.
"The proportion of that fall [in the banks] reflects not so much fear and loathing from a domestic investor perspective, but reflects offshore investors saying they are out of the bank holding they were in and out of Australian dollars," Patersons Securities strategist Tony Farnham said.
Telcos buck trend as market hit by losses
The market fell for a fifth straight day as concerns about Chinese growth and volatility on the Japanese sharemarket took their toll.
Stocks fell more than 1 per cent in the morning, but the market clawed back half its losses thanks to a strong performance from telecommunications companies.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index lost 23.6 points, or 0.5 per cent, to 4959.9, while the broader All Ordinaries shed 25.7 points, or 0.5 per cent, to 4938.6.
Materials slumped 1.5 per cent as miners BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto shed 1 per cent and 2.6 per cent respectively after Shanghai copper slipped and became mired near last week's lows.
A senior FX strategist at Royal Bank of Scotland, Greg Gibbs, said the recent disappointing growth in China could be the "new norm", and we should expect to see growth closer to 7 per cent.
"My impression is that clients' confidence in the Chinese economy has wavered and they are expecting this to be a relatively weak year in China," Mr Gibbs said.
Retailers finished weaker, with the consumer discretionary sector losing 1.1 per cent.
David Jones lost 0.8 per cent after it reported a 3.4 per cent fall in its third-quarter sales. Myer dipped 1.2 per cent while electronic goods and entertainment retailer JB Hi-Fi slipped 0.1 per cent.
Financials dragged on the market, slipping 0.2 per cent, as investors sold banks after a recent stellar performance across the sector on the back of strong earnings reports and high dividend yields.
Commonwealth Bank fell 0.8 per cent, while Westpac dipped 0.3 per cent. ANZ bucked the trend, rising 0.6 per cent after saying it would outsource 70 call-centre positions to New Zealand to improve profit.
Biotechnology firm CSL lost 0.9 per cent, while Woolworths dropped 1.1 per cent to trade at three-month lows, and Wesfarmers slipped 0.3 per cent to six-week lows.
Telcos bucked the trend, rising 0.7 per cent.
The market has now closed lower for the fifth-straight session, with the S&P/ASX 200 plumbing a five-week low.
In Asian markets broadly, Japanese volatility dominated proceedings again with the Nikkei dropping a further 3.2 per cent.
Australia's dollar, meanwhile, provided a reprieve for traders, steadying around US96¢.
With Agencies
Retail still in the doldrums despite glimmers of hope
Just as well Paul Zahra is a retailer instead of a banker – otherwise the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission might be wondering if he was attempting a little price signalling while announcing disappointing sales figures.
David Jones' Zahra isn't the first shopkeeper to let the market know what he thinks about that nasty habit of discounting. Even while announcing a "Super Saturday" sale, Myer's Bernie Brookes seemed to be warning Target not to pull the trigger on a discount war. Brookes also came out as a fan of a weaker dollar, claiming there would be more pluses than minuses for Myer.
That argument seems to come down to making international online shopping a little less attractive, but a weaker Australian dollar equally makes prices on imported stuff at Myer – the vast majority of it – a little less attractive, too. Or maybe a softer currency could become an excuse for prices at the troubled discretionary department stores stabilising and inching higher.
That's what Zahra is rather desperately hoping, even while saying he expects everyone else to be slicing prices on excess winter clothing.
So we have David Jones signalling Myer, which is signalling Target, which is busy signalling distress as the new CEO works out what the chain should be after his two predecessors let it wander in the face of the resurgence by Australia's biggest department stores: Kmart and Big W.
And that's why, for all the publicity they garner, David Jones and Myer aren't nearly as important as their coverage might indicate. Far from representing the mindset of the Australian consumer and the overall health of Australian retailing, the two mid-tier department stores represent themselves as they struggle to update their 19th-century business models.
They are the middle-order players in the department store space, which itself is the smallest of the Australian Bureau of Statistics' six retail categories. Myer's 0.4 per cent lift in April-quarter like-for-like sales last week was greeted as good news, holding out the possibility of recording its first full financial year of sales gains since 2007. Yes, 0.4 per cent – a shop assistant's sneeze. And never mind Monday's announcement that DJs' like-for-like sales went backwards by 3.4 per cent.
Meanwhile, both David Jones and Myer try to make the most of their online sales picking up – doubling, says DJs, up 200 per cent, says Myer – but those percentages are from a very low base and they remain unprofitable.
I glimpsed a "unique browsers" graph for the 2012 calendar year that showed David Jones pretty much flat throughout, Myer picking up a little and The Iconic soaring far above them. The Iconic is an Australian e-tailer – not one of those nasty foreigners avoiding GST – and works on convenience, not price.
But The Iconic doesn't make a profit either while it's busy buying customers. With private equity backers and founded by a couple of Boston Consulting alumni, the business plan could well be to build the brand and then offload it to either one of the two obvious local candidates struggling in cyberspace or one of the foreign retailers that relish our market – companies who think Australian consumers are just fine and far from being on strike.
BoJ boss puts faith in Japan's 'resilience'
The governor of Japan's central bank has shrugged off concerns that the recent spike in bond prices could damage the country's fledgling recovery.
Haruhiko Kuroda, the Bank of Japan head, said analysis by the central bank last month showed that the country could withstand an increase in market interest rates of as much as 3 per cent, as long as there were accompanying improvements in the economy.
Japan's sharemarket crashed 7 per cent last Thursday following weak economic data in China, speculation that the US was close to winding up its money-printing program and on fears that falling Japanese government bond prices would undermine the government's economic strategy and punch a hole in bank balance sheets.
Sharemarkets across the world also took fright, with the Australian market down 2 per cent on the day.
But Mr Kuroda said that Bank of Japan estimates in April showed that a 1 to 3 percentage point rise in interest rates would not cause problems for Japan's financial system, as long as it was accompanied by economic improvements, since a recovery would lead to increased lending and help to improve banks' earnings.
"Japan's financial system as a whole seems to possess sufficient resilience against such shocks as a rise in interest rates and deterioration in economic conditions," Mr Kuroda said.
Mr Kuroda and Japan's Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, have launched a vast stimulus program, promising in April to inject $US1.4 trillion into the economy in less than two years through quantitative easing, to jolt the Japanese economy out of a 15-year deflationary malaise and lift inflation to 2 per cent.
The policy triggered a huge sharemarket rally. But a surge in bond yields, which means bond prices have fallen, has threatened to make government borrowing expensive.
Domestic banks could be forced to take losses on their large holdings of Japanese government debt.
Mr Kuroda said that the Bank of Japan was watching for any signs of overheating in asset prices and would take "appropriate action" if financial imbalances emerge, suggesting it might unwind its ultra-loose policy.
The Nikkei slid another 2.5 per cent on Monday but remains up 36 per cent for the year.
GALLERY: Killer admits nursing home fire
DOROTHY Sterling, 80, and Dorothy Wu, 85, were probably the first to die.
Their nurse, Roger Dean, set fire to an empty bed in their Quakers Hill nursing home room and then left them to perish, knowing they were incapable of moving unaided.
Then he destroyed evidence that he had stolen prescription drugs from the home and told a chaplain: "Things like this make me lose my faith in God".
On the first day of his Supreme Court trial yesterday, Dean, 37, pleaded guilty to the murders of 11 elderly residents who died as a result of the fires he lit at the home on November 18, 2011.
He also admitted to causing grievous bodily harm to a further eight residents who were injured in the blaze, described by paramedics and firefighters as one of the worst scenes they had ever come across.
According to Crown documents, the registered nurse had stolen more than 200 pills from the nursing home the night before and police officers were called to the home during his November 18 night shift to investigate the theft.
Dean had only been working at the home two months, but a nurse's assistant had already made several complaints about his care standards, although no action was taken.
Around 4.50am, Dean set an empty bed on fire in one wing, before moving to the room where Ms Wu and Ms Sterling were sleeping.
He convinced a firefighter to let him back into the building, saying he needed to get the drug books. He took these home and destroyed them.
He was arrested and charged later that evening, telling police it was Satan telling him to do it.
Victims' families wept as he pleaded guilty to the 11 counts of murder. AAP
82-year-old Caesar Galea. victim of the Quakers Hill Nursing Home fire.
Doris Becke, 96, victim of the Quakers Hill Nursing Home fire.
Verna Webeck, victim of the Quakers Hill Nursing Home fire.
Neeltje Valkay, 90, victim of the Quakers Hill Nursing Home fire.
Dorothy Sterling, victim of the Quakers Hill Nursing Home fire.
Alma Smith, victim of the Quakers Hill Nursing Home fire.
Reginald Green, victim of the Quakers Hill Nursing Home fire.
Lola Bennett, victim of the Quakers Hill Nursing Home fire.
Urbana Alipio who died aged 79, victim of the Quakers Hill Nursing Home fire.
Dorothy Wu, victim of the Quakers Hill Nursing Home fire.
Vixens' showing praised, but coach wants more
Better, but not perfect. The worst performance of the Melbourne Vixens' season may have been followed by an improved showing against the Southern Steel, but coach Simone McKinnis has warned that even more will be necessary against the third-placed Queensland Firebirds in Brisbane on Sunday.
The Vixens won 58-52 at Hisense Arena on Monday night to return to second spot and tip the Steel out of the top four, but faded in the final minutes of the first two quarters and again when the match was safe in the last. The all-court defensive pressure pleased the coach overall, but not the brief fadeouts.
"I am happy with that," McKinnis said of the follow-up to the Vixens biggest loss in almost two years, an 11-goal beating by the Firebirds at home in the previous round. "Just the defensive pressure, as a team, we just really needed to lift that, so I thought the work ethic in the group, and sticking to task, in terms of what we wanted to do out there on court, I thought it was very good and much improved.
"I'm pleased with the way we approached the match, I'm pleased (with) the aspects we were very strong and definite about … there on court, but certainly there'd be areas that we'd certainly need to improve on heading into next week with (the) Firebirds."
McKinnis praised the "fantastic" game of maturing goal attack Tegan Caldwell, whose string of seven unanswered goals in the decisive third quarter helped to retrieve the match, and circle defenders Geva Mentor – a standout for her effort against league scoring leader Jhaniele Fowler, despite the Jamaican's 45-goal haul – and captain Bianca Chatfield.
"I think the benefits of tonight's match is they would have felt the rewards of the hard work, the defensive pressure through (the) court, as a team, so that's important heading into next week," McKinnis said.
"The only thing not to be happy about was that towards the end of quarters, the last two or three minutes of each quarter, there was a little bit of a drop-off, and even the finish of that (last) quarter we sort of stood still a little bit, so that's something we need to address, because you can't have patches of not being full-on."
So, for the second time in 15 days, the focus now is the Firebirds, who share a 7-2 record and trail only on percentage, with the advantage of playing the return bout at home. Is such a quick rematch for better or worse?
"I think it's probably good," McKinnis. "We were really disappointed last Sunday, very disappointed, and it was a long week this week because everybody just wanted to get out and play again. I think it's good for us to be playing them again. They know the game from last time, they know what they want to do differently, and they've got the opportunity within a tight time frame to turn that around, so we've got to see that as a positive opportunity."
Crucial win has Vixens well placed
Melbourne Vixens' week-long exile from the ANZ Championship's top two ended with a 58-52 win against the Southern Steel at Hisense Arena, thus sentencing the New Zealand finals aspirant to a 14th consecutive loss in Australia while enhancing their own prospects of earning a double chance.
With just four rounds of the regular season remaining, the Vixens overtook surprise round 10 losers the Queensland Firebirds courtesy of a fine third-quarter performance finished off by goal attack Tegan Caldwell (33 goals from 37 attempts) and the improved all-court defensive effort demanded by coach Simone McKinnis and anchored by circle duo Bianca Chatfield and Geva Mentor.
Having suffered their biggest loss – 11 goals – in almost two years against the Firebirds the previous week, the Vixens managed to hold the league's leading scorer, the 198-centimetre Jhaniele Fowler (45/50) below her season average of 51.5 goals, despite winning just one quarter – the third, decisively.
The Steel may be rivalling perennial finalists the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic as the leading New Zealand team this season, but it remains the only Kiwi outfit not to have won a match across the Tasman. Still, it is one of the season's big improvers, and lost few friends on this visit.
The second of the Vixens' two Monday night games drew another healthy crowd, including a group of St Kilda footballers in a courtside box, among them Nick Dal Santo, Leigh Montagna, Sam Fisher and Justin Koschitzke. And the home team started with far more intensity than last week, working to a comfortable 15-10 lead before a lapse in the last two minutes of the first quarter allowed the Steel to level at 15-15 at the break.
It was a similar pattern in the second quarter, with the Vixens working their way ahead, helped by a productive Caldwell in attack, and several timely deflections from the admirable Mentor at the other end. But again the Steel persevered, capitalising on some ball-handling errors, while Australian-born wing attack Courtney Tairi racked-up the goal assists to Fowler, who had 27 goals to half-time.
Yet although the Steel extended its challenge into the third, it was Caldwell who inspired the recovery, scoring seven consecutive goals to turn a two-goal deficit into a five-goal advantage that had stretched to 45-38 at the last change.
What Caldwell lacks in height, relatively, she compensates for with speed and fitness, and she eventually ran Steel goal defence Rachel Rasmussen off her feet.
The Vixens travel to Brisbane next week for a rematch with the Firebirds, just a fortnight after their disappointing 57-46 loss at home. Three further rounds remain before the finals, with a final trip to New Zealand to play the Magic sandwiched between Hisense Arena fixtures against the Swifts and Fever.
Earlier, the top-placed Adelaide Thunderbirds extended their advantage with a 62-58 win over Canterbury Tactix in Christchurch, with Carla Borrego dominating with 45 goals.
Fifita caps off big week with star turn
Dominant: Andrew Fifita. Photo: John VeageAndrew Fifita put aside the "toughest" period of his career with arguably his most dominant performance in leading a spirited Cronulla side to a major upset win against South Sydney.
Fifita said he had struggled to focus on the match after being told he would make his NSW debut 24 hours before playing for the Sharks. But when he walked onto Sharks Stadium, he looked like a man possessed, carrying his Cronulla side to an important victory after being named as one of three NSW debutants.
"It was the toughest 48 hours of my career," Fifita said. "I tried to brush NSW and focus on Cronulla. My main focus was to try and prepare the same way as I do each week.
"Anyone who gets selected for NSW, especially at my age, it comes as a big shock."
He ran for a game high 200 metres from 23 hit ups and made 43 tackles in an inspired performance after playing near unbroken 65 minutes.
"That's my job, I'm a front rower," Fifita said. "My job is to get the ball and run forward.
"I just want to do my own job for NSW. I'm coming off the bench to bring that impact."
Like he will for NSW in game I, Fifita started from the interchange bench in his team's two-point win.
His coach, Shane Flanagan, described his team's performance as "brave", was more direct with his praise of the front-rower.
"It was typical of Andrew," Flanagan said. "I spoke with him about really enjoying the next couple of days, celebrating being picked. It's something special but he put everything aside.
"[The team's performance] wasn't technically perfect but it was brave and courageous."
The top of the table South Sydney side struggled to adjust to the wet conditions. South Sydney coach Michael Maguire was critical of his teams conceding 11 penalties and as many errors.
"We were off the pace," Maguire said. "We got taught a lesson that every game you need to turn up. We slipped with our defence.
"It's just about getting bodies in front.
"We are aware of what we need to do."
Maguire said Queensland back rower Ben Te'o is in no doubt for Origin despite leaving the field late in the first half with a cork to his shin, although he returned midway through the second half. Five-eighth John Sutton is also OK after leaving the field was concussion.
For the Sharks, halfback Jeff Robson left the field late in the game with an ankle sprain but Flanagan did not expect the injury to keep Robson on the sidelines for an extended period.
FAN ZONE: Kurt out of Origin I
KURT Gidley's representative curse has struck again.
The inspirational Newcastle Knights captain has been ruled out of the first game of the State of Origin series against Queensland at ANZ Stadium tomorrow week after he was diagnosed last night with a torn ligament in his foot.
Blues coach Laurie Daley will name Gidley's replacement today.
According to a NSW Rugby League statement issued last night, Blues medical staff ''ruled Gidley out following scans which revealed a slight ligament tear sustained in the Knights' match against the Warriors yesterday''.
It is understood Gidley had a pain-killing needle in his foot at half-time of Newcastle's 44-8 victory over the Bulldogs at Hunter Stadium nine days ago but it is not known whether that was related to the injury he suffered in their 28-12 loss to the Warriors in Auckland on Sunday.
A five-time former NSW captain, 30-year-old Gidley had been named on the bench as the Blues' utility player but his latest injury setback has continued his cruel run of luck on the eve of representative games.
He had surgery last April to repair torn cartilage in his right knee and was unavailable for selection for Australia's Anzac Test against New Zealand, then suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in his comeback match for the Knights and missed the entire Origin series.
In 2011, he missed the Anzac Test due to a dislocated shoulder and missed the end-of-season Four Nations tour to England because he had to undergo knee surgery.
Gidley missed the first five games of the 2010 NRL season after suffering a knee injury when tackled by then Knights teammate Cory Paterson in the inaugural All Stars match.
In 2008, after being told that he would be NSW halfback for the opening game of the Origin series, he suffered a fractured cheekbone playing for the Knights against Melbourne at Olympic Park the night before the team was officially announced and he missed the series opener.
He returned on the bench for game two and was fullback for the decider, which Queensland won 16-10.
Later that year, Gidley tore cartilage in his left knee in Australia's first game of the Centenary World Cup, a 30-6 victory over New Zealand in Sydney, and missed the rest of the tournament.
A shoulder injury sidelined him from the second Origin game in 2007.
The news that Gidley had been ruled out came as a major surprise after his positive comments at a NSW press conference earlier yesterday.
''I'm just trying to get my body right and feeling 100percent and I feel over the past month I've been playing some better footy,'' Gidley said.
''My body's feeling good. I'm excited and I'm enjoying my footy at the moment.''
Gidley added that he was not concerned about critics who had questioned his selection.
''It doesn't affect me at all. Everybody is entitled to their opinion on who should be in the team,'' said Gidley, who had been keen to try to help NSW end Queensland's seven-year domination.
''The opinion of the coach is the only one that I worry about, and Laurie rang me at the end of last week and told me I was in.
''I am really happy to be involved again especially after missing last year. I was sitting at home, back on a lounge watching Origin again … it'd been a while since I've done that.
''I got a few boys around to watch it and I was just like a fan again, watching the boys and supporting and screaming at the telly and doing all those sorts of things that supporters do. It was disappointing watching them going down in the last game but I was really proud of their efforts.
''Everyone here in the camp is desperate to end this drought. We all think we have the team to do it.''
KURT'S REP MATCHES MISSED THROUGH INJURY
2007 – AC joint (Origin II)
2008 – fractured cheekbone (Origin I)
2008 – knee (World Cup)
2010 – knee (All Stars game) *
2011 – dislocated shoulder (Anzac Test)
2011 – knee surgery (Four Nations tour)
2012 – knee surgery (Anzac Test)
2012 – shoulder surgery (Origin series)
2013 – foot injury (Origin I)
* injured during game
Kurt Gidley has missed a lot of big games due to injury.
Greenxi theme by Colixio | Proudly Powered by WordPress - Entries (RSS), Comments (RSS) | {
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For those who missed it, The Millennium Alliance recently launched another outlet where our members can tune in to hear tips and insights from our top C-Suite Executives, Millennium Live: A Digital Diary Podcast.
You can now access our podcast on iTunes to make listening easy and on-the-go! Subscribe to our channel and stay up to date with weekly episodes.
The only podcast dedicated to bringing the latest Digital Business Transformation content to C-Suite Executives from North America's most progressive industries.
Our C-Level audience often mentions one of their biggest challenges is staying ahead of business transformation trends. With so many new innovations and technologies out there, simply finding the time to keep up to date is a challenge. So, we put our heads together and tried to think of how we could help. Whether you listen to this podcast on the commute to work or over a sandwich during your lunch break, the #MillenniumLive Podcast shares with you the best digital business transformation strategy out there.
Today, 34 large tech enterprises have come together in order to sign an accord that pushes forward positive incentives toward protecting customers against cybersecurity. | {
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Noble Rot sommelier, Josh, shares Beaujolais wisdom with his rapt audience
Rhythm and booze
Wine tasting on Lamb's Conduit Street
'Vines are not like other plants. They do best when you treat them mean. Poor soil makes the roots stretch and work, meaning the grapes have a more intense flavour.'
It's wine club at Huckle the Barber in Bloomsbury and our sommelier, Josh Castle, is sharing his wisdom. The clippers have fallen silent, but our evening is just revving up.
'Like a singer who's had a hard life and puts their pain into their voice,' suggests Marshal, manager of Huckle's Lamb's Conduit Street shop, to much laughter. 'I'd say this is a Nina Simone,' he continues, taking a sip of a deliciously fruity red.
A lively discussion breaks out about musicians who make their own wine. Apparently Nicki Minaj's MYX Fusions Moscato is pretty good. No one has tried Mick Hucknall's plonk, but his marketing team missed a shoo-in. Why his wine is not called Simply Red we'll never know.
Every month, Huckle gathers a small group of clients and friends to explore a renowned wine region. The evenings are a collaboration with wine bar and restaurant, Noble Rot, and cheese paradise, La Fromagerie. This time it's Beaujolais, and there are ten humans and one dog (teetotal) in attendance.
La Fromagerie first opened in Highbury almost 30 years ago. To our delight, founder Patricia Michelson opened her third shop spitting distance from Huckle in summer 2017.
Noble Rot was founded by Mark Andrew, a Master of Wine, and Dan Keeling, who used to work in the music industry. As an A&R man, and later managing director of Island Records, Dan signed acts including Coldplay and Lily Allen. Now he and Mark are responsible for putting great wine centre stage.
What's the link between sommeliers and barbers?
Beaujolais, as Josh puts it, is 'the rebellious little sibling of Burgundy'. North of Lyon and bordered by the rivers Saône and Azergues, the region has a long history of winemaking. The vineyards are almost entirely Gamay grapes, and produce mostly red wine. Traditional techniques are used to create wonderful, light-bodied and fragrant wines.
Josh, who has walked all of five metres to join us after his shift at Noble Rot, guides us with aplomb. His enthusiasm is infectious. He draws a parallel between the skills required by a sommelier and a barber.
'A customer asks for a dry white wine. But what does 'dry' mean to them? It's like when a client says to their barber, 'I want it a bit shorter'. You have to translate the request using your understanding of the person. Sometimes you know them well. That's easier. With new customers you have to use your instinct.'
As the third and fourth wines are opened the group relaxes into easy chatter. 'How did you discover Huckle?' is a common question. Turns out several of the guests became Huckle customers when their barber left another establishment to join our ranks. Men will go out of their way to see a great barber.
Make wine not war
We sipped our way through six different wines, handpicked by Josh:
2016 Jean Foillard, Morgon: Cote du Puy
2014 Chateau Thivin, Cote de Brouilly: La Chapelle
2016 Georges Duboef, Fleurie
2016 Jean-Louis Dutraive, Domaine de la Grand Cour, Fleurie: Cuvee Vieilles Vignes 'Tous Ensemble'
2016 Herve Souhart- Romaneaux Destezet, Ardeche
2016 David Chapel, Julienas: Cote de Bessay
The cheese was selected with the help of the staff at La Fromagerie. 'I let them go wild,' says Josh. We tried:
Saint Marcellin: cow's milk cheese from the Rhone Valley
Abbaye de Taime: cow's milk cheese from the Savoie region
Reblochon: used in Tartiflette
Fourne D'Ambert: blue cheese from Auvergne in central France
The world of wine has a reputation for stuffiness and snobbery. Thankfully, with the aid of establishments like Noble Rot, that's changing. Our group is a diverse bunch. There are wine buffs who want to discuss the finer points of carbonic maceration (Josh is happy to oblige) and others who simply like drinking good wine.
Regardless of our respective levels of knowledge, we are all united by a love of having a good time. Before we know it, the clock is creeping past ten and guests begin to drift away. It is a school night after all. There are handshakes and cheery waves all round.
In these turbulent times there are so many things to get down about. Here at Huckle, we feel that when things get rocky it's more important than ever to celebrate life.
As Dan Keeling puts it in the latest issue of the Noble Rot magazine:
'Lunatics may have their fingers on the launch buttons, but we're still revelling in food and wine's ability to bring people together.'
We'll drink to that.
Big thanks to Charlie Blightman, manager at Noble Rot, who helped us set up the Huckle wine club. | {
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TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - June 16, 2015) - Toro Resources Corp. announces a name change to Big Wind Capital Inc. and a share consolidation of its issued and outstanding common shares on a five (5) old to one (1) new basis as authorized by its shareholders at the annual general and special meeting held on November 18, 2014. Fractional shares will be rounded down.
As a result of the consolidation, the outstanding common shares of the company will be reduced to approximately 4,839,727.
Shares will begin trading on a consolidated basis under the new name and symbol on June 17, 2015.
Please note that all open orders will be cancelled at the end of business today, June 16, 2015. CSE Dealers are reminded to re-enter their orders taking into account the consolidation. | {
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Kid's Book
This Privacy Policy governs the manner in which Project Grief (the "School") collects, uses, maintains and discloses information collected from users (each, a "Student") of the School. This Privacy Policy applies to the School and all Courses offered by the School.
We may collect personal identification information from Students in a variety of ways, including, but not limited to, when Students enroll in the School or a Course within the School, subscribe to a newsletter, and in connection with other activities, services, features, or resources we make available in our School. Students may visit the School anonymously. We will collect personal identification information from Students only if they voluntarily submit such information to us. Students can refuse to supply personal identification information but doing so may prevent them from engaging in certain School related activities.
The School may collect and use Students' personal identification information for the following purposes:
Information you provide helps us respond to your customer service requests and support needs more efficiently.
We may use information in the aggregate to understand how our Students as a group use the services and resources provided in our School.
We may use Student email addresses to send Students information and updates pertaining to their order. Student email addresses may also be used to respond to Student inquiries, questions, or other requests.
We do not sell, trade, or rent Student personal identification information to others.
Student may find advertising or other content in our School that link to the websites and services of our partners, suppliers, advertisers, sponsors, licensors and other third parties. We do not control the content or links that appear on these websites and are not responsible for the practices employed by websites linked to or from our School. In addition, these websites or services, including their content and links, may be constantly changing. These websites and services may have their own privacy policies and customer service policies. Browsing and interaction on any other website, including websites which have a link to our Student, is subject to that website's own terms and policies.
Sharing emotionally sensitive information
Project Grief (the "School") often encourages Students to share thoughts, feelings, and emotions surrounding their grief experience. These share thoughts, feelings, and emotionsmay be considered "emotionally sensitive information." Sharing emotionally sensitive information with the instructor (Danica), fellow Students, and/or the public is strictly voluntary and is always subject to the discretion of the student.
Within the School, Students may share emotionally sensitive information in the following ways: 1.) commenting on a course lecture, 2.) posting/commenting in a Facebook group facilitated by Project Grief, 3.) posting/commenting on social media pages, or 4.) private conversations with the instructor (Danica). No comments or thoughts that are shared in private or closed venues will ever be shared publicly without the Students' express permission. See below for the privacy policies of each type of sharing venue:
1.) Commenting on a course lecture: Course commentary threads are closed environments where only enrolled Students and the instructor are allowed to view Student responses. If a fellow Student shares another Student's personal thoughts publicly without their consent, they will be asked to remove the post immediately.
2.) Posting/commenting in a Facebook group facilitated by Project Grief: Any Facebook group will be clearly marked as "closed," "private," or "public," and Students are responsible for the posts and comments they make from their own personal accounts.
3.) Posts and comments on Project Grief social media pages: Students who voluntarily post/comment on social media pages do so fully knowing these are public venues, and Project Grief is free to share or repost public comments.
4.) Private conversations with the instructor (Danica) via email, Facebook messenger, or Instagram private message: these conversations will always be kept private, unless the Student grants their express permission for the instructor to share what they have written.
The School has the discretion to update this Privacy Policy at any time. We encourage Students to frequently check this page for any changes. You acknowledge and agree that it is your responsibility to review this Privacy Policy periodically and become aware of modifications.
By enrolling in the School, you signify your acceptance of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to this Privacy Policy, please do not enroll in the School. Your continued enrollment in the School following the posting of changes to this Privacy Policy will be deemed your acceptance of those changes.
Questions or concerns about privacy?
Contact Danica at [email protected]org
© Project Grief 2022
Artwork by Danica
About Project Grief
Why Art Works | {
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Huawei leads the global network base station market for 2022: Report
According to the latest data published by market researcher Trendforce, Huawei will continue to lead the network base station market in 2022. The top three manufacturers of these types of equipment include Huawei, Ericson, and Nokia which account for 74.5 percent of the overall global network base station market.
The report mentions that Huawei will lead the global base station market with 29 percent of the overall market share in 2022. which is a 1 percent dip from last year. Ericson comes second with 24 percent market share, third is Nokia with 21.5 percent market share, up from 20 percent last year.
Samsung has 4th place with 12 percent market share and ZTE comes fifth with 2.5 percent shares in the overall base stations category.
What is a base station?
a transmission and reception station in a fixed location, consisting of one or more receive/transmit antennas, microwave dishes, and electronic circuitry, used to handle cellular traffic.
Huawei's growth:
Trendforce mentions that Huawei is continuously making progress in different markets and actively deploying network bases in various countries. These include South Africa, Vietnam, and Brazil. The world's largest telecom equipment maker is working to expand its presence and working closely with MTN, Africa's largest telecom company, to build 500 5g seats in South Africa.
Other than these, Huawei is also collaborating with telecom partners in France, Belgium, and the Gulf region to bring a 5G network solution.
Nokia and Ericson in the trail:
The data shows that Nokia and Ericson are also making efforts in markets, which has prohibited Huawei to participate in the 5G rollout. These network vendors are signing multi-year deals with service providers to grab and keep them for a longer duration.
Speaking of the South Korean company, Samsung is also expected to increase its market share in the network equipment industry while keeping the U.S. as its main source of expansion.
Related Topics:5GBase StationHuaweiNetwork
Get the new Google Play Store 31.5.17
Huawei is holding a new product launch conference on August 8, is it for Mate 50? | {
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Tag Archives | Props
S8E11: Steve Chezaday — Tips & Tricks from a Rockstar Magician
By Kris Sheppard on February 25, 2016 in Magicians, Podcast
http://traffic.libsyn.com/successfulperformercast/SPC_095_Steve_Chezaday_-_Rockstar_Magician.mp3
This week, I bring you an interview with Steve Chezaday who shares some advice and insights from his years performing full-time. Topics include dealing with clients, pricing, managing your money, and customizing and maintaining your props. There's a lot insight to be gained from this chat.
Chezaday is a magician who's pretty much done it all from close up magic to grand illusion. His energetic show has taken him all over the country. He's toured with Abbott's Magic Festival and is also quite handy when it comes to building props and stage illusions. And he can do it all while rockin' an air guitar!
S8E6: Mario the Magician — Generosity and Making his Own Props
By Kris Sheppard on January 14, 2016 in Magicians, Podcast
http://traffic.libsyn.com/successfulperformercast/SPC_090_Mario_the_Magician_-_Creating_his_own_props.mp3
In this episode, Mario the Magician talks about how he makes all of his own props. He also talks about generosity and gratefulness and how those play a part in his business.
Mario is a magician who performs primarily on the East Coast entertaining children and their families. The thing that really makes him stand out is that he's a creator and inventor, making all of his own props for his show including fun, educational robotics.
He's an advocate for the Maker Movement, STEAM/STEM educational initiatives, and can be seen on a recent episode of Sesame Street.
He's Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin for the modern age. | {
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Alibaba stock is down another 2.9% this week after a report from Barron's indicated the e-commerce stock could fall another 50%.
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (NYSE: BABA) shares hit a high of $120 in the two months following the company's September 2014 IPO. But Barron's issued an Alibaba stock price prediction that sees BABA slipping from its current price near $63 all the way down to nearly $30 per share.
Barron's cites Chinese economic struggles, increased e-commerce competition, and the company's unique corporate governance as reasons the stock will continue to fall.
"It's time to get real," the article said. "A decline of up to 50% looks far more likely. Alibaba shares trade at about 25 times the consensus earnings estimate for the year ahead, and that should be closer to eBay's multiple of 15."
But according to Money Morning experts, the Barron's article got it wrong.
"I have great respect for Barron's," Money Morning Executive Editor Bill Patalon said. "It's a great publication and has a contrarian bend just like me. But nobody's perfect and, in this case, the writer got it wrong."
According to Patalon, the Barron's report doesn't address the right time frame. Pullbacks like this are very common for new issue stocks.
"I knew that, as a hot IPO, there was every chance the stock could – and probably would – sell off," Patalon said. "It's a 'transformational' type of company, meaning its leaders are 'planting seeds' right now that will have big future payoffs."
You can't look at Alibaba stock with a short-term perspective. This is a company that is building for the long-haul. Jack Ma isn't overly concerned with quarter-by-quarter data.
"Alibaba's moves into entertainment, media, cloud computing – these are all part of a broad vision Jack Ma and his executive team has for Alibaba," Patalon said.
Patalon says the article is also wrong when it compares Alibaba to eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY).
BABA got ahead of itself and your Alibaba enthusiasts such as Michael Robinson and Bill Patalon simply were blinded to the price ( P/E of 50 ) last year. Even a blind man could smell risk, especially right after a huge IPO and all the buzz, which apparently is continuing. Now, insider selling is putting pressure on the price and leading it down.
The subject Barron's article made a number of valid criticisms, the other side of the same coin, that was overlooked by China boosters. The China Story is still valid and so are companies connected with it, but you have to take the long view to get there. Alibaba at $90/share was speculative, while if priced at $50.00/share is a value (Still a Possibility). Big difference. | {
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Elon Musk's Craziest Gambles
Shane Addinall posted a post in Blog
Business and gambling aren't terms many combine when referring to success, but Elon Musk isn't like most in more ways than one. The Tesla co-founder is known as a serial entrepreneur who takes massive risks with his business ventures. Despite his critics' lack of faith or vision, the outcomes of Elon Musk's business gambles prove he knows how to play the game. And he is playing it right. What makes his bets so interesting is the variety of games he plays, and his best bets include, among others, financial solutions, alternative energy, AI cures for degenerative diseases, space travel, and, most recently, social media. His wealth comes from a list of successful business ventures that include startups and ideas way ahead of their time. Let's dive into the craziest wagers he's made and unpack numerous decks initially stacked against the multi-billionaire. We also look at some plays where the dealer still needs to reveal their cards. Big Bets After completing university qualifications in Pennsylvania, Musk, his brother, and a partner founded Zip2 through angel investor funds. The city guide and maps company changed hands via M&A deals, eventually leaving Musk with his share of a $22 million buy-out in 1999. He gradually built an empire from this success, increasing his stakes with every opportunity. His business success proves the importance of knowing which hand to hold, raise, or fold. ✓ X.com and PayPal Many may not know this about Elon Musk, but he co-founded one of the first federally insured online banks called X.com. Following the success of Zip2, Musk moved into the financial services sector, and this bet eventually made him part of the PayPal Mafia. During its first couple of years, there were intense political struggles in the company, and following its first 200,000 sign-ups, the board voted against Musk as CEO. As an initial funder of the company and its biggest shareholder, Musk stepped up as CEO once more when X.com merged with its biggest competitor, Confinity. This was short-lived as the board ousted him again, and Peter Thiel replaced him as CEO. Confinity owned a product named PayPal, which allowed PalmPilot owners to send money via infrared ports. As we know, this technology expanded to include email and web transfers worldwide. With Thiel as the leader, the new board renamed the company PayPal in 2001. One year later, eBay acquired PayPal for $1.5 billion, and Musk received $175.8 million for his 11.72% shares in the business. Many of the founders became giants in the tech world, and they dubbed this group the PayPal Mafia. Fifteen years after the sale, Musk purchased the X.com domain from PayPal for an undisclosed amount, claiming it had sentimental value. ✓ SpaceX With no time to count his gains, Musk moved on to his next bet upping the ante and triggering many negative responses. Two decades later, the man is one of the greatest visionaries, but most thought he was mad. In March 2002, Musk founded his own privately-owned aerospace company, SpaceX. Musk commenting about the mission of SpaceX said: "You want to wake up in the morning and think the future is going to be great – and that's what being a spacefaring civilisation is all about. It's about believing in the future and thinking that the future will be better than the past. And I can't think of anything more exciting than going out there and being among the stars." True to his pedantic nature, Musk stated that SpaceX would decrease the cost of space travel by a factor of ten. After failing to purchase refurbished rockets in Russia, the visionary plotted how he could manufacture his own rockets at a fraction of the cost of traditional spacecraft. Much to his critics and competitors' disgust, Musk's SpaceX is an enormous success story in the aerospace industry. Valued at $74 billion in April 2022, SpaceX successfully launched satellites with reusable rockets and outperformed NASA with innovative engineering. Their current focus is on Starship, the first all-purpose space vehicle. Musk seems willing to go all-in on the fact that it will reach orbit this year. ✓ Tesla Musk currently holds the position of Tesla's CEO and leads all product designs, engineering, and global manufacturing. He staked $6.5 million in the automotive and clean energy company in 2004, becoming the biggest shareholder and chairman. Five years later, the company produced its first electronic car, the Tesla Roadster. Since its inception, Tesla has released seven electronic vehicles ranging from low-priced to high-end sports models. The engineers who founded Tesla believed that it isn't necessary to compromise to drive an electric car. Musk agreed and, since stepping up as the company's CEO in 2008, made bold bets that mostly landed in his favour. Less than two decades after his gamble on futuristic engineering and electric cars, Tesla boasts a net worth of $58 billion. Musk attests to the risk he took when moving into a highly saturated automotive industry and following many who failed in the Electric Vehicle mass-market. Today the Tesla Model 3 holds the record as the top-selling electric vehicle, and thanks to big gambles made by Musk, the company's portfolio includes other renewable energy subsidiaries. With their sights set on clean energy and transport, Tesla acquired battery production companies, built the Gigafactory, and bet on solar energy products. ✓ SolarCity and Tesla Energy In April 2015, Elon Musk announced the launch of their home energy storage system, Powerwall, and Tesla Energy came into existence. The clean energy subsidiary of Tesla develops, manufactures, sells, and installs photovoltaic solar energy generation systems, battery energy storage, and related renewable energy products. The following year, Musk would stack his chips to the value of $2.6 billion in a highly debated acquisition. While attending to his duties as CEO of Tesla and managing his aerospace dream, Musk and his partners at Tesla broadened their sustainable energy horizons. In 2016, Tesla gained a residential solar company, SolarCity. Musk bet on a family business as SolarCity founders Peter and Lyndon Rive are cousins of Musk. Perhaps, taking a significant gamble on the blind. At the time of acquisition, SolarCity had installed over 325,000 solar energy systems throughout the US based on a popular leasing system. Unfortunately, the company had $1.5 billion in debt, although it was the largest residential installer in the States. The contentious acquisition had Musk in hot water and shareholders up in arms. Since the controversial buy-out of SolarCity, Tesla Energy rolled out its solar roof and solar inverter and underwent a business model shift. The company focuses on making its systems the most economical in the market, and from 2021, customers need to purchase a Powerwall if they have a solar roof or inverter installed. Since then, the business increased installations by 68% from 2020 and deployed 32% more battery energy storage products. ✓ Gigafactory One of Elon's biggest gambles to date is the $5 billion investment in the mammoth lithium-ion battery plant. Gigafactory, named for its sheer size, had critics calling Musk's bluff while others admired his audacity. With Tesla's mission to accelerate the adoption of sustainable energy solutions and offer affordable electric vehicles (EV), they need to increase their production. This motif drove the development and completion of the Nevada Gigafactory. The intention is for the factory to supply enough batteries to support the production of 500,000 EVs per year and produce Model 3 vehicles. Musk explained that this number exceeded the sum of all the EV productions throughout the world. The facility reached completion in the past month as the Tesla CEO cut the red ribbon for opening the largest factory in the world. Since the Gigafactory announcement in 2014, Tesla opened smaller Giga branches throughout the globe, and today the company produces more batteries than any of its competitors. Nevada's 1.9 million square foot factory is a self-contained energy facility producing its renewable energy sources and is a net-zero energy factory. Bets on the Future The big difference between gambling and business ventures is that gambles have much shorter waiting periods before you find out whether you go bust or take the pot home. As the famous country song says, the secret to survivin' is knowin' what to throw away and knowin' what to keep. The Tesla CEO has a knack for risky bets, and so far, it seems like he's been right on the money. We await the results on some of his gambles as they are 'works in progress'. With Tesla finally ready to scale up as its Gigafactory opens its doors, we believe the following projects may enjoy a gear change too. ✓ Hyperloop and The Boring Company What started as one of Musk's imaginative "wouldn't it be cool" ideas turned into a new possibility of public transport. In 2013 Musk announced a dream of creating a vacuum-tube train system with costs cheaper than other modes of transportation. This may have sprouted the launch of The Boring Company in 2016. Although the vactrain does not exist yet and large companies like Virgin are chasing Musk's dream, The Boring Company works on more straightforward projects like digging tunnels. The company aims to create detours and faster routes with underground tunnel networks to solve 'soul-destroying traffic'. ✓ AI Elon unveiled that Tesla is working on a robot and the Tesla Bot project is the most important one for the EV company this year. Musk believes they can only solve the autopilot conundrum when real-life AI is a reality. According to its CEO, the company aims to have a bi-pedal, humanoid robot available in 2022. Essentially, the robot will be capable of performing tasks that may be unsafe, repetitive, or boring. The development is quite interesting as Musk is known for his warnings against AI and robots specifically. Yet, he champions the Tesla Bot project and insists the company invests heavily in this project. This is not the only stake he has in Artificial Intelligence, though. Musk co-founded a neurotechnology startup in 2016, Neuralink. Musk described the work as a "Fitbit in your skull" and introduced one of the early devices in 2020, and explained how the technology might soon cure paralysis and other neurological disabilities. Although neuroscientists criticise the claims and call them highly speculative, Musk remains hopeful about linking their technology with the brain and changing lives in the process. A Revolutionary Mind Whether you agree with his crazy ideas or not, Elon Musk's track record shows how brilliant and reckless he can be. Some of his insane ideas pay massive dividends, while others come back to bite him years later. One thing is certain - the 21st century would be a lot more monotone without his revolutionary mind. Considering the billions of dollars he has to back his ideas, we are bound to see more gambling from the billionaire.
We Answer the Top 20 Online Casino FAQs
At GamblersPick we are committed to bringing you coverage of the online gambling industry that puts you first. Whether it's revealing a new online slot, discussing an important industry news event, or reviewing an online casino we look at it all through the lens of what it means to the player. This player-centric mentality was the driving force behind the creation of the GamblersPick Seal of Approval. Most importantly this Seal of Approval cannot be bought, any of the recommended casinos featuring the emblem have earned it! Our vetting process scrutinises the gambling site looking at five key criteria: their trustworthiness, the quality of their customer service, how they secure your private information, available banking options and their library of casino games. These review criteria were not chosen at random but rather because they covered the most important questions players around the world are asking about gambling. Join us as we specifically answer the 20 most frequently asked questions about online casinos and gambling in general: Trustworthiness ✓Are online gambling sites rigged? This is a very valid question given that a casino could rig games in their favour. This is why recommend always playing at a regulated online. Licensed casinos have their payouts and games tested by third-party auditors as part of their licensing agreement which ensures your safety. ✓Which online casinos are best? This all depends on what you like in an online casino. We always recommend playing where you can use your local currency, transact via a local banking option, and get games from your preferred providers - we cover all this information in our casino reviews. Start your journey with our already vetted list of GamblersPick Select casinos. ✓Who regulates online gambling? The online gambling industry now boasts a host of licensed and regulated gambling jurisdictions. These gambling authorities ensure that online casinos operating in their region follow strict safety and fair play guidelines. For a full list of gambling regulators visit our section on licenses. ✓Where is online gambling illegal? This is a broad question as there is a fine line between illegal and unregulated. Some countries do not offer licensed online gambling but still allow citizens to gambling online without fear of prosecution. We recommend checking the legality of online gambling with a local legal professional to avoid any problems. Customer Experience ✓Are gambling winnings taxable? There is no universal law on whether gambling winnings are taxable. We recommend speaking to a local tax professional or visiting the website of your national revenue service to ensure you are complying with local laws. ✓Can gambling affect your credit score? Interestingly it is not gambling that affects your credit score but where you are seen to be spending your money. Gambling is considered a high-risk activity that could cause your credit score to be adjusted down. However, since it is only a fraction of your income or net worth the impact should be negligible. ✓Can gambling make you rich? For a few lucky gamblers winning a progressive jackpot or big poker tournament has made them rich. However, gambling is not a guaranteed way to make money rather it should be seen as a hobby. Gamble for the entertainment factor, and should you hit a big win consider it a stroke of good luck. ✓How do casino odds work? Whenever you play an online casino game there is the chance that you will win despite there being a House edge that ultimately favours the casino. This is expressed as the game's RTP% (return to player percentage). Should a slot offer an RTP of 96% it means that over time that slot will return 96% of the staked amount to players leaving the House with a 4% margin. There is not guarantee that you will get your money back, however, which is why some lose while others win. ✓Do online gamblers ever win? Yes, there are many stories of online gamblers winning big jackpots. The Microgaming progressive jackpot network for example has paid out over €1.4 billion in prize money. However, the real question is not whether players win but how many players win more than spend. We always recommend playing with a budget that you can afford to lose which ensures you will have a good time regardless of the outcome. ✓Where can I find the best online casino welcome bonuses? With so many online casinos on the market, we have taken the time to both review them and give you detailed information on the available welcome bonuses that you could claim. Visit our Bonuses section for access to nearly 300 welcome offers. ✓What is a no deposit bonus at online casinos? When you claim a welcome bonus when joining a new casino, you generally receive bonus credits or spins once you make a minimum deposit. In the case of a no deposit bonus, you will get these credits or free spins without having to deposit. ✓Are online casino bonuses worth it? When an online casino bonus meets your needs, it is. If you're looking to test a casino without risking your own money or want to boost your bankroll to extend your playtime, they are great. Some players do not like having to meet wagering requirements before making a withdrawal and in that case, it is better to only play with your own money. Safety ✓Is it safe to play at online casinos? It is safest to play at licensed online casinos as you are guaranteed that they employ the latest online security and encryption measures to protect your personal and banking information. When visiting a gambling site always look for the "lock" symbol in the web address bar as this shows that the site is secure. ✓Can online casinos cheat? The honest answer is that they can. To avoid this play at a reputable online casino that offers games by well-known game developers and is audited by recognised third-party auditing firms. This ensures multiple levels of compliance and gives you the best chance of a safe and secure experience. Payments ✓Which gambling sites accept PayPal? If you're looking for a GamblersPick Select PayPal site to gamble with we can recommend visiting PlayOJO casino. That being said we offer insights into more than 400 payment methods and the casino who offer them to help you find the best banking options and casino partners. ✓Can online casinos refuse to pay out winnings? Not legally no. If you have legitimately won, then the casino owes you your payout as part of the agreement you entered when joining their site. The only caveat to this is if there is an error that occurred in the game which invalidates the win. Should this happen, a reputable online casino will provide proof of the error and in some cases provide some measure of compensation to ease the loss of a big win. Casino Games ✓Where did gambling originate? Nobody knows if early cavemen placed bets on who could take down the biggest woolly mammoth, but historians have found examples of six-sided dice which could be dated back to 3000 BC. It has also been proven that early Chinese civilisation held lotteries as far back as 2300 BC. However, casinos, as we know them today first, appeared in Italy in the 17th century. ✓Which online gambling game has the best odds? The three casino games with the best odds for players are without doubt baccarat, roulette and craps which have a House edge of 1.06%, 1.35% and 1.4% respectively. Slots are the most prolific online casino game type but generally hold a 3%-5% advantage for the casino. ✓What are the different types of gambling? The term "gambling" covers a wide variety of activities, which not only includes games of chance like slots, roulette and even lottery but also games of skill like poker and sports betting. ✓Are online casino games fair? Casino games from reputable providers like Microgaming, Playtech, Evolution and others use random number generators which use the law of probability to ensure random and therefore fair outcomes. As part of their licensing agreement, these providers are audited by third parties which adds an additional layer of accountability and security.
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Bitcoin and PayPal: A Love Story?
GamblersPick posted a post in Blog
When was the last time you paid for something in cash or even had cash on you? Last year, the Federal Reserve found that consumers used cash 26% of the time when making a payment. It might not be surprising to hear that the days of paper bills are dwindling. On the rise, however, is the use of cryptocurrency. Perhaps you haven't gotten on board with it yet, but you might, now that Paypal and Bitcoin are teaming up. That's right, PayPal's 305 million users will be able to buy and sell bitcoins on the platform. In response to this announcement, the cost of the currency increased by nearly $12,000. Here's what this cryptocurrency's increase in accessibility will mean for you. When and Where Can You Use PayPal and Bitcoin? While PayPal is a global company, its partnership with Bitcoin will take off in the United States first. During the final weeks of 2020, users will be able to buy and sell the currency with each other through their accounts. Lucky for them, there are also 26 million retailers around the globe that accept payments by PayPal. Beginning in early 2021, PayPal will allow consumers to use to pay for their purchases at these retail sites using their bitcoin wallets. The currency will get converted during the transaction, as most retailers do not accept bitcoins yet. Gambling is also going the way of digital currency. While this excludes online casinos, there are physical casinos around the nation that do accept PayPal and Bitcoin. Feel free to use bitcoins when hitting the slots or the blackjack table next year. Learn First, Try Second There's no need to worry if this is your first time dabbling with cryptocurrency. PayPal's got you covered. They'll be offering free online lessons to teach you all about cryptocurrency, as well as how to buy and sell bitcoin with PayPal. It is important to educate yourself on the topic before using this form of currency. It is common for newcomers to lose money. People who understand the market can manipulate the value of the currency and get you to pay more for it than it's worth. On top of that, Bitcoin's value naturally fluctuates more than traditional currency. This adds to the risk of using it. You'll need to pay close attention to bitcoin's value before you buy or sell it. These are just some of the reasons why PayPal created classes for their consumers. However, if you are smart about when and how you buy and sell the cryptocurrency, this could be a match made in heaven for you. Get Yourself a PayPal and Bitcoin Wallet Perhaps you were apprehensive about using cryptocurrency before this announcement and now you're eager to know more about it. Read these 9 facts about Bitcoin to get a better look at the company's background. Although Paypal isn't the first company to use Bitcoin, it could influence the future of banking in a major way. Leave a comment down below and share your thoughts about PayPal and Bitcoin teaming up.
cryptocurrency bitcoin online gambling online slots gambling las vegas online casinos casino games online casino casinos poker igaming video games blockchain history esports gaming lottery ethereum technology | {
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Daily Bulletin: Could Safe Storage Laws Prevent School Shootings?
Hello, readers. In today's briefing: The Washington Post dug into records on decades of school shootings, and the findings point to one promising solution. Plus, the NRA claims it might soon be forced to pull the plug on its television channel. Those stories and more, below.
New from The Trace: The National Rifle Association details business woes in court filing. In a complaint amended to an ongoing lawsuit, the group claimed that it could be forced to cut member services as a result of efforts by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and the state's financial services regulators to pressure banks and insurers to consider the reputational risks of doing business with the NRA, whose self-defense insurance policy was found to violate state law. The NRA said in the filing that it has had trouble securing banking services and insurance coverage. Without media liability insurance in particular, the group says, it may have to shutter its influential video and streaming arm, NRA TV. The NRA also complained that without other liability coverage, it "cannot maintain its physical premises" or "convene off-site meetings and events."
Most school shooters get their guns from immediate family members, an analysis from the Washington Post found. The Post examined 105 school shootings since Columbine. In 80 percent of those cases, the assailants got their weapons from their own homes or those of close relatives. In just four cases, adults were convicted for improper storage of guns. A proposed Pennsylvania state law would make it easier to convict negligent gun owners. The gun safety legislation would mandate secure storage of firearms in homes shared with prohibited gun owners, including juveniles. It would also require gun owners to report a lost or stolen weapon within 24 hours. Further reading: Our primer on safe storage laws explains how they work and why they're still so rare.
A bold approach to gun restrictions would appeal to voters in general elections, a new poll from Guns Down and the Center for American Progress suggests. The survey by the two liberal organizations found that voters generally prefer candidates who argue for fewer guns overall rather than those who argue for universal background checks alone. GOP candidates continue to aggressively court gun owners. In Connecticut's Republican primaries, candidates are making bold displays of their support of the Second Amendment on visits to gun stores and shooting ranges.
Alex Jones is seeking $100,000 in court costs from the family of a Sandy Hook victim. The family behind the defamation lawsuit did not appear in court yesterday, in part because of fears for their safety. Since Noah Pozner was killed in 2012, his parents say they have received repeated death threats from Jones's followers, some of whom believe the talk show host's lies that the shooting was a hoax. The Trace's Mike Spies was one of the first journalists to report deeply on Lenny Ponzer's fight against the conspiracy theorists who defile the truth about what happened to his son.
Chicago anti-violence protesters plan to shut down city streets again today. And they're prepared to go to jail for their cause, they told the Chicago Tribune. The demonstrators plan to disrupt what's expected to be a busy evening in the area — a music festival and a baseball game will be happening simultaneously. ICYMI: Last month, thousands of anti-gun violence demonstrators in Chicago shut down a major highway.
Another Baltimore cease-fire starts tomorrow. This weekend's effort to clock 48 consecutive hours without a shooting will mark the community initiative's one-year anniversary. Each of the group's previous attempts has been successful. During and after February's cease-fire, the city went 11 days without a single homicide, the longest stretch since 2014.
An armed homeowner who had just killed an intruder was killed by responding officers. The Aurora, Colorado, man was fatally shot by police early Monday, just minutes after he shot and killed a man who had broken into his home. An injured child was also found at what the police chief described as "a very chaotic and violent scene."
A woman is in jail after killing her abuser in self-defense. The 38-year-old Selma, Alabama, woman had a protection from abuse order against her estranged husband, who she says charged at her in her driveway. After she shot and killed him, she was booked at the county jail on a $100,000 bond. Meanwhile, in Texas, a state representative said a shooting victim was killed by her estranged husband because "the woman was unfair."
A Michigan lawmaker was detained after a Transportation Security Administration agent found a loaded gun in his bag. The state representative later apologized, saying that he "honestly forgot" the handgun was in his carry-on bag during a trip to Detroit earlier this month. The weapon was one of 17 guns seized from airline passengers across the United States that day. From The Trace archives: Last year, the TSA confiscated a record number of guns from traveler's carry-on bags. Of the 3,957 firearms they found, 84 percent were loaded and 35 percent had a round chambered.
NEW FROM THE TRACE
Helping gun violence survivors tell their stories: a guide for journalists. For much of the past two years, The Trace's Elizabeth Van Brocklin has reported almost exclusively on the often overlooked population of people living with gunshot injuries and related trauma. In a collaboration with the Columbia Journalism Review, she shares what she's learned. Some of her tips:
Understand the data that's available (and what's missing) so you can help put stories in perspective.
Go beyond traditional avenues to find sources with diverse experiences.
Use trauma-informed reporting techniques and treat sources with empathy and respect.
Look for systemic problems — and possible solutions.
Read the full article, here. | {
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Check out this bit from my next novel, a war story.
There's a zillion things I could say about music and writing (or exercise, or escape, etc.) but, for now, I'll just include this song, "Check My Brain" by Alice In Chains.
Awake at 4:45 this morning and at my laptop at 5:03.
Why? Why do it? I'm going to be dog-tired this afternoon. It'll be a little tougher during a workout. I may get short with the kids (still off for the Silly Season break). I'll definitely be yawning when I read them tonight, in another 13 hours. I'm always yawning these days. Why do it?
Because my fourth novel "Tempest Road" is a bit of a mess and I'm excited about correcting it.
Because the work needs full attention before kids roam the house.
Because my various to-do lists – that amorphous storm of obligations and desires – will be calling once the sun is up.
Tired and groggy and inspired (or not) this is my time.
And it may be all the time I have.
Idly watching a plane slide across the clouds, George works on a piece of spinach stuck in his teeth. The Thai food was a good pick for lunch. Of course, he didn't know that, two hours later, he'd be here, in this conference room.
Behind him, a tidy packet of paper sits stapled on the mahogany table. His signature is needed on the last page.
"Sorry about the wait," Colleen says, closing the door softly.
"M-hm," George says, turning to face this woman.
In a scarlet dress with what one would call a plunging neckline, Colleen is a stunning vision at 50. Or she could be–if not for this.
She slides into a chair and gestures to the one near her, malice in an open, upturned palm. George decides to keep things civil, or moderately civil.
Colleen says nothing. George's eyes float over her knees and crossed legs, up to the diamonds in the choker at her throat. It all seems wrong. At least her earrings don't have feathers, some other gaudy attempt at allure.
Another moment passes in silence and stillness.
Finally, in response, she slides the papers closer to him. The severance agreement includes six months' salary plus two thousand shares of company stock. The company thanks you for the years of shepherding and bleary eyes and blood.
Defeated, eyes once again returning to the diamonds at Colleen's throat–to the canines concealed behind her smirk–George reaches for the pen.
I hate the self-promoting thing, I really do. But it's nice to share good news, that validation that us writers really need.
"The Churning" is getting positive reviews, averaging 4.9 stars on Amazon, wa-hoo! Maybe, after all these years of mistakes, blunders, self-fouls, etc., I know what I'm doing.
Check it out (cheaper than a latte, I should add). | {
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Home Must Reads Good News
Vulnerable south Londoners to be provided with radiators ahead of Christmas as temperatures drop
Vulnerable south Londoners are to be provided with radiators to keep them warm as the cold snap starts to bite in the capital. The Stay Warm, Stay Safe initiative is the brainchild of the Royal Borough of Greenwich's Live Well Greenwich campaign and Charlton Athletic Community Trust who aid the elderly, infirm and those who […]
by Grant Bailey
in Good News, Must Reads
Vulnerable south Londoners are to be provided with radiators to keep them warm as the cold snap starts to bite in the capital.
The Stay Warm, Stay Safe initiative is the brainchild of the Royal Borough of Greenwich's Live Well Greenwich campaign and Charlton Athletic Community Trust who aid the elderly, infirm and those who are struggling to afford their heating in five local boroughs.
As many as 60 oil filled electric radiators will be dispatched to those who need them most in Southwark, Greenwich, Bromley and Bexley.
The heaters are being provided by Andrews Heat For Hire, a business whose roots lie south of the city.
Andrews have prepared and safety checked each heater so that they are ready to be sent out at a moment's notice.
Council chiefs believe up to 100 local people could benefit.
A life-saving paper boy and more of 2021's most extraordinary young people
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It's been a rubbish year so here are some heart-warming stories to lift your spirits
Watch: Festive makeover for selfless volunteers who help families all year round
Deb Brown, head of health improvement at Charlton Athletic Community Trust said for some residents a warm pack could be enough.
Containing soup, blankets, thermometers, hats and gloves they are handed out to people who are unable to afford to crank up their heating as much as they would like.
Deb added: ''This is a great opportunity for us because the heaters Andrews are providing enable us to help people further afield than just Greenwich.
''For example one of these heaters is going to a lady in Southwark today because it's a perfect fit for her.
''The Stay Warm, Stay Safe campaign runs between October and March and helps people who have to spend more than ten per cent of their income on energy such as heating and lights.
''We also help with carers who look after people who are over 60 and disabled. We also check people's homes and the temperature.
''We basically go out onto the streets of the five boroughs and ask people if they need support''
Andrews Heat for Hire have partnered with the Charlton Athletic Community Trust for more than a decade.
Their southern regional director Mark Page said: "We understand that this time of year can be particularly difficult for a significant demographic of society and so it's only right that we can play our part in improving people's situations.
''As our relationship expands, we have started to work together to provide extra services and support for Royal Greenwich residents, who are at risk of being affected by the cold weather over the winter months.
"We're glad that our units will provide warmth and safety to many people this winter and are proud to support a campaign that does so much for the local community.
"By getting on board and working with the Trust, we are able to make a big difference to many lives and offer an important but basic amenity that is often taken for granted.
''We see this very much as a long-term project in terms of our involvement and look forward to improving the welfare of a large number of people across the borough and beyond.
''We have been involved in the trust for more than ten years but this is the first time we have provided equipment
''It all started with a conversation between our MD Paul Wood and Jason Morgan CEO of CACT.
''We have provided equipment to charities before – but usually it's Battersea Dogs Home".
Charlton Athletic Community Trust are commissioned by Royal Borough of Greenwich Public Health and Wellbeing dept.
They deliver a whole range of services in the borough, and have been doing so for 12 years.
The charity is also involved in everything from programmes which help people to be active, help people becoming active and helping people get through the colder months.
The Royal Borough of Greenwich's "Stay Warm Stay Safe" campaign is aimed towards residents over 60s and those with learning difficulties, physical impairments, mental health problems and financial issues, that are at risk of suffering due to low temperatures.
Additionally, the campaign will also be offering free room thermometers, advice on keeping active and healthy throughout the winter months, benefit entitlement checks and referrals and food bank vouchers.
According to the NHS, when temperatures drop below 8C, vulnerable people can become highly at risk of extreme diseases, such as heart attacks or hypothermia.
The scheme also distributes free room thermometers and a Freephone number for residents to call if they need support.
Workers will also offer advice on keeping active and healthy in the winter months, carry out a benefit entitlement check and mail elder residents to from Welfare Rights Service to check on entitlement.
They will also refer on to other support services and refer them for a 'flu jab if they're eligible and signpost them to the extensive range of Greenwich Healthy Living Services such as exercise, healthy eating and support to quit smoking.
The Freephone number is 0800 4704831
By Doug Shields
As Tories quibble amongst each other, this is what's happening on the streets of Britain
Tags: headline
Campaigners warn Government over 'unlawful' unconditional airline bailout
This Week's Stocks and Shares Advice
Tory MP loses cool over office expenses
Boris Johnson calls Corbyn a "chlorinated chicken" and a "great big girl's blouse" as leaders clash
Zesty Hake with Roasted Veg and Asian Greens
Health Secretary Matt Hancock accused of breaking ethics rules
Starmer condemns £1.3 billion 'bung' to second home owners
The reason why Manchester City didn't sign Maguire
Key lockdown adviser criticises Johnson's defence of Cummings
DVD/Blu-Ray Review: Youth | {
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Space Shuttle Columbia / OV-102
Mon · Apr 26th, 1993
10:50 AM EDT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DPxbQgiQV0
Jerry L. Ross
Jerry Lynn Ross is a retired United States Air Force officer and a former NASA astronaut. He is a veteran of seven Space Shuttle missions, making him the joint record holder for most spaceflights (a record he shares with Franklin Chang-Diaz). His papers, photographs and many personal items are in the Barron Hilton Flight and Space Exploration Archives at Purdue University. He was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame during ceremonies in May 2014.
Ross is the author of Spacewalker: My Journey in Space and Faith as NASA's Record-Setting Frequent Flyer (Purdue University Press, 2013) with John Norberg. In March 2014 it was announced "Spacewalker" will be available in a French translation through the specialist aerospace publisher Altipresse.
Fellow astronaut Chris Hadfield describes Ross in his autobiography, An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth, as "the embodiment of the trustworthy, loyal, courteous and brave astronaut archetype."
Steven R. Nagel
Status: Deceased
Steven Ray Nagel was an American astronaut, aeronautical and mechanical engineer, test pilot, and a United States Air Force pilot.
Terence Henricks
Terence Thomas "Tom" Henricks is a retired colonel in the United States Air Force and a former NASA astronaut. Selected by NASA in June 1985, Henricks became an astronaut in July 1986 and served on four Space Shuttle missions.
Charles J. Precourt
Charles Joseph Precourt is a retired NASA astronaut. His career in flight began at an early age, and spans his entire lifetime. He served in the US Air Force, piloted numerous jet aircraft, and piloted and commanded the Space Shuttle. Notably, he piloted or commanded several missions which involved docking with the Russian Mir space station and was heavily involved in Russian/US Space relations as well as the International Space Station collaboration. He retired from the USAF with the rank of Colonel.
Bernard Harris
Bernard Anthony Harris Jr. is a former NASA astronaut. On February 9, 1995, Harris became the first African American to perform an extra-vehicular activity (spacewalk), during the second of his two Space Shuttle flights.
Ulrich Walter
Payload Specialist
Agency: German Aerospace Center
Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hans Walter (born February 9, 1954) is a German physicist/engineer and a former DFVLR astronaut.
In 1993, he flew on board the Space Shuttle Columbia on mission STS-55 (Spacelab D-2) as a Payload Specialist. He spent 9 days, 23 hours, and 40 minutes in space.
Hans Schlegel
Agency: European Space Agency
Hans Wilhelm Schlegel (Überlingen, 3 August 1951) is a German physicist, an ESA astronaut, and a veteran of two NASA Space Shuttle missions.
From 1995 to 1997, he trained as the backup crew member for the German-Russian Mir'97 mission, and afterwards received additional training in Russia to become qualified as a second board engineer for the Mir space station. In 1998, he became a member of the European Astronaut Corps.
Schlegel was a Mission Specialist on the STS-122 Space Shuttle mission. The mission was charged with the responsibility of putting the Columbus laboratory in orbit, in addition to its connection to the International Space Station.
Launch Complex 39A
Space Shuttle Columbia OV-102
First Launched: April 12, 1981
Space Shuttle Columbia was the first space-rated orbiter in NASA's Space Shuttle fleet. It launched for the first time on mission STS-1 on April 12, 1981, the first flight of the Space Shuttle program. Over 22 years of service it completed 27 missions before disintegrating during re-entry near the end of its 28th mission, STS-107 on February 1, 2003, resulting in the deaths of all seven crew members.
The Space Shuttle Columbia OV-102 rocket has been launched a total of 30 times with 29 successful and 1 failed launches.
Florida, Kennedy Space Center, Lockheed Space Operations Company, Space Shuttle Columbia OV-102, USA | {
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Here's a timeline of everything China has done to prevent a stock market meltdown
Lu Jianxin and Pete Sweeney,
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - The Chinese government has taken a series of steps since late June to stave off a crash in its stock markets, which plunged nearly 30 percent over the previous three weeks since touching a peak on June 12, hit by tight liquidity conditions ahead of the quarter-end and uncertainty over the central bank's easing policy.
Following is the timeline of interventions, announcements and rumors. For the main stories, click on.
** June 27 (Saturday) - China's central bank cuts guidance lending rates and trims the amount of cash that some banks must hold as reserves, in a move widely interpreted as mainly a step to support the slumping stock market.
** June 29 - Markets continue to crash. The state-backed provider of margin financing, China Securities Finance Corp, publicly says that the risk of margin trading is controllable and margin calls are relatively small.
Later in the day, China says it will allow pension funds managed by local governments to invest in the stock market for the first time, potentially channeling more than 1 trillion yuan ($161 billion) into the equity market.
The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) issues a statement, attacking pessimists for "talking down" the Chinese market and economy, urging investors to remain calm.
Rumors swirl about pending policy interventions, including a freeze on IPOs, official instructions to institutional investors not to sell shares, and the implementation of a stamp tax on share sales to dissuade selloffs. None are confirmed although some companies announce share purchasing plans. The securities regulatory continues to approve IPOs.
Benchmark indexes shrug off the monetary easing to end down over 3 percent after a day of see-saw trade, leading domestic media to call it "Black Monday". The Shanghai Composite Index <.SSEC> closes down 3.3 percent.
** June 30 - Rumours spread that some overseas and domestic institutions had deliberately sold short to damage the market.
China's Financial Futures Exchange denies rumors that foreign investors, including Goldman Sachs , have been shorting Chinese stocks using index futures.
Primary indexes post a sharp recovery in afternoon trade to end up over 6 percent, the CSI300 index's <.CSI300> best single-day gain since 2009. SSEC closes down 5.5 percent.
** July 1 - Stocks tumble again, surrendering much of the previous day's sharp gains to end down around 5 percent. After markets close, the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges announce plans to lower securities transaction fees by 30 percent from August.
Key indexes plunge again, surrendering much of the previous gains. SSEC closes down 5.2 percent.
** July 2 - The CSRC announces relaxation of rules on margin trading before market open, lowering threshold for individual investors to trade on margins and expanding brokerages' funding channels.
The CSRC announces setting up a team to look into illegal manipulation and investigate cases if needed.
Key indexes end down sharply. SSEC down 3.5 percent.
** July 3 - China Financial Futures Exchange (CFFEX) suspends 19 accounts from short-selling for one month, sources with direct knowledge tell Reuters.
Benchmark indexes slump again despite the regulator's efforts to stop the slide. SSEC loses 5.8 percent.
** July 4 (Saturday) - China's top 21 securities brokerages pledge to invest at least 120 billion yuan ($19.33 billion) collectively to help stabilize the country's stock markets.
Twenty-eight Chinese companies planning to list on the country's stock exchanges say they would suspend their initial public offering plans.
** July 5 (Sunday) - China state-owned investment company Central Huijin Investment Ltd says it has recently purchased exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to support the market and will continue to do so.
The CSRC announces that People's Bank of China (PBOC) will inject liquidity directly to the state-backed margin finance company to stabilize the tumbling stock market.
** July 6 - Main stock indexes open up more than 7 percent on the rescue measures, but give back most gains during the day to close up 2.4 percent.
NOW WATCH: Take a tour of the $367 million jet that will soon be called Air Force One
More: China Stocks Crash Bear Market | {
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ERROR: type should be string, got "https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB98538577136133087\nWho Needs Hegel?\nFollow-Up: Barbie's Next Act | Follow-Up: Virginia View II\nH as the bear market run its course? Market forecaster Paul Macrae Montgomery thinks so, and says a significant bottom in stocks may come in a matter of days or weeks.\nFor one thing, some of his key short and intermediate term indicators are flashing buy signals. Even more important, to this long-time student of investor behavior who frequently has graced Barron's pages, is the concatenation of recent media stories. Last week, the covers of Time, U.S. News & World Report and the Economist all ran pictures of bears in acknowledgment of the stock market's parlous state. Newsweek dolefully intoned on its cover \"The Market's Wild, Confidence Is Shaky, What You Can Do Now.\"\nMontgomery, who works out of the Newport News, Virginia, office of Legg Mason Wood Walker, told us he sees these unremittingly pessimistic magazine covers as a powerful contrary indicator. In the past, such a \"confluence of negative media sentiment\" implied a better than 85% probability that a lasting stock-market bottom was imminent, he says. \"This is still likely to be the case, though it worries me some that CNBC and other financial media have picked up on our proprietary magazine cover indicator,\" Montgomery adds. \"Too much company could hurt the effectiveness of the tool.\"\nIndeed, Montgomery has earned a certain celebrity over the years by using everything from magazine covers and newspaper headlines to financial cartoons and best-sellers to divine shifts in investor zeitgeist. Most significant, of course, are cover stories that convey either pie-eyed optimism or relentless gloom about current market and economic trends. Often they represent emotional crescendos that spawn new and countervailing market trends. The process is akin to an Hegelian dialectic. \"It's not that I'm some smart guy and that all magazine editors are a bunch of dopes,\" Montgomery observes. \"Their job is to report and interpret the past and the present while I get to speculate on the future.\"\nTime Magazine is one of Montgomery's favorite counter-indicators, given its long history going back to the 1920s and its near-iconic establishment stature. Inevitably, Time's plumbing of investors' psyches and the conventional wisdom has led to embarrassments. The week of the Great Crash of 1929 was bracketed by fawning cover stories on utility magnate Samuel Insull and match king Ivar Kreuger, whose financial empires subsequently collapsed amid evidence of blatant fraud.\nLikewise a 1982 Time cover entitled \"Interest Rate Anguish\", depicting the seemingly insouciant Fed chief Paul Volcker puffing on a cigar, almost precisely marked the lift-off of the giant bond market rally that over the past two decades has driven interest rates dramatically lower. And who can forget Time's naming Amazon's Jeff Bezos its 1999 Man of the Year just three months before Amazon and the Nasdaq began their hideous collapse?\nMontgomery cites other magazine covers that unwittingly have heralded major turning points. Fortune blundered into the 1987 Crash with a cover story: \"Why Alan Greenspan is Bullish.\" Newsweek almost caught the bottom of the sell-off in the fall of '98 with the cover story \"The Crash of 1999?\"\nAnd what of the beatification of Alan Greenspan early this year in two hagiographic biographies, including Bob Woodward's Maestro: Greenspan's Fed and the American Boom ?\nIn Montgomery's opinion, Greenspan's reputation is a classic short.\n-Jonathan R. Laing\nBarbie's Next Act\nNow that Eckert's revived Mattel, the hard part begins\nN ow that Mattel 's shares have risen from the dead, what will the company do for an encore? Solving that puzzle falls to Robert A. Eckert, appointed chairman and CEO last May. His task was to right the world's biggest toy maker, whose shares had collapsed to 9 from a 1998 high of 46 amid management turmoil and a disastrous foray into computer games, via the 1999 purchase of the Learning Company.\nSo far, the former Kraft Foods CEO has received high marks in his new post from both Wall Street analysts and the press. Perhaps the most valid report card is a doubling in the company's share price, to around 18, from the first quarter of 2000, when things looked bleakest for Barbie and Ken. At that time Barron's pointed out that Mattel indeed could be fixed, and that a more realistic valuation for the stock was 15-18, not 9 (\"When She Was Bad \" March 13, 2000).\nEckert moved quickly to add value, jettisoning the Learning Company late last year. He cut headquarters staff by 10% and slashed the dividend 86%. And he refocused the company on its traditional strength, boosting 2000 worldwide sales of Mattel's flagship, Barbie, by 5%. That followed a 2% slide in '99 and a 14% drop in '98.\nLast week Eckert told Barron's , \"I'm not ready to declare victory about anything. We've had a good first inning.\" He reiterated the company's three-to-five year outlook for middle single-digit revenue growth and double-digit earnings increases. The CEO expects this year's results to be \"consistent\" with long-term guidance, although much depends on an economic recovery in the second half, when toymakers make most of their money.\nEckert is gaining support among Mattel's institutional investors, but his job will grow tougher from here. Among those who thought the stock grossly undervalued last year, State Street Research analyst Larry Haverty is impressed by Eckert's handiwork. But he notes that concerns about slow growth that led to the Learning Company purchase haven't disappeared. Mattel's sales rose 1.6% last year, versus a 1.4% drop in industry sales, to $16.4 billion.\nAlthough sales of video games and consoles dropped 6% last year, they continue to pose a threat to the traditional toy business, Haverty says. This year Mattel will have to battle heated demand for rival Sony's Playstation 2, Microsoft's Xbox and Nintendo's GameCube.\nAt 18 apiece, Mattel's shares trade for 23 times analysts' 2001 consensus estimates of 79 cents a share. That multiple is in line with its historic average in good times. Some investors might be tempted to take profits, but if the company continues to hit its targets, which seems likely, a 20% rise in the stock price over the next 18 months isn't hard to imagine.\n-Vito J. Racanelli\nVirginia View II\nU.S. and Japan are cheap\nN obody was more tickled than Dennis Gartman, the erudite editor of the Gartman Letter, when the S&P 500 index dropped dangerously close to 1100. About 17 months ago Gartman predicted in Barron's that the S&P would trade near that level as the U.S. entered a bear market (\"The View from Virginia Beach \", October 25, 1999.) He also expected European equities to outperform U.S. stocks, and that's proved the case.\nDennis Gartman sees Nikkei 24,000\nSure, Gartman got a few things wrong and so did Barron's . We said he hails from Virginia Beach. He doesn't; his office is in Suffolk, Virginia. Gartman, meanwhile, expected China to devalue the renminbi and gold to soar to $400 an ounce. Neither has happened, though he thinks the first is only a matter of time.\nToday Gartman views U.S. stocks as \"extraordinarily cheap.\" The market, he says, is \"going parabolic on the downside\", but bullish signs are emerging, such as bearish covers on popular magazines (see story above). He's waiting for CNBC to start laying off staff \"as a sign that viewership has fallen,\" or for ESPN to become the channel of choice again, before turning really bullish.\nMeanwhile, he thinks the Bank of Japan's recent moves are \"akin to the Saturday Night Massacre\" in 1979, in which the Federal Reserve moved to target reserve growth from targeting interest rates. The Japanese plan to restore a zero-interest-rate policy by setting a higher reserves target and keeping rates near zero until consumer prices stabilize. The Fed's stance helped break the back of inflation, and he contends Japan's tack will let the BOJ break the back of deflation.\nGartman remains a yen bear and thinks 145 yen to the dollar is \"a relatively easy target\" over the next few years. But he's bullish on Japanese stocks, citing tax cuts, coming \"massive writedowns\" in bank loans and new leadership. \"We're in the process of seeing a major bottom in the Nikkei,\" he says. \"Can I see 24,000 in the next five years? That doesn't seem preposterous at all.\"\n-Leslie P. Norton\nDoom depicted on magazine covers could spell boom in stocks, Paul Montomery says" | {
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Home » Resources » Useful funding sources
A list of possible funding sources for projects relating to serious youth violence:
(descriptions come from the organisations' websites)
Barrow Cadbury Trust
The Barrow Cadbury Trust is an independent charitable foundation committed to bringing about socially just change. It has an enduring commitment to racial, gender, criminal and economic justice and this looks different in every decade. 'So our values remain the same but the form that our work takes changes over time', says the trust. Find out more
The Tudor Trust
Tudor makes grants, and provides other types of support, to voluntary and community groups working in any part of the UK. It particularly wants to help smaller, community-led organisations that work directly with people who are at the margins of society: organisations that support positive changes in people's lives and in their communities. It wants to respond flexibly to your ideas and energy, and to fund effective organisations working to high standards. Find out more
City Bridge Trust
The City Bridge Trust's mission is to reduce inequality and grow stronger, more resilient and thriving communities for a London that serves everyone. The trust says that it will do this by 'using all of our knowledge, networks and assets'. The Trust has four key areas of work: Grant-making, Philanthropy, Social investment and Strategic initiatives.
Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
Working in collaboration with others, the charity uses all its tools to achieve its goals. So, in addition to funding brilliant organisations through grants and social investment, it is taking a more active role itself: brokering alliances, using its influence and removing barriers. Find out more
Trust for London
Trust for London is an independent charitable foundation. It aims to tackle poverty and inequality in London by: funding voluntary and charity groups – currently it makes grants totalling around £10 million a year and at any one time is supporting up to 300 organisations; funding independent research; and providing knowledge and expertise on London's social issues to policymakers and journalists. Find out more
Highlights examples of both proven and promising practices from charities across the country and shares its experiences as a funder about the principles that have worked in planning, designing and implementing funding programmes in this field. Find out more
London Funders
London Funders is the only cross-sector membership network for funders and investors in London's civil society. It says it is uniquely placed to enable funders from all sectors to be effective. It's focused on collaboration – convening funders to connect, contribute and cooperate together, to help people across London's communities to live better lives. Find out more
Youth Endowment Fund
The Youth Endowment Fund is dedicated to building the evidence base to determine what works and supporting improved outcomes for children and young people. Each project will be evaluated to build and share knowledge of the types of interventions which are most effective at preventing young people from being drawn into crime and violence. Find out more
Bedfordshire & Luton Community Foundation
This fund is aimed at supporting young people aged between 11 and 25 across Luton, and is targeted to maintain programmes for tackling the following: The exploitation of children and young people such as gang associated behaviour, serious youth violence or sexual exploitation, which encompass a multi-agency approach. Bids are assessed by a panel made up of adults and young people from Luton with an interest in youth work. All successful applicants will be expected to be able to assess the impact of their work very clearly. Find out more | {
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Cat is an intermediate language for program verification, optimization, and more!
Christopher is a freelance programmer and consultant, with a particular interest in the design and implementation of programming languages. He can be contacted at [email protected].
I've always been fascinated by stack-oriented languages because of their simplicity and elegance. Instructions take input off of the stack, do something with it, and push the output back onto the stack. Thus, there are no named variables or arguments, and the order of execution is left-to-right without any need for parentheses to denote precedence. As a result, it doesn't take long for people to learn the basics of programming in a stack language.
Another appeal of stack languages is that it is relatively easy to create reasonably efficient implementations for them, especially where memory considerations are at a premium. Because of this, we find stack languages in multicore processors (SeaForth, www.dspdesignline.com/188701424), virtual machines (Java Virtual Machine language), and embedded devices.
In general, when we think of stack languages, we often think of imperative languages: Each instruction does something to a shared stack. An alternative and equally accurate view of stack languages is that each instruction is a function that takes a stack as input and returns a stack as output. This is the principle upon which Manfred von Thun based the Joy language (www.latrobe.edu.au/philosophy/phimvt/joy.html).
The language that Joy most closely resembles is PostScript in that explicit control structures (branches, gotos, jumps) are replaced with higher order instructions (instructions that execute other instructions). Joy, however, introduced explicit function literals (PostScript uses a delayed execution operator) and eliminated the concept of the definition dictionary; in other words, you can't dynamically define or redefine new operations. This yielded a new breed of stack language that shares the advantages of pure functional languages (for example, it is expressive and easy to reason about and manipulate formally). It is interesting to note that despite its similarities to other stack-based languages, Joy evolved independently from Schoenfinkel and Curry's combinatory logic and the FP language by John Backus (www.vector.org.uk/archive/v203/vonthun203.htm).
My interest in Joy was primarily motivated by my search for an intermediate language that could be easily targeted by imperative and functional languages, could be easily optimized, and could be statically verified. Joy relies heavily on dynamic checking, so I created a more restricted, statically typed language based on Joy and called it "Cat."
In the Cat specification, instructions are referred to as "functions," regardless of whether they have side effects. New functions are defined using the define keyword, and have global scope. Functions cannot be redefined, and are only visible after they are defined. Example 1 presents some simple examples.
Example 1: Sample Cat functions.
Mathematical operations: add, mul, sub, div, mod, rem, inc, dec.
Logical operations: and, or, not, xor.
Function construction: compose, papply, quote.
Executing functions: apply, dip, if, while.
Manipulating the stack: swap, dup, pop.
Dealing with lists: list, cons, uncons, head, tail, count, nth.
Comparing values: eq, lt, gt, lteq, gteq, neq.
In Cat, a literal (for example, 42, 'q', "Hello Christopher\n", 3.14) pushes a value onto the stack. Additionally, you can also write literal functions, by enclosing an expression in square braces ([1 +]). This has the effect of pushing a function onto the stack without executing it. In Joy parlance, this is called a "quotation," but I think of it as an anonymous function. Anonymous functions are first class values: They can be constructed dynamically and treated like any other primitive value (you can dup them, swap them, pop them, and so on). You can execute anonymous functions using higher order functions such as apply, if, and while.
Closures (functions bound to values in the local environment) can be constructed in Cat using the papply primitive instruction. This has the effect of binding the top value on the stack to the function, a process known as "partial application" (partial application is frequently mislabeled as "currying"). An example of partial application is that if you wrote 1 [<=] papply, it has the same effect as if you wrote [1 <=].
The quicksort algorithm in Example 2 is a more sophisticated example of Cat. The algorithm relies on a binary recursion instruction (bin_rec) that provides a general implementation of a binary recursive process (also called "tree recursion"). Example 3 is a possible definition of bin_rec.
This is a simple implementation of a quick-sort algorithm.
// Does list have 0 or 1 elements?
// then concatenate the two lists.
Example 2: A simple quick-sort algorithm.
Example 3: Example implementation of the bin_rec function.
The bin_rec function is an example of a hylomorphism (see citeseer.ist.psu.edu/meijer91functional.html)—the composition of an anamorphism (an unfolding function) and a catamorphism (a folding function). Hylomorphisms are interesting because they can be used to eliminate the construction of intermediate data structures (citeseer.ist.psu.edu/launchbury95warm.html).
The quicksort algorithm in Example 2 also demonstrates an extended feature of Cat called "metadata"—a form of structured comment that can associate additional data with a Cat function that can be used by tools. For example, metadata can be used to document functions and perform automatic unit tests. The format is based on YAML (Yet Another Markup Language) and uses significant whitespace to denote hierarchical structure.
To demonstrate how compact Cat can be, Example 4 includes an implementation of the Google MapReduce algorithm (labs.google.com/papers/mapreduce.html). The general idea of the Google MapReduce algorithm is to define a task in terms of subtasks that can be executed (in this example, counting instances of words), and a function to combine the results of the subtasks (called the "reduce function"). While my implementations of Cat do not execute MapReduce concurrently, you can easily develop an implementation of Cat that automatically executes map and self_join to take advantage of available parallelism in the executing environment. This leads to an important point about Cat: As an implementor, you decide how to implement the primitive instructions and whether to implement standard library functions as library functions or built-in functions. This opens lots of opportunities for high-performance implementations.
Example 4: An implementation of the Google MapReduce algorithm. | {
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US WeChat users sue over Trump exec order
By GT staff reporters Source: Global Times Published: 2020/8/9 22:53:40
Rule of law in US 'far less reliable than we thought'
A user swipes on his smartphone while WeChat logos appear in the background, 14 May 2020. Photo: IC
An alliance representing WeChat users in the US has been initiated by several Chinese American lawyers to revoke a presidential executive order targeting the Tencent-owned messaging app.
It marks a fresh move to rise against a US-inflicted iron curtain that intends to block itself from contacts with Chinese technologies and solutions - the next big things invoking fear within "a declining superpower," said experts.
The legal action, adding to TikTok owner ByteDance's statement Friday that it will resort to legal action if the US government fails to treat it in an equitable way, indicates that Chinese businesses are also prepared to use litigation to fight against the Trump administration's groundless suppression, experts said.
They are set to face a tough legal battle, nevertheless, they noted, citing the US legal system that vests the president with executive power at his discretion when wielded in cases of national security protection and suppression of the kind that goes well beyond the legal sphere.
Trump signed an executive order on Thursday banning all US transactions with Tencent on grounds of national security after 45 days, or September 20. A parallel executive order signed on Thursday also blocks all US deals with TikTok's Chinese parent ByteDance after 45 days.
The suffocating move hammered Tencent shares in Hong Kong trading on Friday, even though WeChat users in the US as a percentage of its entire user population remain tiny.
A Tencent spokesperson told the Global Times on Friday that the company is reviewing the executive order to get a full understanding.
The executive order targeting WeChat, tantamount to a complete ban on the messaging and payments app, violates the US Constitution, the Administrative Procedure Act, among other rules, according to a posting on Sunday on the public WeChat account of US law firm Ying Cao Law LLC.
If the executive order is strictly followed, individuals or entities in the US will not be allowed to download or update WeChat via the app stores of iPhones or Android devices, read the posting, a donor funding proposal for safeguarding US WeChat users through the creation of the US WeChat Users Alliance.
The transactions to be banned would not be identified until 45 days after the date of the order, said the proposal, estimating that the ban could mean that no one in the US could use WeChat's messaging functionality, let alone its transfer and payment features, thereby having a great impact on the life and work of several million Chinese Americans and other people who have enjoyed the great benefits and convenience brought by WeChat.
Violations of the executive orders issued under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) could face civil penalties of over $300,000 per transaction as well as criminal penalties, according to the IEEPA of the US.
Trump administration's daylight robbery, blatant intimidation to "smash & grab" from TikTok.Illustration:Liu Rui/GT
The alliance claimed that it does not represent the interest of any parties, governments, or Tencent, and it will file a lawsuit with the federal court system and asks for the order to be invalidated. It plans to file the case within 10 days. Tencent has yet to comment on the legal action.
The office of the US president has power to issue executive orders on national security grounds, Hao Junbo, chief lawyer at the HAO Law Firm in Beijing, told the Global Times on Sunday.
It would be difficult for the orders to be adjudicated unconstitutional factoring in the president's exercise of his discretionary power, according to Hao, an expert on cross-border legal cases.
In theory, there is still a small chance of winning the case though, as the two apps, TikTok in particular, are widely used among locals, the lawyer said, stressing that deraignment is supposed to focus on whether the order issues constitute an administrative procedural violation and if anything goes wrong about the fact-finding - proof that the apps are truly to the detriment of US national security.
In a sign that the US governmental accusation could be essentially on weak ground, the CEOs of US top tech firms including Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google largely said they have no knowledge nor have not seen personally that China steals technology from US firms during a Congressional antitrust hearing in late July.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, widely seen as the biggest beneficiary of the bans, was the only one among the four who gave an affirmative answer.
"Forcing a withdrawal of Chinese firms from the US market fits into the appeal of US social media, as China's new-generation internet innovation firms have far outsmarted their US counterparts, especially in the arena of content and application technologies," Wang Peng, an assistant professor at the Gaoling School of Artificial Intelligence at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Sunday.
The US has no choice but to suppress Chinese firms, or outside competitors, in order to maintain US firms' market share on their home turf, Wang remarked.
Lessons should be learned
Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, told the Global Times on Sunday that the challenges that Chinese IT firms are facing in the US are not legal cases in nature but political incidents, and these challenges should be regarded as risks brought by the uncertainty of US politics.
"As Chinese firms or Chinese app users in the US, the legal approach is the only option they can use to respond to the challenges, but from a legal perspective, the US president has authority, whether it's reasonable or not, to sanction foreign firms within the country, so it would be hard for these firms to protect their interests through suing the US government," he said.
There have been very few cases in the past where a foreign company has won a lawsuit against the US federal or local governments, and it will take a very long time and the cost would be huge as well, which means the attempt will have limited effect on the US government, Chinese experts said.
"Even if there are changes in White House policymaking after the November presidential election, that would be too late and the losses for ByteDance and WeChat would have already happened," Lü noted.
Chinese firms should review their strategic investments and decision-making, as in past few years, some Chinese overseas giant companies decided to expand their business in the US, and they naively believed in the rule of law in the country, Lü stressed, noting that the Trump administration's executive order is a lesson that should be learned by all Chinese firms - that the risks caused by politics in the US should not be underestimated.
"The uncertainty in US politics is unimaginable, and the rule of law in the US is far less reliable than we used to believe," he said.
Trump's attack on WeChat likely a major blow to Apple: survey
WeChat US ban cuts off users link to families in China | {
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Buildings Alive works at the intersection of behaviour science, data science and building science and our team is recognised for its deep expertise in assessing, fine-tuning, predicting and communicating building performance. Our culture is friendly, supportive and results-oriented.
Our customers include many of the world's leading property and technology companies, and we work across Australia, North America and Europe to help them analyse and optimise the environmental performance of their largest and most complex buildings. The person who takes on this exciting new role as Communications and Marketing Lead will take our customer relationships to the next level, adding more structure and purpose to our communications and actively contributing to the direction and success of the business.
We are looking for an ambitious, outgoing and talented all-rounder who shares our passion for quality and making a difference. This Sydney-based role will provide Buildings Alive with leadership in marketing, communications and customer engagement, capturing opportunities to build on our excellent reputation and enthusiastic customer relationships.
Buildings Alive offers a friendly and highly flexible work environment with a growing list of generous benefits including career development and growth opportunities, remote working, an annual learning and development allowance, employee share scheme, etc. Our offices are modern and convenient (located close to Town Hall and Museum stations and with end of trip facilities). Above all, we are a purpose-driven company with the goal of contributing to a more sustainable built environment – your work makes a difference. | {
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Home » Business law & Startups , Consortium in Nigeria , Group Company , Holding Company » The formation of Group Company, Holding Company and Consortium in Nigeria
The formation of Group Company, Holding Company and Consortium in Nigeria
By Legalnaija 2:28 PM
By: Teingo Inko-Tariah
There are certain business structures that could be created to foster easier operations and management, or to accomplish some other agreed specific purpose. Businesses can be structured in the form of a group, holding or consortium to achieve the aforementioned goals. It is imperative to note here that a single company cannot be structured using any of these methods because there must be a minimum of two companies in existence before any of these structures can be adopted. The procedure for registration of each of these will now be considered in turn.
A group of companies comprises of a minimum of three companies that all have common shareholders and similar names. These companies will in turn become the shareholders of the Group Company. An example of a Group Company in Nigeria is Dangote Group. Its associate companies include Dangote Sugar, Dangote Flour, & Dangote Cement. The law prohibits the use of the word 'Group' in the name of a company. Accordingly, appropriate consent must be obtained from the Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) before the word can be used. Before consent can be obtained to use the word 'Group' in the name of a company, the following requirements must be met in the process of registration of a Group Company:
1. Payment of a non-refundable application for consent fee.
2. Formal application for consent to use the word 'Group'.
3. Evidence of not less than three associate companies to form the proposed Group company which will be a distinct entity.
4. Similar names of associate companies and evidence of similar ownership or shareholdings of the associate companies.
5. Resolution of the associate companies indicating consent to the 'Group' relationship
6. Updated annual returns of all associate companies.
7. Evidence of Company secretary of associate companies.
8. Statement by the majority of the directors of the proposed Group company that the share capital shall not be less than the highest share capital amongst the associate companies. For an illustration of this point, let us assume that there are 4 associate companies as follows: Divine Nigeria Limited with share capital of N1m, Divine Farms Ltd with share capital of N1m, Divine Global Resources Ltd with share capital of N2m and Divine Travels Ltd with share capital of N5m. The share capital of the Group – Divine Group of companies cannot be less than N5m.
9. Evidence of compliance with S.553 CAMA where applicable. This applies to banks, insurance firms, deposit, provident or benefit societies.
10. After consent is successfully obtained for the use of the word 'Group', the new entity which is the Parent/Group Company can then be registered in accordance with the usual company registration procedure.
A holding company is a parent company that has more than half (50%) of the shares in another company in order to control its policies and management. The main purpose of holding company is to control the 'daughter' company. Where the parent company owns 100% of the shares of a daughter company, it is called a 'wholly owned subsidiary'. An example of a Holding company in Nigeria is First Bank Holding Company Nigeria Plc. The subsidiaries include FBN Bank (UK) Ltd, FBN Bank Ghana, FBN Bank Guinea, & FBN Merchant Bank. Like the Group company, the law also prohibits the use of the word 'Holding'. Accordingly, requisite consent must be obtained from the Registrar-General of the CAC before the word can be included in the name of a company. The procedure for registration of a holding company is as follows:
1. Payment of non-refundable application for consent fee.
2. Formal application for consent to use the word 'Holding'.
3. Evidence of not less than 2 subsidiary companies.
4. Statement by majority of the directors of the proposed holding company that the company shall acquire more than half in the nominal value of the share capital of each of the subsidiaries within 90 days of incorporation.
5. Evidence of updated annual returns of all subsidiary companies
6. Evidence of appointment of company secretary of each subsidiary company.
8. After consent is successfully obtained for the use of the word 'Holding', the new entity which is the parent company can then be registered in accordance with the usual company registration procedure.
A consortium refers to a corporate entity composed of different companies that agree to collaborate for the achievement of certain agreed objectives. Each component entity is only responsible to the consortium to the extent of its obligations as set out in the consortium agreement. Thus the component entities are independent and can carry on their normal operations without interference so long as it has nothing to do with the operations related to the consortium. An example of a consortium in Nigeria is 4power Consortium which comprises of Taleveras Group of Companies Ltd, Paradise Powers Nig. Ltd, Bayelsa Electricity Company Ltd, Skyview Power Technologies Ltd etc. 4Power Consortium has majority ownership in Port-Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC). Again, like the case of 'Group' and 'Holding', the word 'Consortium' is also prohibited and so requires consent of the Registrar General of CAC before the word can be used as part of the name of a company. The procedure for consent is the first step in the registration of a consortium and this requires:
2. Formal application for consent to use the word 'Consortium'.
3. Evidence of not less than 3 companies forming the consortium.
4. Evidence of registration in home country, in the case of a foreign company
5. Resolution of each company in the consortium indicating consent to the consortium arrangement and stating the object of the consortium.
6. Statutory declaration to wind up the consortium in accordance with the provision of CAMA upon completion of the object of the consortium.
7. Statement of the object of the consortium in the memorandum of association.
8. Inclusion of a clause to wind up the consortium in the articles of association.
9. Evidence of updated annual returns of component companies
10. Evidence of appointment of company secretary of component companies.
11. Evidence of compliance with S.553 CAMA where applicable. This applies to banks, insurance firms, deposit, provident or benefit societies.
12. After consent is successfully obtained for the use of the word 'Consortium', the new entity which is the parent company can then be registered in accordance with the usual company registration procedure.
The type of structure to be adopted is based on the purpose sought to be achieved. Business owners, promoters and entrepreneurs need to consider which of the structures above best addresses the need. It should not be seen as a status affair to boast of owning a group of companies as the registration of an additional company brings with it additional compliance obligations and thus the formation ought to be justified.
*Please note that adequate professional guidance should be sought as this does not constitute legal advice and is solely for enlightenment purposes.
Teingo Inko-Tariah
Teingo Inko-Tariah is a Corporate Governance & Anti-money laundering practitioner as well as a consumer protection enthusiast. She is a Partner at Accord Legal, a law firm based in Port-Harcourt, Nigeria.
Ed's Note: This article was originally posted here.
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Critical Care Nephrology, 3rd
Comprehensive and clinically relevant, the 3rd Edition of Critical Care Nephrology provides authoritative coverage of the latest advances in critical care procedures for patients with renal diseases or disorders. Using common guidelines and standardized approaches to critically ill patients, this multidisciplinary reference facilitates better communication among all physicians who care for critically ill patients suffering from kidney disease, electrolyte and metabolic imbalances, poisoning, severe sepsis, major organ dysfunction, and other pathological events.
Offers detailed discussions of different forms of organ support, artificial organs, infections, acute illness occurring in chronic hemodialysis patients, and much more.
Places a special emphasis on therapeutic interventions and treatment procedures for a hands on clinical reference tool.
Presents information clearly, in a format designed for easy reference - from basic sciences to clinical syndromes to diagnostic tools.
Covers special populations such as children, diabetic patients, and the elderly.
An exceptional resource for nephrologists, intensivists, surgeons, or critical care physicians - anyone who treats critically ill renal patients.
Shares a combined commitment to excellence lead by Drs. Claudio Ronco, Rinaldo Bellomo, John Kellum, and Zaccaria Ricci - unparalleled leaders in this field.
Addresses key topics with expanded coverage of acute kidney injury, stress biomarkers, and sepsis, including the latest developments on mechanisms and management.
Provides up-to-date information on extracorporeal therapies from new editor Dr. Zaccaria Ricci.
By Claudio Ronco, MD, Divisione di Nefrologia, Ospedale San Bortolo, Vicenza, Italy; Rinaldo Bellomo, MBBS(Hons), MD, FRACP, FCCP, Chairman, Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Clinical Trials Group; Director of Intensive Care Research, Department of Intensive Care, Austin & Repatriation Medical Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; John A. Kellum, MD, UPMC Presbyterian, Pittsburgh, PA and Zaccaria Ricci
"This is an excellent source of in-depth information on the intersection between critical illness and nephrology, making it a useful resource for practicing nephrologists or trainees about to enter practice given today's increasing acuity and use of the ICU. The comprehensive review of evidence is well cited, with many chapters written by recognizable field leaders, and well organized into intuitive sections. While it is a large book, its many chapters help compartmentalize information and it would work well as a quick reference guide once readers are familiar with its content. The electronic version is a nice addition and helps readers quickly search its content, but is not required. Overall, this book is an extensive and accessible review of current intensive care nephrology and would serve as an excellent resource for clinicians looking to expand their knowledge on an increasingly common intersection of practice." Reviewed by Paul Adams, BS MD (University of Kentucky College of Medicine) Doody's Score: 93, 4 Stars!
Claudio Ronco & Rinaldo Bellomo & John Kellum & Zaccaria Ricci | {
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Articles about movies
2019 Teen Choice Awards: 'Stranger Things' leads in second wave of nominations
The following is a press release from Fox:
The second and final wave of Teen Choice 2019 nominees have been announced and "Stranger Things" leads with six nominations. "Spider-Man: Far From Home," "Murder Mystery" and "The Last Summer" are the front-runners in film with three nominations each. Music artist Shawn Mendes tops the music category with three nominations.
Celebrate the year's hottest stars in television, music, film, sports, comedy, digital and social media when the star-studded two-hour LIVE event airs, for the first time in Teen Choice history, from Hermosa Beach, CA, on Sunday, Aug. 11 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX.
Voting is officially open as of 9:00 AM PT today through Monday, July 15 at 9:00 AM PT via https://fox.tv/TCA19 and Twitter. Fans are allowed ten votes per category, per day, per platform user ID, for their favorite Teen Choice 2019 Wave Two nominees. Vote via Twitter by tweeting a category hashtag (please see below) with the nominee's name (either @nominee, or if the nominee does not have a Twitter account, use #nominee). You may only vote for one Teen Choice 2019 nominee per Tweet. For voting rules and more information, visit fox.com/teenchoice/rules and FAQs at fox.com/teen-choice/faqs.
Following are "Wave Two" categories and nominees for Teen Choice 2019:
Choice Summer Movie (#ChoiceSummerMovie)
"The Last Summer"
Choice Summer Movie Actor (#ChoiceSummerMovieActor)
Adam Sandler – "Murder Mystery"
Charles Melton – "The Sun Is Also a Star"
Corey Fogelmanis – "Ma"
Himesh Patel – "Yesterday"
K.J. Apa – "The Last Summer"
Tom Holland – "Spider-Man: Far From Home"
Choice Summer Movie Actress (#ChoiceSummerMovieActress)
Jennifer Aniston – "Murder Mystery"
Maia Mitchell – "The Last Summer"
Mindy Kaling – "Late Night"
Selena Gomez – "The Dead Don't Die"
Yara Shahidi – "The Sun Is Also a Star"
Zendaya – "Spider-Man: Far From Home"
Choice Summer TV Show (#ChoiceSummerTVShow)
"Nailed It!"
Choice Summer TV Actor (#ChoiceSummerTVActor)
Caleb McLaughlin – "Stranger Things"
Diego Tinoco – "On My Block"
Finn Wolfhard – "Stranger Things"
Gaten Matarazzo – "Stranger Things"
Luka Sabbat – "grown-ish"
Noah Schnapp – "Stranger Things"
Choice Summer TV Actress (#ChoiceSummerTVActress)
Chloe Bennet – "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."
Hilary Duff – "Younger"
Jessica Marie Garcia – "On My Block"
Millie Bobby Brown – "Stranger Things"
Rose McIver – "iZombie"
Yara Shahidi – "grown-ish"
Choice Summer Song (#ChoiceSummerSong)
"Cool" – Jonas Brothers
"Easier" – 5 Seconds of Summer
"Señorita" – Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello
"Summer Days" – Martin Garrix (feat. Macklemore & Patrick Stump)
"Truth Hurts" – Lizzo
"You Need To Calm Down" – Taylor Swift
Choice Summer Female Artist (#ChoiceSummerFemaleArtist)
Choice Summer Male Artist (#ChoiceSummerMaleArtist)
Choice Summer Group (#ChoiceSummerGroup)
Choice Summer Tour (#ChoiceSummerTour)
Ariana Grande – "Sweetener World Tour"
Billie Eilish – "When We All Fall Asleep World Tour"
BLACKPINK – "BLACKPINK 2019 World Tour (In Your Area)"
BTS – "BTS World Tour Love Yourself: Speak Yourself Tour"
Jennifer Lopez – "It's My Party Tour"
Shawn Mendes – "Shawn Mendes The Tour"
Choice Song From A Movie (#ChoiceSongFromAMovie)
"A Whole New World" (End Title) (from "Aladdin") – ZAYN & Zhavia Ward
"Broken & Beautiful" (from "UglyDolls") – Kelly Clarkson
"Carry On" (from "Pokémon Detective Pikachu") – Kygo & Rita Ora
"Don't Give Up on Me" (from "Five Feet Apart") – Andy Grammer
"Shallow" (from "A Star Is Born") – Bradley Cooper & Lady Gaga
"Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)" (from "Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse") – Post Malone & Swae Lee
Choice Female Web Star (#ChoiceFemaleWebStar)
Eva Gutowski
Choice Male Web Star (#ChoiceMaleWebStar)
The Dolan Twins
Guava Juice
MrBeast
Ryan Higa
Choice Comedy Web Star (#ChoiceComedyWebStar)
CalebCity
Choice Social Star (#ChoiceSocialStar)
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
Choice Music Web Star (#ChoiceMusicWebStar)
Choice Fashion/Beauty Web Star (#ChoiceFashionBeautyWebStar)
Bethany Mota
Hannah Meloche
Nikkie de Jager "NikkieTutorials"
Summer Mckeen
Choice Gamer (#ChoiceGamer)
DanTDM
Ryan Ohmwrecker
SSSniperWolf
Choice YouTuber (#ChoiceYouTuber)
Erika Costell
Kian and Jc
The Merrell Twins
Niki and Gabi
Sam and Colby
Choice Fandom (#ChoiceFandom)
#Arianators
#Blinks
#BTSARMY
#CNCOwners
#Selenators
#Swifties
TEEN CHOICE 2019 is produced by Bob Bain Productions and FOX Alternative Entertainment. Bob Bain and Ashley Edens serve as executive producers. Like TEEN CHOICE 2019 on Facebook at facebook.com/TeenChoiceAwards. Follow the action on Twitter @TeenChoiceFox and join the discussion at #teenchoice. See photos and videos on Instagram by following @teenchoicefox. Fans also are encouraged to follow @TeenChoiceFox on Twitter for the latest TEEN CHOICE 2019 news, including voting and announcements of the host(s), performers, presenters and nominees.
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences invites 842 people to join in 2019; half of them are women
by Carla Hay
Lady Gaga at the 91st annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on February 24, 2019. (Photo by Rick Rowell/ABC)
Gemma Chan at the 91st annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on February 24, 2019. (Photo by Rick Rowell/ABC)
Tom Holland at the 91st annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on February 24, 2019. (Photo by Rick Rowell/ABC)
Elisabeth Moss at the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 4, 2018. (Photo by Rick Rowell/ABC)
Winston Duke at the 91st annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on February 24, 2019. (Photo by Rick Rowell/ABC)
Marina de Tavira at the 91st annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on February 24, 2019. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/©A.M.P.A.S.)
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited 842 people to join the group in 2019, and 50 percent of them are women and 28 percent are people of color. The Academy invited a record-high number of 928 people to join its membership in 2018. Of the 928 people invited to be new Academy members in 2018, 49 percent are women and 38 percent are people of color.
According to Variety, the Academy invited 774 new members in 2017, 683 new members in 2016 and 322 new members in 2015. Variety noted: "In 2015, people of color accounted for only 8 percent of the Academy body. In 2019, it stands at 16 percent, the Academy reported. As it stands, the Academy counts 8,946 active members, with 8,733 eligible to vote on the Oscars. The total membership including retired members is 9,794."
Ever since the #OscarsSoWhite controversy in 2015 and 2016 (when all the Oscar nominees in the actor/actress categories were white) and criticisms over the lack of women who are nominated for Best Director, the Academy has publicly pledged to diversify its membership. Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy's membership in 2019. New members will be welcomed into the Academy at invitation-only receptions in the fall.
Oscar winners on the invite list to join the Academy include "A Star Is Born" songwriters Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt; "Skyfall" songwriter Adele Adkins (whose stage name is Adele); "Free Solo" co-director Jimmy Chin; "Black Panther" composer Ludwig Goransson; "Birdman" producer John Lesher; "BlacKkKlansman" co-screenwriter Kevin Wilmott; and "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" co-directors Bob Persichetti and Rodney Rothman and producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.
There are also several Oscar nominees on the list, including "Vice" producer Kevin Messick; "The Favourite" film editor Yorgos Mavropsaridis; "The Favourite" costume designers Fiona Crombie and Alice Felton; "Mary Poppins Returns" songwriter Scott Wittman and "Mirai" director Yuichiro Saito.
Some of the well-known actors and actresses who are on the invitation list include Sterling K. Brown, Gemma Chan, Winston Duke, Claire Foy, Jamie Bell, Tom Holland, Elisabeth Moss, Alexander Skarsgård and Letitia Wright.
Here is the complete list of the 842 people who have been invited to join the Academy in 2019:
(*) = Invited to join more than one branch of the Academy. The invitee must select only one branch to join when accepting membership.
(n) = Oscar nominee
(w) = Oscar winner
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje – "Suicide Squad," "Trumbo"
Yareli Arizmendi – "A Day without a Mexican," "Like Water for Chocolate"
Claes Bang – "The Girl in the Spider's Web," "The Square"
Jamie Bell – "Rocketman," "Billy Elliot"
Bob Bergen – "The Secret Life of Pets," "WALL-E"
Bruno Bichir – "Crónica de un Desayuno," "Principio y Fin"
Claire Bloom – "The King's Speech," "Limelight"
Héctor Bonilla – "7:19 La Hora del Temblor," "Rojo Amanecer"
Juan Diego Botto – "Ismael," "Vete de Mí"
Sterling K. Brown – "Black Panther," "Marshall"
Gemma Chan – "Crazy Rich Asians," "Mary Queen of Scots"
Rosalind Chao – "I Am Sam," "The Joy Luck Club"
Camille Cottin – "Larguées," "Allied"
Kenneth Cranham – "Maleficent," "Layer Cake"
Marina de Tavira – "Roma" (n), "La Zona (The Zone)"
Stephen Dillane – "Darkest Hour," "The Hours"
Winston Duke – "Us," "Black Panther"
Jennifer Ehle – "A Quiet Passion," "Zero Dark Thirty"
Irene Escolar – "Bajo la Piel de Lobo," "Un Otoño sín Berlin"
Claire Foy – "First Man," "Breathe"
Gina Gallego – "Minority Report," "Erin Brockovich"
Giancarlo Giannini – "Quantum of Solace," "Seven Beauties"
David Harewood – "Free in Deed," "Blood Diamond"
Stephen McKinley Henderson – "Fences," "Manchester by the Sea"
Dolores Heredia – "Huérfanos," "A Better Life"
Tom Holland – "Avengers: Endgame," "Spider-Man: Homecoming"
Tom Hollander – "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Pride & Prejudice"
Nina Hoss – "A Most Wanted Man," "Barbara"
Lennie James – "Blade Runner 2049," "Get On Up"
Gemma Jones – "Rocketman," "Sense and Sensibility"
Barry Keoghan – "Dunkirk," "The Killing of a Sacred Deer"
Anupam Kher – "Hotel Mumbai," "The Big Sick"
Andreas Sebastian Koch – "Bridge of Spies," "The Lives of Others"
Lady Gaga(*) – "A Star Is Born" (n), "Frank Miller's Sin City: A Dame to Kill For"
Tracy Letts – "The Post," "Lady Bird"
Damian Lewis – "Our Kind of Traitor," "Dreamcatcher"
Helen McCrory – "Their Finest," "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"
Natascha McElhone – "Solaris," "The Truman Show"
Ofelia Medina – "Innocent Voices," "Frida: Naturaleza Viva"
Elisabeth Moss – "Us," "The Square"
Peter Mullan – "Tyrannosaur," "Trainspotting"
Jack O'Connell – "Unbroken," "Starred Up"
Archie Panjabi – "A Mighty Heart," "The Constant Gardener"
Amanda Peet – "The Way Way Back," "Syriana"
Kevin Pollak – "The Front Runner," "The Usual Suspects"
Will Poulter – "Detroit," "The Revenant"
Andrea Riseborough – "Battle of the Sexes," "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)"
Toni Servillo – "The Great Beauty," "La Ragazza del Lago"
Alexander Skarsgård – "The Legend of Tarzan," "Melancholia"
Tamlyn Tomita – "The Day after Tomorrow," "The Joy Luck Club"
Jean-Louis Trintignant – "Amour," "Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train"
Carlo Verdone – "Manuale d'Amore," "Borotalco"
Harriet Walter – "The Young Victoria," "Atonement"
Olivia Williams – "An Education," "The Sixth Sense"
Letitia Wright – "Black Panther," "Ready Player One"
Yousra – "The Storm," "Egyptian Story"
Justine Arteta – "Battle of the Sexes," "Little Miss Sunshine"
Eyde Belasco – "Sorry to Bother You," "(500) Days of Summer"
Jo Edna Boldin – "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs," "Hell or High Water"
Nathalie Boutrie – "Mommy," "Monsieur Lazhar"
Nathalie Cheron – "Lucy," "La Femme Nikita"
Robin D. Cook – "The Shape of Water," "Crimson Peak"
Alexa L. Fogel – "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind," "Our Brand Is Crisis"
Celestia Fox – "The Remains of the Day," "Howards End"
Rie Hedegaard – "Flame and Citron," "The Celebration"
Irene Lamb – "Brazil," "The Empire Strikes Back"
Don Phillips – "Dazed and Confused," "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"
Lene Seested – "After the Wedding," "Brothers"
Christi Soper Hilt – "How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World," "The Boss Baby"
Christopher Aoun – "Capernaum," "Kalveli: Shadows of the Desert"
Vanja Černjul – "Crazy Rich Asians," "Adult Beginners"
Carolina Costa – "Crystal Swan," "They"
Svetlana Cvetko – "In Search of Greatness," "Silicon Cowboys"
Autumn Durald Arkapaw – "The Sun Is Also a Star," "Untogether"
Diego García – "Divino Amor," "Our Time"
Hong Kyung-pyo – "Burning," "Run Off"
Miguel Littin Menz – "Cabros de Mierda," "Hands of Stone"
Zak Mulligan – "We the Animals," "Bleeding Heart"
Sean Porter – "Green Book," "Rough Night"
Joshua James Richards – "The Rider," "God's Own Country"
George Richmond – "Rocketman," "Tomb Raider"
David Alex Riddett – "Early Man," "Shaun the Sheep Movie"
Robbie Ryan – "The Favourite" (n), "The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)"
Akira Sako – "Ajin: Demi-Human," "Shippu Rondo"
Giorgi Shvelidze – "Namme," "Beri" Lyle Vincent – "Thoroughbreds," "The Bad Batch"
Ari Wegner – "Stray," "Lady Macbeth"
Stacey Battat – "Gloria Bell," "The Bling Ring"
Mimi Lempicka – "Au Revoir Là-Haut (See You Up There)," "Blanche"
Debra McGuire – "I Feel Pretty," "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy"
Antoinette Messam – "Superfly," "Creed"
Lena Mossum – "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote," "13 Roses"
Gaetano Speranza – "Stan & Ollie," "Everest"
Aleksandra Staszko – "Cold War," "Ida"
Julio Suárez – "Zama," "The Headless Woman" Anna Terrazas – "Roma," "Abel"
Production Designers
Michel Barthelemy – "The Sisters Brothers," "Rust and Bone"
Hussein Baydoun – "Capernaum," "The Insult"
Daniel Birt – "The Mummy," "Chappie"
Silke Buhr – "Never Look Away," "Who Am I"
Susan Burig – "Avengers: Infinity War," "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge out of Water"
Charisse Cardenas – "American Sniper," "The Lincoln Lawyer"
Stephen Cooper – "Hell or High Water," "Patriots Day"
Chris Cornwell – "Ride Along," "The Ides of March"
Fiona Crombie – "The Favourite" (n), "Macbeth"
Jann K. Engel – "Annabelle: Creation," "The Big Short"
Bárbara Enríquez – "Roma," "Resident Evil: Extinction"
Alice Felton – "The Favourite" (n), "Una"
Beauchamp Fontaine – "Nebraska," "The Skeleton Key"
Bryony Foster – "Safe," "Shanghai Noon"
Craig Foster – "Inside Out," "Up"
Shepherd Frankel – "Ant-Man and the Wasp," "27 Dresses"
Vera Hamburguer – "Today (Hoje)," "Castelo Rá-Tim-Bum, o Filme"
Jeremy Hindle – "Detroit," "Zero Dark Thirty"
Stephen J. Lineweaver – "Ted," "Jerry Maguire"
Tamara Marini – "Spectre," "Jumper"
Akiko Matsuba – "Shoplifters," "Like Father, like Son"
Tom Miller – "Incredibles 2," "Cars"
Desma Murphy – "Aquaman," "Project X"
Cornelia Ott – "Jason Bourne," "Valkyrie"
Julia Roeske – "Never Look Away," "Womb"
Sebastian Schroeder – "Bumblebee," "The Jane Austen Book Club"
David Edward Scott – "Captain America: Civil War," "Tron: Legacy"
Fredda Slavin – "Violet & Daisy," "Limitless"
Marcel Sławiński – "Cold War," "The Mill & the Cross"
Katarzyna Sobańska Strzałkowska – "Cold War," "In Darkness"
Emelia Weavind – "Queen of Katwe," "District 9"
Zoya Akhtar – "Gully Boy," "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara"
Raja Amari – "Foreign Body," "Les Secrets"
Jon Baird – "Stan & Ollie," "Filth"
M. Neema Barnette – "Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day," "Civil Brand"
Julie Bertuccelli – "Dernières Nouvelles du Cosmos," "Since Otar Left…"
Laís Bodanzky – "Como Nossos Pais," "Bicho de Sete Cabecas"
Zero Chou – "Ching's Way Homes," "Spider Lilies"
Jonathan M. Chu – "Crazy Rich Asians," "Now You See Me 2"
Sergey Dvortsevoy – "Ayka," "Tulpan" Pernille
Fischer Christensen – "Becoming Astrid," "Someone You Love"
Lucía Gajá – "Batallas Intimas," "Mi Vida Dentro"
Nisha Ganatra – "Late Night," "Chutney Popcorn"
Matteo Garrone – "Dogman," "Tale of Tales"
Will Gluck – "Peter Rabbit," "Easy A"
Eva Husson – "Girls of the Sun," "Bang Gang (A Modern Love Story)"
Liza Johnson – "Elvis & Nixon," "Return"
Tunde Kelani – "The Lion and the Jewel," "The Narrow Path"
Jennifer Kent (*) – "The Nightingale," "The Babadook"
Mélanie Laurent – "Galveston," "Breathe"
Phil Lord (*) – "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," "21 Jump Street"
Alison Maclean – "The Rehearsal," "Jesus' Son"
Christopher Miller (*) – "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," "21 Jump Street"
Carol Morley – "Out of Blue," "The Falling"
Ulrike Ottinger – "Under Snow," "Twelve Chairs"
Gloria Rolando – "Dialogue with My Grandmother," "1912: Breaking the Silence, Chapter 1"
Amr Salama – "Sheikh Jackson," "Tahrir 2011"
Shamim Sarif – "Despite the Falling Snow," "The World Unseen"
Ivan Sen – "Goldstone," "Toomelah" Maryse Sistach – "Moon Rain," "The Girl on the Stone"
Frances-Anne Solomon – "Hero: Inspired by the Extraordinary Life and Times of Mr. Ulric Cross," "Peggy Su!"
David E. Talbert – "Almost Christmas," "First Sunday"
Yim Soon-rye – "Little Forest," "Whistle Blower"
Jasmila Žbanić – "One Day in Sarajevo," "Grbavica"
Nancy Abraham – "Solitary," "The Loving Story"
Khadija Al-Salami – "Yemen: Kids and War," "Al Sarkha (Scream)"
Phie Ambo – "Free the Mind," "Family"
Karim Amer – "The Great Hack," "The Square" Isabel
Arrate Fernandez – "Return to Homs," "Five Broken Cameras"
Kirstine Barfod – "Venus," "Born to Lose"
Ruth Beckermann – "The Waldheim Waltz," "East of War"
Jordana Berg – "The Edge of Democracy," "The Mighty Spirit"
Doug Block – "The Children Next Door," "Home Page"
Steven Bognar – "American Factory," "The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant"
Dallas Brennan Rexer – "No Woman, No Cry," "Deadline"
Ditsi Carolino – "Hindered Land," "Bunso"
Erin Casper – "Risk," "American Promise"
Julian Cautherley – "Buena Vista Social Club: Adios," "The Crash Reel"
Lori Cheatle – "Matangi/Maya/M.I.A.," "I Am Another You"
Jimmy Chin – "Free Solo" (w), "Meru"
Jonathan Chinn – "Black Sheep," "LA 92"
Christopher Clements – "One Child Nation," "Take Your Pills"
Davis Coombe – "Chasing Coral," "Saving Face"
Ben Cotner – "13th," "The Case Against 8"
Brenda Coughlin – "Risk," "Dirty Wars"
Linda Davis – "The Kill Team," "The Waiting Room"
Talal Derki – "Of Fathers and Sons" (n), "Return to Homs"
Jessica Devaney – "The Feeling of Being Watched," "Speed Sisters"
Katja Dringenberg – "The Congo Tribunal," "Black Box BRD"
Anne Fabini* – "Return to Homs," "More than Honey"
Penelope Falk – "Step," "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work"
Drew Fellman – "Pandas," "Island of Lemurs: Madagascar"
Skye Fitzgerald – "Lifeboat" (n), "Finding Face"
Josh Fox – "Awake, a Dream from Standing Rock," "Gasland"
Ansgar Frerich – "Let the Bell Ring," "Of Fathers and Sons"
Laura Gabbert – "City of Gold," "Sunset Story"
Jannat C. Gargi – "Knife Skills," "Circo"
Maureen Gosling – "Blossoms of Fire," "Burden of Dreams"
Roberta Grossman – "Seeing Allred," "Above and Beyond"
Ryan Harrington – "Sea of Shadows," "A Place at the Table"
Mette Heide – "Amanda Knox," "Rafea: Solar Mama"
Lisa Heller – "Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland," "Saving Face"
Carolyn Hepburn – "One Child Nation," "3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets"
Lee Hirsch – "Bully," "Amandla! A Revolution in Four Part Harmony"
Hong Hyung-sook – "The Border City 2," "Reclaiming Our Names"
Chiemi Karasawa – "Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me," "Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction"
Eva Kemme – "Of Fathers and Sons" (n), "Taste of Cement"
Stephen Kijak – "We Are X," "Stones in Exile"
Su Kim – "Midnight Traveler," "Hale County This Morning, This Evening" (n)
Alison Klayman – "The Brink," "Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry"
Karen Konicek – "Monrovia, Indiana," "Ex Libris – The New York Public Library"
Jan Krawitz – "Perfect Strangers," "Big Enough"
Sabine Krayenbühl – "The Price of Everything," "Mad Hot Ballroom"
Susan Lacy – "Jane Fonda in Five Acts," "Inventing David Geffen"
Beth Levison – "32 Pills: My Sister's Suicide," "The Trials of Spring"
Mor Loushy – "The Oslo Diaries," "Censored Voices"
Carrie Lozano – "The Ballad of Fred Hersch," "The Weather Underground"
Ma Li – "Inmates," "Born in Beijing"
Leah Marino – "Motherland," "Imelda"
Rafael Marmor – "Mike Wallace Is Here," "The Short Game"
Gesa Marten – "Shot in the Dark," "Lost in Liberia"
Yael Melamede – "(Dis)Honesty – The Truth about Lies," "Desert Runners"
Noé Mendelle – "Woman in Sari," "State of the World"
Muffie Meyer – "Making Rounds," "Grey Gardens"
Bryn Mooser – "Lifeboat" (n), "Body Team 12"
Eva Mulvad – "The Good Life," "Enemies of Happiness"
Alysa Nahmias – "Unrest," "Unfinished Spaces"
Andrea Blaugrund Nevins – "Tiny Shoulders: Rethinking Barbie," "Still Kicking: The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies"
Christine O'Malley – "If You Build It," "I.O.U.S.A."
Martha Orozco – "Nueva Venecia," "Drought,"
Ferne Pearlstein – "The Last Laugh," "Imelda"
Per Kirkegaard Pedersen – "That Summer," "Armadillo"
PJ Raval – "Call Her Ganda," "Before You Know It"
Kimberly Reed – "Dark Money," "Prodigal Sons"
Stacey Reiss – "The Eagle Huntress," "The Diplomat"
Melissa Robledo – "Command and Control," "Merchants of Doubt"
Susan Rockefeller – "Food for Thought, Food for Life," "Making the Crooked Straight"
Vanessa Roth – "American Teacher," "Freeheld"
Marjan Safinia – "Seeds," "But You Speak Such Good English"
Courtney Sexton – "Apollo 11," "Three Identical Strangers"
Avner Shahaf – "The Oslo Diaries," "The Gatekeepers"
Alexandra Shiva – "This Is Home: A Refugee Story, " "How to Dance in Ohio"
Tobias N. Siebert – "Of Fathers and Sons" (n), "The Story of the Weeping Camel"
Karen Sim – "Watchers of the Sky," "Back on Board: Greg Louganis"
Claire Simon – "Young Solitude," "Human Geography"
Sara Stockmann – "Bobbi Jene," "Armadillo"
Helena Třeštíková – "A Marriage Story," "Marcela"
Matt Tyrnauer – "Studio 54," "Valentino The Last Emperor"
Lindsay Utz – "American Factory," "Quest"
Lisa Valencia-Svensson – "Call Her Ganda," "Herman's House"
Aliona van der Horst – "Love Is Potatoes," "Boris Ryzhy"
Baby Ruth Villarama – "Sunday Beauty Queen," "Jazz in Love"
Miao Wang – "Maineland," "Beijing Taxi"
Stephanie Wang-Breal – "Blowin' Up," "Tough Love"
M. Watanabe Milmore – "Metallica: Some Kind of Monster," "Revelations: Paradise Lost 2"
William Weber – "To Be Takei," "We Were Here"
Ryan White – "Ask Dr. Ruth," "The Case Against 8"
Michelle M. Witten – "Generation Wealth," "Author: The JT LeRoy Story"
Matt Wolf – "Bayard & Me," "Teenage"
Hao Wu – "People's Republic of Desire," "The Road to Fame"
Tom Yellin – "Cartel Land," "Girl Rising"
Farihah Zaman – "Remote Area Medical," "This Time Next Year"
Richard Abramowitz
Edward Allen
Spring Aspers
Steve Bertram
Neal Block
Gail Blumenthal
Gabriel Brakin
Matthew Evan Brodlie
Ben Browning
Lisa Bunnell
Andres Calderon
Jean Chi
Marjorie Cohn
Shakim Compere
Tyler Dinapoli
Sidonie Dumas
Jesse Ehrman
Scott Forman
Greg Forston
Margaret French-Isaac
Cindy Gardner
Michele Halberstadt
Kiska Higgs
Jennifer Hollingsworth
Leah Holzer
Jonathan Kadin
Ken Kao
Laine R. Kline
Eric Lagesse
Cassidy Lange
Patricia Louise Laucella
Ivana Lombardi
Jillian Longnecker
Richard Lorber
Funa Maduka
Alana Mayo
Howard Meyers
Andrea M. Miloro
Meredith Milton
Tom Molter
Lumumba M. Mosquera
Chantal Nong
Megan O'Brien
Jun Oh
Dana O'Keefe
Marisa Michele Paiva
Linda Pan
Nicola Pearcey
Julie Rapaport
Betsy Rodgers
Adam Rosenberg
Michael Schaefer
Georges Schoucair
Sara Scott
Beatriz Sequeira
Meyer Shwarzstein
Molly Smith
Kimberly Steward
Shelby Stone
Syrinthia Studer
Niels Swinkels
Cathleen Taff
Winnie Tsang
John Vanco
Samantha Vincent
Robert Walak
Ty Warren
Brad Weston
Cami Sarah Winikoff
Christa Zofcin Workman
Film Editors
Michel Aller – "Shazam!," "The Nun"
Joshua Altman – "Minding the Gap," "The Price of Free"
John Axelrad – "The Lost City of Z," "Crazy Heart"
Alexander Berner – "Alien vs. Predator," "Resident Evil"
Edgar Burcksen – "100 Years: One Woman's Fight for Justice," "A New York Heartbeat"
Lee Chatametikool – "Malila: The Farewell Flower," "Pop Aye"
Dany Cooper – "Measure of a Man," "The Sapphires"
Peter Elliot – "Shaft," "Think like a Man"
Anne Fabini* – "Of Fathers and Sons," "Return to Homs"
Robert Fisher, Jr. – "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs"
Teresa Font – "Pain & Glory," "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote"
Laure Gardette – "Capernaum," "Polisse"
François Gédigier – "Alone in Berlin," "Yves Saint Laurent"
Terel Gibson – "Sorry to Bother You," "The Ballad of Lefty Brown"
Eddie Hamilton – "Mission: Impossible – Fallout," "Kingsman: The Golden Circle"
Julia Juaniz – "Finding Steve McQueen," "Black Butterfly"
Mako Kamitsuna – "Mudbound," "Blackhat"
Kim Hyun – "Burning," "Poetry"
Kim Jae-beom – "The Battleship Island," "The Handmaiden"
Kim Sang-beom – "Rampant," "The Handmaiden"
Guy Lecorne – "High Life," "Let the Sunshine In"
Petar Marković – "Ayka," "Tulpan"
Yorgos Mavropsaridis – "The Favourite" (n), "The Lobster"
Anne McCabe – "Can You Ever Forgive Me?," "Dirty Grandpa"
Kirk Morri – "Aquaman," "The Conjuring"
Shigeru Nishiyama – "Mirai," "The Boy and the Beast"
Nacho Ruiz Capillas – "Twelve-Year Night," "The Others"
Marco Spoletini – "Dogman," "The Wonders"
Károly Szalai – "On Body and Soul," "Spy Master"
John Venzon – "The Lego Batman Movie," "Storks"
Justine Wright – "The Iron Lady," "The Last King of Scotland"
Makeup Artists & Hairstylists
Robin Beauchesne – "The Lone Ranger," "The Way Back"
Tym Shutchai Buacharern – "Black Panther," "Dreamgirls"
Joseph A. Campayno – "Limitless," "Unfaithful"
Rosalina Da Silva – "X-Men: Apocalypse," "Watchmen"
Sterfon Demings – "Roman J. Israel, Esq.," "Milk"
Manolo García – "Suspiria," "The Sea Inside"
Pamela Goldammer – "Border" (n), "The Hallow"
Sylvie Imbert – "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote," "Blancanieves"
Jamie Kelman – "Vice," "Looper"
Nicki Ledermann – "The Greatest Showman," "Inside Llewyn Davis"
Ana López-Puigcerver – "Julieta," "The Others"
Göran Lundström – "Border" (n), "Passion"
Sharon Martin – "Half of a Yellow Sun," "Snow White and the Huntsman"
Jane O'Kane – "Adrift," "Ghost in the Shell"
Kyra Panchenko – "Trainwreck," "A Most Violent Year"
Marc Pilcher – "Mary Queen of Scots" (n), "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms"
Christina Roesler-Kerwin – "Bumblebee," "End of Watch"
Sarah Rubano – "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," "District 9"
Lucy Sibbick – "Darkest Hour," "Tulip Fever"
Ivo Strangmüller – "Never Look Away," "A Royal Affair"
Mitsuyo Takasaki – "Silence," "Kakekomi"
Jay Wejebe – "Red Sparrow," "Interstellar"
Josh Weston – "Stan & Ollie," "Suspiria"
Gigi Williams – "Inherent Vice," "Gone Girl"
Michael Abels – "Us," "Get Out"
Adele Adkins – "Skyfall" (w)
Nathan Barr – "The House with a Clock in Its Walls," "The Last Exorcism"
Kris Bowers – "Green Book," "Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You"
Missy Cohen – "Hold the Dark," "The Informant!"
Jane Antonia Cornish – "Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood," "Citizen Jane: Battle for the City"
John Finklea – "Vice," "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"
Annette Focks – "Ostwind," "Krabat"
Richard Ford – "Downsizing," "Hidden Figures"
Ludwig Goransson – "Black Panther" (w), "Creed"
Rupert Gregson-Williams – "Aquaman," "Hacksaw Ridge"
Hildur Guðnadóttir – "Mary Magdalene," "Sicario: Day of the Soldado"
Jed Kurzel – "The Mustang," "The Babadook"
Lady Gaga (*) – "A Star Is Born" (w), "The Hunting Ground"
Bryan Lawson – "Robin Hood," "Suicide Squad"
Annie Lennox – "A Private War," "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"
Peter Stephen Myles – "Jason Bourne," "Pacific Rim"
Anne Nikitin – "American Animals," "The Imposter"
Heitor Teixeira Pereira – "Smallfoot," "Real Women Have Curves"
Arthur Pingrey – "Jim: The James Foley Story," "Racing Extinction"
Mark Ronson – "A Star Is Born" (w), "Quincy"
Jason Ruder – "A Star Is Born," "La La Land"
Roxanne Joy Seeman – "Get on the Bus," "Little Monsters"
John Charles Edward Swihart – "The Education of Charlie Banks," "Napoleon Dynamite"
Sherry Whitfield – "The Zookeeper's Wife," "Easy A"
Robin Whittaker – "The House with a Clock in Its Walls," "Amy"
Scott Wittman – "Mary Poppins Returns" (n), "When Harry Met Sally"
Andrew Wyatt – "A Star Is Born" (w), "Music and Lyrics"
Mollye Asher – "The Rider," "Fort Tilden"
Stefanie Azpiazu – "Private Life," "Enough Said"
Lucy Barreto – "Reaching for the Moon," "Bossa Nova"
Luiz Carlos Barreto – "João, o Maestro," "The Middle of the World"
Jess Wu Calder – "Blindspotting," "Blair Witch"
Francesca Cima – "Youth," "The Great Beauty"
Naomi Despres – "Lizzie," "Kill the Messenger"
Neal Dodson – "A Most Violent Year," "All Is Lost"
Benjamín Domenech – "Zama," "Acusada (The Accused)"
Gail Egan – "Final Portrait," "A Most Wanted Man"
Helen Estabrook – "Tully," "Whiplash"
Santiago Gallelli – "Zama," "Acusada (The Accused)"
Rebecca Green – "It Follows," I'll See You in My Dreams"
Dolly Hall – "The Maid's Room," "High Art"
Osnat Handelsman-Keren – "The Kindergarten Teacher," "Bethlehem"
Debra Hayward – "Mary Queen of Scots," "Les Misérables"
Mohamed Hefzy – "Sheikh Jackson," "Clash"
David Hinojosa – "First Reformed," "Beatriz at Dinner"
Cristina Huete – "The Queen of Spain," "Chico & Rita"
Janine Jackowski – "Toni Erdmann," "The Forest for the Trees"
Talia Kleinhendler – "The Kindergarten Teacher," "Bethlehem"
Vincent Landay – "Her" (n), "Adaptation"
Stephanie Langhoff – "The Skeleton Twins," "Safety Not Guaranteed"
John Lesher – "Black Mass," "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" (w)
Georgina Lowe – "Peterloo," "Mr. Turner"
Scott Macaulay – "Casting JonBenet," "Raising Victor Vargas"
Riva Marker – "Wildlife," "Beasts of No Nation"
Kevin Messick – "Vice" (n), "Hansel & Gretel Witch Hunters"
Donatella Palermo – "Fire at Sea," "Wondrous Boccaccio"
Ewa Puszczyńska – "Cold War" (n), "Ida"
Andrea Cecilia Roa – "It Comes at Night," "Unexpected"
Matías Roveda – "Zama," "Acusada (The Accused)"
Michael Sean Ryan – "Last Weekend," "Junebug"
Tanya Seghatchian – "Cold War" (n), "My Summer of Love"
Brad Simpson – "Crazy Rich Asians," "Ben Is Back"
Deborah Snyder – "Wonder Woman," "Man of Steel"
Richard Suckle – "Wonder Woman," "American Hustle"
Emma Tillinger Koskoff – "Silence," "The Wolf of Wall Street"
Anne-Dominique Toussaint – "Where Do We Go Now?," "Caramel"
Liz Watts – "The Rover," "Animal Kingdom"
Charles B. Wessler – "Green Book," "There's Something about Mary"
James Whitaker – "A Wrinkle in Time," "The Finest Hours"
Molly Albright
Flavia Amon
Robin Baum
Steve Beeman
Myles Bender
Liz Berger
Jeanne R. Berney
Lylle Breier
Dana Bseiso Vazquez
Lori Burns
Nicole Butte
VJ Carbone
Jan Craft
Catherine Culbert
Carol Cundiff
Brian Dailey
Bette Ann Einbinder
Amy Elkins
Kira C. Feola
April Florentino
Brooke Ford
Seth Fradkoff
Pamela Godwin-Austen
Simon Halls
Kristina Marie Hernandez
Etienne Hernandez-Medina
Jessica Intihar
Joshua Jason
Melissa Kates
Meryl Katz
Sumyi Khong Antonson
Wendy Kupsis-Robino
Vinicius Losacco
Rebecca Mall
Lorna Mann
Ellene V. Miles
Martha Morrison
David K. O'Connor
Lisa Oropeza
Courtney Ott
Jordan Park Peed
Danni Pearlberg
Jennifer Peterson
Nicole Quenqua
Michelle Rasic
Claire Raskind
Mike Rau
Arianne Rocchi
Katherine Rowe
Jonathan Rutter
Dorothea Sargent
Sara Serlen
David Singh
Justin Slobig
Andrew Stachler
Amanda Stirling
Jennifer Stott
Julie Tustin
Jessica Uzzan
Roya Vakili
Tirrell Whittley
Dylan Wiley
Rob Wilkinson
Annett Wolf
Paula Woods
lena Zilberman
Short Films and Feature Animation
Mikhail Aldashin – "Gora Samotsvetov," "Bukashki"
Gil Alkabetz – "Morir de Amor," "Rubicon"
María del Puy Alvarado – "Mother," "Pulse"
Julius Amedume – "Mr. Graham," "Mary & John"
Cyril Aris – "The President's Visit," "Siham"
Louise Bagnall – "Late Afternoon" (n), "Donkey"
Josh Beveridge – "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" (w), "Storks"
Rodrigo Blaas – "La Luna," "Alma"
Steve Bloom – "Coco" "One Man Band"
Neil Boyle – "Sherlock Gnomes," "The Last Belle"
Suzanne Buirgy – "Home," "Kung Fu Panda 2"
Jim Capobianco – "Mary Poppins Returns," "Ratatouille"
Andrew Carlberg – "Skin" (w), "The Blazing World"
Andrew Chesworth – "One Small Step" (n), "Juiced and Jazzed"
Jeremy Comte – "Fauve" (n), "What Remains"
Manuel Cristóbal – "Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles," "Arrugas (Wrinkles)"
Erika Dean Dapkewicz – "Puss in Boots," "Monsters vs Aliens"
Patrick Delage – "The Secret Life of Pets 2," "Sing"
Jonathan Del Val – "Dr. Seuss' The Grinch," "The Secret Life of Pets"
Jean de Meuron – "Blood Brothers," "La Femme et le TGV"
Celine Desrumaux – "Age of Sail," "The Little Prince"
Emma De Swaef – "This Magnificent Cake!," "Oh Willy…"
Danny Dimian – "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" "The Angry Birds Movie"
Piotr Dumala – "Forest," "Crime and Punishment"
Nash Dunnigan – "The Peanuts Movie," "Ice Age Continental Drift"
Ron Dyens – "Tram," "Madagascar, Carnet de Voyage"
Jérémie Fajner – "White Fang," "Song of the Sea"
Marianne Farley – "Marguerite" (n), "Saccage (Ransack)"
Abi Feijó – "Uncle Thomas, Accounting for the Days," "Kali the Little Vampire"
Jeff Gabor – "Ice Age: Collision Course," "Epic"
Sari Gennis – "James and the Giant Peach," "Ferngully: The Last Rainforest"
Nuria González Blanco – "Late Afternoon" (n), "Violet"
Maria Gracia Turgeon – "Fauve" (n), "What Remains"
Trisha Gum – "The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part," "The Lego Batman Movie"
Jennifer Hager – "Zootopia," "Moana"
Karl Edward Herbst – "Smallfoot," "Hotel Transylvania 2"
Jeffrey Hermann – "Bilby," "Bird Karma"
Julian Higgins – "Winter Light," "Here and Now"
Andreas Hykade – "Love & Theft," "Ring of Fire"
Trevor Jimenez – "Weekends," "Key Lime Pie"
Kevin J. Johnson – "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked," "Astro Boy"
Joung Yumi – "Love Games," "Dust Kid"
Sandy Yun-Shan Kao – "Trolls," "Shrek Forever After"
Anurag Kashyap – "Madly," "Bombay Talkies"
Mara Kassin – "Ladies Lounge," "Curfew"
William Kentridge – "The Refusal of Time," "Felix in Exile"
Aleksandra Korejwo – "The Swan," "Carmen Torero"
Igor Kovalyov – "Milch (Milk)," "Flying Nansen"
Raimund Krumme – "Passage," "Crossroads"
Jerzy Kucia – "Fugue for Cello, Trumpet and Landscape," "Reflections"
Antoneta Kusijanovic – "Into the Blue," "Eye for an Eye"
Vincent Lambe – "Detainment," "Broken Things"
Brian Larsen – "Piper," "Brave"
Brian Leach – "Ralph Breaks the Internet," "Zootopia"
Matthias Lechner – "Zootopia," "Escape from Planet Earth"
Kira Lehtomaki – "Ralph Breaks the Internet," "Zootopia"
Patrick Lin – "Toy Story 4," "Inside Out"
Julie Lockhart – "Shaun the Sheep Movie," "The Pirates! Band of Misfits"
Rocio Lopez Ortiz – "Dear Chickens," "Fingerplay"
Phil Lord (*) – "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" (w), "21 Jump Street"
Joanna Lurie – "Flowing through Wonder," "The Silence beneath the Bark"
Christopher Miller (*) – "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" (w), "21 Jump Street"
Nijla Mu'min – "Dream," "Two Bodies"
Rani Naamani – "How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World," "The Boss Baby"
Takashi Nakamura – "Harmony," "A Tree of Palme"
Terence Nance – "Univitellin," "Swimming in Your Skin Again"
Guy Nattiv – "Skin" (w), "Dear God"
Victor Navone – "Inside Out," "Cars 2"
Damian Nenow – "Another Day of Life," "Paths of Hate"
Diane Obomsawin – "I Like Girls," "Kaspar"
David O'Reilly – "The External World," "Please Say Something"
Mamoru Oshii – "The Sky Crawlers," "Ghost in the Shell"
Katsuhiro Otomo – "Steamboy," "Akira"
Marie-Hélène Panisset – "Marguerite" (n), "The Last Round"
Bob Persichetti – "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" (w), "The Little Prince"
Malcon Pierce – "Moana," "Frozen"
Bobby Pontillas – "One Small Step" (n), "Moana"
Qiu Yang – "A Gentle Night," "Under the Sun"
Bonne Radford – "Smallfoot," "The Road to El Dorado"
Andrew Rosen – "The Breadwinner," "Todd & the Book of Pure Evil: The End of the End"
Rodney Rothman (*) – "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" (w)
Rick Rothschild – "Flyover America," "Captain Eo"
James Ryan – "The Boss Baby," "Turbo"
Yuichiro Saito – "Mirai" (n), "The Boy and the Beast"
Jason Schleifer – "The Boss Baby," "Megamind"
Alex Schwartz – "Mr. Peabody & Sherman," "How to Train Your Dragon"
Chad Sellers – "Olaf's Frozen Adventure," "Zootopia"
Domee Shi – "Bao" (n), "Inside Out"
Gerry Shirren – "Song of the Sea," "Carnivale"
Lynn Smith – "Soup of the Day," "Pearl's Diner"
Marc Smith – "Big Hero 6," "Treasure Planet"
Erik Smitt – "Incredibles 2," "Piper"
Julien Soret – "Despicable Me 3," "The Secret Life of Pets"
Rodrigo Sorogoyen – "Mother," "El Iluso"
Olivier Staphylas – "Penguins of Madagascar," "Puss in Boots"
Christina Steinberg – "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," "Rise of the Guardians"
Jackie J. Stone – "Burning Angel Dust," "If I Leap"
Bin-Han To – "Revolting Rhymes," "The Princess, the Prince and the Green-Eyed Dragon"
David Torres – "How to Train Your Dragon 2," "Megamind"
Josie Trinidad – "Ralph Breaks the Internet," "Zootopia"
Jeffrey Turley – "Mary Poppins Returns," "Feast"
Dominique Welinski – "See Factory," "Tunisia Factory"
Dean Wellins – "Tick Tock Tale," "The Iron Giant"
Kevin H. Wilson, Jr. – "My Nephew Emmett," "Crimson on the Tobacco Road"
Catherine Winder – "The Angry Birds Movie," "Escape from Planet Earth"
Lauren Wolkstein – "The Strange Ones," "Cigarette Candy"
Steven Woloshen – "Casino," "Snip"
Shaofu Zhang – "One Small Step," "Dragonboy"
Kami Asgar – "Zombieland," "Apocalypto"
Peter Brown – "Aquaman," "Star Trek Beyond"
Paul Davies – "A Private War," "The Queen"
Bill R. Dean – "Shazam!," "All Eyez on Me"
Nicky de Beer – "The Journey Is the Destination," "Cry, the Beloved Country"
Sergio Díaz – "Roma" (n), "Desierto"
Gillian Dodders – "Annihilation," "Ex Machina"
Daniel Hambrook – "Stan & Ollie," "Atonement"
Justin Herman Martin Jacob Lopez – "Insidious: The Last Key," "The Amazing Spider-Man"
Jon Michaels – "Game Night," "Geostorm"
David Miranda – "Batman Returns," "Point Break"
Branka Mrkic-Tana – "American Made," "Lee Daniels' The Butler"
Brandon Proctor – "Black Panther," "A Quiet Place"
Kira Lynn Roessler – "A Star Is Born," "Aquaman"
Brian Saunders – "Captain Marvel," "Gorillas in the Mist"
Mac Smith – "The Game Changers," "The Birth of a Nation"
Carlos Solis – "The Dark Knight Rises," "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1"
Oriol Tarragó – "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom," "A Monster Calls"
Damian Grady Volpe – "Mudbound," "Drive"
Trevor Ward – "Avengers: Age of Ultron," "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1"
John Warhurst – "Bohemian Rhapsody" (w), "Les Misérables"
Christian M. Alzmann – "Ready Player One," "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets"
Randall Balsmeyer – "BlacKkKlansman," "Drawing Home"
Johnathan R. Banta – "Dumb and Dumber To"
Lyndon Barrois – "R.I.P.D.," "Sucker Punch"
Sherry Bharda – "Hichki," "Sui Dhaaga: Made in India"
Abigail Brady Gaia Bussolati – "Il Campione," "Il Primo Re (Romulus & Remus: The First King)"
Danny Cangemi – "Act of Valor," "The Other Guys"
Francois Chardavoine Kathy Chasen-Hay – "John Wick: Chapter 2," "Saban's Power Rangers"
Frazer Churchill – "The Kid Who Would Be King," "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children"
Alessandro Cioffi – "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," "Thor: Ragnarok"
James Clyne – "Solo: A Star Wars Story," "Star Wars: The Force Awakens"
Grady Cofer – "Us," "Ready Player One" (n)
Brian Connor – "Godzilla: King of the Monsters," "The Meg"
Jay Andrew Cooper – "Avengers: Endgame," "Solo: A Star Wars Story"
Elizabeth Ellen D'Amato – "Jurassic World," "Lucy"
Enrico Damm – "A Quiet Place," "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"
Lorelei David – "Ant-Man and the Wasp," "Avengers: Infinity War"
Sean Devereaux – "The Equalizer 2," "The Spy Who Dumped Me"
Michael Eames – "Avengers: Infinity War," "Christopher Robin" (n)
Laurens Ehrmann – "The Guardians," "Beautiful Accident"
Shannon Blake Gans
Diana Giorgiutti – "Spider-Man: Homecoming," "Ant-Man"
Terry Glass – "13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi"
Aleksandr Gorokhov – "Searching," "Three Seconds"
Caroleen Green – "Rock Dog," "The Book of Life"
Francesco Grisi – "Il Campione," "Il Primo Re (Romulus & Remus: The First King)"
Christian Guillon – "The Love Punch," "Oceans"
Jessica Harris – "Black Panther," "The Meg"
Jeremy Hattingh – "Escape Room," "The Brothers Grimsby"
Claas Henke – "Aquaman," "Black Panther"
Samir Hoon – "Bumblebee," "Monster Hunt 2"
Joni Jacobson – "Saban's Power Rangers," "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny"
Kevin Ellis Jenkins – "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," "Star Wars: The Force Awakens"
Theo Jones – "Christopher Robin," "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2"
Lee Jeon-hyeong – "7 Years of Night," "Intimate Strangers"
Christian Manz – "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald," "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them"
Ed Marsh – "Shazam!," "A Star Is Born"
Thomas Martinek Michael Melchiorre – "Avengers: Endgame," "Avengers: Infinity War"
David William Meny – "Warcraft," "Pacific Rim"
Luke Millar – "Mortal Engines," "War for the Planet of the Apes"
Srinivas Mohan – "2.0," "Baahubali: The Beginning"
Harry Mukhopadhyay – "Captain Marvel," "Justice League"
Tristan Myles – "First Man," "Blade Runner 2049"
Sergei Nevshupov – "Mortal Engines," "Spacewalk"
Helen Newby – "Avengers: Endgame," "Avengers: Infinity War"
Park Young-soo – "Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings," "Mulgoe (Monstrum)"
Pavani Rao Boddapati – "Alita: Battle Angel," "The BFG"
Mark Rappaport
Lesley Robson-Foster – "High Flying Bird," "I Think We're Alone Now"
Steve Rosenbluth
Ryo Sakaguchi – "Ant-Man and the Wasp," "The Meg"
Christoph Salzmann – "Alita: Battle Angel," "War for the Planet of the Apes"
Robert Smith – "Avengers: Endgame," "Captain Marvel"
Kevin Sprout – "Ready Player One," "Deepwater Horizon"
Jeffrey Allan Sutherland – "Bumblebee," "Monsters and Men"
Sebastian Sylwan
Charles Tait – "Alita: Battle Angel," "Avengers: Infinity War"
William Gregory Teegarden – "Avengers: Infinity War," "The Fate of the Furious"
Dominic Tuohy – "Solo: A Star Wars Story," "The Mummy"
Alexander Vegh – "Shazam!," "A.X.L."
Bill Watral – "Incredibles 2," "Sanjay's Super Team"
Arman Yahin – "Ded Moroz. Bitva Magov," "The Duelist"
Yee Kwok-Leung – "The Leakers," "Shock Wave"
John Ajvide Lindqvist – "Border," "Let the Right One In"
Desiree Akhavan – "The Miseducation of Cameron Post," "Appropriate Behavior"
Marie Amachoukeli – "Savage," "Young Tiger"
David Arata – "Children of Men," "Spy Game"
Jean-Pierre Bacri – "Place Publique," "Look at Me"
Josiane Balasko – "The Ex-Love of My Life," "French Twist"
Sophie Barthes – "Madame Bovary," "Cold Souls"
Ritesh Batra – "Photograph," "The Lunchbox"
Houda Benyamina – "Divines"
Anna Biller – "The Love Witch," "Viva"
Pamela Brady – "Team America: World Police," "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut"
Andrew Bujalski – "Support the Girls," "Computer Chess"
Kay Cannon – "Pitch Perfect 2," "Pitch Perfect"
Elizabeth Chandler – "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants," "A Little Princess"
Chinonye Chukwu – "Clemency," "Alaskaland"
Sara Colangelo – "The Kindergarten Teacher," "Little Accidents"
Roman Coppola – "Isle of Dogs," "Moonrise Kingdom"
Lucinda Coxon – "The Little Stranger," "The Danish Girl"
Karen Croner – "The Tribes of Palos Verdes," "Admission"
Josephine Decker – "Madeline's Madeline," "Flames"
Agnès de Sacy – "The Summer House," "Yao"
Katherine Dieckmann – "Strange Weather," "Motherhood"
Doris Dörrie – "Cherry Blossoms," "Men…"
Harry Elfont – "Leap Year," "Made of Honor"
Glenn Ficarra – "Smallfoot," "Bad Santa"
Gillian Flynn – "Widows," "Gone Girl"
Dana Fox – "Isn't It Romantic," "Couples Retreat"
Víctor Gaviria – "The Animal's Wife," "The Rose Seller"
Holly Goldberg Sloan – "Angels in the Outfield," "Made in America"
Jane Goldman – "Kingsman: The Golden Circle," "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children"
Andrew Haigh – "45 Years," "Weekend"
Elizabeth Hannah – "Long Shot," "The Post"
Phil Hay – "Destroyer," "Ride Along"
Olivia Hetreed – "Birds like Us," "Wuthering Heights"
Eliza Hittman – "Beach Rats," "It Felt like Love"
Christina Hodson – "Bumblebee," "Unforgettable"
Jihad Hojeily – "Capernaum," "Where Do We Go Now?"
Rick Jaffa – "Jurassic World," "Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
Agnès Jaoui – "Place Publique," "Look at Me"
Deborah Kaplan – "Leap Year," "Can't Hardly Wait"
Jennifer Kent* – "The Nightingale," "The Babadook"
Cédric Klapisch – "Back to Burgundy," "L'Auberge Espagnole"
Kate Lanier – "Beauty Shop," "Glitter"
Phil Lord* – "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," "21 Jump Street"
Jenny Lumet – "The Mummy," "Rachel Getting Married"
Maïwenn – "My King," "Polisse"
Matt Manfredi – "Destroyer," "Clash of the Titans"
Jim McKay – "En el Séptimo Día," "Girls Town"
Christopher Miller* – "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," "21 Jump Street"
Deborah Moggach – "Tulip Fever," "Pride & Prejudice"
Jessie Nelson – "I Am Sam," "Stepmom"
Marti Noxon – "Fright Night," "I Am Number Four"
Rungano Nyoni – "I Am Not a Witch" Tracy Oliver – "The Sun Is Also a Star," "Girls Trip"
Diana Lynn Ossana – "Brokeback Mountain" (w)
Gail Parent – "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen," "Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York"
Zak Penn – "Ready Player One," "The Incredible Hulk"
Katell Quillévéré – "Alone at My Wedding," "Love like Poison"
John Requa – "Smallfoot," "I Love You Phillip Morris"
Pamela Ribon – "Ralph Breaks the Internet," "Smurfs: The Lost Village"
Rodney Rothman* – "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," "22 Jump Street"
Valeria Sarmiento – "Elle," "Our Marriage"
Coline Serreau – "Chaos," "Think Global, Act Rural"
Sebastián Silva – "Tyrel, "Magic Magic"
Amanda Silver – "Jurassic World," "Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
Marina Stavenhagen – "Have You Seen Lupita?," "Streeters"
Maryam Touzani – "Adam," "Razzia"
Juliette Towhidi – "Testament of Youth," "Love, Rosie"
Patrick Wang – "The Grief of Others," "In the Family"
Wang Quan'an – "White Deer Plain," "Apart Together"
Kevin Willmott – "BlacKkKlansman" (w), "Chi-Raq"
Brad Allan
Scott Ateah
Rick Avery
Rita Belda
Debbi Bossi
Glenn Boswell
Charlie Brewer
Pavel Cajzl
Michael Cioni
Douglas Crosby
David E. Dolby
Jim Dowdall
Aaron Downing
Marny Eng
Paul Federbush
Tami Goldman
Al Goto
Bonnie Greenberg
Buzz Hays
Sharon Smith Holley
Rob Inch
Jerry Ketcham
Ladislav Lahoda
Gretchen Libby
Josh Lowden
Brian Machleit
Jo McLaren
Robert Nagle
Zareh Nalbandian
John Naveira
Otto Nemenz
Casey O'Neill
Mitch Paulson
Allan Poppleton
Anne Putnam
Kolbe Arjun Ramamurthy
Sara Romilly
Daniel S. Rosen
George Marshall Ruge
Bird Runningwater
Manny Siverio
Mimi Steele
Shelly Strong
TJ White
Lee M. Wimer
Jeremy Barber
Jason Burns
Tanya Michal Cohen
Natasha Galloway
Randi Goldstein
Charles B. James
Brian Kend
Shani Rosenzweig
Roeg Sutherland
2019 D23 Expo announces animation programming: 'Frozen 2,' 'Onward,' 'The Simpsons' and more
"The Simpsons" (Image courtesy of 20th Century Fox Television)
The following is a combination of press releases from D23:
Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS) are gearing up for an exciting weekend of announcements and presentations—sharing never-before-seen footage—plus interactive displays, artist autograph signings, sharable photo opportunities, and giveaways for 2019's D23 Expo in Anaheim, California.
This year, Pixar and WDAS will join forces with Disney's live-action team, creating a thrilling Walt Disney Studios slate presentation that promises to wow Disney fans in Hall D23 with new announcements, surprise talent appearances, and sneak peeks of select scenes from the films.
GO BEHIND THE SCENES WITH THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS
Saturday, August 24, 10 a.m., Hall D23
As a part of The Walt Disney Studios presentation, Walt Disney Animation Studios' Chief Creative Officer Jennifer Lee and Pixar Animation Studios' Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter will present never-before-seen footage, surprise announcements, musical performances, and appearances by all-star voice talent from the studios' upcoming slate of animated films. Fans will get new looks at WDAS' highly anticipated follow-up to 2013's Oscar®-winning feature film Frozen when directors Chris Buck, Lee, and producer Peter Del Vecho reveal new details about Frozen 2. Director Dan Scanlon and producer Kori Rae will introduce fans to the characters in Pixar's upcoming original feature film Onward, while Docter and producer Dana Murray share details about next summer's original feature Soul. Cell phones, cameras, and all recording devices will be checked for this presentation.
August 23–25, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
On the show floor, the two studios will once again team up for an immersive animation experience at D23 Expo. The studios' upcoming slate of films, which include WDAS' much-anticipated Frozen 2 and Pixar's brand-new original feature film Onward, will be highlighted, including opportunities to meet the teams behind the movies and autograph signings of exclusive art and promotional item giveaways.
Pixar Animation Studios will also introduce fans to a real-life version of Guinevere, the van from their upcoming film Onward. Decked out with crescent moon windows and a "Pegacorn" (part Pegasus, part unicorn) painted on her sides, Guinevere will offer guests a taste of the adventure that two teenage elf brothers will embark upon in the movie.
ANIMATION PANELS
Sunday, August 25, 10 a.m., D23 Expo Arena.
The Little Mermaid: The 30th Anniversary Celebration! – Presented by H2O+
Fans of the classic film are invited to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of The Little Mermaid, recognized around the world as one of the greatest animated films of all time. Hosted by the voice of Ariel herself, Jodi Benson, it will be an unforgettable "Under the Sea" celebration.
Sunday, August 25, 12 p.m., Walt Disney Archives Stage
Hidden Gems of the Walt Disney Animation Research Library: Preserving and Inspiring the Disney Legacy
Fans will discover what it's like to hold Disney history in their hands in this informative panel. The talented team at Walt Disney Animation Research Library (ARL) preserves millions of pieces of original Disney Animation art from Steamboat Willie to the films of today. Attendees will learn how the ARL shares these hidden gems, inspiring artists and audiences alike.
Sunday, August 25, 4 p.m., Stage 28.
World Premiere: Walt Disney Animation Studios Presents Short Circuit
In this exciting panel, Walt Disney Animation Studios will debut Short Circuit, an experimental short film program that will debut in Spring 2020 on Disney+. Talented artists and filmmakers will share their films for the first time anywhere and give behind-the-scenes insights.
The longest-running primetime scripted show in television history, "The Simpsons," makes its first appearance at D23 Expo. Get insight on the upcoming all-new season in a lively panel Saturday, August 24 at 10 a.m. in the D23 Expo Arena with Creator Matt Groening, Executive Producer Al Jean, Executive Producer Matt Selman, Supervising Director Mike B. Anderson, and stars Nancy Cartwright and Yeardley Smith. Expect lots of surprises, including an exclusive Simpsons collectible item for everyone in attendance.
"The Simpsons" exploded into a cultural phenomenon in 1990 and has remained one of the most groundbreaking and innovative entertainment franchises, recognizable throughout the world. Recently finishing its historic 30th season, "The Simpsons" has won 33 Emmy® Awards, 34 Annie Awards, 9 Environmental Media Awards, 7 People's Choice Awards and 12 Writers Guild of America Awards including the 2019 Outstanding Writing in an Animated Program Award. It was the first animated series to win a Peabody Award and was nominated for an Academy Award® in 2012 for the theatrical short "The Longest Daycare." The Simpsons Movie was a hit feature film, the mega-attraction The Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios has received historic expansion updates with the addition of "Springfield," and the show was honored with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2000. It has been named the "Best Show of the 20th Century" by Time magazine and called the "Best TV Show Ever" by Vulture in 2016.
During the D23 Expo, "The Simpsons" fans will have the opportunity to get up close and personal with Bart, Lisa, and the rest of The Simpsons family on the convention floor. A few lucky fans will even get a once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet Matt Groening and the rest of the panelists during a one-hour autograph signing session of an exclusive "The Simpsons" mini-poster following the panel.
About "The Simpsons"
"The Simpsons" is a Gracie Films Production in association with 20th Century Fox Television. James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, and Al Jean are the executive producers. The Gracie Films Worldwide Brand Division develops and produces the licensed content for the series. Visit "The Simpsons" website at SimpsonsWorld.com. "Like" the series on Facebook at facebook.com/TheSimpsons, and follow Homer Simpson @HomerJSimpson and @TheSimpsons on Twitter. Join the conversation using #thesimpsons and follow The Simpsons on Instagram @TheSimpsons.
About Walt Disney Animation Studios
Combining masterful artistry and storytelling with groundbreaking technology, Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS) is a filmmaker-driven animation studio responsible for creating some of the most beloved films ever made. Located in Burbank, WDAS continues to build on its rich legacy of innovation and creativity, from the first fully animated feature film, 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, to 2013's Academy Award®-winning Frozen, the biggest animated film of all time. Among the studio's timeless creations are Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, The Jungle Book, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, Moana, and the upcoming Frozen 2, which opens in U.S. theaters on November 22, 2019.
About Pixar Animation Studios
Pixar Animation Studios, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is an Academy Award®-winning film studio with world-renowned technical, creative, and production capabilities in the art of computer animation. The Northern California studio has created some of the most successful and beloved animated films of all time, including Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., Cars, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, WALL•E, Up, Toy Story 3, Brave, Inside Out, Coco, Incredibles 2, and this summer's must-see feature film Toy Story 4. Its movies have won 36 Academy Awards® and have grossed more than $14 billion at the worldwide box office to date. Onward, Pixar's 22nd feature, will open in theaters on March 6, 2020.
About D23 Expo 2019
D23 Expo—The Ultimate Disney Fan Event—brings together all the worlds of Disney under one roof for three packed days of presentations, pavilions, experiences, concerts, sneak peeks, shopping, and more. The event provides fans with unprecedented access to Disney films, television, games, theme parks, and celebrities. For the latest D23 Expo 2019 news, visit D23expo.com. Presentations, talent, and schedule subject to change. To join the D23 Expo conversation, be sure to follow DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and use the hashtag #D23Expo.
About D23
The name "D23" pays homage to the exciting journey that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened his first studio in Hollywood. D23 is the first official club for fans in Disney's 90-plus-year history. It gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic through its quarterly publication, Disney twenty-three; a rich website at D23.com with members-only content; member-exclusive discounts; and special events for D23 Members throughout the year.
Fans can join D23 at Gold Membership ($99.99), Gold Family Membership ($129.99), and General Membership (complimentary) levels at D23.com. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events, follow DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
2019 BET Awards: Cardi B, Nipsey Hussle are the top winners
With two prizes each, Cardi B and the late Nipsey Hussle were the top winners at 18th annual BET Awards, which took place at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on June 23, 2019. Regina Hall hosted the show, which BET telecast live in several time zones.
Cardi B's"Invasion of Privacy" was named Album of the Year, and she also received the award for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist. Nipsey Hussle (who was shot to death on Match 31, 2019) received the Humanitarian Award and the prize for Best Male Hip-Hop Artist.
Performers included Cardi B, DJ Khaled, Migos, H.E.R., Lil Nas X with Billy Ray Cyrus, Lizzo, Mustard, Lil Baby, Yung Miami of City Girls, Lucky Daye and Kiana Ledé. Presenters included Taraji P. Henson, Lena Waithe, Morris Chestnut, Yara Shahidi, Marsai Martin and the five men known as the Central Park Five, who were wrongfully imprisoned for rape and assault and exonerated years later.
Tyler Perry was honored with the Ultimate Icon Award, while Mary J. Blige received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Here is the complete list of winners and nominees for the 2019 BET Awards:
Travis Scott, "Astroworld"
Meek Mill, "Championships"
Ella Mai, "Ella Mai"
The Carters, "Everything Is Love"
Cardi B, "Invasion of Privacy"*
2019 Coca-Cola Viewers' Choice Award
Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin, "I Like It"
Childish Gambino, "This Is No America"
Drake, "In My Feelings"
Ella Mai, "Trip"*
J. Cole, "Middle Child"
Travis Scott featuring Drake, "Sicko Mode"
Best Female R&B/Pop Artist
Beyoncé*
Best Male R&B/Pop Artist
Bruno Mars*
Best Group
Lil Baby & Gunna
Migos*
The Carters
Best Collaboration
21 Savage featuring J. Cole, "A Lot"
Cardi B & Bruno Mars, "Please Me"
Cardi B. featuring Bad Bunny & J Balvin, "I Like It"
H.E.R. featuring Bryson Tiller, "Could've Been"
Travis Scott featuring Drake, "Sicko Mode"*
Tyga featuring Offset, "Taste"
Best Male Hip Hop Artist
Nipsey Hussle*
Best Female Hip Hop Artist
Cardi B*
Kash Doll
Megan Thee Stallion
Video of the Year
Cardi B, "Money"
Childish Gambino, "This Is America"*
Drake, "Nice for What"
The Carters, "Apes**t"
Video Director of the Year
Benny Boom
Colin Tilley
Dave Meyers
Karena Evans*
Lil Baby*
Queen Naija
Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award
Erica Campbell featuring Warryn Campbell, "All of MY Life"
Fred Hammond, "Tell Me Where It Hurts"
Kirk Franklin, "Love Theory"
Snoop Dogg featuring Rance Allen, "Blessing Me Again"*
Tori Kelly featuring Kirk Franklin, "Never Alone"
Best International Act
AKA (South Africa)
Aya Nakamura (France)
Burna Boy (Nigeria)*
Dave (UK)
Dossek (France)
Giggs (UK)
Mr. Eazi (Nigeria)
Best New International Act – (Fan Voted Category)
Headie One (UK)
Jokair (France)
Nesly (France)
Octavian (UK)
Sho Madjodzi (Africa)*
Teniola Apata (Africa)
Regina King*
Michael B. Jordan*
YoungStars Award
Caleb McLaughlin
Lyric Ross
Marsai Martin*
Michael Rainey Jr.
Miles Brown
"BlacKkKlansman"*
Candace Parker
Serena Williams*
Stephen Curry*
BET Her Award
Alicia Keys, "Raise a Man"
Ciara, "Level Up"
H.E.R., "Hard Place"*
Janelle Monáe, "Pynk"
Queen Naija, "Mama's Hand"
Teyana Taylor, "Rose in Harlem"
Connie Orlando, executive vice president/head of Programming at BET served as executive producer for the 2019 BET Awards, along with Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment.
For the latest 2019 "BET AWARDS" news and updates, please visit BET.com/awards.
2019 D23 Expo: Disney announces music programming, meet-and-greets with talent
"The Avengers: Endgame" 12″ picture disc
Disney Music Emporium, the online destination for collectible Disney music products, returns to D23 Expo 2019 with a pop-up store on the show floor. Over the three-day Ultimate Disney Fan Event, the Emporium will feature album signings by artists and award-winning composers. Limited quantities of a wide assortment of music products will be available, including new releases from Marvel and Lucasfilm, vinyl albums, die-cut picture disc vinyl, cassettes, Crosley turntables, cassette players, posters, and more. Additionally, visitors to Disney Music Emporium will be able to pre-order the Matthew Morrison Disney album.
In addition to the 23 new offerings available at D23 Expo 2019, 10 titles are first-to-market, including Avengers: Endgame (12" picture disc), Aladdin: The Songs (vinyl album), "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" (12" vinyl single from The Lion King), "Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Symphonic Suite" (12" picture disc), "Married Life"/"Carl Goes Up" (12" vinyl from Up), The Princess and the Frog: The Songs (12" picture disc), and "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" (12" single from Fantasia).
Album signings at the Disney Music Emporium shop include Oscar®- and Grammy®-winning composer and Disney Legend Randy Newman (Toy Story films, Thee Princess and the Frog, Cars films); composer Tyler Bates (Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1); actor Anthony Gonzalez (voice of Miguel from Coco); singer-songwriter, actor, and dancer Matthew Morrison (Glee); plus Hollywood Records artist JD McCrary (voice of young Simba in The Lion King). Scheduled artists subject to change. Randy Thornton, Disney Music Group's Supervising Producer and Music Historian, will present "Great Moments with Walt Disney," on Friday, August 23, at the Archives Stage from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The Grammy-winning producer will present audio recordings of Walt Disney as he recalls developing the first cartoon with synchronized sound, creating Disney's first hit song, and meeting Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev.
About Disney Music Group and Disney Music Emporium
Disney Music Group is home to Walt Disney Records, Hollywood Records, Disney Music Publishing, Buena Vista Records, and Disney Concerts. The labels' genre-spanning rosters include (Grammy nominated) Demi Lovato, Queen (in the U.S.), Sofia Carson, ZZ Ward, Breaking Benjamin, Bea Miller, Sabrina Carpenter, Joywave, morgxn, Tini Stoessel, Dreamers, JD McCrary, and more. DMG also releases family music and film and television soundtracks such as the chart-topping Guardians of the Galaxy, Beauty and the Beast, Descendants, Oscar-winning Coco and Moana soundtracks, and the Oscar and Grammy-winning Frozen soundtrack. Recent releases include Toy Story 4, Aladdin, Avengers: Endgame, and Captain Marvel. Upcoming soundtracks include The Lion King, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and Frozen 2. DMG has a rich catalog with a lasting legacy that has impacted pop culture globally, including music from films such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio and Star Wars, artists like Annette Funicello, and beloved classics like "It's a Small World." Disney Concerts licenses and produces hundreds of shows around the world, including Star Wars in Concert, Disney On Classic, Beauty and the Beast, Soy Luna, and many more.
Honoring the continuing legacy of the Disney music catalog, Disney Music Emporium (DME) is the destination for collectible Disney music products. For more information and product offerings, visit DME at www.disneymusicemporium.com.
To stream classic Disney hits, please visit: http://disneymusic.co/DisneyHits
"DuckTales" (Image courtesy of Disney Channel)
Kids, tweens, and families can meet their favorite Disney Channel and Disney Junior stars during three fun-filled days at D23 Expo 2019, the ultimate Disney fan event, taking place FRIDAY, AUGUST 23 – SUNDAY, AUGUST 25 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. With special appearances scheduled daily, fans are invited to stop by the Walt Disney Television booth on the Expo show floor to meet and take pictures with some of their favorite stars from hit Disney Channel series and movies. Popular Disney Junior characters Fancy Nancy and Vampirina will also be on hand to greet young fans over all three days. In addition, the schedule features a Q&A session, including a special appearance by the world's most famous amphibian, Kermit the Frog, as he joins the creators and voices behind Disney Television Animation's hit series "Amphibia" and "Big City Greens," taking place at Stage 28 on Saturday, August 24.
A limited-edition collection of T-shirts from classic Disney Channel favorites, including "High School Musical," "Hannah Montana," and "Camp Rock," among others, will be available for purchase exclusively to D23 Expo attendees in the Walt Disney Television booth.
On FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, fans can meet the young stars of "Raven's Home" and the cast of Disney Channel's newest series "Just Roll With It. "
On SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, fans are invited to hop over to Stage 28 where "Amphibia" stars Disney Legend Bill Farmer, Amanda Leighton, and Justin Felbinger and series creator/executive producer Matt Braly will join "Big City Greens" cast members Marieve Herington and Bob Joles, and creators/executive producers Chris and Shane Houghton for a lively Q&A session featuring the one-and-only Kermit the Frog. Cast members from Disney's Emmy® Award-nominated "DuckTales" and hit Disney Channel series "Sydney to the Max" and "Coop & Cami Ask the World" will be on hand to meet fans and take pictures in the Walt Disney Television booth.
On SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, fans can meet the stars of Disney's Emmy® Award-nominated "Big Hero 6 The Series," based on Walt Disney Animation Studios' Academy Award®-winning feature film, as well as cast members from the Disney Channel Original Movie "Zombie" and fan-favorite Disney Channel series "Bunk'd"
Following is the full schedule* of stars making special appearances in the Walt Disney Television booth throughout the weekend:
"Just Roll With It" stars
9 a.m. Fancy Nancy character appearance
10 a.m. Vampirina character appearance
12 p.m. "Just Roll With It" stars Suzi Barrett, Tobie Windham, Ramon Reed, and Kaylin Hayman
3 p.m. "Raven's Home" stars Navia Robinson, Issac Ryan Brown, Jason Maybaum, and Sky Katz
"Coop & Cami Ask the World" stars
9 a.m. "Vampirina" character appearance
10 a.m. "Fancy Nancy" character appearance11 a.m. "Sydney to the Max" stars Ruth Righi, Ava Kolker, Jackson Dollinger, and Christian J. Simon
12 p.m. "Coop & Cami Ask the World" stars Dakota Lotus, Ruby Rose Turner, Olivia Sanabia, Albert Tsai, Paxton Booth, and Rebecca Metz
5 p.m. "DuckTales" stars Bobby Moynihan and Toks Olagundoye
"Bunk'd stars"
9 a.m. "Big Hero 6 The Series" stars Genesis Rodriguez and Brooks Wheelan
10 a.m. "Zombies" stars Meg Donnelly, Kylee Russell, and Carla Jeffery
1 p.m. "Bunk'd: stars Miranda May, Mallory James Mahoney, Raphael Alejandro, Will Buie Jr., Shelby Simmons, Scarlett Estevez, and Israel Johnson
3 p.m. Vampirina character appearance
4 p.m. Fancy Nancy character appearance
*Schedule subject to change.
Single-day tickets for Friday and Sunday of D23 Expo 2019 are available for $89 for one-day adult admission and $69 for children 3–9. Gold Members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club can purchase tickets for $77 for a one-day adult admission and $59 for children 3–9. Single-day Saturday tickets and three-day passes are sold out. For more information on tickets and D23 Expo 2019, visit D23Expo.com.
About D23 The name "D23" pays homage to the exciting journey that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened his first studio in Hollywood. D23 is the first official club for fans in Disney's 90-plus-year history. It gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic through its quarterly publication, Disney twenty-three; a rich website at D23.com with members-only content; member-exclusive discounts; and special events for D23 Members throughout the year.
2019 Teen Choice Awards: 'Avengers: Endgame' leads first wave of nominations
Teen Choice 2019, the summer's hottest live show, is back with a brand-new wave of nominees. Celebrate the year's hottest teen stars in television, music, film, sports, comedy and social media when the star-studded two-hour live event airs, for the first time in Teen Choice history, from Hermosa Beach, CA, on Sunday, Aug. 11 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX.
Box office blockbuster "Avengers: Endgame" leads the Teen Choice 2019 film category with nine nominations, followed by "Aladdin" with five nominations. "Captain Marvel," "Aquaman" and "Crazy Rich Asians" earned four nominations each. Leading the television category with five nods each are fan favorites "Riverdale," "The Flash" and "Shadowhunters," followed by "Arrow" with four nominations. Musical artist Lil Nas X tops the music category with five nominations. Post Malone follows with four nominations. Host(s), performers, presenters and additional nominees will be announced soon.
Voting is officially open as of 9:00 AM PT today through Tuesday, June 25, at 9:00 AM PT via https://fox.tv/TCA19 and Twitter. Fans are allowed 10 votes per category, per day, per platform user ID, for their favorite Teen Choice 2019 Wave One nominees. Vote via Twitter by tweeting a category hashtag (please see below) with the nominee's name (either @nominee, or if the nominee does not have a Twitter account, use #nominee). You may only vote for one Teen Choice 2019 nominee per Tweet.
For voting rules and more information, visit fox.com/teen-choice/rules and FAQs at fox.com/teen-choice/faqs.
Following are "Wave One" categories and nominees for Teen Choice 2019:
Choice Action Movie (#ChoiceActionMovie)
Choice Action Movie Actor (#ChoiceActionMovieActor)
Chris Evans – "Avengers: Endgame"
Chris Hemsworth – "Avengers: Endgame," "Men in Black: International"
John Cena – "Bumblebee"
Paul Rudd – "Ant-Man and the Wasp," "Avengers: Endgame"
Robert Downey Jr. – "Avengers: Endgame"
Samuel L. Jackson – "Captain Marvel"
Choice Action Movie Actress (#ChoiceActionMovieActress)
Brie Larson – "Captain Marvel," "Avengers: Endgame"
Evangeline Lilly – "Ant-Man and the Wasp"
Hailee Steinfeld – "Bumblebee"
Scarlett Johansson – "Avengers: Endgame"
Tessa Thompson – "Men in Black: International"
Zoe Saldana – "Avengers: Endgame"
Choice Sci-Fi/Fantasy Movie (#ChoiceSciFiFantasyMovie)
Choice Sci-Fi/Fantasy Movie Actor (#ChoiceSciFiFantasyMovieActor)
James McAvoy – "Dark Phoenix"
Jason Momoa – "Aquaman"
Lin-Manuel Miranda – "Mary Poppins Returns"
Mena Massoud – "Aladdin"
Will Smith – "Aladdin"
Zachary Levi – "Shazam!"
Choice Sci-Fi/Fantasy Movie Actress (#ChoiceSciFiFantasyMovieActress)
Amber Heard – "Aquaman"
Emily Blunt – "Mary Poppins Returns"
Katherine Waterston – "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald"
Keira Knightley – "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms"
Naomi Scott – "Aladdin"
Sophie Turner – "Dark Phoenix"
Choice Drama Movie (#ChoiceDramaMovie)
Choice Drama Movie Actor (#ChoiceDramaMovieActor)
Bradley Cooper – "A Star Is Born"
Cole Sprouse – "Five Feet Apart"
Hero Fiennes Tiffin – "After"
Noah Centineo – "To All the Boys I've Loved Before"
Rami Malek – "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Taron Egerton – "Rocketman"
Choice Drama Movie Actress (#ChoiceDramaMovieActress)
Amandla Stenberg – "The Hate U Give"
Chrissy Metz – "Breakthrough"
Haley Lu Richardson – "Five Feet Apart"
Josephine Langford – "After"
Lady Gaga – "A Star Is Born"
Lana Condor – "To All the Boys I've Loved Before"
Choice Comedy Movie (#ChoiceComedyMovie)
"The Perfect Date"
Choice Comedy Movie Actor (#ChoiceComedyMovieActor)
Henry Golding – "Crazy Rich Asians"
Kevin Hart – "Night School"
Liam Hemsworth – "Isn't It Romantic"
Mark Wahlberg – "Instant Family"
Noah Centineo – "The Perfect Date"
Ryan Reynolds – "Pokémon Detective Pikachu"
Choice Comedy Movie Actress (#ChoiceComedyMovieActress)
Awkwafina – "Crazy Rich Asians"
Constance Wu – "Crazy Rich Asians"
Laura Marano – "The Perfect Date"
Marsai Martin – "Little"
Rebel Wilson – "Isn't It Romantic"
Tiffany Haddish – "Night School"
Choice Movie Villain (#ChoiceMovieVillain)
Johnny Depp – "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald"
Josh Brolin – "Avengers: Endgame"
Jude Law – "Captain Marvel"
Mark Strong – "Shazam!"
Marwan Kenzari – "Aladdin"
Patrick Wilson – "Aquaman"
Choice Drama TV Show (#ChoiceDramaTVShow)
Choice Drama TV Actor (#ChoiceDramaTVActor)
Adam Huber – "Dynasty"
Cole Sprouse – "Riverdale"
Justin Hartley – "This Is Us"
K.J. Apa – "Riverdale"
Oliver Stark – "9-1-1"
Choice Drama TV Actress (#ChoiceDramaTVActress)
Camila Mendes – "Riverdale"
Cierra Ramirez – "Good Trouble"
Lili Reinhart – "Riverdale"
Maia Mitchell – "Good Trouble"
Ryan Destiny – "Star"
Sofia Carson – "Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists"
Choice Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Show (#ChoiceSciFiFantasyTVShow)
Choice Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actor (#ChoiceSciFiFantasyTVActor)
Aubrey Joseph – "Marvel's Cloak & Dagger"
Bob Morley – "The 100"
Dominic Sherwood – "Shadowhunters"
Harry Shum Jr. – "Shadowhunters"
Jared Padalecki – "Supernatural"
Ross Lynch – "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina"
Choice Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actress (#ChoiceSciFiFantasyTVActress)
Danielle Rose Russell – "Legacies"
Ellen Page – "The Umbrella Academy"
Katherine McNamara – "Shadowhunters"
Kiernan Shipka – "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina"
Melonie Diaz – "Charmed"
Olivia Holt – "Marvel's Cloak & Dagger"
Choice Action TV Show (#ChoiceActionTVShow)
Choice Action TV Actor (#ChoiceActionTVActor)
Ben McKenzie – "Gotham"
Brandon Routh – "DC's Legends of Tomorrow"
Brenton Thwaites – "Titans"
Grant Gustin – "The Flash"
Lucas Till – "MacGyver"
Stephen Amell – "Arrow"
Choice Action TV Actress (#ChoiceActionTVActress)
Candice Patton – "The Flash"
Danielle Panabaker – "The Flash"
Emily Bett Rickards – "Arrow"
Gabrielle Union – "L.A.'s Finest"
Jessica Alba – "L.A.'s Finest"
Melissa Benoist – "Supergirl"
Choice Comedy TV Show (#ChoiceComedyTVShow)
Choice Comedy TV Actor (#ChoiceComedyTVActor)
Andy Samberg – "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"
Anthony Anderson – "black-ish"
Daniel Radcliffe – "Miracle Workers"
Jaime Camil – "Jane the Virgin"
Jim Parsons – "The Big Bang Theory"
Marcel Ruiz – "One Day at a Time"
Choice Comedy TV Actress (#ChoiceComedyTVActress)
Candace Cameron Bure – "Fuller House"
Gina Rodriguez – "Jane the Virgin"
Kaley Cuoco – "The Big Bang Theory"
Nina Dobrev – "Fam"
Sarah Hyland – "Modern Family"
Yara Shahidi – "black-ish"
Choice TV Villain (#ChoiceTVVillain)
Adam Scott – "The Good Place"
Cameron Monaghan – "Gotham"
Jon Cryer – "Supergirl"
Luke Baines – "Shadowhunters"
Sarah Carter – "The Flash"
Sea Shimooka – "Arrow"
Choice Reality TV Show (#ChoiceRealityTVShow)
"Lip Sync Battle"
"Queer Eye"
Choice Throwback TV Show (#ChoiceThrowbackTVShow)
"Moesha"
Choice Male Artist (#ChoiceMaleArtist)
Choice Female Artist (#ChoiceFemaleArtist)
Choice Music Group (#ChoiceMusicGroup)
Choice Country Artist (#ChoiceCountryArtist)
Choice Latin Artist (#ChoiceLatinArtist)
Becky G.
Choice R&B/Hip-Hop Artist (#ChoiceRBHipHopArtist)
Choice Rock Artist (#ChoiceRockArtist)
Choice Song: Female Artist (#ChoiceSongFemaleArtist)
Ariana Grande – "7 rings"
Lauren Jauregui – "Expectations"
Taylor Swift (feat. Brendon Urie of Panic! At The Disco) – "ME!"
Choice Song: Male Artist (#ChoiceSongMaleArtist)
Khalid – "Better"
Shawn Mendes – "If I Can't Have You"
Lil Nas X – "Old Town Road"
Travis Scott – "SICKO MODE"
Louis Tomlinson – "Two of Us"
Post Malone – "Wow."
Choice Song: Group (#ChoiceSongGroup)
Imagine Dragons – "Bad Liar"
BLACKPINK – "DDU-DU DDU-DU"
Panic! At The Disco – "Hey Look Ma, I Made It"
Jonas Brothers – "Sucker"
Why Don't We – "8 Letters"
Choice Pop Song (#ChoicePopSong)
Sam Smith & Normani – "Dancing With A Stranger"
Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber – "I Don't Care"
Ava Max – "Sweet but Psycho"
Ariana Grande – "thank u, next"
Choice Country Song (#ChoiceCountrySong)
Maren Morris – "GIRL"
Kane Brown – "Good as You"
Thomas Rhett – "Look What God Gave Her"
Kelsea Ballerini – "Miss Me More"
Kacey Musgraves – "Rainbow"
Dan + Shay – "Speechless"
Choice Electronic/Dance Song (#ChoiceElectronicDanceSong)
Zedd & Katy Perry – "365"
The Chainsmokers & Bebe Rexha – "Call You Mine"
Ellie Goulding, Diplo, & Red Velvet – "Close to Me (Red Velvet Remix)"
Mark Ronson (feat. Camila Cabello) – "Find U Again"
Marshmello & Bastille – "Happier"
The Chainsmokers & 5 Seconds of Summer – "Who Do You Love"
Choice Latin Song (#ChoiceLatinSong)
Ozuna, Daddy Yankee & J Balvin (feat. Farruko, Anuel AA) [Remix] – "Baila Baila Baila"
ROSALÍA, J Balvin & El Guincho – "Con Altura"
Daddy Yankee & Katy Perry – "Con Calma (feat. Snow)"
Bad Bunny (feat. Drake) – "MIA"
CNCO – "Pretend"
Nicky Jam & Ozuna – "Te Robaré"
Choice R&B/Hip-Hop Song (#ChoiceR&BHipHopSong)
Meek Mill (feat. Drake) – "Going Bad"
Lil Nas X (feat. Billy Ray Cyrus) – "Old Town Road [Remix]"
Mustard & Migos – "Pure Water"
Post Malone & Swae Lee – "Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)"
Choice Rock Song (#ChoiceRockSong)
AJR – "100 Bad Days"
Bastille – "Joy"
Imagine Dragons – "Natural"
Cage The Elephant – "Ready To Let Go"
lovelytheband – "These Are My Friends"
Choice Breakout Artist (#ChoiceBreakoutArtist)
HRVY
Choice International Artist (#ChoiceInternationalArtist)
Choice Collaboration (#ChoiceCollaboration)
BTS (feat. Halsey) – "Boy With Luv"
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – "Shallow"
Julia Michaels (feat. Niall Horan) – "What A Time"
Choice Ship (#ChoiceShip)
Katherine McNamara & Dominic Sherwood – "Shadowhunters"
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – "A Star Is Born"
Lana Condor & Noah Centineo – "To All the Boys I've Loved Before"
Laura Marano & Noah Centineo – "The Perfect Date"
Lili Reinhart & Cole Sprouse – "Riverdale"
Madelaine Petsch & Vanessa Morgan – "Riverdale"
Choice Comedian (#ChoiceComedian)
Ethan & Grayson Dolan
Choice Male Athlete (#ChoiceMaleAthlete)
Choice Female Athlete (#ChoiceFemaleAthlete)
Katelyn Ohashi
Sky Brown
The Bella Twins
Tobin Heath
2019 MTV Movie and TV Awards: "Avengers: Endgame' is the top winner
With three prizes, including Best Movie, "Avengers: Endgame" was the top winner at the 2019 MTV Movie & TV Awards, which took place June 15 at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California. Zachary Levi hosted the show, which MTV televised on June 17.
"A Star Is Born" won two prizes: Best Musical Moment (for "Shallow") and Best Performance in a Movie (for Lady Gaga). Noah Centineo also won two awards, for his co-starring role in the Netflix romantic comedy "To All the Boys I Loved Before": Best Kiss (a prize he shared with co-star Lana Condor) and Breakthrough Performance.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was honored with the Generation Award. Jada Pinkett Smith received the Trailblazer Award.
The show's performers were Bazzi and Lizzo. (Martin Garrix, who had been scheduled to perform with Macklemore and Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump, cancelled the performance.) Presenters included Annie Murphy, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Gavin Leatherwood, Noah Schnapp, Ross Lynch, Aubrey Plaza, Daniel Levy, Dave Bautista, David Spade, Elisabeth Moss, Jameela Jamil, Kiernan Shipka, Kumail Nanjiani, Maude Apatow, Melissa McCarthy, Mj Rodriguez, Shameik Moore, Storm Reid and Tiffany Haddish.
Joel Gallen of Tenth Planet Productions served as executive producer with MTV's Amy Doyle, Wendy Plaut and Vanessa Whitewolf for the 2019 MTV Movie & TV Awards. Rick Austin also served as executive producer. Joseph Buoye and Alicia Portugal were executives in charge of production. Amani Duncan and Lisa Lauricella were executives in charge of music.
Official sponsors of the 2019 "MTV Movie & TV Awards" included M&M'S®, MTN DEW®, Taco Bell®, and truth®.
Here is the complete list of winners and nominees for the 2019 MTV Movie & TV Awards:
*=winner
Avengers: Endgame*
Game of Thrones*
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A MOVIE
Amandla Stenberg (Starr Carter) – The Hate U Give
Lady Gaga (Ally) – A Star is Born*
Lupita Nyong'o (Red) – Us
Rami Malek (Freddie Mercury) – Bohemian Rhapsody
Sandra Bullock (Malorie) – Bird Box
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SHOW
Elisabeth Moss (June Osborne/Offred) – The Handmaid's Tale*
Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen) – Game of Thrones
Gina Rodriguez (Jane Villanueva) – Jane the Virgin
Jason Mitchell (Brandon) – The Chi
Kiernan Shipka (Sabrina Spellman) – Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Brie Larson (Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel) – Captain Marvel
John David Washington (Ron Stallworth) – BlacKkKlansman
Maisie Williams (Arya Stark) – Game of Thrones
Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark/Iron Man) – Avengers: Endgame*
Zachary Levi (Billy Batson/Shazam) – Shazam!
BEST VILLAIN
Jodie Comer (Villanelle) – Killing Eve
Joseph Fiennes (Commander Fred Waterford) – The Handmaid's Tale
Josh Brolin (Thanos) – Avengers: Endgame*
Penn Badgley (Joe Goldberg) – You
BEST KISS
Camila Mendes & Charles Melton (Veronica Lodge & Reggie Mantle) – Riverdale
Jason Momoa & Amber Heard (Aquaman & Mera) – Aquaman
Ncuti Gatwa & Connor Swindells (Eric Effiong & Adam Groff) – Sex Education
Noah Centineo & Lana Condor (Peter Kavinsky & Lara Jean) – To All the Boys I've Loved Before*
Tom Hardy & Michelle Williams (Eddie Brock/Venom & Anne Weying) – Venom
REALITY ROYALTY
Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta*
BEST COMEDIC PERFORMANCE
Awkwafina (Peik Lin Goh) – Crazy Rich Asians
Dan Levy (David Rose) – Schitt's Creek*
John Mulaney (Andrew Glouberman) – Big Mouth
Marsai Martin (Little Jordan Sanders) – Little
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Haley Lu Richardson (Stella) – Five Feet Apart
Mj Rodriguez (Blanca Rodriguez) – Pose
Ncuti Gatwa (Eric Effiong) – Sex Education
Noah Centineo (Peter Kavinsky) – To All the Boys I've Loved Before*
BEST FIGHT
Avengers: Endgame – Captain America vs. Thanos
Captain Marvel – Captain Marvel vs. Minn-Erva*
Game of Thrones – Arya Stark vs. the White Walkers
RBG – Ruth Bader Ginsburg vs. Inequality
WWE Wrestlemania – Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair
BEST REAL–LIFE HERO
Alex Honnold – Free Solo
Hannah Gadsby – Nanette
Roman Reigns – WWE SmackDown
Ruth Bader Ginsburg – RBG*
Serena Williams – Being Serena
MOST FRIGHTENED PERFORMANCE
Alex Wolff (Peter) – Hereditary
Linda Cardellini (Anna Tate-Garcia) – The Curse of La Llorona
Rhian Rees (Dana Haines) – Halloween
Sandra Bullock (Malorie) – Bird Box*
Victoria Pedretti (Nell Crain) – The Haunting of Hill House
At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal
Surviving R. Kelly*
BEST HOST
Gayle King – CBS This Morning
Nick Cannon – Wild 'n Out*
Nick Cannon – The Masked Singer
RuPaul – RuPaul's Drag Race
Trevor Noah – The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
MOST MEME-ABLE MOMENT
Lindsay Lohan's Beach Club – The Lilo Dance
Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood – Ray J's Hat
RBG – The Notorious RBG
RuPaul's Drag Race – Asia O'Hara's butterfly finale fail
The Bachelor – Colton Underwood jumps the fence*
BEST MUSICAL MOMENT
A Star is Born "Shallow"*
Bohemian Rhapsody Live Aid Concert
Captain Marvel "Just a Girl"
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina "Masquerade"
On My Block "Look at that Butt"
Riverdale "Seventeen"
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse "Sunflower"
The Umbrella Academy "I Think We're Alone Now"
2019 Cannes Film Festival: 'Parasite' wins Palme d'Or; complete list of winners
The 72nd Annual Cannes Film Festival took place from May 14 to May 25, 2019. Here is the complete list of the event's winners, voted for by appointed juries, and awarded at Grand Théâtre Lumière in Cannes, France, on May 25, 2019.
FEATURE FILMS – COMPETITION
PALME D'OR (Best Picture)
GISAENGCHUNG (Parasite) directed by Bong Joon-Ho
The Palme d'or was awarded by Catherine Deneuve and Alejandro González Iñárritu.
ATLANTIQUE (Atlantics) directed by Mati Diop
The Grand Prix was awarded by Sylvester Stallone.
LE JEUNE AHMED (Young Ahmed) directed by Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne
The Best Director Prize was awarded by Viggo Mortensen.
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR
Antonio Banderas in DOLOR Y GLORIA directed by Pedro Almodóvar
The Best Performance by an Actor Prize was awarded by Zhang Ziyi.
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS
Emily Beecham in LITTLE JOE directed by Jessica Hausner
The Best Performance by an Actress Prize was awarded by Reda Kateb.
JURY PRIZE (tie)
LES MISÉRABLES directed by Ladj Ly
BACURAU directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho & Juliano Dornelles
The Jury Prizes were awarded by Michael Moore.
Céline Sciamma for PORTRAIT DE LA JEUNE FILLE EN FEU (Portrait of Lady on Fire)
The Best Screenplay Prize was awarded by Gael García Bernal.
To Elia Suleiman for IT MUST BE HEAVEN
The Special Mention was awarded by Chiara Mastroianni.
UN CERTAIN REGARD (Best Picture)
A VIDA INVISÍVEL DE EURÍDICE GUSMÃO (The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao) directed by Karim Aïnouz
Chiara Mastroianni for CHAMBRE 212 (On a Magical Night) directed by Christophe Honoré
BEST DIRECTION
Kantemir Balagov for BEANPOLE
COUP DE COEUR AWARD (tie)
LA FEMME DE MON FRÈRE (A Brother's Love) directed by Monia Chokri
THE CLIMB directed by Michael Angelo Covino
JURY PRIZE
O QUE ARDE (Fire Will Come) directed by Oliver Laxe
JURY SPECIAL MENTION
JEANNE (Joan of Arc) directed by Bruno Dumont
CAMÉRA D'OR
NUESTRAS MADRES directed by César Díaz presented as part of LA SEMAINE DE LA CRITIQUE
The Caméra d'or Prize was awarded by Rithy Panh, President of the Caméra d'or Jury and by Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi.
SHORT FILMS – COMPETITION
PALME D'OR
THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US AND THE SKY directed by Vasilis Kekatos
SPECIAL DISTINCTION BY THE JURY
MONSTRUO DIOS directed by Agustina San Martin
The Palme d'or and the Jury Special Mention for Shorts Films were awarded by the President of the Short Films and Cinéfondation Jury, Claire Denis and by Nadine Labaki, President of the Un Certain Regard Jury.
CINEFONDATION
MANO A MANO directed by Louise Courvoisier
CinéFabrique, France
SECOND PRIZE
HIẾU directed by Richard Van
CalArts, USA
THIRD PRIZE (tie)
AMBIENCE directed by Wisam Al Jafari
Dar al-Kalima University College of Arts and Culture, Palestine
DUSZYCZKA (The Little Soul) directed by Barbara Rupik
PWSFTviT, Poland
The 2019 CST Artist-Technician Prize goes to Flora Volpeliere, as editor and Julien Poupard, as set and lighting designer of Ladj LY's film LES MISÉRABLES.
A Special Mention from the Jury goes to Claire Mathon, Director of Photography of the films ATLANTIQUES (Atlantics) and PORTRAIT DE LA JEUNE FILLE EN FEU (Portrait of Lady on Fire).
The Jury also noted Lee Ha-jun's outstanding work as Artistic Director of GISAENGCHUNG (Parasite)
DIRECTORS' FORTNIGHT
SOCIETY OF DRAMATIC AUTHORS AND COMPOSERS PRIZE
AN EASY GIRL directed by Rebecca Zlotowski
EUROPA CINEMAS LABEL
ALICE AND THE MAYOR directed by Nicolas Parisier
ILLY SHORT FILM AWARD
STAY AWAKE, BE READY directed by An Pham Thien
CRITICS' WEEK
NESPRESSO GRAND PRIZE
I LOST MY BODY directed by Jérémy Clapin
César Díaz, "Our Mothers"
GAN FOUNDATION FOR DISTRIBUTION
The Jokers Films, French distributor for "Vivarium" by Lorcan Finnegan
LOUIS ROEDERER FOUNDATION STAR AWARD
Ingvar E. Sigurðsson, "A White, White Day"
2019 BET Awards: Cardi B has the most nominations
Cardi B (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for DCP via ABC/AMA2018)
The 2019 returns live from the Microsoft Theater at LA Live on June 23, to celebrate the brightest stars across music, television, film, sports, and philanthropy. BET Networks announces the 2019 nominees with Cardi B leading the pack. The starlet earned an impressive seven nominations, including Best Female Hip Hop Artist, two separate nods in both the Best Collaboration' and Video of the Year' categories, Album of the Year and the Coca-Cola® Viewers' Choice Award. Drake follows with five nods for Best Male Hip Hop Artist, Video of the Year, Best Collaboration and the Coca-Cola® Viewers' Choice Award. Beyoncé, Travis Scott and J. Cole all scored four nominations each, while Bruno Mars, 21 Savage, Childish Gambino, H.E.R. and Ella Mai each received three nominations.
In its 19th year, the BET Awards continues its reign as the ultimate platform showcasing the best and most beautiful aspects of the Black experience – celebrating not only the present and future of Black music, but also elevating the culture and being a driving force for social change. BET Networks recognizes artists, entertainers, and athletes across 20 categories with the 2019 BET Awards nominations. The nominations are selected by BET's Voting Academy, which is comprised of fans and an esteemed group of entertainment professionals in the fields of television, film, music, social media, digital marketing, sports journalism, public relations, and the creative arts. The 2019 BET Awards will simulcast LIVE at 8pm ET across seven Viacom networks in the US including BET, BET HER, MTV, MTV 2, MTV Classic, VH1, and Logo. Internationally, the show will simulcast for the first-time on BET Africa at 2am CAT on June 24, followed by international broadcasts in the UK on June 24 at 9:00pm BST, South Korea on June 25 at 9pm KST and in France on June 25 at 9pm CEST.
Internationally, BET will honor Best International Act in-show, along with the fan-voted category Best New International Act during the live red carpet pre-show.
"18 years ago we launched the BET Awards and since then we have celebrated cool in ways that can't be duplicated elsewhere. From Michael Jackson and James Brown busting dance moves together to Monique paying homage to Beyoncé in an unforgettable dance number to BET reuniting the Fugees we have set the tone for what cool looks like. This year we are even more so committed to continuing to create the unforgettable moments that have made the BET Awards the preeminent celebration of black culture. From the entire BET family, we congratulate each nominee and look forward to celebrating their talent and contributions at the '2019 BET Awards'." – Connie Orlando, Executive Vice President, Head of Programming at BET.
The complete list of nominees for the 2019 BET Awards are:
Childish Gambino, "This Is America"
Karena Evans
Lil Baby
Snoop Dogg featuring Rance Allen, "Blessing Me Again"
Burna Boy (Nigeria)
Sho Madjodzi (Africa)
Marsai Martin
"Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse_
Cardi B, "Invasion of Privacy"
Ella Mai, "Trip"
H.E.R., "Hard Place"
Connie Orlando, Executive Vice President, Head of Programming at BET will serve as Executive Producer for the 2019 BET AWARDS along with Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment.
BET Networks, an entertainment powerhouse, once again brings the BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE (BETX), June 20 – 23, 2019 presented by Coca-Cola®. This four-day event will be filled with music concerts taking place at The Novo by Microsoft and STAPLES Center; the BET Fan Fest at the Los Angeles Convention Center including seminars, celebrity basketball games, celebrity meet & greets; and other special interactive events. The weekend will be capped off with the "BET Awards" on Sunday, June 23, 2019 at Microsoft Theater. VIP Packages are the ONLY way to get BET Awards tickets, great seats to STAPLES Center shows, and exclusive access throughout the biggest summer weekend in entertainment. More information and tickets and VIP packages available at Bet.com/bet-experience.html.
Follow the Experience on Twitter and Instagram at @betexperience.
ABOUT BET NETWORKS
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks – BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET's growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.
ABOUT JESSE COLLINS ENTERTAINMENT
Jesse Collins Entertainment (JCE) is a full service television and film production company founded by entertainment industry veteran Jesse Collins. For more than a decade, Collins has played an integral role in producing some of television's most memorable moments in music entertainment. Collins has produced groundbreaking and award winning television programming including the BET Awards, the Grammy Awards, Soul Train Awards, BET Honors, UNCF An Evening of Stars, ABFF Awards and the BET Hip Hop Awards. Collins was an executive producer of the hit TV series, Real Husbands of Hollywood starring Kevin Hart, the critically-acclaimed The New Edition Story, a biopic on the boy band that aired as a 3-part mini-series on BET in January 2017. He is also the executive producer of VH1 shows Dear Mama and Hip Hop Squares with Ice Cube. Most recently JCE executive produced The Bobby Brown Story. The mini-series picked up where The New Edition Story mini-series left off and chronicled the talented but troubled singer's exit from the popular '80s boy band through his solo success. It debuted on BET in September 2018 and was the highest rated non-tentpole program on the network since The New Edition Story. Next for JCE is the second season of American Soul on BET and Netflix's upcoming series Rhythm and Flow.
ABOUT "BET AWARDS"
The "BET Awards" is one of the most watched award shows on cable television according to the Nielsen Company. The "BET Awards" franchise remains as the #1 program in cable TV history among African-Americans, and it is BET's #1 telecast every year. It recognizes the triumphs and successes of artists, entertainers, and athletes in a variety of categories.
Dennis Quaid returns for 'A Dog's Journey,' the sequel to 'A Dog's Purpose'
Dennis Quaid in "A Dog's Journey" directed by Gail Mancuso. (Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment)
The following is a description from Universal Pictures:
Some friendships transcend lifetimes. In "A Dog's Journey," the sequel to the heartwarming global hit "A Dog's Purpose," beloved dog Bailey finds his new destiny and forms an unbreakable bond that will lead him, and the people he loves, to places they never imagined.
Bailey (voiced again by Josh Gad) is living the good life on the Michigan farm of his "boy," Ethan (Dennis Quaid) and Ethan's wife Hannah (Marg Helgenberger). He even has a new playmate: Ethan and Hannah's baby granddaughter, CJ. The problem is that CJ's mom, Gloria (Betty Gilpin), decides to take CJ away. As Bailey's soul prepares to leave this life for a new one, he makes a promise to Ethan to find CJ and protect her at any cost.
Thus begins Bailey's adventure through multiple lives filled with love, friendship and devotion as he, CJ (Kathryn Prescott), and CJ's best friend Trent (Henry Lau) experience joy and heartbreak, music and laughter, and few really good belly rubs.
Directed by Emmy winner Gail Mancuso (TV's "Modern Family"), "A Dog's Journey" is produced by Gavin Polone ("A Dog's Purpose"), and written by W. Bruce Cameron & Cathryn Michon, and Maya Forbes & Wally Wolodarsky, based on the best-selling novel by Cameron. The film, from Amblin Entertainment and Reliance Entertainment, in association with Walden Media and Alibaba Pictures, will be distributed by Universal Pictures domestically, and by Universal Pictures and Amblin Partners internationally.
Cast: Marg Helgenberger, Betty Gilpin, Henry Lau, Kathryn Prescott, with Dennis Quaid and Josh Gad
Director: Gail Mancuso
Screenplay By: W. Bruce Cameron & Cathryn Michon and Maya Forbes & Wally Wolodarsky
Based on the novel by: W. Bruce Cameron
Producer: Gavin Polone
Executive Producers: Seth William Meier, Lasse Hallström, Luyuan Fan, Wei Zhang
Ethan (Dennis Quaid) and Bailey as Buddy, a Great Pyrenees Bernese Mountain Dog (voiced by Josh Gad), in "A Dog's Journey," directed by Gail Mancuso.(Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment)
Bailey as Big Dog, an English Mastiff (voiced by Josh Gad), in "A Dog's Journey," directed by Gail Mancuso. (Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment)
Toddler CJ (Emma Volk) and Bailey as Buddy, a Great Pyrenees Bernese Mountain Dog (voiced by Josh Gad), in "A Dog's Journey," directed by Gail Mancuso. (Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment) Byline: Photo credit: Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment
Young CJ (Abby Ryder Fortson) and Bailey as Molly, a Beaglier (voiced by Josh Gad), in "A Dog's Journey," directed by Gail Mancuso. (Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment)
Bailey as Buddy, a Great Pyrenees Mountain Dog (voiced by Josh Gad), in "A Dog's Journey," directed by Gail Mancuso. (Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment)
Bailey as Max, a Yorkshire Terrier (voiced by Josh Gad) in "A Dog's Journey," directed by Gail Mancuso. (Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment)
Book author and co-screenwriter W. Bruce Cameron and Max, a Yorkshire Terrier, on the set of "A Dog's Journey." (Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment)
Trent (Henry Lau), Ms. Thing (a Hairless Chinese Crested) and CJ (Kathryn Prescott) in "A Dog's Journey," directed by Gail Mancuso. (Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment)
CJ (Kathryn Prescott) with Bailey as Yorkshire Terrier Max (front, third dog from left, voiced by Josh Gad) and her dog-walking pack in "A Dog's Journey," directed by Gail Mancuso. (Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment)
Liesl (Daniela Barbosa), Trent (Henry Lau) and Ms. Thing (a Hairless Chinese Crested) in "A Dog's Journey," directed by Gail Mancuso. (Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment)
Bailey as Max, a Yorkshire Terrier (voiced by Josh Gad), and Trent (Henry Lau) in "A Dog's Journey," directed by Gail Mancuso. (Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment)
CJ (Kathryn Prescott) with Bailey as Yorkshire Terrier Max (voiced by Josh Gad) and Duke (back to camera) in "A Dog's Journey," directed by Gail Mancuso. (Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment)
CJ (Kathryn Prescott) in "A Dog's Journey," directed by Gail Mancuso. (Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment)
CJ (Kathryn Prescott) with Bailey as Yorkshire Terrier Max (voiced by Josh Gad) in "A Dog's Journey," directed by Gail Mancuso. (Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment)
Big Joe (Conrad Coates), Bailey as Big Dog, an English Mastiff (voiced by Josh Gad) and CJ (Kathryn Prescott) in "A Dog's Journey," directed by Gail Mancuso. (Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment)
Young CJ (Abby Ryder Fortson) in "A Dog's Journey," directed by Gail Mancuso. (Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment)
CJ (Kathryn Prescott), Bailey as Yorkshire terrier Max (back to camera, voiced by Josh Gad) and Trent (Henry Lau) in "A Dog's Journey," directed by Gail Mancuso.(Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment)
Ethan (Dennis Quaid), Hannah (Marg Helgenberger) and Bailey as Buddy, a Great Pyrenees Bernese Mountain Dog (voiced by Josh Gad), in "A Dog's Journey," directed by Gail Mancuso. (Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment)
Ethan (Dennis Quaid) and Bailey as Buddy, a Great Pyrenees Bernese Mountain Dog (voiced by Josh Gad), in "A Dog's Journey," directed by Gail Mancuso. (Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment)
Director Gail Mancuso and Dennis Quaid on the set of "A Dog's Journey." (Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment)
Ethan (Dennis Quaid) and Bailey as Buddy, a Great Pyrenees Bernese Mountain Dog (voiced by Josh Gad), in "A Dog's Journey," directed by Gail Mancuso.
Gloria (Betty Gilpin), Hannah (Marg Helgenberger) and Toddler CJ (Emma Volk) in "A Dog's Journey," directed by Gail Mancuso.
Bailey as Buddy, a Great Pyrenees Bernese Mountain Dog (voiced by Josh Gad), Toddler CJ (Emma Volk) and Hannah (Marg Helgenberger) in "A Dog's Journey," directed by Gail Mancuso.
Bailey as Buddy, a Great Pyrenees Bernese Mountain Dog (voiced by Josh Gad), and Ethan (Dennis Quaid) in "A Dog's Journey," directed by Gail Mancuso.
Ethan (Dennis Quaid) and Hannah (Marg Helgenberger) in "A Dog's Journey," directed by Gail Mancuso. | {
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Cody Vaujin Is Building His Legacy and Never Plans on Retiring
Entrepreneurs and business owners are unique in the sense that they tend to focus on their legacies. Cody Vaujin is no different in that regard; he's a legendary sports handicapping genius and the perfect example of somebody who is dedicated to providing the highest quality knowledge for his clients, students, and followers. Vaujin began his career early after winning a sports handicapping competition and beating out some of the industry's most renowned names.
At the time, Vauijn was in his early 20s. Even at that age, he was extremely confident and never questioned himself. He credits his upbringing for his success. "I was blessed to be brought up by two very supportive parents. They constantly believed in me. And as a kid, I already had big plans. I was selling candy bars at the local golf course, and I wanted to make a profit. My parents always encouraged me to follow my passion, and that's what I've been doing virtually all my life," he recalls.
At the age of 22, Cody had the biggest win of his life. He had recently dropped out of college and moved to Las Vegas, where he poured all of his energy into sports handicapping and mastering his strategies. "I had $5,000 and decided to invest it all. I kept playing until I had amassed $4 million. I kept my head up throughout the entire process and truly believed in myself. This is the kind of confidence I want to instill in all of my followers. Age should never be a barrier, and neither should low self-esteem," he shares.
Codycoverspreads enjoys a thriving community of followers who refer to Vaujin as the G.O.A.T., or, 'greatest of all time.' That support encourages him to continue creating and to build his legacy. When asked whether he plans on retiring any time soon, the answer is no. "I love what I do. I wake up very early each day and select my picks of the day. I advise my clients and post content for my fans. What I do makes me feel invigorated and gives me the chance to express myself fully. This is why I can't ever imagine myself retiring. What would I do? I'd be so bored," he laughs.
Cody never stops working. Even during the worldwide pandemic, he continued to study and to invent creative ways to remain in the game. When the pandemic shut down the world of sports in the US, he became interested in Korean baseball and got good at handicapping in that sphere in a record amount of time. "I take those challenges as ways to push me out of my comfort zone and to get me to think creatively. No hurdle is too big or impossible to overcome. I want my clients to think this way as well, and to know that they can always persevere," says Vaujin.
His fanbase currently numbers 210,000 on Instagram and continues to grow exponentially, as fans can't get enough of Cody's expert insight. Vaujin is happy to serve as a mentor and to support people on their journey to expert sports handicapping.
For more updates, motivation, and tips from Cody, follow him on Instagram.
Related Items:Business, Cody Vaujin, Entrepreneurs, Retiring
Ben Barker BsappsFX – Business is Personal, But Don't Take it Personally Advice from a Successful Forex Trader
Dr. Elena Eustache aka the Love Doctor to Debut New Dating App and Master Class | {
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Yountville killings shatter a young family
Bay Area // Crime
Lizzie Johnson
March 13, 2018 Updated: March 14, 2018 8:20 a.m.
1of4T.J. Shushereba, center, with his parents Ted, left, and Debbie talks about his wife Jennifer Gonzales at their home in Napa. Gonzales was was killed by a gunman inside the Yountville Pathways home, where she worked as a psychologist, last Friday.Michael Macor/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less
2of4T.J. Shushereba shares a photo of a trip with his wife Jennifer Gonzales to the Exit Glacier in Alaska in June 2015.Michael Macor/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less
3of4T. J. Shushereba, with his parents Ted and Debbie, talks about his wife Jennifer Gonzales at their home in Napa.Michael Macor/The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less
4of4T.J. Shushereba displays a photo of his wife Jennifer Gonzales. In a pizza restaurant, Gonzales had listed each state she had visited and whom she had visited it with on a napkin. Her husband saved the photo on his phone.Michael Macor / The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less
There's no cell service in the St. Helena winery where T.J. Shushereba works, so he missed the alert that went to phones throughout Napa County.
A gunman had barged into a farewell party for an employee Friday at the Pathway Home in Yountville, a treatment center for troubled veterans of the post-9/11 wars. The cake was still uncut on the table. The man, who had been treated for post-traumatic stress disorder at the center, singled out three staffers and took them hostage.
Shushereba's boss found him in the cellar at Anomaly Vineyards and said he should call his wife.
Dr. Jennifer Gonzales' phone rang five times and went to voice mail. She worked as a clinical psychologist with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, helping men with PTSD return to school. Part of her time was spent at the Pathway Home.
"I'm on my way," Shushereba said as he drove toward Yountville. "I'll see you soon. I love you."
She never heard the message. Gonzales, Pathway executive director Christine Loeber and Jennifer Golick, the center's clinical director, were already dead. So was the gunman, Albert Wong.
That night, officers would go to Yountville's town hall. At a press conference, they would confirm what he couldn't believe. His mind would go to the dark place.
"We talk about the three individuals that lost their lives," Shushereba said Tuesday. "There were four. I don't think that part of this whole scenario has really set in for me. We were going to have a baby. I am trying not to go down that path yet."
Gonzales, 32, was six months pregnant. Shushereba wanted to know the gender; she didn't. So they decided it would be a surprise. They called her bump June Baby.
Shushereba, 35, doesn't know why Wong picked out his wife and the two staffers. She didn't often talk about her work, because that could violate a patient's privacy.
T.J. Shushereba and his wife Jennifer Gonzales on their wedding day.Michael Macor/The Chronicle
Golick's father-in-law told the Associated Press that she had expelled Wong from the Pathway Home, but he didn't give a reason. Pathway's administrators never reported any actions or threats by Wong to local law enforcement, the Napa County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday.
Both the Pathway Home and the California Highway Patrol, which is leading the investigation, have declined to discuss the circumstances surrounding Wong's expulsion.
More on the Yountville tragedy
Editorial: Honoring the victims of the Pathway Home tragedy
Future of Pathway Home in question as investigators look into...
So Shushereba is left to wonder why his wife died, and what their life might have been like with the child she was carrying.
Some of their friends called it Smoky because Gonzales took the pregnancy test the night the North Bay wildfires ignited. On Friday morning, Gonzales texted a photo of her bulging belly to Shushereba and his mother. She was starting to feel the baby kicking.
Two days before Gonzales died, she and Shushereba booked doctor's appointments and birthing classes through the summer. With Gonzales — whom everyone called Jenn — he knew they could raise a good kid. She always wanted to cuddle her friends' children. She would be a good mother.
If the baby was a boy, they would call him Jackson Blaise. If it a was a girl, they would call her Cecilia Rose. Shushereba wanted to nickname her Cece, but Gonzales said it was too froufrou. Their girl would be strong, just like her.
Somehow, Shushereba knew he was always supposed to meet Gonzales. But he didn't expect it to happen on Match.com. Her first email — asking what he would cook for a celebrity guest — intrigued him. They met in Santa Rosa in January 2014 for drinks, which led to dinner, dessert, a walk and coffee. After five hours, he was smitten.
They were a team. She wanted to visit all 50 states before she turned 30, so in 2015, she and Shushereba took a road trip through the South. That summer, they went to Alaska. It was her last state. In a pizza restaurant, she listed each state's name and whom she had visited it with on a napkin.
T.J. Shushereba sits on the couch they named "Walter," while talking about his wife Jennifer Gonzales, at their home in Napa. Gonzales, a clinical psychologist, was was one of three women killed by a gunman who took hostages at the Pathway Home in Yountville.Michael Macor/The Chronicle
She held the paper in front of her face, brown eyes peeking over the top. Shushereba took a picture. He still has it saved on his phone. He has another folder, too, called "Jenn sleeps in cars." She got motion sick easily and could never stay awake on long drives.
Gonzales was smart and driven. She attended Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and earned her doctoral degree from Palo Alto University.
She grew up with three brothers in Mountain View. She had a big family and a big group of friends. Shushereba was an only child; he didn't know what to make of it at first. The number of weddings he was attending suddenly skyrocketed. But he blended right in.
Last year, at their own wedding in Sacramento, they hired a 1980s band. Everyone drank Manhattans — Gonzales' favorite — and danced for hours. She wore red high heels for the ceremony and red Converse sneakers for the reception. Their one-year wedding anniversary is March 18. Shushereba was going to surprise Gonzales with an overnight trip to San Francisco.
Sometimes when she came home from work, she seemed drained. She worked with men struggling to re-acclimate to society after witnessing the atrocities of war. Wong, who was trying to earn a college degree, was one of them. Before graduate school, she had counseled women who struggled with eating disorders.
"She liked the vets in particular," said her father, Mike Gonzales. "They're grizzled and gruff. She felt like they wanted to be helped. Her work was like Sisyphus pushing the rock up the hill and coming back down again. She wanted to be in the weeds with them. She had great empathy and compassion for these men."
Now, the anniversary hotel reservation will need to be canceled. The OB-GYN appointments erased. It still doesn't feel real to Shushereba. He could find out whether the baby would have been a girl or a boy, but he doesn't know whether he wants to.
"My day-to-day was a hell of a lot better with her by my side," he said. "She would learn from me, and I would learn from her. Through everything, from the first day we met through the last day we talked, she was just this incredible woman."
On Saturday, Shushereba folded their laundry for the last time. It had been sitting in the dryer for days. Gonzales wasn't very neat. But it was one of the things he loved about her. He folded her sleep shirt, an oversized T-shirt with a cartoon Simpsons character. He brushed his teeth with one of the matching toothbrushes she had bought for them.
He remembered her laugh, how she liked red wine and red lipstick, her obsession with sandwiches and how she wanted to open a shop with one for each state. He remembered how they called their brown leather couch by the name Walter, and how she was always trying to help other people. He remembered their last day together.
That Friday morning — like every Friday morning — Gonzales left the house first. Shushereba was cutting up a grapefruit in the kitchen. He never said goodbye to his wife or June Baby; it felt too final.
"See you later," he said.
"No, I will see you later," she replied, smiling.
Jenn walked out the door and was gone.
A GoFundMe account for Jennifer Gonzales' family has been set up here.
Chronicle staff writer Kurtis Alexander contributed to this report.
Lizzie Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @LizzieJohnsonnn
Reach Lizzie on
Lizzie Johnson is a former enterprise and investigative reporter at The San Francisco Chronicle. She joined The Chronicle in 2015 and previously covered City Hall. A graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism, she has worked at The Dallas Morning News, The Omaha World-Herald, The Chicago Tribune, and El Sol de San Telmo in Buenos Aires. Her first book, Paradise: One Town's Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire, is about the deadly blaze that leveled the Northern California town of Paradise and killed 85 people. It was published by Crown in August 2021.
In 2019 and 2020, Lizzie was named a finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists. The California News Publishers Association recognized her for 'Best Writing' in 2018 (second place) and 2019 (first place), for 'Best Profile' in 2019 (first place), for 'Best Enterprise' in 2018 (first place) and for 'Best Feature' in 2018 (first place). She has appeared on Longform Podcast, This American Life, Longreads, and Climate One from the Commonwealth Club. Her work has been featured by the Columbia Journalism Review, the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, and Harvard's Nieman Storyboard. | {
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Welcome to the portal for representatives from the Royal Household, Her Majesty's Government, Members and Officers from the Houses of Parliament, the Home Civil Service and the Diplomatic Service.
Barrow Hepburn & Gale are the official supplier of Despatch Boxes (Red Boxes) and other leather goods to The Sovereign, Her Government and official representatives. We have supplied boxes and official leather goods (including official ministerial folders) for many generations.
The Cabinet Office provides guidance to Departments on the appropriate use of despatch boxes as part of HMG's Security Policy Framework. Despatch boxes, which offer a higher level of security are required to be used for the transportation of information/correspondence with a high classification (Secret, Top Secret and STRAP). Although boxes are traditionally supplied in red, non-red boxes can also be supplied for a higher level of discretion and for other officials and crown representatives.
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Barrow Hepburn & Gale supply the red ministerial folders. For all HMG enquiries for folders, please contact: [email protected] or use the HMG Contact Form. | {
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Google is set to acquire around six percent of Lenovo as part of the deal which resulted in the sale of Motorola Mobility to the Chinese company.
According to a filing on the Hong Kong stock exchange, Google will acquire 618.3 million Lenovo shares at $1.21 each, amounting to a $750 million investment equivalent to 5.94 percent of the company. However, the deal will only be completed once the Motorola sale goes through.
The rest of the acquisition deal will see Lenovo will pay $660 million in cash and the remaining $1.5 billion over the next three years. Under the terms of the agreement, Google, will keep the patents it acquired when it bought Motorola for $12.5 billion in 2012, while Lenovo will receive more than 2,000 patent assets in addition to the Motorola brand and its portfolio of devices.
Larry Page, Google CEO, says the company's acquisition of the patents was important for the Android platform, but says the Google's inability to devote all of its resources to smartphone development would hinder Motorola's prospects in a "super competitive" market.
Lenovo, currently the fifth largest smartphone manufacturer in the world, hopes the acquisition will boost its presence outside China, where it currently sees the majority of its sales.
The company had long been linked with a move for a western manufacturer to boost its global profile, and prior to its acquisition of Motorola Mobility had apparently tried to purchase BlackBerry.
The takeover has been funded by Lenovo's position as the world's largest PC manufacturer, with the company accounting for 18.1 percent of all shipments worldwide. Recently, the company has looked to assert this leading market position by purchasing IBM's x86 server business for $2.3 billion (£1.4bn), but it denied earlier this week that it was in talks to buy Sony's struggling VAIO PC product line. | {
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What is Personal Injury Protection Insurance Coverage?
Watch Mr. Swanson's recent interview with Attorney Kevin Goldberg of law offices of Goldberg, Finnegan & Mester, shares what existing coverage you should know about in your existing auto insurance policy.
Watch Part 2 of Mr. Swanson's interview with Craig Carlson from The Carlson Law Firm, as he discusses how serving in his community helps him be a better advocate for his clients.
Watch Mr. Swanson's recent interview with Attorney Kevin Goldberg of law offices of Goldberg, Finnegan & Mester, discussing the dangers of consuming energy drinks especially for teenagers and young adults. | {
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Home biography Nick Bateman
Nick Bateman Biography
Facts of Nick Bateman
1986 , November-18
Quick Timeline of Nick Bateman
1986 Born in Burlington, Ontario
2007 Television debut through Just for Laughs
2011 Movie debut from Ethos
2017 Total Net Worth
2008 Began dating Maria Corrigan
Detail Timeline of Nick Bateman
Born in Burlington, Ontario
Bateman was born on November 18, 1986, as Nicholas Kevin Stanley Yunge-Bateman Burlington, Ontario. He was born in a middle-class family in Canada and spent a long part of his life in Canada.
Television debut through Just for Laughs
Bateman made his television debut from 2007 television series, Just for Laughs where he played the role named Sideswipe Performer. His outstanding performance led him into numerous television series like Originals, Space Janitors and so on.
Movie debut from Ethos
Bateman took his first step in the movie industry through the 2011 short film, Ethos as Nick. He then got an opportunity for many movies including Hobo with a Shotgun, Tapped Out, Ugly Love and many others.
Total Net Worth
Nick Bateman receives a big chunk of money from his television series and his current net worth is estimated to be $750000. He is a traveler person and often seen in world expensive destination.
Began dating Maria Corrigan
Nick Bateman began dating his beautiful girlfriend, Maria Corrigan since July of 2008. His girlfriend worked along with Hannah Telle on the short film "Over & Out."
After being graduated from the University, Nick Bateman ran his own Karate School for three years and stopped pursuing his passion for acting.
In the beginning of his career, Bateman appeared in the numerous commercials and many brands. He then made his television debut through the 2007 television series, Just for Laughs where he portrayed the role named Sideswipe Performer. Later, he appeared in many television series like Originals, Space Janitors, My Babysitter's a Vampire, Mr. D, The Listener and much more.
Apart from this, Nick Bateman featured in many movies including Ethos, Hobo with a Shotgun, Tapped Out, Ugly Love and so on.
As an actor, Bateman has been honored with "Golden Maple Award" in 2016 for Outstanding Social Media Achievement Award.
Nick Bateman is in a relationship with his girlfriend, Maria Corrigan. The pair is enjoying their love affair for about nine years now. They began dating since 2008. However, they haven't revealed any plans for their marriage.
Bateman belongs to white ethnicity and holds a Canadian nationality.
He often posts the pictures with famous personalities that includes Andrea Bowen and Adam Senn etc.
Bateman is one of the rising and on-demand actors in the film industry. He is currently enjoying his new-found and acting career to the fullest. Within a short period, he has earned a great name as well as fame in the entertainment industry.
Bateman is very fond of dogs and often posts snaps with dogs on Instagram. As of 2017, his net worth is estimated to be around $750,000. He also receives reasonable earnings from his Instagram through brand promotion. He is also the face of Glamglow and has worked with Calvin Klein.
Bateman posts the pictures with the car on Instagram. He loves traveling and often shares the pictures while on holidays. | {
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The Monroe Sun (https://themonroesun.com/principal-more-teachers-needed-to-handle-masuks-growing-enrollment/)
Principal: More teachers needed to handle Masuk's growing enrollment
By Bill Bittar | January 7, 2021
More on Education
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Masuk High School is located at 1014 Monroe Turnpike.
This article is the third in a series of stories from the Monroe Board of Education's budget workshops. Board members are reviewing Superintendent of Schools Joseph Kobza's $62.1 million proposal for fiscal year 2021-22
MONROE, CT — Masuk High School Principal Steven Swensen says student enrollment is steadily increasing as more families move into town. While growth is higher in grades k-through-five, Masuk expects a larger ninth grade class next fall.
If Monroe public schools are able to go back to full in-school-learning next year, Swensen said Masuk could probably handle it by having more kids in each class. But if enrollment continues to rise, the reductions of full-time staff over the years could be a problem.
Swensen said a bell curve that a certain number of students will not be able to keep up in class is no longer acceptable. As a result, additional support is needed for students who need it, and that means more certified staff.
Districtwide, Superintendent of Schools Joseph Kobza said the current enrollment of 3,215 is comparable to the 2014-15 school year (3,298) and '15-16 (3,179), but pointed to data showing certified staff (excluding administrators) is 259.16 positions compared to 277.1 in '14-15 and 271.5 in '15-16.
"Hey guys, we're 18 teachers down," Jerry Stevens, a Board of Education member, said of staff reductions during a budget workshop on Dec. 9. "That's tremendous. It's scary."
As of Nov. 30, Swensen said Masuk had 1,071 students. That compares to 1,010 last year. The increase comes after years of a steady decline since Masuk had 1,312 students in 2010-11.
However, enrollment may continue to rise. The current district enrollment of 3,215 has already reached what Milone & MacBroom had projected for 2024-25.
'Every scenario'
One advantage Masuk has over the lower schools when it comes to class sizes is flexibility with scheduling, according to Kobza "It's not as one-to-one with the elementary and middle schools," he said, adding Masuk will continue with its current block scheduling.
Nick Kapoor, a board member, asked if there are any concerns over capacity in the building at Masuk.
"We moved Alt Ed here," Swensen said. "That's taken up some of the room, obviously. STEM has a hallway. In terms of empty classrooms, we have maybe one or two."
Kapoor said the most significant growth in enrollment from last year is in grades k-12 and Kobza said that will work its way up to the high school.
As larger classes move up, Kapoor said more physical spaces will be needed. But Shannon Monaco, a board member, noted the uncertainty of the pandemic, saying classes may still be held virtually.
"If it's hybrid, we'll probably have the space," she said. "We just have to plan for every scenario, because we don't know what it will be."
Holding down expenses
In his presentation to the board, Swensen said cuts and shifts in budget supply lines allowed the school to come in at zero and under in that area. "Where cuts could be made, in terms of supplies and things like that, we came in at zero, but obviously some things were added to the budget," he said.
For instance, Swensen said Masuk is due for a decennial visit from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc., for the school's reaccreditation.
"That comes at a price," he said, adding of the visitors, "some come for three nights, some stay for four nights. We have to put them up. We pay the equivalent of one year's dues of just over $4,100 on top of it."
Swensen said the total cost of the accreditation process is just over $12,000. He said the cost will be offset within the budget this year, because $11,700 for the Biology First Initiative this year was a one time cost.
A Masuk science teacher is transferring to Jockey Hollow Middle School to help reduce class sizes there. While that will not cost Masuk any money, but Swensen said it will cost in terms of lost programs.
"So most likely at this time next year, I'll be sitting here asking for that science teacher back," he said.
World language and special education teacher requests cut from this year's budget is being proposed again.
A world language position to be be shared with Jockey Hollow.
Swensen said a full-time special education teacher will need to be devoted to the alternative high school, because of the growth of the program. He said this means Masuk will be down a special education teacher, a position it needs to fill.
Swensen said an increase in English language learner (ELL) students created a need for more ELL teachers. He also said the social worker the school district shares with the town is spread too thin.
Masuk's Forum on Underage Drinking and Substance Abuse to appear on YouTube
MONROE, CT — Masuk's freshmen class won't miss out on the 11th annual Forum on Underage Drinking and Substance Abuse this year. Meg Letko, a library media specialist at the high school, is recording talks by guest speakers and editing a video, which will be posted on YouTube on Nov. | {
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Athens launches its bond swap with private investors to slash €107bn of debt, while the German finance minister warns that Greece may need further financial help.
23.19 That's all from our Live Blog for today. Visit the Telegraph's Finance page for the latest on the eurozone debt crisis.
21.25 US markets have closed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 2.27 points (0.02pc) to 12,982.42, the S&P 500 gained 2.28 (0.17pc) to 1,365.74, while the Nasdaq added 6.77 (0.23pc) to 2,963.75.
It's the S&P 500's highest close since June 5, 2008.
20.59 US President Barack Obama says some progress has been made on European debt crisis but a lot more needs to be done.
20.51 Eurogroup head Jean-Claude Juncker is hopeful over efforts by Greece to meet the conditions for a second bailout and pledged steps to spur a return to growth.
What up to now in the last two weeks has happened in Greece makes me feel hopeful because I have the impression that the Greek government under the leadership of Prime Minister Papademos is taking its job very seriously.
Mexican Finance Minister Jose Antonio Meade, who is hosting the meeting, spoke top Reuters and said it was "still early in the process" to start discussing specific amounts and ways that G20 nations could commit more money for the IMF.
How much is confidence worth? Half a point of GDP, it seems, if the Office for National Statistics is anything to go by. That's what the collapse in business investment in the final three months of last year shaved off growth, as the escalation in the eurozone crisis spooked bosses. Companies may be sitting on a £70bn warchest, but as long as the outlook is gloomy, they will be sitting on their hands as well.
19.45 We have an in-depth story on the Greek bond swap program online now, if you want to delve deeper into the details.
19.15 Lloyds has become the first British bank to confirm it's looking at borrowing money from an emergency facility put in place by the ECB to prevent a fresh banking crisis, writes Harry WIlson.
18.26 Italy's stock market watchdog will let its ban on short-selling expire, reports Reuters. Consob says that it's decided not to renew the ban - first imposed in August - saying the decision was "coherent" with those of other European authorities.
Are the terms of Greece's PSI deal reasonable?
17.53 So what exactly is the bond swap deal?
• Investors will get 31.5pc of the face value of their bonds in new bonds that pay the yields mentioned below (17.32).
• An additional 15pc of the face value of their bonds will be paid as two-year EFSF bonds.
• There will also be a €30bn payment made to bondholders from the second bailout package.
17.44 Charles Dallara, the managing director of the IIF - the organisation that represented banks in the bond swap negotiations - says that he remains "quite optimistic" that investors will take up the deal.
He adds that there's no decision so far to put the Collective Action Clause into effect, which is the legislation to force bondholders to accept the deal. He even warned that if Greece was to do so, it could raise concerns about other sovereign issues.
17.32 The new bonds issued will mature in 2042 and pay 2pc from 2013 to 2015, 3pc from 2016 to 2020, 3.65pc in 2021 and 4.3pc from 2022. Greece won't have to settle the exchanges unless 90pc of the face valueot valid bonds in the PSI are tendered.
16.59 Time for a graph showing European market performance over the last few weeks. As usual, you can toggle individual markets on and off by clicking on their names in order to get a zoomed-in look at those remaining.
16.48 The European markets have closed for the day and week, with mixed results.
The FTSE 100 slipped 0.05pc, the DAX rose 0.81pc and the CAC gained 0.57pc.
16.40 As we wait for more details on this bond swap, it's worth looking at what will happen if it is/isn't accepted by investors. ZeroHedge points us towards this handy chart put together by BNP Paribas, which you can see in a larger form here. They say there's a 73pc chance that there will be 100pc participation.
16.23 And the important bit: the bondholder deal. It says that a 53.5pc haircut "constitutes an appropriate basis for launching the invitation for the exchange to holders of Greek government bonds".
The Eurogroup looks forward to a high participation of private creditors in the debt exchange, which should deliver a significant positive contribution to Greece's debt sustainability.
The official sector will decide on the precise amount of financial assistance to be provided in the context of the second Greek programme in early March, once the results of PSI are known and the prior actions have been implemented.
16.22 It goes on to call for a permanent troika presence in Athens, to "bolster its capacity to provide and coordinate technical assistance".
16.21 A document has just been uploaded to that site - it's old, dated February 21 - in which the Eurogroup welcomes the bailout deal and €325m in extra austerity measures taken on by Greece, saying that "this new programme provides a comprehensive blueprint for putting the public finances and the economy of Greece back on a sustainable footing and hence for safeguarding financial stability in Greece and in the euro area as a whole".
My personal view is that the €500bn are sufficient in combination with support by the International Monetary Fund. In the circumstances in which the banking system had funding problems I think it was appropriate to provide this liquidity. However, the central banks - and this is not only true for the ECB, I think also for other major central banks - have to be prepared to absorb the excess liquidity at a certain point in time, when the economy picks up.
15.31 We're hearing that the Greek Government will be releasing details of its bond swap program online in the next few hours. We'll bring you more as soon as we have it.
15.24 Data just out: sales of new houses in the US dipped in January, but the final quarter of 2011 was stronger than estimated.
The Commerce Department says new home sales fell 0.9pc last month to an annual rate of 321,000, having risen 10pc over the previous four months.
15.02 A consortium of "leading Greek business people" have launched an advertising campaign titled "Give Greece a chance".
Greece has committed to the toughest austerity program in modern history. Hefty tax hikes, pension and wage cuts have reduced the primary budget deficit from €24.7 billion to €5.2 billion in just two years... but with a dramatic impact on the life of every Greek.
A new set of measures was recently voted in by the Greek Parliament. With a focus on structural reform, we have a chance to create a new Greece. A modern, productive and creative Greece with a sustainable future in Europe.
Further hardship is inevitable. Unemployment has already reached 21pc. This is a high price to pay and it should not go in vain.
We are entering the fifth year of recession. Our European partners have stood by us. But we need continued support and the breathing space to get out of this vicious cycle. And we deserve to know that there is a fair chance of success.
We are hardworking, tax paying citizens unfairly labelled with stereotypes so easily handed out to Greeks today. We are Europeans who aspire to a constructive role within Europe. We will deliver on our commitment. We have already made sacrifices. We are ready to do more. We are betting our future on this. All we are saying is give Greece a chance.
14.37 It's almost a given now, but there are protests in Athens today. The picture below shows workers of Hellenic Halyvourgia, a privately owned steel plant, marching to the Labour Ministry to protest over new minimum wage cuts.
Americans are much more sanguine about the future than perhaps Europeans are, and much more willing to put a bit of risk back on the table.
Hedge fund investors in Europe have been very shy - they run if you cannot sell up in a minute and a half but far more money is being raised in the US for this type of investment, it's in their blood.
13.33 Greece will make more details of its Private Sector Involvement deal public today. The plan is designed to push through a €107bn haircut on Greek bonds and ease the country's debt problems.
Understandably, not everyone is keen to accept such a loss, so a new Collective Action Clause (CAC) law will make it possible to force through the measures if two thirds of bondholders agree to it.
Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos has said an official offer to private creditors must be made today, and that the debt swap would be concluded by March 12.
Venizelos said rating agencies "might declare Greece in selective default" while the debt-swap operation was going on but added: "There is a full mechanism to cover liquidity in the meantime."
The package has a three year duration. Therefore we cannot rule out that there may be further needs after this period and before 2020.
It will be a big economic power, but not so vast it upturns the whole global system. It risks becoming old before it is rich.
Those pushing for hardline containment are frankly dangerous, nourishing a paranoid streak in Chinese culture that is for now largely dormant. Let us stick to appeasement, in the old-fashioned sense.
There are no guarantees that the chosen path will lead to success. It is also possibly not the last time that the German parliament will have to consider financial aid to Greece. Because I am convinced that the agreed path... is the most likely to lead to success and is therefore a justifiable one, I ask for your support for this package."
If the central bank offers this service systematically banks can dismantle their trading platforms - which are costly to maintain - and become addicted to central bank credit.
Important market intermediaries, such as money market funds, could be driven out of business, as their business model loses profitability, for both domestic and foreign investors with excess liquidity may shift their investments to alternative, more profitable market segments."
ECB eurozone interest rates are currently at a record low of 1pc.
11.30 A bit more detail on that Italian debt auction - yields on the two-year bonds were down to 3.01pc, down from 3.76pc at an auction a month ago and the lowest interest rate since May.
The amount of debt sold was at the top of the Italian government's range, and should bode well for even larger debt sales Italy plans to carry out next week.
The government is selling €12.25bn of debt on Monday and €6.25bn auction on Tuesday which includes benchmark 10-year bonds.
The successful sale today demonstrates how crucial the liquidity measures started by the European Central Bank in December have been to bringing down the soaring cost of borrowing for Italy and Spain which occurred in the autumn.
At the ECB's offer of three-year loans in December, 523 European banks borrowed €489bn, and markets will be closely watching the second offer, which happens this coming week.
11.11 Also worth noting that growth for the whole of 2011 was revised down from a forecasted 0.9pc to 0.8pc by the ONS.
Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor, says the GDP figures show "the case for a change of course and a real plan for jobs and growth in next month's Budget is growing by the day".
Since George Osborne's spending review the economy has grown by just 0.2% compared to the 3.0% the government predicted. And far from the eurozone crisis being to blame, only rising exports kept us out of recession last year.
In the USA, where the government has taken a more balanced and steady approach to deficit reduction, their economy has more than recovered all the output lost in the global recession, while in Britain we are still almost 4% below our pre-crisis peak," he said.
10.39 Italy's bond sale has gone well: its zero-coupon two-year bond fell to 3.01pc, its lowest level since May. The country sold €4.5bn in zero-coupon and inflation-linked bonds.
10.18 Given the 0.8pc decline in manufacturing output contained in those GDP figures, I wonder if the Chancellor will come under any pressure to reverse his decision to slash 'capital allowances', a tax break designed to stimulate investment by manufacturers, from April. The message from the Government is about inspiring a "march of the makers" but some manufacturers have questioned the Coalition's commitment to that pledge given the move to cut a tax concession designed to encourage business investment by 75pc.
There was some decent news with consumer spending growing for the first time since the third quarter of 2010 and by a decent 0.5pc quarter-on-quarter, as well as exports seeing very decent growth of 2.3pc quarter-on-quarter despite GDP contraction of 0.3pc quarter-on-quarter in the Eurozone."
09.36 The contraction was down to companies slashing investment, the data shows, as higher consumer spending and export growth failed to counteract the apparent lack of business confidence.
09.33 The UK growth figures are out: fourth quarter GDP remains unchanged at -0.2pc, the second official estimate from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) confirms. This follows the 'flash' estimate given last month.
09.29 Unsurprisingly, Lloyds has been the biggest faller in the FTSE 100 so far this morning, down 2.8pc.
09.16 More money printing could be on the cards at the Bank of England: Paul Fisher, a member of the monetary policy committee, says he's open-minded on the possibility of a further boost to the Bank's quantitative easing programme.
The outlook for the economy is incredibly uncertain. If anything I feel slightly more comfortable about the inflation outlook than the outlook for growth. At this moment in time I would have a completely open mind going into the next round as to whether we would want to do more QE or not," he told City AM.
There's some debate as to how meaningful those numbers are, however. Banks are allowed to use the capacity they have made available to lend rather than the sum actually lent, although Lloyds' net lending grew, which was not the case across the industry.
08.48 More gloomy figures from Lloyds to accompany those losses (see 07.25) - it expects unemployment to rise to 9pc in 2013.
While the outlook for the UK economy remains uncertain, and vulnerable to developments in the eurozone, we believe the most likely scenario is for further weakness in the first half of 2012 followed by a relatively modest recovery in the second half, resulting in broadly flat real GDP for the year as a whole, with further modest recovery in 2013.
Cheery. It also expects the Bank of England base rate to remain at 0.5pc into next year.
08.33 Never mind the bail-out, where's the 'solidarity'? An interesting piece in this morning's Financial Times says solidarity - an expression which "belongs to the soggy (to Anglo-Saxon minds) consensualism of social market capitalism and to prophets of European unity" - has "dissolved".
Two things are needed if Greece is to avoid catastrophic economic and social collapse. They apply whether it stays in or leaves the euro. The first is sufficient political resolve within Greece to reform radically the state and economy; the second is a reciprocal willingness among other Europeans to foot a sizeable bill for the failures and fraud of past Greek governments. The pertinent question is whether such a bargain is available. The omens are not encouraging. Behind the name-calling that marks out Greece's relationship with its eurozone partners lies a complete breakdown of trust.
08.15 The oil price has continued its amazing run - Brent crude was trading above $124 a barrel earlier this morning, and is up 0.3pc at $123.96.
Tensions with Iran over its nuclear programme, which has seen countries in Europe and Asia seek other sources of oil, and signs of a strengthening US economy are both driving up the price.
Today's gains follow a strong rise yesterday, when crude reached a record high in sterling and euros.
The rising price comes at a perilous moment for Europe, which only this week agreed a bailout package for Greece and is still in a fragile state. The European Commission said on Tuesday that the EU would fail to grow this year and the eurozone is expected to experience a mild recession.
Last year, falling oil prices helped convince central banks that growth was on the cards in 2012. A rise in the cost of oil is likely to deliver a further blow to consumer confidence.
The FTSE 100 was up 0.2pc at 5,947.7 points shortly after markets opened.
Lloyds income was also down 10pc to £21.1bn which the bank put down to "subdued lending demand". Will that be interpreted as a lack of demand, or a lack of appetite by the bank to lend? The bank's impairment charge fell 26pc to £9.8bn.
07.45 UK shares are set to open higher this morning, with the futures market predicting the FTSE 100 will open up 0.4pc at 5939.
07.35 There are also some fairly gloomy predictions this morning from former Bank of England rate-setter Andrew Sentance.
The conditions which supported the period of growth which ended with the financial crisis are not set to return quickly. There are parallels with the disappointing growth the 1970s and early 1980s.
07.25 Lloyds Banking Group's results are out this morning and the bank has followed RBS yesterday in turning in a loss - the bank lost £3.5bn for 2011, down from a profit of £281m the previous year.
Lloyds also said it expects revenues in 2012 to decline.
07.20 Germany has also put out fourth-quarter growth figures this morning - showing its economy shrank by 0.2pc (snap with Britain!) in the last three months of 2011, down from growth of 0.6pc in the third quarter.
07.15 Coming up this morning, we have fourth-quarter growth figures for the UK - a revision because the first estimate came out in January, which said the economy shrank 0.2pc in last three months of 2011.
That estimate is expected to remain unchanged. We'll have the details at 09.30.
07.10 Mario Draghi, head of the European Central Bank, has given an interview to the Wall Street Journal, the first since the second Greek bailout was agreed earlier this week.
The idea of backtracking on fiscal targets or on fiscal consolidation, and that one would get benefits out of that, is doubtful because the market would immediately react.
"There is no trade-off" between economic reforms and fiscal belt-tightening, he added.
The key to controlling risks lies with the implementation of the program, which has to be flawless.
07.05 Ambrose Evans-Pritchard and Louise Armitstead reported on a new obstacle to resolving the debt crisis - a possible row between Germany and the IMF over the size of the eurozone bailout fund.
The country's ruling parties are to introduce a resolution in parliament blocking any further boost to the EU's bail-out machinery, vastly complicating Greece's rescue package.
The tough stance reflects popular disgust in Germany at escalating demands. Bowing to pressure, Chancellor Merkel's office said an increase in the ESM was "not necessary" since Italian and Spanish bond markets have recovered.
Germany is now on a collision course with world powers, the IMF and even key allies in Europe's AAA-core. The Netherlands and Finland are willing to boost the EU firewall to €750bn.
The IMF has hinted it may cut its share of Greece's €130bn (£110bn) package and warned that its members will not commit $500bn (£318bn) more in funds to ringfence Italy and Spain unless Europe beefs up its rescue scheme.
07.00 Good morning and welcome back to our live coverage of the eurozone debt crisis. | {
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Why does Francis' passion for justice and unity stop short of women? / National Catholic Reporter
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Vatican, Voice of the Faithful, Women Deacons, Women in Catholic Church on May 13, 2019
Francis' boundless energy and dedication to peace and justice stands in stark contrast to the dithering way he is handling question of women deacons in his own church. His passionate cause for unity among churches and with people of other faiths, it seems, stops short of the women of his own church who are asking simply for more inclusive ways to serve. (National Catholic Reporter)
In June 2016, just after Pope Francis announced he would create a commission for the study of the history of women deacons in the Catholic Church, he joked to journalists, 'When you want something not to be resolved, make a commission.' Apparently, he wasn't kidding after all.
"On May 7, while aboard the papal flight from Macedonia to Rome, Francis announced that, after three years of study, the papal commission was unable to find consensus and give a 'definitive response' on the role of women deacons in the first centuries of Christianity.
"He claimed that what remained unclear was whether women deacons received a sacramental ordination.
"'It is fundamental that there is not certainty that it was an ordination with the same formula and the same finality of men's ordination,' he said.
"Anyone who has ever listened to Francis speak about women knows why this would be such a crucial distinction for him. Like popes before him, Francis believes strongly that women are not entitled to sacramental power or authority and that it is God's intended purpose that men and women have different roles in the church."
By Jamie Manson, National Catholic Reporter — Read more …
catholic church, Catholic Church reform, Jamie Manson, national catholic reporter, ordained women's diaconate, Papal Commission, Pope Francis, roman catholic church, vatican, women deacons, women's roles in the Catholic Church
Voice of the Faithful Focus News Roundup
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Voice of the Faithful on May 13, 2019
Francis mandates clergy abuse reporting worldwide, empowers archbishops to do investigations
"Pope Francis issued sweeping new laws for the Catholic Church on the investigation of clergy sexual abuse(link is external) May 9, mandating for the first time that all priests and members of religious orders worldwide are obligated to report any suspicions of abuse or its cover-up. The pontiff has also established a new global system for the evaluation of reports of abuse or cover-up by bishops, which foresees the empowering of archbishops to conduct investigations of prelates in their local regions with the help of Vatican authorities." By Joshua J. McElwee, National Catholic Reporter
New rules on abuse mark a major step forward(link is external), By Michael Sean Winters, National Catholic Reporter
Pope issues new standards for reporting, investigating clergy abuse(link is external), By Inés San Martin, Cruxnow.com
Key points of Vatican law on reporting sex abuse, cover-ups(link is external), By Associated Press
Vatican issues norms for reports of abuse of minors, seminarians, and religious(link is external), By Hannah Brockhaus, Catholic News Agency, in The Pilot
Francis: Women deacons commission gave split report on their role in early church
"The Vatican commission studying the history of women serving as deacons in the Catholic Church has been unable to find consensus on their role in the early centuries of Christianity and is yet to give a 'definitive response(link is external),' Pope Francis said May 7. In a press conference aboard the flight back to Rome after his three-day visit to Bulgaria and North Macedonia, the pope said the primary question is whether women who served as deacons were ordained in a manner similar to male deacons. Each of the 12 members of the commission, said Francis, 'thought differently.' By Joshua J. McElwee, National Catholic Reporter
Pope Francis says commission on women deacons did not reach agreement(link is external), By Gerard O'Connell, America: The Jesuit Review
Pope says study on women deacons was inconclusive(link is external), By Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service
Pope says study of ordaining women deacons so far inconclusive,(link is external) By Elise Harris, Cruxnow.com
Ruling lets abuse survivor proceed with suit against California bishops
"A Los Angeles, California, superior court has ruled that a survivor of sexual abuse can sue the state's Catholic bishops(link is external) and the California Catholic Conference. In a press conference livestreamed from Burbank, California, April 29, survivor of clergy sexual abuse Tom Emens spoke alongside attorneys with the Jeff Anderson & Associates law firm." By Maria Benevento, National Catholic Reporter
Illinois Catholic Church didn't disclose hundreds of abuse cases, new attorney general finding shows
"Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan says Illinois six Roman Catholic dioceses failed to disclose at least 500 sexual abuse cases involving priests(link is external). That's one of the first findings the office has released so far in its ongoing investigation of the dioceses. In an interview last week, Madigan said one of the goals of the investigation is to uncover both the extent of sexual abuse incidents in Illinois' Catholic Church and whether church officials tried to cover them up." By Sam Dunklau, Illinois Public Radio
If leaked draft for Curia reform is for real, the Vatican is headed for disaster
"If there is any truth to the leaks concerning the Vatican's forthcoming proposal to reform the Curia, it is going to be a disappointment and a disaster(link is external). A draft of the proposal, expected to be published at the end of June, was obtained by a Spanish weekly, Vida Nueva, and as the Vatican has not pushed back on its analysis, the Catholic News Service and other Vatican reporters are taking it seriously." By Thomas Reese, Religion News Service
At Rome's American seminary, scandals aren't deterring future priests
"'None of us would have asked for this scandal and the hurt it's caused,' said Father Peter Harman, a priest of Springfield, Ill., and rector of the NAC (North American College) since 2016. 'But perhaps, and I trust in God's goodness, if this makes us want to be priests for the right reasons, then let it be.(link is external)'" By John L. Allen, Jr., Cruxnow.com
Editorial: George Weigel, wrong then, wrong now
"The Catholic University of America decided to give the final guest speaker spot in its commendable series of four programs(link is external) examining the priest sex abuse crisis to George Weigel. That was unfortunate, because his long-discredited narrative about the causes of the scandal and his illusory ideas about how to deal with it do a great disservice to the Catholic faithful in this moment when so much of the church is finally squaring up to the awful truth." By National Catholic Reporter Editorial Staff
What part of the church's healing are we each responsible for?
"In the final episode of Deliver Us, we ask: What's mine to do and not somebody else's? What part of the church's healing are we each responsible for(link is external)? To grapple with these questions, we spoke to people who have responded to the sex abuse crisis in different ways. Geoff Boisi and Kerry Robinson talk about why they formed Leadership Roundtable, an organization which brings best business practices to church leaders and which has convened experts to discuss the church's future … Donna Doucette of Voice of the Faithful also joins the episode to offer her take on how lay people can contribute to healing, and Monica LaBelle offers her experience of setting up listening sessions in her parish. We also hear from you, our listeners, in this final episode. You tell us what you've been doing to help the church move forward." By Maggi Van Dorn, Deliver Us, America: The Jesuit Review
Attorneys reviewing 'massive' number of documents in Catholic Church investigation
"Attorney General Dana Nessel's office is working around the clock and then some in its review of thousands of pages of information(link is external) seized from Michigan's seven Catholic dioceses. More than 25 assistant attorneys general are assigned to the investigation, in addition to their other assignments, and several regularly work for free on the weekends to process the 'massive' amounts of information, said Nessel's spokeswoman Kelly Rossman-McKinney." By Beth LeBlanc, The Detroit News
Georgia attorney general opens Catholic priest abuse investigation
"Georgia has become the latest state to open a formal investigation into the Catholic Church's priest sex abuse scandal in the state(link is external). The state does not have a large Catholic population within the Archdiocese of Atlanta and the Diocese of Savannah. However, the newly-minted archbishop of Washington DC is the former Archbishop of Atlanta, Wilton Gregory. Gregory's predecessor in Washington was forced to retire after the scathing Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report concerning his tenure as Bishop of Pittsburgh." By Joseph Saunders, The Legal Examiner
Los Angeles Archdiocese's handling of sex abuse cases under investigation by attorney general
"The California attorney general's office will review how the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has handled sexual abuse allegations(link is external), including whether it followed mandatory reporting requirements to law enforcement, according to a letter reviewed by The Times. The letter, dated Thursday (May 2), from Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra to Archbishop Jose Gomez, requests that church officials preserve an array of documents related to clergy abuse allegations." By Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times
California to review sex-abuse response of all 12 diocese(link is external), By KTVU-TV12 News
Catholic University sex abuse series wraps with starkly different viewpoints
"Two well-known lay Catholic leaders in the United States presented strikingly different opinions on the cause of the clergy sex abuse crisis, the role of the laity and the centrality of victim-survivors(link is external) at an April 25 conference at Catholic University of America, titled 'The Way Forward: Principles for Effective Lay Action.' The day-long conference, the fourth and final installment of the 'Healing the Breach of Trust' series, was marked by the divergent 25-minute presentations of George Weigel and John Carr, who spoke at different points in the day." By Jesse Remedios, National Catholic Reporter
How far can statewide investigation of Catholic Church sex abuse go?
"Peter J. Skandalakis, executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council of Georgia, has one goal in the review of sex abuse allegations in the Archdiocese of Atlanta and the Savannah Diocese. 'We will follow the facts where they lead us and go from there(link is external),' said Skandalakis, a career prosecutor, who joined PAC last year after more than two decades in public office. There could be further investigation or, perhaps, prosecutions by local district attorneys." By Sheila M. Poole, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A lawsuit against all of California's bishops will be allowed to proceed
"Last year, a California man sued bishops from every one of California's 11 dioceses(link is external), arguing that the church's history of concealing abusers' identities is a threat to free speech. This month, a California judge ruled that some of the claims in the lawsuit would be allowed to proceed—a decision that could force church officials to release the names of alleged abusers in dioceses across the state." By Emily Moon, Pacific Standard Magazine
Vatican reveals more about guidelines on children of priests
"The Vatican has confirmed that guidelines on dealing with Catholic priests who father children are sent to any episcopal conference(link is external) that requests them. Mgr Andrea Ripa, of the Congregation for the Clergy, wrote to Vincent Doyle, founder of the Coping International, which defends the rights of children of priests worldwide, confirming the policy of the Vatican concerning the document." By Ruth Gledhill, The Tablet
Documentary chronicles Francis by showing Church changing the world
"An El Salvadoran countryside, a Canadian mosque, a carpenter's workshop on the small Italian island of Lampedusa and a family home in Minnesota serve as the setting of Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation's latest documentary, The Francis Impact(link is external). Unlike most Vatican or papal-themed documentaries, there's little footage of Rome. Instead, the documentary – released May 5 – aims to turn the viewer's attention to the often forgotten regions of the world, much like the mission of its protagonist." By Christopher White, Cruxnow.com
Pope Francis urged to end clergy abuse in Argentina
"Pope Francis is being urged by campaigners to return to his homeland to deal with revelations of child sexual abuse committed by Roman Catholic clergy. Two international campaign organizations are in Argentina to meet the victims(link is external). They are also calling for clergy involved in abuse to be removed from office and to be prosecuted." By Daniel Schweimier, Al Jazeera
Letter signed by more than 1,500 accuses Pope Francis of the 'canonical delict of heresey'
"A group of Catholic scholars and priests has written an open letter to the College of Bishops accusing Pope Francis of heresy(link is external). The letter, published by LifeSiteNews April 30, accuses Francis of a 'comprehensive rejection of Catholic teaching on marriage and sexual activity, on the moral law, and on grace and the forgiveness of sins' and is framed as the third step in a process that began with a private letter to the cardinals and Eastern Catholic patriarchs in 2016." By Maria Benevento, National Catholic Reporter
In Washington meeting, U.S. bishops dialogue with abuse victims
"On May 1, just behind the walls where the tales of abuse and healing were on display, a small group of Catholics just like the ones in the stories gathered with bishops, clergy, victim advocates and others for a daylong event on the sex abuse crisis in the Catholic Church(link is external), but also to acknowledge the pain caused, to offer comfort, express sorrow, to share a meal, to pray and extend the wish to heal a broken trust." By Catholic News Service in The Pilot
WOMEN RELIGIOUS
Profile of women religious rising at the Vatican
"The Vatican can move at a snail's pace but looking back over the past six years, the profile of women, especially women religious, at Vatican events has risen sharply(link is external). The Roman Curia is not teeming with women leaders and Pope Francis has given no indication, for example, that he will open the diaconate to women, but women are taking center stage more often and doing so with the 'parrhesia' or boldness Francis encourages." By Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service on Cruxnow.com
International Union of Superiors General advocates for women, sees influence grow
"In the three years since Pope Francis announced he would create a commission to study the history of women deacons in the Catholic Church(link is external), signaling a possible openness to ending the global institution's practice of an all-male clergy, there has been little news about the group's work … Now, that looks set to change. Approximately 850 leaders of the world's congregations of Catholic women religious are preparing to come to Rome May 6-10 for their triennial weeklong meeting of the International Union of Superiors General (UISG), an umbrella organization that represents more than 450,000 sisters and nuns around the world." By Joshua J. McElwee, Global Sisters Report, National Catholic Reporter
WOMEN IN THE CHURCH
Vatican relaunches women's magazine team after resignations
"The Vatican announced a new editorial leadership team for its women's magazine(link is external)Tuesday (Apr. 30), following the clamorous exit of its previous editor who alleged a campaign of delegitimization by the Holy See's communications operation. Three of the members of the editorial team of Women Church World previously worked for the magazine and stayed on following the resignation of founder Lucetta Scaraffia and other editorial committee members in March." By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press, in The Boston Globe
LAITY & THE CHURCH
Speakers address role of laity as church moves forward from abuse scandal
"In introductory remarks during a conference examining the laity's role in helping the Church move forward from the clergy abuse crisis(link is external), a speaker pointed out that what has happened impacts, and continues to affect, the whole Church. 'We can't fix the Church by our own efforts,' but Catholics, like Simon of Cyrene who helped Jesus carry the cross, 'can carry some of the weight,' said Stephen White, executive director of The Catholic Project, a group sponsored by The Catholic University of America in response to the Church abuse crisis." By Carol Zimmermann, Catholic News Service, on Cruxnow.com
Rome conference ponders the rise of 'everyday' lay saints
"Since the beginning of his pontificate, one of the things Pope Francis has advocated most vocally is a less clerical church with a greater involvement of laypeople at every level(link is external), including the Roman Curia. At a time when the push for lay leadership is growing in the wake of further scandals related to Catholicism's global sexual abuse crisis, with many arguing lay intervention would help break a systemic cycle of cover-up among bishops and priests, a Rome conference has highlighted the lives of seven lay individuals whose causes for sainthood are underway …" By Elise Harris, Cruxnow.com
MILLENNIAL CATHOLICS
Young progressive Catholics really do care about the church
"Almost every conversation I listen to about the future of the Catholic Church in the United States makes two assumptions(link is external). First, that the only young adults still interested in the Catholic Church are very conservative. Second, that all of the other young adults have either rejected the church or are utterly indifferent to it. If that is the case, why do campus ministry programs at progressive Catholic universities have their liturgies packed with students, and why are there waiting lists for their retreat programs and immersion trips?" By Jamie Manson, National Catholic Reporter
CELIBACY& MARRIED PRIESTS
The hopes and challenges of priestly celibacy today
"Celibacy in the priesthood is once again up for discussion. The diminished number of candidates for ordination and the abuse crisis have prodded the discussion, which seems mainly focused on the elimination of celibacy as a mandatory discipline for priests(link is external)in the Western church. But a more foundational concern, in my estimation, needs our reflection before we consider any change. That concern has to do with formation for celibacy and formation in celibacy." By Louis J. Carroll, America: The Jesuit Review
CHURCH REFORM
Call to Action – the 'loyal left opposition' – reorganizes amid an uncertain future
"About a mile west of Wrigley Field, in Chicago's trendy Roscoe Village neighborhood, sits a three-story, yellow-brick building, where those who can't afford the nearby million-dollar, single-family homes can get a three-bedroom condo for half that. The building's first-floor commercial occupants are a spiritual gift shop and bookstore run by volunteers and open only on the weekends, and Call to Action, the 40-year-old Catholic church reform organization(link is external)." By Heidi Schlumpf, National Catholic Reporter
Younger progressive Catholics ready to 'regenerate' Call to Action(link is external), By Heidi Schlumpf, National Catholic Reporter
Secretariat of State looks to become even stronger in Vatican reforms
"After nearly 6 years of work, it looks like the new governing constitution of the Vatican should be published by the end of the summer(link is external). On Saturday (Apr. 20), the Spanish publication Nueva Vida will publish an article outlining some of the changes in the document, called Praedicate Evangelium, which Crux reported on earlier this week. The big news is that the once-dominant Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) is being effectively demoted. A new 'super-dicastery' for evangelization will be given pride of place in the new order, with another 'super-dicastery' for charity also superseding the CDF in the new Vatican hierarchy." By Charles Collins, Cruxnow.com
Plenary Council changing how faithful communicate
"The Listening and Dialogue phase of the Plenary Council 2020 process has changed the way people within the Church communicate with one another(link is external), three key figures have explained. Source, according to ACBC Media Blog … Plenary Council coordinators from the Diocese of Sale, Archdiocese of Brisbane and Diocese of Darwin – part of a network of more than 40 local coordinators across the nation – told Media Blog the Listening and Dialogue process has had a profound and nourishing impact on people in their communities." By CathNews.com
Vermont synod yields proposals on communications, evangelizing, parish life
"Recommendations on evangelization, vibrant parishes and communications emerged from the Diocese of Burlington's first synod to be held since before the Second Vatican Council(link is external) took place. On April 16, Bishop Christopher J. Coyne promulgated the documents of the synod at the annual chrism Mass April 16 at St. Joseph Cathedral in Burlington. Recommendations on evangelization, vibrant parishes and communications emerged from the Diocese of Burlington's first synod to be held since before the Second Vatican Council took place." By Cori Fugere Urban, Cruxnow.com
Number of 'nones' in the U.S. ties with Catholics
"Americans who do not identify with any religion are now as big a part of the country's population as Catholics and evangelical Christians(link is external), according to a new survey, according to "Our Sunday Visitor." The General Social Survey, which interviewed more than 2,000 people in 2018, indicates that the religiously unaffiliated, if the present trend continues, will comprise the largest segment of the United States' population within four to six years." By CathNews.com
Catholics on Delmarva: Holding firm or struggling with faith
"Jackie Conner is a self-identified 'cradle Catholic.' Growing up in the faith, she attended mass every Sunday with her family in Troy, New York, and has continued the tradition each week with her husband, Ernie, since moving to Salisbury in the late 1970s. But it wasn't always like that. In the early weeks of their 1954 marriage, Jackie said she resisted the Sunday ritual(link is external) because her mother wasn't there to make her go." By Rose Velazquez, DelmarvaNow.com
Michigan residents leaving the Catholic Church as many turn away from religion
"The Catholic Church has loomed large over Gloria Emmons' life.
Growing up in metro Detroit in the 1950s and '60s, her devout Catholic family was surrounded by other devout Catholics. Everybody went to church on Sundays. Nobody ate meat on Fridays. Almost every home had a statue of Mary … But today, Emmons describes herself as an 'ambivalent' Catholic(link is external)." By Julie Mack and Scott Levin, MLive.com
The Heat: Catholic Church sexual abuse
"Pope Francis, the leader of over 1 billion Roman Catholics across the world, is visiting Eastern Europe this week with stops in Bulgaria and North Macedonia. He has been talking about issues like wealth inequality and he's defended migrants. But, an issue that still dominates the pontiff's attention is the decades-old child sexual abuse crisis involving Catholic clergy. Earlier this year he brought together leaders of the Catholic Church from around the globe to the Vatican as he tried to address it. CGTN's John Gilmore filed this report, and discussions included(link is external) Tim Lennon, sexual abuse survivor and President of SNAP; Ray Flynn, former U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican; Matthias Katsch, German activist who was sexually abused; and Donna Doucette, executive director of a Voice of the Faithful." By Nathan King, CGTN-TV
The Heat: Catholic Church sexual abuse, Part 1(link is external)
Why I stayed, and why I'm leaving: The Church Must Comfort, not Judge
"My daughter Moy Moy died suddenly and unexpectedly in July 2018. My first Commonweal column—written in 1999 when she was ten years old—was about her. Our pediatrician had told us then that Moy probably only had months left to live. My column was about our anguish and grief; about what we had learned from her brief life(link is external) and how much we still didn't understand. Longtime Commonweal readers may remember that our pediatrician got it wrong. Moy Moy didn't die." By Jo McGowan, Commonweal
Here's how the Catholic Church can mopve from vague promises to bold action, former federal official says
"While in some ways a hopeful step, a four-day meeting in Rome earlier this year called by Pope Francis to respond to the sexual abuse crisis that has impacted the lives of countless victims(link is external) and undermined the moral authority of the Catholic Church was sadly bereft of concrete reform. There is still ample opportunity for the Church to recover from the decades-old scandal and regain the trust of the public, but it will require fundamental reforms in two critical areas that permitted and then covered up those abuses: bishop accountability and Church governance." By Tom Healey, Star-Ledger
Ideological bias cannot taint our approach to sexual abuse
"Since last summer I have taken part in about a dozen panels and programs across this country that were organized to discuss the causes and consequences of the crisis of sexual abuse of minors(link is external) by members of the Catholic clergy. I have visited several cities and met people from every walk of life—victims, survivors, bishops, priests and religious, lay leaders, moms and dads, young and old. It has been humbling, enlightening and inspiring to take part in these important conversations—the most important conversation we could ever have." By Mat Malone, America: The Jesuit Review
Confronting the specters
"Paul Elie, a friend and valued contributor to Commonweal for nearly three decades, has written a long article for the New Yorker on the renewed upheaval over clergy sexual abuse(link is external). It is a confusing and ultimately disappointing piece, which conflates older crimes and contemporary revelations while providing little explanation for the varying patterns of priestly sexual abuse and the church's different responses over the past fifty years." By Paul Baumann, Commonweal
What do the Church's victims deserve(link is external)? By Paul Elie, The New Yorker
Your thoughts on Pope Francis' sixth year, clericalism, unbelief and more
"NCR readers are welcome to join the conversation and send us a letter to the editor. Below is a sampling of letters received in the month of March 2019(link is external). If you want to respond to an article published in NCR, follow the steps listed at the end of this post ― When Francis was elected pope, I didn't pay much attention (and I'm a priest). Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI's episcopal nominees had already left me cold. Not as cold and abandoned as I felt in the presence of the schismatic Roman Curia, which has long since abandoned the people of God, but frozen enough to feel that in matters of faith I'd just have to weather through on my own …" By National Catholic Reporter Staff
Catholics want church to invest in ethical funds, survey says
"More than 90% of Catholics said they believe that Catholic organizations should invest church funds in ways that are consistent with church teaching and values(link is external), according to results of a new survey. In addition, about 31% of respondents to the survey conducted by Boston-based Catholic Investment Services said that news of clergy sexual abuse and the church's handling of such allegations has caused them to give less to their parish. Still, 7% of respondents said they have given more to their parish. However, 41% of respondents said they either plan to donate less to their parish or are considering giving less in the future." By Dennis Sadowski, Catholic News Service, on CatholicPhilly.com
Fatal flaw: Drafting error sinks child sex crime bill
"New Mexico was poised this year to join a wave of states nationwide that are allowing victims of child sex crimes more time to report their perpetrators for possible criminal prosecution(link is external). A last-minute clerical error derailed that effort – at least for this year. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said she was forced to veto the legislation last month, because her legal team found a fatal flaw that would have given some victims even less time to report the crime than they have under current law." By Colleen Heild, Albuquerque Journal
CLERGY CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
Catholic priest sex abuse scandal hits home, with more pain sure to come
"'What's next?" Roman Catholics worldwide are asking as their church reels amid explosive revelations of sexual assault and abuse of minors by priests(link is external). It certainly has hit home for me. During Mass in January, a representative of the Archdiocese of Chicago announced that the beloved pastor of my church had been accused of sexual abusing a minor in 1979, while serving in a south suburban parish." By Laura Washington, Chicago Sun Times
My priest was an accused abuser: the Catholic sex abuse story gets personal
"In the photograph, I am smiling brightly, and so are the two men I am standing next to. One is the future father of my children. The other is currently accused of sexual abuse involving 'multiple' victims(link is external): his name is Robert Chabak. That's how he signed my marriage certificate. We called him Father Bob. I've wondered over the last several years, of course, about the priests of my youth. As revelation upon revelation of sexual abuse in the Catholic church has emerged, I asked myself if I had known any of the men involved, if the cash I'd faithfully tucked into my collection plate envelopes had gone toward settlements with victims." By Mary Elizabeth Williams, Salon
Pennsylvania Attorney General Shapiro says clergy abuse shadows Catholics' Notre Dame response
"Pennsylvania Attorney General Joshua Shapiro was impressed with the response of the Catholic Church and Catholics around the world when Notre Dame went up in flames last week in Paris. But he's disappointed in what he sees as the church's lackluster response to protecting clergy abuse victims(link is external). In an op-ed in the Washington Post, Shapiro took the church to task for spending millions to influence lawmakers to block his recommendation that they open a window of opportunity for abuse survivors with old claims to sue the church." By Deb Erdley, TribLive.com
Victim shares story of clergy sexual abuse at Jesuit high school
"A man who says he was sexually abused by a Jesuit brother(link is external) his freshman year of Catholic School is speaking out. Kurt Hoffmann says he was assaulted by his swim coach Brother William Farrington. Now he's sharing his story and hoping other victims feel inspired to do the same." By Marissa Perlman, CBS-TV13 News
San Francisco among last Catholic dioceses in state to withhold names of accused clergy
"A lawsuit that would force the Archdiocese of San Francisco to release the names of clergy accused of sexual misconduct(link is external) was allowed to proceed last week. The Archdiocese of San Francisco is among 11 diocese across the state that, along with the California Catholic Conference (CCC), are named in the lawsuit that could force church officials to release the names of alleged abusers and provide documents on clerical offenders. The lawsuit alleges that these documents are kept in the dioceses possession, concealed from the public." By Laura Waxmann, San Francisco Examiner
Man vows to proceed with California clergy abuse lawsuit
"A man who says he was molested by his parish priest(link is external) decades ago vows to proceed with a lawsuit targeting all Catholic bishops in California after a judge dismissed part of the suit. The so-called 'nuisance' lawsuit filed in October by Thomas Emens claims a civil conspiracy among church officials to cover up clergy assault and move offending priests to other parishes." By Associated Press on SFGate.com
Credible sex abuse claims levied against three former Winters priests, one deacon, diocese says
"Three Catholic priests and one deacon who previously served at churches in Winters had credible claims of sexual abuse and other misconduct levied against them(link is external) across a span of several decades, according to a list published early Tuesday (Apr. 29) morning by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento. Those names were among nearly four dozen priests and other clergy members identified by church officials as having been 'credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors and young people in the Diocese of Sacramento,' a statement released by church officials said on Tuesday." By Matthew Keys, Winters Express
'Necessary reckoning' – Sacramento Catholic diocese to publish list of accused clergy, bishop says
"The Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento will release a list this week naming priests and deacons determined to have been credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors(link is external), Bishop Jaime Soto said in a letter Sunday (Apr. 28). 'The list will account for our history of sexual abuse over the last seven decades and is a necessary reckoning for our local Church,' Soto wrote. 'I am repulsed and heartbroken by the evil acts that were perpetrated upon the innocent by those entrusted with their care. When you read the list you will experience your own feelings of shock, anger and disgust. This undoubtedly will reopen wounds for some.'" By Michael McGough, The Sacramento Bee
Search the list of 44 Sacramento priests accused of sexual abuse(link is external), By Michael Finch II, The Sacramento Bee
Man says his alleged abuser was not on Sacramento Diocese's list(link is external), By Rowena Shaddox, FOX40-TV News
Here are the 46 clergy accused of sex abuse in Sacramento Catholic diocese list(link is external), By KCRA-TV News
Sexual misconduct allegation levied against Fresno Catholic Diocese priest
"A 59-year-old priest with the Diocese of Fresno is on leave after being accused of sexual misconduct in Firebaugh(link is external). Rev. Monsignor Craig Francis Harrison is being investigated after the allegation was made this month by an adult male, who was a minor when the alleged offense happened, according to a statement from the diocese." By Yesenia Amaro, Sacramento Bee
Prosecutors to audit Fresno Catholic diocese files for potential sex abuse cases(link is external), By Alexandra Hall, KWED-FM National Public Radio News
Statewide investigation launched into sex abuse allegations in Catholic Church
"Georgia has become the latest state to launch an investigation into past sexual abuse claims within the Catholic Church(link is external), Attorney General Chris Carr said Tuesday (Apr. 30). The repercussions could be widespread. In Pennsylvania, a grand jury report identified hundreds of priests accused of molesting at least 1,000 minors over the past seven decades in that state." By Shelia M. Poole and Christian Boone, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Diocese of Savannah releases statement on Georgia Catholic Church sex abuse investigation(link is external), By WALB-TV10 News
Swansea Roman Catholic clergyman charged with sexual assault
"A clergyman with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Belleville was charged Friday (Apr. 26) with sexually assaulting an adult woman on March 1. Deacon Robert J. Lanter, 68, of Swansea, was charged with felony criminal sexual assault, and is accused of assaulting a 29-year-old woman who was unable to give consent(link is external)." By Erin Heffernan, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Allegations against Fr. Bradley turned over to Vatican
"When Mark Lyon heard that the allegations made against Father Bradley were substantiated(link is external), he broke down. He would have never dreamed that the man he has known and respected could ever be involved in something like this. 'When all of these other allegations went on with the other priests, I would have said… Father Bradley? I would have bet everything that I have to say that this would never have happened,' said Lyon. Lyon tells 14 News that he does not want to believe it's true. But he is not sure what to believe." By Joseph Payton, WFIE-TV14 News
Former Massachusetts priest John Sweeney sexually abused teens, performed exorcisms on them, according to new allegation
"Nadine Tifft's faith has been tested. The 37-year-old publicly accused a priest on Tuesday (May 7) of sexually molesting her as a teenager growing up in New England(link is external). 'I'm still Catholic,' she said, but adding, 'It makes it hard to go to church.' Two decades ago, Tifft and several friends attended leadership retreats organized through her church for young members. The retreats were held around New England, designed to connect Catholics throughout New England with leaders in the church." By Michelle Williams, MassLive.com
Lawmakers: State must open courtrooms to priest-abuse survivors
"Two Grand Rapids state lawmakers said the timing could be right this year for legislation that would open courtroom doors for survivors of child sexual abuse(link is external) at the hands of Catholic priests and others. The so-called "window" legislation, which would temporarily eliminate the statute of limitations, could have a huge impact on the Catholic Church in the state." By Ken Kolker, WOOD-TV8 News
For many abused by priests, no window for justice
"A Barry County man said he was looking for justice when he recently called Target 8, along with the church and the Michigan Attorney General, to report a Roman Catholic priest had molested him when he was 12(link is external). He thought his case was recent enough, just 20 years ago, that he could send his molester to jail or make him and the Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids pay by suing them. But while a growing number of states have passed laws allowing survivors in years-old cases to file civil lawsuits, there's nothing he can legally do in Michigan." By Ken Kolker, WOOD-TV8 News
Sentencing of 'Father Bob' follows year of scandal for Catholic Church and Saginaw Diocese
"A longtime Catholic Diocese of Saginaw priest who pleaded no contest to sex crimes faced sentencing on Thursday, April 25. The Rev. Robert J. 'Father Bob' DeLand in March pleaded no contest to second-degree criminal sexual conduct(link is external), gross indecency between two males, and manufacturing or distributing an imitation controlled substance. The most serious charge is second-degree criminal sexual conduct, a 15-year felony." By Heather Jordan, MLive.com
Missouri bishop urges broader approach to help survivors, parishes heal
"Missouri Bishop W. Shawn McKnight of Jefferson City came face to face with a victim of sexual abuse long before he was a bishop(link is external), when a friend in college confided in him about a rape. That experience, as a friend of a person who has suffered similar trauma, seems to have shaped his approach as a vocal bishop denouncing the clergy sex abuse scandal, even if, at 50, he's one of the youngest and most junior members of the U.S. Catholic bishops." By Rhina Guidos, Catholic News Service, in National Catholic Reporter
Law firm says it will name 300 New Jersey priests accused of sex abuse, including those not named by the Church
"A New Jersey attorney says he has a list of more than 300 priests accused of sexual misconduct(link is external) in New Jersey — far more than the 188 priests the Catholic Church has said were 'credibly accused' in the state's dioceses. Attorney Greg Gianforcaro said he will release the list Monday (May 6) at an afternoon press conference where he will announce that an unnamed victim of sexual abuse is filing a lawsuit against New Jersey's five Catholic dioceses alleging they created a "public hazard" by not naming all accused priests." By Kelly Heyboer, New Jersey Advance Media for NJ.com
Law firm releases 300 names of Catholic priests and others accused of abuse in New Jersey(link is external), By Monsy Alvarado and Hean Rimbach, North Jersey Record
What to know about the newly released list of priests, others accused of abuse in New Jersey(link is external), By Candace Mitchell, North Jersey Record
Syracuse Catholic diocese pays $11 million to 79 sex abuse victims
"The Catholic Diocese of Syracuse has paid nearly $11 million to settle claims with 79 sex abuse victims(link is external), according to a report released today. The Independent Reconciliation Compensation Program was administered by New York City lawyers Camille Biros and Kenneth Feinberg, who have handled victims' funds after tragedies including 9/11 and the Boston Marathon bombing." By Julie McMahon, Syracuse.com
Long Island diocese declines to release list of priests accused of sexually abusing children
"The Diocese of Rockville Centre will not release a list of priests credibly accused of sexually abusing children(link is external) although it may do so in the future, church officials said Monday (Apr. 28). The decision is in contrast with those of the Archdiocese of New York and other dioceses around the country which have published such lists." By Bart Jones, Newsday
Lawyer names two former Long Island priests accused of decades-old child sex abuse(link is external), By NEWS12 Long Island
New York archdiocese names 120 Catholic clergy members accused of sex abuse
"The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York on Friday (Apr. 26) identified 115 priests and five deacons who have been accused of sexually abusing a child(link is external) in what is one of the largest disclosures that has been made by the church. The list of clergy members joins a flood of names that have poured from dioceses and religious orders across the country in recent months as the church grapples with a scandal over its handling of abuse." By Rick Rojas, The New York Times
Erie's Persico: 'We really need to clean this up'
"In April 2018, Erie Catholic Bishop Lawrence Persico released the first version of the Catholic Diocese of Erie's list of clergy and laypeople credibly accused of sexual abuse and other misconduct with minors. A year later, the list continues to grow(link is external) — it started with 51 names and is now at 81 — and so has the diocese's financial exposure. As state lawmakers extended their debate about whether to adjust the statute of limitations to allow abuse victims to sue over old cases, Persico joined other dioceses statewide and created a compensation fund to pay claims to victims outside of court." By Ed Palattella, GoErie.com
Trial for York-area defrocked priest accused of molesting two altar boys
"A 74-year-old defrocked Catholic priest who lives in West Manchester Township is now facing trial for allegedly sexually assaulting two altar boys(link is external) when he served at a Harrisburg church. John G. Allen, of the 1600 block of Kenneth Road, had his preliminary hearing at the office of Harrisburg-area District Judge Joseph Lindsey on Wednesday, April 24, according to court records." By Liz Evans Scolforo, York Dispatch
Alleged predator priest accused of sexually abusing boys faces multiple counts in PA court
"Their stories are strikingly similar, recorded three months apart by a Dauphin County detective. They have names, but they're known now as Victim 1 and Victim 2. Both men say John G. Allen sexually abused them(link is external) from 1997 to 2002 while they were altar boys at St. Margaret Mary's Alacoque Church in Harrisburg." By Candy Woodhall, York Daily Chronicle
After list of SC Catholic priests accused of abuse, no simple path to healing
"For victims of abuse by Catholic priests in South Carolina, the past month has opened old wounds but also fostered new hope(link is external). Since the 1990s, reports have surfaced implicating priests in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston in the abuse of minors dating back to at least the 1950s— cases that for years were treated in isolation." By Gergory Yee and Rickey Dennis, the Post and Courier
Grand jury indicts former Conroe priest on child sex abuse charges
"A grand jury on Thursday (May 2) indicted a former Conroe priest on charges stemming from child sex abuse allegations(link is external), according to court records. Manuel La Rosa-Lopez was indicted on two of the four counts of indecency with a child that led to his Sept. 11 arrest, records show. The two charges stem from incidents alleged to have happened to a female parishioner on April 9, 2000, while the cleric was assigned to Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Montgomery County." By Nicole Hensley, Houston Chronicle
Catholic community needs Archbishop Lori to listen
"Almost a year before Michael Bransfield's resignation as bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston (DWC), the Catholic Committee of Appalachia (CCA) wrote a letter to Pope Francis and other Vatican officials to express concerns about our diocese(link is external) and to share thoughts on the kind of bishop we would like to see follow Bransfield. Drawing from the Appalachian Catholic pastoral letters and the example of Pope Francis, both of which challenge people of faith to respond to the cry of the poor and the cry of the Earth, our letter requested a bishop who …" By Michael Iafrate
Demand for trial against clergy accused of abusing kids
"International and Argentine activists on Monday (May 6) called on Pope Francis to ensure that his 'zero tolerance' pledge against sexual abuses by clergy is enforced in his homeland and demanded a trial for those accused of raping deaf and mute children at a Catholic school(link is external). Prosecutors say that members of the clergy abused at least 20 children at the Provolo Institute in Mendoza province. The case has caused a worldwide uproar and more than a dozen people face charges." By Almudena Calatrava, Associated Press, on Madison.com
Expert panel to conduct Church governance review
"A panel of experts has been convened to conduct a national review of the governance and management structures of Catholic dioceses and parishes. This will include issues of transparency, accountability, consultation and lay participation(link is external). The review was a recommendation of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse after the commission concluded that the governance and management of some dioceses and parishes contributed to the child sexual abuse crisis." By CathNews.com
Australian church to review governance after sex abuse inquiry(link is external), By Michael Sainsbury, Catholic News Service, in National Catholic Reporter
Respected leaders to conduct Church Governance Review(link is external), By Catholic Religious Australia
Review of Governance and Management of Dioceses and Parishes(link is external), By Implementation Advisory Group of Catholic Religious Australia
Abuse survivors in Chile blast deal between Church and prosecutor
"A recently signed agreement between the Catholic Church in Chile and the local prosecutor's office has caused uproar, with critics charging that it unduly provides protections and privileges to the Church(link is external). The agreement was signed on Tuesday (Apr. 30) by the national prosecutor, Jorge Abbott, and the secretary general of the Chilean bishops' conference, Bishop Fernando Ramos, who's one of ten bishops called to testify facing allegations of having covered up cases of abuse." By Inés San Martin, Cruxnow.com
Chile prosecutor scraps controversial deal with Church on abuse cases(link is external), By Inés San Martin, Cruxnow.com
Chilean bishops fear new measure would enforce breaking confession seal
"Chilean bishops said that while they support legislation requiring priests and religious authorities to report crimes, they also fear that an update to the country's current law would force clergy to break the sacramental seal of confession(link is external). The 155-member Chilean House of Representatives unanimously approved a measure April 23 that would add clergy and religious men and women to the list of police, members of the armed forces, teachers and civil servants who are obliged to report all crimes under article 175 of Chile's penal code." By Junno Arocho Esteves, Catholic News Service, in National Catholic Reporter
GREAT BRITAIN, SCOTLAND & WALES
Child sexual abuse inquiry to be held into religious organizations
"Child sexual abuse in a wide range of religious organizations and settings, including Jehovah's Witnesses and Buddhists, is to be scrutinized in an official inquiry. The investigation by the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse (IICSA)(link is external) will review child protection and policies in organizations belonging to nonconformist Christian denominations, Baptists, Methodists, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism and Hinduism." By Harriet Sherwood, The Guardian
Guam priests' child sexual abuses would have remained a dark secret were it not for one man
"Back when no one dared to publicly accuse any Guam priest, much less the archbishop, of sexually abusing a child(link is external), former Agat resident John Toves did so in 2014. It was about 12 years after the Archdiocese of Boston's sex abuse scandal exposed widespread wrongdoing in the American Roman Catholic Church. 'My aunt referred to my brother as the David who slew Goliath,' Noreen Toves-Phillips, of California, said about her brother John.'" By Haidee Eugenio, Pacific Daily News
In India, charges against a Catholic bishop a victory for abused nuns
"In the dirt courtyard of St. Teresa's Women's College, in this port city in the southern Indian state of Kerala, a group of nuns cast curious glances toward a knot of chatty first-year students huddled together. The young women are mindful not to speak too loud, lest the sisters overhear the topic of their conversation — the alleged rape of a nun by the bishop who oversees a local religious order(link is external). Bishop Franco Mulakkal, a native of Kerala, an enclave of Christians in predominantly Hindu India, is accused of attacking the nun nine times between 2014 and 2016." By Brooke Thames, Religion News Service
Sicilian priest wages decade-long crusade against 'pedophilia pride'
"Incredibly enough, on April 25th, self-professed pedophiles online celebrate 'Alice Day' to promote the normalization of the sexual abuse of minors. For the past 23 years, a priest from a small southern Italian diocese has launched a global initiative on the same day to raise awareness for the protection of minors(link is external). 'The strength of an initiative is given by its continuity,' said Father Fortunato Di Noto, founder of Meter Onlus dedicated to protecting children from abuse." By Claire Giangravè, Cruxnow.com
Former Catholic school teacher gets 21 years in jail for sex abuse in Spain
"A Barcelona court sentenced Monday (A[pr. 29) a former gym teacher at a Catholic school to over 20 years in jail for sexually assaulting students(link is external), in the latest abuse scandal rocking the church in Spain. Joaquin Benitez, who taught for nearly three decades at a Barcelona school run by the Marist community, a Roman Catholic order at the centre of a clerical abuse scandal in Chile, got a jail term of 21 years and nine months for assaulting four students." By Agence France-Press on NewIndianExpress.com
catholic church, Catholic Church reform, Catholics, clergy sexual abuse, Focus news roundup, ordained women deacons, Pope Francis, roman catholic church, vatican, voice of the faithful, women's roles in the Roman Catholic Church
Francis mandates clergy abuse reporting worldwide, empowers archbishops to do investigations / National Catholic Reporter
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Pope Francis, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on May 9, 2019
Under the scope of the new laws, such disclosure (of abuse or coverup) could be rather wide-ranging, even retroactively. Article six of the apostolic letter makes clear that anyone who is serving or has served as a bishop can be investigated for acts committed during the time of their ministry. (National Catholic Reporter)
Pope Francis issued sweeping new laws for the Catholic Church on the investigation of clergy sexual abuse May 9, mandating for the first time that all priests and members of religious orders worldwide are obligated to report any suspicions of abuse or its cover-up.
"The pontiff has also established a new global system for the evaluation of reports of abuse or cover-up by bishops, which foresees the empowering of archbishops to conduct investigations of prelates in their local regions with the help of Vatican authorities.
"The new norms, contained in a brief apostolic letter titled Vos estis lux mundi ('You are the light of the world'), are exhaustive in scope, applying in some way to every ordained or vowed member of the 1.3 billion-person church. They also encourage lay people to make reports of abuse, and provide for involvement of lay experts in investigations.
"In his introduction to the document, which goes into effect June 1, Francis says he has created the new laws so the church will 'continue to learn from the bitter lessons of the past, looking with hope towards the future.'"
By Joshua J. McElwee, National Catholic Reporter — Read more …
accountability, catholic, catholic bishop accountability, catholic bishops, catholic church, Catholic Church reform, Catholics, child sex abuse, child sexual abuse, clergy sexual abuse, clergy sexual abuse scandal, coverup, Joshua J. McElwee, national catholic reporter, Pope Francis, roman catholic church, sexual abuse scandal, vatican, voice of the faithful
Pope Francis says study commission case for ordained women deacons inconclusive / Voice of the Faithful
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Pope Francis, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful, Women Deacons, Women in Catholic Church on May 8, 2019
BOSTON, Mass., May 8, 2019 – Pope Francis said yesterday (May 7) that, after two-years of work, members of his study commission on women deacons do not agree whether women were ordained deacons in the early Church in the same way as men.
The Pope established the Vatican commission to study the possibility of an ordained women's diaconate following a question at a meeting of superiors of women's religious orders from around the world in 2016. He meets again next week with religious superiors and speculation was that he would announce what he intends to do regarding women deacons at that meeting.
Voice of the Faithful joins other Catholics in advocating for women to be ordained deacons no matter what historical hairs the commission and the Pope continue to split. This is a matter of justice. A just Church treats everyone equally, according to their particular charisms and callings.
Rather than relying on what women deacons did historically, the Church needs to assess what an ordained women's diaconate could do today. If the focus is on what was done in the "early" Church, the evidence of women ministering in the first-century Church is overwhelming. The Church cannot afford today to continue to be wedded to traditions that limit the people of God.
Voice of the Faithful will continue to advocate for women to be ordained deacons and asks that U.S. bishops urge Pope Francis to institute an ordained women's diaconate. Additionally, VOTF agrees with Villanova theologian and Church historian Massimo Faggioli, who tweeted: "About this, the Church historian in me looks very much forward to 1.) reading the reports of some individuals (on the commission) (like Karl Rahner did after the commission on women priesthood in 1976); 2.) knowing if there is a majority vs. minority report; and 3.) (knowing) if the reports will be published.
Voice of the Faithful Statement, May 8, 2019
Contact: Nick Ingala, [email protected](link sends e-mail), 781-559-3360
Voice of the Faithful®: Voice of the Faithful® is a worldwide movement of faithful Roman Catholics working to support survivors of clergy sexual abuse, support priests of integrity and increase the laity's role in the governance and guidance of the Church. More information is at www.votf.org.
Catholic women deacons, Papal Study Commission on Women in the Diaconate, vatican, voice of the faithful, women deacons, women's diaconate
Francis: Women deacon's commission gave split report on their role in early church / National Catholic Reporter
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Vatican, Voice of the Faithful, Women Deacons, Women in Catholic Church on May 8, 2019
Francis said May 7 that the main unresolved question was whether the ordination women deacons received was "sacramental" or not. He said historical documents evaluated by the commission giving the formulas for ordination of women deacons showed they "are not the same as for men's diaconal ordination." (National Catholic Reporter)
The Vatican commission studying the history of women serving as deacons in the Catholic Church has been unable to find consensus on their role in the early centuries of Christianity and is yet to give a 'definitive response,' Pope Francis said May 7.
"In a press conference aboard the flight back to Rome after his three-day visit to Bulgaria and North Macedonia, the pope said the primary question is whether women who served as deacons were ordained in a manner similar to male deacons.
"Each of the 12 members of the commission, said Francis, 'thought differently.'
"'They worked together,' the pope explained. "And they found agreement up to a certain point. But each one of them has their own vision, which doesn't accord with that of the others.'
"'They stopped there as a commission, and each one is studying and going ahead,' he said."
catholic church, Catholic Church reform, Joshua J. McElwee, national catholic reporter, Pope Francis, roman catholic church, vatican, Vatican commission, voice of the faithful, women deacons, women's diaconate, women's roles, women's roles in the Catholic Church
What part of the church's healing are we each responsible for? / America": The Jesuit Review
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Voice of the Faithful on May 3, 2019
Donna Doucette of Voice of the Faithful also joins the episode to offer her take on how lay people can contribute to healing. (America: The Jesuit Review)
In the final episode of Deliver Us, we ask: What's mine to do and not somebody else's? What part of the church's healing are we each responsible for?
"To grapple with these questions, we spoke to people who have responded to the sex abuse crisis in different ways. Geoff Boisi and Kerry Robinson talk about why they formed Leadership Roundtable, an organization which brings best business practices to church leaders and which has convened experts to discuss the church's future. Leadership Roundtable has made it a priority to address the "twin crises" of the abuse crisis—one being the sexual abuse of children and vulnerable adults, and the other being the leadership failures in the church that have led to distrust.
"Donna Doucette of Voice of the Faithful also joins the episode to offer her take on how lay people can contribute to healing, and Monica LaBelle offers her experience of setting up listening sessions in her parish.
"We also hear from you, our listeners, in this final episode. You tell us what you've been doing to help the church move forward."
By Maggi Van Dorn, Deliver Us, America: The Jesuit Review — Listen to the podcast …
accountability, America: The Jesuit Review, catholic bishop accountability, catholic church, Catholic Church reform, clergy sexual abuse, clergy sexual abuse scandal, Deliver Us, Leadership Roundtable, Maggi Van Dorn, roman catholic church, sexual abuse scandal, voice of the faithful
Catholic University sex abuse series wraps with starkly different viewpoints / National Catholic Reporter
The day-long conference at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., was the fourth and final installment of the university's "Healing the Breach of Trust" series.
Two well-known lay Catholic leaders in the United States presented strikingly different opinions on the cause of the clergy sex abuse crisis, the role of the laity and the centrality of victim-survivors at an April 25 conference at Catholic University of America, titled 'The Way Forward: Principles for Effective Lay Action.'
"The day-long conference, the fourth and final installment of the 'Healing the Breach of Trust' series, was marked by the divergent 25-minute presentations of George Weigel and John Carr, who spoke at different points in the day.
"Weigel, a biographer of Pope John Paul II and senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a conservative think tank in Washington, D.C., discussed the negative influence of Satan, the sexual revolution and mass media on the current crisis.
"Carr, the founder and director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University and former director of the Department of Justice, Peace, and Human Development at the U.S. bishops' conference, presented 10 lessons on dealing with clergy abuse he gained from personal experience as both a victim-survivor and in working with the bishops."
By Jesse Remedios, National Catholic Reporter — Read more …
accountability, catholic church, Catholic University of America, child sexual abuse, clergy sexual abuse, clergy sexual abuse scandal, George Weigel, Jesse Remedios, John Carr, national catholic reporter, roman catholic church, voice of the faithful
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Sutton Stracke Net Worth: Age, Height, Relationship, and Career
June 18, 2022 June 1, 2022 by Jack
Sutton Stracke net worth, height, weight, and career have been discussed in this article. This is a great read if you are interested to know more about her.
Sutton Stracke is an American reality TV personality. She is best known for appearing as the main cast member on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' season 11. Sutton also owns the Sutton Concept fashion boutique. Sutton Stracke net worth is estimated to be $30 million as of 2022.
Celebrated Name Sutton Stracke
Rеаl Nаmе/Full Nаmе Sutton Stracke
Віrth Dаtе 20 September 1971
Віrth Рlасе Augusta, Georgia, U. S.
Sutton Stracke Net Worth in 2022 $30 million
Sutton Stracke Net Worth and Introduction
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Sutton Stracke Age, Height, Weight, and Relationship
Sutton Stracke Net Worth and Career
Sutton Stracke Net Worth
Sutton Stracke was born in Augusta, Georgia, United States. Her birth name is Sutton Thurman Brown. She has studied at Davidson Fine Arts High School. From the beginning, she has made up her mind to become a professional ballet dancer. By reaching 20, she got approval from her parents and shifted her place to New York.
Talking about her family, her mother Reba, is a social worker for the Veterans Administration and her late Father John T. Brown is an Architect in private practice.
While chasing her dream, she eventually went on to become the Director of Development at Cunningham Dance Foundation. Later, she worked as an Executive Director at the Augusta Ballet. Likewise, she has been on the boards of the various ballet theatre, which includes the prestigious American Ballet Theatre.
Being born on 20 September 1971, Sutton Stracke is 50 years old. She is 5 feet 7 inches tall and weigh 58 kg or 128 pounds.
Sutton Stracke was married to Thibeault Christian Stracke, who was her childhood friend. Christian Stracke, a wealthy financier who supposedly had a healthy inheritance to offer along with a lucrative career, among other things.
She stayed with him for sixteen years since getting married in 2000. Along with her ex-husband, Christian, she shares three kids; two sons Philip and James, and a daughter, Porter. They got divorced in 2016.
Sutton seems to have found a new love in her life. She is currently dating her new boyfriend, Michael Mahoney. Both have been spotted together at various extravagant social events.
Early in her career, Stracke's goal was to be a dancer. She studied at the Davidson Fine Arts high school, and she moved to New York, intent on getting into ballet. But Stracke soon discovered that she had a knack for a completely different set of dance moves.
Sutton wanted a career in ballet but she became the Director of Development at the Cunningham Dance Foundation. Later, driven by her ambition she became Augusta's Ballet Executive Director. She works as the Board member of the American Ballet Theater supporting young talents. In 2018, she was the major supporter of Ratmanksy Project.
In 2019, she opened her own boutique in West Hollywood Beverly Hills and named it as SUTTON. Its inauguration was covered by the Los Angeles Times in October 2019. Along with entrepreneurship, she also became a fashion designer because she designed all the dressed and outfits of the boutique. She also offers furniture, art, jewelry, hand bags and decorative furnishings.
Sutton is also known as one of the Top party hosts in the United States. But she became popular after she made an appearance on Bravo TV's reality show "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills". She made her first appearance on the reality show on season 10, appearing as the friend of housewives.
Stracke was initially offered to appear as one of the main cast members of the series, but she couldn't make it that time. The main reason being her ex-husband, Christian Stracke, who refused to film for the show, and he also didn't allow their children to appear on it. However, she was able to bring a lot of drama to the show despite being just a friend of the housewives.
She even made quite a good impression on the ladies of Beverly Hills with her extravagant lifestyle. Sutton was introduced by her friend Lisa Rinna to the housewives. Later on, the housewives had a lot of praises for her being so rich. Sutton started appearing as the main cast member on the 11th season of the reality show, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. The show started premiering on May 19, 2021.
Sutton Stracke net worth is estimated to be around $30 million as of 2022. Sutton inherited the hefty amount from her ex-hubby, Christian Stracke after the divorce. Besides that, Sutton also earns a lucrative sum of around $100,000 for being a party planner.
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Val Kilmer Net Worth: Age, Height, Relationship, and Career | {
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Facebook F-Commerce for small town businesses
I love talking to my friend Paul Chaney because he really gets both small business and small towns. He wrote a great book on the basics of social media for small business called The Digital Handshake. When I heard he had a new book coming out, this one on F-commerce, I invited him to tell us about it.
First, explain what F-commerce is, and what it means to businesses.
Paul Chaney is a small town guy
who gets small business
and social media.
F-Commerce stands for Facebook Commerce, and denotes the use of Facebook as a channel to monetize social media. It is one facet of a larger genre referred to as social commerce. In its earliest iteration, f-commerce stood for the buying and selling of products and services on Facebook. For the most part that hasn't worked out as well as people like would have hoped.
A recent research report from customer engagement service Get Satisfaction and analyst Incyte Group said that only 13% of people log onto social networks like Facebook to interact with brands, and that "when customers want information to make purchase decisions, they are more than four times as likely to go to the company's website (89%) as they are to use a social network (21%)."
So if people aren't going to Facebook to buy stuff, then why should a small business have a presence there? The main reason is that it's highly likely your customer is there. With over 901 million people on the network and growing, combined with the fact that every 1 out 7 visits to a website is to Facebook, and the average visit being 20 minutes or more, "why" to have a presence is pretty clear.
The issue, then, is how best to maximize the value of that presence — and it's not by using it simply as a marketing and advertising tool. (Note that I said "simply.") Lots of companies large and small view Facebook as just another channel to pitch products and services, much in the way way businesses do using more traditional forms of advertising.
A better way to use Facebook is to build long-term value with current customers. You do that by having a service-oriented mentality that puts the needs and wants of your customers before your own and by providing content that they will appreciate. Sometimes that may be a special offer or product discount that's made exclusively to a business's Facebook fans; at other times it's answering a customer service question; and at other times it's posting a funny video, quote or, in the case of small businesses, something of interest that's taking place within the community.
Bottom line, it's all about building relationships that lead to the fostering of trust. In that sense, Facebook becomes a virtual extension of what a business is already doing in the real world. Plus, by communicating routinely – 1 or 2 times per week minimum – a business can stay top of mind with the customer.
And, just for the record, the way a business establishes a presence on Facebook is through a Facebook Page, not a personal profile. However, it's good for business owners to have a personal profile as well.
Second, tell us a little about yourself. What's your small town connection? What do you know about small business?
I'm small town all the way. I grew up in the small town of Hickory, Mississippi. Only I didn't grow up in Hickory, but three miles outside it. My first jobs were at the local gas station and then at the local grocery store. (Incidentally, the gas station and grocery store were owned by two brothers, Doc and Newt McCormick.
My parents were both small business owners. My dad had a trucking company and my mother had an accounting firm. In fact, at age 81, she still goes to her office every day! (Honestly, I think that's just so she won't have to sit in front of the television all day with my dad and watch reruns of NASCAR races.)
I'm a small business owner and so is my wife and so are her two brothers and sister. You might say I have small business blood in my veins, and small town small business to boot!
Small towns do have strong communities on Facebook. In my town, I've seen groups organizing to do good in the community, and a local business building excitement by sharing photos of their remodel. Do you see any special small-town applications for F-commerce?
Those are two great examples and precisely the type of thing I was talking about earlier. I think Facebook can be used to express the personality of the business. Providing information like the remodel (to cite your example) is great because it gives Facebook users a "behind the scenes" look at the business.
I think it's also important to make sure you interact with fans. For example, if a fan comments on a post, be sure and respond, even if it's with something as simple as a heart-felt thank you. If a question is asked, respond quickly and sincerely. And, as mentioned, have a little fun now and then. Be human.
Many small town businesses have no web site of their own; they rely totally on Facebook for their connection to customers. How can they best build on those connections beyond Facebook?
While having a Facebook presence is vital, I'm an advocate of a business having its own website. That way you own the layout, can include whatever content you feel is suitable and can better tailor the site to appeal to you customers. An easy way to do this is to set up a blog using WordPress or other blog platform.
Aside from that, I'd say it's important to have a presence within social networks wherever your customers do. The popular platforms include Twitter and, increasing, Pinterest. Also, use email marketing, which can be more overtly promotional. Tools like Constant Contact or Vertical Response make this easy to do. Finally, spend some time (and money) on search engine optimization, so that your business gets seen by Google. That's yet another reason to have a website.
Facebook is always changing: the rules change, privacy settings change, designs and layouts change. How can a small town business hope to keep up?
It is difficult to stay abreast of changes taking place within Facebook, and the network is famous for making such changes without giving prior notice. That being said, you can sign up to receive Facebook developer blog posts. Pretty much any changes made are reported there, including those that affect businesses.
Also, become a fan of the Facebook Marketing Page (https://www.facebook.com/marketing). If you have time, read sites like Mashable (http://www.mashable.com) and Techcrunch (http://www.techcrunch.com), which cover Facebook microscopically.
Can you share one specific example of how a small town business might do business on Facebook?
A former small business client of mine, Classic Golden Pecans (http://www.classicgoldenpecans.com), a company that makes gourmet pecan products, uses Facebook to promote new products, announce seasonal sales, share events taking place at its retail location, as well as events taking place in and around the town, pecan recipes, humor (the store owner has lots of personality) and information about the staff. CGP uses a lot of photos – always a good thing – and occasional videos to tell its story in a manner than appeals to its customers, many of whom are fans of the Facebook page.
Of course, Classic Golden Pecans is a retail store. If your business is B2B – a law firm, for example – there needs to be a different emphasis. In this case, perhaps the emphasis is on providing educational or industry-related information. Regardless, the key is to find out what the customer/client/fan is interested in and provide content that scratches that itch.
What is the one thing you wish people understood about F-commerce or about the book?
First, Facebook is not just another channel for promotion and advertising. It's not about "stuff," it's about building relationships, so don't send a constant stream of marketing/advertising posts to your fans' newsfeeds. Provide a healthy mix of content, but keep the interests of the customer uppermost in mind. And they will tell you what they're interested in with comments, Likes, and shares of your posts. Facebook also provides an analytics component called Insights that Facebook Page owners can use to discern what content best resonates with fans and others.
What I'd like them to know about the book is where to get it! It's available on Amazon in Kindle and print formats, and at Barnes and Noble in Nook and print formats.
A good friend of ours, Toby Bloomberg, once analogized social media marketing as a "corner grocer relationship." Its use harkens back to a time before mass media and mass marketing when business owners knew their customers by face and by name. In that sense, though social media is a virtual medium, it's visceral as well. Use it as a way to turn strangers into friends, friends into customers, and customers into advocates and evangelists. Also, recognize that this will only occur over time. It's not the fast road, but it is the high road. And, if you recall the lesson of the tortoise and the hare, "slow and steady wins the race."
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August 15, 2012 Filed Under: Best of, entrepreneurship, marketing, rural, social media
Paul Chaney says
Becky thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts with your readers. I truly appreciate it.
Des says
Great to be able to "listen in" on this (not surprisingly) informative and stimulating chat between the two of you. And I love the phrase from Toby – "corner grocer relationship".
Kelsey @ Brosix says
I think small businesses can really be successful with social media, especially Twitter and FourSquare if they are offering specials.
Hareford Mann says
Great man this Mr. Chaney! The best way to go about in business is through people. In the technological era, what better way is there to meet your customers than by interacting with them through the internet.
Jonathan Ladd says
Using social media as a tool in your business can guarantee you better results. And it's best that you don't only meet your customers online but also, establish a "face-to-face communication". I think that is the best formula in winning the hearts of your customers.
Thanks for the comments, folks. I appreciate you adding your thoughts. Bonus points to Jonathan Ladd for also talking about face-to-face communication. | {
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The gold price has taken a severe beating in the last few weeks, reaching a low on Monday when gold for immediate delivery traded briefly at $1,086.18 an ounce before making a recovery closer to the $1,100.00 level.
Gold was one of the biggest victims as commodities suffered a severe mugging this week to sink to their lowest levels in 13 years. According to Morgan Stanley analyst Tom Price, gold might be hammered even further to as low as $800 per ounce.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. economist Jeffrey Currie said gold prices could drop below $1,000, while Standard Chartered Plc expressed the view that the metal would extend its losses.
The NYSE Arca Gold Bugs index (HUI, -0.29%) has declined by almost 23% in the last 30 days while the Philadelphia Gold and Silver index (XAU, -0.72%) has fallen by around 21% in the same period.
A report by Kitco quotes Thomson Reuters as stating that around three quarters of producing gold mines were already in the red when prices hovered around the $1,100 per ounce level.
South African gold producer AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. (AU, -1.17%) and its ADR shares have also lost 22% during the past year while Newmont Mining Corp. (NEM, -1.17%) shares have fallen by about 20% in the past month.
Gold futures were trading in the region of $1,091 an ounce on the Comex on Wednesday, picking up to trade at $1,098 overnight. | {
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Home Media Development
Abusive Language on Radio in August: Anyidoho Shares Top Spot with Akua Donkor, Owusu Bempah
GhanaMedia Development
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has released its latest language monitoring report covering the month of August. During the month, a total of 39 incidents of indecent expressions were recorded on a total of 1,223 radio programmes monitored on 60 radio stations across the country.
Overall, Mr. Koku Anyidoho, Deputy General Secretary of the NDC topped the list of individuals who made indecent expressions during the period. He was cited for 4 different incidents of indecent expressions, the largest by an individual during the period.
Other top users of abusive language in August were Madam Akua Donkor, flagbearer of the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP), Mr. Ernest Owusu Bempah, Communications Director of the NDP, Mr. Hopeson Adorye and Uncle Ebo, both members of the NPP, all with 3 incidents each.
Cumulatively, officials, supporters and affiliates of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) made a total of 16 indecent expressions, followed by officials, supporters and affiliates of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) who made a total of seven (7) indecent expressions, National Democratic Party (NDP) with 3 incidents, Ghana Freedom Party (GFP) with 3 incidents and People's National Convention (PNC) with 1 incident recorded
As far as radio stations are concerned, Accra-based Happy FM topped the pack of stations that recorded the use of abusive expressions on their platforms with 17 out of the 39 incidents, followed by Neat FM and Tamale-based Radio Justice with 4 incidents each.
The full report with other details on other individuals who used indecent expressions and the radio stations that recorded these incidents can be found here.
For more information, contact Abigail Larbi Odei on 0244867047 or Dora B. Mawutor on 0246740358.
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Confronting crisis in journalism: MFWA outdoors 13 more trained investigative journalists
Read more from Ghana | {
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Talk Universe - Archives
Are we in a virtual world?
In this show we examine the evidence and possibility that our world is a complex simulation.�
Sir Charles Shults
Are we destroying our world?
We confront the technologies that may cost us our world and our lives.
Charles Ostman
How is 3D printing changing your life?
Many of us have 3D printers. �Business is having to change the way it operates due to this new and fundamental technology.
Complexity and Our World
Our modern world depends on software and systems that are far too complex to control or predict. What can we do about it?
Samuel Arbesman
Virtual Worlds and Our Society
This is a fascinating interview with scientist, futurist, and author Dr. David Brin.
Asteroid Mining and Space Industry
Large scale business is prepared to leap into space. Some people think that this is the next logical step for us. What does it really mean?
Are We Destroying Our World? Part 2
We continue our fascinating interview with Charles Ostman and see how humanity is destroying our own world.
What's really on Mars?
People are fascinated with Mars. This is part 1 of a six-part series that will look in great detail at the planet, its history and conditions, and clarify how it came to be what it is.
When Virtual Worlds Collide with Reality
Virtual worlds and augmented worlds are becoming normal parts of our lives. But somehow, these man-made "little universes" founded on games, cartoons, and dreams are running head-on into reality.
Can We Create a New Earth?
Presently there is only one world that human beings live on. Technology shows us how we may be able to change that by terraforming other planets to be suitable for human life.
What's Really On Mars? (Part 2)
What's really on Mars? This is Part 2 of our six-part series on Mars. We look at planetary formation and where the stuff of life comes from. We also examine evidence that life exists there.
The Fermi Paradox - Where Are Our Neighbors?
Why are the skies silent? An examination of why we hear no alien radio signals. There should be many civilizations in the universe. Yet we hear nothing from them, or at least not yet.
Mathematics and Modeling
A look at how we create models of our world.� In this show we interview Jon McLoone of Wolfram Research. �He shares his insight on the importance of math and modeling. � This is a look at why we perform complex math as well.
Jon McLoone
Movies and Science
We examine how science has changed the art of cinema.� We interview Hollywood stunt man and producer James Churchman. �He talks about what technology has brought to moviemaking and stunts. � We also look at some of the real technology that came from fiction.
James Churchman
GMOs versus Selective Breeding
Why is there a controversy about GMOs? � Some people claim that they are safe while others are staunchly opposed to them. � � On this show we take a look at the difference between breeding and genetic manipulation.
Could we travel in time and perhaps change history? � The ability to travel in time or even to send information would change many things about our world. � � Would it be possible to "edit" events in our past and change our world?
This show is a look at how we are changing the human body and what it might bring us. � Transhumanism could bring us enhanced abilities, both physical and mental. � � Is this leading to the merging of man and machine?
Drone Technology and Warfare
Drones have come into the civilian sector but were born to military applications. � Many people are familiar with RC (radio control) airplanes and models. � � The military has produced and used much larger drones but we see them crossing to line now to everyday applications.
Open Lines
A show dedicated to listener's questions and answers. � The show is meant to give answers to questions that are mysteries to the show's listeners. � � Everyone has something that puzzles them and we will try to give you answers!
Clean Water Everywhere
Where is all the clean water? � We are consuming our water supply without replacing it. � � How can we assure a supply of clean water - and where does water come from?
Questions and Answers � Our listeners ask questions and post ideas. � � We answer tough science and technical questions for you.
We examine the art and history � How do we find our way around on the Earth? � � Landmarks, weather, and the magnetic field help. � � But how do we navigate in space?
Free Energy?
Can we get power for free? � Many people claim to have the answer to our power needs. � � The devices they propose might not be workable. � � We take a look at free energy technology and do a little debunking.
What is nuclear waste? � We create a lot of radioactive material and have few apparent solutions. � � Storage or recycling are the two options at present. � � Perhaps there are other alternatives.
The 10 Biggest Problems
What are the 10 biggest problems we face? � Our presence and activities are destroying our world. � � What can we do to reverse the damage? � � We examine the problems that we are creating and potential solutions.
New Technologies - Promise and Peril
New technologies are appearing that give us the ability to ask any question and get answers. Voice controlled devices are now being used at home but they seem to present real security risks. Is your privacy lost now? Apple, Amazon, Google, and IBM could be hearing every word and recording it!
Space Travel - Open Lines
In this show we answer your questions about space travel. Do you have a question about satellites, spacecraft, or the technology We do our best to get the right answers for you! Also, could you name our AI sidekick?
Artificial Life
There is a strange discipline that is all about the theory of living things. But these scientists don't just theorize, they make it! Artificial life is a broad and growing field of making living things. Some are software, some hardware, and some... wetware!?
The World in your Head
You are living in an illusion. Your senses and mind create a convincing picture of the world. But what you live in is a fake- it just seems real. Why and how does it come to be?
Open Lines - 3D Printers
We take listener questions about 3D printers and how to apply them. New capabilities are appearing almost daily. See what some listeners are doing with their 3D printers. Also see how Eliza is growing and operating.
Superconductors
These amazing materials have no resistance to electrical current. We depend on superconductors for MRIs and research. With their development we see improvements in power and motor technologies. Now they are about ready to change transportation and computing!
Most chemical elements have brothers that are more massive or less massive but otherwise identical. Some of these isotopes can replace the element perfectly but other are unstable. This means that elements can have radioactive counterparts. Are they useful or hazardous?
Oceans of Plastic
How do we deal with the immense quantities of plastic trash in our oceans? We look at plastics , how they are made, and how we might dispose of them properly.
The costliest part of any alternative power system is the batteries. Could we store energy in other ways? What new technology might make power storage more affordable?
Medical Implant Security
How secure is your medical device and its data?
The Nature of Gravity
An examination of gravity: what we know about it, and what we're learning. We also take listener questions and comments.
Replacing Meat
A look at how meat can be replaced or produced without the use of animals
The Issue with Metals
We aren't running out of metal, but recycling is contaminating our feedstock.
What's Really on Mars? Part 3
A look at what appears to be biological activity and an interview with Barry DiGregorio, astrobiologist
Barry DiGregorio
Imagine materials that can change properties on command or in response to their conditions.
Where did the theory come from? Where did our universe come from? Why do so many believe the Big Bang theory?
Can we make practical computers from living components? How far have we come in the quest for biocomputers?
Open Lines - Curing Cancer
Cancer is not a single illness. It can be caused by many different things. What are we doing to put an end to it?
Snubbed Technologies
A look at technologies that were ignored or sidestepped. There are many unused and forgotten solutions to our problems. Why is that?
New Display Technologies
How close are we to "floating holograms" and other fictional display methods? We have some very interesting displays available right now.
Mathematics and Thinking
Understanding language is a skill that we all have, but the ability to understand math varies from person to person. Let's look at why.
In this installment we look at what appears to be fossil remains and what that implies.
Is Anybody Listening?
Have our signals been heard by other civilizations? Could radio waves or laser light be the method of signaling? Or is there something more... advanced?
How does this fundamental process work? Life on Earth depends on the ability to harvest light energy. How has it changed over time?
Facts About Mars
A detailed look at fossils, water, and other ignored or "dismissed" facts about Mars
Mars Landscape
The Geysers of Mars
A method for finding water on Mars
Copyright (c) Talk Universe, 2017, 2021 | {
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EDWARDS: Sebring Debrief
BMW's John Edwards reflects back on his two races at Sebring…
Sportscar365 Staff
Sebring is a track with a lot of history in racing, but I also have a lot of personal history there. It's the track where I got my Skip Barber racing license over 10 years ago, and it's the site of my first Atlantics win in 2009.
Given BMW Team RLL's history at the track of winning back to back in 2011 and 2012, I was excited to come back to the track in the middle of Florida.
As usual, I did double duty this weekend, driving in the GS class in the Fall-Line Motorsports GS car. We had quite a bit of testing with the February days and early week testing leading up to the race, so I knew our car would be quick on one lap.
However, it was difficult to say where everyone was on old tire pace because you never know exactly how old everyone's tires are when they're running off the new tire pace.
Trent proved our sticker tire pace, putting the car on pole. He did three laps in qualifying and every single lap was fast enough to put him P1. It was an impressive run, but I was more impressed with his race stint.
He had plenty of guys with a lot more experience chasing him, and he set a quick pace while keeping the tires underneath him as the others used up their tires. For a guy that looks like he hasn't started shaving yet, he drove like a veteran.
After a quick stop, I got in the car 13 seconds in the lead. It's a strange spot to be in because it feels like a practice session running alone, only dealing with ST traffic and the occasional lapped GS car.
My engineer Ryan kept me updated on the gap so I only drove as hard as I needed to in order to keep the gap where it was. I felt like I could get used to Trent bringing the car to me 13 seconds in the lead, but as expected, the field eventually got bunched up on our first full course yellow.
After another quick stop, we restarted behind Shane Lewis, who had just pitted before the caution flag flew. My old (and by old, I mean former… I would never say anything about his age) teammate Robin Liddell was restarting behind me, and I was as concerned about keeping him there as I was about getting by Lewis.
When we got on power coming to the green flag, I realized we were about to pass the safety car before it was into the pit lane, which is obviously not allowed. I lifted, and knew immediately that I was in trouble as Robin had lagged back a bit and had a good run.
He went to my right, which would put him on the outside for T1. I was confident I could keep him there by following Shane Lewis through the corner, but was surprised as Lewis hit the brakes earlier than I expected.
With Robin on my right, I had nowhere to go but into Lewis' rear bumper, spinning him into the inside wall. I made it out with minimal damage and ended the race in P2 as there was another caution for a big wreck only two laps later that ended the race under yellow.
I was disappointed to lose a race that we had dominated the whole way through, but we came away with the points lead and we still finished on the podium while others lost a lot more from that incident, so I feel lucky looking back on it.
Saturday's 12 Hours of Sebring didn't go as well. Although we had a good car that was comfortable throughout a stint, we had a season's worth of bad luck in one race.
The first major incident for us came when Malucelli spun, causing a yellow flag in T1. Dirk Werner was in our car and lifted for the yellow, but got punted from behind by the #912 Porsche, which coincidentally went on to win the race.
The damage to our car took 5 or 6 laps to repair, which put us in a difficult spot. I got in the car around 4 or 5 hours into the race and we had a bolt come out of the right front upright just after T1.
A big snap and vibration on the brakes isn't a comforting feeling at ~120MPH, and that repair put us more laps down and completely out of contention for the win. We circled around the rest of the race in case anyone crashed out, but ended up P10.
Hopefully we've used up all our bad luck in the Z4, and can get back to the top of the podium in Long Beach, where BMW finished 1-2 last year.
Related TopicsfeaturedIMSABMWJohn EdwardsTUSCBMW Team RLLGTLMSebring
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JONSSON: Sebring Debrief | {
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New iPhones hit stores, record sales expected in first weekend
SAN FRANCISCO/SYDNEY – The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus hit stores around the world on Friday, at the start of what is expected to be a record weekend for sales of Apple Inc's marquee product.
A security guard stands next to customers as they stand in the rain waiting to enter the Apple store during the official launch of the iPhone 6s in central Sydney, Australia, September 25, 2015. REUTERS/DAVID GRAY
Eager buyers – joined by at least one robot – flocked to Apple stores from Sydney to New York, itching to get their hands on new models boasting a 3D touch feature and an improved camera.
"The first thing I'm going to do is take a picture," said Lithuanian student Justina Siciunaite, 25, the first of hundreds to emerge with an iPhone 6s from Apple's flagship store on New York's Fifth Avenue.
Analysts expect 12 million to 13 million phones to fly off the shelves in the first weekend, up from more than 10 million last year when the launch of the hugely successful iPhone 6 was delayed in China, the world's biggest smartphone market.
Apple, whose shares were up less than 1 percent in morning trading, has said pre-orders suggested sales were on pace to beat last year's first-weekend performance.
Among the first to pick up the new iPhone 6s in a cold, rainy Sydney was a robot named Lucy, operated by marketing executive Lucy Kelly.
"I obviously have my work and other things to attend to and can't spend two days lining up so my boss at work suggested I take one of the robots down and use it to stand in my place," she said, via an iPad mounted on top of the wheeled robot.
After a dramatic redesign last year, which included an enlarged screen and the addition of mobile payments, the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus boast more modest improvements.
The phones, which are the same size as last year's models, feature 3D touch, a display technology based on a "Taptic Engine" that responds according to how hard users press their screens.
However, several reviewers have said the new features might not be compelling enough to persuade iPhone 6 users to upgrade.
"You might not feel the usual pull to get a new iPhone unless you really want a better front-facing camera," Nilay Patel of The Verge said in a review published on Tuesday.
Apple has said just a fraction of its customers have upgraded to the iPhone 6, suggesting there is room to grow.
More important than customer appetite for upgrades is the iPhone's "proliferation" outside the United States, particularly in China, said Aaron Rakers, an analyst at Stifel Nicolaus & Co.
PRETTY IN ROSE-GOLD
Hundreds gathered outside the Apple store in downtown San Francisco. Among them was pink-haired software developer Jo Engo, 37, who has lobbied Apple leaders past and present for a phone in his favorite color.
"I have emailed not only Steve Jobs but Tim Cook," Engo said outside the store. "I'm so excited they're finally doing it."
Phones in rose-gold – an approximation of pink – proved popular at stores in New York and San Francisco.
FBR Capital Markets senior analyst Daniel Ives said the color was a "major selling point."
Repair firm iFixit, which opened up an iPhone 6s and 6s Plus on Friday, said battery capacity was down "a bit", probably to accommodate the Taptic Engine. Apple has said battery life is unchanged in the new phones.
The new iPhones use chips made by, among others, Qualcomm Inc, Avago Technologies Ltd, Qorvo Inc's TriQuint Semiconductor and RF Micro Devices, Texas Instruments Inc and Skyworks Solutions Inc.
Shares of audio chipmaker Cirrus Logic Inc jumped more than 17 percent after iFixit's tear-down revealed that Apple had used its chips, as it did in previous iPhones.
The iPhone 6s also houses NAND flash memory chips made by Toshiba Corp, while the iPhone 6 used memory chips made by SanDisk Corp.
Lackluster offerings this year from Samsung Electronics Co Ltd will help Apple stand out in the marketplace, said analyst Patrick Moorhead of Moor & Strategy. He said he expected the 6s to eclipse the 6 "over the long haul."
The 6s and 6s Plus start at $199 and $299 respectively with a two-year service-provider contract. – Reuters
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Announcing Sub-Arctic Surveys Joining Challenger
We are excited to announce that Sub-Arctic Surveys Ltd. is joining with Challenger Geomatics Ltd.
Sub-Arctic is a leading, professional survey firm with headquarters in Yellowknife and a seasonal field office in Iqaluit. With a presence now established in all three of Canada's northern territories – Yukon, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories – this builds on Challenger's already extensive northern credentials, and positions Challenger / Sub-Arctic as the surveyor of choice for survey, mapping and geomatics services across Canada's North.
Since 1992, Sub-Arctic has provided quality survey and geomatics services for a wide range of projects in Yellowknife, Iqaluit and across the Canadian North. Sub-Arctic has an excellent history of managing the relationships, logistics and delivery of survey and geomatics services for projects in nearly every northern community and region. Since its inception, Sub-Arctic also holds the distinction of having been involved in the exploration and construction of every diamond mine in the north, and of having prepared approximately one-third of all Plans of Survey registered in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
Bruce Hewlko, CLS, Sub-Arctic's President and General Manager, will continue in his leadership role. Excited about the change, Bruce is confident that Challenger's ownership will enhance the breadth of services and expertise that he and his team can deliver to their clients, while maintaining the exceptional level-of-service for which Sub-Arctic is known: "Joining forces with Challenger is the start of a positive new chapter for Sub-Arctic and our clients. Challenger has a long history of surveying North of 60, and shares our strong focus on service and quality. I can't think of a geomatics firm that's a better fit for Sub-Arctic."
Dave Thomson, P.Eng., ALS, Challenger's President, is also enthusiastic about the addition of Sub-Arctic to the Challenger family: "Sub-Arctic really enhances our ability to serve our Northern clients. With its remote and often severe environment, surveying in Canada's North is a highly specialized business, and northern projects present unique challenges. Our experienced Northern team knows northern conditions, what to expect, and how to get the job done successfully."
Sub-Arctic Surveys Ltd. will begin operating as Sub-Arctic Geomatics Ltd., a Challenger Geomatics Ltd. company. Challenger and Sub-Arctic look forward to being of service to our existing and new clients by providing quality survey, mapping and geomatics services for their projects across the Canadian North.
For further information and inquiries, please contact:
Paul Burbidge, Challenger's VP of Northern Operations, by phone at 867-668-6940 or by email at pburbidge(\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\//////////////////@&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&%%%%%%%%% )challengergeomatics.com.
Bruce Hewlko, Sub-Arctic's General Manager, by phone at 867-873-2047 or by email at sas(\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\//////////////////@&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&%%%%%%%%% )sub-arctic.ca">sas(\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\//////////////////@&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&%%%%%%%%% )sub-arctic.ca.
www.sub-arctic.ca
Categorized as:
land surveynorth of 60northwest territories
Ed Salmon rejoins Fort McMurray branch
Commissioners Award for Voluntary Public Service Given to George Skookum
Introducing the New eBee X | {
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John Taylor Says "To Hell With Germany"
Submitted by Tyler Durden:
When the founder of the world's largest currency hedge fund FX Concepts says that Greece will be out of money by June and out of the Euro soon after, people should listen. While we disagree with the premise that Greece's exit will not be chaotic, his general thoughts on the situation in Europe, espoused in this Bloomberg TV interview, are summed up by his reply when asked if Europe is a sell "I do. I also feel passionately that the euro is effectively a break up." Taylor also points out that the stability of a post-Greece Euro landscape is really up to the ECB noting that "I think the ECB should let the Euro go down. To hell with Germany." Covering whether the Euro will crater, the contagion effects, and how the rest of Europe will behave, the non-Duran-Duran Taylor who readily admits his mistakes on misjudging the Fed's excess, sees the timeline for exit as soon after the next round of elections in Greece this summer.
There Will Be an Attempt to Install a Dictatorship - Nigel Farage
"Frankly, the whole thing is falling apart. And in the middle of all of this, Mrs Merkel came out and said, 'The fiscal treaty cannot be renegotiated, and it must hold.' So, I suppose, for once, we've got the Germans providing the humor, because this thing isn't going to hold."
(We risk) bond spreads heading to completely crazy levels. And French and German bank shares could be in very real trouble. I am back in Brussels today, and yeah, you can really see the fear in their (politicians) faces. They know that this thing (the EU) has become an absolute monster. Full Story/Source/KWN
USA Headed For Tremendous Shock - Hugo Salinas Price
Victor Huerta interviews Hugo Salinas Price, president and founder of the Mexican Civic Association Pro-Silver. They discuss a variety of topics currently in the social and economic environment:
* Who will win what we call "The Battle of The Ages", between fiat currencies and Gold & Silver
Fracking Hell - Max Keiser with Leah McGrath Goodman
The Linda Evangelista of the natural gas market and the fast and furious bubbles popping like Lawrence Welk on frack. In the second half of the show Max talks to award-winning journalist and author, Leah McGrath Goodman, about why the price of gasoline is so high and what next for the oil market. Source
Julian Assange's The World Tomorrow: Nabeel Rajab & Alaa Abd El-Fattah
In the fourth episode of The World Tomorrow Julian Assange speaks with two leading Arab revolutionaries in the middle of conflict, Alaa Abd El-Fattah from Egypt and Nabeel Rajab from Bahrain.
Subcommittee to consider bills to end or amend the Fed
A House subcommittee is scheduled to hold a hearing on proposals to reform or end the Federal Reserve System, Texas Republican Rep. Ron Paul announced last Friday.
The Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology Subcommittee will hear testimony from economists and lawmakers Tuesday morning on Capitol Hill.
"More and more people are beginning to understand just how destructive the Federal Reserve's monetary policy has been," Paul, who chairs the subcommittee, said in a press release. "The Fed continues to reward Wall Street banks while destroying the dollar's purchasing power and driving up the cost of living for average Americans. This reckless behavior must come to an end."
The subcommittee will consider several bills, including Paul's Federal Reserve Board Abolition Act and measures introduced by Rep. Barney Frank, a Massachusetts Democrat and the outgoing ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee.
Economic Alert: If You're Not Worried Yet…You Should Be
Brandon Smith: For the past four years I have been covering the progression of the global economic crisis with an emphasis on the debilitating effects it has had on the American financial system. Only once before have I ever issued an economic alert, and this was at the onset of the very first credit downgrade in U.S. history by S&P. I do not take the word "alert" lightly. Since 2008 we have seen a cycle of events that have severely weakened our country's foundation, but each event has then been followed by a lull, sometimes 4 to 6 months at a stretch, which seems to disarm the public, drawing them back into apathy and complacency. The calm moments before each passing storm give Americans a false sense of hope that our capsized fiscal vessel will somehow right itself if we just hold on a little longer...
I don't have to tell most people within the Liberty Movement that this is not going to happen. Unfortunately, there are many out there who do not share our awareness of the situation. Debt implosions and currency devaluation NEVER simply "fade away"; they are always followed by extreme social and political strife that tends to sully the doorsteps of almost every individual and family. The notion that we can coast through such a tempest unscathed is an insane idea, filled with a dangerous potential for sour regrets.
There are some people who also believe that the private Federal Reserve with the Treasury in tow has the ability to prolong the worst symptoms of the collapse indefinitely, or at least, until they have long since kicked the bucket and don't have to worry about it anymore (the 'pay-it forward to our grandkids' crowd) . I can say with 100% certainty that most of us will live to see the climax of the breakdown, and that this breakdown is about to enter a more precarious state before the end of this year. You can only stretch a sun-boiled rubber band so far before it snaps completely, and America's financial elasticity has long been melted away.
A pummeling hailstorm of news items and international developments have made the first half of 2012 almost impossible to track and analyze. The frequency at which negative information has surfaced is almost dizzying. However, a pattern and a recognizable motion are beginning to take shape, and, I believe, a loose timeline is beginning to form.
Posted by Angelo Agathangelou at 2:16 pm Links to this post
Is the EU the new Greek Parthenon, ready to crumble and fall?
By Richard Cottrell: The photogenic young engineer who just led his party to second place in the Greek general election is like an Olympic marathon runner.
Not entirely to Greeks it is true, but certainly to the rest of the world the brash young tousle-haired figure of Alexis Tsipras seemingly emerged from nowhere to crush the giants that have misruled Greece since WWI.
That's not a slip of the keyboard. Just three family clans, Papandreou, Karamanlis and Venizelos, have been playing musical chairs with the seat of power for almost a century.
Now, thanks entirely to the artificially fabricated austerity crisis forced on Greece by the evil grasping triumvirate composed of the EU, the IMF and the European Central Bank, the ancient regime is, in all probability, busted forever.
Sunday's general election failed to produce the winner that the EU-backed Greek quisling techno-premier Lukas Papademos hoped and prayed would nod through the next installment of the rape and pillage of the Greek economy.
He didn't expect, however, the sunrise of the new Adonis in the surprising form of 32-year-old Alexis Tsipras.
Elections Reflect Europe's Financial Crisis - Stratfor
Stratfor analyst Kristen Cooper examines the results of the French, Greek and German elections and discusses the growing popularity of previously marginalized political parties. Source
The Countdown To The Break Up Of The Euro Has Officially Begun
The results of the elections in France and Greece have made it abundantly clear that there is a tremendous backlash against the austerity approach that Germany has been pushing. All over Europe, prominent politicians and incumbent political parties are being voted out. In fact, Nicolas Sarkozy has become the 11th leader of a European nation to be defeated in an election since 2008. We have seen governments fall in the Netherlands, the UK, Spain, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Greece. Whenever they get a chance, the citizens of Europe are using the ballot box to send a message that they do not like what is going on. It turns out that austerity is extremely unpopular. But if newly elected politicians all over Europe begin rejecting austerity, this puts Germany in a very difficult position. Should Germany be expected to indefinitely bail out all of the members of the eurozone that choose to live way beyond their means? If Germany pulled out of the euro tomorrow, the euro would absolutely collapse, bond yields for the rest of the eurozone would skyrocket to unprecedented heights, and without German bailout money troubled nations such as Greece would be headed directly for default. The rest of the eurozone is absolutely and completely dependent on Germany at this point. But as we have seen, much of the rest of the eurozone is sick and tired of taking orders from Germany and is rejecting austerity. A lot of politicians in Europe apparently believe that they should be able to run up gigantic amounts of debt indefinitely and that the Germans should be expected to always be there to bail them out whenever they need it. Will the Germans be willing to tolerate such a situation, or will they simply pick up their ball and go home at some point?
Cant Pay Wont Pay! Solidarity with the People of Greece + Greek Left Coalition Leaders Says Bailout Accord "Null And Void", Demands Greek Debt Moratorium
Additional Submitted by Tyler Durden: Greek Left Coalition Leaders Says Bailout Accord "Null And Void", Demands Greek Debt Moratorium
Hardly a surprise to anyone, but here it is black on white - Greece officially makes the odds for a Euro departure well over 50%:
TSIPRAS SAYS GREEK RESULTS MAKES BAILOUT ACCORD NULL AND VOID
TSIPRAS SAYS GREEKS HAVE VOTED AGAINST BARBARIC BAILOUT
TSIPRAS SAYS WON'T JOIN A GOVT OF NATIONAL SALVATION FOR LOAN
TSIPRAS SAYS GREEKS HAVE ENDED PLANS FOR ADDITIONAL AUSTERITY
TSIPRAS SAYS TO REDISTRIBUTE TAX BURDEN, DEVELOP GROWTH PLANS
TSIPRAS SAYS WILL STICK TO PRE-ELECTION PLEDGES
TSIPRAS ASKS VENIZELOS, SAMARAS TO RENEGE PLEDGES IN WRITING
And here it comes
GREECE'S TSIPRAS SAYS WANTS INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE IF GREECE'S DEBT IS LEGAL
TSIPRAS SAYS MUST BE MORATORIUM ON GREEK DEBT PAYMENTS
Behavioral Placement: TaxPayers Paying for Brainwashing!
Alex talks with Dr. Katherine Albrecht, an expert in the area of privacy and technology. She is the founder of Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering and hosts "The Dr. Katherine Albrecht show" on the GCN Radio network. Source
► Aug 2 | {
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The Sorrows of Young Werther
Translated by R. D. Boylan
This is the Bookwise complete ebook of The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, available to read online as an alternative to epub, mobi, kindle, pdf or text only versions. For information about the status of this work, see Copyright Notice.
Title: The Sorrows of Young Werther (published 1774)
Author: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (died 1832)
Book I
Book II
October 27: Evening
The Editor to the Reader
I have carefully collected whatever I have been able to learn of the story of poor Werther, and here present it to you, knowing that you will thank me for it. To his spirit and character you cannot refuse your admiration and love: to his fate you will not deny your tears.
And thou, good soul, who sufferest the same distress as he endured once, draw comfort from his sorrows; and let this little book be thy friend, if, owing to fortune or through thine own fault, thou canst not find a dearer companion.
How happy I am that I am gone! My dear friend, what a thing is the heart of man! To leave you, from whom I have been inseparable, whom I love so dearly, and yet to feel happy! I know you will forgive me. Have not other attachments been specially appointed by fate to torment a head like mine? Poor Leonora! and yet I was not to blame. Was it my fault, that, whilst the peculiar charms of her sister afforded me an agreeable entertainment, a passion for me was engendered in her feeble heart? And yet am I wholly blameless? Did I not encourage her emotions? Did I not feel charmed at those truly genuine expressions of nature, which, though but little mirthful in reality, so often amused us? Did I not—but oh! what is man, that he dares so to accuse himself? My dear friend I promise you I will improve; I will no longer, as has ever been my habit, continue to ruminate on every petty vexation which fortune may dispense; I will enjoy the present, and the past shall be for me the past. No doubt you are right, my best of friends, there would be far less suffering amongst mankind, if men—and God knows why they are so fashioned—did not employ their imaginations so assiduously in recalling the memory of past sorrow, instead of bearing their present lot with equanimity. Be kind enough to inform my mother that I shall attend to her business to the best of my ability, and shall give her the earliest information about it. I have seen my aunt, and find that she is very far from being the disagreeable person our friends allege her to be. She is a lively, cheerful woman, with the best of hearts. I explained to her my mother's wrongs with regard to that part of her portion which has been withheld from her. She told me the motives and reasons of her own conduct, and the terms on which she is willing to give up the whole, and to do more than we have asked. In short, I cannot write further upon this subject at present; only assure my mother that all will go on well. And I have again observed, my dear friend, in this trifling affair, that misunderstandings and neglect occasion more mischief in the world than even malice and wickedness. At all events, the two latter are of less frequent occurrence.
In other respects I am very well off here. Solitude in this terrestrial paradise is a genial balm to my mind, and the young spring cheers with its bounteous promises my oftentimes misgiving heart. Every tree, every bush, is full of flowers; and one might wish himself transformed into a butterfly, to float about in this ocean of perfume, and find his whole existence in it.
The town itself is disagreeable; but then, all around, you find an inexpressible beauty of nature. This induced the late Count M to lay out a garden on one of the sloping hills which here intersect each other with the most charming variety, and form the most lovely valleys. The garden is simple; and it is easy to perceive, even upon your first entrance, that the plan was not designed by a scientific gardener, but by a man who wished to give himself up here to the enjoyment of his own sensitive heart. Many a tear have I already shed to the memory of its departed master in a summer-house which is now reduced to ruins, but was his favourite resort, and now is mine. I shall soon be master of the place. The gardener has become attached to me within the last few days, and he will lose nothing thereby.
A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart. I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents. I should be incapable of drawing a single stroke at the present moment; and yet I feel that I never was a greater artist than now. When, while the lovely valley teems with vapour around me, and the meridian sun strikes the upper surface of the impenetrable foliage of my trees, and but a few stray gleams steal into the inner sanctuary, I throw myself down among the tall grass by the trickling stream; and, as I lie close to the earth, a thousand unknown plants are noticed by me: when I hear the buzz of the little world among the stalks, and grow familiar with the countless indescribable forms of the insects and flies, then I feel the presence of the Almighty, who formed us in his own image, and the breath of that universal love which bears and sustains us, as it floats around us in an eternity of bliss; and then, my friend, when darkness overspreads my eyes, and heaven and earth seem to dwell in my soul and absorb its power, like the form of a beloved mistress, then I often think with longing, Oh, would I could describe these conceptions, could impress upon paper all that is living so full and warm within me, that it might be the mirror of my soul, as my soul is the mirror of the infinite God! O my friend—but it is too much for my strength—I sink under the weight of the splendour of these visions!
I know not whether some deceitful spirits haunt this spot, or whether it be the warm, celestial fancy in my own heart which makes everything around me seem like paradise. In front of the house is a fountain,—a fountain to which I am bound by a charm like Melusina and her sisters. Descending a gentle slope, you come to an arch, where, some twenty steps lower down, water of the clearest crystal gushes from the marble rock. The narrow wall which encloses it above, the tall trees which encircle the spot, and the coolness of the place itself,—everything imparts a pleasant but sublime impression. Not a day passes on which I do not spend an hour there. The young maidens come from the town to fetch water,—innocent and necessary employment, and formerly the occupation of the daughters of kings. As I take my rest there, the idea of the old patriarchal life is awakened around me. I see them, our old ancestors, how they formed their friendships and contracted alliances at the fountain-side; and I feel how fountains and streams were guarded by beneficent spirits. He who is a stranger to these sensations has never really enjoyed cool repose at the side of a fountain after the fatigue of a weary summer day.
You ask if you shall send me books. My dear friend, I beseech you, for the love of God, relieve me from such a yoke! I need no more to be guided, agitated, heated. My heart ferments sufficiently of itself. I want strains to lull me, and I find them to perfection in my Homer. Often do I strive to allay the burning fever of my blood; and you have never witnessed anything so unsteady, so uncertain, as my heart. But need I confess this to you, my dear friend, who have so often endured the anguish of witnessing my sudden transitions from sorrow to immoderate joy, and from sweet melancholy to violent passions? I treat my poor heart like a sick child, and gratify its every fancy. Do not mention this again: there are people who would censure me for it.
The common people of the place know me already, and love me, particularly the children. When at first I associated with them, and inquired in a friendly tone about their various trifles, some fancied that I wished to ridicule them, and turned from me in exceeding ill-humour. I did not allow that circumstance to grieve me: I only felt most keenly what I have often before observed. Persons who can claim a certain rank keep themselves coldly aloof from the common people, as though they feared to lose their importance by the contact; whilst wanton idlers, and such as are prone to bad joking, affect to descend to their level, only to make the poor people feel their impertinence all the more keenly.
I know very well that we are not all equal, nor can be so; but it is my opinion that he who avoids the common people, in order not to lose their respect, is as much to blame as a coward who hides himself from his enemy because he fears defeat.
The other day I went to the fountain, and found a young servant-girl, who had set her pitcher on the lowest step, and looked around to see if one of her companions was approaching to place it on her head. I ran down, and looked at her. "Shall I help you, pretty lass?" said I. She blushed deeply. "Oh, sir!" she exclaimed. "No ceremony!" I replied. She adjusted her head-gear, and I helped her. She thanked me, and ascended the steps.
I have made all sorts of acquaintances, but have as yet found no society. I know not what attraction I possess for the people, so many of them like me, and attach themselves to me; and then I feel sorry when the road we pursue together goes only a short distance. If you inquire what the people are like here, I must answer, "The same as everywhere." The human race is but a monotonous affair. Most of them labour the greater part of their time for mere subsistence; and the scanty portion of freedom which remains to them so troubles them that they use every exertion to get rid of it. Oh, the destiny of man!
But they are a right good sort of people. If I occasionally forget myself, and take part in the innocent pleasures which are not yet forbidden to the peasantry, and enjoy myself, for instance, with genuine freedom and sincerity, round a well-covered table, or arrange an excursion or a dance opportunely, and so forth, all this produces a good effect upon my disposition; only I must forget that there lie dormant within me so many other qualities which moulder uselessly, and which I am obliged to keep carefully concealed. Ah! this thought affects my spirits fearfully. And yet to be misunderstood is the fate of the like of us.
Alas, that the friend of my youth is gone! Alas, that I ever knew her! I might say to myself, "You are a dreamer to seek what is not to be found here below." But she has been mine. I have possessed that heart, that noble soul, in whose presence I seemed to be more than I really was, because I was all that I could be. Good heavens! did then a single power of my soul remain unexercised? In her presence could I not display, to its full extent, that mysterious feeling with which my heart embraces nature? Was not our intercourse a perpetual web of the finest emotions, of the keenest wit, the varieties of which, even in their very eccentricity, bore the stamp of genius? Alas! the few years by which she was my senior brought her to the grave before me. Never can I forget her firm mind or her heavenly patience.
A few days ago I met a certain young V—, a frank, open fellow, with a most pleasing countenance. He has just left the university, does not deem himself overwise, but believes he knows more than other people. He has worked hard, as I can perceive from many circumstances, and, in short, possesses a large stock of information. When he heard that I am drawing a good deal, and that I know Greek (two wonderful things for this part of the country), he came to see me, and displayed his whole store of learning, from Batteaux to Wood, from De Piles to Winkelmann: he assured me he had read through the first part of Sultzer's theory, and also possessed a manuscript of Heyne's work on the study of the antique. I allowed it all to pass.
I have become acquainted, also, with a very worthy person, the district judge, a frank and open-hearted man. I am told it is a most delightful thing to see him in the midst of his children, of whom he has nine. His eldest daughter especially is highly spoken of. He has invited me to go and see him, and I intend to do so on the first opportunity. He lives at one of the royal hunting-lodges, which can be reached from here in an hour and a half by walking, and which he obtained leave to inhabit after the loss of his wife, as it is so painful to him to reside in town and at the court.
There have also come in my way a few other originals of a questionable sort, who are in all respects undesirable, and most intolerable in their demonstration of friendship. Good-bye. This letter will please you: it is quite historical.
That the life of man is but a dream, many a man has surmised heretofore; and I, too, am everywhere pursued by this feeling. When I consider the narrow limits within which our active and inquiring faculties are confined; when I see how all our energies are wasted in providing for mere necessities, which again have no further end than to prolong a wretched existence; and then that all our satisfaction concerning certain subjects of investigation ends in nothing better than a passive resignation, whilst we amuse ourselves painting our prison-walls with bright figures and brilliant landscapes,—when I consider all this, Wilhelm, I am silent. I examine my own being, and find there a world, but a world rather of imagination and dim desires, than of distinctness and living power. Then everything swims before my senses, and I smile and dream while pursuing my way through the world.
All learned professors and doctors are agreed that children do not comprehend the cause of their desires; but that the grown-up should wander about this earth like children, without knowing whence they come, or whither they go, influenced as little by fixed motives, but guided like them by biscuits, sugar-plums, and the rod,—this is what nobody is willing to acknowledge; and yet I think it is palpable.
I know what you will say in reply; for I am ready to admit that they are happiest, who, like children, amuse themselves with their playthings, dress and undress their dolls, and attentively watch the cupboard, where mamma has locked up her sweet things, and, when at last they get a delicious morsel, eat it greedily, and exclaim, "More!" These are certainly happy beings; but others also are objects of envy, who dignify their paltry employments, and sometimes even their passions, with pompous titles, representing them to mankind as gigantic achievements performed for their welfare and glory. But the man who humbly acknowledges the vanity of all this, who observes with what pleasure the thriving citizen converts his little garden into a paradise, and how patiently even the poor man pursues his weary way under his burden, and how all wish equally to behold the light of the sun a little longer,—yes, such a man is at peace, and creates his own world within himself; and he is also happy, because he is a man. And then, however limited his sphere, he still preserves in his bosom the sweet feeling of liberty, and knows that he can quit his prison whenever he likes.
You know of old my ways of settling anywhere, of selecting a little cottage in some cosy spot, and of putting up in it with every inconvenience. Here, too, I have discovered such a snug, comfortable place, which possesses peculiar charms for me.
About a league from the town is a place called Walheim. (The reader need not take the trouble to look for the place thus designated. We have found it necessary to change the names given in the original.) It is delightfully situated on the side of a hill; and, by proceeding along one of the footpaths which lead out of the village, you can have a view of the whole valley. A good old woman lives there, who keeps a small inn. She sells wine, beer, and coffee, and is cheerful and pleasant notwithstanding her age. The chief charm of this spot consists in two linden-trees, spreading their enormous branches over the little green before the church, which is entirely surrounded by peasants' cottages, barns, and homesteads. I have seldom seen a place so retired and peaceable; and there often have my table and chair brought out from the little inn, and drink my coffee there, and read my Homer. Accident brought me to the spot one fine afternoon, and I found it perfectly deserted. Everybody was in the fields except a little boy about four years of age, who was sitting on the ground, and held between his knees a child about six months old: he pressed it to his bosom with both arms, which thus formed a sort of arm-chair; and, notwithstanding the liveliness which sparkled in its black eyes, it remained perfectly still. The sight charmed me. I sat down upon a plough opposite, and sketched with great delight this little picture of brotherly tenderness. I added the neighbouring hedge, the barn-door, and some broken cart-wheels, just as they happened to lie; and I found in about an hour that I had made a very correct and interesting drawing, without putting in the slightest thing of my own. This confirmed me in my resolution of adhering, for the future, entirely to nature. She alone is inexhaustible, and capable of forming the greatest masters. Much may be alleged in favour of rules, as much may be likewise advanced in favour of the laws of society: an artist formed upon them will never produce anything absolutely bad or disgusting; as a man who observes the laws, and obeys decorum, can never be an absolutely intolerable neighbour, nor a decided villain: but yet, say what you will of rules, they destroy the genuine feeling of nature, as well as its true expression. Do not tell me "that this is too hard, that they only restrain and prune superfluous branches, etc." My good friend, I will illustrate this by an analogy. These things resemble love. A warmhearted youth becomes strongly attached to a maiden: he spends every hour of the day in her company, wears out his health, and lavishes his fortune, to afford continual proof that he is wholly devoted to her. Then comes a man of the world, a man of place and respectability, and addresses him thus: "My good young friend, love is natural; but you must love within bounds. Divide your time: devote a portion to business, and give the hours of recreation to your mistress. Calculate your fortune; and out of the superfluity you may make her a present, only not too often,—on her birthday, and such occasions." Pursuing this advice, he may become a useful member of society, and I should advise every prince to give him an appointment; but it is all up with his love, and with his genius if he be an artist. O my friend! why is it that the torrent of genius so seldom bursts forth, so seldom rolls in full-flowing stream, overwhelming your astounded soul? Because, on either side of this stream, cold and respectable persons have taken up their abodes, and, forsooth, their summer-houses and tulip-beds would suffer from the torrent; wherefore they dig trenches, and raise embankments betimes, in order to avert the impending danger.
I find I have fallen into raptures, declamation, and similes, and have forgotten, in consequence, to tell you what became of the children. Absorbed in my artistic contemplations, which I briefly described in my letter of yesterday, I continued sitting on the plough for two hours. Toward evening a young woman, with a basket on her arm, came running toward the children, who had not moved all that time. She exclaimed from a distance, "You are a good boy, Philip!" She gave me greeting: I returned it, rose, and approached her. I inquired if she were the mother of those pretty children. "Yes," she said; and, giving the eldest a piece of bread, she took the little one in her arms and kissed it with a mother's tenderness. "I left my child in Philip's care," she said, "whilst I went into the town with my eldest boy to buy some wheaten bread, some sugar, and an earthen pot." I saw the various articles in the basket, from which the cover had fallen. "I shall make some broth to-night for my little Hans (which was the name of the youngest): that wild fellow, the big one, broke my pot yesterday, whilst he was scrambling with Philip for what remained of the contents." I inquired for the eldest; and she had scarcely time to tell me that he was driving a couple of geese home from the meadow, when he ran up, and handed Philip an osier-twig. I talked a little longer with the woman, and found that she was the daughter of the schoolmaster, and that her husband was gone on a journey into Switzerland for some money a relation had left him. "They wanted to cheat him," she said, "and would not answer his letters; so he is gone there himself. I hope he has met with no accident, as I have heard nothing of him since his departure." I left the woman, with regret, giving each of the children a kreutzer, with an additional one for the youngest, to buy some wheaten bread for his broth when she went to town next; and so we parted. I assure you, my dear friend, when my thoughts are all in tumult, the sight of such a creature as this tranquillises my disturbed mind. She moves in a happy thoughtlessness within the confined circle of her existence; she supplies her wants from day to day; and, when she sees the leaves fall, they raise no other idea in her mind than that winter is approaching. Since that time I have gone out there frequently. The children have become quite familiar with me; and each gets a lump of sugar when I drink my coffee, and they share my milk and bread and butter in the evening. They always receive their kreutzer on Sundays, for the good woman has orders to give it to them when I do not go there after evening service. They are quite at home with me, tell me everything; and I am particularly amused with observing their tempers, and the simplicity of their behaviour, when some of the other village children are assembled with them.
It has given me a deal of trouble to satisfy the anxiety of the mother, lest (as she says) "they should inconvenience the gentleman."
What I have lately said of painting is equally true with respect to poetry. It is only necessary for us to know what is really excellent, and venture to give it expression; and that is saying much in few words. To-day I have had a scene, which, if literally related, would, make the most beautiful idyl in the world. But why should I talk of poetry and scenes and idyls? Can we never take pleasure in nature without having recourse to art?
If you expect anything grand or magnificent from this introduction, you will be sadly mistaken. It relates merely to a peasant-lad, who has excited in me the warmest interest. As usual, I shall tell my story badly; and you, as usual, will think me extravagant. It is Walheim once more—always Walheim—which produces these wonderful phenomena.
A party had assembled outside the house under the linden-trees, to drink coffee. The company did not exactly please me; and, under one pretext or another, I lingered behind.
A peasant came from an adjoining house, and set to work arranging some part of the same plough which I had lately sketched. His appearance pleased me; and I spoke to him, inquired about his circumstances, made his acquaintance, and, as is my wont with persons of that class, was soon admitted into his confidence. He said he was in the service of a young widow, who set great store by him. He spoke so much of his mistress, and praised her so extravagantly, that I could soon see he was desperately in love with her. "She is no longer young," he said: "and she was treated so badly by her former husband that she does not mean to marry again." From his account it was so evident what incomparable charms she possessed for him, and how ardently he wished she would select him to extinguish the recollection of her first husband's misconduct, that I should have to repeat his own words in order to describe the depth of the poor fellow's attachment, truth, and devotion. It would, in fact, require the gifts of a great poet to convey the expression of his features, the harmony of his voice, and the heavenly fire of his eye. No words can portray the tenderness of his every movement and of every feature: no effort of mine could do justice to the scene. His alarm lest I should misconceive his position with regard to his mistress, or question the propriety of her conduct, touched me particularly. The charming manner with which he described her form and person, which, without possessing the graces of youth, won and attached him to her, is inexpressible, and must be left to the imagination. I have never in my life witnessed or fancied or conceived the possibility of such intense devotion, such ardent affections, united with so much purity. Do not blame me if I say that the recollection of this innocence and truth is deeply impressed upon my very soul; that this picture of fidelity and tenderness haunts me everywhere; and that my own heart, as though enkindled by the flame, glows and burns within me.
I mean now to try and see her as soon as I can: or perhaps, on second thoughts, I had better not; it is better I should behold her through the eyes of her lover. To my sight, perhaps, she would not appear as she now stands before me; and why should I destroy so sweet a picture?
"Why do I not write to you?" You lay claim to learning, and ask such a question. You should have guessed that I am well—that is to say—in a word, I have made an acquaintance who has won my heart: I have—I know not.
To give you a regular account of the manner in which I have become acquainted with the most amiable of women would be a difficult task. I am a happy and contented mortal, but a poor historian.
An angel! Nonsense! Everybody so describes his mistress; and yet I find it impossible to tell you how perfect she is, or why she is so perfect: suffice it to say she has captivated all my senses.
So much simplicity with so much understanding—so mild, and yet so resolute—a mind so placid, and a life so active.
But all this is ugly balderdash, which expresses not a single character nor feature. Some other time—but no, not some other time, now, this very instant, will I tell you all about it. Now or never. Well, between ourselves, since I commenced my letter, I have been three times on the point of throwing down my pen, of ordering my horse, and riding out. And yet I vowed this morning that I would not ride to-day, and yet every moment I am rushing to the window to see how high the sun is.
I could not restrain myself—go to her I must. I have just returned, Wilhelm; and whilst I am taking supper I will write to you. What a delight it was for my soul to see her in the midst of her dear, beautiful children,—eight brothers and sisters!
But, if I proceed thus, you will be no wiser at the end of my letter than you were at the beginning. Attend, then, and I will compel myself to give you the details.
I mentioned to you the other day that I had become acquainted with S—, the district judge, and that he had invited me to go and visit him in his retirement, or rather in his little kingdom. But I neglected going, and perhaps should never have gone, if chance had not discovered to me the treasure which lay concealed in that retired spot. Some of our young people had proposed giving a ball in the country, at which I consented to be present. I offered my hand for the evening to a pretty and agreeable, but rather commonplace, sort of girl from the immediate neighbourhood; and it was agreed that I should engage a carriage, and call upon Charlotte, with my partner and her aunt, to convey them to the ball. My companion informed me, as we drove along through the park to the hunting-lodge, that I should make the acquaintance of a very charming young lady. "Take care," added the aunt, "that you do not lose your heart." "Why?" said I. "Because she is already engaged to a very worthy man," she replied, "who is gone to settle his affairs upon the death of his father, and will succeed to a very considerable inheritance." This information possessed no interest for me. When we arrived at the gate, the sun was setting behind the tops of the mountains. The atmosphere was heavy; and the ladies expressed their fears of an approaching storm, as masses of low black clouds were gathering in the horizon. I relieved their anxieties by pretending to be weather-wise, although I myself had some apprehensions lest our pleasure should be interrupted.
I alighted; and a maid came to the door, and requested us to wait a moment for her mistress. I walked across the court to a well-built house, and, ascending the flight of steps in front, opened the door, and saw before me the most charming spectacle I had ever witnessed. Six children, from eleven to two years old, were running about the hall, and surrounding a lady of middle height, with a lovely figure, dressed in a robe of simple white, trimmed with pink ribbons. She was holding a rye loaf in her hand, and was cutting slices for the little ones all around, in proportion to their age and appetite. She performed her task in a graceful and affectionate manner; each claimant awaiting his turn with outstretched hands, and boisterously shouting his thanks. Some of them ran away at once, to enjoy their evening meal; whilst others, of a gentler disposition, retired to the courtyard to see the strangers, and to survey the carriage in which their Charlotte was to drive away. "Pray forgive me for giving you the trouble to come for me, and for keeping the ladies waiting: but dressing, and arranging some household duties before I leave, had made me forget my children's supper; and they do not like to take it from any one but me." I uttered some indifferent compliment: but my whole soul was absorbed by her air, her voice, her manner; and I had scarcely recovered myself when she ran into her room to fetch her gloves and fan. The young ones threw inquiring glances at me from a distance; whilst I approached the youngest, a most delicious little creature. He drew back; and Charlotte, entering at the very moment, said, "Louis, shake hands with your cousin." The little fellow obeyed willingly; and I could not resist giving him a hearty kiss, notwithstanding his rather dirty face. "Cousin," said I to Charlotte, as I handed her down, "do you think I deserve the happiness of being related to you?" She replied, with a ready smile, "Oh! I have such a number of cousins, that I should be sorry if you were the most undeserving of them." In taking leave, she desired her next sister, Sophy, a girl about eleven years old, to take great care of the children, and to say good-bye to papa for her when he came home from his ride. She enjoined to the little ones to obey their sister Sophy as they would herself, upon which some promised that they would; but a little fair-haired girl, about six years old, looked discontented, and said, "But Sophy is not you, Charlotte; and we like you best." The two eldest boys had clambered up the carriage; and, at my request, she permitted them to accompany us a little way through the forest, upon their promising to sit very still, and hold fast.
We were hardly seated, and the ladies had scarcely exchanged compliments, making the usual remarks upon each other's dress, and upon the company they expected to meet, when Charlotte stopped the carriage, and made her brothers get down. They insisted upon kissing her hands once more; which the eldest did with all the tenderness of a youth of fifteen, but the other in a lighter and more careless manner. She desired them again to give her love to the children, and we drove off.
The aunt inquired of Charlotte whether she had finished the book she had last sent her. "No," said Charlotte; "I did not like it: you can have it again. And the one before was not much better." I was surprised, upon asking the title, to hear that it was ____. (We feel obliged to suppress the passage in the letter, to prevent any one from feeling aggrieved; although no author need pay much attention to the opinion of a mere girl, or that of an unsteady young man.)
I found penetration and character in everything she said: every expression seemed to brighten her features with new charms,—with new rays of genius,—which unfolded by degrees, as she felt herself understood.
"When I was younger," she observed, "I loved nothing so much as romances. Nothing could equal my delight when, on some holiday, I could settle down quietly in a corner, and enter with my whole heart and soul into the joys or sorrows of some fictitious Leonora. I do not deny that they even possess some charms for me yet. But I read so seldom, that I prefer books suited exactly to my taste. And I like those authors best whose scenes describe my own situation in life,—and the friends who are about me, whose stories touch me with interest, from resembling my own homely existence,—which, without being absolutely paradise, is, on the whole, a source of indescribable happiness."
I endeavoured to conceal the emotion which these words occasioned, but it was of slight avail; for, when she had expressed so truly her opinion of "The Vicar of Wakefield," and of other works, the names of which I omit (Though the names are omitted, yet the authors mentioned deserve Charlotte's approbation, and will feel it in their hearts when they read this passage. It concerns no other person.), I could no longer contain myself, but gave full utterance to what I thought of it: and it was not until Charlotte had addressed herself to the two other ladies, that I remembered their presence, and observed them sitting mute with astonishment. The aunt looked at me several times with an air of raillery, which, however, I did not at all mind.
We talked of the pleasures of dancing. "If it is a fault to love it," said Charlotte, "I am ready to confess that I prize it above all other amusements. If anything disturbs me, I go to the piano, play an air to which I have danced, and all goes right again directly."
You, who know me, can fancy how steadfastly I gazed upon her rich dark eyes during these remarks, how my very soul gloated over her warm lips and fresh, glowing cheeks, how I became quite lost in the delightful meaning of her words, so much so, that I scarcely heard the actual expressions. In short, I alighted from the carriage like a person in a dream, and was so lost to the dim world around me, that I scarcely heard the music which resounded from the illuminated ballroom.
The two Messrs. Andran and a certain N. N. (I cannot trouble myself with the names), who were the aunt's and Charlotte's partners, received us at the carriage-door, and took possession of their ladies, whilst I followed with mine.
We commenced with a minuet. I led out one lady after another, and precisely those who were the most disagreeable could not bring themselves to leave off. Charlotte and her partner began an English country dance, and you must imagine my delight when it was their turn to dance the figure with us. You should see Charlotte dance. She dances with her whole heart and soul: her figure is all harmony, elegance, and grace, as if she were conscious of nothing else, and had no other thought or feeling; and, doubtless, for the moment, every other sensation is extinct.
She was engaged for the second country dance, but promised me the third, and assured me, with the most agreeable freedom, that she was very fond of waltzing. "It is the custom here," she said, "for the previous partners to waltz together; but my partner is an indifferent waltzer, and will feel delighted if I save him the trouble. Your partner is not allowed to waltz, and, indeed, is equally incapable: but I observed during the country dance that you waltz well; so, if you will waltz with me, I beg you would propose it to my partner, and I will propose it to yours." We agreed, and it was arranged that our partners should mutually entertain each other.
We set off, and, at first, delighted ourselves with the usual graceful motions of the arms. With what grace, with what ease, she moved! When the waltz commenced, and the dancers whirled around each other in the giddy maze, there was some confusion, owing to the incapacity of some of the dancers. We judiciously remained still, allowing the others to weary themselves; and, when the awkward dancers had withdrawn, we joined in, and kept it up famously together with one other couple,—Andran and his partner. Never did I dance more lightly. I felt myself more than mortal, holding this loveliest of creatures in my arms, flying, with her as rapidly as the wind, till I lost sight of every other object; and O Wilhelm, I vowed at that moment, that a maiden whom I loved, or for whom I felt the slightest attachment, never, never should waltz with any one else but with me, if I went to perdition for it!—you will understand this.
We took a few turns in the room to recover our breath. Charlotte sat down, and felt refreshed by partaking of some oranges which I had had secured,—the only ones that had been left; but at every slice which, from politeness, she offered to her neighbours, I felt as though a dagger went through my heart.
We were the second couple in the third country dance. As we were going down (and Heaven knows with what ecstasy I gazed at her arms and eyes, beaming with the sweetest feeling of pure and genuine enjoyment), we passed a lady whom I had noticed for her charming expression of countenance; although she was no longer young. She looked at Charlotte with a smile, then, holding up her finger in a threatening attitude, repeated twice in a very significant tone of voice the name of "Albert."
"Who is Albert," said I to Charlotte, "if it is not impertinent to ask?" She was about to answer, when we were obliged to separate, in order to execute a figure in the dance; and, as we crossed over again in front of each other, I perceived she looked somewhat pensive. "Why need I conceal it from you?" she said, as she gave me her hand for the promenade. "Albert is a worthy man, to whom I am engaged." Now, there was nothing new to me in this (for the girls had told me of it on the way); but it was so far new that I had not thought of it in connection with her whom, in so short a time, I had learned to prize so highly. Enough, I became confused, got out in the figure, and occasioned general confusion; so that it required all Charlotte's presence of mind to set me right by pulling and pushing me into my proper place.
The dance was not yet finished when the lightning which had for some time been seen in the horizon, and which I had asserted to proceed entirely from heat, grew more violent; and the thunder was heard above the music. When any distress or terror surprises us in the midst of our amusements, it naturally makes a deeper impression than at other times, either because the contrast makes us more keenly susceptible, or rather perhaps because our senses are then more open to impressions, and the shock is consequently stronger. To this cause I must ascribe the fright and shrieks of the ladies. One sagaciously sat down in a corner with her back to the window, and held her fingers to her ears; a second knelt down before her, and hid her face in her lap; a third threw herself between them, and embraced her sister with a thousand tears; some insisted on going home; others, unconscious of their actions, wanted sufficient presence of mind to repress the impertinence of their young partners, who sought to direct to themselves those sighs which the lips of our agitated beauties intended for heaven. Some of the gentlemen had gone down-stairs to smoke a quiet cigar, and the rest of the company gladly embraced a happy suggestion of the hostess to retire into another room which was provided with shutters and curtains. We had hardly got there, when Charlotte placed the chairs in a circle; and, when the company had sat down in compliance with her request, she forthwith proposed a round game.
I noticed some of the company prepare their mouths and draw themselves up at the prospect of some agreeable forfeit. "Let us play at counting," said Charlotte. "Now, pay attention: I shall go round the circle from right to left; and each person is to count, one after the other, the number that comes to him, and must count fast; whoever stops or mistakes is to have a box on the ear, and so on, till we have counted a thousand." It was delightful to see the fun. She went round the circle with upraised arm. "One," said the first; "two," the second; "three," the third; and so on, till Charlotte went faster and faster. One made a mistake, instantly a box on the ear; and, amid the laughter that ensued, came another box; and so on, faster and faster. I myself came in for two. I fancied they were harder than the rest, and felt quite delighted. A general laughter and confusion put an end to the game long before we had counted as far as a thousand. The party broke up into little separate knots: the storm had ceased, and I followed Charlotte into the ballroom. On the way she said, "The game banished their fears of the storm." I could make no reply. "I myself," she continued, "was as much frightened as any of them; but by affecting courage, to keep up the spirits of the others, I forgot my apprehensions." We went to the window. It was still thundering at a distance: a soft rain was pouring down over the country, and filled the air around us with delicious odours. Charlotte leaned forward on her arm; her eyes wandered over the scene; she raised them to the sky, and then turned them upon me; they were moistened with tears; she placed her hand on mine and said, "Klopstock!" at once I remembered the magnificent ode which was in her thoughts: I felt oppressed with the weight of my sensations, and sank under them. It was more than I could bear. I bent over her hand, kissed it in a stream of delicious tears, and again looked up to her eyes. Divine Klopstock! why didst thou not see thy apotheosis in those eyes? And thy name so often profaned, would that I never heard it repeated!
I no longer remember where I stopped in my narrative: I only know it was two in the morning when I went to bed; and if you had been with me, that I might have talked instead of writing to you, I should, in all probability, have kept you up till daylight.
I think I have not yet related what happened as we rode home from the ball, nor have I time to tell you now. It was a most magnificent sunrise: the whole country was refreshed, and the rain fell drop by drop from the trees in the forest. Our companions were asleep. Charlotte asked me if I did not wish to sleep also, and begged of me not to make any ceremony on her account. Looking steadfastly at her, I answered, "As long as I see those eyes open, there is no fear of my falling asleep." We both continued awake till we reached her door. The maid opened it softly, and assured her, in answer to her inquiries, that her father and the children were well, and still sleeping. I left her asking permission to visit her in the course of the day. She consented, and I went, and, since that time, sun, moon, and stars may pursue their course: I know not whether it is day or night; the whole world is nothing to me.
My days are as happy as those reserved by God for his elect; and, whatever be my fate hereafter, I can never say that I have not tasted joy,—the purest joy of life. You know Walheim. I am now completely settled there. In that spot I am only half a league from Charlotte; and there I enjoy myself, and taste all the pleasure which can fall to the lot of man.
Little did I imagine, when I selected Walheim for my pedestrian excursions, that all heaven lay so near it. How often in my wanderings from the hillside or from the meadows across the river, have I beheld this hunting-lodge, which now contains within it all the joy of my heart!
I have often, my dear Wilhelm, reflected on the eagerness men feel to wander and make new discoveries, and upon that secret impulse which afterward inclines them to return to their narrow circle, conform to the laws of custom, and embarrass themselves no longer with what passes around them.
It is so strange how, when I came here first, and gazed upon that lovely valley from the hillside, I felt charmed with the entire scene surrounding me. The little wood opposite—how delightful to sit under its shade! How fine the view from that point of rock! Then, that delightful chain of hills, and the exquisite valleys at their feet! Could I but wander and lose myself amongst them! I went, and returned without finding what I wished. Distance, my friend, is like futurity. A dim vastness is spread before our souls: the perceptions of our mind are as obscure as those of our vision; and we desire earnestly to surrender up our whole being, that it may be filled with the complete and perfect bliss of one glorious emotion. But alas! when we have attained our object, when the distant there becomes the present here, all is changed: we are as poor and circumscribed as ever, and our souls still languish for unattainable happiness.
So does the restless traveller pant for his native soil, and find in his own cottage, in the arms of his wife, in the affections of his children, and in the labour necessary for their support, that happiness which he had sought in vain through the wide world.
When, in the morning at sunrise, I go out to Walheim, and with my own hands gather in the garden the pease which are to serve for my dinner, when I sit down to shell them, and read my Homer during the intervals, and then, selecting a saucepan from the kitchen, fetch my own butter, put my mess on the fire, cover it up, and sit down to stir it as occasion requires, I figure to myself the illustrious suitors of Penelope, killing, dressing, and preparing their own oxen and swine. Nothing fills me with a more pure and genuine sense of happiness than those traits of patriarchal life which, thank Heaven! I can imitate without affectation. Happy is it, indeed, for me that my heart is capable of feeling the same simple and innocent pleasure as the peasant whose table is covered with food of his own rearing, and who not only enjoys his meal, but remembers with delight the happy days and sunny mornings when he planted it, the soft evenings when he watered it, and the pleasure he experienced in watching its daily growth.
The day before yesterday, the physician came from the town to pay a visit to the judge. He found me on the floor playing with Charlotte's children. Some of them were scrambling over me, and others romped with me; and, as I caught and tickled them, they made a great noise. The doctor is a formal sort of personage: he adjusts the plaits of his ruffles, and continually settles his frill whilst he is talking to you; and he thought my conduct beneath the dignity of a sensible man. I could perceive this by his countenance. But I did not suffer myself to be disturbed. I allowed him to continue his wise conversation, whilst I rebuilt the children's card houses for them as fast as they threw them down. He went about the town afterward, complaining that the judge's children were spoiled enough before, but that now Werther was completely ruining them.
Yes, my dear Wilhelm, nothing on this earth affects my heart so much as children. When I look on at their doings; when I mark in the little creatures the seeds of all those virtues and qualities which they will one day find so indispensable; when I behold in the obstinate all the future firmness and constancy of a noble character; in the capricious, that levity and gaiety of temper which will carry them lightly over the dangers and troubles of life, their whole nature simple and unpolluted,—then I call to mind the golden words of the Great Teacher of mankind, "Unless ye become like one of these!" And now, my friend, these children, who are our equals, whom we ought to consider as our models, we treat them as though they were our subjects. They are allowed no will of their own. And have we, then, none ourselves? Whence comes our exclusive right? Is it because we are older and more experienced? Great God! from the height of thy heaven thou beholdest great children and little children, and no others; and thy Son has long since declared which afford thee greatest pleasure. But they believe in him, and hear him not,—that, too, is an old story; and they train their children after their own image, etc.
Adieu, Wilhelm: I will not further bewilder myself with this subject.
The consolation Charlotte can bring to an invalid I experience from my own heart, which suffers more from her absence than many a poor creature lingering on a bed of sickness. She is gone to spend a few days in the town with a very worthy woman, who is given over by the physicians, and wishes to have Charlotte near her in her last moments. I accompanied her last week on a visit to the Vicar of S—, a small village in the mountains, about a league hence. We arrived about four o'clock: Charlotte had taken her little sister with her. When we entered the vicarage court, we found the good old man sitting on a bench before the door, under the shade of two large walnut-trees. At the sight of Charlotte he seemed to gain new life, rose, forgot his stick, and ventured to walk toward her. She ran to him, and made him sit down again; then, placing herself by his side, she gave him a number of messages from her father, and then caught up his youngest child, a dirty, ugly little thing, the joy of his old age, and kissed it. I wish you could have witnessed her attention to this old man,—how she raised her voice on account of his deafness; how she told him of healthy young people, who had been carried off when it was least expected; praised the virtues of Carlsbad, and commended his determination to spend the ensuing summer there; and assured him that he looked better and stronger than he did when she saw him last. I, in the meantime, paid attention to his good lady. The old man seemed quite in spirits; and as I could not help admiring the beauty of the walnut-trees, which formed such an agreeable shade over our heads, he began, though with some little difficulty, to tell us their history. "As to the oldest," said he, "we do not know who planted it,—some say one clergyman, and some another: but the younger one, there behind us, is exactly the age of my wife, fifty years old next October; her father planted it in the morning, and in the evening she came into the world. My wife's father was my predecessor here, and I cannot tell you how fond he was of that tree; and it is fully as dear to me. Under the shade of that very tree, upon a log of wood, my wife was seated knitting, when I, a poor student, came into this court for the first time, just seven and twenty years ago." Charlotte inquired for his daughter. He said she was gone with Herr Schmidt to the meadows, and was with the haymakers. The old man then resumed his story, and told us how his predecessor had taken a fancy to him, as had his daughter likewise; and how he had become first his curate, and subsequently his successor. He had scarcely finished his story when his daughter returned through the garden, accompanied by the above-mentioned Herr Schmidt. She welcomed Charlotte affectionately, and I confess I was much taken with her appearance. She was a lively-looking, good-humoured brunette, quite competent to amuse one for a short time in the country. Her lover (for such Herr Schmidt evidently appeared to be) was a polite, reserved personage, and would not join our conversation, notwithstanding all Charlotte's endeavours to draw him out. I was much annoyed at observing, by his countenance, that his silence did not arise from want of talent, but from caprice and ill-humour. This subsequently became very evident, when we set out to take a walk, and Frederica joining Charlotte, with whom I was talking, the worthy gentleman's face, which was naturally rather sombre, became so dark and angry that Charlotte was obliged to touch my arm, and remind me that I was talking too much to Frederica. Nothing distresses me more than to see men torment each other; particularly when in the flower of their age, in the very season of pleasure, they waste their few short days of sunshine in quarrels and disputes, and only perceive their error when it is too late to repair it. This thought dwelt upon my mind; and in the evening, when we returned to the vicar's, and were sitting round the table with our bread end milk, the conversation turned on the joys and sorrows of the world, I could not resist the temptation to inveigh bitterly against ill-humour. "We are apt," said I, "to complain, but—with very little cause, that our happy days are few, and our evil days many. If our hearts were always disposed to receive the benefits Heaven sends us, we should acquire strength to support evil when it comes." "But," observed the vicar's wife, "we cannot always command our tempers, so much depends upon the constitution: when the body suffers, the mind is ill at ease." "I acknowledge that," I continued; "but we must consider such a disposition in the light of a disease, and inquire whether there is no remedy for it."
"I should be glad to hear one," said Charlotte: "at least, I think very much depends upon ourselves; I know it is so with me. When anything annoys me, and disturbs my temper, I hasten into the garden, hum a couple of country dances, and it is all right with me directly." "That is what I meant," I replied; "ill-humour resembles indolence: it is natural to us; but if once we have courage to exert ourselves, we find our work run fresh from our hands, and we experience in the activity from which we shrank a real enjoyment." Frederica listened very attentively: and the young man objected, that we were not masters of ourselves, and still less so of our feelings. "The question is about a disagreeable feeling," I added, "from which every one would willingly escape, but none know their own power without trial. Invalids are glad to consult physicians, and submit to the most scrupulous regimen, the most nauseous medicines, in order to recover their health." I observed that the good old man inclined his head, and exerted himself to hear our discourse; so I raised my voice, and addressed myself directly to him. "We preach against a great many crimes," I observed, "but I never remember a sermon delivered against ill-humour." "That may do very well for your town clergymen," said he: "country people are never ill-humoured; though, indeed, it might be useful, occasionally, to my wife for instance, and the judge." We all laughed, as did he likewise very cordially, till he fell into a fit of coughing, which interrupted our conversation for a time. Herr Schmidt resumed the subject. "You call ill humour a crime," he remarked, "but I think you use too strong a term." "Not at all," I replied, "if that deserves the name which is so pernicious to ourselves and our neighbours. Is it not enough that we want the power to make one another happy, must we deprive each other of the pleasure which we can all make for ourselves? Show me the man who has the courage to hide his ill-humour, who bears the whole burden himself, without disturbing the peace of those around him. No: ill-humour arises from an inward consciousness of our own want of merit, from a discontent which ever accompanies that envy which foolish vanity engenders. We see people happy, whom we have not made so, and cannot endure the sight." Charlotte looked at me with a smile; she observed the emotion with which I spoke: and a tear in the eyes of Frederica stimulated me to proceed. "Woe unto those," I said, "who use their power over a human heart to destroy the simple pleasures it would naturally enjoy! All the favours, all the attentions, in the world cannot compensate for the loss of that happiness which a cruel tyranny has destroyed." My heart was full as I spoke. A recollection of many things which had happened pressed upon my mind, and filled my eyes with tears. "We should daily repeat to ourselves," I exclaimed, "that we should not interfere with our friends, unless to leave them in possession of their own joys, and increase their happiness by sharing it with them! But when their souls are tormented by a violent passion, or their hearts rent with grief, is it in your power to afford them the slightest consolation?
"And when the last fatal malady seizes the being whose untimely grave you have prepared, when she lies languid and exhausted before you, her dim eyes raised to heaven, and the damp of death upon her pallid brow, there you stand at her bedside like a condemned criminal, with the bitter feeling that your whole fortune could not save her; and the agonising thought wrings you, that all your efforts are powerless to impart even a moment's strength to the departing soul, or quicken her with a transitory consolation."
At these words the remembrance of a similar scene at which I had been once present fell with full force upon my heart. I buried my face in my handkerchief, and hastened from the room, and was only recalled to my recollection by Charlotte's voice, who reminded me that it was time to return home. With what tenderness she chid me on the way for the too eager interest I took in everything! She declared it would do me injury, and that I ought to spare myself. Yes, my angel! I will do so for your sake.
She is still with her dying friend, and is still the same bright, beautiful creature whose presence softens pain, and sheds happiness around whichever way she turns. She went out yesterday with her little sisters: I knew it, and went to meet them; and we walked together. In about an hour and a half we returned to the town. We stopped at the spring I am so fond of, and which is now a thousand times dearer to me than ever. Charlotte seated herself upon the low wall, and we gathered about her. I looked around, and recalled the time when my heart was unoccupied and free. "Dear fountain!" I said, "since that time I have no more come to enjoy cool repose by thy fresh stream: I have passed thee with careless steps, and scarcely bestowed a glance upon thee." I looked down, and observed Charlotte's little sister, Jane, coming up the steps with a glass of water. I turned toward Charlotte, and I felt her influence over me. Jane at the moment approached with the glass. Her sister, Marianne, wished to take it from her. "No!" cried the child, with the sweetest expression of face, "Charlotte must drink first."
The affection and simplicity with which this was uttered so charmed me, that I sought to express my feelings by catching up the child and kissing her heartily. She was frightened, and began to cry. "You should not do that," said Charlotte: I felt perplexed. "Come, Jane," she continued, taking her hand, and leading her down the steps again, "it is no matter: wash yourself quickly in the fresh water." I stood and watched them; and when I saw the little dear rubbing her cheeks with her wet hands, in full belief that all the impurities contracted from my ugly beard would be washed off by the miraculous water, and how, though Charlotte said it would do, she continued still to wash with all her might, as though she thought too much were better than too little, I assure you, Wilhelm, I never attended a baptism with greater reverence; and, when Charlotte came up from the well, I could have prostrated myself as before the prophet of an Eastern nation.
In the evening I would not resist telling the story to a person who, I thought, possessed some natural feeling, because he was a man of understanding. But what a mistake I made. He maintained it was very wrong of Charlotte, that we should not deceive children, that such things occasioned countless mistakes and superstitions, from which we were bound to protect the young. It occurred to me then, that this very man had been baptised only a week before; so I said nothing further, but maintained the justice of my own convictions. We should deal with children as God deals with us, we are happiest under the influence of innocent delusions.
What a child is man that he should be so solicitous about a look! What a child is man! We had been to Walheim: the ladies went in a carriage; but during our walk I thought I saw in Charlotte's dark eyes—I am a fool—but forgive me! you should see them,—those eyes.—However, to be brief (for my own eyes are weighed down with sleep), you must know, when the ladies stepped into their carriage again, young W. Seldstadt, Andran, and I were standing about the door. They are a merry set of fellows, and they were all laughing and joking together. I watched Charlotte's eyes. They wandered from one to the other; but they did not light on me, on me, who stood there motionless, and who saw nothing but her! My heart bade her a thousand times adieu, but she noticed me not. The carriage drove off; and my eyes filled with tears. I looked after her: suddenly I saw Charlotte's bonnet leaning out of the window, and she turned to look back, was it at me? My dear friend, I know not; and in this uncertainty I find consolation. Perhaps she turned to look at me. Perhaps! Good-night—what a child I am!
You should see how foolish I look in company when her name is mentioned, particularly when I am asked plainly how I like her. How I like her! I detest the phrase. What sort of creature must he be who merely liked Charlotte, whose whole heart and senses were not entirely absorbed by her. Like her! Some one asked me lately how I liked Ossian.
Madame M—is very ill. I pray for her recovery, because Charlotte shares my sufferings. I see her occasionally at my friend's house, and to-day she has told me the strangest circumstance. Old M—is a covetous, miserly fellow, who has long worried and annoyed the poor lady sadly; but she has borne her afflictions patiently. A few days ago, when the physician informed us that her recovery was hopeless, she sent for her husband (Charlotte was present), and addressed him thus: "I have something to confess, which, after my decease, may occasion trouble and confusion. I have hitherto conducted your household as frugally and economically as possible, but you must pardon me for having defrauded you for thirty years. At the commencement of our married life, you allowed a small sum for the wants of the kitchen, and the other household expenses. When our establishment increased and our property grew larger, I could not persuade you to increase the weekly allowance in proportion: in short, you know, that, when our wants were greatest, you required me to supply everything with seven florins a week. I took the money from you without an observation, but made up the weekly deficiency from the money-chest; as nobody would suspect your wife of robbing the household bank. But I have wasted nothing, and should have been content to meet my eternal Judge without this confession, if she, upon whom the management of your establishment will devolve after my decease, would be free from embarrassment upon your insisting that the allowance made to me, your former wife, was sufficient."
I talked with Charlotte of the inconceivable manner in which men allow themselves to be blinded; how any one could avoid suspecting some deception, when seven florins only were allowed to defray expenses twice as great. But I have myself known people who believed, without any visible astonishment, that their house possessed the prophet's never-failing cruse of oil.
No, I am not deceived. In her dark eyes I read a genuine interest in me and in my fortunes. Yes, I feel it; and I may believe my own heart which tells me—dare I say it?—dare I pronounce the divine words?—that she loves me!
That she loves me! How the idea exalts me in my own eyes! And, as you can understand my feelings, I may say to you, how I honour myself since she loves me!
Is this presumption, or is it a consciousness of the truth? I do not know a man able to supplant me in the heart of Charlotte; and yet when she speaks of her betrothed with so much warmth and affection, I feel like the soldier who has been stripped of his honours and titles, and deprived of his sword.
How my heart beats when by accident I touch her finger, or my feet meet hers under the table! I draw back as if from a furnace; but a secret force impels me forward again, and my senses become disordered. Her innocent, unconscious heart never knows what agony these little familiarities inflict upon me. Sometimes when we are talking she lays her hand upon mine, and in the eagerness of conversation comes closer to me, and her balmy breath reaches my lips,—when I feel as if lightning had struck me, and that I could sink into the earth. And yet, Wilhelm, with all this heavenly confidence,—if I know myself, and should ever dare—you understand me. No, no! my heart is not so corrupt, it is weak, weak enough but is not that a degree of corruption?
She is to me a sacred being. All passion is still in her presence: I cannot express my sensations when I am near her. I feel as if my soul beat in every nerve of my body. There is a melody which she plays on the piano with angelic skill,—so simple is it, and yet so spiritual! It is her favourite air; and, when she plays the first note, all pain, care, and sorrow disappear from me in a moment.
I believe every word that is said of the magic of ancient music. How her simple song enchants me! Sometimes, when I am ready to commit suicide, she sings that air; and instantly the gloom and madness which hung over me are dispersed, and I breathe freely again.
Wilhelm, what is the world to our hearts without love? What is a magic-lantern without light? You have but to kindle the flame within, and the brightest figures shine on the white wall; and, if love only show us fleeting shadows, we are yet happy, when, like mere children, we behold them, and are transported with the splendid phantoms. I have not been able to see Charlotte to-day. I was prevented by company from which I could not disengage myself. What was to be done? I sent my servant to her house, that I might at least see somebody to-day who had been near her. Oh, the impatience with which I waited for his return! the joy with which I welcomed him! I should certainly have caught him in my arms, and kissed him, if I had not been ashamed.
It is said that the Bonona stone, when placed in the sun, attracts the rays, and for a time appears luminous in the dark. So was it with me and this servant. The idea that Charlotte's eyes had dwelt on his countenance, his cheek, his very apparel, endeared them all inestimably to me, so that at the moment I would not have parted from him for a thousand crowns. His presence made me so happy! Beware of laughing at me, Wilhelm. Can that be a delusion which makes us happy?
"I shall see her today!" I exclaim with delight, when I rise in the morning, and look out with gladness of heart at the bright, beautiful sun. "I shall see her today!" And then I have no further wish to form: all, all is included in that one thought.
I cannot assent to your proposal that I should accompany the ambassador to ———. I do not love subordination; and we all know that he is a rough, disagreeable person to be connected with. You say my mother wishes me to be employed. I could not help laughing at that. Am I not sufficiently employed? And is it not in reality the same, whether I shell peas or count lentils? The world runs on from one folly to another; and the man who, solely from regard to the opinion of others, and without any wish or necessity of his own, toils after gold, honour, or any other phantom, is no better than a fool.
You insist so much on my not neglecting my drawing, that it would be as well for me to say nothing as to confess how little I have lately done.
I never felt happier, I never understood nature better, even down to the veriest stem or smallest blade of grass; and yet I am unable to express myself: my powers of execution are so weak, everything seems to swim and float before me, so that I cannot make a clear, bold outline. But I fancy I should succeed better if I had some clay or wax to model. I shall try, if this state of mind continues much longer, and will take to modelling, if I only knead dough.
I have commenced Charlotte's portrait three times, and have as often disgraced myself. This is the more annoying, as I was formerly very happy in taking likenesses. I have since sketched her profile, and must content myself with that.
Yes, dear Charlotte! I will order and arrange everything. Only give me more commissions, the more the better. One thing, however, I must request: use no more writing-sand with the dear notes you send me. Today I raised your letter hastily to my lips, and it set my teeth on edge.
I have often determined not to see her so frequently. But who could keep such a resolution? Every day I am exposed to the temptation, and promise faithfully that to-morrow I will really stay away: but, when tomorrow comes, I find some irresistible reason for seeing her; and, before I can account for it, I am with her again. Either she has said on the previous evening "You will be sure to call to-morrow,"—and who could stay away then?—or she gives me some commission, and I find it essential to take her the answer in person; or the day is fine, and I walk to Walheim; and, when I am there, it is only half a league farther to her. I am within the charmed atmosphere, and soon find myself at her side. My grandmother used to tell us a story of a mountain of loadstone. When any vessels came near it, they were instantly deprived of their ironwork: the nails flew to the mountain, and the unhappy crew perished amidst the disjointed planks.
Albert is arrived, and I must take my departure. Were he the best and noblest of men, and I in every respect his inferior, I could not endure to see him in possession of such a perfect being. Possession!—enough, Wilhelm: her betrothed is here,—a fine, worthy fellow, whom one cannot help liking. Fortunately I was not present at their meeting. It would have broken my heart! And he is so considerate: he has not given Charlotte one kiss in my presence. Heaven reward him for it! I must love him for the respect with which he treats her. He shows a regard for me, but for this I suspect I am more indebted to Charlotte than to his own fancy for me. Women have a delicate tact in such matters, and it should be so. They cannot always succeed in keeping two rivals on terms with each other; but, when they do, they are the only gainers.
I cannot help esteeming Albert. The coolness of his temper contrasts strongly with the impetuosity of mine, which I cannot conceal. He has a great deal of feeling, and is fully sensible of the treasure he possesses in Charlotte. He is free from ill-humour, which you know is the fault I detest most.
He regards me as a man of sense; and my attachment to Charlotte, and the interest I take in all that concerns her, augment his triumph and his love. I shall not inquire whether he may not at times tease her with some little jealousies; as I know, that, were I in his place, I should not be entirely free from such sensations.
But, be that as it may, my pleasure with Charlotte is over. Call it folly or infatuation, what signifies a name? The thing speaks for itself. Before Albert came, I knew all that I know now. I knew I could make no pretensions to her, nor did I offer any, that is, as far as it was possible, in the presence of so much loveliness, not to pant for its enjoyment. And now, behold me like a silly fellow, staring with astonishment when another comes in, and deprives me of my love.
I bite my lips, and feel infinite scorn for those who tell me to be resigned, because there is no help for it. Let me escape from the yoke of such silly subterfuges! I ramble through the woods; and when I return to Charlotte, and find Albert sitting by her side in the summer-house in the garden, I am unable to bear it, behave like a fool, and commit a thousand extravagances. "For Heaven's sake," said Charlotte today, "let us have no more scenes like those of last night! You terrify me when you are so violent." Between ourselves, I am always away now when he visits her: and I feel delighted when I find her alone.
Believe me, dear Wilhelm, I did not allude to you when I spoke so severely of those who advise resignation to inevitable fate. I did not think it possible for you to indulge such a sentiment. But in fact you are right. I only suggest one objection. In this world one is seldom reduced to make a selection between two alternatives. There are as many varieties of conduct and opinion as there are turns of feature between an aquiline nose and a flat one.
You will, therefore, permit me to concede your entire argument, and yet contrive means to escape your dilemma.
Your position is this, I hear you say: "Either you have hopes of obtaining Charlotte, or you have none. Well, in the first case, pursue your course, and press on to the fulfilment of your wishes. In the second, be a man, and shake off a miserable passion, which will enervate and destroy you." My dear friend, this is well and easily said.
But would you require a wretched being, whose life is slowly wasting under a lingering disease, to despatch himself at once by the stroke of a dagger? Does not the very disorder which consumes his strength deprive him of the courage to effect his deliverance?
You may answer me, if you please, with a similar analogy, "Who would not prefer the amputation of an arm to the periling of life by doubt and procrastination!" But I know not if I am right, and let us leave these comparisons.
Enough! There are moments, Wilhelm, when I could rise up and shake it all off, and when, if I only knew where to go, I could fly from this place.
The Same Evening
My diary, which I have for some time neglected, came before me today; and I am amazed to see how deliberately I have entangled myself step by step. To have seen my position so clearly, and yet to have acted so like a child! Even still I behold the result plainly, and yet have no thought of acting with greater prudence.
If I were not a fool, I could spend the happiest and most delightful life here. So many agreeable circumstances, and of a kind to ensure a worthy man's happiness, are seldom united. Alas! I feel it too sensibly,—the heart alone makes our happiness! To be admitted into this most charming family, to be loved by the father as a son, by the children as a father, and by Charlotte! then the noble Albert, who never disturbs my happiness by any appearance of ill-humour, receiving me with the heartiest affection, and loving me, next to Charlotte, better than all the world! Wilhelm, you would be delighted to hear us in our rambles, and conversations about Charlotte. Nothing in the world can be more absurd than our connection, and yet the thought of it often moves me to tears.
He tells me sometimes of her excellent mother; how, upon her death-bed, she had committed her house and children to Charlotte, and had given Charlotte herself in charge to him; how, since that time, a new spirit had taken possession of her; how, in care and anxiety for their welfare, she became a real mother to them; how every moment of her time was devoted to some labour of love in their behalf,—and yet her mirth and cheerfulness had never forsaken her. I walk by his side, pluck flowers by the way, arrange them carefully into a nosegay, then fling them into the first stream I pass, and watch them as they float gently away. I forget whether I told you that Albert is to remain here. He has received a government appointment, with a very good salary; and I understand he is in high favour at court. I have met few persons so punctual and methodical in business.
Certainly Albert is the best fellow in the world. I had a strange scene with him yesterday. I went to take leave of him; for I took it into my head to spend a few days in these mountains, from where I now write to you. As I was walking up and down his room, my eye fell upon his pistols. "Lend me those pistols," said I, "for my journey." "By all means," he replied, "if you will take the trouble to load them; for they only hang there for form." I took down one of them; and he continued, "Ever since I was near suffering for my extreme caution, I will have nothing to do with such things." I was curious to hear the story. "I was staying," said he, "some three months ago, at a friend's house in the country. I had a brace of pistols with me, unloaded; and I slept without any anxiety. One rainy afternoon I was sitting by myself, doing nothing, when it occurred to me I do not know how that the house might be attacked, that we might require the pistols, that we might in short, you know how we go on fancying, when we have nothing better to do. I gave the pistols to the servant, to clean and load. He was playing with the maid, and trying to frighten her, when the pistol went off—God knows how!—the ramrod was in the barrel; and it went straight through her right hand, and shattered the thumb. I had to endure all the lamentation, and to pay the surgeon's bill; so, since that time, I have kept all my weapons unloaded. But, my dear friend, what is the use of prudence? We can never be on our guard against all possible dangers. However,"—now, you must know I can tolerate all men till they come to "however;"—for it is self-evident that every universal rule must have its exceptions. But he is so exceedingly accurate, that, if he only fancies he has said a word too precipitate, or too general, or only half true, he never ceases to qualify, to modify, and extenuate, till at last he appears to have said nothing at all. Upon this occasion, Albert was deeply immersed in his subject: I ceased to listen to him, and became lost in reverie. With a sudden motion, I pointed the mouth of the pistol to my forehead, over the right eye. "What do you mean?" cried Albert, turning back the pistol. "It is not loaded," said I. "And even if not," he answered with impatience, "what can you mean? I cannot comprehend how a man can be so mad as to shoot himself, and the bare idea of it shocks me."
"But why should any one," said I, "in speaking of an action, venture to pronounce it mad or wise, or good or bad? What is the meaning of all this? Have you carefully studied the secret motives of our actions? Do you understand—can you explain the causes which occasion them, and make them inevitable? If you can, you will be less hasty with your decision."
"But you will allow," said Albert; "that some actions are criminal, let them spring from whatever motives they may." I granted it, and shrugged my shoulders.
"But still, my good friend," I continued, "there are some exceptions here too. Theft is a crime; but the man who commits it from extreme poverty, with no design but to save his family from perishing, is he an object of pity, or of punishment? Who shall throw the first stone at a husband, who, in the heat of just resentment, sacrifices his faithless wife and her perfidious seducer? or at the young maiden, who, in her weak hour of rapture, forgets herself in the impetuous joys of love? Even our laws, cold and cruel as they are, relent in such cases, and withhold their punishment."
"That is quite another thing," said Albert; "because a man under the influence of violent passion loses all power of reflection, and is regarded as intoxicated or insane."
"Oh! you people of sound understandings," I replied, smiling, "are ever ready to exclaim 'Extravagance, and madness, and intoxication!' You moral men are so calm and so subdued! You abhor the drunken man, and detest the extravagant; you pass by, like the Levite, and thank God, like the Pharisee, that you are not like one of them. I have been more than once intoxicated, my passions have always bordered on extravagance: I am not ashamed to confess it; for I have learned, by my own experience, that all extraordinary men, who have accomplished great and astonishing actions, have ever been decried by the world as drunken or insane. And in private life, too, is it not intolerable that no one can undertake the execution of a noble or generous deed, without giving rise to the exclamation that the doer is intoxicated or mad? Shame upon you, ye sages!"
"This is another of your extravagant humours," said Albert: "you always exaggerate a case, and in this matter you are undoubtedly wrong; for we were speaking of suicide, which you compare with great actions, when it is impossible to regard it as anything but a weakness. It is much easier to die than to bear a life of misery with fortitude."
I was on the point of breaking off the conversation, for nothing puts me so completely out of patience as the utterance of a wretched commonplace when I am talking from my inmost heart. However, I composed myself, for I had often heard the same observation with sufficient vexation; and I answered him, therefore, with a little warmth, "You call this a weakness—beware of being led astray by appearances. When a nation, which has long groaned under the intolerable yoke of a tyrant, rises at last and throws off its chains, do you call that weakness? The man who, to rescue his house from the flames, finds his physical strength redoubled, so that he lifts burdens with ease, which, in the absence of excitement, he could scarcely move; he who, under the rage of an insult, attacks and puts to flight half a score of his enemies, are such persons to be called weak? My good friend, if resistance be strength, how can the highest degree of resistance be a weakness?"
Albert looked steadfastly at me, and said, "Pray forgive me, but I do not see that the examples you have adduced bear any relation to the question." "Very likely," I answered; "for I have often been told that my style of illustration borders a little on the absurd. But let us see if we cannot place the matter in another point of view, by inquiring what can be a man's state of mind who resolves to free himself from the burden of life,—a burden often so pleasant to bear,—for we cannot otherwise reason fairly upon the subject.
"Human nature," I continued, "has its limits. It is able to endure a certain degree of joy, sorrow, and pain, but becomes annihilated as soon as this measure is exceeded. The question, therefore, is, not whether a man is strong or weak, but whether he is able to endure the measure of his sufferings. The suffering may be moral or physical; and in my opinion it is just as absurd to call a man a coward who destroys himself, as to call a man a coward who dies of a malignant fever."
"Paradox, all paradox!" exclaimed Albert. "Not so paradoxical as you imagine," I replied. "You allow that we designate a disease as mortal when nature is so severely attacked, and her strength so far exhausted, that she cannot possibly recover her former condition under any change that may take place.
"Now, my good friend, apply this to the mind; observe a man in his natural, isolated condition; consider how ideas work, and how impressions fasten on him, till at length a violent passion seizes him, destroying all his powers of calm reflection, and utterly ruining him.
"It is in vain that a man of sound mind and cool temper understands the condition of such a wretched being, in vain he counsels him. He can no more communicate his own wisdom to him than a healthy man can instil his strength into the invalid, by whose bedside he is seated."
Albert thought this too general. I reminded him of a girl who had drowned herself a short time previously, and I related her history.
She was a good creature, who had grown up in the narrow sphere of household industry and weekly appointed labour; one who knew no pleasure beyond indulging in a walk on Sundays, arrayed in her best attire, accompanied by her friends, or perhaps joining in the dance now and then at some festival, and chatting away her spare hours with a neighbour, discussing the scandal or the quarrels of the village, trifles sufficient to occupy her heart. At length the warmth of her nature is influenced by certain new and unknown wishes. Inflamed by the flatteries of men, her former pleasures become by degrees insipid, till at length she meets with a youth to whom she is attracted by an indescribable feeling; upon him she now rests all her hopes; she forgets the world around her; she sees, hears, desires nothing but him, and him only. He alone occupies all her thoughts. Uncorrupted by the idle indulgence of an enervating vanity, her affection moving steadily toward its object, she hopes to become his, and to realise, in an everlasting union with him, all that happiness which she sought, all that bliss for which she longed. His repeated promises confirm her hopes: embraces and endearments, which increase the ardour of her desires, overmaster her soul. She floats in a dim, delusive anticipation of her happiness; and her feelings become excited to their utmost tension. She stretches out her arms finally to embrace the object of all her wishes and her lover forsakes her. Stunned and bewildered, she stands upon a precipice. All is darkness around her. No prospect, no hope, no consolation—forsaken by him in whom her existence was centred! She sees nothing of the wide world before her, thinks nothing of the many individuals who might supply the void in her heart; she feels herself deserted, forsaken by the world; and, blinded and impelled by the agony which wrings her soul, she plunges into the deep, to end her sufferings in the broad embrace of death. See here, Albert, the history of thousands; and tell me, is not this a case of physical infirmity? Nature has no way to escape from the labyrinth: her powers are exhausted: she can contend no longer, and the poor soul must die.
"Shame upon him who can look on calmly, and exclaim, 'The foolish girl! she should have waited; she should have allowed time to wear off the impression; her despair would have been softened, and she would have found another lover to comfort her.' One might as well say, 'The fool, to die of a fever! why did he not wait till his strength was restored, till his blood became calm? all would then have gone well, and he would have been alive now.'"
Albert, who could not see the justice of the comparison, offered some further objections, and, amongst others, urged that I had taken the case of a mere ignorant girl. But how any man of sense, of more enlarged views and experience, could be excused, he was unable to comprehend. "My friend!" I exclaimed, "man is but man; and, whatever be the extent of his reasoning powers, they are of little avail when passion rages within, and he feels himself confined by the narrow limits of nature. It were better, then—but we will talk of this some other time," I said, and caught up my hat. Alas! my heart was full; and we parted without conviction on either side. How rarely in this world do men understand each other!
There can be no doubt that in this world nothing is so indispensable as love. I observe that Charlotte could not lose me without a pang, and the very children have but one wish; that is, that I should visit them again to-morrow. I went this afternoon to tune Charlotte's piano. But I could not do it, for the little ones insisted on my telling them a story; and Charlotte herself urged me to satisfy them. I waited upon them at tea, and they are now as fully contented with me as with Charlotte; and I told them my very best tale of the princess who was waited upon by dwarfs. I improve myself by this exercise, and am quite surprised at the impression my stories create. If I sometimes invent an incident which I forget upon the next narration, they remind one directly that the story was different before; so that I now endeavour to relate with exactness the same anecdote in the same monotonous tone, which never changes. I find by this, how much an author injures his works by altering them, even though they be improved in a poetical point of view. The first impression is readily received. We are so constituted that we believe the most incredible things; and, once they are engraved upon the memory, woe to him who would endeavour to efface them.
Must it ever be thus,—that the source of our happiness must also be the fountain of our misery? The full and ardent sentiment which animated my heart with the love of nature, overwhelming me with a torrent of delight, and which brought all paradise before me, has now become an insupportable torment, a demon which perpetually pursues and harasses me. When in bygone days I gazed from these rocks upon yonder mountains across the river, and upon the green, flowery valley before me, and saw all nature budding and bursting around; the hills clothed from foot to peak with tall, thick forest trees; the valleys in all their varied windings, shaded with the loveliest woods; and the soft river gliding along amongst the lisping reeds, mirroring the beautiful clouds which the soft evening breeze wafted across the sky,—when I heard the groves about me melodious with the music of birds, and saw the million swarms of insects dancing in the last golden beams of the sun, whose setting rays awoke the humming beetles from their grassy beds, whilst the subdued tumult around directed my attention to the ground, and I there observed the arid rock compelled to yield nutriment to the dry moss, whilst the heath flourished upon the barren sands below me, all this displayed to me the inner warmth which animates all nature, and filled and glowed within my heart. I felt myself exalted by this overflowing fulness to the perception of the Godhead, and the glorious forms of an infinite universe became visible to my soul! Stupendous mountains encompassed me, abysses yawned at my feet, and cataracts fell headlong down before me; impetuous rivers rolled through the plain, and rocks and mountains resounded from afar. In the depths of the earth I saw innumerable powers in motion, and multiplying to infinity; whilst upon its surface, and beneath the heavens, there teemed ten thousand varieties of living creatures. Everything around is alive with an infinite number of forms; while mankind fly for security to their petty houses, from the shelter of which they rule in their imaginations over the wide-extended universe. Poor fool! in whose petty estimation all things are little. From the inaccessible mountains, across the desert which no mortal foot has trod, far as the confines of the unknown ocean, breathes the spirit of the eternal Creator; and every atom to which he has given existence finds favour in his sight. Ah, how often at that time has the flight of a bird, soaring above my head, inspired me with the desire of being transported to the shores of the immeasurable waters, there to quaff the pleasures of life from the foaming goblet of the Infinite, and to partake, if but for a moment even, with the confined powers of my soul, the beatitude of that Creator who accomplishes all things in himself, and through himself!
My dear friend, the bare recollection of those hours still consoles me. Even this effort to recall those ineffable sensations, and give them utterance, exalts my soul above itself, and makes me doubly feel the intensity of my present anguish.
It is as if a curtain had been drawn from before my eyes, and, instead of prospects of eternal life, the abyss of an ever open grave yawned before me. Can we say of anything that it exists when all passes away, when time, with the speed of a storm, carries all things onward,—and our transitory existence, hurried along by the torrent, is either swallowed up by the waves or dashed against the rocks? There is not a moment but preys upon you,—and upon all around you, not a moment in which you do not yourself become a destroyer. The most innocent walk deprives of life thousands of poor insects: one step destroys the fabric of the industrious ant, and converts a little world into chaos. No: it is not the great and rare calamities of the world, the floods which sweep away whole villages, the earthquakes which swallow up our towns, that affect me. My heart is wasted by the thought of that destructive power which lies concealed in every part of universal nature. Nature has formed nothing that does not consume itself, and every object near it: so that, surrounded by earth and air, and all the active powers, I wander on my way with aching heart; and the universe is to me a fearful monster, for ever devouring its own offspring.
In vain do I stretch out my arms toward her when I awaken in the morning from my weary slumbers. In vain do I seek for her at night in my bed, when some innocent dream has happily deceived me, and placed her near me in the fields, when I have seized her hand and covered it with countless kisses. And when I feel for her in the half confusion of sleep, with the happy sense that she is near, tears flow from my oppressed heart; and, bereft of all comfort, I weep over my future woes.
What a misfortune, Wilhelm! My active spirits have degenerated into contented indolence. I cannot be idle, and yet I am unable to set to work. I cannot think: I have no longer any feeling for the beauties of nature, and books are distasteful to me. Once we give ourselves up, we are totally lost. Many a time and oft I wish I were a common labourer; that, awakening in the morning, I might have but one prospect, one pursuit, one hope, for the day which has dawned. I often envy Albert when I see him buried in a heap of papers and parchments, and I fancy I should be happy were I in his place. Often impressed with this feeling I have been on the point of writing to you and to the minister, for the appointment at the embassy, which you think I might obtain. I believe I might procure it. The minister has long shown a regard for me, and has frequently urged me to seek employment. It is the business of an hour only. Now and then the fable of the horse recurs to me. Weary of liberty, he suffered himself to be saddled and bridled, and was ridden to death for his pains. I know not what to determine upon. For is not this anxiety for change the consequence of that restless spirit which would pursue me equally in every situation of life?
If my ills would admit of any cure, they would certainly be cured here. This is my birthday, and early in the morning I received a packet from Albert. Upon opening it, I found one of the pink ribbons which Charlotte wore in her dress the first time I saw her, and which I had several times asked her to give me. With it were two volumes in duodecimo of Wetstein's "Homer," a book I had often wished for, to save me the inconvenience of carrying the large Ernestine edition with me upon my walks. You see how they anticipate my wishes, how well they understand all those little attentions of friendship, so superior to the costly presents of the great, which are humiliating. I kissed the ribbon a thousand times, and in every breath inhaled the remembrance of those happy and irrevocable days which filled me with the keenest joy. Such, Wilhelm, is our fate. I do not murmur at it: the flowers of life are but visionary. How many pass away, and leave no trace behind—how few yield any fruit—and the fruit itself, how rarely does it ripen! And yet there are flowers enough! and is it not strange, my friend, that we should suffer the little that does really ripen, to rot, decay, and perish unenjoyed? Farewell! This is a glorious summer. I often climb into the trees in Charlotte's orchard, and shake down the pears that hang on the highest branches. She stands below, and catches them as they fall.
Unhappy being that I am! Why do I thus deceive myself? What is to come of all this wild, aimless, endless passion? I cannot pray except to her. My imagination sees nothing but her: all surrounding objects are of no account, except as they relate to her. In this dreamy state I enjoy many happy hours, till at length I feel compelled to tear myself away from her. Ah, Wilhelm, to what does not my heart often compel me! When I have spent several hours in her company, till I feel completely absorbed by her figure, her grace, the divine expression of her thoughts, my mind becomes gradually excited to the highest excess, my sight grows dim, my hearing confused, my breathing oppressed as if by the hand of a murderer, and my beating heart seeks to obtain relief for my aching senses. I am sometimes unconscious whether I really exist. If in such moments I find no sympathy, and Charlotte does not allow me to enjoy the melancholy consolation of bathing her hand with my tears, I feel compelled to tear myself from her, when I either wander through the country, climb some precipitous cliff, or force a path through the trackless thicket, where I am lacerated and torn by thorns and briers; and thence I find relief. Sometimes I lie stretched on the ground, overcome with fatigue and dying with thirst; sometimes, late in the night, when the moon shines above me, I recline against an aged tree in some sequestered forest, to rest my weary limbs, when, exhausted and worn, I sleep till break of day. O Wilhelm! the hermit's cell, his sackcloth, and girdle of thorns would be luxury and indulgence compared with what I suffer. Adieu! I see no end to this wretchedness except the grave.
I must away. Thank you, Wilhelm, for determining my wavering purpose. For a whole fortnight I have thought of leaving her. I must away. She has returned to town, and is at the house of a friend. And then, Albert—yes, I must go.
Oh, what a night, Wilhelm! I can henceforth bear anything. I shall never see her again. Oh, why cannot I fall on your neck, and, with floods of tears and raptures, give utterance to all the passions which distract my heart! Here I sit gasping for breath, and struggling to compose myself. I wait for day, and at sunrise the horses are to be at the door.
And she is sleeping calmly, little suspecting that she has seen me for the last time. I am free. I have had the courage, in an interview of two hours' duration, not to betray my intention. And O Wilhelm, what a conversation it was!
Albert had promised to come to Charlotte in the garden immediately after supper. I was upon the terrace under the tall chestnut trees, and watched the setting sun. I saw him sink for the last time beneath this delightful valley and silent stream. I had often visited the same spot with Charlotte, and witnessed that glorious sight; and now—I was walking up and down the very avenue which was so dear to me. A secret sympathy had frequently drawn me thither before I knew Charlotte; and we were delighted when, in our early acquaintance, we discovered that we each loved the same spot, which is indeed as romantic as any that ever captivated the fancy of an artist.
From beneath the chestnut trees, there is an extensive view. But I remember that I have mentioned all this in a former letter, and have described the tall mass of beech trees at the end, and how the avenue grows darker and darker as it winds its way among them, till it ends in a gloomy recess, which has all the charm of a mysterious solitude. I still remember the strange feeling of melancholy which came over me the first time I entered that dark retreat, at bright midday. I felt some secret foreboding that it would, one day, be to me the scene of some happiness or misery.
I had spent half an hour struggling between the contending thoughts of going and returning, when I heard them coming up the terrace. I ran to meet them. I trembled as I took her hand, and kissed it. As we reached the top of the terrace, the moon rose from behind the wooded hill. We conversed on many subjects, and, without perceiving it, approached the gloomy recess. Charlotte entered, and sat down. Albert seated himself beside her. I did the same, but my agitation did not suffer me to remain long seated. I got up, and stood before her, then walked backward and forward, and sat down again. I was restless and miserable. Charlotte drew our attention to the beautiful effect of the moonlight, which threw a silver hue over the terrace in front of us, beyond the beech trees. It was a glorious sight, and was rendered more striking by the darkness which surrounded the spot where we were. We remained for some time silent, when Charlotte observed, "Whenever I walk by moonlight, it brings to my remembrance all my beloved and departed friends, and I am filled with thoughts of death and futurity. We shall live again, Werther!" she continued, with a firm but feeling voice; "but shall we know one another again what do you think? what do you say?"
"Charlotte," I said, as I took her hand in mine, and my eyes filled with tears, "we shall see each other again—here and hereafter we shall meet again." I could say no more. Why, Wilhelm, should she put this question to me, just at the moment when the fear of our cruel separation filled my heart?
"And oh! do those departed ones know how we are employed here? do they know when we are well and happy? do they know when we recall their memories with the fondest love? In the silent hour of evening the shade of my mother hovers around me; when seated in the midst of my children, I see them assembled near me, as they used to assemble near her; and then I raise my anxious eyes to heaven, and wish she could look down upon us, and witness how I fulfil the promise I made to her in her last moments, to be a mother to her children. With what emotion do I then exclaim, 'Pardon, dearest of mothers, pardon me, if I do not adequately supply your place! Alas! I do my utmost. They are clothed and fed; and, still better, they are loved and educated. Could you but see, sweet saint! the peace and harmony that dwells amongst us, you would glorify God with the warmest feelings of gratitude, to whom, in your last hour, you addressed such fervent prayers for our happiness.'" Thus did she express herself; but O Wilhelm! who can do justice to her language? how can cold and passionless words convey the heavenly expressions of the spirit? Albert interrupted her gently. "This affects you too deeply, my dear Charlotte. I know your soul dwells on such recollections with intense delight; but I implore—" "O Albert!" she continued, "I am sure you do not forget the evenings when we three used to sit at the little round table, when papa was absent, and the little ones had retired. You often had a good book with you, but seldom read it; the conversation of that noble being was preferable to everything,—that beautiful, bright, gentle, and yet ever-toiling woman. God alone knows how I have supplicated with tears on my nightly couch, that I might be like her."
I threw myself at her feet, and, seizing her hand, bedewed it with a thousand tears. "Charlotte!" I exclaimed, "God's blessing and your mother's spirit are upon you." "Oh! that you had known her," she said, with a warm pressure of the hand. "She was worthy of being known to you." I thought I should have fainted: never had I received praise so flattering. She continued, "And yet she was doomed to die in the flower of her youth, when her youngest child was scarcely six months old. Her illness was but short, but she was calm and resigned; and it was only for her children, especially the youngest, that she felt unhappy. When her end drew nigh, she bade me bring them to her. I obeyed. The younger ones knew nothing of their approaching loss, while the elder ones were quite overcome with grief. They stood around the bed; and she raised her feeble hands to heaven, and prayed over them; then, kissing them in turn, she dismissed them, and said to me, 'Be you a mother to them.' I gave her my hand. 'You are promising much, my child,' she said: 'a mother's fondness and a mother's care! I have often witnessed, by your tears of gratitude, that you know what is a mother's tenderness: show it to your brothers and sisters, and be dutiful and faithful to your father as a wife; you will be his comfort.' She inquired for him. He had retired to conceal his intolerable anguish,—he was heartbroken, 'Albert, you were in the room.' She heard some one moving: she inquired who it was, and desired you to approach. She surveyed us both with a look of composure and satisfaction, expressive of her conviction that we should be happy,—happy with one another." Albert fell upon her neck, and kissed her, and exclaimed, "We are so, and we shall be so!" Even Albert, generally so tranquil, had quite lost his composure; and I was excited beyond expression.
"And such a being," She continued, "was to leave us, Werther! Great God, must we thus part with everything we hold dear in this world? Nobody felt this more acutely than the children: they cried and lamented for a long time afterward, complaining that men had carried away their dear mamma."
Charlotte rose. It aroused me; but I continued sitting, and held her hand. "Let us go," she said: "it grows late." She attempted to withdraw her hand: I held it still. "We shall see each other again," I exclaimed: "we shall recognise each other under every possible change! I am going," I continued, "going willingly; but, should I say for ever, perhaps I may not keep my word. Adieu, Charlotte; adieu, Albert. We shall meet again." "Yes: tomorrow, I think," she answered with a smile. Tomorrow! how I felt the word! Ah! she little thought, when she drew her hand away from mine. They walked down the avenue. I stood gazing after them in the moonlight. I threw myself upon the ground, and wept: I then sprang up, and ran out upon the terrace, and saw, under the shade of the linden-trees, her white dress disappearing near the garden-gate. I stretched out my arms, and she vanished.
We arrived here yesterday. The ambassador is indisposed, and will not go out for some days. If he were less peevish and morose, all would be well. I see but too plainly that Heaven has destined me to severe trials; but courage! a light heart may bear anything. A light heart! I smile to find such a word proceeding from my pen. A little more lightheartedness would render me the happiest being under the sun. But must I despair of my talents and faculties, whilst others of far inferior abilities parade before me with the utmost self-satisfaction? Gracious Providence, to whom I owe all my powers, why didst thou not withhold some of those blessings I possess, and substitute in their place a feeling of self-confidence and contentment?
But patience! all will yet be well; for I assure you, my dear friend, you were right: since I have been obliged to associate continually with other people, and observe what they do, and how they employ themselves, I have become far better satisfied with myself. For we are so constituted by nature, that we are ever prone to compare ourselves with others; and our happiness or misery depends very much on the objects and persons around us. On this account, nothing is more dangerous than solitude: there our imagination, always disposed to rise, taking a new flight on the wings of fancy, pictures to us a chain of beings of whom we seem the most inferior. All things appear greater than they really are, and all seem superior to us. This operation of the mind is quite natural: we so continually feel our own imperfections, and fancy we perceive in others the qualities we do not possess, attributing to them also all that we enjoy ourselves, that by this process we form the idea of a perfect, happy man,—a man, however, who only exists in our own imagination.
But when, in spite of weakness and disappointments, we set to work in earnest, and persevere steadily, we often find, that, though obliged continually to tack, we make more way than others who have the assistance of wind and tide; and, in truth, there can be no greater satisfaction than to keep pace with others or outstrip them in the race.
I begin to find my situation here more tolerable, considering all circumstances. I find a great advantage in being much occupied; and the number of persons I meet, and their different pursuits, create a varied entertainment for me. I have formed the acquaintance of the Count C—and I esteem him more and more every day. He is a man of strong understanding and great discernment; but, though he sees farther than other people, he is not on that account cold in his manner, but capable of inspiring and returning the warmest affection. He appeared interested in me on one occasion, when I had to transact some business with him. He perceived, at the first word, that we understood each other, and that he could converse with me in a different tone from what he used with others. I cannot sufficiently esteem his frank and open kindness to me. It is the greatest and most genuine of pleasures to observe a great mind in sympathy with our own.
As I anticipated, the ambassador occasions me infinite annoyance. He is the most punctilious blockhead under heaven. He does everything step by step, with the trifling minuteness of an old woman; and he is a man whom it is impossible to please, because he is never pleased with himself. I like to do business regularly and cheerfully, and, when it is finished, to leave it. But he constantly returns my papers to me, saying, "They will do," but recommending me to look over them again, as "one may always improve by using a better word or a more appropriate particle." I then lose all patience, and wish myself at the devil's. Not a conjunction, not an adverb, must be omitted: he has a deadly antipathy to all those transpositions of which I am so fond; and, if the music of our periods is not tuned to the established, official key, he cannot comprehend our meaning. It is deplorable to be connected with such a fellow.
My acquaintance with the Count C—is the only compensation for such an evil. He told me frankly, the other day, that he was much displeased with the difficulties and delays of the ambassador; that people like him are obstacles, both to themselves and to others. "But," added he, "one must submit, like a traveller who has to ascend a mountain: if the mountain was not there, the road would be both shorter and pleasanter; but there it is, and he must get over it."
The old man perceives the count's partiality for me: this annoys him, and, he seizes every opportunity to depreciate the count in my hearing. I naturally defend him, and that only makes matters worse. Yesterday he made me indignant, for he also alluded to me. "The count," he said, "is a man of the world, and a good man of business: his style is good, and he writes with facility; but, like other geniuses, he has no solid learning." He looked at me with an expression that seemed to ask if I felt the blow. But it did not produce the desired effect: I despise a man who can think and act in such a manner. However, I made a stand, and answered with not a little warmth. The count, I said, was a man entitled to respect, alike for his character and his acquirements. I had never met a person whose mind was stored with more useful and extensive knowledge,—who had, in fact, mastered such an infinite variety of subjects, and who yet retained all his activity for the details of ordinary business. This was altogether beyond his comprehension; and I took my leave, lest my anger should be too highly excited by some new absurdity of his.
And you are to blame for all this, you who persuaded me to bend my neck to this yoke by preaching a life of activity to me. If the man who plants vegetables, and carries his corn to town on market-days, is not more usefully employed than I am, then let me work ten years longer at the galleys to which I am now chained.
Oh, the brilliant wretchedness, the weariness, that one is doomed to witness among the silly people whom we meet in society here! The ambition of rank! How they watch, how they toil, to gain precedence! What poor and contemptible passions are displayed in their utter nakedness! We have a woman here, for example, who never ceases to entertain the company with accounts of her family and her estates. Any stranger would consider her a silly being, whose head was turned by her pretensions to rank and property; but she is in reality even more ridiculous, the daughter of a mere magistrate's clerk from this neighbourhood. I cannot understand how human beings can so debase themselves.
Every day I observe more and more the folly of judging of others by ourselves; and I have so much trouble with myself, and my own heart is in such constant agitation, that I am well content to let others pursue their own course, if they only allow me the same privilege.
What provokes me most is the unhappy extent to which distinctions of rank are carried. I know perfectly well how necessary are inequalities of condition, and I am sensible of the advantages I myself derive therefrom; but I would not have these institutions prove a barrier to the small chance of happiness which I may enjoy on this earth.
I have lately become acquainted with a Miss B—, a very agreeable girl, who has retained her natural manners in the midst of artificial life. Our first conversation pleased us both equally; and, at taking leave, I requested permission to visit her. She consented in so obliging a manner, that I waited with impatience for the arrival of the happy moment. She is not a native of this place, but resides here with her aunt. The countenance of the old lady is not prepossessing. I paid her much attention, addressing the greater part of my conversation to her; and, in less than half an hour, I discovered what her niece subsequently acknowledged to me, that her aged aunt, having but a small fortune, and a still smaller share of understanding, enjoys no satisfaction except in the pedigree of her ancestors, no protection save in her noble birth, and no enjoyment but in looking from her castle over the heads of the humble citizens. She was, no doubt, handsome in her youth, and in her early years probably trifled away her time in rendering many a poor youth the sport of her caprice: in her riper years she has submitted to the yoke of a veteran officer, who, in return for her person and her small independence, has spent with her what we may designate her age of brass. He is dead; and she is now a widow, and deserted. She spends her iron age alone, and would not be approached, except for the loveliness of her niece.
What beings are men, whose whole thoughts are occupied with form and ceremony, who for years together devote their mental and physical exertions to the task of advancing themselves but one step, and endeavouring to occupy a higher place at the table. Not that such persons would otherwise want employment: on the contrary, they give themselves much trouble by neglecting important business for such petty trifles. Last week a question of precedence arose at a sledging-party, and all our amusement was spoiled.
The silly creatures cannot see that it is not place which constitutes real greatness, since the man who occupies the first place but seldom plays the principal part. How many kings are governed by their ministers—how many ministers by their secretaries? Who, in such cases, is really the chief? He, as it seems to me, who can see through the others, and possesses strength or skill enough to make their power or passions subservient to the execution of his own designs.
I must write to you from this place, my dear Charlotte, from a small room in a country inn, where I have taken shelter from a severe storm. During my whole residence in that wretched place D—, where I lived amongst strangers,—strangers, indeed, to this heart,—I never at any time felt the smallest inclination to correspond with you; but in this cottage, in this retirement, in this solitude, with the snow and hail beating against my lattice-pane, you are my first thought. The instant I entered, your figure rose up before me, and the remembrance! O my Charlotte, the sacred, tender remembrance! Gracious Heaven! restore to me the happy moment of our first acquaintance.
Could you but see me, my dear Charlotte, in the whirl of dissipation,—how my senses are dried up, but my heart is at no time full. I enjoy no single moment of happiness: all is vain—nothing touches me. I stand, as it were, before the raree-show: I see the little puppets move, and I ask whether it is not an optical illusion. I am amused with these puppets, or, rather, I am myself one of them: but, when I sometimes grasp my neighbour's hand, I feel that it is not natural; and I withdraw mine with a shudder. In the evening I say I will enjoy the next morning's sunrise, and yet I remain in bed: in the day I promise to ramble by moonlight; and I, nevertheless, remain at home. I know not why I rise, nor why I go to sleep.
The leaven which animated my existence is gone: the charm which cheered me in the gloom of night, and aroused me from my morning slumbers, is for ever fled.
I have found but one being here to interest me, a Miss B—. She resembles you, my dear Charlotte, if any one can possibly resemble you. "Ah!" you will say, "he has learned how to pay fine compliments." And this is partly true. I have been very agreeable lately, as it was not in my power to be otherwise. I have, moreover, a deal of wit: and the ladies say that no one understands flattery better, or falsehoods you will add; since the one accomplishment invariably accompanies the other. But I must tell you of Miss B—. She has abundance of soul, which flashes from her deep blue eyes. Her rank is a torment to her, and satisfies no one desire of her heart. She would gladly retire from this whirl of fashion, and we often picture to ourselves a life of undisturbed happiness in distant scenes of rural retirement: and then we speak of you, my dear Charlotte; for she knows you, and renders homage to your merits; but her homage is not exacted, but voluntary, she loves you, and delights to hear you made the subject of conversation.
Oh, that I were sitting at your feet in your favourite little room, with the dear children playing around us! If they became troublesome to you, I would tell them some appalling goblin story; and they would crowd round me with silent attention. The sun is setting in glory; his last rays are shining on the snow, which covers the face of the country: the storm is over, and I must return to my dungeon. Adieu!—Is Albert with you? and what is he to you? God forgive the question.
For a week past we have had the most wretched weather: but this to me is a blessing; for, during my residence here, not a single fine day has beamed from the heavens, but has been lost to me by the intrusion of somebody. During the severity of rain, sleet, frost, and storm, I congratulate myself that it cannot be worse indoors than abroad, nor worse abroad than it is within doors; and so I become reconciled. When the sun rises bright in the morning, and promises a glorious day, I never omit to exclaim, "There, now, they have another blessing from Heaven, which they will be sure to destroy: they spoil everything,—health, fame, happiness, amusement; and they do this generally through folly, ignorance, or imbecility, and always, according to their own account, with the best intentions!" I could often beseech them, on my bended knees, to be less resolved upon their own destruction.
I fear that my ambassador and I shall not continue much longer together. He is really growing past endurance. He transacts his business in so ridiculous a manner, that I am often compelled to contradict him, and do things my own way; and then, of course, he thinks them very ill done. He complained of me lately on this account at court; and the minister gave me a reprimand,—a gentle one it is true, but still a reprimand. In consequence of this, I was about to tender my resignation, when I received a letter, to which I submitted with great respect, on account of the high, noble, and generous spirit which dictated it. He endeavoured to soothe my excessive sensibility, paid a tribute to my extreme ideas of duty, of good example, and of perseverance in business, as the fruit of my youthful ardour, an impulse which he did not seek to destroy, but only to moderate, that it might have proper play and be productive of good. So now I am at rest for another week, and no longer at variance with myself. Content and peace of mind are valuable things: I could wish, my dear friend, that these precious jewels were less transitory.
God bless you, my dear friends, and may he grant you that happiness which he denies to me!
I thank you, Albert, for having deceived me. I waited for the news that your wedding-day was fixed; and I intended on that day, with solemnity, to take down Charlotte's profile from the wall, and to bury it with some other papers I possess. You are now united, and her picture still remains here. Well, let it remain! Why should it not? I know that I am still one of your society, that I still occupy a place uninjured in Charlotte's heart, that I hold the second place therein; and I intend to keep it. Oh, I should become mad if she could forget! Albert, that thought is hell! Farewell, Albert farewell, angel of heaven farewell, Charlotte!
I have just had a sad adventure, which will drive me away from here. I lose all patience!—Death!—It is not to be remedied; and you alone are to blame, for you urged and impelled me to fill a post for which I was by no means suited. I have now reason to be satisfied, and so have you! But, that you may not again attribute this fatality to my impetuous temper, I send you, my dear sir, a plain and simple narration of the affair, as a mere chronicler of facts would describe it.
The Count of O—likes and distinguishes me. It is well known, and I have mentioned this to you a hundred times. Yesterday I dined with him. It is the day on which the nobility are accustomed to assemble at his house in the evening. I never once thought of the assembly, nor that we subalterns did not belong to such society. Well, I dined with the count; and, after dinner, we adjourned to the large hall. We walked up and down together: and I conversed with him, and with Colonel B—, who joined us; and in this manner the hour for the assembly approached. God knows, I was thinking of nothing, when who should enter but the honourable Lady accompanied by her noble husband and their silly, scheming daughter, with her small waist and flat neck; and, with disdainful looks and a haughty air they passed me by. As I heartily detest the whole race, I determined upon going away; and only waited till the count had disengaged himself from their impertinent prattle, to take leave, when the agreeable Miss B—came in. As I never meet her without experiencing a heartfelt pleasure, I stayed and talked to her, leaning over the back of her chair, and did not perceive, till after some time, that she seemed a little confused, and ceased to answer me with her usual ease of manner. I was struck with it. "Heavens!" I said to myself, "can she, too, be like the rest?" I felt annoyed, and was about to withdraw; but I remained, notwithstanding, forming excuses for her conduct, fancying she did not mean it, and still hoping to receive some friendly recognition. The rest of the company now arrived. There was the Baron F—, in an entire suit that dated from the coronation of Francis I.; the Chancellor N—, with his deaf wife; the shabbily-dressed I—, whose old-fashioned coat bore evidence of modern repairs: this crowned the whole. I conversed with some of my acquaintances, but they answered me laconically. I was engaged in observing Miss B—, and did not notice that the women were whispering at the end of the room, that the murmur extended by degrees to the men, that Madame S—addressed the count with much warmth (this was all related to me subsequently by Miss B—); till at length the count came up to me, and took me to the window. "You know our ridiculous customs," he said. "I perceive the company is rather displeased at your being here. I would not on any account—" "I beg your excellency's pardon!" I exclaimed. "I ought to have thought of this before, but I know you will forgive this little inattention. I was going," I added, "some time ago, but my evil genius detained me." And I smiled and bowed, to take my leave. He shook me by the hand, in a manner which expressed everything. I hastened at once from the illustrious assembly, sprang into a carriage, and drove to M—. I contemplated the setting sun from the top of the hill, and read that beautiful passage in Homer, where Ulysses is entertained by the hospitable herdsmen. This was indeed delightful.
I returned home to supper in the evening. But few persons were assembled in the room. They had turned up a corner of the table-cloth, and were playing at dice. The good-natured A—came in. He laid down his hat when he saw me, approached me, and said in a low tone, "You have met with a disagreeable adventure." "I!" I exclaimed. "The count obliged you to withdraw from the assembly!" "Deuce take the assembly!" said I. "I was very glad to be gone." "I am delighted," he added, "that you take it so lightly. I am only sorry that it is already so much spoken of." The circumstance then began to pain me. I fancied that every one who sat down, and even looked at me, was thinking of this incident; and my heart became embittered.
And now I could plunge a dagger into my bosom, when I hear myself everywhere pitied, and observe the triumph of my enemies, who say that this is always the case with vain persons, whose heads are turned with conceit, who affect to despise forms and such petty, idle nonsense.
Say what you will of fortitude, but show me the man who can patiently endure the laughter of fools, when they have obtained an advantage over him. 'Tis only when their nonsense is without foundation that one can suffer it without complaint.
Everything conspires against me. I met Miss B—walking to-day. I could not help joining her; and, when we were at a little distance from her companions, I expressed my sense of her altered manner toward me. "O Werther!" she said, in a tone of emotion, "you, who know my heart, how could you so ill interpret my distress? What did I not suffer for you, from the moment you entered the room! I foresaw it all, a hundred times was I on the point of mentioning it to you. I knew that the S——s and T——s, with their husbands, would quit the room, rather than remain in your company. I knew that the count would not break with them: and now so much is said about it." "How!" I exclaimed, and endeavoured to conceal my emotion; for all that Adelin had mentioned to me yesterday recurred to me painfully at that moment. "Oh, how much it has already cost me!" said this amiable girl, while her eyes filled with tears. I could scarcely contain myself, and was ready to throw myself at her feet. "Explain yourself!" I cried. Tears flowed down her cheeks. I became quite frantic. She wiped them away, without attempting to conceal them. "You know my aunt," she continued; "she was present: and in what light does she consider the affair! Last night, and this morning, Werther, I was compelled to listen to a lecture upon my acquaintance with you. I have been obliged to hear you condemned and depreciated; and I could not—I dared not—say much in your defence."
Every word she uttered was a dagger to my heart. She did not feel what a mercy it would have been to conceal everything from me. She told me, in addition, all the impertinence that would be further circulated, and how the malicious would triumph; how they would rejoice over the punishment of my pride, over my humiliation for that want of esteem for others with which I had often been reproached. To hear all this, Wilhelm, uttered by her in a voice of the most sincere sympathy, awakened all my passions; and I am still in a state of extreme excitement. I wish I could find a man to jeer me about this event. I would sacrifice him to my resentment. The sight of his blood might possibly be a relief to my fury. A hundred times have I seized a dagger, to give ease to this oppressed heart. Naturalists tell of a noble race of horses that instinctively open a vein with their teeth, when heated and exhausted by a long course, in order to breathe more freely. I am often tempted to open a vein, to procure for myself everlasting liberty.
I have tendered my resignation to the court. I hope it will be accepted, and you will forgive me for not having previously consulted you. It is necessary I should leave this place. I know all you will urge me to stay, and therefore I beg you will soften this news to my mother. I am unable to do anything for myself: how, then, should I be competent to assist others? It will afflict her that I should have interrupted that career which would have made me first a privy councillor, and then minister, and that I should look behind me, in place of advancing. Argue as you will, combine all the reasons which should have induced me to remain, I am going: that is sufficient. But, that you may not be ignorant of my destination, I may mention that the Prince of—is here. He is much pleased with my company; and, having heard of my intention to resign, he has invited me to his country house, to pass the spring months with him. I shall be left completely my own master; and, as we agree on all subjects but one, I shall try my fortune, and accompany him.
Thanks for both your letters. I delayed my reply, and withheld this letter, till I should obtain an answer from the court. I feared my mother might apply to the minister to defeat my purpose. But my request is granted, my resignation is accepted. I shall not recount with what reluctance it was accorded, nor relate what the minister has written: you would only renew your lamentations. The crown prince has sent me a present of five and twenty ducats; and, indeed, such goodness has affected me to tears. For this reason I shall not require from my mother the money for which I lately applied.
I leave this place to-morrow; and, as my native place is only six miles from the high road, I intend to visit it once more, and recall the happy dreams of my childhood. I shall enter at the same gate through which I came with my mother, when, after my father's death, she left that delightful retreat to immure herself in your melancholy town. Adieu, my dear friend: you shall hear of my future career.
I have paid my visit to my native place with all the devotion of a pilgrim, and have experienced many unexpected emotions. Near the great elm tree, which is a quarter of a league from the village, I got out of the carriage, and sent it on before, that alone, and on foot, I might enjoy vividly and heartily all the pleasure of my recollections. I stood there under that same elm which was formerly the term and object of my walks. How things have since changed! Then, in happy ignorance, I sighed for a world I did not know, where I hoped to find every pleasure and enjoyment which my heart could desire; and now, on my return from that wide world, O my friend, how many disappointed hopes and unsuccessful plans have I brought back!
As I contemplated the mountains which lay stretched out before me, I thought how often they had been the object of my dearest desires. Here used I to sit for hours together with my eyes bent upon them, ardently longing to wander in the shade of those woods, to lose myself in those valleys, which form so delightful an object in the distance. With what reluctance did I leave this charming spot; when my hour of recreation was over, and my leave of absence expired! I drew near to the village: all the well-known old summerhouses and gardens were recognised again; I disliked the new ones, and all other alterations which had taken place. I entered the village, and all my former feelings returned. I cannot, my dear friend, enter into details, charming as were my sensations: they would be dull in the narration. I had intended to lodge in the market-place, near our old house. As soon as I entered, I perceived that the schoolroom, where our childhood had been taught by that good old woman, was converted into a shop. I called to mind the sorrow, the heaviness, the tears, and oppression of heart, which I experienced in that confinement. Every step produced some particular impression. A pilgrim in the Holy Land does not meet so many spots pregnant with tender recollections, and his soul is hardly moved with greater devotion. One incident will serve for illustration. I followed the course of a stream to a farm, formerly a delightful walk of mine, and paused at the spot, where, when boys, we used to amuse ourselves making ducks and drakes upon the water. I recollected so well how I used formerly to watch the course of that same stream, following it with inquiring eagerness, forming romantic ideas of the countries it was to pass through; but my imagination was soon exhausted: while the water continued flowing farther and farther on, till my fancy became bewildered by the contemplation of an invisible distance. Exactly such, my dear friend, so happy and so confined, were the thoughts of our good ancestors. Their feelings and their poetry were fresh as childhood. And, when Ulysses talks of the immeasurable sea and boundless earth, his epithets are true, natural, deeply felt, and mysterious. Of what importance is it that I have learned, with every schoolboy, that the world is round? Man needs but little earth for enjoyment, and still less for his final repose.
I am at present with the prince at his hunting lodge. He is a man with whom one can live happily. He is honest and unaffected. There are, however, some strange characters about him, whom I cannot at all understand. They do not seem vicious, and yet they do not carry the appearance of thoroughly honest men. Sometimes I am disposed to believe them honest, and yet I cannot persuade myself to confide in them. It grieves me to hear the prince occasionally talk of things which he has only read or heard of, and always with the same view in which they have been represented by others.
He values my understanding and talents more highly than my heart, but I am proud of the latter only. It is the sole source of everything of our strength, happiness, and misery. All the knowledge I possess every one else can acquire, but my heart is exclusively my own.
I have had a plan in my head of which I did not intend to speak to you until it was accomplished: now that it has failed, I may as well mention it. I wished to enter the army, and had long been desirous of taking the step. This, indeed, was the chief reason for my coming here with the prince, as he is a general in the service. I communicated my design to him during one of our walks together. He disapproved of it, and it would have been actual madness not to have listened to his reasons.
Say what you will, I can remain here no longer. Why should I remain? Time hangs heavy upon my hands. The prince is as gracious to me as any one could be, and yet I am not at my ease. There is, indeed, nothing in common between us. He is a man of understanding, but quite of the ordinary kind. His conversation affords me no more amusement than I should derive from the perusal of a well-written book. I shall remain here a week longer, and then start again on my travels. My drawings are the best things I have done since I came here. The prince has a taste for the arts, and would improve if his mind were not fettered by cold rules and mere technical ideas. I often lose patience, when, with a glowing imagination, I am giving expression to art and nature, he interferes with learned suggestions, and uses at random the technical phraseology of artists.
Once more I am a wanderer, a pilgrim, through the world. But what else are you!
Whither am I going? I will tell you in confidence. I am obliged to continue a fortnight longer here, and then I think it would be better for me to visit the mines in—. But I am only deluding myself thus. The fact is, I wish to be near Charlotte again, that is all. I smile at the suggestions of my heart, and obey its dictates.
No, no! it is yet well all is well! I her husband! O God, who gave me being, if thou hadst destined this happiness for me, my whole life would have been one continual thanksgiving! But I will not murmur—forgive these tears, forgive these fruitless wishes. She—my wife! Oh, the very thought of folding that dearest of Heaven's creatures in my arms! Dear Wilhelm, my whole frame feels convulsed when I see Albert put his arms around her slender waist!
And shall I avow it? Why should I not, Wilhelm? She would have been happier with me than with him. Albert is not the man to satisfy the wishes of such a heart. He wants a certain sensibility; he wants—in short, their hearts do not beat in unison. How often, my dear friend, I'm reading a passage from some interesting book, when my heart and Charlotte's seemed to meet, and in a hundred other instances when our sentiments were unfolded by the story of some fictitious character, have I felt that we were made for each other! But, dear Wilhelm, he loves her with his whole soul; and what does not such a love deserve?
I have been interrupted by an insufferable visit. I have dried my tears, and composed my thoughts. Adieu, my best friend!
I am not alone unfortunate. All men are disappointed in their hopes, and deceived in their expectations. I have paid a visit to my good old woman under the lime-trees. The eldest boy ran out to meet me: his exclamation of joy brought out his mother, but she had a very melancholy look. Her first word was, "Alas! dear sir, my little John is dead." He was the youngest of her children. I was silent. "And my husband has returned from Switzerland without any money; and, if some kind people had not assisted him, he must have begged his way home. He was taken ill with fever on his journey." I could answer nothing, but made the little one a present. She invited me to take some fruit: I complied, and left the place with a sorrowful heart.
My sensations are constantly changing. Sometimes a happy prospect opens before me; but alas! it is only for a moment; and then, when I am lost in reverie, I cannot help saying to myself, "If Albert were to die?—Yes, she would become—and I should be"—and so I pursue a chimera, till it leads me to the edge of a precipice at which I shudder.
When I pass through the same gate, and walk along the same road which first conducted me to Charlotte, my heart sinks within me at the change that has since taken place. All, all, is altered! No sentiment, no pulsation of my heart, is the same. My sensations are such as would occur to some departed prince whose spirit should return to visit the superb palace which he had built in happy times, adorned with costly magnificence, and left to a beloved son, but whose glory he should find departed, and its halls deserted and in ruins.
I sometimes cannot understand how she can love another, how she dares love another, when I love nothing in this world so completely, so devotedly, as I love her, when I know only her, and have no other possession.
It is even so! As nature puts on her autumn tints it becomes autumn with me and around me. My leaves are sere and yellow, and the neighbouring trees are divested of their foliage. Do you remember my writing to you about a peasant boy shortly after my arrival here? I have just made inquiries about him in Walheim. They say he has been dismissed from his service, and is now avoided by every one. I met him yesterday on the road, going to a neighbouring village. I spoke to him, and he told me his story. It interested me exceedingly, as you will easily understand when I repeat it to you. But why should I trouble you? Why should I not reserve all my sorrow for myself? Why should I continue to give you occasion to pity and blame me? But no matter: this also is part of my destiny.
At first the peasant lad answered my inquiries with a sort of subdued melancholy, which seemed to me the mark of a timid disposition; but, as we grew to understand each other, he spoke with less reserve, and openly confessed his faults, and lamented his misfortune. I wish, my dear friend, I could give proper expression to his language. He told me with a sort of pleasurable recollection, that, after my departure, his passion for his mistress increased daily, until at last he neither knew what he did nor what he said, nor what was to become of him. He could neither eat nor drink nor sleep: he felt a sense of suffocation; he disobeyed all orders, and forgot all commands involuntarily; he seemed as if pursued by an evil spirit, till one day, knowing that his mistress had gone to an upper chamber, he had followed, or, rather, been drawn after her. As she proved deaf to his entreaties, he had recourse to violence. He knows not what happened; but he called God to witness that his intentions to her were honourable, and that he desired nothing more sincerely than that they should marry, and pass their lives together. When he had come to this point, he began to hesitate, as if there was something which he had not courage to utter, till at length he acknowledged with some confusion certain little confidences she had encouraged, and liberties she had allowed. He broke off two or three times in his narration, and assured me most earnestly that he had no wish to make her bad, as he termed it, for he loved her still as sincerely as ever; that the tale had never before escaped his lips, and was only now told to convince me that he was not utterly lost and abandoned. And here, my dear friend, I must commence the old song which you know I utter eternally. If I could only represent the man as he stood, and stands now before me, could I only give his true expressions, you would feel compelled to sympathise in his fate. But enough: you, who know my misfortune and my disposition, can easily comprehend the attraction which draws me toward every unfortunate being, but particularly toward him whose story I have recounted.
On perusing this letter a second time, I find I have omitted the conclusion of my tale; but it is easily supplied. She became reserved toward him, at the instigation of her brother who had long hated him, and desired his expulsion from the house, fearing that his sister's second marriage might deprive his children of the handsome fortune they expected from her; as she is childless. He was dismissed at length; and the whole affair occasioned so much scandal, that the mistress dared not take him back, even if she had wished it. She has since hired another servant, with whom, they say, her brother is equally displeased, and whom she is likely to marry; but my informant assures me that he himself is determined not to survive such a catastrophe.
This story is neither exaggerated nor embellished: indeed, I have weakened and impaired it in the narration, by the necessity of using the more refined expressions of society.
This love, then, this constancy, this passion, is no poetical fiction. It is actual, and dwells in its greatest purity amongst that class of mankind whom we term rude, uneducated. We are the educated, not the perverted. But read this story with attention, I implore you. I am tranquil to-day, for I have been employed upon this narration: you see by my writing that I am not so agitated as usual. I read and re-read this tale, Wilhelm: it is the history of your friend! My fortune has been and will be similar; and I am neither half so brave nor half so determined as the poor wretch with whom I hesitate to compare myself.
Charlotte had written a letter to her husband in the country, where he was detained by business. It commenced, "My dearest love, return as soon as possible: I await you with a thousand raptures." A friend who arrived, brought word, that, for certain reasons, he could not return immediately. Charlotte's letter was not forwarded, and the same evening it fell into my hands. I read it, and smiled. She asked the reason. "What a heavenly treasure is imagination:" I exclaimed; "I fancied for a moment that this was written to me." She paused, and seemed displeased. I was silent.
It cost me much to part with the blue coat which I wore the first time I danced with Charlotte. But I could not possibly wear it any longer. But I have ordered a new one, precisely similar, even to the collar and sleeves, as well as a new waistcoat and pantaloons.
But it does not produce the same effect upon me. I know not how it is, but I hope in time I shall like it better.
She has been absent for some days. She went to meet Albert. To-day I visited her: she rose to receive me, and I kissed her hand most tenderly.
A canary at the moment flew from a mirror, and settled upon her shoulder. "Here is a new friend," she observed, while she made him perch upon her hand: "he is a present for the children. What a dear he is! Look at him! When I feed him, he flutters with his wings, and pecks so nicely. He kisses me, too, only look!"
She held the bird to her mouth; and he pressed her sweet lips with so much fervour that he seemed to feel the excess of bliss which he enjoyed.
"He shall kiss you too," she added; and then she held the bird toward me. His little beak moved from her mouth to mine, and the delightful sensation seemed like the forerunner of the sweetest bliss.
"A kiss," I observed, "does not seem to satisfy him: he wishes for food, and seems disappointed by these unsatisfactory endearments."
"But he eats out of my mouth," she continued, and extended her lips to him containing seed; and she smiled with all the charm of a being who has allowed an innocent participation of her love.
I turned my face away. She should not act thus. She ought not to excite my imagination with such displays of heavenly innocence and happiness, nor awaken my heart from its slumbers, in which it dreams of the worthlessness of life! And why not? Because she knows how much I love her.
It makes me wretched, Wilhelm, to think that there should be men incapable of appreciating the few things which possess a real value in life. You remember the walnut trees at S—, under which I used to sit with Charlotte, during my visits to the worthy old vicar. Those glorious trees, the very sight of which has so often filled my heart with joy, how they adorned and refreshed the parsonage yard, with their wide-extended branches! and how pleasing was our remembrance of the good old pastor, by whose hands they were planted so many years ago: The schoolmaster has frequently mentioned his name. He had it from his grandfather. He must have been a most excellent man; and, under the shade of those old trees, his memory was ever venerated by me. The schoolmaster informed us yesterday, with tears in his eyes, that those trees had been felled. Yes, cut to the ground! I could, in my wrath, have slain the monster who struck the first stroke. And I must endure this!—I, who, if I had had two such trees in my own court, and one had died from old age, should have wept with real affliction. But there is some comfort left, such a thing is sentiment, the whole village murmurs at the misfortune; and I hope the vicar's wife will soon find, by the cessation of the villagers' presents, how much she has wounded the feelings of the neighborhhood. It was she who did it, the wife of the present incumbent (our good old man is dead), a tall, sickly creature who is so far right to disregard the world, as the world totally disregards her. The silly being affects to be learned, pretends to examine the canonical books, lends her aid toward the new-fashioned reformation of Christendom, moral and critical, and shrugs up her shoulders at the mention of Lavater's enthusiasm. Her health is destroyed, on account of which she is prevented from having any enjoyment here below. Only such a creature could have cut down my walnut trees! I can never pardon it. Hear her reasons. The falling leaves made the court wet and dirty; the branches obstructed the light; boys threw stones at the nuts when they were ripe, and the noise affected her nerves; and disturbed her profound meditations, when she was weighing the difficulties of Kennicot, Semler, and Michaelis. Finding that all the parish, particularly the old people, were displeased, I asked "why they allowed it?" "Ah, sir!" they replied, "when the steward orders, what can we poor peasants do?" But one thing has happened well. The steward and the vicar (who, for once, thought to reap some advantage from the caprices of his wife) intended to divide the trees between them. The revenue-office, being informed of it, revived an old claim to the ground where the trees had stood, and sold them to the best bidder. There they still lie on the ground. If I were the sovereign, I should know how to deal with them all, vicar, steward, and revenue-office. Sovereign, did I say? I should, in that case, care little about the trees that grew in the country.
Only to gaze upon her dark eyes is to me a source of happiness! And what grieves me, is, that Albert does not seem so happy as he—hoped to be—as I should have been—if—I am no friend to these pauses, but here I cannot express it otherwise; and probably I am explicit enough.
Ossian has superseded Homer in my heart. To what a world does the illustrious bard carry me! To wander over pathless wilds, surrounded by impetuous whirlwinds, where, by the feeble light of the moon, we see the spirits of our ancestors; to hear from the mountain-tops, mid the roar of torrents, their plaintive sounds issuing from deep caverns, and the sorrowful lamentations of a maiden who sighs and expires on the mossy tomb of the warrior by whom she was adored. I meet this bard with silver hair; he wanders in the valley; he seeks the footsteps of his fathers, and, alas! he finds only their tombs. Then, contemplating the pale moon, as she sinks beneath the waves of the rolling sea, the memory of bygone days strikes the mind of the hero, days when approaching danger invigorated the brave, and the moon shone upon his bark laden with spoils, and returning in triumph. When I read in his countenance deep sorrow, when I see his dying glory sink exhausted into the grave, as he inhales new and heart-thrilling delight from his approaching union with his beloved, and he casts a look on the cold earth and the tall grass which is so soon to cover him, and then exclaims, "The traveller will come,—he will come who has seen my beauty, and he will ask, 'Where is the bard, where is the illustrious son of Fingal?' He will walk over my tomb, and will seek me in vain!" Then, O my friend, I could instantly, like a true and noble knight, draw my sword, and deliver my prince from the long and painful languor of a living death, and dismiss my own soul to follow the demigod whom my hand had set free!
Alas! the void the fearful void, which I feel in my bosom! Sometimes I think, if I could only once but once, press her to my heart, this dreadful void would be filled.
Yes, I feel certain, Wilhelm, and every day I become more certain, that the existence of any being whatever is of very little consequence. A friend of Charlotte's called to see her just now. I withdrew into a neighbouring apartment, and took up a book; but, finding I could not read, I sat down to write. I heard them converse in an undertone: they spoke upon indifferent topics, and retailed the news of the town. One was going to be married; another was ill, very ill, she had a dry cough, her face was growing thinner daily, and she had occasional fits. "N—is very unwell too," said Charlotte. "His limbs begin to swell already," answered the other; and my lively imagination carried me at once to the beds of the infirm. There I see them struggling against death, with all the agonies of pain and horror; and these women, Wilhelm, talk of all this with as much indifference as one would mention the death of a stranger. And when I look around the apartment where I now am—when I see Charlotte's apparel lying before me, and Albert's writings, and all those articles of furniture which are so familiar to me, even to the very inkstand which I am using,—when I think what I am to this family—everything. My friends esteem me; I often contribute to their happiness, and my heart seems as if it could not beat without them; and yet—-if I were to die, if I were to be summoned from the midst of this circle, would they feel—or how long would they feel the void which my loss would make in their existence? How long! Yes, such is the frailty of man, that even there, where he has the greatest consciousness of his own being, where he makes the strongest and most forcible impression, even in the memory, in the heart, of his beloved, there also he must perish,—vanish,—and that quickly.
I could tear open my bosom with vexation to think how little we are capable of influencing the feelings of each other. No one can communicate to me those sensations of love, joy, rapture, and delight which I do not naturally possess; and, though my heart may glow with the most lively affection, I cannot make the happiness of one in whom the same warmth is not inherent.
I possess so much, but my love for her absorbs it all. I possess so much, but without her I have nothing.
One hundred times have I been on the point of embracing her. Heavens! what a torment it is to see so much loveliness passing and repassing before us, and yet not dare to lay hold of it! And laying hold is the most natural of human instincts. Do not children touch everything they see? And I!
Witness, Heaven, how often I lie down in my bed with a wish, and even a hope, that I may never awaken again. And in the morning, when I open my eyes, I behold the sun once more, and am wretched. If I were whimsical, I might blame the weather, or an acquaintance, or some personal disappointment, for my discontented mind; and then this insupportable load of trouble would not rest entirely upon myself. But, alas! I feel it too sadly. I am alone the cause of my own woe, am I not? Truly, my own bosom contains the source of all my sorrow, as it previously contained the source of all my pleasure. Am I not the same being who once enjoyed an excess of happiness, who, at every step, saw paradise open before him, and whose heart was ever expanded toward the whole world? And this heart is now dead, no sentiment can revive it; my eyes are dry; and my senses, no more refreshed by the influence of soft tears, wither and consume my brain. I suffer much, for I have lost the only charm of life: that active, sacred power which created worlds around me,—it is no more. When I look from my window at the distant hills, and behold the morning sun breaking through the mists, and illuminating the country around, which is still wrapped in silence, whilst the soft stream winds gently through the willows, which have shed their leaves; when glorious nature displays all her beauties before me, and her wondrous prospects are ineffectual to extract one tear of joy from my withered heart, I feel that in such a moment I stand like a reprobate before heaven, hardened, insensible, and unmoved. Oftentimes do I then bend my knee to the earth, and implore God for the blessing of tears, as the desponding labourer in some scorching climate prays for the dews of heaven to moisten his parched corn.
But I feel that God does not grant sunshine or rain to our importunate entreaties. And oh, those bygone days, whose memory now torments me! why were they so fortunate? Because I then waited with patience for the blessings of the Eternal, and received his gifts with the grateful feelings of a thankful heart.
Charlotte has reproved me for my excesses, with so much tenderness and goodness! I have lately been in the habit of drinking more wine than heretofore. "Don't do it," she said. "Think of Charlotte!" "Think of you!" I answered; "need you bid me do so? Think of you—I do not think of you: you are ever before my soul! This very morning I sat on the spot where, a few days ago, you descended from the carriage, and—" She immediately changed the subject to prevent me from pursuing it farther. My dear friend, my energies are all prostrated: she can do with me what she pleases.
I thank you, Wilhelm, for your cordial sympathy, for your excellent advice; and I implore you to be quiet. Leave me to my sufferings. In spite of my wretchedness, I have still strength enough for endurance. I revere religion—you know I do. I feel that it can impart strength to the feeble and comfort to the afflicted, but does it affect all men equally? Consider this vast universe: you will see thousands for whom it has never existed, thousands for whom it will never exist, whether it be preached to them, or not; and must it, then, necessarily exist for me? Does not the Son of God himself say that they are his whom the Father has given to him? Have I been given to him? What if the Father will retain me for himself, as my heart sometimes suggests? I pray you, do not misinterpret this. Do not extract derision from my harmless words. I pour out my whole soul before you. Silence were otherwise preferable to me, but I need not shrink from a subject of which few know more than I do myself. What is the destiny of man, but to fill up the measure of his sufferings, and to drink his allotted cup of bitterness? And if that same cup proved bitter to the God of heaven, under a human form, why should I affect a foolish pride, and call it sweet? Why should I be ashamed of shrinking at that fearful moment, when my whole being will tremble between existence and annihilation, when a remembrance of the past, like a flash of lightning, will illuminate the dark gulf of futurity, when everything shall dissolve around me, and the whole world vanish away? Is not this the voice of a creature oppressed beyond all resource, self-deficient, about to plunge into inevitable destruction, and groaning deeply at its inadequate strength, "My God! my God! why hast thou forsaken me?" And should I feel ashamed to utter the same expression? Should I not shudder at a prospect which had its fears, even for him who folds up the heavens like a garment?
She does not feel, she does not know, that she is preparing a poison which will destroy us both; and I drink deeply of the draught which is to prove my destruction. What mean those looks of kindness with which she often—often? no, not often, but sometimes, regards me, that complacency with which she hears the involuntary sentiments which frequently escape me, and the tender pity for my sufferings which appears in her countenance?
Yesterday, when I took leave she seized me by the hand, and said, "Adieu, dear Werther." Dear Werther! It was the first time she ever called me dear: the sound sunk deep into my heart. I have repeated it a hundred times; and last night, on going to bed, and talking to myself of various things, I suddenly said, "Good night, dear Werther!" and then could not but laugh at myself.
I cannot pray, "Leave her to me!" and yet she often seems to belong to me. I cannot pray, "Give her to me!" for she is another's. In this way I affect mirth over my troubles; and, if I had time, I could compose a whole litany of antitheses.
She is sensible of my sufferings. This morning her look pierced my very soul. I found her alone, and she was silent: she steadfastly surveyed me. I no longer saw in her face the charms of beauty or the fire of genius: these had disappeared. But I was affected by an expression much more touching, a look of the deepest sympathy and of the softest pity. Why was I afraid to throw myself at her feet? Why did I not dare to take her in my arms, and answer her by a thousand kisses? She had recourse to her piano for relief, and in a low and sweet voice accompanied the music with delicious sounds. Her lips never appeared so lovely: they seemed but just to open, that they might imbibe the sweet tones which issued from the instrument, and return the heavenly vibration from her lovely mouth. Oh! who can express my sensations? I was quite overcome, and, bending down, pronounced this vow: "Beautiful lips, which the angels guard, never will I seek to profane your purity with a kiss." And yet, my friend, oh, I wish—but my heart is darkened by doubt and indecision—could I but taste felicity, and then die to expiate the sin! What sin?
Oftentimes I say to myself, "Thou alone art wretched: all other mortals are happy, none are distressed like thee!" Then I read a passage in an ancient poet, and I seem to understand my own heart. I have so much to endure! Have men before me ever been so wretched?
I shall never be myself again! Wherever I go, some fatality occurs to distract me. Even to-day alas—for our destiny! alas for human nature!
About dinner-time I went to walk by the river-side, for I had no appetite. Everything around seemed gloomy: a cold and damp easterly wind blew from the mountains, and black, heavy clouds spread over the plain. I observed at a distance a man in a tattered coat: he was wandering among the rocks, and seemed to be looking for plants. When I approached, he turned round at the noise; and I saw that he had an interesting countenance in which a settled melancholy, strongly marked by benevolence, formed the principal feature. His long black hair was divided, and flowed over his shoulders. As his garb betokened a person of the lower order, I thought he would not take it ill if I inquired about his business; and I therefore asked what he was seeking. He replied, with a deep sigh, that he was looking for flowers, and could find none. "But it is not the season," I observed, with a smile. "Oh, there are so many flowers!" he answered, as he came nearer to me. "In my garden there are roses and honeysuckles of two sorts: one sort was given to me by my father! they grow as plentifully as weeds; I have been looking for them these two days, and cannot find them. There are flowers out there, yellow, blue, and red; and that centaury has a very pretty blossom: but I can find none of them." I observed his peculiarity, and therefore asked him, with an air of indifference, what he intended to do with his flowers. A strange smile overspread his countenance. Holding his finger to his mouth, he expressed a hope that I would not betray him; and he then informed me that he had promised to gather a nosegay for his mistress. "That is right," said I. "Oh!" he replied, "she possesses many other things as well: she is very rich." "And yet," I continued, "she likes your nosegays." "Oh, she has jewels and crowns!" he exclaimed. I asked who she was. "If the states-general would but pay me," he added, "I should be quite another man. Alas! there was a time when I was so happy; but that is past, and I am now—" He raised his swimming eyes to heaven. "And you were happy once?" I observed. "Ah, would I were so still!" was his reply. "I was then as gay and contented as a man can be." An old woman, who was coming toward us, now called out, "Henry, Henry! where are you? We have been looking for you everywhere: come to dinner." "Is he your son?" I inquired, as I went toward her. "Yes," she said: "he is my poor, unfortunate son. The Lord has sent me a heavy affliction." I asked whether he had been long in this state. She answered, "He has been as calm as he is at present for about six months. I thank Heaven that he has so far recovered: he was for one whole year quite raving, and chained down in a madhouse. Now he injures no one, but talks of nothing else than kings and queens. He used to be a very good, quiet youth, and helped to maintain me; he wrote a very fine hand; but all at once he became melancholy, was seized with a violent fever, grew distracted, and is now as you see. If I were only to tell you, sir—" I interrupted her by asking what period it was in which he boasted of having been so happy. "Poor boy!" she exclaimed, with a smile of compassion, "he means the time when he was completely deranged, a time he never ceases to regret, when he was in the madhouse, and unconscious of everything." I was thunderstruck: I placed a piece of money in her hand, and hastened away.
"You were happy!" I exclaimed, as I returned quickly to the town, "'as gay and contented as a man can be!'" God of heaven! and is this the destiny of man? Is he only happy before he has acquired his reason, or after he has lost it? Unfortunate being! And yet I envy your fate: I envy the delusion to which you are a victim. You go forth with joy to gather flowers for your princess,—in winter,—and grieve when you can find none, and cannot understand why they do not grow. But I wander forth without joy, without hope, without design; and I return as I came. You fancy what a man you would be if the states general paid you. Happy mortal, who can ascribe your wretchedness to an earthly cause! You do not know, you do not feel, that in your own distracted heart and disordered brain dwells the source of that unhappiness which all the potentates on earth cannot relieve.
Let that man die unconsoled who can deride the invalid for undertaking a journey to distant, healthful springs, where he often finds only a heavier disease and a more painful death, or who can exult over the despairing mind of a sinner, who, to obtain peace of conscience and an alleviation of misery, makes a pilgrimage to the Holy Sepulchre. Each laborious step which galls his wounded feet in rough and untrodden paths pours a drop of balm into his troubled soul, and the journey of many a weary day brings a nightly relief to his anguished heart. Will you dare call this enthusiasm, ye crowd of pompous declaimers? Enthusiasm! O God! thou seest my tears. Thou hast allotted us our portion of misery: must we also have brethren to persecute us, to deprive us of our consolation, of our trust in thee, and in thy love and mercy? For our trust in the virtue of the healing root, or in the strength of the vine, what is it else than a belief in thee from whom all that surrounds us derives its healing and restoring powers? Father, whom I know not,—who wert once wont to fill my soul, but who now hidest thy face from me,—call me back to thee; be silent no longer; thy silence shall not delay a soul which thirsts after thee. What man, what father, could be angry with a son for returning to him suddenly, for falling on his neck, and exclaiming, "I am here again, my father! forgive me if I have anticipated my journey, and returned before the appointed time! The world is everywhere the same,—a scene of labour and pain, of pleasure and reward; but what does it all avail? I am happy only where thou art, and in thy presence am I content to suffer or enjoy." And wouldst thou, heavenly Father, banish such a child from thy presence?
Wilhelm, the man about whom I wrote to you—that man so enviable in his misfortunes—was secretary to Charlotte's father; and an unhappy passion for her which he cherished, concealed, and at length discovered, caused him to be dismissed from his situation. This made him mad. Think, whilst you peruse this plain narration, what an impression the circumstance has made upon me! But it was related to me by Albert with as much calmness as you will probably peruse it.
I implore your attention. It is all over with me. I can support this state no longer. To-day I was sitting by Charlotte. She was playing upon her piano a succession of delightful melodies, with such intense expression! Her little sister was dressing her doll upon my lap. The tears came into my eyes. I leaned down, and looked intently at her wedding-ring: my tears fell—immediately she began to play that favourite, that divine, air which has so often enchanted me. I felt comfort from a recollection of the past, of those bygone days when that air was familiar to me; and then I recalled all the sorrows and the disappointments which I had since endured. I paced with hasty strides through the room, my heart became convulsed with painful emotions. At length I went up to her, and exclaimed With eagerness, "For Heaven's sake, play that air no longer!" She stopped, and looked steadfastly at me. She then said, with a smile which sunk deep into my heart, "Werther, you are ill: your dearest food is distasteful to you. But go, I entreat you, and endeavour to compose yourself." I tore myself away. God, thou seest my torments, and wilt end them!
How her image haunts me! Waking or asleep, she fills my entire soul! Soon as I close my eyes, here, in my brain, where all the nerves of vision are concentrated, her dark eyes are imprinted. Here—I do not know how to describe it; but, if I shut my eyes, hers are immediately before me: dark as an abyss they open upon me, and absorb my senses.
And what is man—that boasted demigod? Do not his powers fail when he most requires their use? And whether he soar in joy, or sink in sorrow, is not his career in both inevitably arrested? And, whilst he fondly dreams that he is grasping at infinity, does he not feel compelled to return to a consciousness of his cold, monotonous existence?
It is a matter of extreme regret that we want original evidence of the last remarkable days of our friend; and we are, therefore, obliged to interrupt the progress of his correspondence, and to supply the deficiency by a connected narration.
I have felt it my duty to collect accurate information from the mouths of persons well acquainted with his history. The story is simple; and all the accounts agree, except in some unimportant particulars. It is true, that, with respect to the characters of the persons spoken of, opinions and judgments vary.
We have only, then, to relate conscientiously the facts which our diligent labour has enabled us to collect, to give the letters of the deceased, and to pay particular attention to the slightest fragment from his pen, more especially as it is so difficult to discover the real and correct motives of men who are not of the common order.
Sorrow and discontent had taken deep root in Werther's soul, and gradually imparted their character to his whole being. The harmony of his mind became completely disturbed; a perpetual excitement and mental irritation, which weakened his natural powers, produced the saddest effects upon him, and rendered him at length the victim of an exhaustion against which he struggled with still more painful efforts than he had displayed, even in contending with his other misfortunes. His mental anxiety weakened his various good qualities; and he was soon converted into a gloomy companion, always unhappy and unjust in his ideas, the more wretched he became. This was, at least, the opinion of Albert's friends. They assert, moreover, that the character of Albert himself had undergone no change in the meantime: he was still the same being whom Werther had loved, honoured, and respected from the commencement. His love for Charlotte was unbounded: he was proud of her, and desired that she should be recognised by every one as the noblest of created beings. Was he, however, to blame for wishing to avert from her every appearance of suspicion? or for his unwillingness to share his rich prize with another, even for a moment, and in the most innocent manner? It is asserted that Albert frequently retired from his wife's apartment during Werther's visits; but this did not arise from hatred or aversion to his friend, but only from a feeling that his presence was oppressive to Werther.
Charlotte's father, who was confined to the house by indisposition, was accustomed to send his carriage for her, that she might make excursions in the neighbourhood. One day the weather had been unusually severe, and the whole country was covered with snow.
Werther went for Charlotte the following morning, in order that, if Albert were absent, he might conduct her home.
The beautiful weather produced but little impression on his troubled spirit. A heavy weight lay upon his soul, deep melancholy had taken possession of him, and his mind knew no change save from one painful thought to another.
As he now never enjoyed internal peace, the condition of his fellow creatures was to him a perpetual source of trouble and distress. He believed he had disturbed the happiness of Albert and his wife; and, whilst he censured himself strongly for this, he began to entertain a secret dislike to Albert.
His thoughts were occasionally directed to this point. "Yes," he would repeat to himself, with ill-concealed dissatisfaction, "yes, this is, after all, the extent of that confiding, dear, tender, and sympathetic love, that calm and eternal fidelity! What do I behold but satiety and indifference? Does not every frivolous engagement attract him more than his charming and lovely wife? Does he know how to prize his happiness? Can he value her as she deserves? He possesses her, it is true, I know that, as I know much more, and I have become accustomed to the thought that he will drive me mad, or, perhaps, murder me. Is his friendship toward me unimpaired? Does he not view my attachment to Charlotte as an infringement upon his rights, and consider my attention to her as a silent rebuke to himself? I know, and indeed feel, that he dislikes me, that he wishes for my absence, that my presence is hateful to him."
He would often pause when on his way to visit Charlotte, stand still, as though in doubt, and seem desirous of returning, but would nevertheless proceed; and, engaged in such thoughts and soliloquies as we have described, he finally reached the hunting-lodge, with a sort of involuntary consent.
Upon one occasion he entered the house; and, inquiring for Charlotte, he observed that the inmates were in a state of unusual confusion. The eldest boy informed him that a dreadful misfortune had occurred at Walheim,—that a peasant had been murdered! But this made little impression upon him. Entering the apartment, he found Charlotte engaged reasoning with her father, who, in spite of his infirmity, insisted on going to the scene of the crime, in order to institute an inquiry. The criminal was unknown; the victim had been found dead at his own door that morning. Suspicions were excited: the murdered man had been in the service of a widow, and the person who had previously filled the situation had been dismissed from her employment.
As soon as Werther heard this, he exclaimed with great excitement, "Is it possible! I must go to the spot—I cannot delay a moment!" He hastened to Walheim. Every incident returned vividly to his remembrance; and he entertained not the slightest doubt that that man was the murderer to whom he had so often spoken, and for whom he entertained so much regard. His way took him past the well-known lime trees, to the house where the body had been carried; and his feelings were greatly excited at the sight of the fondly recollected spot. That threshold where the neighbours' children had so often played together was stained with blood; love and attachment, the noblest feelings of human nature, had been converted into violence and murder. The huge trees stood there leafless and covered with hoarfrost; the beautiful hedgerows which surrounded the old churchyard wall were withered; and the gravestones, half covered with snow, were visible through the openings.
As he approached the inn, in front of which the whole village was assembled, screams were suddenly heard. A troop of armed peasants was seen approaching, and every one exclaimed that the criminal had been apprehended. Werther looked, and was not long in doubt. The prisoner was no other than the servant, who had been formerly so attached to the widow, and whom he had met prowling about, with that suppressed anger and ill-concealed despair, which we have before described.
"What have you done, unfortunate man?" inquired Werther, as he advanced toward the prisoner. The latter turned his eyes upon him in silence, and then replied with perfect composure; "No one will now marry her, and she will marry no one." The prisoner was taken into the inn, and Werther left the place. The mind of Werther was fearfully excited by this shocking occurrence. He ceased, however, to be oppressed by his usual feeling of melancholy, moroseness, and indifference to everything that passed around him. He entertained a strong degree of pity for the prisoner, and was seized with an indescribable anxiety to save him from his impending fate. He considered him so unfortunate, he deemed his crime so excusable, and thought his own condition so nearly similar, that he felt convinced he could make every one else view the matter in the light in which he saw it himself. He now became anxious to undertake his defence, and commenced composing an eloquent speech for the occasion; and, on his way to the hunting-lodge, he could not refrain from speaking aloud the statement which he resolved to make to the judge.
Upon his arrival, he found Albert had been before him: and he was a little perplexed by this meeting; but he soon recovered himself, and expressed his opinion with much warmth to the judge. The latter shook, his head doubtingly; and although Werther urged his case with the utmost zeal, feeling, and determination in defence of his client, yet, as we may easily suppose, the judge was not much influenced by his appeal. On the contrary, he interrupted him in his address, reasoned with him seriously, and even administered a rebuke to him for becoming the advocate of a murderer. He demonstrated, that, according to this precedent, every law might be violated, and the public security utterly destroyed. He added, moreover, that in such a case he could himself do nothing, without incurring the greatest responsibility; that everything must follow in the usual course, and pursue the ordinary channel.
Werther, however, did not abandon his enterprise, and even besought the judge to connive at the flight of the prisoner. But this proposal was peremptorily rejected. Albert, who had taken some part in the discussion, coincided in opinion with the judge. At this Werther became enraged, and took his leave in great anger, after the judge had more than once assured him that the prisoner could not be saved.
The excess of his grief at this assurance may be inferred from a note we have found amongst his papers, and which was doubtless written upon this very occasion.
"You cannot be saved, unfortunate man! I see clearly that we cannot be saved!"
Werther was highly incensed at the observations which Albert had made to the judge in this matter of the prisoner. He thought he could detect therein a little bitterness toward himself personally; and although, upon reflection, it could not escape his sound judgment that their view of the matter was correct, he felt the greatest possible reluctance to make such an admission.
A memorandum of Werther's upon this point, expressive of his general feelings toward Albert, has been found amongst his papers.
"What is the use of my continually repeating that he is a good and estimable man? He is an inward torment to me, and I am incapable of being just toward him."
One fine evening in winter, when the weather seemed inclined to thaw, Charlotte and Albert were returning home together. The former looked from time to time about her, as if she missed Werther's company. Albert began to speak of him, and censured him for his prejudices. He alluded to his unfortunate attachment, and wished it were possible to discontinue his acquaintance. "I desire it on our own account," he added; "and I request you will compel him to alter his deportment toward you, and to visit you less frequently. The world is censorious, and I know that here and there we are spoken of." Charlotte made no reply, and Albert seemed to feel her silence. At least, from that time he never again spoke of Werther; and, when she introduced the subject, he allowed the conversation to die away, or else he directed the discourse into another channel.
The vain attempt Werther had made to save the unhappy murderer was the last feeble glimmering of a flame about to be extinguished. He sank almost immediately afterward into a state of gloom and inactivity, until he was at length brought to perfect distraction by learning that he was to be summoned as a witness against the prisoner, who asserted his complete innocence.
His mind now became oppressed by the recollection of every misfortune of his past life. The mortification he had suffered at the ambassador's, and his subsequent troubles, were revived in his memory. He became utterly inactive. Destitute of energy, he was cut off from every pursuit and occupation which compose the business of common life; and he became a victim to his own susceptibility, and to his restless passion for the most amiable and beloved of women, whose peace he destroyed. In this unvarying monotony of existence his days were consumed; and his powers became exhausted without aim or design, until they brought him to a sorrowful end.
A few letters which he left behind, and which we here subjoin, afford the best proofs of his anxiety of mind and of the depth of his passion, as well as of his doubts and struggles, and of his weariness of life.
Dear Wilhelm, I am reduced to the condition of those unfortunate wretches who believe they are pursued by an evil spirit. Sometimes I am oppressed, not by apprehension or fear, but by an inexpressible internal sensation, which weighs upon my heart, and impedes my breath! Then I wander forth at night, even in this tempestuous season, and feel pleasure in surveying the dreadful scenes around me.
Yesterday evening I went forth. A rapid thaw had suddenly set in: I had been informed that the river had risen, that the brooks had all overflowed their banks, and that the whole vale of Walheim was under water! Upon the stroke of twelve I hastened forth. I beheld a fearful sight. The foaming torrents rolled from the mountains in the moonlight,—fields and meadows, trees and hedges, were confounded together; and the entire valley was converted into a deep lake, which was agitated by the roaring wind! And when the moon shone forth, and tinged the black clouds with silver, and the impetuous torrent at my feet foamed and resounded with awful and grand impetuosity, I was overcome by a mingled sensation of apprehension and delight. With extended arms I looked down into the yawning abyss, and cried, "Plunge!'" For a moment my senses forsook me, in the intense delight of ending my sorrows and my sufferings by a plunge into that gulf! And then I felt as if I were rooted to the earth, and incapable of seeking an end to my woes! But my hour is not yet come: I feel it is not. O Wilhelm, how willingly could I abandon my existence to ride the whirlwind, or to embrace the torrent! and then might not rapture perchance be the portion of this liberated soul?
I turned my sorrowful eyes toward a favourite spot, where I was accustomed to sit with Charlotte beneath a willow after a fatiguing walk. Alas! it was covered with water, and with difficulty I found even the meadow. And the fields around the hunting-lodge, thought I. Has our dear bower been destroyed by this unpitying storm? And a beam of past happiness streamed upon me, as the mind of a captive is illumined by dreams of flocks and herds and bygone joys of home! But I am free from blame. I have courage to die! Perhaps I have,—but I still sit here, like a wretched pauper, who collects fagots, and begs her bread from door to door, that she may prolong for a few days a miserable existence which she is unwilling to resign.
What is the matter with me, dear Wilhelm? I am afraid of myself! Is not my love for her of the purest, most holy, and most brotherly nature? Has my soul ever been sullied by a single sensual desire? but I will make no protestations. And now, ye nightly visions, how truly have those mortals understood you, who ascribe your various contradictory effects to some invincible power! This night I tremble at the avowal—I held her in my arms, locked in a close embrace: I pressed her to my bosom, and covered with countless kisses those dear lips which murmured in reply soft protestations of love. My sight became confused by the delicious intoxication of her eyes. Heavens! is it sinful to revel again in such happiness, to recall once more those rapturous moments with intense delight? Charlotte! Charlotte! I am lost! My senses are bewildered, my recollection is confused, mine eyes are bathed in tears—I am ill; and yet I am well—I wish for nothing—I have no desires—it were better I were gone.
Under the circumstances narrated above, a determination to quit this world had now taken fixed possession of Werther's soul. Since Charlotte's return, this thought had been the final object of all his hopes and wishes; but he had resolved that such a step should not be taken with precipitation, but with calmness and tranquillity, and with the most perfect deliberation.
His troubles and internal struggles may be understood from the following fragment, which was found, without any date, amongst his papers, and appears to have formed the beginning of a letter to Wilhelm.
"Her presence, her fate, her sympathy for me, have power still to extract tears from my withered brain.
"One lifts up the curtain, and passes to the other side,—that is all! And why all these doubts and delays? Because we know not what is behind—because there is no returning—and because our mind infers that all is darkness and confusion, where we have nothing but uncertainty."
His appearance at length became quite altered by the effect of his melancholy thoughts; and his resolution was now finally and irrevocably taken, of which the following ambiguous letter, which he addressed to his friend, may appear to afford some proof.
I am grateful to your love, Wilhelm, for having repeated your advice so seasonably. Yes, you are right: it is undoubtedly better that I should depart. But I do not entirely approve your scheme of returning at once to your neighbourhood; at least, I should like to make a little excursion on the way, particularly as we may now expect a continued frost, and consequently good roads. I am much pleased with your intention of coming to fetch me; only delay your journey for a fortnight, and wait for another letter from me. One should gather nothing before it is ripe, and a fortnight sooner or later makes a great difference. Entreat my mother to pray for her son, and tell her I beg her pardon for all the unhappiness I have occasioned her. It has ever been my fate to give pain to those whose happiness I should have promoted. Adieu, my dearest friend. May every blessing of Heaven attend you! Farewell.
We find it difficult to express the emotions with which Charlotte's soul was agitated during the whole of this time, whether in relation to her husband or to her unfortunate friend; although we are enabled, by our knowledge of her character, to understand their nature.
It is certain that she had formed a determination, by every means in her power to keep Werther at a distance; and, if she hesitated in her decision, it was from a sincere feeling of friendly pity, knowing how much it would cost him, indeed, that he would find it almost impossible to comply with her wishes. But various causes now urged her to be firm. Her husband preserved a strict silence about the whole matter; and she never made it a subject of conversation, feeling bound to prove to him by her conduct that her sentiments agreed with his.
The same day, which was the Sunday before Christmas, after Werther had written the last-mentioned letter to his friend, he came in the evening to Charlotte's house, and found her alone. She was busy preparing some little gifts for her brothers and sisters, which were to be distributed to them on Christmas Day. He began talking of the delight of the children, and of that age when the sudden appearance of the Christmas-tree, decorated with fruit and sweetmeats, and lighted up with wax candles, causes such transports of joy. "You shall have a gift too, if you behave well," said Charlotte, hiding her embarrassment under sweet smile. "And what do you call behaving well? What should I do, what can I do, my dear Charlotte?" said he. "Thursday night," she answered, "is Christmas Eve. The children are all to be here, and my father too: there is a present for each; do you come likewise, but do not come before that time." Werther started. "I desire you will not: it must be so," she continued. "I ask it of you as a favour, for my own peace and tranquillity. We cannot go on in this manner any longer." He turned away his face walked hastily up and down the room, muttering indistinctly, "We cannot go on in this manner any longer!" Charlotte, seeing the violent agitation into which these words had thrown him, endeavoured to divert his thoughts by different questions, but in vain. "No, Charlotte!" he exclaimed; "I will never see you any more!" "And why so?" she answered. "We may—we must see each other again; only let it be with more discretion. Oh! why were you born with that excessive, that ungovernable passion for everything that is dear to you?" Then, taking his hand, she said, "I entreat of you to be more calm: your talents, your understanding, your genius, will furnish you with a thousand resources. Be a man, and conquer an unhappy attachment toward a creature who can do nothing but pity you." He bit his lips, and looked at her with a gloomy countenance. She continued to hold his hand. "Grant me but a moment's patience, Werther," she said. "Do you not see that you are deceiving yourself, that you are seeking your own destruction? Why must you love me, me only, who belong to another? I fear, I much fear, that it is only the impossibility of possessing me which makes your desire for me so strong." He drew back his hand, whilst he surveyed her with a wild and angry look. "'Tis well!" he exclaimed, "'tis very well! Did not Albert furnish you with this reflection? It is profound, a very profound remark." "A reflection that any one might easily make," she answered; "and is there not a woman in the whole world who is at liberty, and has the power to make you happy? Conquer yourself: look for such a being, and believe me when I say that you will certainly find her. I have long felt for you, and for us all: you have confined yourself too long within the limits of too narrow a circle. Conquer yourself; make an effort: a short journey will be of service to you. Seek and find an object worthy of your love; then return hither, and let us enjoy together all the happiness of the most perfect friendship."
"This speech," replied Werther with a cold smile, "this speech should be printed, for the benefit of all teachers. My dear Charlotte, allow me but a short time longer, and all will be well." "But however, Werther," she added, "do not come again before Christmas." He was about to make some answer, when Albert came in. They saluted each other coldly, and with mutual embarrassment paced up and down the room. Werther made some common remarks; Albert did the same, and their conversation soon dropped. Albert asked his wife about some household matters; and, finding that his commissions were not executed, he used some expressions which, to Werther's ear, savoured of extreme harshness. He wished to go, but had not power to move; and in this situation he remained till eight o'clock, his uneasiness and discontent continually increasing. At length the cloth was laid for supper, and he took up his hat and stick. Albert invited him to remain; but Werther, fancying that he was merely paying a formal compliment, thanked him coldly, and left the house.
Werther returned home, took the candle from his servant, and retired to his room alone. He talked for some time with great earnestness to himself, wept aloud, walked in a state of great excitement through his chamber; till at length, without undressing, he threw himself on the bed, where he was found by his servant at eleven o'clock, when the latter ventured to enter the room, and take off his boots. Werther did not prevent him, but forbade him to come in the morning till he should ring.
On Monday morning, the 21st of December, he wrote to Charlotte the following letter, which was found, sealed, on his bureau after his death, and was given to her. I shall insert it in fragments; as it appears, from several circumstances, to have been written in that manner.
"It is all over, Charlotte: I am resolved to die! I make this declaration deliberately and coolly, without any romantic passion, on this morning of the day when I am to see you for the last time. At the moment you read these lines, O best of women, the cold grave will hold the inanimate remains of that restless and unhappy being who, in the last moments of his existence, knew no pleasure so great as that of conversing with you! I have passed a dreadful night or rather, let me say, a propitious one; for it has given me resolution, it has fixed my purpose. I am resolved to die. When I tore myself from you yesterday, my senses were in tumult and disorder; my heart was oppressed, hope and pleasure had fled from me for ever, and a petrifying cold had seized my wretched being. I could scarcely reach my room. I threw myself on my knees; and Heaven, for the last time, granted me the consolation of shedding tears. A thousand ideas, a thousand schemes, arose within my soul; till at length one last, fixed, final thought took possession of my heart. It was to die. I lay down to rest; and in the morning, in the quiet hour of awakening, the same determination was upon me. To die! It is not despair: it is conviction that I have filled up the measure of my sufferings, that I have reached my appointed term, and must sacrifice myself for thee. Yes, Charlotte, why should I not avow it? One of us three must die: it shall be Werther. O beloved Charlotte! this heart, excited by rage and fury, has often conceived the horrid idea of murdering your husband—you—myself! The lot is cast at length. And in the bright, quiet evenings of summer, when you sometimes wander toward the mountains, let your thoughts then turn to me: recollect how often you have watched me coming to meet you from the valley; then bend your eyes upon the churchyard which contains my grave, and, by the light of the setting sun, mark how the evening breeze waves the tall grass which grows above my tomb. I was calm when I began this letter, but the recollection of these scenes makes me weep like a child."
About ten in the morning, Werther called his servant, and, whilst he was dressing, told him that in a few days he intended to set out upon a journey, and bade him therefore lay his clothes in order, and prepare them for packing up, call in all his accounts, fetch home the books he had lent, and give two months' pay to the poor dependants who were accustomed to receive from him a weekly allowance.
He breakfasted in his room, and then mounted his horse, and went to visit the steward, who, however, was not at home. He walked pensively in the garden, and seemed anxious to renew all the ideas that were most painful to him.
The children did not suffer him to remain alone long. They followed him, skipping and dancing before him, and told him, that after to-morrow and tomorrow and one day more, they were to receive their Christmas gift from Charlotte; and they then recounted all the wonders of which they had formed ideas in their child imaginations. "Tomorrow and tomorrow," said he, "and one day more!" And he kissed them tenderly. He was going; but the younger boy stopped him, to whisper something in his ear. He told him that his elder brothers had written splendid New-Year's wishes so large! one for papa, and another for Albert and Charlotte, and one for Werther; and they were to be presented early in the morning, on New Year's Day. This quite overcame him. He made each of the children a present, mounted his horse, left his compliments for papa and mamma, and, with tears in his eyes, rode away from the place.
He returned home about five o'clock, ordered his servant to keep up his fire, desired him to pack his books and linen at the bottom of the trunk, and to place his coats at the top. He then appears to have made the following addition to the letter addressed to Charlotte:
"You do not expect me. You think I will obey you, and not visit you again till Christmas Eve. O Charlotte, today or never! On Christmas Eve you will hold this paper in your hand; you will tremble, and moisten it with your tears. I will—I must! Oh, how happy I feel to be determined!"
In the meantime, Charlotte was in a pitiable state of mind. After her last conversation with Werther, she found how painful to herself it would be to decline his visits, and knew how severely he would suffer from their separation.
She had, in conversation with Albert, mentioned casually that Werther would not return before Christmas Eve; and soon afterward Albert went on horseback to see a person in the neighbourhood, with whom he had to transact some business which would detain him all night.
Charlotte was sitting alone. None of her family were near, and she gave herself up to the reflections that silently took possession of her mind. She was for ever united to a husband whose love and fidelity she had proved, to whom she was heartily devoted, and who seemed to be a special gift from Heaven to ensure her happiness. On the other hand, Werther had become dear to her. There was a cordial unanimity of sentiment between them from the very first hour of their acquaintance, and their long association and repeated interviews had made an indelible impression upon her heart. She had been accustomed to communicate to him every thought and feeling which interested her, and his absence threatened to open a void in her existence which it might be impossible to fill. How heartily she wished that she might change him into her brother,—that she could induce him to marry one of her own friends, or could reestablish his intimacy with Albert.
She passed all her intimate friends in review before her mind, but found something objectionable in each, and could decide upon none to whom she would consent to give him.
Amid all these considerations she felt deeply but indistinctly that her own real but unexpressed wish was to retain him for herself, and her pure and amiable heart felt from this thought a sense of oppression which seemed to forbid a prospect of happiness. She was wretched: a dark cloud obscured her mental vision.
It was now half-past six o'clock, and she heard Werther's step on the stairs. She at once recognised his voice, as he inquired if she were at home. Her heart beat audibly—we could almost say for the first time—at his arrival. It was too late to deny herself; and, as he entered, she exclaimed, with a sort of ill concealed confusion, "You have not kept your word!" "I promised nothing," he answered. "But you should have complied, at least for my sake," she continued. "I implore you, for both our sakes."
She scarcely knew what she said or did; and sent for some friends, who, by their presence, might prevent her being left alone with Werther. He put down some books he had brought with him, then made inquiries about some others, until she began to hope that her friends might arrive shortly, entertaining at the same time a desire that they might stay away.
At one moment she felt anxious that the servant should remain in the adjoining room, then she changed her mind. Werther, meanwhile, walked impatiently up and down. She went to the piano, and determined not to retire. She then collected her thoughts, and sat down quietly at Werther's side, who had taken his usual place on the sofa.
"Have you brought nothing to read?" she inquired. He had nothing. "There in my drawer," she continued, "you will find your own translation of some of the songs of Ossian. I have not yet read them, as I have still hoped to hear you recite them; but, for some time past, I have not been able to accomplish such a wish." He smiled, and went for the manuscript, which he took with a shudder. He sat down; and, with eyes full of tears, he began to read.
"Star of descending night! fair is thy light in the west! thou liftest thy unshorn head from thy cloud; thy steps are stately on thy hill. What dost thou behold in the plain? The stormy winds are laid. The murmur of the torrent comes from afar. Roaring waves climb the distant rock. The flies of evening are on their feeble wings: the hum of their course is on the field. What dost thou behold, fair light? But thou dost smile and depart. The waves come with joy around thee: they bathe thy lovely hair. Farewell, thou silent beam! Let the light of Ossian's soul arise!
"And it does arise in its strength! I behold my departed friends. Their gathering is on Lora, as in the days of other years. Fingal comes like a watery column of mist! his heroes are around: and see the bards of song, gray-haired Ullin! stately Ryno! Alpin with the tuneful voice: the soft complaint of Minona! How are ye changed, my friends, since the days of Selma's feast! when we contended, like gales of spring as they fly along the hill, and bend by turns the feebly whistling grass.
"Minona came forth in her beauty, with downcast look and tearful eye. Her hair was flying slowly with the blast that rushed unfrequent from the hill. The souls of the heroes were sad when she raised the tuneful voice. Oft had they seen the grave of Salgar, the dark dwelling of white-bosomed Colma. Colma left alone on the hill with all her voice of song! Salgar promised to come! but the night descended around. Hear the voice of Colma, when she sat alone on the hill!
"Colma. It is night: I am alone, forlorn on the hill of storms. The wind is heard on the mountain. The torrent is howling down the rock. No hut receives me from the rain: forlorn on the hill of winds!
"Rise moon! from behind thy clouds. Stars of the night, arise! Lead me, some light, to the place where my love rests from the chase alone! His bow near him unstrung, his dogs panting around him! But here I must sit alone by the rock of the mossy stream. The stream and the wind roar aloud. I hear not the voice of my love! Why delays my Salgar; why the chief of the hill his promise? Here is the rock and here the tree! here is the roaring stream! Thou didst promise with night to be here. Ah! whither is my Salgar gone? With thee I would fly from my father, with thee from my brother of pride. Our race have long been foes: we are not foes, O Salgar!
"Cease a little while, O wind! stream, be thou silent awhile! let my voice be heard around! let my wanderer hear me! Salgar! it is Colma who calls. Here is the tree and the rock. Salgar, my love, I am here! Why delayest thou thy coming? Lo! the calm moon comes forth. The flood is bright in the vale. The rocks are gray on the steep. I see him not on the brow. His dogs come not before him with tidings of his near approach. Here I must sit alone!
"Who lie on the heath beside me? Are they my love and my brother? Speak to me, O my friends! To Colma they give no reply. Speak to me: I am alone! My soul is tormented with fears. Ah, they are dead! Their swords are red from the fight. O my brother! my brother! why hast thou slain my Salgar! Why, O Salgar, hast thou slain my brother! Dear were ye both to me! what shall I say in your praise? Thou wert fair on the hill among thousands! he was terrible in fight! Speak to me! hear my voice! hear me, sons of my love! They are silent! silent for ever! Cold, cold, are their breasts of clay! Oh, from the rock on the hill, from the top of the windy steep, speak, ye ghosts of the dead! Speak, I will not be afraid! Whither are ye gone to rest? In what cave of the hill shall I find the departed? No feeble voice is on the gale: no answer half drowned in the storm!
"I sit in my grief: I wait for morning in my tears! Rear the tomb, ye friends of the dead. Close it not till Colma come. My life flies away like a dream. Why should I stay behind? Here shall I rest with my friends, by the stream of the sounding rock. When night comes on the hill when the loud winds arise my ghost shall stand in the blast, and mourn the death of my friends. The hunter shall hear from his booth; he shall fear, but love my voice! For sweet shall my voice be for my friends: pleasant were her friends to Colma.
"Such was thy song, Minona, softly blushing daughter of Torman. Our tears descended for Colma, and our souls were sad! Ullin came with his harp; he gave the song of Alpin. The voice of Alpin was pleasant, the soul of Ryno was a beam of fire! But they had rested in the narrow house: their voice had ceased in Selma! Ullin had returned one day from the chase before the heroes fell. He heard their strife on the hill: their song was soft, but sad! They mourned the fall of Morar, first of mortal men! His soul was like the soul of Fingal: his sword like the sword of Oscar. But he fell, and his father mourned: his sister's eyes were full of tears. Minona's eyes were full of tears, the sister of car-borne Morar. She retired from the song of Ullin, like the moon in the west, when she foresees the shower, and hides her fair head in a cloud. I touched the harp with Ullin: the song of morning rose!
"Ryno. The wind and the rain are past, calm is the noon of day. The clouds are divided in heaven. Over the green hills flies the inconstant sun. Red through the stony vale comes down the stream of the hill. Sweet are thy murmurs, O stream! but more sweet is the voice I hear. It is the voice of Alpin, the son of song, mourning for the dead! Bent is his head of age: red his tearful eye. Alpin, thou son of song, why alone on the silent hill? why complainest thou, as a blast in the wood as a wave on the lonely shore?
"Alpin. My tears, O Ryno! are for the dead my voice for those that have passed away. Tall thou art on the hill; fair among the sons of the vale. But thou shalt fall like Morar: the mourner shall sit on thy tomb. The hills shall know thee no more: thy bow shall lie in thy hall unstrung!
"Thou wert swift, O Morar! as a roe on the desert: terrible as a meteor of fire. Thy wrath was as the storm. Thy sword in battle as lightning in the field. Thy voice was as a stream after rain, like thunder on distant hills. Many fell by thy arm: they were consumed in the flames of thy wrath. But when thou didst return from war, how peaceful was thy brow. Thy face was like the sun after rain: like the moon in the silence of night: calm as the breast of the lake when the loud wind is laid.
"Narrow is thy dwelling now! dark the place of thine abode! With three steps I compass thy grave, O thou who wast so great before! Four stones, with their heads of moss, are the only memorial of thee. A tree with scarce a leaf, long grass which whistles in the wind, mark to the hunter's eye the grave of the mighty Morar. Morar! thou art low indeed. Thou hast no mother to mourn thee, no maid with her tears of love. Dead is she that brought thee forth. Fallen is the daughter of Morglan.
"Who on his staff is this? Who is this whose head is white with age, whose eyes are red with tears, who quakes at every step? It is thy father, O Morar! the father of no son but thee. He heard of thy fame in war, he heard of foes dispersed. He heard of Morar's renown, why did he not hear of his wound? Weep, thou father of Morar! Weep, but thy son heareth thee not. Deep is the sleep of the dead, low their pillow of dust. No more shall he hear thy voice, no more awake at thy call. When shall it be morn in the grave, to bid the slumberer awake? Farewell, thou bravest of men! thou conqueror in the field! but the field shall see thee no more, nor the dark wood be lightened with the splendour of thy steel. Thou has left no son. The song shall preserve thy name. Future times shall hear of thee they shall hear of the fallen Morar!
"The grief of all arose, but most the bursting sigh of Armin. He remembers the death of his son, who fell in the days of his youth. Carmor was near the hero, the chief of the echoing Galmal. Why burst the sigh of Armin? he said. Is there a cause to mourn? The song comes with its music to melt and please the soul. It is like soft mist that, rising from a lake, pours on the silent vale; the green flowers are filled with dew, but the sun returns in his strength, and the mist is gone. Why art thou sad, O Armin, chief of sea-surrounded Gorma?
"Sad I am! nor small is my cause of woe! Carmor, thou hast lost no son; thou hast lost no daughter of beauty. Colgar the valiant lives, and Annira, fairest maid. The boughs of thy house ascend, O Carmor! but Armin is the last of his race. Dark is thy bed, O Daura! deep thy sleep in the tomb! When shalt thou wake with thy songs? with all thy voice of music?
"Arise, winds of autumn, arise: blow along the heath. Streams of the mountains, roar; roar, tempests in the groves of my oaks! Walk through broken clouds, O moon! show thy pale face at intervals; bring to my mind the night when all my children fell, when Arindal the mighty fell—when Daura the lovely failed. Daura, my daughter, thou wert fair, fair as the moon on Fura, white as the driven snow, sweet as the breathing gale. Arindal, thy bow was strong, thy spear was swift on the field, thy look was like mist on the wave, thy shield a red cloud in a storm! Armar, renowned in war, came and sought Daura's love. He was not long refused: fair was the hope of their friends.
"Erath, son of Odgal, repined: his brother had been slain by Armar. He came disguised like a son of the sea: fair was his cliff on the wave, white his locks of age, calm his serious brow. Fairest of women, he said, lovely daughter of Armin! a rock not distant in the sea bears a tree on its side; red shines the fruit afar. There Armar waits for Daura. I come to carry his love! she went she called on Armar. Nought answered, but the son of the rock. Armar, my love, my love! why tormentest thou me with fear? Hear, son of Arnart, hear! it is Daura who calleth thee. Erath, the traitor, fled laughing to the land. She lifted up her voice—she called for her brother and her father. Arindal! Armin! none to relieve you, Daura.
"Her voice came over the sea. Arindal, my son, descended from the hill, rough in the spoils of the chase. His arrows rattled by his side; his bow was in his hand, five dark-gray dogs attended his steps. He saw fierce Erath on the shore; he seized and bound him to an oak. Thick wind the thongs of the hide around his limbs; he loads the winds with his groans. Arindal ascends the deep in his boat to bring Daura to land. Armar came in his wrath, and let fly the gray-feathered shaft. It sung, it sunk in thy heart, O Arindal, my son! for Erath the traitor thou diest. The oar is stopped at once: he panted on the rock, and expired. What is thy grief, O Daura, when round thy feet is poured thy brother's blood. The boat is broken in twain. Armar plunges into the sea to rescue his Daura, or die. Sudden a blast from a hill came over the waves; he sank, and he rose no more.
"Alone, on the sea-beat rock, my daughter was heard to complain; frequent and loud were her cries. What could her father do? All night I stood on the shore: I saw her by the faint beam of the moon. All night I heard her cries. Loud was the wind; the rain beat hard on the hill. Before morning appeared, her voice was weak; it died away like the evening breeze among the grass of the rocks. Spent with grief, she expired, and left thee, Armin, alone. Gone is my strength in war, fallen my pride among women. When the storms aloft arise, when the north lifts the wave on high, I sit by the sounding shore, and look on the fatal rock.
"Often by the setting moon I see the ghosts of my children; half viewless they walk in mournful conference together."
A torrent of tears which streamed from Charlotte's eyes and gave relief to her bursting heart, stopped Werther's recitation. He threw down the book, seized her hand, and wept bitterly. Charlotte leaned upon her hand, and buried her face in her handkerchief: the agitation of both was excessive. They felt that their own fate was pictured in the misfortunes of Ossian's heroes, they felt this together, and their tears redoubled. Werther supported his forehead on Charlotte's arm: she trembled, she wished to be gone; but sorrow and sympathy lay like a leaden weight upon her soul. She recovered herself shortly, and begged Werther, with broken sobs, to leave her, implored him with the utmost earnestness to comply with her request. He trembled; his heart was ready to burst: then, taking up the book again, he recommenced reading, in a voice broken by sobs.
"Why dost thou waken me, O spring? Thy voice woos me, exclaiming, I refresh thee with heavenly dews; but the time of my decay is approaching, the storm is nigh that shall whither my leaves. Tomorrow the traveller shall come, he shall come, who beheld me in beauty: his eye shall seek me in the field around, but he shall not find me."
The whole force of these words fell upon the unfortunate Werther. Full of despair, he threw himself at Charlotte's feet, seized her hands, and pressed them to his eyes and to his forehead. An apprehension of his fatal project now struck her for the first time. Her senses were bewildered: she held his hands, pressed them to her bosom; and, leaning toward him with emotions of the tenderest pity, her warm cheek touched his. They lost sight of everything. The world disappeared from their eyes. He clasped her in his arms, strained her to his bosom, and covered her trembling lips with passionate kisses. "Werther!" she cried with a faint voice, turning herself away; "Werther!" and, with a feeble hand, she pushed him from her. At length, with the firm voice of virtue, she exclaimed, "Werther!" He resisted not, but, tearing himself from her arms, fell on his knees before her. Charlotte rose, and, with disordered grief, in mingled tones of love and resentment, she exclaimed, "It is the last time, Werther! You shall never see me any more!" Then, casting one last, tender look upon her unfortunate lover, she rushed into the adjoining room, and locked the door. Werther held out his arms, but did not dare to detain her. He continued on the ground, with his head resting on the sofa, for half an hour, till he heard a noise which brought him to his senses. The servant entered. He then walked up and down the room; and, when he was again left alone, he went to Charlotte's door, and, in a low voice, said, "Charlotte, Charlotte! but one word more, one last adieu!" She returned no answer. He stopped, and listened and entreated; but all was silent. At length he tore himself from the place, crying, "Adieu, Charlotte, adieu for ever!"
Werther ran to the gate of the town. The guards, who knew him, let him pass in silence. The night was dark and stormy,—it rained and snowed. He reached his own door about eleven. His servant, although seeing him enter the house without his hat, did not venture to say anything; and; as he undressed his master, he found that his clothes were wet. His hat was afterward found on the point of a rock overhanging the valley; and it is inconceivable how he could have climbed to the summit on such a dark, tempestuous night without losing his life.
He retired to bed, and slept to a late hour. The next morning his servant, upon being called to bring his coffee, found him writing. He was adding, to Charlotte, what we here annex.
"For the last, last time I open these eyes. Alas! they will behold the sun no more. It is covered by a thick, impenetrable cloud. Yes, Nature! put on mourning: your child, your friend, your lover, draws near his end! This thought, Charlotte, is without parallel; and yet it seems like a mysterious dream when I repeat—this is my last day! The last! Charlotte, no word can adequately express this thought. The last! To-day I stand erect in all my strength to-morrow, cold and stark, I shall lie extended upon the ground. To die! what is death? We do but dream in our discourse upon it. I have seen many human beings die; but, so straitened is our feeble nature, we have no clear conception of the beginning or the end of our existence. At this moment I am my own—or rather I am thine, thine, my adored! and the next we are parted, severed—perhaps for ever! No, Charlotte, no! How can I, how can you, be annihilated? We exist. What is annihilation? A mere word, an unmeaning sound that fixes no impression on the mind. Dead, Charlotte! laid in the cold earth, in the dark and narrow grave! I had a friend once who was everything to me in early youth. She died. I followed her hearse; I stood by her grave when the coffin was lowered; and when I heard the creaking of the cords as they were loosened and drawn up, when the first shovelful of earth was thrown in, and the coffin returned a hollow sound, which grew fainter and fainter till all was completely covered over, I threw myself on the ground; my heart was smitten, grieved, shattered, rent—but I neither knew what had happened, nor what was to happen to me. Death! the grave! I understand not the words.—Forgive, oh, forgive me! Yesterday—ah, that day should have been the last of my life! Thou angel! for the first time in my existence, I felt rapture glow within my inmost soul. She loves, she loves me! Still burns upon my lips the sacred fire they received from thine. New torrents of delight overwhelm my soul. Forgive me, oh, forgive!
"I knew that I was dear to you; I saw it in your first entrancing look, knew it by the first pressure of your hand; but when I was absent from you, when I saw Albert at your side, my doubts and fears returned.
"Do you remember the flowers you sent me, when, at that crowded assembly, you could neither speak nor extend your hand to me? Half the night I was on my knees before those flowers, and I regarded them as the pledges of your love; but those impressions grew fainter, and were at length effaced.
"Everything passes away; but a whole eternity could not extinguish the living flame which was yesterday kindled by your lips, and which now burns within me. She loves me! These arms have encircled her waist, these lips have trembled upon hers. She is mine! Yes, Charlotte, you are mine for ever!
"And what do they mean by saying Albert is your husband? He may be so for this world; and in this world it is a sin to love you, to wish to tear you from his embrace. Yes, it is a crime; and I suffer the punishment, but I have enjoyed the full delight of my sin. I have inhaled a balm that has revived my soul. From this hour you are mine; yes, Charlotte, you are mine! I go before you. I go to my Father and to your Father. I will pour out my sorrows before him, and he will give me comfort till you arrive. Then will I fly to meet you. I will claim you, and remain your eternal embrace, in the presence of the Almighty.
"I do not dream, I do not rave. Drawing nearer to the grave my perceptions become clearer. We shall exist; we shall see each other again; we shall behold your mother; I shall behold her, and expose to her my inmost heart. Your mother—your image!"
About eleven o'clock Werther asked his servant if Albert had returned. He answered, "Yes;" for he had seen him pass on horseback: upon which Werther sent him the following note, unsealed:
"Be so good as to lend me your pistols for a journey. Adieu."
Charlotte had slept little during the past night. All her apprehensions were realised in a way that she could neither foresee nor avoid. Her blood was boiling in her veins, and a thousand painful sensations rent her pure heart. Was it the ardour of Werther's passionate embraces that she felt within her bosom? Was it anger at his daring? Was it the sad comparison of her present condition with former days of innocence, tranquillity, and self-confidence? How could she approach her husband, and confess a scene which she had no reason to conceal, and which she yet felt, nevertheless, unwilling to avow? They had preserved so long a silence toward each other and should she be the first to break it by so unexpected a discovery? She feared that the mere statement of Werther's visit would trouble him, and his distress would be heightened by her perfect candour. She wished that he could see her in her true light, and judge her without prejudice; but was she anxious that he should read her inmost soul? On the other hand, could she deceive a being to whom all her thoughts had ever been exposed as clearly as crystal, and from whom no sentiment had ever been concealed? These reflections made her anxious and thoughtful. Her mind still dwelt on Werther, who was now lost to her, but whom she could not bring herself to resign, and for whom she knew nothing was left but despair if she should be lost to him for ever.
A recollection of that mysterious estrangement which had lately subsisted between herself and Albert, and which she could never thoroughly understand, was now beyond measure painful to her. Even the prudent and the good have before now hesitated to explain their mutual differences, and have dwelt in silence upon their imaginary grievances, until circumstances have become so entangled, that in that critical juncture, when a calm explanation would have saved all parties, an understanding was impossible. And thus if domestic confidence had been earlier established between them, if love and kind forbearance had mutually animated and expanded their hearts, it might not, perhaps, even yet have been too late to save our friend.
But we must not forget one remarkable circumstance. We may observe from the character of Werther's correspondence, that he had never affected to conceal his anxious desire to quit this world. He had often discussed the subject with Albert; and, between the latter and Charlotte, it had not unfrequently formed a topic of conversation. Albert was so opposed to the very idea of such an action, that, with a degree of irritation unusual in him, he had more than once given Werther to understand that he doubted the seriousness of his threats, and not only turned them into ridicule, but caused Charlotte to share his feelings of incredulity. Her heart was thus tranquillised when she felt disposed to view the melancholy subject in a serious point of view, though she never communicated to her husband the apprehensions she sometimes experienced.
Albert, upon his return, was received by Charlotte with ill-concealed embarrassment. He was himself out of humour; his business was unfinished; and he had just discovered that the neighbouring official with whom he had to deal, was an obstinate and narrow-minded personage. Many things had occurred to irritate him.
He inquired whether anything had happened during his absence, and Charlotte hastily answered that Werther had been there on the evening previously. He then inquired for his letters, and was answered that several packages had been left in his study. He thereon retired, leaving Charlotte alone.
The presence of the being she loved and honoured produced a new impression on her heart. The recollection of his generosity, kindness, and affection had calmed her agitation: a secret impulse prompted her to follow him; she took her work and went to his study, as was often her custom. He was busily employed opening and reading his letters. It seemed as if the contents of some were disagreeable. She asked some questions: he gave short answers, and sat down to write.
Several hours passed in this manner, and Charlotte's feelings became more and more melancholy. She felt the extreme difficulty of explaining to her husband, under any circumstances, the weight that lay upon her heart; and her depression became every moment greater, in proportion as she endeavoured to hide her grief, and to conceal her tears.
The arrival of Werther's servant occasioned her the greatest embarrassment. He gave Albert a note, which the latter coldly handed to his wife, saying, at the same time, "Give him the pistols. I wish him a pleasant journey," he added, turning to the servant. These words fell upon Charlotte like a thunderstroke: she rose from her seat half-fainting, and unconscious of what she did. She walked mechanically toward the wall, took down the pistols with a trembling hand, slowly wiped the dust from them, and would have delayed longer, had not Albert hastened her movements by an impatient look. She then delivered the fatal weapons to the servant, without being able to utter a word. As soon as he had departed, she folded up her work, and retired at once to her room, her heart overcome with the most fearful forebodings. She anticipated some dreadful calamity. She was at one moment on the point of going to her husband, throwing herself at his feet, and acquainting him with all that had happened on the previous evening, that she might acknowledge her fault, and explain her apprehensions; then she saw that such a step would be useless, as she would certainly be unable to induce Albert to visit Werther. Dinner was served; and a kind friend whom she had persuaded to remain assisted to sustain the conversation, which was carried on by a sort of compulsion, till the events of the morning were forgotten.
When the servant brought the pistols to Werther, the latter received them with transports of delight upon hearing that Charlotte had given them to him with her own hand. He ate some bread, drank some wine, sent his servant to dinner, and then sat down to write as follows:
"They have been in your hands you wiped the dust from them. I kiss them a thousand times—you have touched them. Yes, Heaven favours my design, and you, Charlotte, provide me with the fatal instruments. It was my desire to receive my death from your hands, and my wish is gratified. I have made inquiries of my servant. You trembled when you gave him the pistols, but you bade me no adieu. Wretched, wretched that I am—not one farewell! How could you shut your heart against me in that hour which makes you mine for ever? Charlotte, ages cannot efface the impression—I feel you cannot hate the man who so passionately loves you!"
After dinner he called his servant, desired him to finish the packing up, destroyed many papers, and then went out to pay some trifling debts. He soon returned home, then went out again, notwithstanding the rain, walked for some time in the count's garden, and afterward proceeded farther into the country. Toward evening he came back once more, and resumed his writing.
"Wilhelm, I have for the last time beheld the mountains, the forests, and the sky. Farewell! And you, my dearest mother, forgive me! Console her, Wilhelm. God bless you! I have settled all my affairs! Farewell! We shall meet again, and be happier than ever."
"I have requited you badly, Albert; but you will forgive me. I have disturbed the peace of your home. I have sowed distrust between you. Farewell! I will end all this wretchedness. And oh, that my death may render you happy! Albert, Albert! make that angel happy, and the blessing of Heaven be upon you!"
He spent the rest of the evening in arranging his papers: he tore and burned a great many; others he sealed up, and directed to Wilhelm. They contained some detached thoughts and maxims, some of which I have perused. At ten o'clock he ordered his fire to be made up, and a bottle of wine to be brought to him. He then dismissed his servant, whose room, as well as the apartments of the rest of the family, was situated in another part of the house. The servant lay down without undressing, that he might be the sooner ready for his journey in the morning, his master having informed him that the post-horses would be at the door before six o'clock.
"Past eleven o'clock! All is silent around me, and my soul is calm. I thank thee, O God, that thou bestowest strength and courage upon me in these last moments! I approach the window, my dearest of friends; and through the clouds, which are at this moment driven rapidly along by the impetuous winds, I behold the stars which illumine the eternal heavens. No, you will not fall, celestial bodies: the hand of the Almighty supports both you and me! I have looked for the last time upon the constellation of the Greater Bear: it is my favourite star; for when I bade you farewell at night, Charlotte, and turned my steps from your door, it always shone upon me. With what rapture have I at times beheld it! How often have I implored it with uplifted hands to witness my felicity! and even still—But what object is there, Charlotte, which fails to summon up your image before me? Do you not surround me on all sides? and have I not, like a child, treasured up every trifle which you have consecrated by your touch?
"Your profile, which was so dear to me, I return to you; and I pray you to preserve it. Thousands of kisses have I imprinted upon it, and a thousand times has it gladdened my heart on departing from and returning to my home.
"I have implored your father to protect my remains. At the corner of the churchyard, looking toward the fields, there are two lime-trees—there I wish to lie. Your father can, and doubtless will, do this much for his friend. Implore it of him. But perhaps pious Christians will not choose that their bodies should be buried near the corpse of a poor, unhappy wretch like me. Then let me be laid in some remote valley, or near the highway, where the priest and Levite may bless themselves as they pass by my tomb, whilst the Samaritan will shed a tear for my fate.
"See, Charlotte, I do not shudder to take the cold and fatal cup, from which I shall drink the draught of death. Your hand presents it to me, and I do not tremble. All, all is now concluded: the wishes and the hopes of my existence are fulfilled. With cold, unflinching hand I knock at the brazen portals of Death. Oh, that I had enjoyed the bliss of dying for you! how gladly would I have sacrificed myself for you; Charlotte! And could I but restore peace and joy to your bosom, with what resolution, with what joy, would I not meet my fate! But it is the lot of only a chosen few to shed their blood for their friends, and by their death to augment, a thousand times, the happiness of those by whom they are beloved.
"I wish, Charlotte, to be buried in the dress I wear at present: it has been rendered sacred by your touch. I have begged this favour of your father. My spirit soars above my sepulchre. I do not wish my pockets to be searched. The knot of pink ribbon which you wore on your bosom the first time I saw you, surrounded by the children—Oh, kiss them a thousand times for me, and tell them the fate of their unhappy friend! I think I see them playing around me. The dear children! How warmly have I been attached to you, Charlotte! Since the first hour I saw you, how impossible have I found it to leave you. This ribbon must be buried with me: it was a present from you on my birthday. How confused it all appears! Little did I then think that I should journey this road. But peace! I pray you, peace!
"They are loaded—the clock strikes twelve. I say amen. Charlotte, Charlotte! farewell, farewell!"
A neighbour saw the flash, and heard the report of the pistol; but, as everything remained quiet, he thought no more of it.
In the morning, at six o'clock, the servant went into Werther's room with a candle. He found his master stretched upon the floor, weltering in his blood, and the pistols at his side. He called, he took him in his arms, but received no answer. Life was not yet quite extinct. The servant ran for a surgeon, and then went to fetch Albert. Charlotte heard the ringing of the bell: a cold shudder seized her. She wakened her husband, and they both rose. The servant, bathed in tears faltered forth the dreadful news. Charlotte fell senseless at Albert's feet.
When the surgeon came to the unfortunate Werther, he was still lying on the floor; and his pulse beat, but his limbs were cold. The bullet, entering the forehead, over the right eye, had penetrated the skull. A vein was opened in his right arm: the blood came, and he still continued to breathe.
From the blood which flowed from the chair, it could be inferred that he had committed the rash act sitting at his bureau, and that he afterward fell upon the floor. He was found lying on his back near the window. He was in full-dress costume.
The house, the neighbourhood, and the whole town were immediately in commotion. Albert arrived. They had laid Werther on the bed: his head was bound up, and the paleness of death was upon his face. His limbs were motionless; but he still breathed, at one time strongly, then weaker—his death was momently expected.
He had drunk only one glass of the wine. "Emilia Galotti" lay open upon his bureau.
I shall say nothing of Albert's distress, or of Charlotte's grief.
The old steward hastened to the house immediately upon hearing the news: he embraced his dying friend amid a flood of tears. His eldest boys soon followed him on foot. In speechless sorrow they threw themselves on their knees by the bedside, and kissed his hands and face. The eldest, who was his favourite, hung over him till he expired; and even then he was removed by force. At twelve o'clock Werther breathed his last. The presence of the steward, and the precautions he had adopted, prevented a disturbance; and that night, at the hour of eleven, he caused the body to be interred in the place which Werther had selected for himself.
The steward and his sons followed the corpse to the grave. Albert was unable to accompany them. Charlotte's life was despaired of. The body was carried by labourers. No priest attended. | {
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You are at:Home»North America Rugby»Major League Rugby»Old Glory DC Re-Signs Matthew Gordon
Old Glory DC Re-Signs Matthew Gordon
Photo: Old Glory DC
Old Glory DC re-signed Matthew Gordon for the 2022 Major League Rugby season. The 25-year-old back row is 6'4″ and 240 lbs.
Matt was the team's 23rd pick in the 2020 Major League Rugby Collegiate Draft, however, after signing with the team, he did not play during the 2021 regular-season.
Matt is from Aberdeen, Scotland, and attended Lathallan during high school. There he played rugby, cricket, and field hockey. He attended Robert Gordon University from 2014-2018, earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Accounting and Finance with first-class honors. Matt then enrolled in the University of Mary Washington in 2017 and is projected to graduate in 2021 with a degree in Economics with a business minor.
Matt excelled as a participant in the Glasgow Warriors' age-grade programs, playing for the U16s and 18s, as well as being selected for the U17s. He could not play for the latter due to injury.
In 2018, he was named the D1AA Defensive Player of the Year, led Mary Washington to the National Championship over Dartmouth, and was a first-team Collegiate All-American. In 2019 he represented the US All-American Program, starting at #4 against Canada Universities XV in the USA's 23-22 win.
Matthew's highlight tape was an eye-opener for many teams and Goff Rugby Report/DJCoil Rugby had him projected as high as the 2nd pick. The draft series tried to identify the most talented collegians, along with individual team needs, however, most teams elected not to invest in the cost of visas or potentially waste a draft pick after the difficulty in obtaining visas for many players. The fact that Matt was known to the team and that he was a USA Collegiate All-American, influenced that team to start his visa process early
Old Glory DC Comments
"We're pleased to see Matthew back for 2022," said Head Coach Andrew Douglas. "We've already seen a more mature, focused Matt in pre-season sessions and we're looking forward to seeing that transpire to an effective player next season. Matt's an excellent athlete who will be a big offensive and defensive threat for us. It's great to have him back."
"I'm looking forward to representing my city this season on behalf of Old Glory," said Matt Gordon. "Getting to live in Washington, DC has given me such an appreciation for the States, and I am proud to put on the jersey for Old Glory. This season will be a great opportunity to apply all of the skills I've learned in Scotland and the US alike."
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Hey there! Coach Dave here.
in a co-created pursuit of life-changing results and winning on the players' terms.
I was one of the founding members of the Coaching movement; When I joined the International Coach Federation in 1998; I was member #72.
In establishing CoachVille with Thomas Leonard in 2000, I have played a major role in the emergence of the movement, the "approach" and the Profession of Coaching. I have a deep connection to the field AND even to the word Coach.
In this article I will share with you what the word Coach means to me AND I will share a few misconceptions about the word and places where I feel the word is used incorrectly.
People create results by playing better!
What do people want to play better?
Anything that a person can play can be coached.
3) Yourself AND others; you play the game for your own purpose or enjoyment AND there is typically a strong component of playing FOR a positive influence on the lives of others.
4) The pursuit of mastery; in most games you can pursue mastery for as long as you want to play. The player defines mastery on their own terms with a blend of personal satisfaction AND degree of influence on others.
In order to coach someone, you have to know them personally. Any ideas, feedback, instruction or content you share with them is personalized to their current level of awareness, ability and situation.
In order to BE coached by someone, you have to be known by them. You must share your goals with them. You have to be willing to receive feedback from them. And you need to KNOW your coach as well. To trust someone in this way you need to know them as a person.
A great coach typically knows the game/skill/craft that the player is playing from personal experience but is not necessarily an expert player themselves; being a great coach is about being able to help other people become good or even great at doing something.
Well, a great coach will do MANY things to co-create the relationship and the desired results.
To get into a game in pursuit of life-changing results you need to be open to growth and expansion. To create anything new you will face challenges that require risks and exploration. The Coach creates an experience of belonging for the player so that they FEEL connected, safe and supported. They create shared purpose, permission space and judgment-free awareness. Mostly this happens through engaging in provocative conversations; conversations are the life blood of the coaching relationship.
The pursuit of life-changing results is NOT a "one-size-fits-all" situation. The coach will get to know the players superpowers, skills, desires, values and fears (and a bunch of other things) and guide the player into a way to play a little better; and then a little better. Playing better requires an expansion of WHO you are and WHAT you can do. Step-by-step toward mastery AND becoming.
Feedback is the breakfast of champions! To become better at anything you need a LOT of feedback; from your coach and from the world you are aiming to influence. A great coach co-creates situations where the player can learn to SEE, FEEL and EMBRACE feedback and learn from everything. Failure, messes and mistakes are an essential part of any worthwhile game!
Everything new result that you want to create requires actions that are outside of your comfort zone. A great coach creates situations where the player can play just over the edge of their comfort zone and explore each fear as an engaging new territory! Inner Freedom means you are FREE to play with fear.
We become what we see; so all sustainable change requires environmental upgrades. A great coach guides the player toward finding and creating the environmental upgrades needed to gradually pull the player toward the results they desire. Creating winning environments is the truest master coaching super power.
Here are a few ways and places where I have seen the word coach used that I would NOT call coaching.
Coaching is not about fixing people with problems; coaching is about playing better. You don't go to a basketball coach because you have a basketball problem!
It is more about going from new to good or good to great. Certainly if a player in pursuit of mastery is facing a problem the coach will help them find a solution. But it is not the player who IS the problem.
2) NOT An expert who tells you what to do; or shares their "secrets".
When an expert is sharing how they do something or the "right" way to do something, this is called training. It can be valuable, but it should not be called coaching because it is not personalized to the player. While a coach should have knowledge of the game you are playing – possibly even expert knowledge – they use their knowledge only as it applies to the players' personal situation. Coaching is not about telling people how you did something, it is about helping the other person figure out how THEY will do that something.
3) NOT Only asking questions because people have all their own answers.
This is the framework from Humanistic Psychology. While highly idealistic it has been thoroughly debunked. We do NOT have all our own answers, rather we do have the ability to choose what is best for us from among the choices that come from a wide variety of sources; including the coach. A part of what has made human life so interesting is our desire to share what we have learned and experienced with others. This sharing is essential to our human nature and our emerging consciousness.
Sharing information in any group setting is training. Even if the information sharing contains the opportunity to ask a question or look at one persons' personal situation, it is still training. Training can be good in some situations but it should not be confused with coaching; Coaching requires a personal relationship for everyone involved.
5) NOT A watch or app that tracks your progress toward a goal.
Goal tracking can be good, accountability of action can be good, but it should not be confused with coaching. Again, coaching requires a personal relationship.
"Coaching is NOT an intervention for people with problems.
I hope this post provided some clarity!
If you are someone who creates programs, I would be honored if you would consider these distinctions when deciding what to name your next program.
Check out our school: the Center for Coaching Mastery.
Join CoachVille and participate in our next Deep Dive Conversation.
Join CoachVille and listen to recordings of provocative coaching conversations.
I just wanted to say that I loved this article in particular and yes, your post provided some clarity 🙂 at least for me.
The only thing I lack is actual training and I'm not sure which course do I need or which one would benefit me the most. | {
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Athens launches its bond swap with private investors to slash €107bn of debt, while the German finance minister warns that Greece may need further financial help.
23.19 That's all from our Live Blog for today. Visit the Telegraph's Finance page for the latest on the eurozone debt crisis.
21.25 US markets have closed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 2.27 points (0.02pc) to 12,982.42, the S&P 500 gained 2.28 (0.17pc) to 1,365.74, while the Nasdaq added 6.77 (0.23pc) to 2,963.75.
It's the S&P 500's highest close since June 5, 2008.
20.59 US President Barack Obama says some progress has been made on European debt crisis but a lot more needs to be done.
20.51 Eurogroup head Jean-Claude Juncker is hopeful over efforts by Greece to meet the conditions for a second bailout and pledged steps to spur a return to growth.
What up to now in the last two weeks has happened in Greece makes me feel hopeful because I have the impression that the Greek government under the leadership of Prime Minister Papademos is taking its job very seriously.
Mexican Finance Minister Jose Antonio Meade, who is hosting the meeting, spoke top Reuters and said it was "still early in the process" to start discussing specific amounts and ways that G20 nations could commit more money for the IMF.
How much is confidence worth? Half a point of GDP, it seems, if the Office for National Statistics is anything to go by. That's what the collapse in business investment in the final three months of last year shaved off growth, as the escalation in the eurozone crisis spooked bosses. Companies may be sitting on a £70bn warchest, but as long as the outlook is gloomy, they will be sitting on their hands as well.
19.45 We have an in-depth story on the Greek bond swap program online now, if you want to delve deeper into the details.
19.15 Lloyds has become the first British bank to confirm it's looking at borrowing money from an emergency facility put in place by the ECB to prevent a fresh banking crisis, writes Harry WIlson.
18.26 Italy's stock market watchdog will let its ban on short-selling expire, reports Reuters. Consob says that it's decided not to renew the ban - first imposed in August - saying the decision was "coherent" with those of other European authorities.
Are the terms of Greece's PSI deal reasonable?
17.53 So what exactly is the bond swap deal?
• Investors will get 31.5pc of the face value of their bonds in new bonds that pay the yields mentioned below (17.32).
• An additional 15pc of the face value of their bonds will be paid as two-year EFSF bonds.
• There will also be a €30bn payment made to bondholders from the second bailout package.
17.44 Charles Dallara, the managing director of the IIF - the organisation that represented banks in the bond swap negotiations - says that he remains "quite optimistic" that investors will take up the deal.
He adds that there's no decision so far to put the Collective Action Clause into effect, which is the legislation to force bondholders to accept the deal. He even warned that if Greece was to do so, it could raise concerns about other sovereign issues.
17.32 The new bonds issued will mature in 2042 and pay 2pc from 2013 to 2015, 3pc from 2016 to 2020, 3.65pc in 2021 and 4.3pc from 2022. Greece won't have to settle the exchanges unless 90pc of the face valueot valid bonds in the PSI are tendered.
16.59 Time for a graph showing European market performance over the last few weeks. As usual, you can toggle individual markets on and off by clicking on their names in order to get a zoomed-in look at those remaining.
16.48 The European markets have closed for the day and week, with mixed results.
The FTSE 100 slipped 0.05pc, the DAX rose 0.81pc and the CAC gained 0.57pc.
16.40 As we wait for more details on this bond swap, it's worth looking at what will happen if it is/isn't accepted by investors. ZeroHedge points us towards this handy chart put together by BNP Paribas, which you can see in a larger form here. They say there's a 73pc chance that there will be 100pc participation.
16.23 And the important bit: the bondholder deal. It says that a 53.5pc haircut "constitutes an appropriate basis for launching the invitation for the exchange to holders of Greek government bonds".
The Eurogroup looks forward to a high participation of private creditors in the debt exchange, which should deliver a significant positive contribution to Greece's debt sustainability.
The official sector will decide on the precise amount of financial assistance to be provided in the context of the second Greek programme in early March, once the results of PSI are known and the prior actions have been implemented.
16.22 It goes on to call for a permanent troika presence in Athens, to "bolster its capacity to provide and coordinate technical assistance".
16.21 A document has just been uploaded to that site - it's old, dated February 21 - in which the Eurogroup welcomes the bailout deal and €325m in extra austerity measures taken on by Greece, saying that "this new programme provides a comprehensive blueprint for putting the public finances and the economy of Greece back on a sustainable footing and hence for safeguarding financial stability in Greece and in the euro area as a whole".
My personal view is that the €500bn are sufficient in combination with support by the International Monetary Fund. In the circumstances in which the banking system had funding problems I think it was appropriate to provide this liquidity. However, the central banks - and this is not only true for the ECB, I think also for other major central banks - have to be prepared to absorb the excess liquidity at a certain point in time, when the economy picks up.
15.31 We're hearing that the Greek Government will be releasing details of its bond swap program online in the next few hours. We'll bring you more as soon as we have it.
15.24 Data just out: sales of new houses in the US dipped in January, but the final quarter of 2011 was stronger than estimated.
The Commerce Department says new home sales fell 0.9pc last month to an annual rate of 321,000, having risen 10pc over the previous four months.
15.02 A consortium of "leading Greek business people" have launched an advertising campaign titled "Give Greece a chance".
Greece has committed to the toughest austerity program in modern history. Hefty tax hikes, pension and wage cuts have reduced the primary budget deficit from €24.7 billion to €5.2 billion in just two years... but with a dramatic impact on the life of every Greek.
A new set of measures was recently voted in by the Greek Parliament. With a focus on structural reform, we have a chance to create a new Greece. A modern, productive and creative Greece with a sustainable future in Europe.
Further hardship is inevitable. Unemployment has already reached 21pc. This is a high price to pay and it should not go in vain.
We are entering the fifth year of recession. Our European partners have stood by us. But we need continued support and the breathing space to get out of this vicious cycle. And we deserve to know that there is a fair chance of success.
We are hardworking, tax paying citizens unfairly labelled with stereotypes so easily handed out to Greeks today. We are Europeans who aspire to a constructive role within Europe. We will deliver on our commitment. We have already made sacrifices. We are ready to do more. We are betting our future on this. All we are saying is give Greece a chance.
14.37 It's almost a given now, but there are protests in Athens today. The picture below shows workers of Hellenic Halyvourgia, a privately owned steel plant, marching to the Labour Ministry to protest over new minimum wage cuts.
Americans are much more sanguine about the future than perhaps Europeans are, and much more willing to put a bit of risk back on the table.
Hedge fund investors in Europe have been very shy - they run if you cannot sell up in a minute and a half but far more money is being raised in the US for this type of investment, it's in their blood.
13.33 Greece will make more details of its Private Sector Involvement deal public today. The plan is designed to push through a €107bn haircut on Greek bonds and ease the country's debt problems.
Understandably, not everyone is keen to accept such a loss, so a new Collective Action Clause (CAC) law will make it possible to force through the measures if two thirds of bondholders agree to it.
Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos has said an official offer to private creditors must be made today, and that the debt swap would be concluded by March 12.
Venizelos said rating agencies "might declare Greece in selective default" while the debt-swap operation was going on but added: "There is a full mechanism to cover liquidity in the meantime."
The package has a three year duration. Therefore we cannot rule out that there may be further needs after this period and before 2020.
It will be a big economic power, but not so vast it upturns the whole global system. It risks becoming old before it is rich.
Those pushing for hardline containment are frankly dangerous, nourishing a paranoid streak in Chinese culture that is for now largely dormant. Let us stick to appeasement, in the old-fashioned sense.
There are no guarantees that the chosen path will lead to success. It is also possibly not the last time that the German parliament will have to consider financial aid to Greece. Because I am convinced that the agreed path... is the most likely to lead to success and is therefore a justifiable one, I ask for your support for this package."
If the central bank offers this service systematically banks can dismantle their trading platforms - which are costly to maintain - and become addicted to central bank credit.
Important market intermediaries, such as money market funds, could be driven out of business, as their business model loses profitability, for both domestic and foreign investors with excess liquidity may shift their investments to alternative, more profitable market segments."
ECB eurozone interest rates are currently at a record low of 1pc.
11.30 A bit more detail on that Italian debt auction - yields on the two-year bonds were down to 3.01pc, down from 3.76pc at an auction a month ago and the lowest interest rate since May.
The amount of debt sold was at the top of the Italian government's range, and should bode well for even larger debt sales Italy plans to carry out next week.
The government is selling €12.25bn of debt on Monday and €6.25bn auction on Tuesday which includes benchmark 10-year bonds.
The successful sale today demonstrates how crucial the liquidity measures started by the European Central Bank in December have been to bringing down the soaring cost of borrowing for Italy and Spain which occurred in the autumn.
At the ECB's offer of three-year loans in December, 523 European banks borrowed €489bn, and markets will be closely watching the second offer, which happens this coming week.
11.11 Also worth noting that growth for the whole of 2011 was revised down from a forecasted 0.9pc to 0.8pc by the ONS.
Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor, says the GDP figures show "the case for a change of course and a real plan for jobs and growth in next month's Budget is growing by the day".
Since George Osborne's spending review the economy has grown by just 0.2% compared to the 3.0% the government predicted. And far from the eurozone crisis being to blame, only rising exports kept us out of recession last year.
In the USA, where the government has taken a more balanced and steady approach to deficit reduction, their economy has more than recovered all the output lost in the global recession, while in Britain we are still almost 4% below our pre-crisis peak," he said.
10.39 Italy's bond sale has gone well: its zero-coupon two-year bond fell to 3.01pc, its lowest level since May. The country sold €4.5bn in zero-coupon and inflation-linked bonds.
10.18 Given the 0.8pc decline in manufacturing output contained in those GDP figures, I wonder if the Chancellor will come under any pressure to reverse his decision to slash 'capital allowances', a tax break designed to stimulate investment by manufacturers, from April. The message from the Government is about inspiring a "march of the makers" but some manufacturers have questioned the Coalition's commitment to that pledge given the move to cut a tax concession designed to encourage business investment by 75pc.
There was some decent news with consumer spending growing for the first time since the third quarter of 2010 and by a decent 0.5pc quarter-on-quarter, as well as exports seeing very decent growth of 2.3pc quarter-on-quarter despite GDP contraction of 0.3pc quarter-on-quarter in the Eurozone."
09.36 The contraction was down to companies slashing investment, the data shows, as higher consumer spending and export growth failed to counteract the apparent lack of business confidence.
09.33 The UK growth figures are out: fourth quarter GDP remains unchanged at -0.2pc, the second official estimate from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) confirms. This follows the 'flash' estimate given last month.
09.29 Unsurprisingly, Lloyds has been the biggest faller in the FTSE 100 so far this morning, down 2.8pc.
09.16 More money printing could be on the cards at the Bank of England: Paul Fisher, a member of the monetary policy committee, says he's open-minded on the possibility of a further boost to the Bank's quantitative easing programme.
The outlook for the economy is incredibly uncertain. If anything I feel slightly more comfortable about the inflation outlook than the outlook for growth. At this moment in time I would have a completely open mind going into the next round as to whether we would want to do more QE or not," he told City AM.
There's some debate as to how meaningful those numbers are, however. Banks are allowed to use the capacity they have made available to lend rather than the sum actually lent, although Lloyds' net lending grew, which was not the case across the industry.
08.48 More gloomy figures from Lloyds to accompany those losses (see 07.25) - it expects unemployment to rise to 9pc in 2013.
While the outlook for the UK economy remains uncertain, and vulnerable to developments in the eurozone, we believe the most likely scenario is for further weakness in the first half of 2012 followed by a relatively modest recovery in the second half, resulting in broadly flat real GDP for the year as a whole, with further modest recovery in 2013.
Cheery. It also expects the Bank of England base rate to remain at 0.5pc into next year.
08.33 Never mind the bail-out, where's the 'solidarity'? An interesting piece in this morning's Financial Times says solidarity - an expression which "belongs to the soggy (to Anglo-Saxon minds) consensualism of social market capitalism and to prophets of European unity" - has "dissolved".
Two things are needed if Greece is to avoid catastrophic economic and social collapse. They apply whether it stays in or leaves the euro. The first is sufficient political resolve within Greece to reform radically the state and economy; the second is a reciprocal willingness among other Europeans to foot a sizeable bill for the failures and fraud of past Greek governments. The pertinent question is whether such a bargain is available. The omens are not encouraging. Behind the name-calling that marks out Greece's relationship with its eurozone partners lies a complete breakdown of trust.
08.15 The oil price has continued its amazing run - Brent crude was trading above $124 a barrel earlier this morning, and is up 0.3pc at $123.96.
Tensions with Iran over its nuclear programme, which has seen countries in Europe and Asia seek other sources of oil, and signs of a strengthening US economy are both driving up the price.
Today's gains follow a strong rise yesterday, when crude reached a record high in sterling and euros.
The rising price comes at a perilous moment for Europe, which only this week agreed a bailout package for Greece and is still in a fragile state. The European Commission said on Tuesday that the EU would fail to grow this year and the eurozone is expected to experience a mild recession.
Last year, falling oil prices helped convince central banks that growth was on the cards in 2012. A rise in the cost of oil is likely to deliver a further blow to consumer confidence.
The FTSE 100 was up 0.2pc at 5,947.7 points shortly after markets opened.
Lloyds income was also down 10pc to £21.1bn which the bank put down to "subdued lending demand". Will that be interpreted as a lack of demand, or a lack of appetite by the bank to lend? The bank's impairment charge fell 26pc to £9.8bn.
07.45 UK shares are set to open higher this morning, with the futures market predicting the FTSE 100 will open up 0.4pc at 5939.
07.35 There are also some fairly gloomy predictions this morning from former Bank of England rate-setter Andrew Sentance.
The conditions which supported the period of growth which ended with the financial crisis are not set to return quickly. There are parallels with the disappointing growth the 1970s and early 1980s.
07.25 Lloyds Banking Group's results are out this morning and the bank has followed RBS yesterday in turning in a loss - the bank lost £3.5bn for 2011, down from a profit of £281m the previous year.
Lloyds also said it expects revenues in 2012 to decline.
07.20 Germany has also put out fourth-quarter growth figures this morning - showing its economy shrank by 0.2pc (snap with Britain!) in the last three months of 2011, down from growth of 0.6pc in the third quarter.
07.15 Coming up this morning, we have fourth-quarter growth figures for the UK - a revision because the first estimate came out in January, which said the economy shrank 0.2pc in last three months of 2011.
That estimate is expected to remain unchanged. We'll have the details at 09.30.
07.10 Mario Draghi, head of the European Central Bank, has given an interview to the Wall Street Journal, the first since the second Greek bailout was agreed earlier this week.
The idea of backtracking on fiscal targets or on fiscal consolidation, and that one would get benefits out of that, is doubtful because the market would immediately react.
"There is no trade-off" between economic reforms and fiscal belt-tightening, he added.
The key to controlling risks lies with the implementation of the program, which has to be flawless.
07.05 Ambrose Evans-Pritchard and Louise Armitstead reported on a new obstacle to resolving the debt crisis - a possible row between Germany and the IMF over the size of the eurozone bailout fund.
The country's ruling parties are to introduce a resolution in parliament blocking any further boost to the EU's bail-out machinery, vastly complicating Greece's rescue package.
The tough stance reflects popular disgust in Germany at escalating demands. Bowing to pressure, Chancellor Merkel's office said an increase in the ESM was "not necessary" since Italian and Spanish bond markets have recovered.
Germany is now on a collision course with world powers, the IMF and even key allies in Europe's AAA-core. The Netherlands and Finland are willing to boost the EU firewall to €750bn.
The IMF has hinted it may cut its share of Greece's €130bn (£110bn) package and warned that its members will not commit $500bn (£318bn) more in funds to ringfence Italy and Spain unless Europe beefs up its rescue scheme.
07.00 Good morning and welcome back to our live coverage of the eurozone debt crisis. | {
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The author of the Printz Honor winner, The Passion of Dolssa, returns with another spectacular teen read. In a novel wrapped with the attention of the Greek gods Aphrodite, Ares and Hephaestus, a love story for the ages is told. The story is set during World War I and moves from England to France and directly into the trenches and fog of war. It is the story of Hazel and James, two people who found one another right before James is being shipped off to the front. Without even a kiss to say goodbye, the two are separated. Hazel joins the YMCA volunteers in France, intent to offer her music to the troops as a way of staying close to James. There she meets Colette, a Belgian girl who lost her entire family and fiance to the Germans as they razed her town. Aubrey is an African-American pianist who shares his love of music on the sly with Hazel and Colette and eventually falls hard for Colette. Still, they are in the midst of a war in the early part of the 20th century, so racism and danger is everywhere. As the couples are separated, it is clear they may never find one another again.
Berry has created a pure delight of a book. I lingered over this one, not wanting it to end and yet rather desperate to find out what happens to all of the characters. Berry creates characters who are deep and interesting. In this book, she uses music and architecture to create shared languages that bring people together. Her use of the Greek gods to tell the tale is particularly effective, giving the story a sense of dread that one of these beloved characters will be lost in the war.
Berry's writing is exquisite. Even as she creates a quintessential romance on the pages, there is nothing fluffy about it. Each moment, each kiss, each long look filled with meaning is given space and a sense of importance. The book is written so that one feels along with the characters, understands falling in love and doing it again and again as life deals new blows.
An incredible piece of historical fiction. This is one of the best of the year. Appropriate for ages 14-adult.
An Alaska-themed bedtime story, this picture book matches gorgeous illustrations with rhyming verse. A boy makes a nighttime wish that he could fly and a raven appears at his window, ready to carry him away. The boy climbs on his back and they fly together, seeing all sorts of Alaskan wildlife along the way, such as wolves, ptarmigan, bears, and sea lions. For awhile, the boy flies on his own near eagles, then a snowy owl takes him even further on his journey. The northern lights appear in the sky, and the boy floats with the colors and the stars. Then the raven returns to fly him back to bed just as dawn begins to break.
Hartman's poetry is rhyming and gentle. She takes readers on a beautiful journey through her native state, allowing them to see the incredible animals and natural features that make Alaska so special. Throughout, the child is enjoying his flight and in control of his journey through the sky. There is a sense of thrill and joy as he makes his way.
The art in the book is exceptional. Done in linocuts, the illustrations are dramatic and very effective. With the darkest of black backgrounds, the stars, animals and northern lights shine like lanterns on the page. The images have a feel of mythology and honor nature.
A unique look at Alaskan wildlife and nature. Appropriate for ages 3-5. | {
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Fear is keeping traders on the sidelines of the latest pharma mega-deals. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries is offering $40 billion for Mylan, which has put $33.5 billion on the table for Perrigo. These would usually be catnip for M&A punters. But recent failures have made them skittish. And these two hostile battles come with cross-border complexity, antitrust and a poison pill. No wonder arbs are wary.
The overall logic behind Teva's and Mylan's moves looks sound. Recent tie-ups among generic and specialty drugmakers have been replete with large cost cuts and increased pricing power. Teva, for example, reckons it could save $2 billion a year by owning Mylan.
Both deals dangle juicy spreads, too. Mylan's proposal to Perrigo is 17 percent above the current price, while Teva's offer is 8 percent higher.
On the face of it, that should have arb traders salivating. After all, event-driven funds received $3.8 billion of new money to put to work in the first quarter, according to Hedge Fund Research. And they have some making up to do. Last year a number of failed deals hit them hard – including AbbVie-Shire and Twenty-First Century Fox and Time Warner. These depressed returns for merger arbitrage funds to 3.47 percent over the past year, compared with 4.17 percent for the average hedge fund.
Trouble is, both deals are replete with potential pitfalls. First, American, Irish, Dutch and Israeli securities law are all involved. National politics may come into play, too – Teva is regarded as an Israeli gem, for example.
Then there are antitrust issues. Mylan and Teva have developed versions of the other's biggest product, and the combined firm would control about a quarter of the American generic market. Mylan cited these concerns in a scathing public rejection to Teva's offer.
Mylan also has a potential deal-killer called a stichting – a Dutch independent foundation consisting of all stakeholders in a company that has the power to block hostile takeovers.
Betting on a Mylan-Perrigo marriage has its own issues. The large spread is in part the result of Teva's bid inflating Mylan's stock. And if the deal goes far enough to be put to a vote, Mylan's shareholders may reject the deal to avoid paying over the odds.
Going long Perrigo and short Mylan, for example, would be a disaster if Mylan ended up in Teva's arms. The risk of another Arbageddon looks too much for most traders.
Mylan announced on April 27 that it has rejected Teva Pharmaceutical Industries' unsolicited $40 billion offer for the company. Teva submitted its $82-a-share cash-and-stock bid on April 21.
Mylan said on April 24 that it would commence a formal, binding $33.5 billion hostile offer for Perrigo. The generic drugmaker had already made a non-binding offer on April 8. It is offering $60 a share in cash and 2.2 of its shares for each share of its rival. Perrigo rejected the offer. | {
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7/01/2014 TTP
Tortoise Pipeline & Energy Fund, Inc. Provides Unaudited Balance Sheet Information and Asset Coverage Ratio Update as of June 30, 2014
Tortoise Pipeline & Energy Fund, Inc. Provi...
LEAWOOD, Kan.-- July 01, 2014 (BUSINESS WIRE) --Tortoise Pipeline & Energy Fund, Inc. (NYSE: TTP) today announced that as of June 30, 2014, the company's unaudited total assets were approximately $492.1 million and its unaudited net asset value was $402.3 million, or $40.16 per share.
As of June 30, 2014, the company was in compliance with its asset coverage ratios under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act) and basic maintenance covenants. The company's asset coverage ratio under the 1940 Act with respect to senior securities representing indebtedness was 680 percent, and its coverage ratio for preferred shares was 557 percent. For more information on calculation of coverage ratios, please refer to the company's most recent applicable prospectus.
Set forth below is a summary of the company's unaudited balance sheet at June 30, 2014 and a summary of its top 10 holdings.
Unaudited balance sheet
(in Millions) Per Share
Investments $ 491.2 $ 49.04
Cash and Cash Equivalents 0.1 0.01
Other Assets 0.8 0.08
Total Assets 492.1 49.13
Short-Term Borrowings 23.1 2.31
Senior Notes 49.0 4.89
Preferred Stock 16.0 1.60
Total Leverage 88.1 8.80
Other Liabilities 1.7 0.17
Net Assets $ 402.3 $ 40.16
10.02 million common shares currently outstanding.
Top 10 holdings (as of June 30, 2014)
% of
Securities(1)
Williams Companies, Inc. $ 54.3 11.0 %
Spectra Energy Corp. 43.2 8.8 %
ONEOK, Inc. 42.6 8.7 %
NiSource, Inc. 25.7 5.2 %
Targa Resources Corp. 23.3 4.7 %
Kinder Morgan Management, LLC 20.5 4.2 %
Enbridge Energy Management, LLC 20.4 4.2 %
Enterprise Products Partners, L.P. 12.8 2.6 %
CenterPoint Energy, Inc. 12.7 2.6 %
Enbridge, Inc. 12.7 2.6 %
Total $ 268.2 54.6 %
(1) Percent of Investments and Cash Equivalents
TTP provides update on quarterly portfolio allocation reporting
Effective in July, to further enhance its transparency to stockholders, TTP intends to update its portfolio allocation within 3 weeks of each fiscal quarter end. The information will be available on TTP's webpage through its fact sheet.
About Tortoise Pipeline & Energy Fund, Inc.
Tortoise Pipeline & Energy Fund, Inc. (NYSE: TTP) is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company that seeks to obtain a high level of total return with an emphasis on current distributions. TTP invests primarily in equity securities of pipeline companies that transport natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), crude oil and refined products and, to a lesser extent, in other energy infrastructure companies.
Tortoise Capital Advisors, L.L.C. is an investment manager specializing in listed energy investments. As of May 31, 2014, the adviser had approximately $17.2 billion of assets under management in NYSE-listed closed-end investment companies, open-end funds and other accounts. For more information, visit www.tortoiseadvisors.com.
This press release contains certain statements that may include "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are "forward-looking statements." Although the Company and Tortoise Capital Advisors believe the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, and these expectations may prove to be incorrect. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in the Company's reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Other than as required by law, the Company and Tortoise Capital Advisors do not assume a duty to update any forward-looking statement.
Pam Kearney, (866) 362-9331
[email protected] | {
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Taylor's University is Top 90 in Asia
SUBANG JAYA, Malaysia, Nov. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Taylor's University continues to break barriers as the institution is now ranked 89 in Asia according to the latest QS Asia University Rankings 2021 exercise. Rising 90 ranks since 2016, the University made positive strides in Academic Reputation, Employer Reputation, Internationalisation and Faculty -- Student ratio.
Taylor's University Vice Chancellor and President, Professor Michael Driscoll, shared that the institution's sterling QS ranking performance was a result of radical administrative and curriculum reforms.
Taylor's University Vice Chancellor and President, Professor Michael Driscoll shared that the institution was anticipating this achievement following an outstanding year in various QS rankings exercises. Taylor's University kicked off 2020 by attaining the top private university in Malaysia and Southeast Asia position in the QS World University Rankings 2021. Following that, the institution broke into the QS Top 50 Under 50 2021, making it the only Malaysian private university to be ranked within the coveted Top 50 Under 50. The achievements are the results of a massive team effort at Taylor's and close engagement with industry partners.
"Despite the unprecedented pandemic, our vision of radical administrative and curriculum reforms has served us well, as we accelerated our digitalisation efforts to pave the way for innovation in teaching and learning. Our online learning, which has ensured learning continuity for our students throughout the government enforced campus closure, was subsequently awarded the QS 5 Stars rating. Following this, we will continue to push forward with our Borderless Learning concept and a unique ecosystem that future-proofs our graduates with intellectual knowledge, emotional capacities and entrepreneurial creativity to tackle the challenging job market," said Professor Driscoll.
The institution's Borderless Learning initiative, via its award-winning Virtual Learning Environment, enables local and international students to attend classes in either face-to-face or online mode, while engaging in discussions and projects virtually. The initiative includes Taylor's Lecture Capture System (ReWIND), Lightboard Technology, a gamification system and hundreds of subject-specific microsites.
Source: Taylor's University
Keywords: Education Higher Education
Taylor's University among the world's top flight in latest QS rankings
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Nexus International School (Singapore) announces issuance of SGD150M of S&P AA-rated bonds
Taylor's University Accelerates Towards Top 100 in Asia
Taylor's Gears Up For The Future
Taylor's University is in the Top 1% in the world
Hang Lung Collaborates with The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology to Foster Young Mathematics Talents
New Oriental Announces Appointment of Mr. Zhihui Yang as Executive President
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Puxin's Chairman and CEO Completed Purchases of 3,478,542 Ordinary Shares
CES 2021 AI-powered Language Platform Glossika Raises the Bar for Online Learning as the World Normalizes the Use of Mobile Devices and PCs in Education | {
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NORWALK, Conn. — Xerox Corp. said Monday that a pension fund hasdropped a lawsuit over provisions in the copier company's purchase ofAffiliated Computer Services Inc. that would have made it tough for abetter buyout offer to succeed.
Xerox said the plaintiffs, Cityof St. Clair Shores Police and Fire Retirement System in Michigan,ended the litigation after the copier company agreed to removeroadblocks to a superior offer for ACS.
Xerox agreed that if theACS board receives a better offer to its $5.6 billion cash-and-stockbid for ACS, the copier company will not require ACS Chairman DarwinDeason to vote his shares in favor of Xerox.
The previousagreement would have forced Deason to give half of his votes to supportthe Xerox bid. He controls a 44 percent of the votes at ACS.
Xerox also won't force ACS to hold a shareholders meeting to vote on the Xerox bid but instead end the merger if requested.
The lawsuit was filed in October in Dallas County, Texas. A separate shareholder class action lawsuit is pending in Delaware. | {
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Brazil, in law and in practice, provides a good deal of direct public funding to parties during campaigns. Indirect funding, in the form of free access to advertising on public and private media, is equitably provided to both parties and candidates. Non-financial state resources, in spite of a ban on their use during campaigns, are often deployed for electoral gain. With the exception of cash donations, most forms of contribution are subject to a limit, but expenditure is essentially uncapped, as parties are supposed to set and adhere to their own unique spending limits. This leads to a situation in which parties stipulate extremely high spending limits that enable huge amounts of campaign expenditures. Limits on contributions are often contravened in practice. In law, parties are subject to extensive reporting requirements, and candidates are supposed to report detailed information during campaigns. In practice, political actors often fail to comply with these requirements, and many reports omit contributions. Submitted reports are made available online, but not all are in standardized, machine readable formats. Violations of political finance laws, including vote buying, were frequent during the 2010 elections. The independent activities of third party actors are not regulated, and many such organizations actively participate in campaigning. The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) is charged with monitoring and enforcing political finance laws, and in practice, the TSE is mostly independent, with appointments made based on merit. It has limited capacity due to the scope of its work, but still carries out investigations into violations, and imposes sanctions on violators. However, only some of these sanctions are complied with, and violations continue to occur.
According to the Political Parties' Law 9.096 (Art. 38), political parties receive money from a public fund called "Fundo Partidário" (Party Fund), and they use most of it to finance their candidates during elections (the money is also used to maintain the party itself). Candidates do not receive funding directly.
The same regulations govern all elections in Brazil: Presidential, National Congress, Gubernatorial, States and Federal District Parliaments, Mayors and City Councils.
The "Party Fund" (public money given to parties and used by them to finance their candidates) has a very transparent and equitable mechanism. According to the Political Parties' Law 9.096 (Art. 41-A), it works as follows: 5% of the money is separated for distribution, in equal shares, to all parties who have registered their statutes in the Superior Electoral Court; and the remaining 95% is distributed to them at the proportion of the votes obtained in the last general election for the Chamber of Deputies. The National Treasury deposits monthly apportionments, and each party's share is published on the oversight authority's website (www.tse.jus.br), according to the Political Parties' Law 9.096, Art. 40.
The air time on TV and radio (paid by the state via tax compensations) is similarly divided: 1/3 is separated for equal distribution to all parties; the remaining 2/3 is distributed at the proportion of the number of representatives in the last general election for the Chamber of Deputies (Elections Law - 9.504, Art. 47).
Other relevant source: Parties' monthly installments per year. Link: http://www.tse.jus.br/partidos/fundo-partidario (Click in "Distribuição em 2014" and/or "Distribuição em anos anteriores" for previews years).
In practice, the mechanism to determine direct public funding for electoral campaigns is indeed transparent, equitable and consistently applied: 1) The resources for the fund itself are guaranteed by law -- there is no risk of the state running out of money and not allocating funds for parties in a given year; 2) there are no exceptions, and each party receives their share according to the law.
"I do not know any case of problems with allocation of the Party Fund. The legislation is very well defined, specially when compared to other countries, where sometimes not even the whole amount is defined by law", says Bruno Speck, professor at University of Sao Paulo.
There are no news regarding misallocation or exceptions made for specific parties. According to a news article published by Contas Abertas, a Brazilian watchdog group that scrutinizes public budgets, everything is distributed according to the law.
Even newly-created parties are entitled to receive money from the Party Fund, as shows a news article published at O Estado S.Paulo, one of Brazil's most important newspapers.
As explained in indicators 1 and 2, no public funding is distributed to candidates.
Bruno Wilhelm Speck, professor at University of Sao Paulo and specialist in political financing. Date of the interview: August 1st 2014.
The information is publicly available less than one month after disbursement, at the Superior Electoral Court's website. For instance: the money disbursed in the beginning of August is already published by August 26th.
Parties' monthly installments per year: Link: http://www.tse.jus.br/partidos/fundo-partidario (Click in "Distribuição em 2014" and/or "Distribuição em anos anteriores" for previews years).
Claudio Weber Abramo, head of Transparencia Brasil, a nonprofit watchdog group that fights corruption; Date of the interview: July 30th 2014.
Use of state resources in favor of candidates or parties is strictly prohibited. According to the Elections Law, public agents are forbidden to: "I) transfer or use, for the benefit of a candidate, political party or coalition, movable or immovable property belonging to the direct or indirect administration at the Federal, State, Federal District, Territory or Municipality government levels, except for holding party Conventions"; "II) II - use materials or services paid for by Governments or Legislative Houses that exceed the prerogatives enshrined in the regulations and standards of the bodies that compose them"; "III - allocate public servants or employees of the direct or indirect administration of the Executive Branch at the federal, state or municipal levels, (or use such civil servant or employee's services) to work for electoral campaign committees of a candidate, political party or coalition during normal business hours, except whether the civil servant or employee is on leave from his/her position"; "IV - make or allow promotional use of the free distribution of goods and services of social nature paid or subsidized by the Government in favor of a candidate, political party or coalition"; "V - appoint, hire or otherwise admit, dismiss without cause, remove or retroactively alter advantages or otherwise hinder or prevent functional exercise, and also, ex officio, remove, transfer or dismiss a public servant in the election district during the three months that precede the inauguration of those elected and until such inauguration, under penalty of nullity of the right to take office" (with some exceptions)". "VI - in the three months preceding the election: a) conduct voluntary transfers of federal funds to states and municipalities, and from states to municipalities, under penalty of nullity under the law, except for the resources earmarked to meet preexisting formal obligation to perform ongoing works or services with prefixed schedules, as well as those intended to meet public emergency and calamity situations; b) with the exception of advertising of products and services that have market competition, authorize institutional advertising of acts, programs, public works, services and campaigns by federal, state or municipal public agencies or by indirect administration entities, except in cases of serious and urgent public need thus recognized by the Electoral Justice; c) make pronouncements on radio and television stations outside of free electoral publicity time, except when considered, at the discretion of the Electoral Court, an urgent, relevant and characteristic matter of government functions"; "VII - realize expenses with advertising for federal, state or municipal agencies or their indirect administration entities during the term fixed in the previous section which exceed the average spending in the three years preceding the election or the last year before the election. VIII - to conduct a general review, within the jurisdiction of the election, of the remuneration earned by civil servants which exceeds the recovery of losses made throughout the election year, beginning on the deadline established in Article 7 of this Law and until inauguration of those elected."
There is evidence of the use of state resources in favor of political parties and individual candidates' electoral campaigns.
Since no entity collects this kind of data, it is not possible to provide the exact number of lawsuits or impeachments caused by the ilegal use of state resources. However, according to the Regional Electoral Court of the state of Sao Paulo eight mayors were impeached after the last municipal elections (2012) due to the use of state resources in electoral campaigns (see attached file). There are 645 cities in Sao Paulo, which means that more than 1% of mayors were impeached for that reason. This sort of issue crops up all over Brazil. In the South region, for instance, there are news about city counselors impeached for that reason (see sources). In the Southeast, North and Northeast regions, several news articles report the impeachment of small cities' mayors for using state resources.
According to Silvana Batini, the misuse of state resources during elections occur in both national and subnational levels, but the situation is worst in the cities, since they have less infrastructure to enforce the law and curb this kind of behavior.
The Elections Attorney José Alfredo Silva says the same in a news article (see sources). "What worries me the most is the situation in municipalities, because there is no oversight by the press, as happens in the capital of the state. There is no exposure. I worry about that habit of supporting party allies and political godfathers". He adds this, regarding the 2012 elections (for mayors and city councilors): "We saw sad episodes in the 2012 election of using government resources in favor of candidates trying re-election or in favor of political allies. I fear this may happen again this year , even in smaller scale, to support a particular candidate, a parliamentary that supports the region. I think we should remain attentive to that." Politicians misuse state resources for their own benefit also during national elections In Rio de Janeiro, several state representatives running for reelection in 2014 are accused of using social centers during 2010's elections (last national elections) to gain votes. Two candidates for state governments in 2014's elections were impeached por using state resources in previous mandates as governors trying reelection: Cassio Cunha Lima, from the state of Paraiba (Northeast of Brazil), and Marcelo Miranda, from the state of Tocantins (Central region of Brazil). Both of them commited the crime in the 2006's elections, were impeached in 2009 and are trying to be reelected in 2014.
There are news articles about the use of state resources by the president Dilma Rousseff, who seeks reelection in 2014's elections. According to a news article published at Folha de S.Paulo, government officials are being gathered told to help Dilma with her campaign. Also according to the article, though, officials were told to not use state resources (such as cars) in the campaigning.
Peer reviewer comment: Agree. In the 2014 elections, president Dilma Rousseff, of the Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT, Worker's Party), up for reelection, was accused of using the mail services (Correios) in an illegal manner. 4,8 million campaign pamphlets were distributed without an official stamp that would indicate how many pamphlets actually reached citizens – this, according to lawyers interviewed by journalists (see links 1 and 2 below), constitutes, at the very least, an administrative irregularity and may harm political competition. I sincerely doubt, however, that this will make a dent in the upcoming October 5 elections.
President Rousseff has also been accused of using the presidential plane (equivalent to Air Force One) to carry out campaign events. Article 76 of the Electoral Law mandates that her campaign should pay for the use of the plane, which might occur after the election takes place (see link 3).
Gubernatorial candidate Geraldo Alckmin (PSDB) in São Paulo is also being accused, in these 2014 elections, of illegal use of state resources. Alckmin illegaly inaugurated public works in July 2014 (see link 4).
Interview: Silvana Batini, appellate federal prosecutor and professor of electoral law at FGV. Date of the interview: August 14th 2014.
According to sections 47 and 99 of the Elections Law, all registered political parties and candidates have access to free air time for electoral campaigns, and the slots are distributed in a transparent and equitable way.
Radio stations, television networks and pay-TV broadcasters have to reserve slots during the forty-five days prior to two days before the election for network-wide advertising of the free electoral publicity. The slots are distributed in the following manner: 1/3 is separated for distribution to all registered parties, and 2/3 is distributed at the proportion of the number of Representatives at the Chamber of Deputies. The air time both on the TV and on the radio is free for parties and candidates, but paid by the state via tax benefits given to stations, networks, and broadcasters.
Radio stations, television networks and pay-TV broadcasters have to reserve slots during the forty-five days prior to two days before the election for network-wide advertising of the free electoral publicity. The slots are distributed in the following manner: 1/3 is separated for distribution to all registered parties, and 2/3 is distributed at the proportion of the number of Representatives at the Chamber of Deputies. The air time both on the TV and on the radio is free for parties and candidates, but paid by the state via tax benefits given to stations, networks, and broadcasters. Sources demonstrate that the mandates of the law are strictly followed in practice.
"In practice, the free access to air time is indeed calculated according to the criteria established in the Electoral Law", says the lawyer Stella Santo, who has been working as a lawyer to many Workers' Party (PT)'s electoral campaigns. "If the calculation is somehow wrong, the aggrieved party can make a claim. There is no way of not meeting the standards set by law here."
According to the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), the calculation for distribution of time between parties and coalitions is made by a software developed by the TSE itself and adopted by all Regional Electoral Courts.
There are no instances from within the period of study of parties or candidates complaining about the slot distribution, which is made objectively, with the participation of all the involved actors and widely published on the news, as shown by the fashion in which the sitting president will receive twice as much air time as her challengers in the upcoming presidential elections.
Peer reviewer comment: Agree. In Brazil, there is a big problem regarding the use of TV and radio concessions/licenses by politicians. According to the website "Donos da Mídia", 271 brazilian politicians are owners of TV or radio stations. This means that, during municipal elections especially, they are able to use their media outlets in order to campaign. In federal elections, this means that mayors, state deputies and federal deputies might also use this resource. This has been documented by scholar Venício Lima. However, there are no such examples from within the period of study, nor is there clear evidence that the situation described by the researcher above is incorrect.
In the 2014 elections, at least in the state of São Paulo, nothing has been written about this to my knowledge.
Interview: Stella Santo, lawyer with experience working at PT (Workers' Party)'s campaigns. Date of the interview: August 14th and 15th 2014.
There is no ban on cash donations, though all contributions shall be made deposited in a designated bank account. Thus, cash deposits to candidates' or political parties' accounts are allowed. These cash donations shall be duly identified.
According to the Article 22 of the Elections Law, both parties and candidates have to open a specific bank account to record all the financial transactions effected during the campaign; donations of financial resources shall only be deposited in these accounts. According to the Article 23 of the same Law, transfers shall be done by means of: crossed and nominal checks or wire transfer; identified cash deposits; web donation via website maintained by the candidate, party or coalition, which may even allow the use of credit card.
Unidentified donations can not be used by candidates or parties, and shall be transferred to the National Treasury, according to the Resolution 23.406 (Art. 29). For a donation to be considered properly identified it has to display the name of the donor and his id: CPF (Taxpayer ID) for individuals, and CNPJ (National Registry of Legal Entities) for companies.
In-kind donations can be done and shall be reported as any other donation (with the estimated cash amount of the good or service donated). The goods and services donated have to be part of the economic activity of the donor or be owned by him/her (Resolution 23.406, art. 23). They are under the same restrictions as financial contributions and shall be reported in the rendering of accounts to the Electoral Justice along with any other types of donation (Article 24 of Elections Law).
Services given by donors must be a product of their usual economic activities, and goods given or leased must be part of the donor's properties (Article 23 of the Elections Law).
All money loans to candidates used in the campaign shall be reported and subjected to the same restrictions as donations, according to the Resolution 23.406 (Art. 26). They are considered "self-donations". There is no legal reference to loans to parties.
Peer reviewer comment: Agree. According to TSE (Tribunal Superior Eleitoral) Resolution 23.406-2014, all loans acquired by candidates will be considered "self-donations" if applied to the campaign. This means that if candidate Luiz gets a bank loan of R$ 400,000 and applies it to his campaign, he must report this "self-donation" to the TSE.
Donations and contributions to parties and candidates are limited to up to ten per cent (10%) of the gross income earned by the donor in the year before the elections, according to the Elections Law 9.504 (Art. 23) and to the Resolution 23.406 (Art. 25). There is no fixed limited amount equally valid for all donors; the limit varies from donor to donor, according to his personal income. This means that though a limit exists, rich donors may contribute vastly more than less wealthy citizens.
Donations and contributions are are limited to two percent (2%) of gross revenue earned in the year preceding the elections, according to the Elections Law 9.504 (Art. 81) and to the Resolution 23.406 (Art. 25). But there is no fixed limited amount equally valid to all corporations, the limit varies from company to company, according to its gross revenues.
According to the Elections Law (Article 24), political parties and candidates are prohibited to receive, either directly or indirectly, any kind of donation from foreign entity or government. The same prohibition appears in the Article 28 of 2014's National Elections Resolution published by TSE.
According to Article 24 of the Elections Law, political parties and candidates are prohibited to receive, either directly or indirectly, cash donations or estimated cash amounts, including by means of publicity of any kind, that explicitly originate from the following third-party actors: professional associations or unions; not-for-profit legal entities that receive funds from abroad; entities devoted to charity and religious affairs; sports organizations; non-governmental organizations that receive public funds; and civil society organizations of public interest.
According to the Elections Law (Art. 17), the spending limits shall be stipulated by Electoral Justice by June 10th of each electoral year. In the case of the Electoral Justice failing to do so, a self-regulating model is established: each party estimates how much each candidate will spend (by position and state) and then this estimation becomes the party's expenditure limit. Thus, there is no maximum amount valid for everyone. For instance, the party X establishes that their candidates to the Chamber of Deputies elected in Sao Paulo will spend a maximum of R$ 700.000 -- and then each of Sao Paulo candidates must, by the law, respect that limit.
The Electoral Justice has never published a limit to campaign spending valid to all participants. Thus, during every election there is only the described self-regulating model.
Peer reviewer comment: Agree. The researcher's description of the law's stance on expenditure limits is correct. Candidates adhere to the spending limit specified by the party because the limit is usually grossly overestimated. There is no punishment for this, nor is there a quick and easy way of knowing when the party puts forth a non-credible limit.
The same regulations govern all elections in Brazil: Presidential, National Congress, Gubernatorial, States and Federal District Parliaments, Mayors and City Councils, as it is stated in the first article of the Elections Law (nº 9.504).
Fernando Neves, former minister of the Superior Electoral Court. Date of the interview: August 12th 2014.
Marlon Reis, electoral judge in Maranhao and active lobbyist for the Clean Slate Bill (2011). Date of the interview: August 19 2014.
Electoral campaigns in Brazil are funded by: private actors (companies' and individuals' donations), parties (via Party Fund and other party resources), and candidates themselves (via self-finance), according to Resolution nº 23.406, Article 19.
The predominant source of funding in the last national electoral campaign (2010) came from corporate donations, which represented almost 60% of all resources. The corporate donations are very concentrated in only a few actors. Considering only the Presidential elections, there were 712 corporate donors; 5% of them (36 of 712) were responsible for 62% of all corporate donations (R$ 401 millions of R$ 648 millions).
"Others" refer to methods used by parties to generate campaign funds, such as commercialization of goods and services; events held by parties/candidates; investments. According to Stella Bruno Santo, a lawyer with large experience in political campaigns from PT, a common example of party's strategies for generating campaign funds is holding dinner parties. The candidate or the party itself communicates the event to the Electoral Justice, who will send agents to verify the veracity of the event. The candidate or party will charge for the invitations and get electoral receipts, reporting the money as individual donations.
Peer reviewer comment: Agree - In the 2014 elections, three companies were, as of September, responsible for 39% of donations for the presidential race. They are food processing company JBS S.A. and construction companies OAS and Andrade Gutierrez.
According to a recent Journal of Politics article by Taylor Boas and colleagues, construction companies that finance federal deputy campaigns are hired by government (at all levels).
As for food processing company JBS, it has received more than R$ 10 billion over the last few years from government bank BNDES.
Brazil's Superior Electoral Court (TSE) centralizes all information about donation and expenditure and hands it to the "Brazilian IRS" (Receita Federal). TSE itself will check expenditures limits -- limits are self imposed by candidates in the act of registration; TSE's job is to check if the reported expeditures are below the limit previously declared by the candidate.
The Receita Federal will cross the data with financial reports from donors (individuals and companies) to see if there were any violations regarding donation limits. The Receita will communicate any violation to the state representation of the Electoral Public Prosecutor's Office (the state in which the donor is based), who will file charges in the Electoral Justice system.
According to Eron Júnior Vieira Pessoa, head of the Advisory Council for Examination of Campaign and Party Accounts at TSE, the most common violations are extrapolation of contribution limits and of expenditure limits; data inconsistencies (wrong IDs of donors, for instance), and irregularities such as receiving donations before the registry of the candidature (which is forbidden by law).
Election Oversight Commissions check both the accounts of candidates to City Hall and City Council and the accounts of municipal-level party directories; Regional Electoral Courts check the accounts of state-level party directories and the accounts of candidates to be State Governors, Senators, Federal Congressmen, State Representatives and District Representatives; The Superior Electoral Court checks the accounts of Presidencial candidates and national party directories.
Hence, data about how many violations were detected in a given national election is extremely difficult to gather.
The Prosecutor General's Office accused 106 companies and 60 individuals for violating contribution limits in the 2010 Presidential elections One single company called Copersucar was fined more than R$ 40 million ($18 million); another one, a bank called Alvorada, was fined more than R$ 45 million ($ 20 million).
Further, in the last elections for City Hall and City Council (2012), there were more than 800 cases of violations of donation limits.
Peer reviewer comment: Agree -Another example of contribution violations after January 2013 is of the company Tratenge Engenharia, which was fined R$ 7 million for donating more than the legal limit in the 2010 elections.
Interview: Eron Júnior Vieira Pessoa, head of the Advisory Council for Examination of Campaign and Party Accounts at the Superior Electoral Court (TSE). Date of the interview: August 8th 2014.
Political parties have to report itemized contributions and expenditures both during and outside electoral campaign periods. Candidates have to report only during electoral campaigns -- but candidates only exist as political actors during electoral campaigns.
Political parties are required to annually submit to the Electoral Courts their accounting statements with itemized contributions and expenditures for the last fiscal year no later than April 30 of the following year. The accounting statements of the national body shall be submitted to the Superior Electoral Courts, those of the state bodies to the Regional Electoral Courts and those of the municipal bodies to the Electoral Judges. In elections years, the parties must submit monthly accounting statements to the Electoral Courts during the four months preceding the election and the two months subsequent to it.
Candidates can only receive donations and spend money during the campaign period, after they do their registration, open a specific bank acount and issue receipts (Resolution 23.406, Art. 3).
Peer reviewer comment: Agree. Candidates are indeed legally prohibited from receiving donations and making expenditures outside of the campaign season. They can only receive donations after getting a 'CNPJ' (Cadastro Nacional de Pessoa Jurídica) and opening a bank account specifically for the campaign. After the campaign, however, this account stays open in order to pay debts, and has no specific date for closing. So an elected politician could conceivably use this to receive donations outside of the campaign season.
Financial donations to political parties are a legal loophole that allows candidates to receive donations prior to their registration as candidates. If a company wants to give money to a candidate, it can donate to the candidate's party – which would then forward the amount to the candidate. This is especially enticing for companies that do not want to be identified as donors for specific candidates.
Financial reports submitted during campaigns must contain itemized lists of contributions and expenditures. It is very common.
The electoral campaign starts on July 5th (Election Law, Art. 36), and the final rendering accounts shall be presented one month after elections, by November 25th (Resolution 23.406, Art. 38). Thus, the official election period is 143 days. During electoral campaign, political parties and candidates must submit two partial reports and a final one -- thus, three in total.
Therefore, financial reports must be submitted once every 47 days (143 days divided by three). As such, parties and candidates are not required to report their financial information on a monthly basis (every 30 days).
Outside electoral campaign periods, political parties are required to submit reports to the Electoral Courts only on a yearly basis (the accounting statements for the last fiscal year should be submitted no later than April 30th of the following year). Candidates do not have to report outside electoral campaigns -- but candidates only exist as political actors during electoral campaigns (after registration).
In law, parties and candidates are required to submit financial reports approximately once every 47 days during the official campaign season.
Outside electoral campaign periods, political parties are required to submit reports to the Electoral Courts only on a yearly basis (the accounting statements for the last fiscal year should be submitted no later than April 30 of the following year). Candidates do not have to report outside electoral campaigns -- as they only exist as political actors during electoral campaigns.
In practice, both partial and final reports submitted during campaigns include detailed financial information with both itemized contributions and itemized expenditures, as the attached examples demonstrate.
The reports have itemized contributions such as name of the donor, ID, amount, and type of contribution. If the money was donated by a private entity to a party, and the party redistributed it among its candidates, in the candidate's rendering of accounts it has to be published the name of the private entity who gave the original donation.
However, there are several examples of illegal contributions being a common practice. Donations made off the books of course are not reported in the rendering of accounts. This means that all accounts are not reported.
The most famous scandal in recent years was the Mensalao scandal, a scheme in which the ruling party, PT, was giving monthly stipends to congressmen and party leaders for them to approve projects of interest to the Administration. When the scandal began, former President Lula and other PT leaders dismissed it as being "only" a slush fund scheme to finance election campaigns -- which demonstrates how this illegal practice can be seen as something minor or even expected in Brazil.
More recently, Petrobras, Brazil's largest oil company, has been accused of being involved in a large corruption scheme that entails the use of a slush fund for Ms. Rousseff's PT and its coalition parties in Brasília.
Interview: Claudio Weber Abramo, head of Transparencia Brasil, a nonprofit watchdog group that fights corruption; Date of the interview: July 30th 2014.
According to Eron and Stella Santo, all types of legal contribution are reported -- there are no exceptions.
"Estimable cash donations from companies or individuals need to be registered with the estimated value in use during the period, calculated in accordance with the market value. Movable and immovable property need to be part of the donor's assets, and the goods and services donated must be part of the donor's economic activities. A construction company can not, for example, donate paper to a campaign.
For individuals, even if the donor does not have annual income (as, for example, an unemployed or retired person) there are norms to follow: he or she can loan a good (like cars or furnitures), provided the value does not exceed R$ 50,000", says Ms. Stella Santos.
However, there are several reports of illegal contributions -- donations made off the books, "slush funds" --, as stated in the sources. "Slush funds" are campaign funds received illegally, off the books. The money is usually originated in a complex web of public contracts, corrupt bankers, politicians and companies. Probably the most common way of obtaining this sort of money is overestimating how much a public service costs and hiring a company (or a host of companies) to do the job. The company later "repays" the party in office using part of this money. This is completely illegal due to the fact that all funds must be publicly accounted for in every campaign.
More recently, Petrobras, Brazil's largest oil company, has been accused of being envolved in a large corruption scheme that entails the use of a slush fund for Ms. Rousseff's PT and its coalition in Brasília.
Stella Santo, lawyer with experience working at PT (Workers' Party)'s campaigns. Date of the interview: August 14th and 15th 2014.
Example of individual candidate report (see attachment): Final report issued in 2012 by Fortaleza mayor candidate Renato Roseno (of the Socialism and Freedom Party - PSOL).
Parties have to send their monthly and yearly reports, and those documents have to be published online (Resolução nº 21.841, Art. 17, Sole Paragraph).
Citizens can easily access the financial information of all political parties and individual candidates on the Superior Electoral Court's website. Both parties' yearly financial reports (since 2007) and candidates/parties' elections reports are freely available online. However, only election reports are available in machine-readable formats. Indeed, the annual party reports lack standardization and are only available in PDF format (not machine readable).
According to Claudio Weber Abramo, head of the NGO Transparencia Brasil, TSE's election data is very complete, but lacks organization. That's why the NGO maintains a user-friendly platform to access all financial information about candidates and political committees: www.asclaras.org.br.
Claudio Weber Abramo, head of Transparencia Brasil (anti-corruption watchdog); Date of the interview: July 30th 2014.
Election data (candidates' or parties') is available to the public in a standardized format. Yearly parties' financial reports are not, though. "Each party displays information differently and in non-machine-readable formats, but the data is fairly comparable", says Claudio W. Abramo. It is possible to compare general itens (like amount and type of donations).
For instance, the organization of the information (income, expenses) on the 2013 financial reports from PT and PSDB, two of Brazil's most important parties, varies a great deal. But with some time and work it is possible to find the comparable data (one party's surplus compared to the other's, for instance, as is evident in the listed sources.
That said, according to José Roberto de Toledo, president of the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism, the accounts presented by parties outside electoral periods are of relatively poor quality (in PDF format and without standardization). He states, "it is almost impossible to explore these data. Doing so requires a lot of manual labor, which discourages reporters."
José Roberto de Toledo; president of the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism (ABRAJI), journalist and columnist at O Estado de S.Paulo; Date of the interview: July 28th 2014.
Mainstream journalism media outlets -- both national and regional -- use political finance data often in their reporting.
During elections, political parties and candidates must report their financial data to the relevant authorities thrice. For the current campaign period, the first reports were released on August 6th 2014. The next few days after that, all mainstream newspapers published articles about them.
They published information regarding main corporate donors (such as the article "Three companies are responsible for 65% of all contributions given to Presidential candidates", published at Folha); concentration of contributions ("Dilma, Aecio and Campos received 94% of all donations to Presidencial candidates", published at Folha); donations by economic sector ("Dilma is the Presidencial candidate with more donations from agribusiness", at O Estado de S.Paulo) or by parties ("PMDB is the party that received donations the most").
However, as points out José Roberto de Toledo, president of the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism, most journalists are incapable of substantively exploring the data themselves in order to reach new and non-cliche conclusions. Most articles are restricted to lists of candidates who spend the most, biggest donors etc.
"There is a lot of room for improvement. Especially when it comes to training journalists and helping them to explore these databases, crossing them with other kind of data. For instance, crossing corporate donations and contracts these firms have with state-owned companies", says Toledo.
Interview: José Roberto de Toledo; president of the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism (ABRAJI), journalist and columnist at O Estado de S.Paulo; Date of the interview: July 28th 2014.
The most famous scandal in recent years was the Mensalao scandal, a scheme in which the ruling party, PT, was giving monthly stipends to congressmen and party leaders for them to approve projects of interest to the Administration. When the scandal began, former President Lula and other PT leaders dismissed it as being "only" a slush fund scheme to finance election campaigns -- which demonstrates how this ilegal practice can be seen as something minor or even expected in Brazil.
Regarding the most recent national elections (2010), there were several reports about slush funds (campaigns with illict cash books).
Just a few examples: In the state of Goias, a journalist said he received R40.000 ($17,199) from slush funds of the governor Marconi Perillo's reelection campaign; in a hearing at the National Congress, the journalist added that "it is common" to be paid with money from slush funds.
After 2010's national elections, a former appointee of Dnit [National Department of Transport Infrastructure] said that PT and PSDB used slush funds and kickback money to finance their campaigns. Another common violation is the exceeding of contribution limits. In 2010, the Electoral Justice analyzed more than 10.000 cases of ilegal donations.
Peer reviewer comment: Agree. "Slush funds" are campaign funds received illegally, off the books. The money is usually originated in a complex web of public contracts, corrupt bankers, politicians and companies. Probably the most common way of obtaining this sort of money is overestimating how much a public service costs and hiring a company (or a host of companies) to do the job. The company later "repays" the party in office using part of this money. This is completely illegal due to the fact that all funds must be publicly accounted for in every campaign.
Interview: Interview with Claudio Weber Abramo, head of Transparencia Brasil (anti-corruption watchdog); Date of the interview: August 1st 2014.
Regarding the most recent national elections (2010), there were several reports about vote-buying. Though reports were not exactly "frequent", they were definitely more than two.
The examples range from more well-thought schems to more prosaic attempts. For instance: a) Wiretapes revealed that the governor or Roraima was envolved in a vote-buying scheme in 2010: his wife and brother were heard offering cash and social benefits to voters. b) A candidate running for the Senate was publicly accused of paying for the gas of voters if they would agree to participate in car demonstration for his campaign.
Three candidates running for state governments in 2014 elections were already condemned in the past for vote-buying.
In 2012 elections, more than 10 thousand cases were analyzed by the Electoral Justice, and 166 mayors were impeached, according to a news article at Fantastico.
Peer reviewer comment: Disagree. Suggests a score of 0.
Vote buying is rampant in Brazil. A former campaign official for the PSDB told me, anonymously, how the party hired "cabos eleitorais" (ie, fake party members) for US$ 50/day, during three days in the 2010 elections, to vote for a specific candidate and also bring a list of the name and electoral registry of at least ten people who would also vote for the candidate. The candidate in question received more than 6,000 votes in the city in which this strategy took place.
There are at least three states in which vote buying was common in the 2010 elections, as is clear in the articles included below.
Interview with Claudio Weber Abramo, head of Transparencia Brasil (anti-corruption watchdog); Date of the interview: August 1st 2014.
According to experts there is only one NGO that systematically uses officially published financial information as part of its work. The NGO is Transparencia Brasil. It maintains a website called Às Claras -- the website has not only the official data about contributions in a user-friendly platform, but also brings the possibility to explore the submitted data by parties, donors etc. Other organizations refrain from focusing on political finance because of a lack of popular demand for such information.
Interview with José Roberto de Toledo; president of the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism (ABRAJI), journalist and columnist at O Estado de S.Paulo; Date of the interview: July 28th 2014.
In 2006, the Law 11.300/06 added four items to the list of legal entities unable to donate do political parties and candidates: charitable and religious organizations; sports entities; non-governmental organizations that receive public funds and civil society organizations of public interest.
In the face of widespread outrage over the Mensalao Scandal (several irregularities involving politicians and campaign fundraising), in 2006 the same act established a mechanism by which it is possible for the Electoral Court to annul a candidate's registration or diploma, if it is proven that he or she received illegal donations or made illegal expenditures.
Change in the distribution of television and radio airtime's slots and the distribution of the Party Fund (Lei nº 12.875, de 2013). Previously, the calculation considered the number of representatives or votes the party had in the last elections for the Chamber of Representatives. Now the calculation considered the number of representatives actually elected and votes received by the party in the last national elections -- newly-created parties who haven't been through elections will no longer profit from the affiliation of representatives who were elected by a different party. Since it is relatively common for Brazilian politicians to change parties in the middle of legislatures, this measure discourages them from negotiating their migration solely based on the addition of airtime and Party Fund contribution to the new party.
Candidates and parties were required in 2012 to detail donors and suppliers in the partial accounts submitted during elections -- before the change, they were required to do so only in the final redering of accounts. The decision was made in 2012 by the minister Carmem Lúcia based on the Access to Information Law (12,527/10). Now it has already been incorporated to the Election's Law (9,504).
With the Clean Slate Law (Law 135/2010), from 2010, candidates who had been revoked under certain circumstances or sentenced by a decision of a collective body (with more than one judge) for specific irregularities (such as for using state resources in electoral campaigns or for vote-buying) become ineligible for eight years. The ineligibility period counts from the election in which the illegal act occurred.
In 2014, for the first time candidates and political parties had to present the original donor of each contribution. This means that if the company Y donated $ 100 to a party committee, that would later pass part of that amount to the candidate X, in candidate X's rendering of account the name of firm Y has to appear as the "original donor".
One of the hottest topics in political finance regulation in Brazil is the private funding of campaigns. This discussion comes in the aftermath of Brazil's Mensalão scandal, in which politicians and officials diverted public funds to buy political support for the government of the then President Lula. Defendants said the scheme was only a way of paying electoral campaign debts (which is also illegal, as the debts were not made public). This allegation generated debate about the high cost of electoral campaigns, which are fueled by corporate donations.
There are a few bills and a court rulling under debate: a) The Supreme Court is rulling about whether to prohibite corporate donations or not (ADI 4650). The trial started in 2013. b) One of the most important bills under discussion is the PEC 352/13, in the Chamber of Deputies, to create caps for campaign expenditures and to limit corporate donations to parties (not candidates).
professional association or unions; not-for-profit legal entity that receives funds from abroad; entities devoted to charity and religious affairs; sports organizations; non-governmental organizations that receive public funds; civil society organizations of public interest.
The few third-party actors that can donate, such as clubs or associations, do not have any obligation to report itemized contributions received and expenditures to an oversight authority. This includes independent expenditures.
The few third-party actors that can donate do not have to submit any special political finance report to the oversight authority. Thus, there is no such reporting in practice.
Claudio Weber Abramo, head of Transparencia Brasil (anti-corruption watchdog); July 30th 2014.
José Roberto de Toledo; president of the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism (ABRAJI), journalist and columnist at O Estado de S.Paulo; July 28th 2014.
Most third-party actors (professional association or union; not-for-profit legal entity that receives funds from abroad; entities devoted to charity and religious affairs; sports organizations; non-governmental organizations that receive public funds; civil society organizations of public interest) are banned from participating in electoral campaigns. The few third-party actors that can donate do not have any obligation to report itemized contributions received and expenditures to an oversight authority. Independent expenditures are unregulated.
However, two actors mentioned above (banned from donations) have to make public reports (unrelated to elections, since they cannot donate): non-profits that receive public funds ; and civil society organizations of public interest. Those reports are publicly available.
In a general overview, however, the financial information of third party actors is not easily accessible for journalists or citizens.
Most third-party actors (professional association or union; not-for-profit legal entity that receives funds from abroad; entities devoted to charity and religious affairs; sports organizations; non-governmental organizations that receive public funds; civil society organizations of public interest) are banned from donations. The few third-party actors that can donate do not have any obligation to report itemized contributions received and expenditures to an oversight authority.
However, some of them have direct or indirect influence over the electoral process.
Unions, for instance, are usually indirectly managed by parties -- the most prominent are PT, Solidariedade, PDT, PSTU, PSOL, PCB. Therefore, the infrastructure of the unions is usually used for campaigns. In 2014 elections, the largest union, CUT, controlled by PT, made a formal endorsement for Dilma Rousseff (PT candidate to reelection).
There are cases in which entities break the law in order to donate. In 2008, a large patronal union (real state in Sao Paulo) created a fake entity in order to donate to campaigns. The fake entity became the second largest donor of that year's municipal elections.
The Electoral Justice performs an assessment of the regularity and consistency of campaign accounts, and shall decide as follows (Elections Law, Article 30; Article 30-A): I – approval of accounts in case they are proper and correct; II – approval with reservations in case the accounts feature minor errors which do not compromise their regularity; III – denial of accounts in case they feature errors that compromise their regularity; IV – non-rendering of accounts in case they are not filed after notice issued by the Electoral Justice which expressly orders the rendering of such accounts within seventy-two hours.
The Electoral Justice will make full assessment of incomes and expenditures, the use of Party Fund, and formal inconsistencies. In order to perform its job, shall require the assistance of technicians from the Federal Court of Accounts or Courts of Accounts of the States, Federal District or Municipalities, for as long as it deems necessary.
However, the Electoral Justice will not investigate things such as slush funds (second cash books) or vote-buying. Another actor will perform this job: the Electoral Attorney General's Office. For instance, the Electoral Justice will hand to the Brazilian IRS (Receita Federal) a list of all donations received by candidates and parties. The Receita Federal will check if donation limits were respected or not; then will send a list of companies and individuals to be prosecuted by the Electoral Attorney General's Office, who will file lawsuits in the Electoral Justice.
The Electoral Attorney General's Office will also make investigations and audits when necessary.
Also any political party or coalition is required to present to the Electoral Justice (reporting facts and indicating evidence) and comply with judicial investigations on conduct that does not comply with the regulations established in law, notably those related to fund raising and spending.
Silvana Batini, former appellate federal prosecutor and professor of electoral law at FGV. Date of the interview: August 14th 2014.
The ministers of the Superior Electoral Court are the highest-level appointments to the oversight authority (Electoral Justice).
According to Brazilian constitution: "The superior electoral court shall be composed of a minimum of seven members chosen: I – through election, by secret vote elected (by the ministers themselves that are part of the courts): a) three judges from among the Justices of the Supreme Federal Court (STF); b) two judges from among the Justices of the Superior Court of Justice (STJ); II – through appointment by the President of the Republic, two judges from among six lawyers of notable juridical learning and good moral repute, nominated by the supreme federal court.
The superior electoral court shall elect its president and vice- president from among the Justices of the supreme federal court, and its electoral magistrate from among the Justices of the superior court of Justice." (Brazilian Constitution, Article 119).
I – a judge of the Federal Regional Courts or a judge of the Courts of Justice, nominated in a list of three names prepared by the Court itself; II – a lawyer and or a member of the federal public prosecution, the public prosecution of the states, the public prosecution of the federal district and the territories.
Which means that in order to become a member of the STJ or STF, the individual will have to: have been approved in a high-level public competition ("concurso público); will have been approved by the majority of Senators, after a public hearing; and will finally be nominated by the President.
Judges are forbidden to (Brazilian Constitution, Article 95): I – hold, even when on paid availability, another office or position, except for a teaching position; ii – receive, on any account or for any reason, court costs or participation in a lawsuit; iii – engage in political or party activities; IV – receive, on any account or for any reason, financial aid or contribution from individuals, and from public or private institutions, save for the exceptions set forth in law; V – practice law in the court or tribunal on which they served as judges, for a period of three years following their retirement or discharge.
Further, article 16 of the Electoral Code states that members should not: own companies that have contracts with government; ocupy public position; or be related by blood with one another.
As previously noted, there are seven ministers at the TSE, including three judges from among the judges of the Supreme Federal Court (STF), two judges from among the judges of the Superior Court of Justice (STJ), and two judges from among six lawyers of notable juridical learning and good moral repute.
According to Mr. Fernando Neves and Ms. Silvana Batini, there are no questions or doubts about the merit of the members of the STF or STJ.
Two lawyers from a list of six lawyers of notable juridical learning and good moral repute appointed by the STF are nominated by the President. The list is only a "suggestion", but in "80% of the cases, the President goes with the most well-ranked nominee", says Fernando Neves, former minister of the TSE. According to him, even the choosing of lawyers is strictly based on merit. "In the end, this is STF's decision. We are talking about a group of 11 ministers, with a lot of diversity among themselves, and with no one willing to risk their reputation."
According to Mr. Neves, the lawyers stay at the TSE for two years, which can be extended for up to two more years (Constitution, Article 121, Paragraph 2). "I have over of 40 years of experience in electoral courts, I don't see it as a biased choice."
According to Ms. Batini, there is no measuring of these lawyers' "notable juridical learning", since they do not take any exam nor are submitted to public hearings. "They don't have to be experts in electoral law", she says.
Mr. Claudio Weber Abramo adds that all appointed lawyers work with elections and have amongst their clients politicians and political parties. One recent example is Ms. Luciana Lossio, the most recent appointee from the lawyers' quota and current minister of TSE. She was appointed in 2013 via the process of a triple list sent by STF to the President Dilma Rousseff, who chose her. Ms. Lossio is specialized in Elections Legislation and a professor at Centro Universitário de Brasília (UniCEUB). Before being appointed, Ms. Lossio represented several politicians and parties, including the party coalition that elected Ms. Rousseff in 2010.
Silvana Batini, former appellate federal prosecutor and professor of electoral law at Fundacao Getulio Vargas. Date of the interview: August 14th 2014.
Superior Electoral Courts' members and mandates: http://www.tse.jus.br/institucional/ministros. Accessed August 2014.
High-level appointees to the TSE are judges. They are in charge of issuing decisions regarding elections and reviewing cases from lower levels, if there is an appeal -- hence, they have the authority to review all political cases. "The decisions of the TSE are unappealable, save those which are contrary to this constitution and those denying habeas corpus or writs of mandamus" (Constitution, Article 121, Paragraph 3).
They enjoy full guarantees of tenure and shall be non-removable (Constitution, Article 121, Paragraph 1). Their terms of office last two years (Constitution, Article 121, Paragraph 2).
Judges can be removed only if they engage in illegal activities such as receiving brives or engage in political activities, for example. Judges Law, Art. 26). The court itself will decide on this matter (it has to reach a 2/3 majority), according to the Art. 27 of the Judges Law. Article 27 states that, if a judge is involved in illegal activiites, a committee of 25 judges (12 according to seniority, twelve elected, plus the judge who presides at the state court), decides whether to remove or acquit the accused justice.
As previously stated, there are seven ministers at the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), and they are composed by three judges from among the judges of the Supreme Federal Court (STF), two judges from among the judges of the Superior Court of Justice (STJ), and two judges from among six lawyers of notable juridical learning and good moral repute.
The judges from STF and STJ are chosen to be part of the TSE on a rotational basis. To be part of either the STF or the STJ, judges have to be appointed by the President, after being approved by the absolute majority of the Senate -- but before even being considered for those higher courts, they went through a public competition in order to become regular judges. Two lawyers from a list of six lawyers of notable juridical learning and good moral repute appointed by the STF are nominated by the President to also be a part of the TSE board.
Although they don't go through a competition process or hearings, according to Mr. Fernando Neves, former minister of the TSE, lawyers are also independent. "In the end, this is the STF's decision. We are talking about a group of 11 ministers, with a lot of diversity among themselves, and with no one willing to risk their reputation."
According to Ms. Batini, however, lawyers are nominated for this on the basis of their political influence. "They are not submitted to exams, they don't go through public hearings, and don't have to leave their careers as lawyers."
Appointees are granted security of tenure; for them to be removed, disciplined or transferred they have to go through a due process by a peer panel (Electoral Code, Article 22). There are no recent examples of attempt of removing judges.
Five out of the seven TSE judges were appointed either by the current President Dilma Rousseff or by former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, both from PT. This hasn't prevented them from ruling against Ms. Rousseff in her reelection campaign. On September 3rd 2014, for instance, the Court fined the president of Petrobras, a state-owned company, for airing advertisement in favor of the company -- thus, in favor of the government. Petrobras' president was fined in more than R$ 200,000 ($ 90,000).
The composition of the decision-making body within the oversight authority (the TSE board) is as follows: There are seven ministers; three of them are judges from among the judges of the Supreme Federal Court (STF); two others are judges from among the judges of the Superior Court of Justice (STJ); and two judges from among a list of six lawyers of "notable juridical learning and good moral repute" issued by the STF (the President chooses the two names).
For every case, there is one designated minister to be some kind of reporter. He will read the whole lawsuit, make a summary and state his vote on the matter. The involved partiess in the lawsuit can intervene and present oral defenses. The other ministers can agree with the minister that reported the lawsuit or have a different take on the subject. A majority is required in all decisions to declare a candidate or a party guilty.
TSE's decision are unappealable, save those which are allegedly contrary to the constitution and those denying habeas corpus or writs of mandamus (Electoral Code, Article 281; Constitution, Article 121). There have been no well substantiated complaints about the decision-making process being ineffective or politicized.
Presidential candidates and national party directories send their financial reports straight to the Superior Electoral Court (TSE); candidates to State Government, Senate, Congressmen, State Representatives and state-level party directories report to the Regional Electoral Court; candidates to municipal-level elections and municipal-level party directories report to the electoral boards.
All financial reports are monitored -- if they are not submitted, the responsible candidates/parties will be notified by the relevant authorities. Once received, all reports are reviewed for compliance with basic regulatory requirements.
However, the Electoral Justice staff for monitoring and reviewing political financial reports operates with almost half of the ideal number of technicians, says Eron Júnior Vieira Pessoa, head of the Advisory Council for Examination of Campaign and Party Accounts at the Superior Electoral Court.
In this structure, the TSE is the one with the best structure, but has only 17 employees to monitor and review all national accounts. According to Mr. Pessoa, they needed at least 30 people full time in order to review all reports.
In the Regional Electoral Courts and Electoral Boards, the lack of professionals is worse. Mr. Marlon Reis, electoral judge in the city of Joao Lisboa, in the state of Maranhao, says his staff has only two technicians -- during elections, three technicians are "borrowed" from the City Hall, and none of them are trained accountants. Further, according to Mr Reis, there is the additional problem of potential bias, as City Hall technicians have close links to the Mayor, which can impact their performance of their duties.
Eron Júnior Vieira Pessoa, head of the Advisory Council for Examination of Campaign and Party Accounts at the Superior Electoral Court (TSE). Date of the interview: August 8th 2014.
The Electoral Justice does not conduct investigations for things such as slush funds (second cash books), vote-buying or donation limits violations. Two other actors perform this job: the Electoral Attorney General's Office and the Federal Police.
For instance, the Electoral Justice will hand to the Brazilian IRS (Receita Federal) a list of all donations received by candidates and parties. The Receita Federal will check if donation limits were respected or not; then will send a list of companies and individuals to be prosecuted by the Electoral Attorney General's Office, who will file lawsuits in the Electoral Justice. The Electoral Attorney General's Office and the Federal Police conduct investigations and audits when necessary -- and there have been certainly more than three during 2014's elections.
For instance: the federal police is investigating if the airplane in which former candidate Eduardo Campos was killed in an accident last August was bought with slush funds money; the Electoral Attorney General's Office is investigating if a state government candidate in Parana and another one in Mato Grosso do Sul are using slush funds during this campaign.
Any political party or coalition is entitled to represent before the Electoral Justice after the certification, reporting facts and indicating evidence, and require judicial investigation on conducts that do not comply with the regulations established in law, notably those related to fund raising and spending.
Peer reviewer comment: Agree. In the 2014 presidential elections, the Workers' Party asked the Attorney General's Office to investigate how Marina Silva (PSB), the candidate who took over from Eduardo Campos after his death, was paid for lectures and work as a consultant after she left the Senate. So far, she has been publicly acquitted of any sort of wrongdoing.
All the following Electoral Justice's decisions are immediately published: - The denial or non-rendering of accounts; - The decision regarding complaints brought either by the Electoral Attorney General's Office or by any political party, candidate or coalition (who are entitled to represent before the Electoral Justice and require judicial investigation).
For instance, if a politician is convicted for an electoral crime, for irregularities in his rendering of accounts, or for any other reason under TSE's jurisdiction, the decision will be fully published.
For instance: two 2014 candidates for state government positions were impeached for vote-buying in the past. One of them was Mr. Expedito Junior, from the state of Rondonia. In the decision, published in 2010, it is possible to see what was exactly the crime (he made bank deposits directly to employees of a private security company), and what the judge ruled. The other one was Cassio Cunha Lima, from the state of Paraiba. In the published sentence, it is possible to know that he used social programs to distributed checks to electors and to read the judge's sentence.
However, full reports of deeper investigations conducted by the Electoral Attorney General's Office or by the Federal Police are not published. What is published is only the text with the Court's decisions.
In the Elections Law, there are sanctions clearly stated in response to political finance violations: - Donations that exceed the limits established by the law shall subject offenders to the payment of a fine of five to ten times the amount paid in excess (Article 23, Paragraph 3). - Parties that violate the regulations on fundraising and allocation of resources established by the law shall lose the right to receive monies from the Party Fund in the coming year, which does not exempt candidates that benefited from abuse of economic power to be held liable for such offense (Article 25) - Expenditures that exceed the limits established by candidates themselves shall subject them to the payment of a fine of five to ten times the amount paid in excess (Article 23, Paragraph 3). - Should fund raising and spending for electoral purposes be proven illegal, the candidate shall have his/her certification denied or annulled, in case it has already been issued (Article 30-A, Paragraph 2).
Their decisions are unappealable, save those which are contrary to the Constitution and those denying habeas corpus or writs of mandamus.
The Electoral Justice's decisions are usually obeyed. Especially in cases of imprisonment and ineligibility, there is no debate or possibility of offenders not complying -- the only thing that can be done is to file an appeal at the Supreme Court. "But even in that case, eventually the decision will become definitive. The TSE removes mayors, governors, representatives, city counselors from office, and makes them ineligible for future office -- which is political death", says Mr. Fernando Neves.
According to the Regional Electoral Court of the state of Sao Paulo, 47 mayors were impeached by the court after the last municipal elections (2012) due to violations (see attached file). There are 645 cities in Sao Paulo, which means 7% of elected mayors were impeached.
Ms. Silvana Batini, though, highlights that when financial reports submitted to the TSE by candidates are not approved, nothing really happens. Political parties can argue before the TSE that their political opponents should be sanctioned, but they have only 15 days after the certification to argue before the Electoral Justice, reporting facts, indicating evidence and requiring judicial investigation on conduct that do not comply with the regulations established in the law, notably those related to fundraising and spending. "This is a very tight deadline. Additionally, this is usually done only for the elected candidates. Which means that whoever financed himself illegally, but did not win, will not even be bothered."
In another relevant example, the senator Cassio Cunha Lima appealed a large fine that imposed for an abuse of power in 2006, and has yet to comply with the fine. His case is still ongoing.
Fernando Neves, former minister of the Superior Electoral Court. Date of the interview: August 11th 2014.
There are two main factors impeding more effective enforcement of political finance regulation.
One is the limited staff at the Electoral Justice's branches and at the Electoral Prosecutor's Office. The Electoral Justice staff for monitoring and reviewing political financial reports operates with almost half of the ideal number of technicians, according to Eron Júnior Vieira Pessoa, head of the Advisory Council for Examination of Campaign and Party Accounts at the Superior Electoral Court.
The situation at the Electoral Prosecutor's Office's office is no different, says Silvana Batini, former appellate federal prosecutor and professor of electoral law at FGV. "There is no pattern, when analyzing the Electoral Prosecutor's Office (MPE) in different states. In Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, the MPE investigates and receives complaint from citizens. But we do not have capacity for putting investigators in the field. We work in-doors, in offices, depending on the complaints brought by citizens and candidates. Sometimes we require the assistance of the Federal Police", says Ms. Batini.
The other reason is the Brazilian judicial system itself: candidates and parties usually are able to file a lot of appeals. "Since candidates can file a lot of appeals, the timing goes against removing him from office in his first mandate."
Regarding specifically the political finance system, there are a few urgent reforms. First, establishing an absolute ceiling for donations both by private firms and individuals. Ideally, since the economic disparity among states is very high, the ceiling would vary from state to state according to the their GDPs. Second, the penalties -- specially the ones applied for using slush funds -- should be more severe, in an attempt to curb this kind of practice. Third, donations from individuals should be promoted. Possible incentives in this direction are tax benefits and matching funds (in this latter situation, parties would look more for citizen contribution).
Secondly, the excessive number of political parties (more than 30 at the last count) is a major factor in making campaigns expensive. If campaigns are too expensive and the expectation of being punished is low, rational political actors tend to engage in illegal financing in order to get an electoral advantage (of course this is a simplification, but it gets to the gist of how politics work in Brazil). How might these two aspects be resolved? First, accountability agencies are in dire need of getting more bureaucratic capacity. The Controladoria-Geral da União, a comptroller's office at the federal level, has been very vocal, in the last few months, about how they lack funds and human resources. And although the Polícia Federal (equivalent to the FBI) has received a lot of pay rises in the last ten years (Carvalho 2011), it is more prone to political interference than it could be (although political appointments are not a mechanism for this, contrary to popular understanding).
Finally, regarding electoral competition, a barrier clause that would shun from parliament political parties that receive less than 5% of the vote in a certain number of districts would go a very, very long way in reducing corruption and making campaigns cheaper.
Reviewer's sources: Carvalho, Eneuton Dornellas Pessoa. "Salários e política de vencimentos no poder Executivo federal na primeira década de 2000", in Cardoso Jr., José Celso. (org). Burocracia e Ocupação no Setor Público Brasileiro. Brasília, IPEA, 2011, p. 133-178.
Filgueiras, Fernando and Ana Luiza Melo Aranha. 2011. Controle da Corrupção e Burocracia da Linha de Frente: Regras, Discricionariedade e Reformas no Brasil. Dados – Revista de Ciências Sociais. 54(2): 349-387.
Praça, Sérgio & Taylor, Matthew. "Inching toward accountability: the evolution of Brazil's anti-corruption institutions, 1985-2010", Latin American Politics & Society, v. 56, n. 2, 2014, p. 27-48.
Brazil is led by a directly elected President, and also has a bicameral Parliament. The President is elected by majority vote in a two round system, and is the head of state.
Members of the lower house of Parliament, the Chamber of Deputies, are elected in a proportional system to four year terms. There are 513 seats in the chamber, and they're allocated proportionally between the 27 states according to each state's population. The number of seats for electoral districts varies between 8 and 70, with seats allocated according to an open list system: parties put forward a list of candidates in no order of preference and voters may vote for a party (legenda) or for a candidate (nominal). Votes are totalled in each electoral district, with nominal plus legenda votes determining the distribution of seats among the parties; the candidates of each party receiving the most votes take up the number of seats won by their party.
The 81 members of the Federal Sentate are elected on a majority basis to eight year terms. The 81 Senate seats are made up of three members for each state and the Federal District. Senators are elected by simple majority for an eight-year term. Part of the Senate is renewed at each election, (two-thirds in one election, one-third in the next election).
Parties and individual candidates both play a role in the management of campaigns and electoral funds.
The most recent elections were held in October 2010, and new elections will occur later this year.
In the 2010 presidential elections, Dilma Rousseff of the Worker's Party (PT) was elected president. The leftist PT elected 86 federal deputies, while center PMDB elected 78, opposition party PSDB elected 54, minor coalition member PP 44, and nine other parties elected more than 10 deputies, making this a very fragmented Chamber of Deputies. | {
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Chapter 8 – Benefits and Grants
8.0 Benefits and Grants
Major changes in the benefit regime will come into force in April 2013. What follows is intended to give an indication of what is available at the time of writing. Before taking any action, up-to-date information should be obtained through the websites, helplines and leaflets provided by central and local government and by voluntary agencies such as Age UK and the Citizen's Advice Bureau.
Whilst residents' wishes for privacy and independence should always be respected, it will often be in their interest to offer help and advice to ensure that they are receiving all the benefits to which they are entitled. Application procedures and forms can be complex and may deter residents from applying. Help with this activity is usually most welcome. Residents are not always comfortable with the prospect of revealing their personal details to trustees and staff and in such circumstances it may be appropriate to encourage the resident to seek the help of an agency such as Citizens Advice Bureau or Age UK. Almshouse charities are advised to establish contacts with their local Housing Benefit Department in order to open a dialogue and inform them of the status of almshouse residents. This should help both residents and the charity to understand the entitlement.
Benefit rates change frequently and the current amounts can be obtained from the local office of the Benefits Agency or from the Agency's website (www.gov.uk).
8.2 Universal Credit
Universal Credit will be launched in 2013 to replace:
Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Working Tax Credits
Housing Benefit.
Universal Credit will be a new, single payment for those who are looking for work, or on a low income. It will enable claimants and their families to become more independent and will simplify the benefits system by bringing together a range of working-age benefits into a single streamlined payment. The new Universal Credit system aims to:
Improve work incentives
Smooth the transitions into and out of work, supporting a dynamic labour market
Simplify the system, making it easier for people to understand and easier and cheaper for staff to administer
Reduce in-work poverty
Cut back on fraud and error.
The main differences between Universal Credit and the current welfare system are:
Universal Credit will be available to people who are in work and on a low income, as well as to those who are out of work
Most people will apply online and manage their claim through an online account
Universal Credit will be responsive as people on low incomes move in and out of work. They will get on-going support, giving people more incentive to work for any period of time that is available
Most claimants on low incomes will still be paid Universal Credit when they first start a new job or increase their part-time hours
Claimants will receive just one monthly payment, paid into a bank account in the same way as a monthly salary
Support with housing costs will go direct to the claimant as part of their monthly payment.
8.2.1 What will happen to other benefits?
The following benefits are changing:
Disability Living Allowance will be replaced by Personal Independence Payment from 2013
Council Tax Benefit will be abolished in April 2013 and replaced by a system of localised support
Pension Credit will be amended from October 2014 to include help with eligible rent and dependent children
Social Fund is also being reformed to introduce new local assistance
Social Fund reform.
Other benefits will continue.
8.2.2 When doess}**sUniversal Credit start?
The Universal Credit pathfinder will launch in April 2013 in certain areas of the North West of England, along with the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), delivery partners in HMRC and local authorities. This 'pathfinder' stage will help ensure that Universal Credit is ready to go live across the rest of the country later in 2013.
Universal Credit will launch nationally in October 2013, with new claimants making claims for Universal Credit, while claims for existing benefits and credits will be gradually phased out. From April 2014 all new claims will be for Universal Credit.
Existing claimants will move on to Universal Credit in line with a phased approach that is expected to be completed by the end of 2017. DWP will continue to provide information on this.
8.3 State Pension
The State Pension is paid to people who fulfill the National Insurance contributions conditions when they reach pensionable age. Between 2010 and 2018 the pension age will be equalised at 65 for men and women by raising that for women. Between December 2018 and September 2020 the pensionable age for both men and women will gradually increase to 66.
The pension has three main parts: the Basic Pension; Additional Pension based on contributions after April 1978; and Graduated Pension based on contributions between April 1961 and April 1975.
For further information contact the Future Pensions Centre on 0845 300 0168 (textphone 0845 300 0169) or visit www.gov.uk
8.4 Pension Credit
Nearly half of all pensioners are entitled to Pension Credit. Many people who could be getting this extra money have not yet made a claim. Pension credit provides older people with a minimum level of income and gives extra cash to people with modest incomes who have made savings for their retirement.
Pension Credit has two parts: the 'guarantee credit' and the 'savings credit'. Some people will get both the guarantee and the savings parts while others will receive either one or the other. Both parts are based on people's income and other circumstances.
8.4.1 Guarantee Credit
The guarantee credit is available to people who have reached the 'qualifying age' which is based upon pensionable age. Those on a limited pension get a guaranteed set level of income. (At April 2012 this was set at £142.50 per week for a single person and £217.90 for a couple.)
The levels may be higher for a person who is severely disabled, a carer or has certain housing costs. Residents who receive the guarantee credit will be entitled to the maximum eligible amount of Housing Benefit. They will also qualify for benefits such as free dental treatment, free travel to hospital for treatment and help with glasses.
8.4.2 Savings Credit
Savings Credit is available to people who have reached the age of 65. (At April 2012 the maximum amount payable was £18.54 per week for a single person and £23.73 for a couple.) Calculating the savings credit is complex and takes into account 'qualifying' and 'non-qualifying' income. For more information, contact the Pension Service. (See Appendix B).
8.5 War Disablement Pensions and War Widow's Pensions
Almshouse residents may receive a War Disablement Pension if disabled as a result of war or peacetime service in the armed forces. The War Widow's Pension is paid if the husband's death was due to, or hastened by, service in the armed forces or a war injury. Both these pensions vary in amount according to circumstances. They need periodic reassessment as the effects of a war disability usually worsen with age and the pension may be increased.
For information, ring the War Pensions Helpline on 0800 169 2277.
8.6 Housing Benefit
For residents of pensionable age, on limited income, living in rented housing, Housing Benefit will continue to be paid by the local authority. For these purposes, almshouses are considered to be 'rented' accommodation. The amount of Housing Benefit paid depends on the applicant's income, capital savings and level of 'rent', i.e. Weekly Maintenance Contribution.
The maximum amount of Housing Benefit is 100% of 'eligible rent'. Eligible rent can include certain accommodation-related service charges but doess}**snot cover water and sewerage charges or fuel charges. Some service charges will also be ineligible as they may be covered by Supporting People grant. (See paragraph 8.6 below).
There is a maximum limit for a resident's savings of £16,000 (as at April 2012) and savings of less than £10,000 will be ignored. Savings of over £10,000 but less than £16,000 will affect the amount of Housing Benefit paid. The rules and calculation of entitlement are complex and the advice of the local Housing Benefit office should be sought.
8.6.1 Bedroom Tax
With effect from April 2013, for residents of working age*, in receipt of Housing Benefit and living in social housing, their Housing Benefit will be reduced where they are deemed as under-occupying their home.
Single residents and couples are deemed to need only one bedroom, regardless of medical requirements. Children of different sex are expected to share a room until their tenth birthday and children of the same sex are expected to share until their sixteenth birthday.
For those with one spare bedroom their benefit will be reduced by approximately £14 per week, while those with two or more spare rooms will have it reduced by £25 per week.
*The number of almshouse residents affected may rise as the age of eligibility for state pension rises – see 8.2 above.
8.7 Supporting People
Since 2003, housing-related support services (such as a scheme manager or an emergency alarm system) have not been eligible for Housing Benefit, but funded by Supporting People, administered by the Local Authority. This is no longer a ring-fenced grant from central government. In some areas local authorities are responding to cuts in funding by withdrawing finance for wardens/scheme managers and/or for alarm systems.
Charities that receive Supporting People funding have to ensure that residents have individual support plans.
8.8 Council Tax Benefit/Support
This benefit operates in a similar manner to Housing Benefit and, in most Local Authories, shares a common application form. As with Housing Benefit, it is means-tested. It is worth noting that even if a resident doess}**snot qualify for this benefit, there are other discounts available, including a 25% discount for a person living alone and discounts for those with certain disabilities.
In April 2013 this national benefit scheme is to be replaced by Council Tax Support, which will be funded by the Local Authority and therefore subject to their overall spending decisions.
8.9 Attendance Allowance
Attendance Allowance is not means-tested or subject to tax. Applicants must be 65 or over and have satisfied the disability conditions for at least six months. These conditions must show that the disability, either physical or mental, is such that the attendance of another person is needed to avoid putting the applicant or others at risk. However, it is worth pointing out that the allowance is based on the help needed, not the help actually provided. The person receiving the allowance doess}**snot have to have a carer or even to use the allowance to buy care - the money can be spent on anything.
There are two levels of allowance dependent on the degree of disability: (Lower rate £51.85 per week, Higher rate £77.45 per week - April 2012)
A resident would get the lower rate of allowance if they need help either during the day or during the night. They would get the higher rate of allowance if they need help both during the day and during the night.
Those people who are terminally ill qualify immediately and need not wait for six months to apply.
8.10 Disability Living Allowance/Personal Independence Payment
Disability Living Allowance is for people who become ill or disabled before the age of 65 and have normally satisfied the disability conditions for at least three months and expect to satisfy them for at least the next six months.
A resident cannot claim both the Disability Living Allowance and the Attendance Allowance - which one is claimed depends on the age of the resident. As with the Attendance Allowance, the Disability Living Allowance is neither means-tested nor taxable. It doess}**snot have to be used to buy care or transport - how it is used is up to the recipient.
There are two parts: the 'care component' and the 'mobility component'. The 'care component' is for people who require help with personal care or need supervision. The 'mobility component' is for claimants who need help getting around.
Disability Living Allowance will be replaced by Personal Independence Payment (PIP) to be phased in from April 2013 onwards. At the time of writing it is not clear whether all the current levels of payment will remain, nor whether the age of eligibility will change.
For application forms for both Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance contact the Disability and Carers Benefit Advice Line on 08457 123456 (textphone 08457 224433) or claim online at www.gov.uk/disabilities.
8.11 Carer's Allowance
Carer's Allowance (previously known as Invalid Care Allowance) is a taxable benefit paid to people who spend at least 35 hours a week caring for a severely disabled person. It doess}**snot matter whether the carer lives with the person they care for or lives elsewhere. To qualify for the allowance, the carer must be caring for someone who gets Attendance Allowance, or Disability Living Allowance/PIP (care component paid at the middle or highest rate), or Constant Attendance Allowance paid with War Pensions or Industrial disablement benefits. There is an earnings limit for the carer after deducting Income Tax and National Insurance contributions, certain work-related expenses and half of any occupational or private pension contributions.
Carer's Allowance is an 'overlapping benefit'. This means that if the carer's state retirement pension is less than the current allowance rate, they will be entitled to a top up of Carer's Allowance to that amount,
If the carer's pension is more than the current rate, they may still qualify for the allowance because of the 'underlying entitlement' rules. This means that they will not actually get the Carer's Allowance, but may get help from other means-tested benefits such as Pension Credit or Housing Benefit.
A word of warning - it is very important that the carer checks whether the person they are caring for is getting an income-related benefit such as Pension Credit or Income Support. If either includes an element for Severe Disability their benefit may be reduced if the carer starts to be paid a Carer's Allowance.
If a pensioner couple both qualify for the extra amount for Severe Disability and if they are looking after each other, it may be possible for them to claim Carer's Allowance and get the Carer Premium. If they cannot be paid the allowance (for example, because they have pensions above the allowance level) they will not lose the extra amount for Severe Disability.
The rules are complex and anyone thinking of applying for a Carer's Allowance is urged to seek advice from the Benefits Agency, Citizens Advice or Age UK.
8.12 Social Fund
The Social Fund is a scheme to help people with expenses that are difficult to meet from low income. The Regulated Social Fund covers winter fuel payments, cold weather payments and funeral payments. The Discretionary Social Fund provides three types of payments: community care grants, budgeting loans and crisis loans.
8.12.1 The Regulated Social Fund
8.12.1.a Winter Fuel Payments
These annual payments are made to all households where there is someone who has reached the Pension Credit qualifying age. There are no limits on income or savings and the payments are not taxable. These payments are not made to residents of a care home. People who have already received the Winter Fuel Payment should automatically get future payments. The minimum payment of £100 rises to £300 when at least one member of the household reaches 80 years of age (April 2012).
New claimants need to complete a claim form by September to be sure of receiving the payment by Christmas. Forms and information are available from the Winter Fuel Payment Helpline on 08459 151515 or can be downloaded from www.gov.uk.
8.12.1.b Cold Weather Payments
Residents receiving Pension Credit or Income Support may be eligible for Cold Weather Payments. These are paid automatically when the average temperature is 0°C or less over seven consecutive days and at April 2012 the rate was £25 for each week of very cold weather. In exceptionally cold weather the charity may consider giving help with heating costs if they have concerns about vulnerable residents.
8.12.1.c Funeral Payments
These are paid to people on low incomes who have good reason for taking the responsibility of arranging the funeral of a partner or close relative. To receive the payment, applicants must be receiving Pension Credit, Income Support, certain Tax Credits, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit.
There are restrictions on who can receive payments and how much these will be, so residents should check what they are entitled to before making any funeral arrangements for others.
The payment helps cover the cost of a basic funeral and certain fees and travel expenses. It is unlikely to meet the full cost of the funeral. Savings do not affect entitlement to a funeral payment but any money available from the deceased person's estate, insurance policies, a pre-paid funeral plan or help from charities will be taken into account.
To claim contact the Bereavement Service on 0845 606 0265 (textphone 0845 606 0285) or download the form from www.gov.uk
8.12.2 The Discretionary Social Fund
Payments from this fund are different from most social security payments because there is a limited annual budget which restricts the amount that can be awarded. Community care grants do not have to be repaid but budgeting and crisis loans do.
From April 2013 this grant from central government to Local Authorities will no longer be 'ring-fenced' but, as with Council Tax Support, be subject to their overall spending decisions.
8.12.2.a Community Care Grants
Community Care Grants are available to people on Pension Credit or Income Support. These grants do not have to be repaid. Savings of over £1,000 (£500 for people under the age of 60) will be deducted from any grant. The minimum grant payable is £30 although there are special arrangements for travel expenses.
Examples of circumstances in which a Community Care Grant may be paid are:
Help with moving, e.g. for bed, cooker, removal costs
For minor house repairs, bedding, essential furniture
Help with exceptional pressures on family
For certain travel expenses in urgent situations.
To apply contact Jobcentre Plus on 0800 032 7952 (textphone 0800 032 7958) or download the form from www.gov.uk .
8.12.2.b Budgeting Loans
Budgeting loans are available for people who have been on Pension Credit or Income Support for at least 26 weeks and need to purchase basic items such as furniture, household equipment, clothing and footwear, removal costs or home improvements or maintenance.
The loans are from £100 to £1,500 depending on need and ability to repay the loan. The amount of loan paid will be affected where the applicant or partner has savings in excess of £2,000 (£1,000 for people under 61). The amount of any Budgeting Loan paid together with the amount owing to the Social Fund must not exceed £1,500.
8.12.2.c Crisis Loans
Crisis loans are available to anyone; a resident need not be receiving any benefits to apply. A resident may apply for a loan if they have emergency needs or are involved in a disaster (e.g. fire or flood affecting their personal belongings) and the loan is necessary to prevent serious damage or risk to health and safety. The Social Fund decision maker will take into consideration any income or savings the applicant has and whether help is available from other sources. Crisis loans are interest-free.
To apply contact Jobcentre Plus on 0800 055 6688 (textphone 0800 023 4888) or download the form from www.gov.uk.
8.13 Bereavement Benefits
There are three different bereavement benefits, depending on the NI contributions of the person who has died, unless they died as the result of an industrial accident or prescribed industrial disease. The two relevant benefits are likely to be the Bereavement Payment and the Bereavement Allowance. Residents are unlikely to qualify for the third bereavement benefit, the Widowed Parent's Allowance for people with dependent children.
8.13.1 Bereavement Payment
A Bereavement Payment of £2,000 (as at April 2012) is paid mainly to widows and widowers under state pension age. It is only payable to someone over state pension age whose husband, wife or civil partner had not reached pension age or had not started drawing their state pension at the time of their death.
8.13.2 Bereavement Allowance
The Bereavement Allowance may be paid to people between the age of 45 and pension age, up to a maximum level for up to 52 weeks. Rates of payment vary according to age and circumstances.
For more information on Bereavement Benefits call the Bereavement Service on 0845 606 0265 (textphone 0845 606 0285) Forms can be downloaded from www.gov.uk.
8.14 Disabled Facilities Grants
Every Local Authority has a legal obligation to offer Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG) to people who need them. The DFG is a statutory, means-tested Local Authority grant to assist eligible persons with the cost of home adaptations, enabling those with mobility difficulties to continue living in their own home. The type of work carried out with a Disabled Facilities Grant includes:
Installing a lift
Providing a toilet and shower downstairs
Installing a ramp and grab rails to the front door
Moving and adapting light switches and heating controls to make them easier to use
Widening doorways and installing ramps for wheelchair access.
Applications for Disabled Facilities Grants are processed by the Local Authority. Contact your Local Authority and ask for an application form.
There may be two application forms; an initial enquiry and a formal application. The initial enquiry form will ask for details of the adaptations to be carried out, and basic information about the disabled person who needs the adaptations.
If the situation is urgent, the resident may be able to go straight to the formal application stage. The formal application form is complex and help may be needed to complete it. A local Home Improvement Agency may also be able to assist.
Once the council has received the completed formal application it must make a decision within six months. Before the council will approve the grant, it must consult with the social services department to make sure the adaptations are 'necessary and appropriate'. This will usually mean that social services will arrange for an Occupational Therapist to visit to assess what adaptations are needed. To avoid delays, it is a good idea for the resident to contact social services as soon as they decide they want to apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant. The resident should ask for an assessment of their needs.
If the cost of the work is above a certain limit, the Local Authority will carry out a means test to determine whether the resident should make a contribution towards the cost of the work. If the resident is receiving any means-tested benefits, or relies mainly on their State Retirement Pension and has few savings, they are likely to qualify for a full Disabled Facilities Grant. The maximum Disabled Facilities Grant is £30,000 in England and £36,000 in Wales (at December 2012).
The means test should only take account of the income and savings of the person who needs the adaptations and their spouse or partner. The almshouse charity will not be expected to pay anything towards the cost of the work, but the resident will need to get the trustees' permission before any work is carried out. If the grant is approved, the work should usually be completed within one year. It may expedite grant approval if trustees supply all relevant information at the time of application.
In Scotland the system of grants is different and only brief information is given here. Grants may be available from the council housing department to almshouse residents in certain circumstances. The amount of grant depends on the resident's financial position, but in some cases a minimum grant of 50% will be available. Most grants are discretionary. Residents may get help towards the costs of housing aids and adaptations if the social services department supports the application.
8.14.1 Disabled Facilities Grants for Severely Disabled Veterans
The Department for Communities and Local Government has set aside funds to help the most severely disabled ex-service personnel with their DFG applications. Local Authorities are given the opportunity to make a claim for reimbursement for those applications that meet the criteria. These include:
War Pension Scheme for disablement of 80% or higher and a Constant Attendance Allowance
Capital lump sum through the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme
Guaranteed Income Payment (tariff level 1-6).
There should, therefore, be no delay in providing DFGs to veterans as the Local Authority will be able to claim funds back.
8.15 Assistance from Social Services
Social services departments provide funding for some types of adaptations. In England, from 9th June 2003, under the new legislation The Community Care (Delayed Discharges) Act (Qualifying Services) (England) Regulation 2003, any item of community equipment which a person is assessed as needing as a community care service and for which the individual is eligible, is required to be provided free of charge. All minor adaptations costing £1,000 or less, which includes the cost of buying and fitting the adaptation, are required to be provided free of charge.
Social services departments may also be able to help with the cost of work not covered by Disabled Facilities Grants and to provide top-up funding if people are not able to find the money to meet their assessed contribution. They may also be able to provide top-up funding for works which cost over the £30,000 limit on Disabled Facilities Grants.
As a result of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons (CDSP) Act 1970, a Local Authority has to provide services to meet the needs of disabled persons. This means that if a person needs adaptations and is having difficulty getting a Disabled Facilities Grant, the social services department may still have a duty to assist that person.
8.16 Free or Concessionary Television Licences
Updated 27 07 20
Residents need a television licence to use any television-receiving equipment including TV set, set-top box, video or DVD recorder, PC or mobile phone to watch or record programmes as they are being broadcast. This includes foreign broadcasts.
From August 1st 2020, TV Licences for people over-75 are no longer free, unless they are on pension credit.
There are television concessions available to:
Those who are blind or severely sight impaired
People who are retired or disabled and live in certain types of accommodation
An Accommodation for Residential Care (ARC) concessionary licence is available to some people who live in certain types of care homes or sheltered housing. To qualify, a resident must be retired and aged 60 or over or disabled. An ARC licence costs £7.50 (as at September 2012). ARC licences are unaffected by recent changes to the over-75 licence.
Trustees must apply for concessionary licences on behalf of their residents. To qualify residents must be of pensionable age or disabled and:
live in an almshouse established before 1st November 1949, or
live in an almshouse administered by a Trust constituted by an Act of Parliament or Royal Charter, or
live in an almshouse built after 1st November 1949 specifically for eligible people as sheltered housing comprising a group of at least 4 dwellings within a common and exclusive boundary with a caring function (such as a resident warden) or someone working there for at least 30 hours per week.
New preserved rights apply to existing residents of an almshouse charity scheme where the scheme no longer fulfils the criteria for the full ARC concession due to the inclusion of ineligible residents in the scheme or changes in its warden provision. It applies to eligible residents who are:
under the age of 75 and
living in a scheme that has lost the full concession for the above reason after 1st June 1988 and
who were covered by a full ARC licence in that scheme on or after that date.
ARC licences are only granted if all the criteria are met and all the residents are eligible. In cases where the charity's scheme doess}**snot mention a qualifying age, or gives an age less than 60 years, trustees must certify that it is their policy to only appoint retired persons of over 60 years as occupants of the almshouses.
Further information on concessionary TV Licences can be obtained from Concessionary Licensing Centre, TV Licensing, Bristol Tel: 0300 790 6011.
8.17 Travel Concessions
8.17.1 Trains
All rail companies give reductions of one-third on most tickets to Senior Railcard holders. This costs £28 (at September 2012) and is available for people of 60 and over. A Senior Railcard can be used throughout England, Wales and Scotland. The Disabled Persons Railcard costs £20 (at September 2012) and offers similar discount rates to the Senior Railcard, but with the option of taking a companion with you at the same reduced rate.
8.17.2 Buses
In England eligibility for an older person's bus pass is tied to state pension age if born after 5 April 1950. If born before 5 April 1950 eligibility remains 60 years of age. This pass entitles the holder to free off-peak bus travel. Eligible disabled persons are also entitled to free off-peak bus travel
8.17.3 Coaches
Residents over the age of 60 can purchase a Senior Coachcard for £10.00 with National Express. This entitles the holder to one third off standard ticket prices and has no restrictions to off peak times.
Age UK: www.ageuk.org.uk
Armed Forces Pensions: www.mod.uk/spva
Benefits Agency: www.gov.uk
Bereavement Service: www.gov.uk/funeral-payments
Citizens Advice Bureau: www.citizensadvice.org.uk
Concessionary Licensing Centre: www.tvlicensing.co.uk
Crisis Loans: www.gov.uk/crisis-loans
Department for Work and Pensions: www.dwp.gov.uk
Disability and Carers Benefits Advice: www.gov.uk/dla-disabilitiy-living-allowance and www.gov.uk/carers-allowance
Future Pensions Centre: www.gov.uk
National Express Coaches: www.nationalexpress.com
The Pension Service: www.gov.uk/thepensionservice
Winter Fuel Payment Claim Form: www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment
© 2013. This document is copyright of the Almshouse Association and no part of it may be produced or published without the Association's written consent. | {
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# **A Generation of Radical Educational Change**
How much have teachers and their pupils benefited from the top-down, Westminster-led control of policy held in place by a powerful national inspection regime?
_A Generation of Radical Educational Change: Stories from the field_ is an exploration of the revolutionary impact of the greater and continuing involvement of central government in education policy making, which began in 1976 and was accelerated by the 1988 Education Act and subsequent legislation.
In the book, a dozen distinguished contributors from a wide range of sectors explain and reflect on how they worked to do their best for their schools, teachers and pupils in these years of great change. They understand the reasons, explained by Lord Baker in his early chapter, for a National Curriculum in 1988, and also the reasons for a more effective national inspection system. Yet their stories accumulate to become a powerful critique of the top-down policies of the last two decades. These policies, they say, have been too numerous, short-term, incoherent and partisan; governments have been indifferent to professional opinion and serious research, and have relied excessively on measurable outcomes and simplistic Ofsted judgments. Our current system is narrower and less democratic than it was, but evidence is hard to find that English pupils are doing any better in international comparisons.
The combined reflections in this volume are timely in these years of lively educational debate, as are the suggestions for future policy. _A Generation of Radical Educational Change_ is an invaluable read for current and aspiring headteachers, policy makers and those with an interest in education policy and how it evolves.
**Richard Pring** is currently Professor of Education at Winchester University, UK, and was previously Director of the Department of Educational Studies, University of Oxford, UK (1989–2003).
**Martin Roberts** was appointed to the headship of The Cherwell School, Oxford, UK (1981–2002). At present, he is a member of the Academic Steering Committee of The Prince's Teaching Institute.
# **A Generation of Radical Educational Change**
Stories from the field
_Edited by
Richard Pring and
Martin Roberts_
First published 2016
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
_Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business_
© 2016 Richard Pring and Martin Roberts
The rights of Richard Pring and Martin Roberts to be identified as the authors of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
_Trademark notice_ : Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
_British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data_
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
_Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data_
Names: Pring, Richard. | Roberts, Martin, 1941–
Title: A generation of educational change: stories from the field/edited by
Richard Pring and Martin Roberts.
Description: Abingdon, Oxon; New York, NY: Routledge is an imprint of
the Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business, [2016] | Includes
bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2015019499| ISBN 9781138941892 (hardback) |
ISBN 9781138941915 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781315673417 (e-book)
Subjects: LCSH: Education and state – Great Britain – History – 20th century.
| Education and state – Great Britain – History – 21st century. | Educational
change – Great Britain – History – 20th century. | Educational change –
Great Britain – History – 21st century.
Classification: LCC LC93.G7 G46 2016 | DDC 379.41 – dc23LC record
available at <http://lccn.loc.gov/2015019499>
ISBN: 978-1-138-94189-2 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-94191-5 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-67341-7 (ebk)
Typeset in Bembo and Stone Sans
by Florence Production Ltd, Stoodleigh, Devon, UK
# **Contents**
_List of contributors_
_Foreword_ _by Baroness Estelle Morris_
_Background_
**PART I Introduction: setting the scene**
**1 History and overview of changes 1976–2014**
_Martin Roberts and Richard Pring_
**2 The revolution begins**
_Lord Kenneth Baker_
**PART II Schools**
**3 The early years**
_Wendy Scott_
**4 Primary education: can we escape the legacy of elementary education?**
_Tony Eaude_
**5 Secondary education 1976–2015: a shire county view**
_Martin Roberts_
**6 A view from the island: a very personal story**
_Kenny Frederick_
**PART III Higher and further education**
**7 Evolution of teacher training and professional development**
_Richard Pring_
**8 The evolving idea of a university**
_Richard Pring_
**9 Further education and the case for vocational preparation**
_Geoff Stanton_
**PART IV Accountability, examinations, qualifications**
**10 Assessment: the need to 'do nothing'**
_Tim Oates_
**11 Accountability and inspection**
_Pat O'Shea_
**PART V Reflection on policy matters**
**12 From 'optimism and trust' to 'markets and managerialism'**
_Sir Tim Brighouse_
**13 Schools: a shifting landscape**
_Margaret Maden_
**14 1944–2015: towards the nationalisation of education in England**
_Sir Peter Newsam_
**PART VI Role of the media**
**15 Media and education in the UK**
_Peter Wilby_
**Conclusions**
**16 Stories from the field – summarised**
_Richard Pring and Martin Roberts_
**17 The way forward for the next generation**
_Richard Pring and Martin Roberts_
_Appendix: major education acts and reports_
_Subject index_
_Name index_
# Contributors
Lord Kenneth Baker had a distinguished political career as a minister in first the Thatcher and then the Major governments. From Minister for Information Technology in 1981 he was promoted first to the Environment and then from 1986 to 1989 to Education where he initiated the decisive reforms that are the main subject of this book. He then became Chair of the Conservative Party and after that Home Secretary. As a life peer, Lord Baker of Dorking, he joined the Upper House in 1997 and with the late Lord Dearing set up the Baker–Dearing Trust, which currently promotes energetically University Technical Colleges (UTCs).
Sir Tim Brighouse started teaching in schools and was a deputy head by the age of 26. He then moved into educational administration becoming CEO of Oxfordshire via posts in Monmouthshire, Buckinghamshire and the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA). After achieving great success as CEO of Birmingham he then, as Chief Commissioner, led the transformation of London's schools through the London Challenge. He was knighted for services to education in 2009.
Tony Eaude is Research Fellow at the Department of Education, Oxford University, and an independent research consultant. After working in special and primary schools he was for nine years headteacher of a multi-cultural first school in Oxford. He has written widely on primary and early years education, notably Thinking through Pedagogy for Primary and Early Years (2011) and How Do Expert Primary Classteachers Really Work? (2012).
Kenny Frederick spent her teaching career teaching in inner-city schools. She has just retired after 17 years as headteacher of George Green's school on the Isle of Dogs, Tower Hamlets. She is passionately committed to an inclusive education for all pupils whatever their needs. A former member of the Executive of the National Association of Head Teachers, she has written frequently for The Guardian and commented on educational issues both on television and radio.
Margaret Maden became a deputy head aged 31 at a time when men dominated senior positions in secondary schools. She soon became headteacher of Islington Green School, and later director of the Islington Green Sixth Form Centre, gaining a national reputation for her achievements. From there she moved first to Warwickshire as Chief Education Officer and then to Keele University to run the Centre of Successful Schools. She has written many articles and books. From 1999 to 2002 she was a member of the National Commission for Education.
Sir Peter Newsam started his working life as a civil servant before spending a few years teaching in Oxford. He then moved into educational administration. Chief Education Officer of the Inner London Educational Authority from 1975 to 1981, he then chaired the Commission for Racial Equality. In the early 1990s he directed the London Institute of Education, before becoming Chief Schools Adjudicator. He was knighted for his services to education and to racial equality. His papers and other publications are now held at the Institute Library and London Metropolitan Archive
Pat O'Shea, from teaching English in a Kent comprehensive school, became a lecturer at the Oxford University Department of Education, and subsequently Deputy Head of Peers School, then nationally famous for its innovative curriculum. She then became a headteacher, first of Bottisham Village College in Cambridge and second of Lord Williams' Thame in Oxfordshire. A much respected LEA adviser and SIP adviser, until recently she was an Ofsted inspector. Jointly with two former headteachers she now runs an education consultancy.
Tim Oates is Director of Assessment, Research and Development at Cambridge Assessment and was appointed in 2011 by the Coalition government to lead the National Curriculum Review Expert Panel. His career has been in educational research at the London Institute of Education, the National Council for Vocational Qualifications and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. His many publications have won for him an international reputation. His 'Could do better – using international comparisons to refine the National Curriculum' has been particularly influential. In recognition of his contribution to education, he was honoured with the CBE in 2015.
Richard Pring retired in 2003 as Director of Oxford University Department of Educational Studies after 14 years, having previously been Dean of the Faculty at Exeter University, lecturer in Curriculum Studies at the Institute of Education, teacher at Goldsmiths College and a London comprehensive, and Assistant Principal in the Ministry of Education. From 2003 to 2009, he led the Nuffield Review of 14–19 Education and Training for England and Wales. Richard Pring is a Fellow of Green-Templeton College Oxford, where Sir David Watson was Principal from 2010.
Martin Roberts was headteacher of The Cherwell School in Oxford for 20 years, in which time it changed from a struggling ex-secondary modern to one of the best-regarded schools in the county. He then helped to create the Prince's Teaching Institute, which is now the leading provider of subject-specific training for secondary teachers. He has written articles and books, the latest of which is in collaboration with Michael Young and others, 'Knowledge and the Future School', 2014.
Wendy Scott, OBE, is currently honorary president of TACTYC (Training, Advancement and Co-operation in Teaching Young Children). Headteacher of a nursery school, she then moved to Roehampton Institute as senior lecturer in early years' education. From district inspector first for ILEA and then for Kensington and Chelsea, she became a registered Ofsted inspector. She has also been Chair and Chief Executive of the British Association of Early Childhood Education and an adviser to the Department for Education.
Geoff Stanton worked for 20 years in FE colleges, as a teacher and subsequently as an FE teacher trainer. For eight years he was Director of the Further Education Unit (FEU), which pioneered pre-vocational courses. He was also Special Adviser to the Commission on Adult Vocational Training and Learning. He is currently a member of the Qualifications Committee of the OCR Examination Board of the Council of the City and Guilds. In the last 15 years he has been engaged in numerous research and development projects, leading to a range of publications.
Peter Wilby helped to run a university newspaper while still a student at Sussex University. He began his adult career at The Observer in 1968, becoming its Education Correspondent four years later. He has become one of the country's leading education journalists, writing also for the New Statesman and The Sunday Times. He has had periods of editing The Independent on Sunday and the New Statesman. Nowadays he writes as a columnist for the New Statesman, The Guardian and The Observer.
# Foreword
Baroness Estelle Morris
Many people teaching today will have witnessed the present education revolution since its start; others will have joined along the way. The careers of longer serving teachers frame the years of this period of change in schools. They will have qualified before the days of the national curriculum, national testing and inspection, and will be able to remember when local authorities, not central government, were at the centre of what happened.
They are the generation who have seen the changes at first hand, but, if change is to be an ally and not a threat, all of us need to understand its context and the journey we are travelling.
The contributors to this book have played key roles at important times in different parts of the education service. Some have been champions of change, others would have preferred a different route, all have had to try to make the changes work. In this sense, these chapters set out the often conflicting views and opinions that have been the background of education policy and practice for three decades and in doing so they come together to build a narrative of the times.
Anyone looking back at this period could describe it as a time of upheaval. School and college structures, curricula, inspection frameworks, qualifications have all been introduced, amended, and often discarded before there has even been time to properly assess their impact. Sometimes the reasons for change have been badly explained; often the initiatives have seemed relentless.
Yet there have been strong strands of continuity as well. The principles of greater autonomy, a national framework offering an entitlement for all young people, the need for teachers to be held to account, the importance of school and college leadership and the impact of high quality teaching have been threads that have stood the test of time.
Education doesn't exist in isolation, and the pressures for change come as much from outside the system as within. It is no coincidence that a period of great change in education has been also a time of significant change in the wider society.
Greater demands on services, less tolerance of failure, the belief that everyone must succeed and the freedom to exercise choice, all characterise the present public attitude to key services – and these too have been some of the pressures for change.
Equally, the speed of development in communication and the opportunities offered by digital technology have transformed our understanding of how children learn, and schools must reflect this if they are to remain relevant to those they teach.
Education has at times led change – the achievement of ethnic minorities, for example – yet in other areas it has been slow to change. Schools embraced educational technology long after most other sectors and they are only just beginning to give it the importance it deserves.
These are not easy times for those who teach but, at its core, education remains the greatest route to freedom, self-respect, fulfilment and social justice. It will always attract the attention of others who share the ambition to change the world for the better and, as a result, it cannot and must not stand still.
Although change will be an ever-present force for those who work in education, we must get better at how we lead it, manage it, evaluate it and take others on the journey. This book is not only a testament to the past but a most valuable source of wisdom for the future. We should all learn from it.
Editors' note: Virtually all the text of this book was written in the months before the General Election of May 2015. We have left it unchanged since, in the few months since then, the Conservative government, which replaced the Coalition, has left the main thrust of educational policy-making unchanged, as exemplified by its drive against 'coasting schools' and its continuing pressure on schools to become academies.
# Background
The 1944 Education Act introduced secondary education for all in a 'maintained system' – that is, a system maintained by local education authorities in partnership with the voluntary bodies (mainly the churches) who owned many of the schools, along with the teaching profession and with central government (which had overall responsibility for ensuring there would be sufficient schools and teachers).
The 70 years since this major Act of Parliament have seen considerable changes:
* to greater government control in the partnership between central, local government and schools;
* in the evolving structure of 'secondary education for all' up to 16 (then education or training for all up to 18);
* in the creation of a teaching profession (through initial and continuing professional education) appropriate for these changes and higher aspirations;
* in the development of a national curriculum;
* in developing systems of testing and examining to reflect the achievements of all;
* in the increasing accountability of schools and of the system; and
* in the world of employment and higher education into which pupils are to enter.
Throughout this period, there have been considerable demographic and economic changes to which schools, colleges and the system have had to adapt, some more successfully than others.
More recently, many of the principles of the 1944 Education Act have given way to a system that:
* puts much greater power in the hands of the Secretary of State (diminishing thereby the powers of local authorities);
* has introduced voluntary, private and for-profit organisations into the control of schools; and
* made accountability much more focused on measurable targets.
The changes since 1976 are very substantial, therefore – indeed, revolutionary.
Much has been written about these developments, but in a fragmented way. What too often are lacking are concrete examples, which give life to successes and difficulties as schools, colleges, teachers, education establishments, examination boards and local authorities navigate their way through the changes.
This book, therefore, seeks to provide cases of the hopes and fears, the successes and failures over four decades in response to national policies. Then, drawing on these accounts and learning lessons from them, the book looks to the future, making a number of proposals for the way forward.
# [Part I
Introduction](content.xhtml#bck_part1)
Setting the scene
# [1
History and Overview of Changes 1976–2014](content.xhtml#bck_Ch01)
Martin Roberts and Richard Pring
## Introduction
The last 40 years have witnessed such radical changes in the educational and training system that few who are now engaged in teaching, and few among the general public, can have much conception of where the system has emerged. But it is important that they should do so. It is important to see how and why a system has changed in order to understand it critically and to see how it might be changed yet further for the better.
This book therefore seeks to provide an account of those changes, not simply through a historical narrative (although such a narrative permeates the chapters and is explicitly provided in this introductory chapter), but also through the experiences of those who have lived and worked through the changes and who have had to adapt, often critically, to them.
In Chapter 17 we draw together some of the major themes that emerge from the following chapters and make some recommendations for the next generation.
## Setting the scene
In particular, the 1944 Education Act preceded our history by several decades. But reference to it is necessary for two reasons. First, it shaped the educational system for 30 years, and the period covered in this book reflects the gradual erosion of that post-war political settlement. Second, such a reference shows starkly how matters have changed.
The 1944 Act created 'a national service locally administered'. It established a partnership between central government (which had ultimate responsibility for overall expenditure), local education authorities (which provided education to all children 'according to age, ability and aptitude'), the voluntary bodies (that is churches and non-denominational bodies that provided many of the schools now entering the national system) and the teachers. The Minister had two major responsibilities – to ensure there were enough school places for all pupils and to ensure there were enough teachers to teach them. The Minister had no control over what was taught or how it was taught – these were regarded as too important to be put in the hands of politicians. After all, a war was being fought against totalitarian governments whose government ministers controlled the schools and what was taught in them.
The Act never dictated how 'according to age, ability and aptitude' should be interpreted. That was in the hands of the local education authorities (LEAs) and the teachers. Most LEAs interpreted this for the new secondary system of education in terms of three types of school fitting (in the words of the 1943 Norwood Report) three types of adolescent, namely, grammar schools for the few capable of abstract thought and interested in ideas; technical schools for those interested in and capable of the application of ideas in technology; and secondary moderns for the majority who were more concerned with practical activities and the immediate environment. However, some authorities – London County Council, West Riding of Yorkshire and Leicestershire – decided to develop schools attended by children of all abilities and aptitudes as comprehensives.
Subsequent years saw the gradual questioning of this threefold division of adolescents and therefore of schools – a questioning that was evolving significantly during the period covered by this book.
Hence, this chapter provides an outline of the political and social changes that impacted on educational institutions between 1976 and 2015, as these have affected the 'national system locally administered'. Our contributors illuminate many of them in the following chapters.
## The political context
### Labour and Conservative governments 1945–2015
In the 70 years since the Second World War, Labour formed governments for 30 years, the Conservatives, including a Tory-dominated coalition, for 40. In our chosen period since 1976, Labour governed for 16, the Conservatives for 23. The sequence was as follows: Labour 1945–1951 (Attlee), Conservatives 1951–1964 (Churchill, Eden, Macmillan, Douglas-Home), Labour 1964–1970 (Wilson), Conservatives 1970–1974 (Heath), Labour 1974–1979 (Wilson, Callaghan), Conservatives 1979–1997 (Thatcher, Major), Labour 1997–2010 (Blair, Brown), Conservative–Liberal Democrat Coalition 2010–2015 (Cameron).
The 1970s were a watershed in British politics. The quadrupling of the oil price after 1973 led to extraordinary inflation, which hit a record 25 per cent per annum in 1975. Simultaneously destructive industrial unrest caused the British economy, already weak, to lurch from crisis to crisis. In 1976, Denis Healey, Labour Chancellor of the Exchequer, had to negotiate a huge loan from the International Monetary Fund. The implicit consensus between the two main parties began to break. The final breaking point was the 'winter of discontent' in 1979 when public sector workers, fighting the attempt of Callaghan's government to sustain a pay policy, went on strike. Rubbish piled up in the street. Schools closed. A public sense that something was badly wrong helped Mrs Thatcher to power. Conservative policy after 1979 consciously shook off the One Nation Toryism of Macmillan and Heath. Similarly Blair's New Labour, which emerged in the 1990s, distanced itself in policy as well as in name from the Labour values of Wilson, Callaghan and Attlee, further developing policies initiated by Mrs Thatcher.
### The pre-1970s consensus
In 1954, The Economist coined the term 'Butskellism' to describe the common features of the policies of Butler, the Conservative Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Gaitskell, his Labour counterpart. They both accepted the main achievements of the Attlee government, particularly the welfare state (which meant comparatively high and redistributive taxation) and the nationalisation of the country's major industries. They believed in a mixed economy with both private and public ownership. They were Keynesian in that they believed that the state should increase public spending in times of crisis to sustain overall demand and avoid significant rises in unemployment. They accepted that trade unions mattered and believed in the effectiveness of local authorities.
### The Thatcher/Blair consensus, 1979–the present
The Thatcher government rejected Keynesianism, which it considered to be the cause of serious inflation and the enemy of private enterprise. Influenced by Friedrich Hayek who argued for a diminished role for the state and by Friedman who considered inflation a greater threat than unemployment and whose monetarist doctrine stated that inflation was best reduced by the government controlling the amount of money in circulation, the Conservative government managed to bring inflation under control but at the price of high unemployment, which reached 3.2 million in 1985. Rather than a mixed economy it proved a firm believer in the superiority of private enterprise over public ownership. Major industries were privatised, for example British Gas and British Rail, and where possible market forces were given ever-greater freedom. The 'big bang' of 1986 deregulated the financial markets of the City of London and made possible, for good and ill, the rapid expansion of the City as a major player in global finance.
The Centre for Policy Studies, founded by Sir Keith Joseph in 1974 together with Margaret Thatcher and Alfred Sherman, argued the case for a Social Market economy and privatisation of such public monopolies as education and health – more deregulation and liberalisation. It considered 'educational vouchers' but thought that too big an undertaking. The philosophical thinking of Hayek and Friedman thereby entered into the management of public services in general and education in particular. It was cogently expressed by Sir Keith Joseph, later to become Secretary of State for Education, that:
the blind, unplanned, uncoordinated wisdom of the market is overwhelmingly superior to the well-researched, rational, systematic, well-meaning, cooperative, science-based, forward looking, statistically respectable plans of government.
(Joseph, 1976)
Thatcher's government kept a strict control over public expenditure, capping the funds it made available to local government, which it regarded as bloated and too close to the unions. As for public services, where she could not privatise, Mrs Thatcher centralised.
A new 'management language' was emerging in a series of Government White Papers that straddled the Thatcher/Blair years. The shift in the control and management of public services was explained in a series of Government White Papers from HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office: Modern Public Services in Britain: Investing in Reform (1988, Cm. 4011); Public Services for the Future: Modernisation, Reform, Accountability (1998, Cm. 4181); The Government's Measures of Success: Outputs and Performance Analyses (1999, Cm. 4200); Modernising Government (1999, Cm. 4310). One important consequence of these White Papers (and thus of the 'modernisation' of public services) was what was referred to as 'public service agreements'. These were agreements over funding from HM Treasury, first to Departments of State in terms of overall targets, which were then 'cascaded down' in more precise forms, to the institutions that were the responsibilities of the respective Departments. In education, this was spelt out partly in terms of the pro portion of students at different schools achieving so many GCSEs at different grade levels. But that gradually emerged as a way of rewarding teachers through 'performance-related pay'.
Where possible Thatcher's government cut income tax (for example, Lawson's 1988 Budget, which reduced the tax on the rich to 40 per cent and on everyone else to 25 per cent). As for the trade unions, breaking their power was a Thatcher priority, broadly supported by public opinion. Here 1984 was the key year when Scargill, the Marxist leader of the National Union of Mineworkers, who had humiliated Heath's government a decade earlier, called an all-out strike to end pit closures. The government was well prepared with plenty of coal stocks and police effectively deployed to prevent aggressive picketing. After a year the miners went back to work, totally defeated. The government passed a series of laws that severely restricted the power of the unions.
The Conservatives were able to stay in power for 18 years, but not because their policies were particularly popular. In the general election of 1987, when Mrs Thatcher was at her strongest, she won only 42 per cent of the vote with a turnout of 75 per cent of the electorate. Labour's problem in the 1980s was that it was dominated by the Left and the trades unions, and its moderates had split away to form the Social Democratic Party, which was to merge with the Liberals. Social and economic changes had undermined Old Labour and its traditional working class support in declining industrial areas. More voters thought of themselves as middle class. If Labour was ever to gain power, Blair with his small group of allies – Brown, Mandelson and Gould – decided that the party needed to be rebranded as New Labour and to accept the main Thatcherite policies of privatisation, low taxes, friendly towards business, cool towards the unions and local government, and centralising where public services were concerned. With the UK needing to compete in an increasingly global market, Blair and Brown saw no alternative but to encourage free enterprise. Blair, though he thought Mrs Thatcher a bit dotty, had much respect for her achievements, and she came to regard him as her real successor.
Like Thatcher, Blair's popularity was less well-rooted than it seemed. The main reason for New Labour's success in 1997 was the unpopularity of the Conservatives. He won only 44 per cent of the vote, less than Attlee and Wilson, and the voter turnout was lower too, at 71 per cent. His popularity declined in 2001 to 42 per cent of the voters, with 59 per cent voting. In 2005, his share of the vote had further declined to 35 per cent, with 61 per cent of the electorate voting. Throughout these years of radical reform neither Conservatives nor Labour had the explicit support of more than one in three of the electorate. After 2001 it dropped to one in four. More and more young people did not bother to vote.
Though in many ways the New Labour government had its distinctive policies, particularly with regard to relieving child poverty and support of minorities, the main thrust of its economics was similar to that of its predecessor, so much so that Peter Riddell writing in The Times commented that 'an economist from Mars would conclude that the same government had been in charge throughout the second half of the 1990s'.
## The implications for education of this dramatic political change post-1979
### Erosion of the political consensus
What did this mean for education? Before 1976, the political consensus accepted that schools should have freedom over the curriculum and gave LEAs the funding and discretion necessary to develop systems that best met local needs. Broadly speaking, it supported the end of selection at 11 plus and the spread of comprehensive schools. In the early 1970s Mrs Thatcher, as Secretary of State for Education, oversaw an accelerating comprehensive programme. The Schools Council, an advisory council on curriculum development and examinations, dominated by teachers but abolished by the Tory Sir Keith Joseph in 1984, was set up in 1964 by the Tory Sir Edward Boyle. The universities, expanding after the Robbins Report of 1963, were independent of government controls, their funding coming mainly through the independent Universities Grants Committee (UGC). Further Education (FE) too was expanding but remained the responsibility of LEAs.
However, when Callaghan spoke at Ruskin College in October 1976 this consensus was disintegrating. Within a few years, governments reduced education spending, the powers of local government and the independence of teachers. They encouraged the market through greater parental choice and a variety of schools (for example, Grant Maintained, City Technology Colleges, Specialist Schools, Academies, Free Schools and University Technical Colleges). The main criterion of the success of the education sector was to be seen in the extent to which it contributed to the economic success of UK plc. Ofsted would ensure accountability. And that accountability was expressed and conducted increasingly in the new language of management, that is, in terms of targets and performance indicators.
The key legislation, of course, was the 1988 Education Act, which in effect replaced that of 1944. Now the government was in charge of pupils' learning, establishing a detailed National Curriculum with ten levels of assessment, and funding directly (by-passing the LEAs) the new City Technology Colleges. From a 'national system locally maintained' was evolving a 'national system nationally maintained'.
The Conservatives had a deep-seated distrust of what they tended to describe as the 'education establishment', which in 2013 the Coalition Secretary of State, Michael Gove, referred to less decorously as 'the Blob'. This distrust had in the early 1970s been reflected in the Black Papers, edited by Cox and Dyson (1967–1972) for the Centre for Policy Studies, which attacked in particular the growing attachment to comprehensive schools. They were particularly suspicious of university-based teacher training, as reflected in Sheila Lawlor's paper 'Teachers Mistaught' (Lawlor, 1990).
By the Higher and Further Education Act of 1992, both higher and further education passed under greater government control. Mrs Thatcher distrusted university teachers as much as schoolteachers. A Higher Education Funding Council (HEFC) replaced the UGC and made sure that universities directed their efforts towards national priorities as defined by the government that, again like schools, were to increase the economic competitiveness of the UK. As for further education, the polytechnics became independent of LEAs, were renamed universities and funded through the HEFC. Other FE colleges also passed out of LEA control and were funded through the Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) until the new Learning and Skills Council took on its functions in 2001. Both the Labour and Conservative parties in the twenty-first century came to believe that Higher Education (HE) and FE fees were unavoidable, though they argued about the fees' level.
New Labour accepted the main thrusts of Tory education policy, Choice and Diversity (the title of John Patten's White Paper in 1992) becoming a mantra. Blair thought teachers were among the forces of conservatism hampering him in his mission to modernise Britain, as set out in the White Papers referred to above. LEAs fared no better. When New Labour introduced its Academies programme in the 2002 Education Act, they would be directly answerable to the Secretary of State. In other ways New Labour was even more centralising than the Conservatives, enacting many laws and regulations and creating quangos. It was stronger too on accountability, Ofsted swelling in its size and authority after 1997. The influential teacher unions of the 1970s, particularly the National Union of Teachers (NUT), declined, especially after the protracted but fruitless strikes of 1985–1987.
Again there was considerable continuity when the Coalition took over from Labour in 2010. Michael Gove, the new Secretary of State, accelerated the Academies programme, introduced academy chains to establish many more academies run by churches, charities and for-profit companies such as Serco and Capita, and increased diversity and choice by introducing Free Schools. He continued the custom of Secretaries of State, if with unusual passion, to intervene in the curriculum and assessment.
As more women were working and keen to return to work after child-bearing, early years and nursery education gained a higher profile. One of the last Acts passed by John Major's government was the Nursery and Grant-Maintained Act of 1996, the aim of which was to encourage the expansion of nursery schools. A major and valuable initiative of New Labour was the Sure Start Programme, aimed at families living on benefits. It was intended not only to give potentially deprived children a better start in life but to help their mothers back to work. Since 2010 the Sure Start local programmes have become Sure Start Children's Centres and have the theoretical support of the main parties. Furthermore, the Labour government's 2004 Childen's Act Every Child Matters set out five outcomes for all children (be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution to society, and enjoy economic wellbeing). However in the post-2008 austerity, many of the Centres have suffered cuts.
### Examinations and examination standards
GCE O- and A-Level examinations started in 1951. In 1976 schools could choose from syllabuses offered by eight independent boards, which had started as university-run enterprises and had university teachers actively involved in the setting and evaluation of papers. They could also choose CSE syllabuses for their less academic pupils. The Certificate of Secondary Education was introduced in 1962 (first sat for in 1965) to provide a final examination goal for secondary modern students originally intended for the next 40 per cent of the ability range, after the 20 per cent who took O Level. It is worthy of note that, until this time, there were no publicly funded examinations for those not taking O-Level examinations. The CSE was conducted by many regional boards. However, as more schools went comprehensive, this dual system became increasingly clumsy and the two systems merged, with the first exams sat in 1988. GCE boards also merged and so now there are four main ones – AQA, Edexel, OCR and WJEB. Active involvement by university teachers is less. A new examination between GCSE and A Level, AS, was introduced in 2000. Much to the irritation of teachers, pupils and their parents, ministers tinkered frequently with exam details, for example, coursework and the recent proposal to decouple AS Level from A Level (see Chapter 10 for a deeper understanding of these changes).
The English and Welsh exam system has chalked up some impressive achievements. It caters for ever-increasing numbers, setting and marking to a tight timescale each year. Standards appear to be rising substantially over time. In 1976 only 23 per cent of pupils gained 5 A-C O-Level passes and 15 per cent of school leavers gained no grade at all. In 2014, 69 per cent reached the equivalent GCSE score with hardly any candidates failing to get at least one grade. At A-Level in 1976 only about 70 per cent gained at least one pass. In 2014 it was 96 per cent.
However, the question of whether or not present examinations are as difficult as their predecessors is hard to answer. Where A-Level pass rates are concerned, comparing 1976 with 2014 is impossible because in 1976 the results were norm-referenced, allowing only a fixed percentage to pass. In the 1980s the Boards introduced criterion referencing – that is, meeting specific levels achieved, not determined by formerly agreed norms. Some critics ascribe the striking improvements in grades to changes in the format of the exam papers. The syllabuses specify in greater detail how marks are allocated, and teachers have become evermore skilful in getting their pupils to concentrate on these specifications. Many of these critics would then argue that 'teaching to the test' in such a way is not obviously good educational practice. Recently teacher confidence in the reliability of the marking has lessened and the Boards have had difficulty in finding well-qualified markers. Moreover, in the attempts to bring equivalences between different sorts of examination within a single system, a National Qualifications Framework (NQF) was established in the 1990s, superseded by the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) in 2007, intending to show how the myriad of vocational, prevocational, GCSE and A-Level qualifications related to each other in terms of equivalence in standard, even though they were radically different in content and purpose. By deft use of equivalences, schools' GCSE results rose dramatically, as did their place in the league tables.
In 2008 New Labour set up Ofqual to supervise the whole system. Successive governments have used this apparent (though, as indicated above, severely questioned) improvement in exam results, especially at GCSE, to argue that their reforms are working. The jury is out on this case. Not until the late 1990s did the Education Reform Act (ERA) reforms bed down. GCSE results improved rapidly from their start in 1988. Would they not have continued to improve if schools had been left to get on with the job?
### Vocational education and training
In 1851, the year of the Great Exhibition, Britain was the leading industrial power whose inventors, engineers and technical prowess were the envy of the world. Soon that status was challenged, first by the USA and Germany and latterly by Asia. Since the nineteenth century, the inadequacy of our technical and vocational education, particularly in comparison to continental Europe, has been a frequent refrain. The Royal Commission on Technical Instruction articulated it strongly in 1884, so did the Spens Committee in 1938. The 1944 solution to the problem, new technical schools, failed because the near bankruptcy of the immediate post-war years meant that only a handful were ever built. Between 1945 and 1976 the best vocational education occurred in some secondary modern schools or post-16 colleges offering examinations provided by the City and Guilds of London Institute (CGLI) and by the RSA.
An important thread of the 1976 Ruskin speech was the need for the education system to respond more directly to the needs of the world of work. The collapse of manufacturing during the 1970s and 1980s and the jump in unemployment as a result of the first Conservative budgets after 1979 made technical and vocational education a priority of every government since then. A priority it may have been but, of all the unequivocal policy failures of the last 40 years, the inability to create a thriving vocational offer for 14–19-years-olds must rank among the worst.
Therefore, to promote more vocational education in schools, the Department for Education established the Further Education Unit (FEU) to develop general education courses and qualifications based on occupation-related interests. The FEU published a series of papers, beginning with A Basis for Choice and Vocational Preparations. These led to a series of ever-changing qualifications – CGLI 365, succeeded by CPVE, succeeded by DoVE, succeeded by 14–19 Diplomas, succeeded by nothing yet.
The Conservative government did get off to a good start in 1982 when it announced TVEI, the Technical and Vocational Education Initiative, which tied in with these pre-vocational courses. Run not by the DfE but the Manpower Services Commission, established in 1974 so as to by-pass LEAs in the promotion and financing of employment-related activities in colleges and schools, it funded local projects where schools, colleges, LEAs and businesses developed their own schemes. The Education Reform Act (ERA) in 1988, with its emphasis on a new National Curriculum, effectively scuppered TVEI, which by 1997 had petered out. The Thatcher government also set up the National Council for Vocational Qualifications which established a system of National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) and employer-led Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs) to take responsibility for local youth training needs. In 1995, Major's government called on Sir Ron Dearing, who had already 'slimmed down' the National Curriculum, to bring some coherence to a messy range of academic and vocational qualifications. He recommended three pathways, (i) GCSEs/A Levels, (ii) GNVQs (General NVQs) and (iii) NVQs.
New Labour set up a new quango, the Learning and Skills Council, to provide a more coherent approach to education and training. However, in its short life of nine years that coherence eluded it. There were simply too many national, regional, local organisations and business interests competing for student-led funds. Experts clamoured for a new approach that would bring 'parity of esteem' between the academic and vocational pathways. In 2004 the Tomlinson Report on the 14–19 Reform seemed to find a way forward with its plan for an overarching Diploma. However, despite its widespread professional support (and the Secretary of State, Ed Balls' claim that this would be the qualification of choice for all 14–18 year olds), Prime Minister Blair vetoed it as electorally too risky as it might seem to challenge the A-Level gold standard. A new big idea of Advanced Diplomas sank under the weight of its ambitions. The essence of the British problem with vocational education was, as Alison Wolf put it in 2002, that it was 'a great idea for other people's children'. The many attempts to design an effective vocational pathway were for the most part designed by civil servants and advisers who themselves had little experience of industry and business and had no thought of encouraging their own children to follow such a pathway. Most pupils, looking at the world around them, decided that their life chances were better if they stuck to GCSEs and A Levels.
The Coalition government abolished the Learning and Skills Council and called in Alison Wolf to review the existing state of vocational qualifications. She recommended a cull of many of the Applied GCSEs and other qualifications that had emerged over the years, endorsed BTEC as an A-Level equivalent and apprenticeships as a good way forward (Wolf, 2011). The government accepted her recommendations. Nonetheless our technical and vocational provision remains poor compared with much of the developed world.
## Social contexts
### Female empowerment
The first challenges to the many post-war conventions, which were to change British society irrevocably, occurred in the 1960s. These conventions included the importance of marriage, the disapproval of sex outside marriage and of divorce and only a limited number of jobs being regarded, at least by the middle classes, as suitable for women. In the 1970s, the pace of empowerment quickened. Germaine Greer's Female Eunuch was published in 1970 and feminist attitudes proved infectious. Also in 1970, the Labour government passed the Equal Pay Act, following the 'Made in Dagenham' strike of female machinists at the Ford plant. The contraceptive pill became available on the NHS in 1975. Women increasingly believed that the opportunities which men had always taken for granted should be also open to them and that they could organise their lives to seize them.
This new ambition was expressed particularly clearly in education. Girls had always done better than boys at 11+ but in the 1980s they did better at GCSE, continued into the sixth form and then on to university. By 1996 women applicants just about outnumbered male ones but, by 2014, when a record number of students (about 40 per cent of the cohort) entered university, women significantly outnumbered men. There remained an issue about choice of subjects, with physics and technological subjects still being male-dominated both at school and university. Nonetheless, though full equality had yet to be achieved, the transformation of British society has been great. Britain had had a female prime minister. Whereas in the 1979 election, 11 women had been elected to Parliament, in 2010 it was 142. Many of the country's outstanding headteachers were female, and England's women's cricket, football and rugby teams often did better on the international stage than their male counterparts. For the most part, schools and universities (even the once proudly segregated Oxbridge colleges) contributed positively to this change.
### Immigration and race relations
Another socially transforming trend has been immigration. Starting after the war with immigrants from the West Indies, others from the Indian sub-continent soon followed. By 1956, the new immigrant population was assessed at about 180,000 and rapidly increased during the 1960s. Governments quietly approved of immigration as its mainly cheap labour boosted the economy. However, immigration caused public disquiet, which was extravagantly though popularly expressed in 1968 by the Conservative MP Enoch Powell in his 'rivers of blood' speech. Successive governments have tried both to limit immigration by a series of Immigration Acts and to encourage racial harmony by such measures as the Race Relations Acts of 1968 and 1976. Efforts to limit numbers have failed. In 1981, the immigrant population had reached more than 2 million, about 4 per cent of the population. According to the 2011 census, the proportion of whites had fallen to 86 per cent, with ethnic minorities rising to more than 10 per cent. They tended to be concentrated in conurbations, especially London and the West and East Midlands. This increase has been due partly to legal immigration (though much unquantifiable illegal immigration has taken place) and people seeking asylum from trouble spots like Somalia, and partly to the higher fertility rates of immigrant families. In recent years, immigration from countries of Eastern Europe that are members of the EU, particularly Poland, has risen sharply. In 2013, though the Coalition government was trying to lessen it to 'tens of thousands', net migration into the UK was c.212,000.
Relationships between the races have often been difficult. Serious race riots occurred in 1981 in Brixton, Toxteth and Moss Side (mainly against the police), in 1985 in Brixton and Birmingham, and in 2001 in some northern towns. The Ouseley Report in 2003, Community Pride, Not Prejudice, made strong recommendations on the important role of schools. The worst riots of all in 2011, which started in London and spread to other cities, had racial elements. They were sparked by the police shooting of a black man who they suspected of gun crime, and more than half the rioters were black youths. However, many white youths attacked the police and property, making the rioting more anarchic than racist.
A low point in race relations came in 1993 when a black teenager, Stephen Lawrence, on his way home from school, was murdered by a white gang. The Metropolitan Police botched the inquiry and failed to bring the suspects to justice. The subsequent Macpherson Report accused the Met of institutional racism.
The DfE, LEAs and urban schools have responded to this immense challenge impressively. The impact of London Challenge on the performance of these schools in particular has been impressive. But, much previously, the Wilson government started Section 11 funding to help ethnic minorities. This funding continues as the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant (EMAG). Almost without exception schools have committed themselves to an explicit anti-racist agenda.
### Religious trends
English people, though most still call themselves Anglican, have largely stopped being practising Christians. Barely 10 per cent attended church regularly in the 1970s and that number has steadily fallen. Though the Church of England remains the national Established Church, it came to look increasingly anachronistic, especially because of its protracted debates about homosexuality and whether women could become priests. On the other hand, it should be noted that the 1944 Act, in order to create a national system, had to include within it 'voluntary controlled' (Anglican) and 'voluntary aided' (Catholic) schools that, at that time, provided education for the majority of pupils. The national system was, and remained until recently, a partnership between the government, the local education authorities and the churches.
Paradoxically, within education, Christian and other 'faith' schools have flourished. In 1976 the only 'faith' schools were Christian or Jewish. They proved popular and tended to show up well in the league tables that appeared in the 1990s. Their supporters argued that their religious ethos gave their schools extra cohesion and purpose; their critics, that they did better simply because their admissions procedures favoured able pupils. By 2014 not only were there more Christian schools (one of which taught the 'creationist' explanation of evolution) and Jewish ones, but in addition 18 Muslim, eight Sikh and four Hindu. Blair's New Labour government particularly encouraged new 'faith' schools though many warned that they were potentially socially divisive.
Governments still required all non-faith state schools to have a daily collective act of worship of a broadly Christian character, a requirement that most, supported by their governors and parents, ignored. When in 2014, a few schools in Birmingham with predominantly Muslim pupils, some 'faith' schools, some not, developed distinctly Islamic traits, the Coalition government quickly drew up a list of 'British' values that all schools had to be seen to foster. The list of values was unexceptional, including respect for English laws, individual freedom and the toleration of other people's beliefs. They do not include any mention of Christianity.
### Minorities
Britain became a more tolerant society. As well as more accepting of different races and religions, the disabled got a better deal. The Disability Discrimination Act of 1995 aimed to ensure that disabled people were treated in a fair and equal way, especially with regard to shops, facilities and services. Wherever possible, disabled people should feel integrated. The Warnock Report of 1981 about Special Needs reflected the same philosophy. Physically disabled pupils and those with learning difficulties should attend mainstream schools. Although the subsequent Special Needs regulations have been strongly criticised by many, including Baroness Warnock, schools and colleges have fulfilled the aims of the report.
Another area of human activity to which Britons generally have become more tolerant is sexual differences. Homosexuality was decriminalised in 1967. 'Coming out' grew more common. Eventually, though the Tory Right and many religious groups opposed it, the Coalition government legislated for same sex marriages.
### Inequality, poverty and class
Britain remained one of the most class-conscious nations in the world. Though the class system was more porous and more people thought of themselves as 'middle class' and lived what was seen as a middle-class life style in housing, taste and holidays, an upper or upper-middle class continued to dominate. With the decline of the trade unions, the Labour leadership became more meritocratic while the Tories retained a leadership with independent school and Oxbridge backgrounds. One clear consequence of the Thatcher revolution was increasing inequality. Comparatively high levels of unemployment left many working-class people in poverty and dependent on benefits. Wealth did not obviously trickle down from the rich to the poor, and London and the South East obviously prospered more than the North. Blair and Brown certainly tried to tackle inequality after 1997 but by and large they failed. The 2008 crash and following recession, the worst since the 1930s, made matters much worse, and the popular perception was that the austerity measures of the Coalition after 2010 hit everybody hard except the rich.
That inequality was reflected particularly in education where 7 per cent of the pupils are educated in independent schools, many of which are much more lavishly resourced than those within the state system, reinforcing the class divide.
In education, New Labour tried a number of policies of which Sure Start proved the most lasting. It set up Education Action Zones (EAZs) in 1998 as part of a New Deal for Communities. These to some extent were modelled on the Education Priority Areas that had been created in 1962 and that enabled resources and extra teachers to be directed at schools in deprived inner-city areas. Another initiative, Excellence in Cities, aimed at inner-city schools, was launched the same year as the EAZ's. The EAZ's foundered after a few years but Excellence in Cities proved more effective. Initially New Labour aimed its new Academies at poverty stricken areas. For its part, the Coalition has created a 'pupil premium' aimed at disadvantaged children in order to reduce the attainment gap between them and their peers. Though the evidence is mixed, a combination of such initiatives, of others like the London Challenge of 2003 and the success of many individual schools serving deprived areas, seem to have improved examination results, and more importantly, raised the aspirations of many of our most disadvantaged pupils.
### Youth culture
Youth culture is an amorphous topic but one that obviously affects schools. Often it is defined by activities that interest the media, social problems that schools are expected to solve – drugs, alcohol abuse, knife crime, teenage pregnancies, early sexualisation, lack of respect for authority, racism and so on. Other trends may be more important since they could affect pupils' attitudes more generally: for example, excessive interest in celebrities, consumerism and interactive mobile phones and tablets, disinterest in national or international politics in local clubs and societies, or more positively a greater commitment to educational success. In his Education in Britain 1944 to the Present (2003) Ken Jones detected 'a new student culture emerging in which successful examination performance had a central part'. Pink Floyd's 'We don't need no education' of 1979 resonated less.
However, accounts of education usually neglect the importance of the Youth Service, which serves young people still at school. According to the National Youth Agency in 2010, 28 per cent of all 13–19-year-olds were in contact with some form of youth service, many of them from the most desperate backgrounds in terms of family breakdown and potential abuse. But youth centres suffered worst from the cuts to the education budget at the beginning of the Coalition government. In Greater London, eight of its thirteen youth centres were closed. In some other local authorities there was 100 per cent closure.
### National identity
Britain joined the European Union in 1973. As the years have passed, critics of the EU have grown more vociferous and gained greater public support. Governments have granted greater devolution to Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. Should England and its regions have greater autonomy is a live question in 2015, so too is how healthy is British democracy? Ethnic minorities, notably Muslim communities, seem to be retaining their own cultural values. Governments have expected schools to contribute to a sense of national identity, whether it was the Conservatives requiring more British history in the National Curriculum, or New Labour introducing compulsory citizenship education, or the Coalition insisting on 'British values' being taught. Such initiatives pose difficult philosophic questions for teachers in a free society.
### The digital revolution
Currently education systems are grappling with the implications of this technological revolution, which began in the late 1970s and has accelerated since then. British governments were swift to respond to it. From 1981 to 1984 the Thatcher government gave £8 million to schools through its Microelectronics Education Programme (MEP). Both primary and secondary schools purchased in large numbers the BBC Acorn computer and Research Machines (RM) products. Information and Communications Technology (ICT) became part of the National Curriculum. New Labour strongly supported greater investment in ICT. It set up the British Education Communication and Technology Agency (BECTA) in 1999 and made £230 million available to schools. ICT and Computer Science courses proliferated. However there were problems. For headteachers, investment in the best technology posed significant problems, partly because of the cost, partly, in the early years, because of reliability and partly because of the pace of innovation. Pupils too often had more sophisticated equipment at home than their schools. Teacher training lagged behind the investment in hardware and in the early twenty-first century pupils reported being bored with their ICT lessons, which focused on the introduction of comparatively undemanding computing skills. The numbers taking GCSE and A-Level courses fell. The Coalition government abolished BECTA in 2010 and in 2014 had the National Curriculum in ICT revised so pupils would gain a deeper understanding of computer technology through learning, for example, what algorithms are and how to create and debug computer programs.
In most schools digital technology is now ubiquitous, with electronic white-boards, iPads and other tablets, an array of computers in staff rooms and departmental offices, and linking parents to the school. As yet the impact on learning remains unclear. Most teachers agree that used well, digital technology improves motivation and is an immediate help with individual project work. It seems to be proving a real help for pupils having difficulty with basic literacy and numeracy. There are however no obvious signs yet of digital technology superseding the teacher at the heart of the learning process.
## Conclusion
Consequently, there have been 40 years of radical political and economic change and of far-reaching social trends, to which schools, colleges and universities have had to respond. The central question on which the contributors to this book reflect is the extent to which the Thatcher-Blair-Cameron consensus has created an educational policy framework that has enabled our teachers to help their pupils flourish to their individual benefit and to the advantage of their country.
## References
Jones, K., 2003, Education in Britain 1944 to the present day, Oxford: Blackwell.
Joseph, K., 1976, Stranded on the middle ground?: reflections on circumstances and policies, London: Centre for Policy Studies.
Lawlor, S., 1990, Teachers Mistaught, London: Centre of Policy Studies.
Wolf Report, 2011, Review of Vocational Education, London: DfE.
# [2
The Revolution Begins](content.xhtml#bck_Ch02)
Lord Kenneth Baker
## Introduction
In 1976 James Callaghan, the Prime Minister, startled the educational world by making a speech that dared to question the quality of education being provided in many schools. Prime ministers were not meant to do this; they should not trample in the sacred vineyard of a school's curriculum. Callaghan's views were strongly opposed by virtually all the different bodies in education: teachers, teacher unions, schools, colleges, local education authorities and the departments of education in universities. Indeed his own Secretary of State, Shirley Williams, opposed his views and so little was achieved, but by the 1979 election he had started the ball rolling.
When Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister in 1979 it was expected that there would be new and innovative ideas introduced on education and some were tried, like school vouchers, but after a short time they were withdrawn. The Assisted Places Scheme gave state pupils a scholarship to attend certain private schools – this was the first measure to be scrapped by the Labour government in 1997. But there were no major radical steps in the development of a national curriculum and by 1985 there was a general feeling that little had been achieved. Indeed Oliver Letwin, an adviser in No. 10 to Margaret Thatcher and who was later to become a cabinet minister under David Cameron, sent a minute to the Prime Minister in 1982 when Letwin was returning from politics to banking, which started, 'Dear Prime Minister, You have failed in education'. He could have softened his minute by saying, 'Your ministers have failed' or 'Your government has failed' but no, he attributed it to Margaret's own personal lack of interest in making significant educational changes.
The whole education scene in the mid-1980s had been dominated by a teachers' strike that had been ongoing for 18 months. In 1986 Margaret decided that she really had to make a change – Keith Joseph, her education minister whom she admired enormously and listened to a great deal, said he wanted to step down. I was lucky enough to be asked by Margaret to become the Secretary of State of Education and Science at a time when British industry was highly critical of the output of schools: many students on leaving school were barely literate or numerate and many were ill-disciplined for the world of work.
## Secretary of State of Education and Science
When I went to see Margaret Thatcher on my appointment in May 1986 I expected to be given a list of things that she wanted done, but that wasn't how it happened. She said to me, 'Kenneth we have the teachers' strike and we must try and resolve it as soon as possible, but as regards policy go away and work up some ideas and come back to me in a month's time'. This was just what I wanted because I had my own ideas as to what needed to be done. She warned me about the Department for Education (DfE) and I remember her saying to Keith Joseph in 1983, 'You have an awful Department'. I set about shaping the changes with discussions, always roundtable, with senior civil servants, the other ministers, and my political adviser Tony Kerpel to agree what changes we would like to see.
There were two changes in particular that I wanted to introduce. I had come to realise that a national curriculum was necessary as the current arrangement meant that every school shaped its own curriculum, and so when you had a good headteacher you had a good curriculum; with a mediocre headteacher a mediocre curriculum; and with a poor headteacher a poor curriculum. Moreover there was tremendous inconsistency all over the country so when a family moved from, say, Northumberland to Devon their children joined a very different almost foreign system of education. I agreed very much with the phrase that Rab Butler once used, that all children should go through 'the common mill of education'. That was the really inspiring justification of the National Curriculum.
I also wanted to establish Technical Schools. Back in 1981 when I was the minister of Information Technology I had visited a college in Notting Hill that specialised in taking 16-year-olds who had left the education system with no certificate whatsoever and training them in computing. It was very interesting to see young people, particularly black students, sitting at computers, enthusiastic to learn and paying great attention. They knew among other things that to make music well they had to master a computer. In the wake of the Brixton riots in April 1981 we established a network of such colleges called Information Technology Centres (ITechs) across the country and I saw real transformation in the experience and life opportunities of their students. I had talked about the possibility of establishing such colleges with Keith Joseph on several occasions but never really got anywhere.
I compiled a list of proposals for the Prime Minister that included:
* The establishment of a national curriculum in a number of basic subjects.
* The provision of testing the achievement of students at the ages of 7, 11 and 14.
* The publication of the results of schools – league tables.
* The establishment of colleges independent of local authorities – City Technology Colleges – focusing upon computer technology, being funded partly by business.
* A system whereby schools as a result of a ballot of parents could move to become grant-maintained, independent of local education authorities.
* Polytechnics to cease being controlled by local authorities and become independent education institutions.
* Probably one of the most important changes: to devolve the management of a school's budget from the local education authority to the management of the head and the governing body. A trial in Cambridgeshire had shown secondary schools could do this and I built on this; and
* Per capita funding for schools and universities so that money would follow the student.
After many ministerial discussions this list was approved and it featured in the 1987 Conservative election manifesto, running over nine pages. It was the most systematic and thorough overhaul of education since 1945. After the election it fell to me to put flesh on the bones. I knew these proposals would be controversial, even to many Conservative local education authorities, so I was at great pains to balance the various working groups with a complete range of views and opinions from Left to Right, from top to bottom. I hoped that some curriculum groups would be free of controversy, like maths, but not at all. Feudal armies seemed to march in favour or against students being allowed to use calculators, to learn tables by heart, or to teach calculus below 16. It took some time to get agreement. I knew that history would be controversial so I took pains to get an outsider involved – Commander Michael Saunders-Watson who owned a stately home with a large educational wing attached to it and who was later to become chairman of the National Library. On English I appointed some of the people on the Right who had written the Black Paper series – very controversial and critical papers of the educational system – in the hope they would come up with a rigorous proposal, but I was to be disappointed – they were not concerned with basic punctuation or grammar. I set up another group, headed this time by an engineer, to produce a much more down-to-earth curriculum.
I also set about selling the idea of City Technology Colleges to groups of businesses. I went to see all the large companies likes Rolls-Royce, ICI, and Shell but they were not interested at all. They wanted the basic state system to be improved, but none were clear how that might be done. Then I turned to entrepreneurs like James Hanson, Harry Djanogly, John Hall, Phil Harris, Stanley Kalms, Geoffrey Leigh and Peter Vardy, who were prepared to put £1 million towards sponsoring a school and get involved with a curriculum that aimed at improving the quality of education and life chances of its students. Eventually, long after I had left the Department, some 15 City Technology Colleges existed, the first of the academies and still some of the most successful schools in the country.
It was clear that the comprehensive system imposed by the Labour government in the 1960s was failing our children. All-ability classes were holding many back and the staying on rate at 16 was one of the lowest in the developed world. Only 12 per cent of our 18-year-olds went on to higher education. The remaining grammar schools, together with the private schools, were creating an elite of very well-educated students. What I wanted to achieve was for state-funded schools to strive to do as well and give to parents the greater choice in deciding which school was best for their children.
The Labour Party said they were opposed to virtually everything I had introduced and they promised to repeal them once in government. It was important therefore for the Conservatives to stay in office as long as possible to ensure that the reforms had bedded down. In the event there was not a general election that Labour could win until 1997 and that allowed the National Curriculum and the other reforms to be established. I am very glad to say that Tony Blair, his first Education Secretary David Blunkett, and their education adviser Andrew Adonis kept intact 90 per cent of the reforms I had introduced. In fact Tony Blair came to develop academies using the City Technology College as his model. He wanted more schools to be independent of local education authorities, and Andrew Adonis encouraged Blair to announce in 2004 that Labour wanted to see a target of 200 academies established. When Labour left office in 2010 there were in fact 273.
The changes were so radical that many Conservative authorities did not like them and sought to continue running their own schools. There was always a number of backbench MPs who tried to weaken the changes, by example setting a very high level of support in the parental elections for Grant Maintained Schools. Throughout Margaret Thatcher gave me her full support and that's what you expect from a great leader supporting one of her embattled ministers.
The overall impact of my proposals was to devolve as much power as possible to the individual schools and colleges. The metaphor I used at the time was that I wanted to move things out from the hub of the wheel to the rim, because at the rim schools could be independent and use their own inventiveness and creativity. I was often accused of concentrating too much power in the centre by creating the National Curriculum but I was quite prepared to defend it – the government was right to create the basis of core knowledge that pupils should follow, and I never attempted to tell teachers how to teach it. There was sufficient choice within the National Curriculum for schools to be as varied and creative as they wished to be.
The big regret I have from that time was that I was unable to extend the teaching day by at least one period. I did not bring in that change because in the eventual settlement of the teachers' strike I had to agree the number of hours that a teacher spent a year teaching. If it was increased by 45 minutes I would have opened up a huge new Pandora's Box of debates with the unions and I was not prepared to undertake another battle with them.
So what did I learn as an education reformer?
* First, if you want to change fundamentally the performance of traditional schools, you must create an institution that can show that it will lead to a better result for students. Parents, students and the local community must be able to see the new institution actively working. We had to get a City Technology College up and running. It was not easy as local authorities were not willing to create competition by releasing an empty school. One of the few education authorities held by the Conservatives was Solihull and they offered a failing and closing school in Kingshurst, and we were lucky to find an outstanding head, Valerie Bragg. The Kingshurst CTC soon became one of the most successful schools in the country, a position it holds to this day. This CTC became an exemplar for a further 14.
* You cannot secure reform alone. To develop CTCs I appointed Cyril Taylor, an independent education expert, who injected dynamism into the team that I had set up in the Department. Tony Kerpel, my personal and political adviser, became a key figure particularly by ensuring that my intentions were understood by the key officials in the Department.
* You do need allies. The educational establishment in the universities was hostile to any politician who wanted something fundamentally different. The teacher unions were predictably hostile, but I remembered Keith Joseph's advice to me: 'Don't make the mistake I made of attacking the teachers'. I decided to get the parents on my side. The publication of school results was key since it gave to parents essential information that could allow them to exercise choice for the education of their children. Parents were also given a vote to decide whether their school should be Grant Maintained. A new variety of schools gave parents for the first time an opportunity to choose.
In 1997 I left the House of Commons and I was pleased that Tony Blair's first government, David Blunkett his first Education Secretary, and Blair's main educational adviser Andrew Adonis decided to accept the reforms that had been implemented since the passing of the Education Reform Act in 1988. The only significant change was the abolition of Grant Maintained Schools, which had to be brought back under the control of local authorities – it was Labour's sop to the Left, but even that was partially reversed with the later introduction of Trust Schools.
## University Technical Colleges
Over the years I had kept in touch with Ron Dearing whom I had first met when he was the Chairman of the Post Office and after his retirement I was the first to offer him a post in education with the Council for National Academic Awards, the body that regulated polytechnic qualifications. The position launched him in a very influential post-retirement career in education – he produced several key reports on student fees, curriculum reform, technical qualifications and foreign language in primary schools, quite apart from actively supporting new Christian academies. We met up again in 2007 and decided that the one thing that was missing in the English education system was good technical high schools.
The model Ron Dearing and I developed we called University Technical Colleges. They were for students from 14 to 18 and we both agreed that Mike Tomlinson's report to the Labour government supporting a 14–18 curriculum was absolutely the correct direction for English education. UTCs operate from 8.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. for 40 weeks of the year. This extended day and shorter holidays added a whole extra teaching year over the four years. The curriculum would devote 40 per cent of the teaching time for 14–16-year-olds to practical, technical, vocational hands-on learning, and 60 per cent to the basic GCSE subjects – English, maths, the three sciences, a foreign language and a humanities subject. The other key features were that a university would be asked to sponsor the UTC – this meant that the university would go into the UTC to help with teaching and to introduce students to the resource riches of a university. The university would also be partly responsible for shaping the specialist curriculum. In this it would be helped by local companies and employers who knew what skills were needed locally. The Baker Dearing Educational Trust (BDET) expects employers not only to help shape the specialist technical curriculum with the university, but also to provide projects for the students and then help with teaching them.
The BDET is grateful to the Edge Foundation for granting us £150,000 to get started. We used the grant to print a brochure explaining UTCs and to commission Exeter University to produce a report on how all the schemes and proposals to improve technical education since 1870 had failed.
Ron and I then went to see the Schools Minister Andrew Adonis who immediately liked the UTC idea and said that he would provide financial support for two. We were buoyed up by this generous support and decided that I should begin by approaching a university. I rang up Julia King, the Vice Chancellor of Aston University, one of our leading engineering universities, and who is herself a qualified engineer. Julia liked the UTC concept very much and committed her university to support us. We then won the support of Birmingham Council, where the education director and leader of the council, Mike Whitby, provided an empty site very close to the university. We met with several local employers – national and small – who wanted just this sort of school: the Aston University Engineering Academy is today over-subscribed.
Ron Dearing and I then had to make a big decision. Should we proceed with the two UTCs for which we had the government's support by getting them open in, say, two years and then measuring their success after a further three or four years? This would mean if the UTCs were successful we would not find out until 2014–2015. We agreed that the demand for such schools was so pressing we must get as many going as soon as possible, but we also recognised that such a policy had real risks. These were novel and unique schools blending technical and academic education, and while some would succeed there could also be failures. Undaunted we decided to go flat out to establish as many as we could. We managed to get five groups interested to establish the first five UTCs, and sure enough two ran into difficulties. But the next 12 UTCs were infinitely better – some are now outstanding – it was a reminder that the path of reform is never a faultless road.
As an election was approaching in 2010 it was necessary to win the support of the other political parties. I met David Cameron, the Leader of the Opposition, George Osborne, and Michael Gove all of whom liked the UTC idea and committed an incoming Conservative government in their manifesto to establish 12 UTCs. David Cameron picks up new ideas very quickly and saw how UTCs could certainly help with his 'Broken Society' by engaging the disengaged 13–14-year-olds who were fed up with the education they were getting in their comprehensives. I am glad to say that UTCs have gained all-party support: created under Labour and expanded under the Coalition.
The target of all UTCs is to ensure that when students leave at 16 or 18 none should join the ranks of the unemployed – no NEETs. It is a target that we meet. UTCs are major agents of social mobility: we provide opportunities for thousands of young people that they would not have had if they had remained at their previous schools.
One of the extraordinary features of the UTC movement is that it has been left to a charity, the Baker Dearing Educational Trust, to be the main promoter of UTCs and also to help them to become properly established as well as to ensure they meet the criteria of their specialist technical curriculum. This requires our charity to retain a significant team of ex-headteachers and inspectors, and to maintain a constant relationship with officials in the DfE and in some cases with local education authorities. If it had been left to the DfE to promote UTCs I do not believe that by now as many as 60 would have been approved.
# [Part II
Schools](content.xhtml#bck_part2)
# [3
The Early Years](content.xhtml#bck_Ch03)
Wendy Scott
## Introduction
It has been extremely interesting to reflect on the radical change in education over two generations. The trajectory of changes in early years education, as this chapter will show, though as radical as those affecting primary and secondary sectors, is different and more complicated.
I must immediately acknowledge the deep and lasting value of the Froebel training that I undertook between 1958 and 1961. Having refused to go to Cambridge and instead entering the Froebel Educational Institute (FEI) with the intention of teaching secondary maths, I was waylaid by the early years programme. It was taught socratically, and included the philosophy, psychology, sociology and history of education. During the three-year course, we also had lectures from health and social services professionals as well as artists and artisans. Molly Brearley, the FEI Principal, had a strong influence on Children and their Primary Schools, the Plowden Report, which was published in 1967.
Although more recent research has questioned some conclusions of the Report, Plowden's central tenet remains as true for effective education of young children in 2015 as it was in 1967: 'At the heart of the educational process lies the child'. In the early years, children have not yet learned to be pupils. They bring such varied expectations and experience with them to school, that teachers must pay attention to each individual in the context of their families and cultures. The most radical change in education policy since the 1980s is that individual children's needs and broader potential achievements have become secondary to the current standards agenda, directed by political ideology that is aligned with a simplistic economic model.
## Teaching 1976–1981
In 1974, I returned to teaching after seven years at home looking after my two young children. I was appointed to open a new nursery class during the brief period of expansion of nursery provision in Education Priority Areas, introduced by Margaret Thatcher when she was Secretary of State for Education. Given a headteacher with little awareness of or interest in the early years, and a demountable classroom across the playground from his office, I had complete autonomy on curriculum and organisation and was able to work closely with parents and also with health visitors and the probation service. This freedom continued throughout the time I was teaching, up to the mid-1980s.
## Headship 1981–1986
I then became the teaching head of a demonstration nursery school on a university campus. This role involved full curricular, pastoral and management responsibilities in addition to full-time teaching. As headteacher, I had total freedom to design and implement the curriculum in collaboration with outstanding staff, and had control of the budget, apart from the costs related to the premises and staff salaries. The nursery built strong links with lecturers: I believe it was the first school in the country to introduce philosophy seminars for four-year-olds, and our ground-breaking work with the BBC B computer and the remote-controlled 'turtle' was made possible through additional expert support from the college. We welcomed many students and visitors from around the world; at this time, there was global interest in the enlightened British approach to primary and early years education.
Because of the advantages the nursery school enjoyed, we were able to specialise in the education of children with language difficulty and delay, and worked closely with other services. A speech therapist agreed to hold her clinic in an adjoining tutorial room. There she was able to observe her clients in a naturalistic environment through the one-way windows and advise on children where there were concerns. A school doctor came in regularly to undertake health checks. The publication of the Warnock report on Special Educational Needs (SEN) in 1978 provided a framework for our commitment to work on SEN.
I was fortunate in having a headship at a high point for nursery education and consider that this was the time in my career when I was able to have the most effective influence on children, their families, students and other colleagues through respectful reciprocal relationships.
## Some of the main developments in nursery education and the early years curriculum
I left headship in 1986. As I moved to a variety of non-school posts, it will be useful at this stage to outline some of the main national policy shifts in both nursery education and the early years curriculum.
### Nursery education
Historically, the provision of nursery education has been patchy across the UK. The Effective Provision of Preschool Education (EPPE) study showed that highly qualified early years staff make a crucial difference to children's achievement, at least up to the end of Key Stage 2, but although they have by far the highest proportion rated outstanding by Ofsted of any part of the education system, the number of maintained nursery schools in England since the 1990s has fallen by more than 20 per cent. They are often the preferred setting for inclusion and social care referrals for vulnerable children and their families. Sixty per cent of nursery schools in England already offer funded places for disadvantaged two-year-olds and more are in the process of setting this up. Given the difficulty of finding sufficient high-quality places for the two-year-old programme, these placements are a vital resource. Nevertheless, maintained nursery schools are facing an uncertain future as a result of reducing budgets and the drive to a Single Funding Formula across providers in each local authority (LA). Nursery school headteachers now have to manage very complex demands, especially where the school forms part of a Children's Centre. In common with primary and secondary education, the role of headteacher has changed considerably, not least because of the high levels of accountability. The particular demands of work in disadvantaged areas, where outreach to parents is a high priority, are not generally recognised, although the recent introduction of the Pupil Premium, albeit at a much lower level than for school-aged children, will go some way to addressing these problems.
In 2013, the Education Select Committee recommended that government should 'set out a strategy for ensuring the survival of those [maintained Nursery Schools] that remain'. The government response to this recommendation failed to address the issue and showed a worrying lack of understanding of the distinctive qualities of nursery schools led by specialist headteachers.
### Key government initiatives from 1989
Just after the introduction of the National Curriculum for children of statutory school age, the DES published guidance on The Education of Children Under Five, written by HMI in 1989. It provided illustrations of a play-based curriculum expressed through nine interlinked areas of learning and experience, which offered
a broad, balanced, differentiated and relevant curriculum which takes into account the assessment of children's progress, promotes equal opportunities irrespective of gender, ethnic grouping or socio-economic background, and responds effectively to children's special educational needs life.
The Rumbold Report (1990) provided an authoritative guide to provision for the early years, which remains pertinent to this day and informs the principles of the current Early Years Foundation Stage. These are hard to sustain given the increasingly demanding expectations of school readiness and other accountability measures.
In 1992, the government commissioned a discussion paper, Curriculum Organisation and Classroom Practice in Primary Schools, which recommended among other things that the teacher should be an instructor rather than a facilitator and that there should be a more direct emphasis on subject teaching. Written by Robin Alexander, Jim Rose and Chris Woodhead, it became known as 'The Three Wise Men's Report'. Tricia David, Audrey Curtis and Iram Siraj-Blatchford (three wise women), concerned by the focus on instruction and the likely negative effect of this on the early years, countered in 1993 with a well-referenced booklet Fostering Children's Learning in Nurseries and Infant Classes.
In 1996 the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority identified Desirable Outcomes for Children's Learning before Compulsory School Age (DLOs). This was the first time that outcomes had been specified in early years and there was considerable unease among practitioners who feared that teaching would be unduly influenced by expectations of outcomes rather than being seen as extending children's learning in a developmentally appropriate way.
The DLOs were replaced by the Labour government that came into power in 1997, who instead put in place Early Learning Goals as part of the Foundation Stage, introduced in 2000.
As nursery provision expanded through Sure Start (see below), which drew in younger children, Birth to Three Matters was published in 2002 to provide information, guidance and challenge for all those with responsibility for the care and education of children up to the age of three. It valued and celebrated babies and children, recognised their individuality, efforts and achievements, and acknowledged that all children have a need to develop learning through interaction with empathetic people and exploration of the world around them, from birth. The Framework took the child as its focus, steering away from subjects, specific areas of experience and distinct curriculum headings.
The Birth to Three Matters Framework, though based on a thorough analysis of the literature and welcomed across the sector, was discontinued in 2012, following the review of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and the Early Years Profile (the assessment at the end of the Foundation Stage) undertaken by Dame Clare Tickell in 2011. This resulted in a simplification of the Profile, and combined regulatory standards and guidance for children from birth to the end of the reception year. Higher expectations were introduced for literacy and mathematics. These, combined with the downward pressure from the Year 1 phonics check, are leading to a significant increase in teacher-led instruction, making it more difficult to respond to spontaneous events and children's existing knowledge and interests.
The simplified EYFS Profile may become voluntary from 2016, although the Study of Early Education and Development (SEED) project, recently commissioned by the DfE, relies on Profile data for the 5,000 children they are following through to the end of Key Stage 1, and assessments undertaken by the health service are linking with it too. Annual entry to primary school means that a whole class is admitted in the September of the year in which children become five, although the statutory age of entry is the term after a child's fifth birthday. Many children are thus only just four on entry to school. Pre-schools and nurseries, which have proliferated in the private, voluntary and independent (PVI) sector since 1997, lose the influence and example of the older cohort of children, and the children themselves, particularly the youngest in the group, have a major adjustment to make when they enter their reception class.
PVI nurseries and pre-schools are staffed by people with generally lower levels of qualification than obtain in nursery and reception classes in primary schools; this divide between the maintained and non-maintained sectors is a continuing issue. In 2011, the Coalition government commissioned a review of early years qualifications from Professor Cathy Nutbrown. Foundations for Quality was published in 2012. Among other things, it recommended that a specialist qualification should be established for early years teachers, equipping them to work with children from birth to seven. The government response to this was to establish entry qualifications comparable to those for teacher training and to re-badge as Early Years Teachers the cadre of Early Years Professionals who had a graduate-level qualification, without granting them Qualified Teacher Status. This is causing considerable frustration and confusion.
The split in provision for the Foundation Stage in the UK is unusual; most other European countries have a coherent early years curriculum, offered in one setting, typically for children up to the age of six or seven, and staffed by professionals well qualified in early years pedagogy. Downward pressures for more formal approaches are increasing in England. The phonics check in Year 1 and the drive for narrowly defined school readiness as well as the raised standards in the EYFS Profile are resulting in unrealistic expectations of what children know and can do, achieved at the expense of more effective approaches to learning with understanding. Summer-born and premature children are particularly at risk of misdiagnosis of special educational needs. Proposals for on-entry baseline assessment designed to enable measurement of school effectiveness are causing concern as they will take teachers away from their first priority of settling up to 30 new children into school. Accountability is increasingly to a system, rather than to children.
## LEA Inspector and Adviser 1987–1990
In 1987, I became a District Inspector for the Early Years with the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA). I had been impressed by papers on the impact of race, class and gender on achievement published by ILEA in the 1980s and was delighted to join the Authority. My role offered unequalled opportunities to learn from expert colleagues and to observe a wide range of practice across nursery schools and classes in four London Boroughs. It involved the line management of an expert group of advisory staff; the induction of up to 100 newly qualified EY teachers annually; links with specialist teachers' centres and experience of inspection as a professional and constructive way of working with schools. It offered the capacity to support new initiatives as well as to make proactive intervention where necessary. ILEA recognised that work in the early years requires specialist expertise and funded any primary teacher who converted to nursery teaching for a term's re-training. Secondary teachers were required to undertake a year-long course.
The unjustifiable abolition of ILEA resulted in the loss of considerable expertise, including specialist Teachers' Centres, among them the Centre for Language in Primary Education (CLPE), which is now an independent UK charity with a global reputation for the quality of its research into literacy and teaching. For many years CLPE pioneered approaches to formative, observation-based assessment, creating the Primary Language Record (PLR). The PLR was recommended by the Cox Committee, which developed the English National Curriculum as a model for a national system of record keeping and is now in use in widely differing systems throughout the world.
## Unitary Authority Inspector/Adviser 1990–1993
In 1990, I was appointed as the primary and early years' inspector in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC). This role demanded broader responsibility across the primary age range, working with specialist subject inspectors on the National Curriculum; supporting and moderating the introduction of Standard Assessment Tasks in Key Stage 1; a strong focus on professional development; and implementation of the Children Act 1989.
It was instructive to move from the largest Education Authority in England to RBKC, one of the smallest. Links with Social Services were close, although the Director of Education at the time turned down the innovative possibility of a combined service. Given the complexity of the role of current Directors of Children's Services, he was perhaps wise, although the implementation of the Children Act would have been more effective given joint working. The Borough was served by two health authorities that had radically different approaches to collaboration. Regrettably, professional boundaries still persist in some areas, in spite of the opportunities offered by Sure Start, and growing political awareness at local as well as national level.
It was during the three years that I worked in RBKC that Standard Assessment Tasks at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2 were introduced. The first tasks for seven-year-olds were designed around active learning, providing challenges to children to design a maths game and to have first-hand experience of scientific experiments. This required a learner-centred way of working, which was better aligned to children's interests than more formal approaches. Although complex to administer, it gave multi-layered opportunities to show what each child understood and could do and was arguably a more informative assessment than current, more limited tests. I learned a great deal in my role as moderator in this and in assessing children's progress in reading and writing.
It is a source of concern as well as regret that the role of local authority advisers and inspectors is now seriously undermined due to the introduction of academies and free schools, as well as heavy budget cuts.
## Ofsted Registered Inspector and Nursery Inspector and Trainer 1993–1998
The establishment of Ofsted in 1992 meant that many local authority inspectors became redundant. I was fortunate to be offered early retirement, as having a pension released me to do voluntary work as well as to undertake Ofsted training as a Registered Inspector and also a Nursery Inspector and Trainer. My first experience as a member of an Ofsted team was the inspection of a large primary school under the guidance of an HMI who led eight of us through a five-day inspection. He insisted that the inspection team and all the staff met together before the inspection started, and explained in detail what we would be doing. His final remarks to the teachers were: 'If you don't feel you have had the best professional development for free by the end of the week, then we will have failed'. As a Registered Inspector myself, I always remembered his words and still consider that it is unprofessional and wasteful not to build constructively on the detailed observation involved in inspection. For several years, I chose to tender for inspections of maintained nursery schools in differing local authorities across the country, as I was interested to see how this non-statutory service was supported, both professionally and politically.
Since then, Ofsted has become a data-driven organisation, which is particularly unhelpful in the early years when assessment and evaluation need to be holistic and judgements must be nuanced, taking into account many aspects of children's lives. Given that inspections are now brief, usually with one unmoderated inspector, it is worrying that Ofsted is deemed to be the sole arbiter of quality across the early years. For a while, early years was not reported on separately in Section 5 school inspections. This has now been reinstated, but there are concerns about the lack of knowledge and relevant experience of some inspectors. It is to be hoped they will be guided by the definition of teaching given in Ofsted's evaluation schedule for inspections of registered early years provision:
Teaching should not be taken to imply a 'top down' or formal way of working. It is a broad term which covers the many different ways in which adults help young children learn. It includes their interactions with children during planned and child-initiated play and activities: communicating and modelling language, showing, explaining, demonstrating, exploring ideas, encouraging, questioning, recalling, providing a narrative for what they are doing, facilitating and setting challenges. It takes account of the equipment they provide and the attention to the physical environment as well as the structure and routines of the day that establish expectations. Integral to teaching is how practitioners assess what children know, understand and can do as well as take account of their interests and dispositions to learn (characteristics of effective learning), and use this information to plan children's next steps in learning and monitor their progress.
## Voluntary organisation
From 1994 to 1997 I was Vice-Chair and then Chair of The British Association for Early Childhood Education (BAECE, now known as Early Education), then Chief Executive, from 1997 to 2000.
Moving to freelance working enabled me to offer voluntary support to Early Education. At that time, Cheryl Gillan, then a junior minister in the Department for Education and Employment, opened discussions on the need for childcare, and plans to introduce nursery vouchers were announced. On behalf of Early Education, I gave evidence to the Education Select Committee on the undesirability of the scheme, which would have made planning and quality control difficult.
## New Labour 1997–2010
In 1994, the RSA published Start Right, a report written by Sir Christopher Ball, which strongly endorsed the importance of the early years, recommending that all children should have access to high-quality nursery education, which should also support parents. With the election of a Labour government in 1997, a strong policy of expansion of provision for young children was introduced that gave powerful impetus to Early Education's work. The growing recognition of the value of investing in the early years enabled the appointment of a Development Officer in each of the four countries of the UK and also a Chief Executive, thanks to grant funding.
When the research into the Effective Provision of Pre-school Education (EPPE) was announced in 1997, I was invited to join the consultative group and am very pleased that they took up my suggestion of including some maintained nursery schools in the project. These emerged consistently as offering the highest-quality provision, with a positive influence on children's later achievement at least until the end of Key Stage 2.
My involvement in the selection of Early Excellence Centres, which were introduced as models for joint working, drew on my varied experience. I also attended meetings in Westminster as a 'Friend of Sure Start', where possibilities were discussed as the Labour government shaped its thinking about early years care and education. It was an exciting time, full of possibilities for improving provision for young children and their families. Day-care mattered, but the focus was very much on children's learning and on supporting parents, in recognition of the crucial importance of the home learning environment.
## 1999 Chair of the Early Childhood Forum (ECF)
Dame Gillian Pugh, the first director of the Early Childhood Unit at the National Children's Bureau, saw the need to bring together different services with varying perspectives so that they could learn to understand each other and to collaborate. She instituted the Early Childhood Education Forum, now the Early Childhood Forum (ECF) in 1993. This brought together the major national organisations concerned with the care and education of young children from the PVI and the maintained sectors. Services for children with special needs, parents, governors, inspectors and local authorities from across the UK were also represented. The over-riding purpose was to speak with a united voice in pursuit of agreed aims. The ECF grew to a total membership of nearly 40 organisations with an interest in early years; observers from the Departments of Health and Education and from Ofsted attended meetings. It was highly influential in the development of Sure Start, and I was honoured to become the first elected chair.
The ECF worked on proposals for an approach to the early years curriculum for some time and published Quality in Diversity in Early Learning in 1998. This is a major piece of work directed by Vicky Hurst, which involved practitioners and academics from all sectors across the country, who put together an agreed framework, influenced by New Zealand's inclusive Te Whariki curriculum, as a guide to provision for children from birth to six. This was superseded by the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage, a government-imposed framework, developed in consultation with expert advisers. In spite of this child-centred guidance, the prescriptive Literacy and Numeracy Strategies introduced into primary schools in 1998 resulted in pressure on nurseries and pre-schools to begin to do more formalised work in these areas of learning.
Since the Coalition government came into power in 2010, there has been strong ministerial control of the curriculum and assessment across all key stages. The revised Early Years Foundation Stage sets statutory standards that all early years providers, in the PVI sector as well as in maintained schools, must meet.
An EYFS Profile must be completed for each child at the end of the reception year in primary school. The main purpose is to provide a rounded and accurate assessment of individual children's levels of achievement at the end of the EYFS. The profile describes each child's attainment against 17 early learning goals, together with a short narrative about their learning characteristics. It is increasingly being used by health professionals as a measure of children's achievement, and is included in the SEED (Study of Early Education and Development) research project as a baseline measure, so current proposals that it should become voluntary are of concern, especially as this is allied to the introduction of a baseline measure for all children on entry to the reception year.
The current emphasis on progress rather than on simple measures of achievement is welcome, but is resulting in counter-productive demands on staff due to simplistic expectations of linear progression, which must be evidenced in detail for each child. Assessment now rules practice, and teachers no longer have scope to apply their professional judgement and to ensure that children have a rounded educational experience. The prime areas of learning, namely personal, social and emotional development, communication and language, and physical development are being sidelined in the push for academic achievement. This is disastrous in the early years, where the focus should be on broader intellectual growth.
## Sure Start
Sure Start was one of the most radical policy initiatives undertaken in this country. Norman Glass, who was Deputy Director (micro economics) in HM Treasury between 1995 and 2001, was the person who brought it about, alongside Margaret Hodge MP, Minister for Children. I never imagined that I would attend consultations in the Treasury, let alone meet a civil servant with such sympathy with the aims of the programme and grasp of the issues. As his obituary in The Independent noted, Norman chaired the Comprehensive Spending Review that led to the setting up of Sure Start. He ensured the programme was based on good research evidence and underpinned by core values. He was keen that childcare not be 'captured' simply as a route towards the greater employability of parents: it should be both cost effective and socially just, to ensure that children had the best possible start in life.
Glass went on to lead the Interdepartmental Review, which resulted in the creation of a Cabinet Committee on Children and Young People and a cross-departmental Children's Unit to coordinate policy and administer the proposed Children's Fund. He chaired the official steering group to implement the Sure Start programme, which was designed to narrow the gap in achievement between more and less advantaged children, now an increasing problem.
## Adviser to the Department for Education and Employment 2000–2002
I attended several meetings of the Friends of Sure Start after Labour came into power in 1997 and was appointed to the DfEE in 2000 as part of a team working with the newly established Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships (EYDCPs) across England, helping to develop effective multi-professional collaboration and planning for growth.
The expansion of nursery classes under Thatcher had been short-lived, and provision for non-statutory early years education across the country remained patchy, depending largely on political priorities in different local authorities; indeed, the Pre-school Playgroups Association (now the Pre-school Learning Alliance) was founded in 1962 in order to fill the gaps in the availability of nursery schools and classes. Historically, independent and private providers have also been part of the mix. When the Labour government decided to expand provision, giving an entitlement to 12 hours of nursery education to all three- and four-year-olds and allowing choice as to sessions attended, it relied on PVI nurseries to fill the gaps. The push towards collaboration and multi-agency working was expressed through EYDCPs in each local authority. There was a wide range of existing provision, which was very scarce in some areas. The qualifications of staff in the PVI sector were generally lower than in maintained nursery schools and classes, although staffing ratios were better. A recent proposal to trade improved qualifications for lower ratios of adults to children was rejected by the sector.
As well as considerable professional challenge, this period gave me deep insights into the very different approaches to early years care and education across the south east of England and the influence individual politicians, local authority officers, or practitioners could have, at both micro and macro levels. I also learned a lot about the complexities of a government department.
I already knew that any proposal that took up more than a single A4 sheet of paper was unlikely to be considered and that long-term strategic thinking had little traction as each government made its own decisions. Criticism was not welcome unless accompanied by proposed solutions. I discovered that the timeframe for policy change was shorter than a parliamentary term, as it was conditioned by finances. A Comprehensive Spending Review, when the Treasury allocates funding to each Ministry, takes place every two years, so planning is tied to that. However, the Education Department sees an annual battle over spending priorities between the various divisions, for example schools, special needs, FE and so on. A new initiative such as Sure Start must show that it is effective very quickly, or lose further investment. This explains the rushed implementation, not just of Sure Start, but of other initiatives, for example the Neighbourhood Nurseries or the current push to make provision for disadvantaged two-year-olds. The Sutton Trust has recently advised that this policy should be slowed down until enough places of good enough quality are available, but it is nevertheless proceeding, with schools encouraged to take these very young children into a less than ideal situation.
I saw little evidence of corporate memory in the Department, partly because of the career structure in the Civil Service, where people tend to move on every two or three years. This churn means that continuity is compromised. Governments claim that evidence-based policy prevails and that consultations are meaningful, but my experience, endorsed by subsequent observation, suggests that decisions are largely ideologically based and the use of evidence may be selective, even when drawn from research commissioned by the government itself. I checked recently on consultation procedures, and the DfE confirmed that each submission counts as a single response, even if it comes from a large group. I was told that some are read more carefully than others. It is admirable that an analysis of responses is now put up on the DfE website, but the clear statement that a proposal will happen, although only a minority of people agree, is not very reassuring. It is disheartening that the Minister who advocates direct instruction grounded in prescribed phonics programmes has no experience of the complexity of literacy teaching and is advised by people who gain financially from the policy.
It was refreshing to spend the following year working with the Early Excellence Programme and its evaluation. Just over a hundred Centres were identified as models of good multi-professional practice. In every case, there was dynamic, determined and visionary leadership, and a sympathetic and enlightened local authority also contributed to their success. These Centres were important in addressing the underlying aim of Every Child Matters (ECM), introduced in 2004 with the aim of safeguarding children and giving each one the best chances in life. Now that ECM has been withdrawn and the Department for Children, Schools and Families has become the Department for Education, one has to wonder whether every child does still matter. Recent cuts mean that Children's Centres have been closed, or are accessible for very short hours and only able to offer signposting to declining family support and other services.
## Working as a consultant in China and the Maldives as well as the UK 2000–2007
A very interesting career development emerged just before I moved to work with the government in 2000. I was asked to welcome a high-level delegation of visitors from China who wanted to find out about the British approach to early years education. A professor from the Normal University in Beijing had looked around the world and decided that our approach was what was needed to enable China to broaden its provision so that children could be more expressive and creative. The British Council funded several such delegations over five years and also supported annual visits of English Early Years experts to different parts of China. I have subsequently worked for UNICEF in a post-tsunami programme developing early years provision in the Maldives, where there is a similar acknowledgement of the value of our heritage of high-quality early education. The tragedy is that we are losing our focus on quality in England, as the prime aim of support for children's learning and development is being displaced by the push for affordable childcare, and the pressure for ever-earlier formal teaching is resulting in the loss of children's confidence in themselves and of their disposition to learn.
## Conclusion
The erosion of overarching educational values and ethical principles at policy level means there is no longer a proper context for constructive, reasoned debate. Unrealistic expectations and inappropriate top-down pressures are undermining the stated principles that underpin the statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (2012), which covers the education and care of all children up to the end of the reception year. Teachers of all age groups need scope to customise education to individual pupils, not only in order to accommodate cultural differences, but also to take account of the changes and chances that are part of life for us all.
In 2008, Graham Allen MP advised the government on ways of eliminating or reducing costly and damaging social problems for individuals. His report examined how this could be done by giving children and parents the right type of evidence-based programme, especially in the children's earliest years. Allen warned:
If we continue to fail, we will only perpetuate the cycle of wasted potential, low achievement, drink and drug misuse, unintended teenage pregnancy, low work aspirations, anti-social behaviour and lifetimes on benefits, which now typifies millions of lives and is repeated through succeeding generations.
The report stresses that only early intervention can break the inter-generational cycle of dysfunction and under-achievement. Socially and emotionally capable people are more-productive, better-educated, tax-paying citizens who can help our nation to compete in the global economy, and make fewer demands on public expenditure.
In 2010, Frank Field endorsed Sure Start by saying that investment in the Foundation Stage and support for families and parents are the most effective ways of ensuring that young people are able to break through economic and social barriers to achieve in later life.
All political parties appear to be committed to investment in the vital early years as a means of equalising children's life chances at a time when poverty and inequality are increasing. The current political climate and blame culture, the deliberate rejection of expert advice from specialists who have dedicated their professional lives to education, and the highly selective use of evidence are demoralising staff and harming children's life chances. Nevertheless, teachers, with support, can do much to help create a more equal society.
Advice to future policy makers:
* Implement in full the recommendations of the Nutbrown Review of early years qualifications, and provide mentoring for all working in the early years.
* Reform the accountability system, ensuring that it is primarily to children and families, and convert inspection into a positive opportunity for improvement and professional development.
* Take decisions on the curriculum away from politicians and recognise teachers and other staff as professionals.
## Notes
1 Ofsted 2013 Evaluation Schedule for Inspections of Registered Early Years Provision, guidance and grade descriptors for inspecting registered early years provision p. 7, footnote 8.
2 Graham Allen MP, 2011 Early Intervention: The Next Steps, Independent Report to the Government, Ref: 404489/0111 Department for Work and Pensions and The Cabinet Office
## Further reading
Association of Teachers and Lecturers (2002) Inside the Foundation Stage, a report on practice in reception classes. London: ATL.
Blakemore, S.-J. (2000) Early Years Learning: The POST Report. London: Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology.
David, T. et al. (2003) Birth to Three Matters: A Review of the Literature. London: DfES Publications.
Department for Education (2014) Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. London: DfE Publications.
Early Years Curriculum Group (1995) Four-Year-Olds in School: Myths and Realities. Oldham: Madeleine Lindley.
Gopnik, A. (2000) The Philosophical Baby: What Children's Minds Tell Us about Truth, Love, and the Meaning of Life. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Goswami, U. (2015) Children's Cognitive Development and Learning. CPRT Research Survey 3.
Save Childhood Movement, www.savechildhood.net/ and www.toomuchtoosoon.org/. TACTYC Occasional Papers, www.tactyc.org.uk/occasional-papers/.
WAVE Trust (2013) Conception to Age 2 – The Age of Opportunity. London: DfE Publications.
# [4
Primary Education](content.xhtml#bck_Ch04)
Can we escape the legacy of elementary education?
Tony Eaude
## Introduction
My career as a primary teacher started in a suburban school in 1976, a few weeks before the speech in which Prime Minister James Callaghan launched what came to be called the 'Great Debate' and about ten years after the Plowden Report (1967), which represented a vision of primary education very different from that of elementary schools before the 1944 Act, where:
* the curriculum involved a narrow emphasis on what Alexander (2010, p. 242) calls Curriculum 1 ('the basics'), with little time for Curriculum 2 ('the rest');
* teaching was mainly based on instruction and transmission of content knowledge; and
* teachers were poorly qualified.
In 1980 I moved to a large school in a new town, becoming deputy head in 1983. I was appointed as headteacher of a first school in 1989, just after the 1988 Education Reform Act, and left that post in 1998 to study for a doctorate. Since then, I have worked independently, mostly researching and writing about young children's education and working with teachers in primary schools and teacher educators. So, my professional life falls neatly into three main periods, with cut off points in 1989 and 1998.
The next three sections describe the key changes in these periods in the curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, accountability and school structures and reflect on less tangible aspects such as how these changes were perceived at the time. I then provide an overview of these four decades of change in relation to primary education. The final section suggests lessons for those concerned with policy and practice, if primary education is to escape from the enduring legacy of elementary education.
## From 1976 to 1989
As a primary class teacher, in the 1970s and 1980s, I had considerable autonomy over the curriculum. Teachers were expected to hear children read regularly and do mathematics, much of it practical and working through text books. There was a strong emphasis on art, physical education and what was usually called topic work. I was able to choose a topic for a half-term or a term. The idea of 'good primary practice' was prevalent. Although never clearly defined, this often involved starting from a first-hand experience or an artefact and children writing, drawing, measuring and finding out more about it.
Teachers could, within the constraints of breaks, assemblies and hall times, structure the timetable as they wished. I adopted an integrated day with some separate lessons, especially for maths and handwriting, but most of the timetable was not divided into separate lessons or subjects. The day usually ended with me reading a story. Children were expected to organise their own time, often over a few days. For example, I recall two boys spending most of two days completing a beautiful painting of a fish. My teaching involved relatively little direct instruction and was largely what Alexander (see Eaude, 2011, pp. 14–) calls facilitation, underpinned by a philosophy that children should be allowed to develop at their own pace and that this should involve a broad range of experiences.
The curriculum was largely a matter for the school to decide, prompted but not determined by national policy. The early 1980s saw a greater emphasis on science. Increasingly, from the middle 1980s, our school developed an approach to teaching reading based on 'real books' (as opposed to a reading scheme). Following the Swann Report (1985), which called for schools to cater more for the needs of an ethnically diverse society, my largely white school undertook a great deal of work about racism, resulting in my doing the DES 20-day course on ethnic diversity.
There was little detailed lesson planning and no expectation, except in the first year or two of teaching, that one's plans would be scrutinised. I was on my own for most of the time at my first school, teaching all subjects except music. At my second, team-teaching meant that two teachers were responsible for two classes between them. Support from learning support assistants was usually for only one or two sessions a week, with their role often washing paintbrushes or hearing individual children read. Teachers had no expectation of non-contact time.
There were no external tests. Some teachers tested times tables and spelling regularly. I did neither, though was, at my first school, encouraged to concentrate more on children learning their times tables. Nor was there regular monitoring or inspection. I recall attending a conference in around 1980 on accountability addressed by an HMI, who gave little indication of what this might involve in the future. In 1981, when HMI came to inspect the school, no one seemed worried, and teachers did not change how they worked. The inspectors did not seem to have a clear plan. For instance, I remember one asking a colleague to point him towards any science. I thought that we would be criticised for an approach to teaching reading that left many of our children – mostly from disadvantaged backgrounds – poor readers. No report was published, and no individual feedback was received, though the head said that the school had been judged to be in the top 10 per cent nationally. Nothing seemed to change as a result.
The 1981 Education Act meant that schools were required to identify, and make provision for, children with Special Educational Needs (SEN), helping to provide more consistent assessment of need and provision. The middle 1980s were characterised by industrial unrest, in which I, as the local secretary of the National Union of Teachers, was heavily involved, but there was very little direct interference from government or the Local Education Authority (LEA) affecting how I taught.
I, and my colleagues, worked hard but felt that we were largely in control. Teaching was enjoyable despite all the frustrations inherent in the task. We were fairly sure that what we were doing was on the right lines, and primary education in England was highly regarded. There was a sense of optimism that in hindsight seems more like naïveté. It now seems remarkable the extent to which teachers and schools were trusted and given autonomy, how untouched by external events most teachers were and how little most of us working in primary schools in the 1980s saw what was coming.
One should always be cautious of generalising from personal experience, but my experience illustrates a few wider trends. The research (for instance Alexander, 2010, p. 30 and Campbell and Neill, 1994, p. 177) indicates that progressivism was never as prevalent as often thought and nationally provision was very uneven, with a lack of consistency across the system and low expectations in several respects. The curriculum was largely dependent on the school's, and the headteacher's, priorities. Reading, writing and mathematics were emphasised, but the importance of a broad range of experiences, creativity and catering for 'the whole child' was recognised. There was little external pressure on schools and almost no structural change. Teachers were trusted and mostly left alone, though whether that trust was justified is arguable. It was the age of what Hargreaves (2003, pp. 125–9) calls 'permissive individualism'.
## From 1989 to 1998
In 1989, I became the headteacher of a multi-cultural first school in East Oxford with some 300 children. The first two years were ones of relative calm, although the implementation of the 1988 Act was starting to change primary education. Then, on 15 June 1991, one of the two buildings was severely damaged by fire. As a result, we worked on a split-site with most of the school in temporary accommodation for two years, while the school was rebuilt. I then stayed for another five years. So the second period of my career was as a headteacher, roughly from the 1988 Act until just after the election of the Labour government in 1997.
A key principle underlying the introduction of the National Curriculum was that of entitlement, to try and ensure greater consistency of provision. The 1990s also saw a move towards inclusion, with more children with special educational needs educated in mainstream schools. My main recollection of the first National Curriculum is the huge number of ring binders containing a very detailed, subject-based set of requirements. Primary teachers struggled to understand these and find ways of integrating the contents into coherent plans and topics. Soon, it was clear that the National Curriculum and assessment procedures were absurdly top-heavy. The 1994 Dearing Review led to a slimming-down of content but the structure, based on separate subjects, remained unchanged.
Standard Assessment Tasks (SATs) were introduced in English, mathematics and science, involving a mixture of tests and Teacher Assessments, in our school only for seven-year-olds. My most vivid memory is of the chaos of trying to assess how well individual children understood the idea of 'floating' by placing oranges in buckets of water. As a school, we struggled for some while with a cumbersome method of collecting evidence for Teacher Assessment. With the governors' support, I refused to return the school's data, on the grounds that these were simplistic outcome measures which did not reflect what really mattered most, but after two years then complied.
I was not inclined to introduce significant changes in pedagogy to a school that was both popular and good, though some teachers were inevitably better than others. I wanted to retain a cross-curricular approach and trusted and tried to support teachers, recognising and accepting that they had different strengths. In 1995 or 1996, Robin Alexander challenged those attending a headteachers' conference to define good primary practice, reflecting Simon's (1981) and his own (2004) belief that teachers are extraordinarily reluctant to discuss pedagogy. My (silent) response was that of course I could, given a little time. However, increasingly, pedagogy was affected by external demands, based on raising standards of attainment in Curriculum 1.
The most significant changes came in external accountability, particularly with Ofsted inspections and published reports. As headteachers, we were ill prepared for what inspection involved and the consequences of not meeting what was expected. One nearby school, inspected early in the cycle, was unexpectedly put into special measures. As a result, other headteachers took more notice of how to satisfy the demands of inspection teams, with a strong emphasis on (often hastily prepared) written policies. In 1998, my school was inspected and received a reasonably favourable report. However, I remember feeling very resentful that an inspection team who know little of the complexity of the context could produce so definitive a report based on a three-day visit, on criteria with which I disagreed, when I had worked there for nine years and many colleagues for far longer.
The introduction of Local Management of Schools (LMS) affected me as headteacher considerably. The funding formula continued to reflect historic patterns, where primary schools were funded less generously than early years (rightly so) and secondary and tertiary education (for reasons that are less obvious). The workload implications were considerable, not least because this coincided with the time after the fire. Initially, managing the school's budget was exciting, and much of any 'spare' money was spent on employing more support staff, but the process became far more time-consuming and difficult with increasing pressure on school budgets.
The change of culture that accompanied LMS was evident, even at the time, notably with the money that accompanied a child on the basis of being on the register on one day in January. Early on, I delayed the transfer of a child for a few days to help a neighbouring school that was struggling. Once, on the day itself, I suggested that a child transferring to us should start that same afternoon. Worst of all, I remember doing a quick calculation of the financial benefit over several years if a family of four joined the school, though this had no influence on my decision whether to admit.
Structural changes, such as grant-maintained schools, outside local authority control, as part of a policy based on parental choice, affected primary schools less than secondary schools. Locally schools continued to try and preserve the role of the LEA, which had, in my own situation, been very supportive at the time of the fire and subsequently. However, it soon became clear that the LEA's role was changing, with a reduction in advisory services and advisers moving into a more inspectoral role.
As a headteacher, my energy was for most of two years taken up with the aftermath of the fire, when the emphasis was on rebuilding the school and maintaining staff morale. However, my main focus was always based on meeting the needs, as I perceived them, of a varied, ethnically diverse, school community. For instance, this led to the introduction of halal meals, which proved largely uncontroversial. However, when single-sex swimming was introduced to accommodate the wish of Muslim parents, this proved much more so. While national policies were important, local issues remained my main concern, except when inspection was imminent.
The 1990s were a time of frequent, and often exciting, exhausting and unwelcome, change – in the curriculum, in funding, in accountability – all of which had implications in terms of relationships, identity and beliefs. While I tried to remain true to my philosophy, this became increasingly difficult as external demands became more insistent in an age of greater regulation.
## From 1998 to 2015
In 1998, I left headship to undertake a masters' degree and then a doctorate, looking at how teachers of young children understand spiritual development. Since 2003, I have worked independently, researching, writing and working with teachers and teacher educators, mostly in areas associated with spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and primary teachers' pedagogy and expertise. I continued to teach young children until about two years ago. The third period of my career has spanned the 13 years of Labour governments and the five years of the Conservative/Liberal Democrat Coalition, in various roles, mostly outside schools.
The most obvious change in relation to the curriculum and pedagogy has been the level of government involvement, with the explicit rationale (see Barber, 2005) that primary teachers needed to be told how to teach, as a route towards 'informed professionalism'. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies were introduced in 1998 and 1999, respectively, prescribing not only content but how it should be taught. For instance, the Literacy Hour was based on a model of instruction, with each lesson divided into discrete sections, with teachers expected to plan and follow a largely pre-planned script. A subtle but important change of emphasis occurred from 'pupils should . . .' in the 1988 National Curriculum to 'teachers should . . .' in the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. The Strategies were amalgamated in 2003 into the Primary National Strategy. While adopting the Strategies was not compulsory, only a brave minority of schools did not adopt them.
These initiatives were followed by Excellence and Enjoyment (DfES, 2003) and Every Child Matters (TSO, 2003), which led to the Children Act of 2004. The former called for learning to be more enjoyable, arguing that a dichotomy between that and standards of attainment is false. While this may, in principle, be true, the remorseless pressure for results meant that this was greeted with scepticism. The emphasis on the whole child and interagency collaboration in Every Child Matters was widely welcomed. The 2006 Rose Review on reading signalled the start of a greater emphasis on phonics. The number of new initiatives – and this list is far from complete – was considerable, leading to initiative fatigue.
The Coalition government has given mixed messages, continuing to intervene and exercise control, while saying that headteachers and teachers should have greater autonomy. So, for instance, the prescriptive nature of the 2013 National Curriculum in English and mathematics and the introduction of the phonics test for six-year-olds indicate how reluctant politicians are to trust professional judgement, especially in the primary sector. Teachers are required to use one particular method (systematic, synthetic phonics) of teaching reading and are increasingly exhorted to adopt methods from countries in East Asia to teach mathematics. Academies and free schools, outside local authority control, are not required to teach the National Curriculum, on the basis that this will encourage innovation. However, if so, it seems incomprehensible why this should not apply in all schools.
Since 1997, primary education has been increasingly driven by the demand to raise children's scores in English and mathematics, resulting, to some extent, from the international comparisons in PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment). The result is a focus on what Ball (2003) calls 'performativity' and is linked to accountability mechanisms where Ofsted judgements are heavily influenced by the data. Assessment of pupils has become very 'high-stakes' and when talking to headteachers and teachers the discourse is often dominated by what Ofsted have said, or will say next time they visit.
The years from 1997 to 2010 saw much more money allocated to young children's education. This was particularly evident in relation to the early years, less so for primary schools, though they are significantly better funded than before 1988. Teachers were entitled to 10 per cent of their time for planning, preparation and assessment and became used to having a second adult to provide additional support. A huge investment in computers was often wasted because teachers were unsure how best to use them to enhance learning.
My interest in recent years has been in trying to answer the question of what really constitutes good primary practice, based on research about how young children learn. In Eaude (2011, 2012), I discuss issues related to pedagogy and expertise, indicating that teaching a class of young children is much more complex than any assessment of one lesson, however 'outstanding', can capture and requires highly qualified teachers and sustained professional development.
The last 17 years have seen government, of whichever party, increasingly legislating and trying to micro-manage, not only the detail of the curriculum, but how it is taught, based on techniques, programmes and 'what works'. Yet ideas such as effectiveness and 'what works' only make sense in relation to aims and depend heavily on context. What works in one respect may have damaging consequences in another, for instance where an emphasis on decoding words may improve test scores but militate against reading for pleasure. Any suggested alternative to a remorseless emphasis on raising scores in literacy and numeracy is treated with scorn and the indication that this implies low teacher expectations. This was epitomised by the immediate dismissal by the government of the Cambridge Primary Review (Alexander, 2010) when it was published in 2009.
The language has increasingly been one of military metaphors and education as a commodity; of standards, targets and delivery, reflecting a greater emphasis on teaching than on learning, and on children as vessels to be filled rather than eager learners to be encouraged. Teachers have been subjected to greater regulation and surveillance through a prescriptive National Curriculum and data on attainment being made public. Accompanying this has been an emphasis on performativity and what the Cambridge Primary Review (Alexander, 2010) calls a culture of compliance – 'just tell us what to do and we'll do it'. Fear permeates the system.
## Looking back
Reflecting on four decades of change risks the dangers of nostalgia for a golden age that never existed and of over-generalising, when the extent and impact of change, inevitably, vary between contexts. My experience is far from typical but illustrates some wider trends.
Much has not changed a great deal. Children of primary age are taught for most of the week by one teacher in a class of about 30, though there is more adult support. Most children behave well most of the time and spend a large part of the week reading, writing and doing mathematics, though the emphasis on these is now much greater. Teachers continue to try and meet the broad range of children's needs, taking account of policy, though they are much more driven by external expectations.
There have been improvements. The National Curriculum has helped to provide a level of entitlement and been welcomed by most teachers and parents/carers. Mathematics – or at least numeracy – is certainly taught better, and children with disabilities, bilingual children and looked-after children are, mostly, catered for much better, largely as a consequence of the move towards entitlement and inclusion. There is little doubt that primary teachers plan more carefully – they certainly spend much longer doing so – and collaborative planning is more common.
Much has, in my view, got worse. The focus on performativity reflects, and leads to, an over-emphasis on measurable results and content knowledge. Paradoxically, the scope of the curriculum has shrunk while its size has increased. Particularly damaging for young children has been the loss of breadth and balance, with reduced time and importance for the humanities and the arts. One may question whether such a curriculum is genuinely inclusive if many children are not engaged with what interests them. This is exacerbated by the tendency towards adopting instructional and transmissive teaching methods at an increasingly early age, to try and cover curriculum content within a set time and achieve short-term results. For many children, notably those with special educational needs and/or not attaining well, the curriculum is fragmented, with a plethora of interventions designed to 'drive up' standards. Planning is often inflexible, focused on literacy and numeracy and dominated by content, based on 'scripted instruction', leaving little space for 'disciplined improvisation', to use Sawyer's (2004) terms. The rhetoric of setting teachers free remains hollow if assessment and accountability mechanisms are so high-stakes that these determine what happens in the classroom.
For me, teaching a class of young children has always been hard work, but also enjoyable – at least most of the time. However, there is far less enjoyment, for teachers and children, with more pressure for results. The last four decades have seen a move from permissive individualism to regulated surveillance, affecting everyone from teachers to headteachers to local authorities. This is evident in the tendency of many headteachers and teachers to try and guess what will help them most in the next inspection, rather than basing their decisions on evidence or professional judgement.
The last 25 years have seen continual political interference and attempts to micro-manage, resulting from a short-term desire to achieve measurable results. Policy is based on, at best, a sketchy and partial view of evidence from research, and frequently on the political complexion of the government, or even the whim of a minister. The result has often been selective policy borrowing, despite the well-attested difficulty, and potential danger, of doing so (see Phillips and Ochs, 2003), with claims often based on data of questionable reliability and validity.
The culture of primary schools has changed profoundly but gradually, with considerable consequences for teachers as well as children. Ball (2003) argues that what he calls the terror of performativity requires teachers to organise themselves in response to targets, indicators and evaluations and to set aside personal beliefs and commitments. Initiative fatigue and a culture of compliance have altered many teachers' ideas of professionalism, moving broadly from one based on autonomy towards one based on compliance. Nias (1989) argued that the close link between primary teachers' professional and personal identity meant that they were affected particularly strongly when asked to act in ways that conflicted with their beliefs.
Two major difficulties with an approach based on prescription are that:
* the context of the primary classroom is so fluid that teachers require a wide repertoire of pedagogies and the judgement to respond appropriately; and
* prescription inhibits rather than encourages the development of expertise, especially in a context where immediate, measurable results are required.
Whereas the amount of legislation and guidance has massively increased, many structures designed to support schools have fragmented. While LEAs were often frustrating and bureaucratic, their demise has had serious consequences for primary schools, because most are too small to have the necessary specialism and advice. In other professions, from medicine to law, accounting to engineering, there is a long period after qualification akin to an apprenticeship where people are still learning. Yet, in teaching, especially in primary schools, there is too often no expectation of, or coherent structure for, sustained professional learning.
As a teacher and headteacher, I relied mainly on short courses and a very sketchy knowledge of Piaget and Vygotsky. Students – both in initial teacher education and at masters' level – engage with research far more than I did at comparable stages of my career. However, serious engagement with research findings, as opposed to responding to data, is too often absent among those teaching in schools, in part because of the pressure to meet requirements in terms of attainment. The lack of a solid research basis for pedagogy has made the profession vulnerable to political interference, affecting primary schools especially because this opens the door to simplistic, but inappropriate, models of how to teach young children.
The importance of primary education continues to be downplayed, with primary schools' role often seen as mainly to ensure that children are 'secondary-ready'. This reflects a lack of vision among policy makers and politicians of primary education being about much more measurable outcomes in literacy and numeracy and what can be measured. Although primary schools are far better resourced than in the 1980s, funding is still skewed against primary schools. And initiatives such as the Strategies, and suggestions that teachers of young children do not need to be qualified – as with what came to be called 'Mum's army' in the 1990s – reflect an ongoing belief that those who teach young children do not have, or require, a similar level though different type of qualification and expertise as those teaching older ones.
Despite many improvements, the focus on Curriculum 1 and models of teaching that rely heavily on instruction mean that primary education has not escaped the legacy of the elementary school. While education has been a greater political priority, politicians seem not to have learned that top-down imposition has huge limitations. Long-term improvement requires a partnership where politicians establish the framework and trust teachers to teach and not always to be accountable for their every action. The implications are considered in the next section.
## Looking to the future
Much of this chapter may seem very remarkable to those whose experience of primary schools is only in the last 20 years. However, there must be, and is, an alternative to the narrow legacy of elementary education, neither harking back uncritically to the period before 1988 nor falling into the prescription and micro-management since.
There is a growing consensus that major policy decisions must not be dependent on political short-termism. For instance, Bell (2015), previously Her Majesty's Chief Inspector and a senior civil servant, recently argued for 'trusting the frontline' and less political interference. While he was referring to science teachers, this is no less true in primary education. As Fullan (1991, p. 117) claims, 'educational change depends on what teachers do and think. It's as simple and complex as that'. But the policy context within which teachers work affects what, and how, they teach. So, there is a strong argument for a body independent of government to provide an evidence-based and long-term view of the curriculum and assessment.
It is too easy just to blame politicians and policy makers. If the profession is to avoid being open to political interference, teachers, both as a group and individually, must articulate what constitutes good primary teaching, across the curriculum, drawing on both experience and an increasing knowledge of how young children learn and how adults can enable this.
Neuroeducational research provides some promising evidence, though one must be wary of thinking that knowledge of how the brain works is easily translated into practical applications and of neuromyths such as that everyone is either a visual, auditory or kinaesthetic learner. The Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP, 2006) argued for the importance of learning relationships in all phases, and Mercer (2000) and many others have highlighted the centrality of children's talk, emphasising the social and active nature of learning. Both are especially important when working with young children. Gardner (1993) and Dweck (2000) have rightly challenged simplistic notions of intelligence and fixed ability, which underlie much of the current policy. In particular, both teachers and policy makers need to take account of the evidence (see Alexander, 2010, chapter 14) that a broad, balanced and engaging curriculum leads to higher standards of attainment in the long term. The humanities and the arts must not just be an add-on when the serious work of literacy and numeracy allows. A world of constant change requires more emphasis on qualities, attributes and dispositions – in children and teachers – such as resilience, creativity and criticality and on procedural knowledge, if young children are to learn actively through experience (see Eaude, 2011, pp. 62–5) and if schools are to be genuinely inclusive.
Teachers, and children, must recapture a sense of risk, adventure, creativity and enjoyment. Expectations must be broad as well as high. Because context is so important, more flexibility and reliance on teachers' judgement is required, if learning is to be reciprocal. For instance, technology offers many opportunities, but interactive white boards can, paradoxically, lead to a transmissive style of teaching. While subject knowledge is important, the challenge for primary class teachers is to develop pedagogical content knowledge (see Shulman, 2004, p. 203) in many subject areas and a wide repertoire of pedagogies, so that links can be made across subject boundaries. This emphasises the importance of formative assessment and of primary teachers having a deep understanding of child development, and for policy to be focused more on improving teacher quality and expertise. As Hargreaves (2003, pp. 127–9) suggests, this requires a move away from individualism and towards collaboration within professional learning communities.
If such developments are to occur, policy must enable rather than make these difficult. Politicians have to recognise that they can set the framework but not try to micro-manage what happens in classrooms, either by dictat or using indirect levers. Funding is important, but even more so is a culture of less change and interference, with:
* a reduction in the current obsession with grading of schools, teachers and children;
* a revision of accountability mechanisms, to end the culture of compliance and encourage greater trust in teachers' judgement and professionalism;
* a more coherent set of structures to support schools and teachers; and
* a greater emphasis on teacher education as a continuum, with structured opportunities, especially in the years soon after qualification.
These are necessary in all phases. But, to escape the legacy of elementary education, primary education requires a clearer articulation of its aims, recognising that the standards agenda is too limiting and that we must build on improvements made in recent years while not forgetting broader lessons from the past and from research. This will be hard and may take another 40 years. We will need to be optimistic but without being naïve, 'living without illusions without being disillusioned', as Gramsci wrote, if we are to create a system of primary education to meet the broad range of young children's needs, now and for a future of constant change.
## References
Alexander, R. (ed.) (2010). Children, their World, their Education: Final report and recommendations of the Cambridge Primary Review. Abingdon, Routledge.
Alexander, R.J. (2004). Still no pedagogy? Principle, pragmatism and compliance in primary education. Cambridge Journal of Education, 34 (1), 7–33.
Ball, S.J. (2003). The teacher's soul and the terrors of performativity. Journal of Education Policy, 18 (2), 215–28.
Barber, M. (2005). Informed Professionalism: Realising the Potential. Presentation to a conference of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, London.
Bell, D. (2015). Science education: Trusting the Frontline, via www.reading.ac.uk/news-and-events/releases/PR618539.aspx.
Campbell, R.J. and Neill, S.R. StJ. (1994). Primary Teachers At Work. London, Routledge.
DfES (Department for Education and Skills) (2003). Excellence and Enjoyment: A Strategy for Primary Schools. Nottingham, DfES Publications.
Dweck, C.S. (2000). Self Theories: Their role in Motivation, Personality and Development. Philadelphia, Psychology Press.
Eaude, T. (2011). Thinking Through Pedagogy – Primary and Early Years. Exeter, Learning Matters.
Eaude, T. (2012). How Do Expert Primary Classteachers Really Work? A critical guide for teachers, headteachers and teacher educators. Critical Publishing: www.criticalpublishing.com.
Fullan, M. (1991). The New Meaning of Educational Change. London, Cassell.
Gardner, H. (1993). Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. London, Fontana.
Hargreaves, A. (2003). Teaching in the Knowledge Society: Education in the Age of Insecurity. New York, Teachers College Press.
Mercer, N. (2000). Words and Minds – How We Use Words to Think Together. London, Routledge.
Nias, J. (1989). Primary Teachers Talking: A Study of Teaching as Work. London, Routledge.
Phillips, D. and Ochs, K. (2003). Processes of Policy Borrowing in Education: Some explanatory and analytical devices. Comparative Education, 39 (4), 451–61.
Plowden Report (1967). Children and their Primary Schools – A Report of the Central Advisory Council for Education (England). London, HMSO.
Sawyer, R.K. (2004). Creative Teaching: Collaborative discussion as disciplined improvisation. Educational Researcher, 33 (2), 12–20.
Shulman, L.S. (2004). The Wisdom of Practice – Essays on Teaching, Learning and Learning to Teach. San Francisco, Jossey Bass.
Simon, B. (1981). Why no pedagogy in England? pp. 124–45 of Simon, B. and Taylor, W. (eds) Education in the Eighties: The central issues. London, Batsford.
Swann Report (1985). Education for All – Report of the Committee of Enquiry into the Education of Children from Ethnic Minority Groups. London, HMSO.
The Stationery Office (TSO) (2003). Every Child Matters. London, TSO.
TLRP (Teaching and Learning Research Programme) (2006). Improving Teaching and Learning in Schools. London, TLRP (see www.tlrp.org).
# [5
Secondary Education 1976–2015](content.xhtml#bck_Ch05)
A shire county view
Martin Roberts
## 1976–1988 Bedfordshire and Oxfordshire: powerful LEAs, new comprehensives, curriculum freedom
### Sandy Upper School to 1980
LEAs responded to Tony Crosland's 10/65 circular at different speeds. Bedfordshire, then Conservative controlled, did not rush to reorganise. Rather it carefully husbanded its resources and introduced a three-tier system that made best use of its existing schools in a predominantly rural county. Where there were gaps in the secondary provision it built new 13–18 upper schools. One of these new schools was in Sandy on the A1. When I was appointed in 1974 as Deputy Head I was one of 11 teachers responsible for creating a new 13–18 Upper School and Community College. We started with 130 Year 9 pupils in temporary accommodation in the grounds of the old secondary modern. By 1980 we had grown to 1300 pupils and 75 staff in buildings, that had risen around us.
It was a marvellous job. My own background was highly selective – independent schools and Oxford with my first post teaching history at Leeds Grammar School – but I had become convinced, like so many of my generation, that social justice demanded the end of selective schooling. Within the framework provided by the LEA, which in the case of Bedfordshire was relaxed, we could create the kind of school we believed in.
What was that? Such a school would enable its pupils to get the best possible jobs, lead fulfilling lives and become good citizens. A new comprehensive school would do all those things better than the old selective system. In particular it would raise the aspirations of all its pupils. What did we need to be successful? A good headteacher: that we had in John Francombe, intelligent, essentially traditional in much of his thinking, strict and fair. A good staff: getting a new school started enabled us to attract some able teachers. Good discipline: strong heads of year created an effective pastoral system alongside a strict code of behaviour held in place by detentions and sometimes the cane (corporal punishment was not abolished in English state schools until 1987). A general ethos that pupils and their parents appreciated: we had replaced a small secondary modern and with our new buildings, which were open to the community in the evenings, we had no difficulty winning local support.
An appropriate curriculum: Sally Tomlinson, in her Education in a Post-Welfare Society (2001) describes how the new comprehensive schools approached the construction of their curricula. Some tried to maintain the old grammar school academic offer for their more able pupils and a more vocationally directed 'secondary modern' provision for the rest. Though at Sandy Upper we were building on a secondary modern base, we constructed a common curriculum for all in the Third Form (Year 9), which was based on a range of subjects, some academic, such as French, and some more practical, such as woodwork. In Years 10 and 11 we had a core of English including literature, maths and science plus options examined either through GCE O Levels or CSEs. Initially our only clearly vocational courses were RSA Secretarial Studies and CGLI courses run by our Technical Department.
We appointed heads of department on a subject basis and then allowed them considerable freedom. For support, they could look to the local LEA. For example, we found the history adviser Cynthia Cooksey excellent. She was an enthusiast for the Schools Council History Project as were we. Staff could look to other professional support through subject associations such as the ASE for science and NATE for English.
As for accountability, we measured our performance primarily through our GCE and CSE results. John used to have an annual meeting with Heads of Department. In an era before appraisal and performance management we aimed to have a professional ethos where all staff would do their best and expect to be chased by the senior team if they did not. HMI came the term after I left and gave the school's performance a thorough, supportive analysis, confidential to the staff and governors.
Central government did not impinge upon us except through two major committees of enquiry – Bullock on Language for Life and Warnock on Special Needs. Curriculum advice came from the Schools Council.
### The Cherwell School, Oxford 1981–1988
#### The downs and ups of being an LEA school
When I told Ernest Sabben-Clare, the kindly headmaster of Leeds Grammar School (then quasi-independent with 'direct grant' status), that I intended to join the state sector, he tried to change my mind. LEA bureaucracies, he told me, suffocate good teachers. I remembered his advice in my first years in Oxfordshire as I negotiated over the telephone about staffing levels, getting leaky roofs repaired, securing new buildings and defending our exceptional if maverick RE teacher from the RE adviser who wanted to be sure that he was following the Agreed Syllabus. My first success as a new head was to get my district officer to agree to increase the school's staffing allowance for 1981–1982 from 36.2 to 36.4!
The situation in the City of Oxford in 1981 was significantly different to that of rural Bedfordshire. Oxfordshire had reorganised piecemeal in the sixties and seventies and its Conservative-controlled council had botched the reorganisation of the city by creating, on the cheap, a three-tier system with seven small to medium-sized upper schools. This was at a time when school rolls were beginning to fall and for these upper schools to be able to run viable sixth forms, their number needed to reduce by at least two or possibly three. The LEA began a consultation about which schools were to close that was to run indecisively for the next two decades, creating harmful uncertainty for its schools during that period.
Against such a background, my priority had to be increasing our pupil numbers and strengthening the sixth form. Unlike rural Bedfordshire, in Oxford parental choice was already a reality. Cherwell, with 633 pupils, was an ex-secondary modern, in inadequate buildings with a poor local reputation. It sits in the heart of North Oxford, a suburb of the city that has the highest concentration of graduates of anywhere in England, with possibly the exception of Hampstead, and in easy reach of numerous independent schools. (It also contained two among the most deprived wards in Oxfordshire.) We needed urgently to win the confidence of this well-educated and generally prosperous neighbourhood. That determined our curriculum offer: broad and balanced, including strong art, drama and music. Once results were on an upward trend and discipline secure, our roll increased steadily, which led to more frustrating discussions with the LEA. Its statistics department continued to forecast incorrectly that our roll would fall, and so our only additional accommodation came in the form of temporary classrooms. By 1990, we had 1,000 pupils, with a sixth form of 250. A third of our accommodation was in huts. I used to teach Y9 history in one of them in a gloomy corner of the site. It was too cold in winter, too hot in summer and showed wear and tear only too quickly.
To be fair to the LEA, financial restraints in the 1980s and 1990s gave it little room to manoeuvre. After a high point in 1975, education's share of government spending fell back, only rising again under New Labour. It needed a clever deal, initiated by an architect governor, involving the sale of some surplus land for undergraduate accommodation, which enabled a substantial building programme to proceed in the early 1990s.
There were, though, many compensations working for Oxfordshire. The CEO was Tim Brighouse, at an early stage in his remarkable career (see Chapter 12). He was brilliant at strengthening an esprit de corps among Oxfordshire schools. The Oxfordshire Secondary School Head Teachers Association (OSSHTA) flourished and decamped annually to Bournemouth to confer with Tim and his LEA team. Brimming with ideas, he got most of us to sign up to a joint scheme with Leicestershire, the Oxford Certificate of Educational Achievement (OCEA). Tim realised that academic attainment was just a part of the achievements of young people and that, if an accredited recording of personal achievements could be made, such a record would both motivate less academic pupils and encourage schools to value highly extra-curricular activities. An innovator himself, Tim encouraged us to innovate.
The LEA also had a sensible self-evaluation process that encouraged staff and governors to evaluate their own performance and then discuss the evaluation with their local councillors. With my lively governors I found this a stimulating activity.
Nationally, the takeover of education by the Thatcher government was beginning. In 1982 Sir Keith Joseph had funded and supervised, not by the DES but by the newly created Manpower Services Commission (MSC), projects that would improve areas where the government considered the existing system defective. One of these was TVEI, the Technical and Vocational Education Initiative, in which LEAs competed to win MSC money. Tim Brighouse identified Oxford City as the local area most likely to benefit from TVEI. Our 1984 bid succeeded. Led by LEA officers and involving the College of Further Education and local businesses we made considerable progress collaborating to devise new vocational courses accessible to 14-year-olds in the city. In 1986, Tim engineered a year's secondment for me to plan the 16–18 phase of TVEI which I finished in 1987. Nothing came of it. In Westminster the DES and MSC had been battling for the control of education. The DES won and in 1988 proceeded with the introduction of the National Curriculum, fatally undermining TVEI nationally. So a turf war between politicians and civil servants destroyed an important and timely vocational project.
The worst year of my headship was 1985–1986 when the teachers' strikes were at their height. The claim for better pay was in many ways justified, but the tactics of the teacher associations were uncoordinated and counterproductive. The government was in no mood to negotiate, and media and public opinion grew more hostile the longer strike action lasted. I had to deal with three associations following different kinds of action while minimising the harm to the pupils. Each day I had to decide how many classes could take place, how could adequate supervision be organised at break and lunchtime and how to keep hard-pressed parents informed about what was going on. The harm done was great and lasting. Many teachers who had worked to rule during the strikes refused to resume the extra-curricular activities that formerly they had led. For example, Drama at Cherwell, which had previously been brilliant, was not to recover for a decade. By the Teachers Pay and Conditions Act of 1987, Kenneth Baker, who had succeeded Sir Keith Joseph as Secretary of State, abolished the previous pay negotiating procedures and put in their place an advisory Pay Review Board. Teachers now had to work 1,265 hours per year at the direction of the headteacher, a ruling that led to endless discussions about what should be within 'directed time'. These strikes greatly weakened the teacher associations and strengthened the government's conviction that teachers needed policing.
## Revolution, the Education Reform Act (ERA) of 1988 and its aftermath: powerful central government, weakened LEAs, more autonomy for schools
Then in 1988 came the Education Reform Act. Insofar as it affected secondary schools like Cherwell, its main elements were the National Curriculum, open enrolment giving greater parental choice of school, the opportunity to create schools independent of the LEA (Grant Maintained schools) and Local Management of School (LMS), which required LEAs to delegate a substantial part of their education funds to schools on a per capita basis, giving heads, with their governors, new powers to manage the school's budget.
### Seen as a headteacher 1988–2002
Though I had a keen interest in politics and education policy in particular, I somehow missed the changing mood in Westminster. I had read the Black Papers and the headlines about William Tyndale but thought them right-wing sensationalism. I do not remember the Ruskin speech, or being upset by the abolition of the Schools Council, or realising the political novelty of TVEI. Substantial extra funding was then more than acceptable, whatever the source. So when the outlines of ERA appeared in the Conservative manifesto for the 1987 election, which Mrs Thatcher won with an increased majority, I was amazed how radical it was. It transformed my role as a headteacher. By and large I had gained promotion because of my interest in creating effective curricula. ERA took that curriculum responsibility away and instead made budget management and marketing the school my prime responsibility. The shift of funding through LMS inevitably altered the relationship between schools and the LEA, substantially weakening the latter.
In theory, I supported a National Curriculum, but, because it was implemented top-down and driven by distrust of teachers, its introduction was needlessly controversial and chaotic. The content of three 'core' subjects and seven 'foundation' subjects had to be defined as did ten levels of performance. Ring-binders of 'interim' then 'final' reports of the subject working groups piled up on my desk. Secretaries of State came and went in quick succession – Baker, Macgregor, Clarke, Patten. In 1993, teachers boycotted the new Key Stage 3 tests. The original NC plan was too detailed and had to be slimmed down considerably. During these years of chaotic change I had to keep bewildered and often angry staff teaching their existing courses well. Then once decisions were made centrally about the new courses and the timetable for their introduction I had to ensure that they were introduced smoothly.
## History in the National Curriculum: a case study
Of the NC subjects, history caused the most controversy in which I became involved, as in 1988 I was Chair of the Secondary Committee of the Historical Association (HA). The right wing of the Conservative Party disliked much of the history being taught in schools. It particularly disliked the influential Schools Council History Project (SCHP), which built its course on the methodology of history including empathy (the skill of getting inside the culture and minds of people in a particular period). The Conservative Right thought SCHP too short on facts, especially on British history, and too long on skills, particularly empathy. Backed by much of the national press it declared war on trendy history teachers who spent too much time on soft skills and not enough on the great achievements of Britons over the centuries. English teachers faced a similar challenge from the Conservative Right, who wanted the canon of great English literature to be the essence of the NC English.
A dilemma we faced at the HA was that, unlike any European country other than Albania, history in England was not compulsory to 16. We regarded the subject as central to any serious understanding of the world in which young people were growing up and had as our priority safeguarding its new foundation subject status. Professor Ralph Davis, President of the HA, and I co-authored a draft core curriculum that included 50 per cent British history, which might prove helpful to those empowered to create NC history. We had underestimated how strongly many of our colleagues felt about any prescription in general and prescription by a Tory government in particular and met considerable criticism. Baker then set up a Working Group, chaired by a member of the landed gentry, Commander Saunders-Watson. In the circumstances it did a brilliant job, managing to combine enough British history with enough of the elements of the SCHP. Mrs Thatcher hated it, but after considerable debate, including in the media, it was finally agreed. Professor Davis and I then did our best to rally history teachers behind the Working Group. However, our efforts were in vain. Sir Ron Dearing, called in to sort out the emerging unworkability of the original overcrowded Baker National Curriculum, decided that history, geography, art and music should become optional at 14. Another Working Group had to rewrite the original 11–16 versions to fit the 11–14 age range.
This episode demonstrated a number of things – the lack of a coherent philosophy underpinning the National Curriculum; the dangers of partisan politicians interfering with curricular details; the malfunctioning of the Department for Education; the low esteem in which teachers were held by the Conservative administration; the role of the press unhelpfully simplifying and sensationalising complex issues, for example the teaching of varying historical interpretations; and the time, energy and money wasted by political in-fighting.
It was all to happen again 25 years later when the Secretary of State, Michael Gove, an enthusiastic amateur historian (he was an English graduate), decided to write the review of National Curriculum history in 2013. It was so idiosyncratic and unworkable that some of us thought that he and friends had put it together one evening aided by an excellent bottle of whisky. Along with 20 others I was summoned to Westminster to a meeting chaired by Gove himself and asked to come up with something workable. This a number of us did. Our version seemed acceptable to history teachers who had been outraged by the original Goveian version. Our revision was not that different to the one Professor Davis and I drafted in 1988.
### Parental choice, GM schools and LMS
Parental choice was already active in Oxford, but the open enrolment clauses in ERA intensified it. By 1988 Cherwell was already over-subscribed, but that over-subscription increased. The correlation between a school's popularity and the desirability of its location became evermore obvious.
No secondary schools in Oxfordshire went GM. I think that this was largely due to the Brighouse factor, though Tim had left by then and was on his way to Birmingham. There was a sense of loyalty to Oxfordshire and the belief that local democracy was worth preserving.
I found LMS liberating if initially terrifying, the financial responsibility of the governors and myself now being measured in millions of pounds rather than thousands. The ability to appoint additional staff when needed was the crucial benefit plus being able to redecorate and make minor improvements to the premises. Once we had LMS I could see no reason to leave the LEA.
### Tests, targets and league tables
By 1993, when the tumult of ERA had subsided, I had been in post for 12 years. Parents seemed happy with the way the school had progressed, and I was disinclined to allow national politicians to blow us off course. Our governors agreed. They were broadly left of centre – my Chair of Governors was a former educational journalist. We came to live with the publication of each year's exam results, which the local press immediately turned into league tables. Of 36 Oxfordshire schools we were usually sixth or seventh at GCSE and first or second at A Level. As long as we stayed close to these positions I avoided pressurising the staff to give greater emphasis to improving examination performance per se rather than teach in a stimulating way. Concentrating on exam grades at all costs leads to a Gradgrind, deadening, essentially anti-educational culture. I had the same attitude to externally set targets. On the whole we were slowly improving on most measures, as a consequence of internal policies that were shared by governors and most staff. When appraisal and performance management became a national requirement, I worked with staff to find a 'modus operandi' with which they were comfortable. Nowadays, Ofsted would doubtless class me as complacent and insufficiently directive.
### Specialist schools
One effect of the government's many interventions in the curriculum and the assessment was to dissuade schools from innovating themselves but to get involved in government projects that had funds attached. Of the many initiatives pouring out of Whitehall the major one we took on was to become a specialist school, not because we saw any merit in the specialism concept, but funding continued so tight in the 1990s we needed the linked funds. We opted for the science specialism since it would mean the minimum alteration to our curriculum. In due course we succeeded. It was during the application that I became aware of the 'gaming' schools, which were now having to play to hit the targets set out in their application. We had an external consultant advising us. I commented that the GCSE improvement targets looked demanding. He advised me not to worry but to change from our traditional courses to the new Applied GCSEs, which were easier. When I indicated that such a change would not be in our pupils' interest, 'then you will have problems' was the gist of his comment. With the proliferation of new GCSEs and vocational courses, 'equivalences' between courses became a live issue about which Whitehall found consistency difficult. As for the specialist initiative, the Coalition government killed it in 2010. As an approach to secondary education it had won only a few adherents among teachers and parents.
### Ofsted
As with the National Curriculum, I thought that the introduction of a reformed national inspection system was desirable. Taxpayers paid for state schools, which should therefore be accountable. I assumed that the previous HMI system, which took schools as it found them and was respected for its thoroughness and quality of its advice but did not inspect frequently enough, would be streamlined but visit schools more often. What emerged was very different, driven by the Conservative belief that teachers needed policing. Schools would be inspected every four years by teams of private inspectors supervised by reformed HMIs. Ofsted's Chief Inspector became a major public figure. Two, notably Chris Woodhead and Michael Wilshaw, gained reputations as scourges of weak teachers and schools. Cherwell experienced two inspections before I retired in 2002. The first in 1993 to my surprise was a team from the LEA led by an adviser I knew well. It was a tame affair but not unhelpful. The second, which came in 1999, was very different. In the intervening years Ofsted had become more number-crunching and the 1999 team arrived with some inaccurate data that indicated that the school was going rapidly downhill. Its information omitted the existence of two units in the school, one for autistic pupils and another for the visually impaired. We had not helped our cause by ignoring the NC regulation to make technology and MFL compulsory to 16. I failed to achieve any rapport with a humourless Lead Inspector and was only able to turn the inspection round by arranging a lunch half-way through the inspection for him and some of my best-informed governors. Eventually we emerged as a good school with some outstanding features, which in the circumstances was a relief. I was angered though, not only by the team coming misinformed, but by how disruptive it was. Staff had put so much into the late January inspection that it was not until March that the school was back to normal.
### New Labour and 'education, education, education'
My immediate reaction to Tony Blair's election in 1997 was that a new era had dawned. Disillusion followed swiftly. What Blair meant by education was an intensely focused enterprise, directed from Whitehall, which would produce pupils trained to enable Britain to compete successfully in the international struggle for economic competitiveness. As Michael Barber reiterated, there needed to be a 'step change' in the culture of most schools. School leaders needed to concentrate 'relentlessly' on school improvement as measured by exam results in order to achieve 'world class' standards. Target-setting and Ofsted were the major agent's to achieve this step change. The DfE and Ofsted number-crunched more remorselessly. Lip service was paid to other vital elements of schooling like creativity and ethics, but they were peripheral since their outcomes were qualitative and immeasurable. The stress on international performance was not new to Labour. When first I became a headteacher, we were found wanting in comparison with Japan, then it was Germany and later, thanks to PISA and TIMMS, with South Korea and Shanghai.
### The reorganisation of the three-tier to a two-tier system in Oxford
My last years were spent working with the LEA to replace the 9–13 Middle Schools. It was a difficult exercise as some of the Middle Schools were much loved, especially the one immediately across the road that Cherwell was to absorb, and only successful because of a determined CEO, Graham Badman. Hardly anyone now doubts that it was a vital step to take in the interests of future generations, but I do wonder now, as all the Oxford secondary schools and some of the primaries are academies, how such a desirable city-wide reorganisation could ever occur.
## Looking from outside 2002–2015
In 2002, I helped establish a new Prince of Wales charity, the Prince's Teaching Institute (PTI), which has given me a new perspective on recent changes in thinking at national level about curriculum design. PTI organises subject-centred Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for state school teachers. It first ran annual residentials for teachers of English literature and history, then, because of teacher demand, added maths, science, geography, art, music and MFL. We now have a project-based scheme known as the Schools Programme, annual headteachers conferences and a programme for beginning teachers, which has expanded over three years from 150 to 700 participants. Nationally, one secondary school in five now takes part in PTI activities. Research indicates that good teachers must be subject experts and subjects must be central to any secondary school curriculum. Consequently, we link our university experts to excellent experienced teachers who lead workshops on key topics. From the start our courses have been designed by teachers for teachers. Happily independent, we concentrate on what constitutes inspiring subject teaching and avoid getting embroiled in immediate concerns like how to do well at Ofsted. Our teachers tell us that we are filling a CPD vacuum, as most other CPD concentrates on generic school improvement, getting better exam grades or preparation for Ofsted.
What kept me involved in PTI activities was a growing realisation that, among university-based educationists and within the DfE of New Labour, subjects were regarded as obsolete. What really mattered were transferable skills like the 'competences' of the RSA Opening Minds project and Information Technology, which should make knowledge acquisition an individual web-based exercise. The teacher should stop being 'the sage on the stage rather the guide on the side'. I have been strongly influenced by Michael Young's Bringing Knowledge Back In (2009), which argues that the central function of all schools is to pass on powerful subject-based knowledge to all pupils. If only elite schools offer well-taught subjects to their pupils, and the less advantaged take the skills and competences route, a new bipartite school system will emerge with the life chances of pupils being directly affected. Powerful subject knowledge for all is essential for social justice.
Obviously, the impressions I have gained from 13 years of PTI conferences are anecdotal, stemming from conversations I have had with hundreds of teachers. The first is that a succession of Westminster initiatives has left teachers reeling. Whatever Michael Gove's virtues, his whirlwind approach to policy making without regard for teacher opinion took ministerial interference in the details of education policy to a new extreme. The second is that Ofsted has for most teachers become an ogre, distorting the activities of too many schools. Many headteachers are obsessed with the extraordinary amount of data now available to them through the statistical tool RAISEonline, which is inevitably quantitative rather than qualitative. Another obsession is how to get into the 'outstanding' category and, once there, stay there. Third an increasing number of teachers are losing confidence in the examination system, especially GCSE. So detailed are the specifications and the mark schemes that desiccated 'teaching to the test' is too often the norm. Warwick Mansell's brilliant Education by Numbers, the Tyranny of Testing (2007) confirms this depressing trend. A fourth is that many schools have allowed the DfE to do their curriculum thinking for them. Perhaps most serious of all, government busyness militates against teachers being able to think about what should be their priorities – for their pupils, the extent to which their school best meets the needs of their communities, and innovation. Fifth and last, for a variety of reasons, headteachers are increasingly reluctant to allow teachers time out of school for any CPD that is not directly linked to gaining better exam grades or impressing Ofsted.
As a way out of the present turmoil, the idea of a Royal College of Teaching has emerged from PTI discussions. Over the last two years, Chris Pope, Co-Director of PTI, has worked hard and skilfully to persuade the major teacher organisations that such a college, the immediate responsibilities of which should be CPD and ITT, is well worth considering seriously.
## Reflections
Great improvements have occurred in these four decades. One of the most important has been the integration of young people with special needs, their greater opportunities and the greater tolerance of other pupils. The advances made by women both at school and as teachers have been remarkable. At Cherwell, only physics and technology remained male-dominated by the time I retired. In 1981 there were only a handful of female headteachers in Oxfordshire, mainly heads of girls' only schools. Now there are more women heads than men. The quality of classroom management in most schools is much better, partly because of changes in ITT but also the greater direct monitoring of individual teachers by Senior Leadership Teams. There has also been a considerable increase in the number of pupils going on to university and FE.
These changes, however, have been evolutionary rather than revolutionary. The revolution that is the subject of this book has been in the comparatively sudden takeover by central government of control of educational policy making between 1988 and 1993 and its ramifications.
There have been benefits. We needed a national curriculum and now have one, though why it is not required of all the schools in the land is a mystery to me. We needed a national system of inspection. We now have one of the strictest in Europe that, whatever its faults, provides parents with useful comparative information about all the state schools in their locality. We have fewer failing schools. Exam results have generally improved, but to what extent is a matter of fierce debate. Education is a political priority and the Secretary of State for Education a senior figure in the Cabinet. Coverage of education in the media is much more extensive. Consequently, more parents and their pupils know that education matters. Teachers' pay and working environments are better.
Harm, however, has been done. Politicians have proved both partisan and inconsistent. Inconsistency is demoralising to teachers and a waste of money. I could cover pages with examples of initiatives that have come and gone since 1988. Here are some of the most grievous. In 1988 Professor Higgenson reported on A Levels. He had achieved a professional consensus that the country needed more and leaner A Levels. Mrs Thatcher vetoed it. For her the existing A Levels were 'the gold standard' of the English system. In 2004 Mike Tomlinson, again with the backing of key professionals, recommended a radical reform of 14–19 with an overarching diploma that would cover both academic and vocational subjects. Tony Blair, anxious about a potentially hostile national media, would have none of it. We have seen how TVEI came and went and how specialist schools lasted little more than a decade. Twenty years later came the Advanced Diplomas, which Ken Boston, head of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) described as the most important educational reform in Western Europe since 1945. The planners were over-ambitious and out of touch with school and college realities. The initiative was already in trouble by 2008 and cancelled by the Coalition government in 2010. 'Connexions', launched with a fanfare in 2000, was intended to transform the careers advice for young people. It was flawed from the start as its designers were never clear whether it should be a universal or targeted service. I represented the Oxfordshire headteachers at fruitless meetings when Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes attempted to get the new service going. Again, over the years, the initiative withered. The Learning and Skills Council was set up in 2001 to give the existing 16-plus system a good shake-up. New headquarters were found in Coventry. Nine years later it was disbanded.
The big issue is teacher autonomy. My main responsibility as a headteacher was to recruit the best quality teachers I could find and then give them considerable freedom. I only interfered when I thought things were going wrong. The more professional freedom teachers have, both in relation to their pupils and assisting in the direction their school is travelling, more often than not their pupils will benefit. But what limits should governments place on that freedom? In 1976 these limits were too weak. In 2015, because of the revolution in government controls described above, they are too strong, suffocating inspiration, initiative and innovation.
Since 1988, the politicians have distrusted teachers. So many mistakes could have been avoided if politicians and teachers could have achieved a workable partnership. However, neo-liberals advising Mrs Thatcher maintained that the professions were a self-serving cartel that prevented the market bringing progress. Tony Blair remained suspicious, if in a more pragmatic way. Most politicians thought that they knew enough about education from their own and their families' experience that they would be intelligent policy makers. The increasing interaction of Westminster politics and the 24/7 media (see Chapter 15) encouraged them, thinking frequently about the next election, to dream up some headline-grabbing initiative, the serious sustained viability of which was not an immediate consideration. By being told what to do for nearly two decades, teachers have been de-professionalised. They have not, however, helped their own cause. For decades four teacher unions and two separate headteacher associations have competed for membership, and their apparent readiness to prioritise their members' pay and conditions over pupil welfare has contributed to politicians' distrust.
### What then is to be done?
Politicians must step back and trust teachers more.
Responsibility for curriculum and assessment should pass to a genuinely independent body in which the government should have representation and which should regularly review the NC and public examinations every ten years or so. Such a body should encourage innovation.
Ofsted should cease inspecting most schools. Rather it should concentrate on those schools clearly struggling. Other schools should self-evaluate regularly using their own criteria. Ofsted should monitor those self-evaluations.
A Royal College of Teaching should take responsibility for teaching standards and the development of both CPD and ITT. Once it has established its credibility it should also take national responsibility for monitoring performance management in schools.
The really difficult issue is how to revive local democratic involvement in education. The sustained attack by both the Conservative and Labour parties has virtually destroyed LEAs. Appointed regional commissars are no answer. With the present interest in 'localism' and the delegation of Westminster powers to cities or regions, a Committee of Enquiry should consider how to create new forms of local government of education.
## References
Mansell, W., 2007, Education by Numbers, London: Politico's.
Tomlinson, S., 2001, Education in a post-welfare society, Buckingham: Open University Press.
Young, M.F.D., 2009, Bringing Knowledge Back In, London: Routledge.
## Further reading
I found these books particularly helpful in writing this chapter and when reflecting more widely on contemporary issues in education:
Ken Jones: Education in Britain, Polity (2003)
Arthur Marwick: British Society since 1945, Penguin (2003)
Robert Phillips: History Teaching, Nationhood and the State, Cassell (1998)
Alison Wolf: Does Education Matter, Penguin (2002)
# [6
A View from the Island](content.xhtml#bck_Ch06)
A very personal story
Kenny Frederick
## Preparing for headship
I could never be described as a careerist as I spent the first 16 years of my working life working in two schools. I can't help but get emotionally attached to a school and have never been good at flitting from school to school. Even after 16 years I was not particularly ambitious and was enjoying my role as Head of House in a school in Haringey. However, I decided to apply for deputy headship after being told by a senior manager, during a heated argument, that I would never be a senior leader because I was too emotional. This gave me the impetus to move on. Subsequently I moved to become Deputy Head in a girl's school in Hackney in January 1990. A major part of my role was working with the business community and the work-related curriculum. One of the important initiatives at the time was Compact, which was a partnership between business and schools, and a lot of work was done to make sure students were ready for the world of work. Another responsibility was preparing the school for Investors in People (IIP) accreditation, which helped me to learn more about leading and managing people, who are our greatest resource. When I did move on to headship, I used the IIP framework to help me plan my strategy for making the most of our human resources.
About two years into my role as Deputy Head, I realised that I needed to keep my options open and, therefore, needed to learn more about leading schools. Despite my earlier reticence, I acknowledged that I did want to become a headteacher at some point in the future. Working alongside a headteacher who could be (putting it mildly) described as 'autocratic' helped me to make up my mind. I completed my Masters degree at East London University (part-time over two years) in Educational Leadership, where I discovered Tim Brighouse and lots of other education academics, who helped me develop my own vision for a school I would lead (see Chapter 12). Tim's writing was practical and real, and his appreciation for the people he worked with shone through. In addition, I also did a number of leadership courses in preparation for senior leadership, which I funded myself and often completed during the weekends and always in my own time.
I was given little or no encouragement from my headteacher at the time, who started to see me as a bit of a threat and was cross that I had the cheek to think I could put myself on to the same level as she. My life was made even more difficult from that point. After four years in post I decided that I needed to start the application process to get out before I was pushed out! I was successful in securing the headship of George Green's School on the Isle of Dogs in Tower Hamlets in April 1996. I was 43 years old with around 22 years' experience in schools. I was delighted but somewhat daunted at the prospect of becoming a headteacher.
Prior to my appointment as Principal of George Green's School I had been seconded to a boys' school in Hammersmith and Fulham for about six months. This was a school in trouble when the new headteacher had arrived and his one deputy had had a heart attack and his partner who was on the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) was also on long-term absence. An imminent Ofsted visit was expected, and most of the teachers were supply staff. This was swift learning ground for me but it meant that I had little time to do my homework in terms of schools I was applying for. If I had done so, I might have decided against applying for George Green's. Looking back now I am thankful I didn't, as ignorance is often a good thing. I had always worked in the inner city and assumed that the Isle of Dogs would be much like Hackney and Haringey. This it most certainly was not! It was unique.
## Tower Hamlets – the Isle of Dogs
What I had not realised upon appointment in 1996 was that the first BNP (British National Party) counsellor to ever be elected in England was in November 1993 on the Isle of Dogs. He only lasted a couple of months before he was ousted and replaced. However, the people who had elected him were still there when I arrived in April 1996. The discontent of the white population was blamed on the housing policy of Tower Hamlets Council who placed a large number of the incoming Bangladeshi population on the Isle of Dogs. This caused resentment locally and resulted in a very divided community. This spilled into the school, where many students and their parents felt it was appropriate to express overt racist comments and attitudes. It was a difficult time and took many years to overcome and to change attitudes. Bringing the community together so that we could get on with the business of teaching and learning in a safe environment took a great deal of resilience on my part and on the part of my staff.
Therefore, the diverse ethnic background to the school was a crucial consideration in the policies that needed to be adopted and that, as the Principal, I pursued. According to the UK government's Indices of Multiple Deprivation, Tower Hamlets in 2006 ranked as the most deprived local authority in the country, with high levels of unemployment, poverty and poor health. Fifty per cent of the residents were from the black and minority ethnic communities (33 per cent Bangladeshi). Almost 100 languages were spoken locally. The school of about 1,200 boys and girls aged 11–19 reflected that ethnic and linguistic mix. About half the pupils were white (British mainly, but also Irish and other), a third Asian (mainly Bangladeshi), around 20 per cent Chinese, Afro-Caribbean, Somali and other African background. About one in sixty pupils arrived at the school with little or no spoken English. Over 50 per cent of the pupils were eligible for free school meals – more than three times the national average (14 per cent) for secondary schools.
Therefore, one of my first jobs as Principal was to work with staff, pupils and parents to develop our Equal Opportunities Policy and our motto 'All different. All equal'. Getting the community to understand that equal opportunities is not about treating everybody the same but is about meeting individual needs. This helped me counteract the accusations that I was treating different children 'differently', for instance by providing EAL pupils with additional help with their English. This policy remained firm and informed every other policy we developed over the year and it eventually became ingrained into the hearts and minds of our pupils. However, this aspect of our work took many years.
## Dealing with the racial tension
The horrors of 9/11 in New York in September 2001 increased racial tensions further, and we had a particularly difficult situation in November 2001 only a few months after the tragic events unfolded. Islamophobia was rife, and The Guardian (20 November 2001) described one of the most difficult situations we went through when a group of parents leafleted the island to gather support on a Sunday evening following a fight at the school gates on the previous Friday afternoon. Waiting for this group to arrive was frightening but we had no option but to let them in and let them vent their anger. I was the focus of this anger but I had no opportunity to speak calmly to them or tell them what the school was doing to resolve the racial tensions. They screamed at me for about 30 minutes and left. The local newspaper described the school to be in a state of anarchy – which it certainly was not. While this was a horrible experience, it only strengthened my resolve to hang on in there and sort it out!
During this time, when racial tensions were at their highest, we were (mostly) able to keep a lid on the situation while pupils were in school, but we began to hate unstructured time and home time. My staff were having to lead different groups of pupils home at the end of the day (to avoid fighting in the street and local park). Having very narrow corridors, one minor scuffle during lesson changeover would polarise the school along racial lines and would spread out into the streets at the end of the day. Needless to say we were doing lots of work in our curriculum to address the issues at the same time. However, it was very exhausting and was not conducive to good learning. At this time one of our Bengali TAs (teaching assistants), who had by his own admission been a local 'youth' in his time, came up with the idea of taking our 'most extreme' pupils to Belfast to see what a divided community looked and felt like. After a short discussion with my senior team we decided to go with the idea. We had to do something and do it quickly!
It was agreed we would take 40 pupils and these should be those with leadership qualities and the capacity to change their views. We spent time on choosing this cohort and were so surprised that so many wanted to go. Most saw it as a free trip abroad and a week out of school! Once the group was chosen we looked at the staff who would accompany them and work with them for the week. Without a doubt I sent my most talented and experienced teachers and support staff who had good relationships with the pupils. It was a huge risk, and I had nightmares worrying about what might happen on the journey or when they were in Ireland.
The TA, whose idea it all was, sorted out the details of the trip, and they went to the 'Share Centre' in Fermanagh where they lived in 'Big Brother' style houses in mixed groups and where they had to cook for each other and get to know each other properly. My expert staff got them to confront their own racism and ingrained prejudices and to understand what had been going on. They also went to see the 'peace wall' and were shocked to see a city divided by a physical wall. However, the greatest change came after our pupils had the opportunity to meet other students, both Catholic and Protestant, and to spend time with them. Our pupils found it hard to understand what the argument was all about – they are all white and all Christian, what are they fighting about? After a number of history lessons and discussions with these youngsters, our pupils were shocked that many of those they met (not all by any means) were happy with the status quo and did not want to change. They liked things as they were.
When our pupils returned to school they formed the 'Unity Cru' and were led by my TA who went on to become a community manager in later years. They worked together as a mixed group of 40 individuals who were able to influence the whole school population. They learned to mediate and negotiate and to make presentations at assembly and elsewhere, but most of all it was the work they did with 'the youngers' in the playground that made the biggest difference in changing the culture of the school. When small incidents were in danger of exploding into bigger ones, the Unity Cru were there to intervene. We took different groups back to Northern Ireland for a number of years to reinforce the work that had been done there and, as the racial tensions ceased and gang warfare (!) blossomed to replace them, we were able to do useful work on restorative justice that helped to diffuse situations on the island.
The trip to Belfast was an extreme and expensive answer to a very difficult problem. It was just one of the many risks I took during my time as Principal. It was a risk well worth taking and taught me that procrastination is no use to anybody. I had to take a decision and take it quickly. I did not have the money to pay for the first visit but we went anyway and I raised the money from sponsorship afterwards. The trip to Belfast was used as a case study and was written about often. There was a lot of interest in our story, which is fine after the event, but not while you are in the middle of it!
## Responding to government initiatives
During my 17 years as Principal, risk taking and change were constant. Much of this change was a result of government initiatives, but many of the changes were of our own making. Some were in response to what was happening to us (see above) and others were about school improvement. Schools, especially those in challenging circumstances like mine, cannot stand still and need to keep moving forward. In fact we often felt like we were frantically treading water, just to keep our heads above it. While this was exhausting it was also very exciting and created a dynamic can-do culture where there was no problem we could not find a solution to. This is the reason why I have always worked in the inner city in schools on the 'edge'. I am naturally positive and optimistic, which certainly helped me to become very resilient and allowed me to cope well with the stress that comes with the job. Furthermore, I surrounded myself with senior staff and teachers who had a similar attitude.
Changes imposed by the Labour government in their 12 years in power (1998–2010) – (see Chapter 1, p. 16) were largely positive and were not 'new' in the sense that we were not being asked to do very different or very difficult things. Many of these policies were designed to help schools share good practice and were an attempt to develop a more coherent approach to school improvement. I made sure I got involved in various advisory and focus groups and encouraged my staff to do the same. This way we felt we could inform policy change and be done 'with' rather than be done 'to'. This was and is an important fact to consider if we want schools and teachers to embrace change. Imposing changes on schools does not work.
The numerous changes to the Ofsted framework took up a lot of time and energy and have, I believe, stopped many schools taking risks and developing a curriculum to suit the needs of their students. The anxiety about the next Ofsted inspection is never far away. This was particularly true when we were judged as NTI (Needs to Improve) category in September 2008 when our results dropped unexpectedly.
When I first took over as Principal, I found myself in a financial deficit situation. I'd had very little experience of dealing with a budget as my previous head had kept that knowledge to herself. Thankfully, I had governors who had a great deal of expertise and experience in managing finances. We went immediately to asking for voluntary redundancies and found that we were able to get rid of the deficit without too much pain. However, funds were short, and I found myself along with a couple of other colleagues teaching RE (without any previous experience or expertise), as we could not afford to employ a new RE teacher.
As a new head, I discovered that the relationship between my predecessor and senior team and the rest of the staff had been a difficult one. The Ofsted inspection in 1993 (one of the first inspections in England) described 'an atmosphere of distrust between senior leadership and staff'. The situation had gotten so difficult the headteacher had refused to write personal references and instead provided a bland document saying exactly what individuals had done, without any comment about the quality of their work. I, of course, had no knowledge of this and I naïvely expected staff to follow my lead and work alongside me. Thankfully they did.
## 1997: changes under Labour
There was much joy when Labour won the general election in 1997 and 'Education, education, education' was the strapline. Funding increased, and there were many new initiatives. Most of my headship (12 years of it) was under a Labour government and I certainly think we benefited from this. Tower Hamlets was and still is one of the poorest boroughs in England, and, therefore, our schools received almost 60 per cent more resource per pupil than the national average, and we had higher levels of resourcing than almost all other London boroughs. This did not always go down well with heads in other boroughs and counties and I can understand their resentment. However, this high level of funding certainly contributed to the success of the borough, making it one of the most successful in the country. It allowed us to increase the number of teachers and support staff and to provide additional resources for our students.
The Excellence in Cities (EIC) initiative was introduced in March 1999 with the aim of raising standards and promoting inclusion in the inner cities (see Chapter 1, p. 15). We were delighted to embrace this initiative, especially as it was so well funded. The requirements of EIC were clear but not prescriptive, and we were able to decide exactly how we would introduce and shape the different strands into our own schools. This was a challenge we welcomed because we felt it would help us to improve the quality of our school. There were four main strands of EIC. These included:
* Learning mentors
* Learning support units (LSUs)
* Provision for gifted and talented pupils
* City Learning Centre and Education Action Zones
We had already started adding to our workforce and led the way as far as workforce reforms went. Most of these new employees were working as Learning Support Assistants (LSAs), back office staff and finally Learning Mentors. Most of these came from the local community, which really helped to bridge the gap between the school and the community. Learning Mentors proved to be valuable in helping us support some of our most vulnerable children of whom we had many.
The development of the new LSU caused much discussion in our school, and many urban myths spread across the staff, students and parents. 'Swimming with dolphins' was quoted many times and the notion that children were being rewarded for being naughty! However, as with most things, we got over that hurdle and the LSU proved to be very successful in supporting some of our most difficult and hard-to-teach students. The Behaviour Improvement strategy arrived around the same time, and I received a call one day from the private office of Stephen Twigg, Minister for Schools (2004–2005), to see if they could visit for the day and see how we managed behaviour! Of course we agreed to this as we felt that civil servants who were developing behaviour policy ought to see what we were dealing with on a daily basis.
The focus on Gifted and Talented pupils made us think more about this group who had probably been neglected up to now. We could not live with the title Gifted and Talented as it was so difficult to come up with a clear definition of what this meant. Therefore, we settled on More Able and Talented and set about developing a support programme to develop and challenge this group. This involved tracking this group carefully, providing enrichment activities and individual mentoring. What it did not involve was a concentration on teaching. When I look back now and still see the same model in many schools I visit, I am sorry that we did not focus more specifically on strategies for raising achievement in the classroom.
Putting together a bid to become a small Education Action Zone (see Chapter 1, p. 15) with our primary feeder schools on the Isle of Dogs under the EIC banner was something that was very worthwhile. We already had strong relationships with our feeder primaries and we supported each other in any way we could. However, the small Action Zone provided the structure and funding to develop a strategic action plan to work together on improving teaching and learning. We had to go through a very vigorous process in putting our bid together, and I remember a rival group of schools (who were bidding against us) being very angry when we were chosen as the successful cluster. However, the Action Zone group are still working together in a coherent way to get to grips with the many changes that they are expected to make.
The EIC programme ran alongside the Leadership Incentive Grant, of which we were quick to take advantage. I noticed an advert asking for schools interested in taking on a Trainee Head for a year as a training opportunity and could not resist the opportunity to have a free member of SLT for a year! We were lucky to have had three trainees over three years who all went on to be headteachers. They brought three different sets of eyes and added much to our school. My senior team was always welcoming and open and we subsequently went on to host many Future Leader participants in the following years. In addition, we opened up our team to a number of Associate Assistant Heads who were middle leaders, and they also brought a great deal of expertise and ideas to the table. My aim has always been to demystify headship and to encourage others to think of themselves as leaders in the future. I had never been encouraged in this way and used to believe that senior leadership was out of my league.
The Labour government introduced Every Child Matters (ECM) in 2004 (see Chapter 1, p. 15), which was in my opinion the most important and relevant development that I can remember. In fact I wrote my MBA thesis on the subject. The notion and reality of different organisations working together to ensure the needs of our children were ground breaking and worked very well for us. In fact it was the way we were already working but in a very informal way, where my staff had persuaded individuals from other child-centred professions to work closely with us. ECM made these partnerships more solid and provided a framework for brokering relationships and partnerships. We became a designated Extended School, which allowed us to provide a range of services for vulnerable children and their families. For instance, it was much easier to get vulnerable families to come to school for their CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service) appointment rather than go to the centre that was a bus ride away. We were open from 7.30 a.m. for breakfast (provided by Morgan Stanley) and provided activities and childcare (The Place to Be) until 6 p.m. After that, the school sports facilities were used by the community until 10 p.m. at night. The community team and Sports Trust (a charity set up by governors some years before and run largely by sixth formers and ex-students of George Green's) made sure that local people could hire the facilities at a low cost while the business community paid premium prices. The Sports Trust was, and still is, self-funding and is a very efficient way of organising school lettings. ECM made perfect sense to us. It brought together all strands of the school, and we were horrified when the Coalition government decided to change the name of the DCSF (Department of Children, Schools and Families) to the DfE – families were (it seemed) no longer our problem!
## Youth Services
Later on (2006) we were commissioned to deliver Youth Services on the Isle of Dogs and we readily took on this role, despite the fact that it caused so much additional work. We were keen to take this on because as a school we had spent years bringing the different communities together in school only to find they went off to different parts of the island when they left school. The youth clubs were very segregated, and white and black boys went to one club, while Bengali boys went to another. Girls did not attend any youth clubs because they (and their parents) did not think they were safe. The quality of youth services was very poor and when problems occurred in the streets, as they often did, the clubs chose to close rather than work with young people to sort them out. Staff working in the Youth Service at the time were used to working in a particular way and were not used to being led and managed. This had to change, and the process was difficult. However, the outcomes were hugely successful. Clubs were no longer segregated, girls were now participating, and the number of youngsters attending youth clubs rose dramatically, meaning youths were no longer hanging around the streets causing problems. We developed and delivered a relevant curriculum, staff were well trained and well led, and youth clubs were not closed without due notice. It was another big risk that paid off.
## Vocational courses
Many new vocational courses equivalent to GCSEs started in schools in around 2002 (see Chapter 1, p. 11), but this was something we never went in for. Instead we stuck to the more traditional curriculum, including every child doing a humanities subject and a language. At the time we felt that this was the right thing for our pupils, as it gave them all the opportunity to study a wide range of subjects and would enable them to move on to the pathways they chose in the future.
This was a mistake, as the traditional curriculum did not suit lots of our children, and we should have taken more risks with the curriculum. We saw schools around us embrace GNVQs (which we did not feel were of much value), and their results soared. I believe this lift in attainment gave pupils confidence and self-belief, and these schools then went on to climb up the league tables. It was our mistake not to follow suit. However, in 2008, we did revise the curriculum so that it offered more appropriate pathways for all our young people. This development was too late to save us from plummeting results in 2008, followed by a subsequent Ofsted inspection that took us into a 'requires improvement' category. A lesson learned the hard way!
## Inclusion
At some point in 2002 I was invited to a meeting at the local authority to discuss piloting the Index to Inclusion (produced by Tony Booth and Mel Ainscow). As a school we were already well down this road, as we were working so hard to include all members of our community, including those with special needs. The borough (like many others) was keen for schools to include youngsters with physical disabilities and learning difficulties to attend mainstream schools and we were very happy to be part of that movement. The Index to Inclusion was a very helpful document in helping us to audit our school and to find the gaps in provision. I often recommend it to colleagues today. Although our building was totally unsuitable (on seven floors with one unreliable lift), we were designated as the 'inclusive' school in the borough. We had the will and were able to find the way of including young people with a wide range of children with additional needs. Some years later we were able to convince the DfE to fund adaptations to make movement around the school and for the provision of more disabled toilets and other facilities. We gained a reputation for inclusion and it was a reputation we were very proud of. Though the subsequent Special Needs regulations have been strongly criticised by many, including Baroness Warnock, schools and colleges across the country have developed inclusive policy and practice, while many others, who are often those lauded as examples to us all, have rejected inclusion and those children who will use lots of resources and who may not achieve the benchmark re GCSE results. Admission policies need to be more rigorously applied so that those who want to attend a mainstream school have that opportunity. However, the new SEN Code of Practice (see Chapter 1, p. 15) and new funding arrangements are making it more difficult for schools to be fully inclusive.
## Concluding comments
The change of government in 2010 was not a happy time for those of us in education. Policies introduced under the Coalition were more difficult to manage and caused great anxiety. They were seen to be punitive and targeted at schools with challenging intakes and fighting against the odds. My teachers were constantly re-writing schemes of learning and finding new ways to implement new initiatives and changes to exam syllabi. Change was imposed and not based on evidence that it (whatever it was) worked. The worst part was not being consulted or involved. The feeling that we were being 'done to' caused a great deal of resentment. Keeping staff morale high and keeping them positive was a great challenge but was one we managed most of the time. Teachers were blamed for all the ills of society and were constantly being told they were not doing a good job. The workload increased, although we had thought this was not possible. The autonomy of headteachers was a piece of fiction, as we had never been so tightly controlled by central government. The Local Education Authority, who had always been so supportive, lost most of their funding and subsequently most of their personnel. The Ofsted framework continued to change, and the exams criteria changed, making it more difficult for many pupils to gain the qualifications they needed to move forward.
At this point I had reached the ripe old age of 60 and decided it was time to retire and give someone else a chance to lead the school.
# [Part III
Higher and further education](content.xhtml#bck_part3)
# [7
Evolution of Teacher Training and Professional Development](content.xhtml#bck_Ch07)
Richard Pring
## Introduction
The preparation and continuing professional development of teachers have been in constant evolution ever since the 1944 Education Act, that great Act of Parliament which, in the aftermath of the war, created a 'national service locally administered'. Such a national service required of the Minister to ensure, first, there were enough school places for all school-age children, and, second, there were enough teachers trained to teach them. Not for the Minister to say what should be taught or how it should be taught. And not for the Minister to say how teachers should be trained or how their continuing professional development, if any at all, should take place.
That subsequent evolution reflected the changing understandings: of the place of teacher education within a unitary system of higher education; of the place of schools and the profession in that training; of the content of the training and professional development; and of the responsibilities of government. In this last respect, we have seen the autonomy of the profession and indeed of universities increasingly eroded by political intervention.
One might see that historical evolution in terms of positive developments, arising (through public deliberations and subsequent White Papers and Acts of Parliament) from responses to perceived difficulties regarding low standards in many schools or the ideological beliefs of the teacher trainers. The name 'blob', as such an establishment has been called by some politicians, reflects a political concern about the influence of those whose ideas permeate the training of teachers, especially the social and philosophical critiques within colleges and universities. Was John Dewey, taught in our university departments of education, mainly responsible for all the problems of our schools, as I was told by a Secretary of State and a Minister of Higher Education? Much better, it is thought, that attention should be directed more effectively and efficiently to the improvement of learning as that has come to be defined from outside the teaching profession, ever since the 1988 Education Act.
In what follows, I examine that evolution more closely, drawing upon historical record and personal experience – as teacher in training, schoolteacher, teacher of students on the new BEd degree, university lecturer on professional diploma courses, professor helping to bring about the first merger between a prestigious college of education and a university, and finally Director of the Oxford University Department of Educational Studies, when after 100 years that university finally thought the study of education was worthy of a professor.
## Prelude: do teachers need to be trained?
There once prevailed the Platonic idea of the sort of education in which, 'in a place set apart', the guardian class would receive a special sort of education, partly through what was taught but partly through the initiation into a particular tradition, social ethos and network. This was accessible to relatively few (what the nineteenth-century philosopher and poet Coleridge referred to as the 'clerisy') brought up, if not on gymnastics and mathematics, then at least on the classics and games. Prep school, public school and Oxbridge would provide the right kind of educational background. Indeed, this was argued to the Bryce Commission in 1895 by Herbert Warren, President of Magdalen College Oxford, when discussion was conducted on whether the University of Oxford should be concerned with the training of teachers. The student who has read Plato's Republic and Aristotle's Politics and Ethics has whatever theory is necessary for the practice of teaching. But in addition it would be helpful:
that a young man who has passed through an English public school, more particularly if he has been . . . a prefect has had experience in keeping order and maintaining discipline. Thus the average Oxford man, more especially the classical student, ought not to require so long an additional training, either in theory or practice, as is sometimes necessary for students elsewhere.
(Bryce Report, 1895, v. 257)
Indeed, this message was reiterated by Mr Raleigh of All Souls, also to the Bryce Committee, reminiscent of John Stuart Mill's inaugural address at St Andrew's, in which he argued that the university is not a place for professional education (Mill, 1867). According to Raleigh:
It is not the office of the University to train men for teaching, or any other profession . . . his special training must be left to those who are engaged in professional work. Almost any honours man will make a good teacher, and if he has the luck to fall into the hands of a good headteacher.
(Bryce Report, 1895, v. 22)
This view may seem antiquated, but it continues to hover around the corridors of power and in many schools. Training, of whatever sort, is no longer a requirement to teach in schools released from the bonds of local authorities, as well as those that remain in the private sector. It is regarded that, with the right sort of subject knowledge from the university and with the right sort of character, training is unnecessary. Ignorance of what is referred to as the 'disciplines of education' (philosophy, sociology, psychology, history) might indeed be a bonus. One might, as with Teach First, just as well go straight into school where one will be nurtured by mature teachers. The result is that there is a rejection of those developments, especially after the Robbins Report in 1963 (to be explained below), which have shaped teacher education for 50 years and through which I have been engaged with teaching and teacher education.
The question continues to be: Do the training and development of teachers need to be made academically respectable through the support of universities, on the one hand, and, on the other, can the academic respectability of the universities be practically relevant?
## Academic respectability and practical relevance: a fading example
In 1964, I quit the Ministry of Education in Curzon Street, where I had been an Assistant Principal working in my final year in the newly established Curriculum Study Group, which was the forerunner of the Schools Council and which initiated a range of papers in preparation for the new Certificate of Secondary Education. The Schools Council, established in 1964, was a shrewd combination of local education authorities, and representatives from teachers (who were the majority members), HMI, community, and employers and government. The first Joint Secretary, Derek Morrell (the civil servant who in effect created the Schools Council), argued that it aimed to support and to enhance the professional aspect of teaching:
to democratise the processes of problem-solving as we try, as best we can, to develop an educational approach appropriate to a permanent condition of change. . . . this democracy must also be locally organised, bringing together teachers, dons, administrators and others for the study of common problems, some local and others national in their implications.
(Morrell, 1966)
Later in the lecture Morrell spelled out the particular nature of this partnership between teachers (at the centre, not periphery, of these deliberations) and the research interests of the universities to which the teachers might in various ways be attached – not as neighbours knocking on the door of theory but as partners in a shared enterprise.
One influential example of such a partnership was that of the Centre for Applied Research in Education at the University of East Anglia, led by Professor Lawrence Stenhouse. Its Humanities Curriculum Project was founded on Stenhouse's scholarly research into the idea and practice of 'culture', developed in schools by teachers, rigorously evaluated by the university, and supported and promoted by the Schools Council. It gave rise to the tradition of 'action research', putting teachers at the centre of research and supported by research traditions within the universities – described by John Elliott (1991), a member of the Stenhouse team, in his book Action Research for Educational Change. However, there were many examples of such a partnership in the development of curriculum projects – History 13–16, Geography for the Young School Leaver, Design and Technology, Nuffield Sciences, for example.
Much inspired by the ambitions of the Schools Council, I started teaching in a London comprehensive school in 1965. Nothing in my teacher training year at a London college of education prepared me for 1x. When I asked the headteacher in July for my timetable so that I could spend my vacation in preparation, I was told to come in early on the first day of Autumn term. He asked what I had studied at the university. When I replied philosophy, he said he thought so and said I was to have the slow learners – the fifth stream of a five stream comprehensive school. I struggled. But it was the Schools Council that came to my help. The Council saw the need for professional support for teachers through the partnerships established across schools and with university-based curriculum projects. Its Teachers' Centres, throughout the country, provided that support, and it was to the Centre in Highbury and Islington that I went for support, professional engagement, and introduction to relevant thinking and research.
Unfortunately the Schools Council ceased to be granted government support in 1984 and closed. The early fears held by the teachers' unions of government desire to obtain control of curriculum proved correct. Four years later there was the 1988 Educational Reform Act.
## Academic respectability
The nineteenth-century training of teachers took place in training colleges run mainly by the Church of England, though a few emerged from the Catholics and Non-conformists to support their growing number of schools. But, with the extension of secondary education to all, following the 1944 Education Act, there was a need for many more training places and for a deeper, more academic preparation. No longer were they to serve elementary schools that offered a limited education for the poor. A first step was to change the name in 1960 from 'training colleges' to 'colleges of education', and to attach them to regional universities through Area Training Organisations (created in 1955 following the proposals of the 1944 McNair Report).
The aim, following the 1963 Robbins Report, was to bring the colleges within a unitary system of Higher Education, ignoring the objections from those who, believing in a restricted pool of ability, opposed such an expansion. Indeed, the judgement of Mr Raleigh (quoted above) still prevailed in many quarters: 'it is not the office of the University to train men for teaching'. The colleges would not be granted university status. But they would be either linked to universities and thereby be able to take the newly proposed BEd degree (initially a three year Ordinary Degree, then later a four year Honours) to be awarded by their respective universities, or linked to polytechnics with degree awarding powers given to the Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA), established in 1965. The Institute of Education of London University, for example, had 30 colleges under its academic wing, from as far away as Canterbury (later to become Canterbury Christ Church University). The training of teachers would be firmly within the university sector – thereby gaining 'academic respectability'.
That, however, gave rise to the need to make the study of education academically respectable. That was not easy. The university lecturer in education was, in the words of Professor Richard Peters of the University of London Institute of Education:
so often like the distraught Freudian ego – at one moment at the mercy of the ids in the classroom, unruly little boys and girls, insatiable in their demands and beyond the control of reason; at another moment feeling the disapproving gaze of the superego in the philosophy, psychology or sociology department, whose discipline is tough, but seemingly disconnected from the world of unreason which teachers have to inhabit.
It was as a result of such doubts and criticisms that attempts were made to make educational studies respectable. At a conference of the Association of Teachers in Colleges and Departments of Education in Hull in 1964, studies for the professional development of teachers were dismissed by Peters as so much undifferentiated mush. Hence began a purposeful attempt to inject an academic rigour that respectability in the eyes of the universities demanded. There was an exponential growth of theory in what were called the 'foundation disciplines' – the philosophy, sociology, psychology and history of education, and finally comparative and curriculum studies.
This I witnessed first hand in my PGCE year. On Friday afternoons the postgraduate trainees would go from their respective colleges to hear the stimulating lectures from Richard Peters in philosophy of education, Basil Bernstein in sociology of education, W.D. Wall in psychology and A.C. Beales from Kings College London in history of education. Peters' book The Ethics of Education (published 1965) became deservedly a textbook on BEd courses, stimulating consideration of the aims of education and of the ethical basis of what is taught in schools. He was accompanied by Paul Hirst whose influential paper on 'the seven forms of knowledge' provided a philosophical background to the study and value of curriculum subjects (Hirst, 1965).
I joined a group of aspiring philosophers and signed up to study for a part-time PhD under the University's Philosophy Board, supervised by Professor Peters. That and similar groups in the other disciplines were most important within the development of educational studies worldwide.
First, the development of the BEd required university teachers – people who could teach philosophy, sociology, psychology and history. The newly developed diploma courses at the Institute were intended to provide these. Hence, college lecturers and schoolteachers were recruited to the courses, made into philosophers (sociologists, etc) and then dispatched to the far corners of the kingdom as missionaries. A series of books was published by Routledge and Kegan Paul (RKP), whose authors were mainly from the Institute of Education. New journals were established (for example, The British Journal of Educational Studies and The Journal of the Sociology of Education). Learned societies were set up, such as the Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain, whose Proceedings published the papers given at the annual conference, which took place at the Beatrice Webb House in Surrey from 1967 and subsequently at the Froebel College.
Second, however, this became a worldwide movement. Israel Scheffler at Harvard University (whose 1958 book Philosophy of Education included papers from Peters and Hirst) published The Language of Education, which analysed in detail the use of 'definitions' in education, 'educational slogans' and 'metaphors', the meaning of 'teaching'. The prevailing Oxford tradition of analytic philosophy had entered into educational thinking, and thereby attacked mercilessly the words and assumptions of, say, the Plowden Report (1967) on primary education – for example, children's 'needs', 'creativity', 'growth'. In a visit to Melbourne University in the 1970s to give the Victor Cooke Memorial Lecture, I witnessed the impact of this literature on teacher education – the almost monopoly of reading material from the philosophers (Peters, Hirst, John and Pat White, Ray Elliott, Robert Dearden) of the London Institute of Education.
## The death of the college
More was required to achieve the respectability to emerge from the Robbins' ideal of a unitary system of higher education. The 1972 James Report: Teacher Education and Training recommended the total abolition of monotechnic teacher training courses and the merging of them into institutions with other undergraduate studies. It recommended three cycles of continuing education, namely, a two-year Diploma in Higher Education, a two-year professional training and then professional in-service provision. It was regarded as inadequate to finish teacher preparation with no more than the successful completion of initial training. However, despite these recommendations, the 1972 White Paper, Education: a Framework for Expansion, dismissed the DipHE and postponed the inservice proposals and thereby the hope of much needed opportunities for continuing teachers' professional development.
By 1976, of the original 151 voluntary and municipal colleges of education, five had merged with universities, 33 were locked in with polytechnics, 63 had amalgamated into 44 newly created institutes of higher and further education, and 21 were earmarked for closure. The changes in institutional provision for teacher preparation were immense: it had become a degree-based profession; it had its own professional degree (Bachelor of Education) and it had become an intrinsic part of higher education within the 'binary system' – not the unitary system envisaged by Robbins, since, except in the case of the few that had merged with universities, colleges were not funded by the University Grants Committee. However, academic autonomy was preserved through the CNAA, which oversaw academic standards in the burgeoning public sector of higher education (including the polytechnics).
But the changes to a unitary system of higher education continued apace through more mergers and through the gradual acquisition of university status. In 1978 I was appointed to Exeter University and engaged in the merger between St Luke's College of Education and the university. The new School of Education, soon to be the largest in the country outside the Institute of Education in London, remained on the St Lukes' site. It was joined there by the staffs of the now former University of Exeter's Department and Institute of Education. Ted Wragg succeeded Michael Brock (appointed as Principal of Nuffield College Oxford) as Director. The success of the new school, in integrating within it the erstwhile separate institutions and in integrating the school within the wider university, owed much to his dynamism, reputation with schools, and combination of practical know-how in the classroom with a grasp of educational theory.
Members of the St Luke's staff had been appointed to the college first and foremost because they were excellent teachers who knew their subjects, though few had higher degrees. Their profiles did not match those of Exeter University's Department and Institute of Education. How could they fit into the academically motivated ethos of a university? There were, therefore, some nervous new members of the university. But, as I wish to develop later (and even conclude), there is a danger in the disdain for 'practical knowledge' – in not seeing the importance of the practical as the basis for the theoretical, not the other way around.
For example, on the BEd primary course, students were taught mathematics by an excellent team of mathematicians for the three or four years of their BEd, and were well prepared for the classroom once they had graduated. Compare this with the present situation, following the demise of the BEd, where only about one in ten of new primary school teachers have more than grade C in GCSE mathematics, following which they have done no mathematics during the next six years prior to their PGCE qualification. It is not surprising that many young people have been ill-prepared for their study of mathematics when they enter secondary school.
A further example would be that of teaching physical education. After the war, the Principal Smeales was determined to bring fame to St Luke's and to do so by creating the best rugby team in the country. He went to Wales to recruit for the training college the best players he could persuade to become teachers, including several internationals. One benefit that the University of Exeter saw in the merger was to have a great rugby team. I have no doubt that the new School of Education produced possibly the best-trained physical education teachers in the country, though (as we were constantly told) rivalled by Loughborough.
As educational studies were made increasingly to look like other undergraduate studies, I see the demise of the professional degree for preparing teachers as a grave mistake. Physical education gradually morphed into sports science. Drama disappeared from most teacher training places. Whereas I entered teaching (even in 1x, the lowest stream in a five-form Year 1) without any knowledge of the different kinds of learning difficulty to be encountered, those who studied for the BEd at the two universities where I was employed (Goldsmiths College and Exeter University) had clear and practical introductions to them.
Students who studied at Goldsmiths College in the late 1960s recall that the BEd degree was made academically respectable through the support of universities and practically relevant through an appropriate curriculum that provided academic knowledge and hands-on experience throughout the four-year programme. A four-year programme enabled students to be academically able and practically skilled, as there was time to address all aspects in sufficient detail. There was a balance of educational studies and specialist subject teaching that was on a par with the BA or BSc course. In addition they were taught how to identify and support children with special educational needs in mainstream schools, by attending stimulating lectures, visiting institutions that specialise in specific learning needs such as epilepsy, dyslexia, autism and Down's syndrome, and by carrying out work experience at an allocated specialist centre. This was followed up by a written assessed dissertation. For example:
We did an intense study on dealing with children with special needs. We all visited a Centre in Kent regarding epilepsy and how to deal with it. Then we had lectures on dyslexia, autism and Down's syndrome, etc. We were required to write an in-depth study with reference to special needs and were required to include work experience. I focused on Down's syndrome, another on children with polio. I spent 2 to 3 weeks as a volunteer at a Centre for children with Down's syndrome over one summer break. This type of study is not included in courses today unless doing a special course.
Such rigour, depth and breadth of preparation over a four-year period are not mirrored in teacher training programmes today. Much preparation and thought was put into the BEd degree by educationalists at that time, and as a result emerging teachers felt supported and prepared for their future careers.
Over time either all colleges merged with universities (e.g. Keswick Hall with East Anglia), or joined a polytechnic, which eventually became a university (e.g. Lady Spencer Churchill and Oxford Polytechnic becoming Oxford Brooks University and later subsuming Westminster College), or evolved slowly into universities (e.g. King Alfred's College becoming the University of Winchester), or simply went out of business. But problems remained.
## Government control
It would have seemed that, in shelving teacher education firmly within the university sector, the preparation and continuing professional development of teachers would have remained safe from government interference. Universities were autonomous institutions. Though receiving money from the government, that money was channelled through the University Grants Committee, established after the recommendations of Robbins to ensure freedom from interference in academic matters. But the government believed that assurance over the quality of teacher training was as necessary as assurance over the quality of teaching in schools. Just as HMI were empowered to enter schools, so should they be empowered to enter universities for this particular set of courses.
In 1983, the government produced a paper, Teaching Quality, spelling out four phases of a teaching career. In 1984, it gave HMI powers of approval on teacher education courses.
Staff Inspector Pauline Perry came to Exeter University to announce the intention. But would the university allow it? It did so because otherwise the government grants would be withdrawn. There was indeed a rearguard action from the redoubtable Ted Wragg. For the first inspection he insisted that he be notified beforehand of the team of HMIs. Following his perusal of the list, he insisted that one of the team be removed because of his known insobriety on a previous occasion and because we could not allow bad influences to be imported into the high level of professional training for which Exeter was noted. The HMI was removed from the team.
In 1988, the government published The New Teacher in School. No doubt on the basis of the now numerous HMI inspections, it criticised the weaknesses in teacher education, especially in terms of the lack of sufficient preparation in the organisation and preparation of learning and of poor assessment and recording of pupils' progress. Had the pursuit of academic respectability diminished practical relevance?
However, 'quality' is an elastic term. It can be stretched to cover many more things than actual performance in the classroom or subject knowledge. There had long been a suspicion from the right wing of politics that educational theory was promoting a left-wing agenda, blaming poor performance, for example, on cultural and social backgrounds rather than on ineffective teaching. In 1969 the first two of the seven Black Papers on Education, edited by Cox and Dyson, were published: Fight for Education and Crisis in Education. These, together with other papers from the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS), identified a cause of the perceived problems in schools to arise from the prevailing theoretical assumptions that, especially following the Plowden Report on Primary Education, permeated education departments – the espousal of child-centred theories of progressive education in particular. Typical was Sheila Lawlor's Teachers Mistaught: Training in Theories or Education in Subjects? (1990) which argued that 'any plan designed to improve the quality of teachers should concentrate on ensuring those in the profession have a mastery of their individual subjects' rather than over the non-subject of education.
The villain of the piece was the American philosopher John Dewey. Anthony O'Hear, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Bradford and appointed by Margaret Thatcher to chair a committee on teacher training, wrote for the CPS the monograph Father of Child-Centredness: John Dewey and the Ideology of Modern Education, and a paper to the Applied Philosophy Society in 1980 that dismissed Dewey as subverting the central aim of education which was the initiation into the cultural richness we have inherited (O'Hear, 1987). These had considerable influence on the Conservative attitude to the 'ideologues' of university education departments. It was shortly after my arrival as Director of the Department of Educational Studies of Oxford University (1989) that I was invited to share a platform with the now retired Lord Keith Joseph at a conference at Wolfson College. Seated next to me at dinner, he ascertained that my name was Pring and then told me that I had caused all the problems in our schools. When asked what led him to that belief, he replied that it was I (or people like me) who had introduced teachers to John Dewey. At roughly the same period I was invited to be interviewed by Melanie Phillips on the radio as to whether we taught John Dewey. The Daily Mail sent a reporter to me to ask whether we taught John Dewey and whether we would promote child-centred education. I was cross-examined by another reporter who made the excuse that he was visiting the department to leave some books to the library. I felt chuffed that I should be seen as such an influential person, though concerned by the increasing political suspicion of teacher education. Should a university department bend to such political pressure? It would not do so in the philosophy or psychology departments – such is the value attached to academic autonomy.
The criticism, however, came also 'from within the fold'. Professor David Hargreaves upset the education academics gathered at the annual conference of the British Educational Research Association in Belfast in 1990 by attacking the value and standards of the research that, to lay claim to be educational, should be serving the training and professional development of teachers – which clearly, he argued, it was failing to do. Despite the enormous amount of money spent on research and the large number of people who claimed to be active researchers, there was not the cumulative body of relevant knowledge that would enable teaching to be (like medicine) a research-based profession; for it to be so it would be necessary to change, first, the content of that research, and, second, the control and sponsorship of it.
This criticism of theory and research in the now university-based teacher education was cumulative – harking back to that made by Lord Skidelsky to a debate in the House of Lords concerning the proposal to transfer responsibility for the funding of educational research from the Higher Education Funding Council to the Teacher Training Agency:
Many of the fruits of that research I would describe as an uncontrolled growth of 'theory, an excessive emphasis on what is called the context in which teaching takes place, which is a code for class, gender and ethnic issues, and an extreme paucity of testable hypotheses about what works and does not work'.
(quoted in Bassey, 1995, p. 33)
Meanwhile, in the course of my 14 years as Director of the department at Oxford, the inspection regime, as in schools, became increasingly more specific. Following the DES Circular of 1989, Initial Teacher Training: Approval of Courses, it set precise 'performance indicators' in preparation for the 'audits'. It became a question then of writing what we wanted to be judged on in the terms of the inspectorate without sacrificing what we believed in.
## Academic respectability and professional relevance: can they be reconciled?
Despite the doubts expressed by Heads of Houses to the Bryce Committee in 1895 about the university being a suitable place for the training of teachers, there was one voice from Oxford that expressed a different opinion. Mr Haverfield of Christ Church foresaw the possible integration between theory and practice and between the academic concerns of the university and the practical purposes of the schools.
The object seems to me to be to get the future teacher thinking about teaching; then, being (on the whole) an educated and capable man, he will probably be able to take his own line.
The dualism between theory and practice, condemned by the aforesaid John Dewey, is surely indefensible. Intelligent practice embodies theoretical perspectives – about aims of education, motivation of the learners, levels of understanding, logical connection of key concepts, impact of cultural backgrounds. Making such implicit perspectives explicit and enabling the teacher to subject them to informed criticism are as central as is the constant critique of theory against practical experience. The theorist needs the practice as much as the practitioner needs the theory. The development of teaching quality in both initial training and professional development requires this interrelationship and the critical attitude in their marriage. One problem with the merger of the colleges with the universities has been the danger of seeing theory (what the universities are good at) imposed upon the practice (which the teachers are good at) without recognising the experiential knowledge that is embodied in that practice.
It was in recognition of that problem that my predecessor as Director of the Department of Educational Studies, Dr Harry Judge, together with the Chief Education Officer of Oxfordshire, Sir Tim Brighouse, created the Oxford Internship Scheme to which all Oxfordshire secondary schools belonged. Eight or more trainee teachers were attached to each school, which was thereby transformed into a 'training school'. Each member of the department was attached to a school as General Course Tutor, linked to the school's Professional Course Tutor, covering the topics that concerned the trainee teachers. Each week they would jointly lead the school-based seminar. At the same time, parallel links were created between the curriculum tutors in the department and the subject teachers in the schools. In addition, subject-based seminars were held back in the department, which brought together the subject tutors from the different schools. Professional development was integrated with initial training. Theory was tested against practice. Practice was informed by theory.
How far can this now be maintained in a modern university, given the changing pressures on them? Should we not learn from Chicago? There the once prestigious School of Education, under pressure to produce world class research, found less and less time to be in schools. It joined the university's School of Social Sciences. The social scientists did not care much for the research of the erstwhile educationists. Educational studies, without friends in schools and without friends in the university, closed down.
Is not the same happening here? Every four years the Research Excellence Framework assesses the quality of research, based mainly on publications in highly cited peer reviewed journals. Each subject department's finances and prestige in the consequent league table affect not only the income for the next four years but also the readiness of the respective universities to maintain particular subjects. The intensive partnerships with schools, so necessary for the quality of teacher education in universities, are less and less reconcilable with the devotion to writing research reports in journals, many of which are rarely ever read. We are likely to see many education departments closed in the coming years, thereby reversing the evolution that has taken place over the last 60 years.
## And in its place?
We are already seeing the consequences of the issues I have raised:
* suspicion of the 'ideologues' (the 'blob') in the university departments of education;
* slow death of the professional degree as a route to Qualified Teacher Status;
* by-passing of the universities by those who have already gained degrees as they enter school through Schools Direct, TeachFirst and indeed 'Troops to Teachers';
* the closing of university departments of education (already begun) and, even when they survive, the closure of particular PGCE subject courses (in Autumn 1914, 27 English, 9 history and 11 geography courses lost funding);
* the continuing suspicion that 'education' is not an appropriate subject for the university. Thus Mr Raleigh of All Souls would have been pleased that, a hundred years later, his advice to the Bryce Commission was being listened to. Is it not once again believed that 'almost any honours man will make a good teacher, and if he has the luck to fall into the hands of a good head teacher'?
And yet is there not a crisis looming in the recruitment and retention of teachers? For the third year, the government is set to miss its target figure for teacher recruitment – a shortfall of 27,000 predicted by 2017. Between 40 per cent and 50 per cent of newly qualified teachers leave the profession within five years. Two-thirds of secondary school heads had difficulty in recruiting maths teachers, according to a poll by the Association of Schools and College Leaders. Concern over teacher supply has been exacerbated by Schools Direct filling only 61 per cent of the places allocated in 2014 – places that otherwise would have been allocated to universities. The problems will be exacerbated in an expanding economy that offers other attractions for would-be teachers. Reasons given for leaving are, among others, the constant teacher bashing and the high-pressure accountability, the excessive workload and relentless pace of change (TES, 30 January 2015). Will it not be necessary to establish once again that partnership between schools and universities in initial training, continuing professional development and research?
But what about professional development – the third phase of the James Report's recommendations? We have seen the central importance of such development in the years following the Schools Council in the 1960s and 1970s. Teachers were in charge, though utilising the knowledge and research to be found in the universities. The Oxford Internship Scheme was a unique partnership between university and schools, as such professional development arose from the shared responsibility for initial training. I am sure there are many other excellent examples. But increasingly, so-called professional development is geared to courses on how 'to meet the standards' imposed by government – a far cry from the autonomous profession experienced by most contributors to this volume when they first started to teach.
However, there are interesting examples, afforded by social media, of teachers once again asserting their professional autonomy. Increasingly, teachers are systematically using the Internet for the professional interactions through which they might advance their professional knowledge and practice. Grass-roots organisations of teachers have arisen such as 'Teachmeet'.
Teachers are doing it for themselves, using social media for professional development and advocacy. . . . In the face of increasingly centralised policy agenda, social media has created spaces for teachers to talk to each other, share . . . learn for each other.
(Hardy, 2014)
## Notes
1 Quoted from my inaugural lecture Academic Respectability and Practical Relevance, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1992.
2 This quotation is from a letter sent to me by a retired teacher, a former student, who does not wish her name to be disclosed.
3 Bryce Report, 1895, v. 167 (In ref: Bryce Report, 1895, Royal Commission on Secondary Education).
## References
Bassey, M., 1995, Creating Education Through Research. Newark: Kirklington Moor Press.
Bryce Report, 1895, Royal Commission on Secondary Education.
Elliott, J., 1991, Action Research for Educational Change. Milton Keynes: Open University Press.
Hardy, E., 2014, Forum 56(2).
Hirst, P.H., 1965, 'Liberal education and the nature of knowledge', in P.H. Hirst (ed.) Knowledge and the Curriculum. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
McNair Report, 1944, Teachers and Youth Leaders. London: HMSO.
Mill, J.S., 1867, 'Inaugural address at St. Andrews', in F.A. Cavenagh (ed.) 1931, James and John Stuart Mill on Education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Morrell, D., 1966, Education and Change. London: College of Preceptors.
O'Hear, A., 1987, 'The importance of traditional learning', in British Journal of Educational Studies 35 (2), 102–114.
Peters, R.S., 1965, Ethics and Education. London: Geo. Allen and Unwin.
Plowden Report, 1967, Children and their Primary Schools. London: HMSO.
Robbins Report, 1963, Higher Education. London: HMSO.
Scheffler, I., 1960, The Language of Education, Springfield, Illinois: Charles Thomas.
# [8
The Evolving Idea of a University](content.xhtml#bck_Ch08)
Richard Pring
## Sir David Watson
It had been hoped that Sir David Watson would write this chapter. Unfortunately, he died suddenly in January. He would have been the ideal author since his own professional life (spent entirely in higher education – 'my trade for 40 years') had to cope with the evolving idea of a university and, indeed, contributed richly to that idea. Moreover, the thanks of the present author are due, not just to his many writings on this subject, but in particular to his most recent book, The Question of Conscience, which outlines what he referred to as the successive 'frameworks' imposed on the UK since the Robbins Report of 1963 – coinciding with the period covered in this book. As he claims at the beginning of the book, 'the system has been radically reconfigured for every third or fourth new cohort that has entered it' (Watson 2014, p. xxii).
What follows, therefore, arises very much from Sir David's 'mapping' of that 'reconfiguring of the system', reflected in his own professional life.
His senior management career in higher education began at Oxford Polytechnic before the dramatic reorganisation of higher education in 1992. That followed (finally) the Robbins Report's recommendation for a unitary system of higher education, thus getting away from the 'binary line' that had divided polytechnics and institutions of higher education from universities in terms of financial resources and degree-giving powers. Brighton University was one of the first of the polytechnics to join the university club, and that demanding process took place under the leadership of David Watson, who was Vice-Chancellor from 1990 to 2005. Here we see an instance of that changing idea of a university pioneered within a much expanded system. As Theodore Zeldin wrote in the Foreword to The Question of Conscience,
Sir David demonstrated in Brighton how a university could raise professional training to a higher level and become a catalyst for local community innovation. His advocacy of lifelong learning is bearing fruit.
Thereafter, David Watson became Professor of Higher Education Management at the University of London Institute of Education and then was appointed in 2010 Principal of Green Templeton College, Oxford University's newest college, reinforcing the important role which that college has in linking the academic teaching and research of a university to the professional training of medics, teachers, business leaders and other professionals. But that distinctive contribution to the idea and the practices of the university, reflected in his achievements at Brighton, continued to be developed in his publications, in particular Managing Civic and Community Engagement in 2007 and The Engaged University in 2011.
## The idea of a university
As David Watson demonstrated, it could be misleading to speak of the idea of a university when, under that title, there are many different kinds of institution and when we have witnessed in the period covered by this book a gradual evolution and diversification of that idea within the UK. Indeed, it would be wrong to freeze the idea as defined at a particular moment of time, for universities or institutions of higher education are part of a wider network of social and educational institutions, which itself will constantly be changing in response to changing economic and social factors. But there comes a time, and surely that time is now, when the shift in meaning has been such that particular institutions of higher education should not be seen as universities, even if that title is being claimed or has been bestowed upon them.
A key reference has frequently been John Henry Newman's Idea of a New University where he argues for it as 'a place of teaching universal knowledge'. This is qualified by the claim that its objects are intellectual, not moral, and the 'diffusion and extension of knowledge rather than the advancement'. By 'universal knowledge' is meant those different logical forms of knowledge (defined by their distinctive concepts, modes of enquiry, procedures for verifying the truth) by which we have come to understand the physical, social and moral worlds we inhabit. There is an inheritance of knowing, reasoning, appreciating which needs to be preserved and passed on to future generations. Such an institution (the university), therefore, would need to be broad in terms of the different disciplines of thinking that it offers, and thereby a 'liberal education which viewed in itself, is simply the cultivation of the intellect, as such, and its object is nothing more or less than intellectual excellence' (Newman, 1852, p. 25).
Universities, through their teaching and scholarship, would guard the intellectual inheritance and preserve it through its transmission to the next generation – or, in the words of Michael Oakeshott (1962), introduce such a generation to 'the conversation between the generations of mankind' as they come to appreciate the 'voices' of poetry, literature, history, science. Again, as Anthony O'Hear argued in defence of traditional learning, 'the proper and effective exercise of learning must take place against the background of inherited forms of thought and experience' (1987, p. 102). It is important, in understanding this 'idea', to identify certain conditions for its practical adherence in those institutions established to promote it.
The first was autonomy, that is, freedom, particularly from the state, in deciding what such excellence was, how it might be pursued, who should be selected to engage in it. Inevitably, there are limits to such autonomy, because the pursuit of scholarship and its transmission need resources. And we have seen over 40 or so years how such dependence has shaped the idea of a university.
The second was a certain disdain for usefulness or relevance as the purpose of a university. The preservation, promotion and enrichment of the world of ideas constituted an end in itself – the maintenance of a distinctive form of human life. John Stuart Mill, at his inaugural lecture at St Andrews, agreed that universities should not be places of professional education as:
their object is not to make skilful lawyers, or physicians, or engineers, but capable and cultivated human beings [for] what professional men should carry away with them from an university is not professional knowledge, but that which should direct the use of their professional knowledge, and bring the light of general culture to illuminate the technicalities of a special pursuit.
(Mill, 1867, p. 133)
That seemed to be the idea of the university when I studied philosophy at University College London – three years of exploring ideas, engaging with key texts, interacting with such philosophers as A.J. Ayer, Stuart Hampshire, Bernard Williams, Richard Wollheim and others whose main mission seemed to be that of 'teaching universal knowledge'. Usefulness or 'professional knowledge' never came into it, but I received what Mill would have regarded as 'the general culture to illuminate the technicalities of a special pursuit'. And so I did what several in such circumstances did – I joined the Civil Service as an Assistant Principal.
## Robbins Report, 1963
At the beginning of our period was published the Robbins Report, Higher Education, as significant for higher education as the 1944 Act had been for schools. The Committee took three years to report and it shaped the considerable expansion and pattern of higher education for the next 30 years. It questioned the assumed 'restricted pool of ability', which had limited the number of universities (and thereby access to them). The general principle for entry was that 'the courses in higher education should be available for all those who are qualified by ability and attainment to pursue them and who wish to do so' (Robbins Report, 1963).
That inevitably required a considerable expansion of universities, but also an extension of the idea of a university. Professional usefulness had thereby also become relevant. Thus the Report proposed bringing universities, teacher training colleges, colleges of advanced technology (CATs) and regional technical colleges into a growing 'unitary system' of higher education, with the CATs re-designated as universities. But the distinction was still there between universities and those other institutions of higher education, which were geared to professional preparation and practical usefulness – a 'binary divide' was upheld. However, the higher learning of these non-university institutions needed to be recognised, and thus the Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA) was recommended with degree-giving powers, thereby enabling regional technical colleges and training colleges to offer degree courses, albeit lacking the autonomy of universities. The CNAA was established in 1965. How this played out with the training of teachers is explained in some detail in Chapter 7.
Therefore, one might say that the Robbins Report extended the 1944 principles of publicly funded (and thereby free) secondary education for all pupils to further and higher education.
One further recommendation must not be forgotten. A characteristic of the university idea was academic autonomy. How does one reconcile the massive investment of public money in the expanded universities with the maintenance of autonomy? The University Grants Committee (UGC) was to be established with general oversight over the 60 or so universities in Britain, and it would act as the independent buffer between the government as the source of finance and the universities who were to spend it as they saw fit in the pursuit of their aims.
## The binary divide and its final demise
The attainment of Robbins' 'unitary system of higher education' was slow but gradual from the establishment of the CNAA finally to the 1992 Further and Higher Education Act, when polytechnics were re-designated universities. More new universities were created. But, no doubt arising from concern over such expansion, a Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) was established, one of whose functions was to define 'graduateness'. Universities were under inspection (light though it might seem at first) for quality, thereby impinging somewhat on the autonomy criterion of the university idea. When I arrived in Oxford in 1989, I was on a CNAA panel checking the quality of Oxford Polytechnic's education degree. I also was engaged in the negotiations over the future of Westminster College of Education in the new 'unitary system' – Oxford University validated its professional degree, the BEd. Eventually there was a merger between the polytechnic and the Westminster in the new Oxford Brookes University.
However, the path to the unitary system was a thorny one. The 1972 White Paper, A Framework for Expansion, sought to continue the binary divide in the expanded higher education system – the pursuit of excellence in a disinterested way sat uneasily with the more practical and professional development purposes of colleges of education, colleges of technology, and business and law schools. But there should be, it was argued, a two-year professional diploma that could lead to the CNAA degree (as in the case of the new BEd). In 1981, Shirley Williams' Green Paper on Higher Education proposed three types of university for the sake of appropriate funding – R,X,T, that is, 'research universities', 'teaching universities' and 'research/teaching universities'. Again, this led to nowhere, except that the idea of research and teaching universities seems to have emerged gradually as a result of the RAE (Research Assessment Exercise), later renamed the REF (Research Excellence Framework). A differentiated idea of the university, linked to competition for certain sources of funding, was beginning to emerge.
Nonetheless, the gradual dismissal of the binary divide took different forms: the incorporation into specific universities of erstwhile independent colleges, as in the case of St Lukes College being subsumed within Exeter University (see Chapter 7 for a brief account); the slow handing over of powers to colleges that had been supported by their local university, as in the case of Canterbury Christ Church College, which, under the Collegiate Board chaired by the University of Kent, gradually developed as independent Canterbury Christ Church University. What characterised many of these new universities so developed was the promotion of professional degrees in education, social work, nursing and such like – somewhat removed in essence from the pre-Robbins idea. Finally, in this 'road to independence', the 1988 Education Reform Act enabled polytechnics to become semi-independent corporations free from the control of local education authorities.
However, in preparation for this expansion and differentiation of purpose, there inevitably emerged a gradual erosion of independence. Reference has been made to the establishment in 1992 of the Quality Assurance Agency. But also a University Grants Committee was to be replaced by the University Funding Council, with increased powers to determine the conditions under which universities were to receive funding, thereby opening up the possibility of 'contract funding' and an increase in the number of representatives from outside the university on the councils and governing bodies. Was this the end of the 'dons' dominion', as Professor Halsey called it?
### The Engaged University
This title of David Watson's book, published with colleagues in 2011, points to a development of our idea of universities much influenced by the expansion referred to above, and reflected in the pioneering work at the new University of Brighton, which, under his leadership, 'developed essentially as a confederation of professional schools, created at different times by a community perceiving different needs' (Watson et al., 2011, p. 102).
Thus Coffield and Williamson (1997, p. 2) argue that 'the old elite model has run its course and needs to be replaced'. Such sentiments were reinforced by the 1997 Dearing Report, Higher Education in the Learning Society, which argued that 'higher education is now a significant force in regional economies, as a source of income and employment, in contributing to cultural life, and in supporting regional and local economic development' (Dearing Report, 1997, p. 228).
This was not simply an observation – a recognition of what in fact was the case – but part of Dearing's approving acknowledgement of what universities could and should become. There had been a shift in how we value the kind of knowledge that universities should both develop and teach. The Report spoke of a 'new compact involving institutions and their staff, students, government, employers and society in general'. Such a compact would involve:
* wider access, thereby transforming an erstwhile elite system into a mass system, requiring a more practical and 'useful' orientation;
* a framework of qualifications and programmes, providing for lifelong learning of people who start from different positions and have different aspirations;
* greater relevance of programmes to the social and economic needs of the local and national communities.
Dearing's 'new compact', therefore, made universities beholden to a new set of demands affecting the degree both of internal autonomy and outside accountability in shaping aims, values and indeed governance. And that coincided with 'modernising government'.
## Modernising government – the growth of bureaucracy
The gradual incursion of government into the conduct of universities coincided with a shift in the control and management of public services generally (e.g. regarding schools, in the creation of a National Curriculum and National Assessment), and with the 'language of management' through which those services were to be controlled – the language of targets, performance indicators, audits and delivery. All this was explained in a series of Government White Papers from HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office: Modern Public Services in Britain: Investing in Reform (1988, Cm. 4011); Public Services for the Future: Modernisation, Reform, Accountability (1998, Cm. 4181); The Government's Measures of Success: Outputs and Performance Analyses (1999, Cm. 4200); Modernising Government (1999, Cm. 4310).
As an illustration of this shift in the underlying understanding of public institutions, one might refer to the change in language and practices in universities, following the 'efficiency review' of the Jarratt Commission, established by the Committee of Vice-Chancellors in 1984.
The crucial issue is how a university achieves the maximum value for money consistent with its objectives (2.12). Each department should maintain a profile of 'indicators of performance' to include standing costs of space, utilities (telephones, etc), market share of applications, class sizes, staff workloads, graduation rates and classes of degrees (3.33). A range of performance indicators should be developed, covering both inputs and outputs and designed for use both within individual universities and for making comparisons between institutions (5.4). The headships of departments . . . ideally should be both a manager and an academic leader (4.27).
This is clearly a very different language from that which is met in the writings of Newman or Oakeshott. Indeed, it would seem incompatible with them, namely, that open engagement with key texts, the pursuit of excellence, the fostering of critical enquiry, the struggle with difficult ideas, the entry into the conversation between the generations. The more recently developed professional studies departments were the first to suffer as the government laid down multiple and detailed 'standards' (meaning 'targets') for the newly established Ofsted Inspectorate to check and tick off. My period as Director of the Department of Educational Studies at Oxford coincided with this transition. During the soon-to-pass time of Her Majesty's Inspectorate, I was asked, over lunch in the Rose and Crown, of the 'management system' in the department. Struggling to answer, I finally referred to the regular Friday evening open meetings in the Rose and Crown. Their final report expressed appreciation of 'the light management touch'. Once Ofsted assumed the inspectorial job, there was a change, and time was spent translating the language of education into the language-speak required of the new regime.
The management language has in many ways taken over our understanding of the conduct, governance and understanding of universities. Having a Masters in Business Management is seen as a useful qualification for being a Vice-Chancellor. The newly appointed Vice-Chancellor of the Aston Business School, Professor George Feiger, speaks of universities having to adapt to the marketisation of education with fee income following student. They operate as businesses, though not having shareholders. Therefore, there is the swelling of bureaucracy and thereby a change in the now corporate governance of universities. At the time of my arrival at Oxford in 1989, the proportion of central administrators to established academics was 1:2. That has now been reversed. And there are many tales of the salaries that top administrators receive compared with those of top academics, although Freedom of Information was recently refused at one university on the grounds that such information was 'commercially confidential'.
## The impact of research exercises
When I was an undergraduate in the 1960s, the university was principally (in Newman's words) 'a place of teaching universal knowledge'. Of course, those who were teaching were engaged in scholarship, and they published significant articles and books. But none had to meet targets or publish in journals that rated high on, for example, the Social Science Research Index. The UGC annual grant was given to each university for purposes of both teaching and research, irrespective of the nature and depth of that research. Research or scholarship was seen, in the main, as supporting the main function, namely, that of teaching.
However, the 1990s changed all that. A substantial amount was withdrawn from the central grant only to be returned on the basis of the quantity and quality of research.
Indeed, some are referred to as 'research universities', meaning that research is a major activity within them, supported by external grants for so doing. It is the case that most universities in the UK would now see research to be an important element in the duties of academic appointments.
Such an emphasis was intensified internationally as a result of world league tables of 'top universities' based mainly on the quality of research. In the UK the RAE (now the REF), which takes place every four years, has reshaped the idea of the university and the nature of academic life. Until the 1980s, universities were funded to teach and to devote time to the research and scholarship that would support that teaching. An academic was not pressurised to produce research of 'international standard'. He or she would not be penalised for concentrating upon teaching. The RAE changed that. The third of government funding supposedly to support research and scholarship was withdrawn and then redistributed on the basis of the quality of research – subject by subject. That sum of money is increasingly distributed to fewer and fewer universities, with considerable financial consequences.
The effects of this are several, changing the idea of the university and of the role of academics within them.
First, there is a growing hierarchy within the university sector – at the top of which are the 'research universities' – on the basis of international and national reputation and, therefore, of the greater income from research and from the attraction to overseas students. Further down the scale are 'teaching universities', where scholarship is pursued but much within the context of their teaching responsibilities. What Shirley Williams' White Paper proposed has become real.
Second, within the respective universities, there is an increasing division, between those who do research and those who just teach, on different contracts and different rates of pay. Only those are submitted for the REF whose published work is judged to be of national standard. It is a brave academic who, harking back to the nature of the university only a few decades ago, feels able to focus on the quality of teaching, and not to be intimidated by the need to produce four publications preferably in the reputable journals. Such is the pressure that more and more teaching is handed over to part-time teachers or to post-graduate students, raising doubts as to whether the university is seeing teaching (as with Newman) as its prime purpose.
Third, the competition between universities for league table rankings inhibits the collaboration between disciplines within a university and between universities, a point clearly made by Sir David Watson. A good-quality research paper, arising out of collaboration between more than one department or university, cannot be attributed to more than one person for the purposes of the REF. Better, therefore, to keep the research 'within house'.
## Funding
The quite massive and rapid expansion of universities clearly had an effect on their funding. According to the Dearing Report, the decline in the unit of resource had been 40 per cent in the period of 20 years. According to the Taylor Report (2000), New Directions for Higher Education Funding: Final Report of the Funding Options Group, that decline had continued, but more slowly. No longer could funding depend purely on government grants (as through the UGC, which had been replaced in 1988) and, given the extra public funding, no longer could the management expenditure be handed over exclusively to the decisions of the university. The Report, therefore, spelled out four options: (i) increased public funding; (ii) deregulation of fees so that each university could charge whatever the market could bear; (iii) income-contingent student loans; and (iv) institutional endowments.
The government opted for (iii) income-contingent student contributions through payment of government fixed fees and through a system of loans. This radical development in funding was extended further as a result of the Browne Review into Higher Education in 2010, which recommended undergraduate fees up to £9,000, instead of any government block grants, together with student contributions up to £9,000 to be repaid, once the student earned over a certain amount, over a 30-year period. Furthermore, there would be targeted funding of specific initiatives that, in the view of the government, would support its economic and social agenda.
In other words, there were now 'funding levers', used with considerable impact within research through, for example, the demand from Research Councils for evidence of economic and social relevance and through the search for investment as, for example, from the Science Research Investment Fund or the Joint Research Equipment Initiative. This new dependence both on research and on 'funding levers' (both public and private) inevitably affects the idea of the university as in terms of accountability, autonomy and the disinterested pursuit of excellence. The words 'stakeholders' and 'client satisfaction' enter into the language of universities.
## Online and distance learning
It would have been difficult, before the Robbins Report, to foresee how radical the changed conception of a university could be. The 'idea' of a university once included the notion of a community, interacting through debate and questioning. 'Conversation' would have been seen as an essential element in the development of knowledge and critical enquiry. But such communities became increasingly difficult to maintain as universities expanded to the sizes that prevail today. The pressure for widening access, the rising costs, the employment and family demands on those who sought access, wider conception of its purposes, and the development of communications technology have all led to the most radical solution of all.
Why should courses leading to degrees require congregation in one place and community over a restricted time?
Britain's Open University was founded in 1968, whereby part-time students, scattered far and wide, matriculated to take their degrees in a range of academic disciplines. The Open University pioneered the distance learning mode of higher education. This required a different pedagogy in order to maintain the standards of learning expected of an institution calling itself a university. In the 1970s I was invited by the Open University to write material for one of its courses, with relevant exercises and stringently assessed by panels of academic experts. Weekly sessions were backed up by radio and television recordings; personal supervision was organised through correspondence.
The Internet has transformed that. In 2013–2014, of the students studying for both undergraduate and post-graduate degrees in the UK, 150,000 were with the Open University. Students and teachers meet in 'virtual' theatres and laboratories. Discussions and tutorials take place online and in forums. MOOCSs (Massive Open Online Communication Systems), provided by world-standard universities such as Stanford, Harvard and Michigan, cater for many thousands of students.
Furthermore, the Credit Accumulation and Transfer System (CATS), following the 1998 government paper, The Learning Age, should have been fully functioning by 2003, though it raised problems over the autonomy for the specific institutions taking part and a shift to a more modular system. However, 'transferable credits' may well be the way forward in a changing and more global world.
## Private and for-profit universities
Universities obviously need funding in order to pay for staff and resources. Traditionally, this has come mainly from governments, charitable donors, though increasingly from research grants and student fees. Government support was adequate at a time when only 5 per cent or 6 per cent of the relevant cohort of young people went to university, as in the UK in the 1960s. But now the aspiration is for 50 per cent to attend university. There is, therefore, an increase in fees, to be paid by the students, financed principally from loans that have to be paid back over a period of 30 years.
But such an expansion has given rise to the private and for-profit organisations to offer university education.
The year 1983 saw the foundation of the first private university in Britain, namely, the University of Buckingham, now well established and universally recognised. The university is a not-for-profit institution with charitable status. Its teaching income depends entirely on student fees. It is aligned to the Quality Assurance Agency, which gives assurance on the quality of its teaching at university level.
However, there is now a growth of institutions, some accredited by universities abroad (such as Richmond, the American International University in London, or BPP University, whose parent company is the US Apollo Group). Others are single subject professional training institutions, such as Ashridge Business School and the College of Estate Management. The quality of some of the new arrivals has been severely questioned. As a result, a group of eight for-profit institutions with award bearing powers (including the ones just mentioned and referred to as the 'Russell Group of the private sector') has been set up to disassociate its members from the 'dodgy for-profit' colleges now attracting students, many from abroad.
This raises the question, which remains constant in the face of the changing idea of the university, concerning the compatibility of the pursuit of profit with the idea of a community of learners, teaching universal knowledge and exercising academic freedom.
## Looking to the future
This chapter has outlined the many ways in which universities have changed from some ideal type of 'teaching universal knowledge' in response to changing social and economic circumstances.
First, we saw the widening of purpose and the relevance of university education to community engagement, enhancing the quality of local economic and cultural life – as pioneered by Sir David Watson's University of Brighton.
Second, greater importance came to be attached to research in terms of funding and prestige, leading to a hierarchy of universities (Russell Group research universities, on the one hand, and teaching universities, on the other – and often leading, too, to demarcation within the academic community).
Third, the gradual encroachment on the early, carefully protected autonomy of universities through funding and governance has led to a burgeoning cost of administration.
Fourth, the funding has become increasingly dependent (especially through research grants and 'impact') on relevance to economic and social needs, and to employment.
Fifth, we are witnessing the growth of private and for-profit institutions.
Finally, there is massive development of part-time, online and virtual learning, together with credit accumulation and transfer of qualifications.
It is necessary to ask how far these changes can develop before the title of 'university' is used purely equivocally, bearing few of the qualities and virtues normally associated with that name. For example:
* Is a university still a university when it loses its academic autonomy?
* Is a single-faculty university (e.g. a business school) really a university?
* Should an institution be classed as a university when it has no faculty of humanities or social studies?
* How can independent quality assurance be assured in all these developments, especially where universities are globally spread or when they are in the hands of for-profit corporations?
In an age of credit transfer on a global scale, universities and employers will need to be assured of the standards of those 'universities' from whom they are receiving their students and employees.
## References
Coffield, F. and Williamson, B., 1997, The Repositioning of Higher Education, Buckingham: Open University Press.
Dearing Report, 1997, Higher Education in a Learning Society, London: HMSO.
Jarratt Report, 1985, Higher Education, London: HMSO.
Mill, J.S., 1867, 'Inaugural address at St. Andrews', in F.A. Cavenagh (ed.), 1931, James and John Stuart Mill on Education, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Newman, J.H., 1852, The Idea of a New University, London: Longmans Green (1919 edn).
Oakeshott, M., 1962, 'The voice of poetry in the conversation of Mankind', in M. Oakeshott (ed.) Rationalism in Politics, London: Methuen.
O'Hear, A., 1987, 'The importance of traditional learning', British Journal of Educational Studies, 35(2), 102–14.
Robbins Report, 1963, Higher Education, London: HMSO.
Taylor Report, 2000, New Directions for Higher Education Funding, London: HMSO.
Watson, D., 2007, Managing Civic and Community Engagement, London: Open University Press.
Watson, D., 2014, A Question of Conscience, London: Institute of Education Press.
Watson, D., Stroud, S., Hollister, R. and Babcock, E. 2011, The Engaged University, London: Routledge.
Zeldin, T., 2014, 'Foreword', in Watson D, 2014, A Question of Conscience, London: Institute of Education Press.
# [9
Further Education and the Case for Vocational Preparation](content.xhtml#bck_Ch09)
Geoff Stanton
## Further education – the unknown sector
This chapter cannot trace all the changes that have occurred in the English FE system during the last generation. They are too many, and too complicated to explain briefly to those not already versed in the system. At least with regard to schools and universities most people understand roughly what they do and for whom. But the same cannot be assumed for FE colleges, despite their catering for over 3.1 million people annually.
When attempting to answer well-meant queries about FE I find myself in 'Yes, but . . .' mode. Are most FE students over 19 and part-time? Yes, but more 16–19 year olds attend colleges full-time than attend school sixth forms. Are most FE courses vocational? Yes, but one-third of all 16–18 A-Level students attend colleges. Are most FE courses below degree level? Yes, but 64 per cent of colleges teach foundation degrees. Do colleges prepare people for work? Yes, but colleges also provide 30 per cent of 19+ entrants to higher education.
There are also powerful myths. For instance, some argue that colleges cannot offer the pastoral care available in secondary schools. In fact, colleges are more socially inclusive than school sixth forms. Of those who were receiving free school meals when they were 15, nearly twice as many go on to colleges than are admitted to their own sixth forms, and colleges also have a higher proportion of learners from ethnic minorities. Furthermore, and as I shall describe, integrated courses managed by course teams can offer close support.
Also, many current politicians seem to believe that, for those young people who do not go on to take A Levels, apprenticeships are the primary alternative. The best apprenticeships are excellent, but they vary in quality, and participants have to be employed; they can only be offered by employers, not government. So if a given class of employers is missing in a locality then training in that sector is not available via the apprenticeship route. Most crucially, the number available to young people (as opposed to those over 19) has not increased for a decade. So, despite being massively oversubscribed, apprenticeships still cater for merely 6 per cent of 16–18 year olds. On the other hand, something like 40 per cent of the cohort attend colleges on full-time vocational or pre-vocational courses.
Diversity of provision in the student body is one of the constants for FE. This has attracted criticism, on the grounds that it can result in a lack of focus and is one of the things that hinders public understanding of what colleges do. The Foster Review (2005) of FE concluded that 'FE lacks a clearly recognised and shared core purpose' and argued that this should be 'supplying economically valuable skills'. However, the very next paragraph of the report compromised this clarity by adding that 'the primary focus on skills does not exclude other significant purposes such as promoting social cohesion and facilitating progression'. As if to prove this point, FE was later given a major role in promoting Adult Basic Skills, following the Moser Report (1999). At the time of writing and following the Wolf Report (2011) into 14–19 vocational education, colleges are being asked to ensure 16 year olds who have not attained at least Grade C in GCSE English and maths do so within their first college year. Some colleges are finding this a struggle, but it needs to be remembered that the individuals concerned have often left school because they were not welcome in the sixth form without these grades.
Perhaps colleges have been too responsive and flexible in meeting new demands and target groups, but the irony is that it is the willingness of colleges to do this that has enabled sixth forms and universities to keep relatively stable roles and purposes, and to benefit from greater public recognition as a result.
Lack of recognition is one thing. Invisibility is another. Consider this quote from a speech by Prime Minister Tony Blair talking about plans to raise the participation age:
No dropping out at 16, every young person either staying on in the sixth form or on a modern apprenticeship or job-related training leading to a good career. . . . So substantially more academies, specialist schools, better post-16 provision in 6th forms and 6th form colleges.
(Labour Spring Conference, 2004)
No mention of FE colleges, where most of the new learners were likely to be.
This phenomenon was not new. In 1997 Helena Kennedy wrote in a report for the newly formed Further Education Funding Council (FEFC), 'There is an appalling ignorance among decision makers and opinion formers about what goes on in further education. It is so alien to their experience' (Kennedy Report, 1997). And as recently as 2014, a minister claimed that he was advised by civil servants that he should respond to austerity by 'killing off FE since nobody will really notice' (Vince Cable, as reported on the BBC, 6 October 2014).
So, lack of understanding and invisibility create a problem in writing about changes that FE has undergone in my working lifetime. Therefore, what I shall do is focus on a relatively short period when the ability of FE staff to take professional responsibility for what they taught was probably greater than in a secondary school, and to trace some of the factors that resulted in this being reversed, and centrally sponsored turbulence becoming, if anything, greater than for schools and certainly universities.
In doing so I shall be mostly talking about just one of FE's many client groups. This group shares the invisibility of FE itself. I was recently pleasantly surprised to see them mentioned in an Ofsted Review published in 2015. One of its section headings read 'Where can young people, who do not have five GCSEs or are undecided about their career pathways, go?'. The report continued:
Inspectors . . . found that this issue was exacerbated by school sixth forms, academies, colleges and providers who set high entry requirements . . . This could prevent many young people, often the most vulnerable, from following career pathways that may well be within their grasp with a little more time and effective learning support.
(Ofsted, 2013/2014, para. 66)
What Ofsted does not mention is the fact that since 2014 full-time education has been fully funded only until the age of 18. After that, the rate of funding reduces, reportedly on the assumption that it is mainly used for those repeating A Levels. However, many more learners need the extra year because their school attainments mean that they need three years rather than two to reach level three, and more teaching time rather than less.
All this highlights an issue that I have, over the years, spent some time investigating, namely the process of selection that takes place at 16, even within institutions that are non-selective at 11. Of course, performance indicators and inspection grades are likely to be more favourable if the recruitment of challenging learners can be avoided. There are other ways in which the development of policy has damaged their interests. The shift towards central control and top-down qualifications-led development has brought with it a set of assumptions about what counts as good and rigorous programmes. It is thought that they should be made up of free-standing and recognised academic subjects and assessed in writing at the end. However, during a period when practitioners were able to develop their own approaches, they found that alternative curriculum designs were more effective – for instance, integrated programmes focused on a work-based theme, assessed though the ongoing observation of performance.
In what follows, I concentrate on pre-vocational education, with which I have been closely associated through the Further Education Unit in the 1970s and 1980s.
## Teacher training: a biographical diversion
My first teaching experience was that of teaching physics in secondary schools, at a time when a teaching qualification was not required. However, I learned that knowledge of a subject was not enough to make me a fully effective teacher of it. More than that, while teaching in a large inner London comprehensive I discovered that there were things to be understood about the design and content of learning programmes, as well as pedagogy. Like, I suspect, most grammar school products, I had no concept of the range of attainment and motivations in the population as a whole. When my 15-year-old average attainers asked me why I was teaching them about specific gravity in the way I was, I realised that I had no answer. Or rather I had an answer that was very uncomfortable. Although the structure of secondary education had changed, the curriculum design had not kept up. We were offering a diluted grammar school curriculum – one that was not designed to develop a delight in science, but rather to enable pupils to gain access to the next level up and thence to university. But there would be places there for fewer than 10 per cent of the age group, and my students knew full well that this did not include them. There were things that could have been done about this, but not – as I naïvely imagined – by just being more competent and accessible than some of my own teachers had been.
As a result of this experience, I became more interested in learning about the needs of different kinds of learner, rather than the intricacies of teaching different subjects. Arrogantly, I even wrote to some well-known teacher-training colleges asking to explore this, but was always told that I first had to decide on a subject, then an age group. Then I heard about the teaching of general studies in technical colleges, where it was possible to design at least part of the curriculum in light of the personal needs of the learners, who were otherwise following a course leading to a specific occupation. I obtained a place at Garnett College, which just taught potential FE teachers. I enjoyed this course, not least because I already had a list of issues I wished to explore – another important lesson. The following five years I spent at a technical college in Cheltenham – by far the largest college in the town, but by no means the most well known. This was my first lesson in the relative invisibility of FE.
Later I returned to Garnett College, as a member of staff. All those learning to be teachers there either had a degree or had substantial experience of the working world, or both. This made for groups that were fascinating to teach. I would pick out two features that have implications for current educational issues.
First, since not all students on the course were graduates, they could not be awarded a Post-Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) on successful completion, but instead gained the lower-status Certificate in Education. So, people such as experienced chefs or retired merchant navy captains, who had not been to university but had managed very complex situations in the real world, were treated as if they had entered teacher training as school leavers. This was not because they had learned different things or were assessed in a different way from PGCE students. The distinction was made on the basis of the academic qualifications they arrived with. This gave me the first inkling that the hierarchy of levels that feature so strongly in English education might be problematic. There was clearly a prejudice in favour of some kinds of achievement, and some definitions of progression.
Second, while all students had to learn what was called 'general method' (that is, the techniques of questioning, structuring and differentiating relevant to all kinds of teaching), the 'special method' for vocational teachers included a whole raft of other requirements, such as understanding how practical skills could be developed and how industry-standard workshops or kitchens could be designed and used for teaching purposes. Garnett College had such teaching facilities, but my fear is that these days most vocational teacher training is generic, with special methods left to be acquired on their college placement, under the guidance of staff, some of whom do not have the time or resources of their equivalents at Garnett. Inspectors and research confirm that this is the most variable component of FE teacher training (see, for example, Gatsby Foundation, 2015).
The main content of vocational courses was clearly laid down and accepted, and was derived from qualifications produced by awarding bodies such as City and Guilds of London Institute (CGLI) or the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) who had well-established mechanisms for consulting employers and teachers in deciding on a syllabus. In the case of general studies, however, the curriculum had to be designed by the teachers, and varied with the needs of the learners, which were in turn influenced by their age, previous attainment and the occupational areas they were preparing to enter. It also had to be negotiated with the learners themselves, who frequently had to be persuaded of its value. It was no coincidence that, when in later years colleges had to cater for learners with no clear vocational or academic pathway ahead of them – many of whom were unemployed – it was often former general studies teachers who took a central role.
## The negotiated curriculum
I saw this in operation in a later job, as head of the 45-strong Communications and Liberal Studies Department at a large London College. Youth unemployment was escalating. Initially, the college had no fewer than three engineering departments (production, mechanical and electrical). But the economy was changing, and four years later there was only one. Sadly, many otherwise excellent staff found it difficult to adapt. They were used to being able to select students on the basis of their previous achievement and motivation, and were apprehensive about their ability to cope with new groups, many of whom had poor basic skills and were only there because they would lose their unemployment benefit if they did not attend. On the other hand, staff in the communications section of the department had developed, partly through innovative methods promoted by the Local Authority Inspectorate, such devices as learning workshops that were based on activities rather than formal lessons. All teachers of a given group were part of a course team that met as often as weekly. It could monitor how different parts of the course related and make changes if required. The agenda for the meetings was usually a cross-subject review of individual student progress and problems. This differed from my experience of secondary school where staff were grouped together on the basis of shared subjects in a way that made such learner-centred planning impossible.
## Rise and fall of UVP schemes – a case study
In 1976 the government announced the intention to test out approaches to what it called Unified Vocational Preparation (UVP) – 'unified' because the schemes were to be jointly planned and provided by education and training services. The rationale for the programme was that about half of those entering the labour market at 16 received no structured education or training. So UVP was aimed at these employees, rather than the unemployed.
In the same report (Unified Vocational Preparation: A Pilot Approach) the government announced the creation of a unit to undertake the development and review of further education curricula. It was argued that the FE system was 'largely responsive to perceived vocational needs', but that it was 'not well designed to respond to the curricular needs of those who enter further education as full-time students without a specific vocational commitment'. This unit became the Further Education Unit (FEU), which I joined as one of its first two development officers.
The issues that both FEU and UVP were asked to address have not gone away. But what has changed is that now the aim suggested by policy makers would be 'qualifications reform', rather than responding to 'curricular needs'. In developing guidance for UVP schemes my brief was to visit a range of locally developed schemes and to identify factors that led to success in very different contexts. This also contrasts with current approaches, in which change comes from the top down, rather than bottom up.
The UVP pilots were immensely varied, but they all focused on the needs of young people who had entered work at 16, but, because of a lacklustre school career, did not have qualifications necessary to enter a formal training programme, such as an apprenticeship. Because of this they also tended to miss out on the personal support that might come from having a tutor.
I can best illustrate some of the issues with an anecdote about a scheme involving production line operatives. It was run by the training manager, who was – significantly – also a volunteer youth worker. He ran informal group sessions on one afternoon a week, usually focused on how they were finding the adult and working world. One afternoon he noticed a youngster looking particularly glum, and gentle probing revealed that he planned to resign, 'because his supervisor had taken against him'. The previous week the young man had been unwell, and was unable to get to work. But when he did return, far from being sympathetic, his supervisor had been irritated. 'But I had really been ill, and took in a note from my mother to prove it.' When this situation was unpicked, with the help of the rest of the group, it became obvious that the problem was that the young man had not telephoned to report his absence on the first morning. As a result, the start of the production line was delayed. Perversely, if the young man had been an apprentice, his absence might have had less impact, but as an operative who only needed a day's training, he was important from day two. At school and as a reluctant learner, his absence might well have had little impact, and he naïvely adopted the school practice of a subsequent note from his mum.
This was talked through, and the young man was encouraged both to see the point of view of the supervisor, and to think about how bridges might now be mended. But should not correct protocol have been explained earlier? It turned out that it had been, along with what must have seemed a thousand other things on that first confused day. The group leader's youth worker training had enabled him to realise that it was often 'ineffective to offer solutions to problems that the young people had not yet got'. We now talk of teaching 'employability skills', which hardly covers the issue.
Similarly, a tutor on another UVP scheme introduced herself disarmingly as the 'sums lady'. Her analysis of conventional maths lessons was that learners were sitting untroubled in class when someone like her came in and gave them problems they otherwise would not have had. She attempted instead to offer maths as a series of solutions. She therefore ran a drop-in centre, to which young people on the scheme could come whenever they hit a problem in the workshop, or when they were attempting to work out how many more instalments they owed on a motor bike.
It became clear that a common factor on many successful schemes was a process of accompanying people through new experiences, helping them to reflect on them, and only then offering the learning that was demonstrably required. This 'experience–reflection–learning' process was the reverse of the pattern most participants had found in secondary school, where there was a well-intentioned attempt to offer the learning up-front, so as to pre-emptively improve the experience. But this required a degree of compliance and tolerance of boredom that many people do not have – quite understandably. I came to see it as the 'You'll wish you'd listened to me' syndrome. It also means that it is often a serious mistake to require young people to succeed at a broad-based academic programme before allowing them to engage with the adult and working world. Once confidence has been gained through success, even on a narrow front, ambitions widen.
Of course, tutors were not passive when it came to ensuring that learners had experiences that would be fruitful. Many UVP schemes included a brief residential course, often run by organisations such as the YMCA, which ensured that participants were taken out of their comfort zone. This had a powerful effect on apparently streetwise young people. It became apparent that much aggressive or dismissive behaviour was a means of avoiding the unknown.
## Using qualifications as a trigger for funding
Although UVP was never a large-scale scheme, many of the lessons learned were applied to programmes for the young unemployed. But a major problem was that they were approved and funded individually. As schemes grew in number because of the recession, an administratively simpler approach to funding was needed. It was decided that the newly arrived National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) could be used to define the required outcomes, and funding would be triggered by their achievement. At the same time there was (justifiable) pressure to increase efficiency in colleges. The net results were that only what NVQs measured was funded.
Traditionally, education and training programmes were defined in syllabus terms, as a series of topics, and taught over a specified period of time. It required an analysis of past papers to determine the kind of performance required, and only by following a prescribed course was it possible to gain the qualification. NVQs, on the other hand, based their approach on an analysis of what counted as effective performance in an occupational role. If assessment showed that this performance had been achieved, then it mattered not how this had happened.
This enfranchised many experienced workers who had acquired their skills 'on the job' and who did not have the time or resources to enrol on a formal course in order to gain the qualification their skills deserved. But the use of NVQs for courses for the young unemployed provided what has been called 'thin gruel'. In all too many cases the list of competences was treated as a learning programme. This did not allow for issues of transition from school to work, nor facilitate progression. The use of NVQs as triggers for funding and as performance indicators for providers – purposes for which they were not designed – only made things worse. For instance, it resulted in the demise of the short residential courses that contributed so much to social and team development. I cannot help comparing this cheeseparing to the importance we still attach to undergraduates going away to university, despite what this costs.
## Central funding and TVEI as a model for development
Another feature of these initiatives that cast a long shadow was the source of funding, the Manpower Services Commission (MSC). One reason for using this mechanism was that it enabled central government to direct resources to its destinations of choice, and to monitor their use. At that time the Education Department could only make a contribution to the rate support grant received by local authorities, with the request that they use it appropriately. Local politics determined where it actually went, which was often not towards disadvantaged or low-status groups. The MSC, on the other hand, could issue specific contracts and refuse to pay up if their requirements were not met.
I saw some advantages of this approach later when working as the vice-principal of Richmond tertiary college, which provided both academic and vocational education for all local residents over the age of 16. The Technical and Vocational Education Initiative (TVEI) of 1983 was aimed at providing a new element to the curriculum of all 14–18-year-olds, which in our case meant working with our 11–16 secondary schools, and I acted as the TVEI co-ordinator for the area. The officials working at a national level for TVEI were clear about the aims we should work towards, but did not attempt to prescribe the best way to achieve these in our local circumstances. Instead we were asked to submit our own proposals. We did this in a hurry, and when interviewed about them were tactfully but firmly told that they did not pass muster, as we ourselves came to realise. We were, however, given the chance to re-submit, which we did successfully, largely by drawing on the ideas of the more lively of our teaching staff. Six months or so after the start of our scheme we were visited again by TVEI officials, who checked that we were still on track against our own plan, before signing the next cheque – though we were allowed to modify the plan by agreement and in the light of experience.
It has to be admitted that a lot of the most energetic development activity took place immediately before a visitation, at which time it became possible for the relatively junior staff, who had the ideas, to break though institutional inertia. TVEI has had a mixed press, often because of its diversity being perceived as a problem, but I still think that the balance it struck between the setting of national priorities and allowing for local initiatives and adaptation is something from which we could learn.
## The rise of pre-vocational education
In the late 1970s many colleges began to respond to a demand from young people for whom A Levels were not appropriate, and did not as yet have a firm vocational commitment, but who wished to stay on as full-time students in order to improve their basic education and to explore vocational options. A survey commissioned by the FEU from Garnett College identified over 30 different responses to this demand, and argued for some rationalisation. The one form of response that was seen to be inadequate was the one-year course that repeated school examinations, since this had a high failure and drop-out rate. An alternative approach that seemed to be more promising was what HMI called 'the creation of task-oriented (though not necessarily job-specific) learning situations'.
These were integrated courses, focused on a general occupational area. They were different from the school curriculum in not being subject-based, though they could be designed to achieve similar learning outcomes. In a sense they followed a primary school approach of teaching through topics, but whereas 'the Romans' might be a suitable topic at that stage, for 16–18-year-olds, something that helped with the transition to adult working life was much more appropriate. They became known as 'pre-vocational' courses or as 'vocational preparation'.
The FEU set up a study group, and its report, A Basis for Choice (ABC), recommended a flexible programme that could become more vocationally focused and job-specific as the year progressed, but that would share a core curriculum with similar provision. This core was a result of 'curriculum development by interview', in that its content and methods were culled from a variety of schemes already in operation. The core curriculum was not the same as what subsequently came to be known as 'key skills'. Instead it was expressed in the form of a checklist of:
* those experiences from which students should have the opportunity to learn; and
* the nature and level of performance students should be expected to achieve.
The aims of the core curriculum included literacy and numeracy 'adequate to meet the demands of contemporary society', but also 11 other areas including careers education, physical and manipulative skills, study skills and problem-solving, the acquisition of relevant moral values, and economic and political literacy. Taken as a whole this was perhaps over-ambitious, particularly as different occupational skills had to be added depending on the focus of the course, but at the time something similar was supported by a spectrum of opinion ranging from teacher unions to the CBI, and all the individual elements were being done successfully by somebody somewhere. Also, the term 'checklist' was intended to allow flexibility. For instance, careers education could take the form of job sampling, and not just visiting lecturers.
Currently, our ambitions for a continuation of general education post-16 have been reduced to requiring English and maths in the form of the GCSEs designed for 15-year-olds. The argument for this is that only GCSEs have currency with employers, but the problem is, of course, that the currency derives from the fact that not everyone gets them. They can therefore be used as a selection device, to reduce an impossibly long shortlist. It is not always that the content is what employers want for the jobs they have in mind.
What was recommended in ABC was a course design, rather than a qualification, though reporting by the use of a learner profile was suggested. Attempts subsequently to convert it into a Certificate of Pre-vocational Education (CPVE) were not entirely successful, but it remains an interesting example for a number of reasons:
* It was curriculum- and practitioner-led, rather than driven by a centrally designed qualification.
* It specified learning experiences, and not just outcomes.
* It proposed continuing general education via a vocational interest, rather than setting up general and vocational in opposition to one another.
* It emphasised the value of an integrated programme in which utility of one area of learning (e.g. mathematics) could be demonstrated by its application to another topic.
My view is that an approach that could have benefited many young people has been hindered by the power of an academic paradigm that means that integrated vocational courses are converted into isolated vocational subjects, assessed by methods that privilege certain forms of excellence. Also, the use of a vocational interest as a vehicle for continuing general education, and as a means of providing active careers guidance and smoothing the transition to adult working life, has been confused with the important but different need for more strongly vocational courses that meet specific employer needs. An unfortunate example of this is the Wolf Report of 2011 about 14–19 vocational courses that, while making pertinent criticisms about false equivalences and the malign results of funding individual qualifications rather than whole programmes, also judged pre-vocational courses as if they were intended to be a substitute for apprenticeships.
## The role of advisory bodies and the move to central control
When I first worked at FEU, and then returned there as CEO, the Board of Management was in the form of a representative body. The Chair was appointed by the Secretary of State, but other members were nominated by other organisations. There were members chosen by an employers' organisation (CBI) and by the TUC. Two education officers were proposed, respectively, by the Metropolitan Authorities (assumed to be left-leaning) and the County Councils (assumed to be Conservative). A college principal was balanced by someone from the teaching union. The inspectorate and the Education Department were each represented, but, despite all funding coming from the Department, it was accepted that approval for the programme of work and publications was a matter for the Board as a whole. The assumption at the time was that the curriculum had to be kept a non-political matter, and that, while a central agency might spread good practice and give guidance, the development process – and as we have seen the funding priorities – should be devolved. My sense was that there were still powerful if unspoken memories about the damage to civil liberties that could be done by totalitarian regimes, of the Left or the Right, if they could control what people learned.
The advantage of a representative system was that members usually arrived well briefed on agenda items by officers from their organisations, and could advise and challenge FEU staff on the basis of evidence. A disadvantage was that there was always a chance of members being there just because it was their turn.
The first sign of a changed climate came during the Thatcher government, when the Secretary of State objected to the appointment to the FEU Board of the nominee from the Metropolitan Authorities. The fact that there should be a nominee was still accepted, but the individual concerned was thought to have 'unhelpful' views. The next step was to decree that a new board should all be appointed in an individual capacity by the Minister, so – it was said – as to avoid the 'buggins turn' syndrome. Then, after the FEU began to be funded by the newly formed FE Funding Council (FEFC), I received a call asking about their procedure for approving FEU research reports. I had to explain that despite the source of our funding it was our Board that authorised publications, as well as agreeing which areas should be prioritised for R&D.
The basis for this prioritisation was extensive canvassing of views, via advisory groups and a network of regionally based officers. Also much of FEU's human and limited financial resources went into collaborative work involving college staff, which provided a good deal of useful intelligence. But FEFC thought that these co-workers should be seen as customers, and that FEU's independence was in fact a 'licence for the FEU to choose for itself what to become involved in and whether or not to be helpful'. The answer to the question 'helpful to whom?' turned out to be the National Council for Vocational Qualifications (NCVQ), whose roll-out of the new qualifications were going more slowly than planned. Although FEU had published a number of guides on the curriculum implications of NVQ-type competence-based qualifications, the colleges also needed help on other things that were not part of NCVQ's agenda.
The assumption was that customer requirements would be demonstrated by the workings of the market, rather than through consultation. However, when the time came, FEFC did not create such a market by providing funding to colleges themselves to commission R&D. Instead, FEU's successor organisations have been funded by direct grants from a central agency plus individual government contracts for specific activities. In effect this made government itself the customer, and this is now the current pattern, so that an agency can be closed by a simple withdrawal of contracts.
Another mechanism by which power over educational development has been drawn to the centre is the constant reorganisation of bodies that might otherwise develop a will or a culture of their own. The FEU existed for 15 years, a remarkably long period by modern standards. Five successor organisations have been, and four of them gone again, in the succeeding 20 years.
Since its creation, the FEU as an advisory body had been joined in the educational firmament by other much more powerful organisations. The NCVQ had been set up in 1986 to regulate vocational qualifications. In 1988, the National Curriculum Council (NCC) was set up with the authority to specify the content of school curricula, alongside the Schools Examinations and Assessment Council (SEAC), which oversaw the qualifications system. Personally, I valued the lack of a legislative role for the FEU. It meant that the Unit's influence on practitioners could only be based on analysis and evidence. For government, the Unit could usefully go fly kites. If an idea proved valuable, government could adopt it as its own. If not, it could be disowned.
## Balancing curriculum and qualifications development: the case of core skills
There was a brief but interesting period during which all four organisations mentioned above worked together to formulate a 'core skills' policy for 16–19-year-olds in the areas of communication, problem-solving, personal skills, numeracy, information technology and a modern foreign language. Note that this list is closer to the FEU's suggestions for a 'core curriculum' than the current narrower definition, which concentrates on the subjects of English and maths.
In 1989, government (namely, John Mcgregor, Secretary of State for Education) asked NCC to lead the work. My observation of the process was that sometimes the FEU and NCVQ formed an alliance to emphasise the special features and needs of vocational students, and sometimes FEU and NCC formed an alliance to emphasise the need for curriculum-led as well as assessment-led development. Structuring the learning for pedagogic purposes led to different patterns from when content was structured for assessment purposes. Not all that could be assessed could be equally easily taught. Conversely, there were learning experiences that were known to develop some important qualities that could not easily be assessed for qualification purposes. This core-skills initiative eventually ran into the immovable barrier of A Levels. I attended many meetings where it became clear that it was felt that studying A Levels, particularly in the humanities, was itself a guarantee of a broad education. Once again the academic paradigm was at work. Core skills were needed for vocational students 'because they were only studying one subject'. In fact they were following one vocational course, which might cover, among other things, the social and economic impact of the vocational sector in question, the underpinning science, the numeracy and literacy skills required to succeed as an employee, and the history of the sector's development – a broader programme than some A-Level combinations.
The development process itself, where a useful tension existed between things being curriculum and assessment-led, has since become almost entirely replaced by a focus on qualifications reform. More than this, qualifications design has become centralised, not only with little initial involvement of teachers, but even without a feedback loop that would allow them to modify the design subsequently, in light of their knowledge of learners and their needs.
This has resulted in a series of what I call, by analogy with the motor industry, a series of 'product recalls'. The pattern is remarkably consistent. A product is issued without piloting and without the involvement of those with experience of curriculum design and delivery, often because they are defined as being 'part of the problem'. More recently, even examining bodies have been denied initial involvement, because employers or universities must be 'in the driving seat'. The development process is seen as being linear, and not iterative, as it would be in any other field of development.
Within a very few years the product is discovered to be over-complex, too expensive and failing to achieve its original purpose. Then there is a fundamental review, usually conducted by one of the great and the good from outside the responsible organisation. But this was not planned into the process, and comes after many students have been used as guinea pigs.
The National Curriculum itself was reviewed in this way by Dearing, NCVQs by Beaumont, A-Level reform (misnamed 'Curriculum 2000') by Tomlinson, GNVQs by Capey, and Modern Apprenticeships by Cassells. Sometimes, a product launched with great fanfare is simply discontinued. This has happened recently to 14–19 Diplomas and to the Qualifications and Credit Framework. The more considered and collaborative development processes of other countries are sometimes criticised on the grounds of greater delay and expense, but this is to ignore the cost and damage caused by the need to review our programmes so soon after launch.
The example of 14–19 Diplomas also illustrates the ignorance of FE and its provision mentioned earlier. They were developed after Prime Minister Blair had announced that the recommendations of the Tomlinson Committee about the creation of a single 14–19 framework were not to be implemented, because of a perceived threat to A Levels. In evidence before a select committee, the then Secretary of State was briefed to say this about the proposed new qualifications:
It is the bit that is missing from our education system. We have had, on the one side, theoretical study and, on the other side, workplace training, job training, and there has been nothing that mixed the theoretical with the applied to any great degree.
(Hansard, 2006–2007)
Similarly, in an article published soon afterwards, the official responsible for overseeing our qualifications system claimed that, without the Diplomas, 'the alternative to GCSEs was training courses' (Boston, 2007), and in his select committee evidence the responsible civil servant even claimed that some 14–16-years-olds were 'spending perhaps half or two thirds of their timetable' on 'things that are clearly narrowly focused vocational training' (John Coles, Hansard, ibid.).
All of this was, of course, plain wrong, and ignored the previous government's own GNVQ initiative, let alone the long-established BTEC courses that preceded and then outlived both of the centrally designed schemes.
## Summary and conclusions
I have identified a number of factors that have remained relatively constant over my working lifetime: invisibility of FE and its courses; neglect of half the 14–19 cohort; the diversity of FE; and putting the blame on colleges themselves for this, despite the fact that diversity has protected the traditional role of universities and sixth forms.
Among the things that have changed are: a reduction in representative decision making bodies, and their replacement by individuals appointed by ministers; a shift from curriculum-led change to qualifications-driven 'reform', where qualifications are used both as performance measures and triggers for funding; and an increase in top-down developments and the influence of central government on content.
I am all too aware that I have illustrated these things by reference to a very small part of FE's activities: the area of pre-vocational education. For a broader perspective, see the 2011 Report of the Commission on Adult Vocational Teaching and Learning. But my work as a consultant in other areas of FE over the past 20 years confirms that they do have broader and current application. There are ways of addressing these issues. Development work should be iterative not linear, and both successful and abortive initiatives should be independently evaluated and lessons identified. 'Reform' should not be solely qualifications-driven but should be balanced by the need to identify suitable learning processes. Vocational qualifications should both embody national standards and allow some room for locally designed options to meet specifically local needs and opportunities.
Above all, the domination of the academic paradigm in definitions of excellence, curriculum structures and assessment methods should be recognised and reduced. The value to many of our citizens of continuing general education through a broadly defined pre-vocational programme as well as academic subjects should be recognised. At the same time, appropriately different definitions of excellence should be used for the more strongly vocational programmes being followed by those already committed to a defined career. This should include access to industry standard equipment and staff who are both skilled teachers and credible practitioners in their occupational area. Both will require regular updating. This will, of course, not come cheaply.
## Note
1 Vince Cable, quoted in Brian Wheeler, 'Officials wanted to axe FE colleges – Vince Cable', BBC, www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29496475
## References
Boston, K., TES, 30 March 2007.
Foster Review, 2005, Realising the Potential: A Review of the Future Role of FE Colleges. London: DfES.
Gatsby Foundation, 2015, Mentoring and Coaching for Teachers in the FE and Skills Sector in England. London: Gatsby Foundation.
Hansard, 2006–2007, House of Commons Education and Skills Committee. Fifth report of session 2006–2007.
Kennedy Report, 1997, Learning Works: Widening Participation in Further Education. Coventry: FEFC.
Moser Report, 1999, A Fresh Start: Improving Literacy and Numeracy. London: DfEE.
Ofsted Annual Report, 2013/2014. London: Further Education and Skills.
Wolf Report, 2011, Review of Vocational Education. London: DfE.
# [Part IV
Accountability, examinations, qualifications](content.xhtml#bck_part4)
# [10
Assessment](content.xhtml#bck_Ch010)
The need to 'do nothing'
Tim Oates
## Introduction: constant change
This chapter explores the role that assessment and qualifications reform has assumed in overall reform policy in England, focusing particularly on the period 1980 to the present day. The analysis will suggest that its role – already assumed to be substantial by analysts and educationalists (for example, Mansell, 2007) – has been more dominant than presumed.
To make this chapter into a listing of the myriad changes to qualifications and qualifications policy would be both to render it into a boring catalogue, but also to reproduce a historical record that is more meticulously produced by other sources (see Cambridge Assessment, 2014, Register of Change).
A brief look will be sufficient to indicate the constant change that has occurred. The year 1985 saw the end of the CEE (Certificate of Extended Education); 1988 the full introduction of GCSEs; 1994 A* grade introduced; in 1996 GNVQs were introduced, a heavily outcomes-oriented qualification influenced by NVQ developments, and then withdrawn in 2007; Advanced Extension Awards were introduced in 2002 and then withdrawn in 2009; key skills at Levels 1 and 2 were introduced in general education in 2000 and withdrawn in 2013; Diplomas were first taught in 2008 and all Diplomas withdrawn in 2013. A Levels were fully modularised in 2000, and then made linear from 2015. Merely some highlights.
And . . . tiering has been reconfigured at various times in GCSEs; calculators have been allowed and then removed from GCSEs on a number of occasions; coursework serially has been relaxed, tightened and transformed; modularisation has been adopted universally in A Level and GCSE and then abandoned. January sessions for general qualifications became widely used and were withdrawn in 2014. In 2015 there came the removal of controlled assessment; and also in this year, discussion by Labour of 'ditching GCSEs within ten years' (The Guardian, 22 April 2015).
Journalist Peter Wilby's broadside on New Labour thinking targets exactly the tendency upon which I want to focus in this chapter – educational reform policy and accountability arrangements that have undue emphasis on assessment and qualifications. According to Peter Wilby (The Guardian, 14 June 2011), it was Michael Barber who helped to write prime minister-to-be Tony Blair's first speech on education during the 1994 leadership contest and, in 1996, published The Learning Game, which was virtually a handbook for Labour education ministers. The phrase 'standards, not structures' was his, as was the focus on failure: failing councils, failing schools, failing pupils. 'Serious debate about failure', he said in 1995, 'is . . . a precondition of success.'
Michael Barber was right to home in on the huge disparities in attainment – for example in GCSEs – across the education system. In 1989 only 30 per cent of 16–17-year-olds were attaining 5+ GCSE grades A–C (Payne, 2001), with significant variation by school type, ethnic group and social background (Gillborn and Mirza, 2000). But a rightful focus on equity and attainment, using qualification outcomes as an indication of educational quality, became an exaggerated focus on assessment and qualifications as instruments of improvement and reform.
## Complexity of form and function
The use of qualifications and assessment as major instruments of government education policy is not new (see Sahlgren, 2014). Such use intensified in the 1950s, with the introduction of A Levels and O Levels, following the Education Act of the mid-1940s. Although major examinations at 16 and 18 have continued to be produced and owned by independent assessment bodies, successive governments have increased levels of state regulation of the form and content of the examinations, principally through the specification of codes and criteria, and development of increasingly elaborate national regulatory organisations.
But, despite this escalation of central control, it would be quite wrong to cast assessment and public examinations simply as a crude tool of government policy and, particularly, accountability policy. The reality is far more complex. Much of the complexity derives from the multiple functions that are carried by assessment. Other elements of complexity derive from who owns and drives the form and content of qualifications. Newton outlines 20 functions of national assessment (Newton, 2007), while Oates and Coles trace 40 functions of general and vocational qualifications (CEDEFOP, 2010). Some of these functions relate to curriculum intent – that assessment embodies and conveys certain curriculum intentions (e.g. to focus on specific knowledge, skills and understanding). Others relate to standards – assessment conveying 'improvement' targets, being used to monitor 'national standards' and so on.
I am not arguing for complete removal of this complexity. It is likely that the assessments will, in England as in many other nations, continue to carry multiple functions. Rather, I am arguing for recognition of the over-dependence in improvement and reform policy, on assessment and qualifications, and the relative neglect of other factors.
Qualifications and assessment have carried an enormous policy burden from 1988 to the present day. They have been principal instruments of the accountability agenda. Indeed, assessment has been far more dominant in accountability than has generally been recognised. Using public examinations in target-setting and for measuring teacher, school and national performance is an obvious example of assessment-led instruments of control. The role of national assessment at KS1, 2 and 3 in target-setting and performance measurement also was clear. Less obvious was the form of the National Curriculum itself. It is misleadingly titled – the term 'curriculum' is technically a misnomer – and this is no trivial matter. Used correctly, the term 'curriculum' actually refers to the totality of the experience of learning – it encompasses aims, content, methods, assessment, evaluation. Curriculum theory further explains the distinctions between intended curriculum, enacted curriculum and actual learning outcomes. It encompasses 'taught curriculum' and 'untaught curriculum' as elements of the experience of schooling. This is not an over-elaborated view of curriculum. Understanding these elements and the interaction between them is a vital part of understanding the performance of schools and of national arrangements. The National Curriculum obviously states content – the things that should be taught – and it does determine, to a degree, and in certain areas, the pedagogical approach. For example, requiring experimentation in science and development of phonological awareness in English does carry strong implications for pedagogy.
But the National Curriculum is not a curriculum. It is a framework of standards – of desired outcomes. Other countries use a far more accurate term, describing frameworks of outcomes as 'standards'. The moment this term is used, and the current arrangements for national assessment at KS1 and KS2 are added to the 'national standards', it can be seen that the National Curriculum is far more assessment-oriented than curriculum-oriented. It is a framework of standards and assessment that determines aspects of curriculum. It is not a curriculum, it is certainly not the 'School Curriculum' (Oates, 2010). Seen through this more accurate lens, Michael Barber's drive towards standards can be seen as policy pressure on schools that is fundamentally about assessment.
Only with the Literacy and Numeracy Strategies did government action around the National Curriculum begin substantial direct intervention in the form of pedagogy in schools. The Numeracy Strategy appears responsible for a minor elevation and peaking of mathematics attainment in Timss, but remains controversial in respect of curriculum control. John Bangs, the then NUT head of education, regarded the strategies as invaluable professional development support to teachers, while other educationalists regard it as inappropriate subversion of schools' autonomy (Whitty, 2006). As a non-statutory part of government policy, the Strategies do not detract from the fact that the main legislative instrument of government – the National Curriculum and its allied national testing – remains an assessment-oriented instrument; a framework of standards, accompanied by testing arrangements.
Research on the many advantages of having a National Curriculum (for example, Hopkins, 2001) shows many who cite a 'general culture of high expectations' as being an important part of the post-1988 era, with 'high expectations' intensified as a result of the New Labour focus on 'standards'. But while a general culture of high expectations also characterises other high-performing jurisdictions (OECD, 2006), the impact of a general concern for high standards in England has been moderated by the specific impact of detailed accountability measures and the focus on examination standards as the key metric for judging whether 'high expectations' are being met. In other words, the international evidence suggests that a general concern for high expectations is vital and can lead to a general elevation of attainment for all learners. This, however, can be distorted by an intense emphasis on specific measures, leading to a dysfunctional focus on specific learners and/or a very instrumental focus on a restricted set of outcomes (Mansell, 2007; Select Committee, 2008). This combination of assessment and account ability requirements has pushed the English system into a highly outcomes-focused educational culture – in other words, heavily assessment-biased.
During the late 1990s and first decade after 2000, the 'grade C/D borderline problem' emerged widely in the system: the focus on GCSE C/D borderline candidates (capable, with highly targeted support, of just getting into 5 A*–C territory) led to relative neglect of those well above the threshold and well below it (Mansell, op cit). At one time, the then Department for Education and Skills was advocating this focus on C/D borderline candidates as a key improvement strategy despite its known adverse impact on equity (Gillborn and Youdell, 2000). Government failed, for over a decade, to refine the measures into a more equitable form, despite the obvious nature of the emerging problems (Oates, 2014).
The second strong moderation of a general culture of high expectations was the distorting effect of highly instrumental teaching to the test (both in national assessment and public examinations). Again well documented (for example, in evidence to the Select Committee for Education, 2012), the impact has been wide ranging: general narrowing of the curriculum; dramatic rise in strategic retakes in both GCSE and A Levels; narrow assessment-driven instruction; and deleterious impact on both the relation between learning resources and qualifications and the quality of those resources.
'Curriculum narrowing' has manifested itself in a number of ways. 'Teaching to the specification' has increased dramatically through a combination of teacher imperatives to focus on outcomes in accountability and pupils' demands. The latter usually is expressed along the lines of 'Why should I do this?' – 'Because it's in the examination' and combines with a recognition that high grades are of increasing importance in entry to HE and in the labour market. And this narrowing of focus is taking place despite evidence that teaching beyond the syllabus enhances the chances of higher grades. The collapse of 'curriculum thinking' to 'qualifications thinking' within institutions has affected student demand (during the 2010 review of the National Curriculum, evidence cited the dominant lack of student motivation for uncertificated components of the 14–16 curriculum) as well as introducing undue narrowness into overall curriculum development in the 16–19 phase.
## Objective base to pedagogic approaches
In developing this thesis, I will need to spend a short time on the issue of an objective base to pedagogic approaches. Put simply, is there a means of establishing 'effective education', and what is the role of assessment in this? The argument frequently deployed in education is that it is complex, and thus forms of enquiry that seek to establish the superiority of one approach to teaching and learning over another are not possible (Stringer, 2007). It is clear that the complexity argument is correct (Oates, 2010) – education is affected by an interaction of natural phenomena (brain development, limits posed by working memory, etc) and social phenomena (dispositions to learn, parental support to learning, organisation of learning, etc). An issue such as class size is trammelled with this interaction and complexity (Blatchford et al., 2003). But it does not follow that there is no means of discriminating the impact, in specific settings, of specific approaches to teaching and learning, of identifying vital educational imperatives such as the early acquisition of complex language, and of identifying specific facets of educational provision, such as the subject expertise of teachers, as being associated with 'desirable outcomes' (Bell and Cordingly, undated). This is heavily contested territory. The conflict over the role of RCTs (Randomised Controlled Trials) has highlighted the failure of our educational establishment to tackle effectively the question of 'what kind of system are we dealing with when we attempt to understand and manage education?'. This chapter is not designed to work through forensically the details of the debate; I am intending to extract matters associated with assessment, and with change in education. I am building an argument that asserts 'we need dependable assessment to determine the impact of what we do in education'.
Lapsing into 'nothing can be certain; all is relative' (an extreme version of post-modern sentiment) is not unheard-of in the education establishment – both from teachers and from academics. This, however, denies even the possibility of rational action and meaningful communication. A further, more moderated version is that the complexity of education renders systematic enquiry and discrimination between approaches impossible, or so heavily compromised that the endeavour is fruitless. Nowhere is this sentiment more evident than in the area of comparative education, when examining the features of different national systems in the context of PISA. But – although ruling out discrimination merely on contingent complexity rather than a matter of principle – this position denies the power of underlying method and of work that has shown us, for example, the importance of early language learning and high facility in reading (Sylva et al., 2003). If crude empiricism is inadequate, the pessimism of post-modernism is irrational, and the relativist leanings of much contemporary educational theory is less confident than it should be. What body of theory helps us with careful convergence on 'what works', and deliberate management of change in education, rather than a lapse into being passive victims of events?
## A 'critical realist' perspective
In my own work on review of policy development in England, and on comparison of national systems, critical realism has provided some important anchor points. It enables us to understand that, in natural systems, laws apply independently of human thought and action, while in social systems, our theories are part of those social systems, and affect the processes that arise (Bhaskhar, 1998). In natural systems, apprehended by our thought but independent of them, laws apply – Boyle's Law, the Beer-Lambert Law. In social systems, tendencies apply, not laws, and things will persist when all other things are equal – the ceteris paribus provision.
A simple but powerful example is the history of the education of women. Start with an assumption that women are not deserving of education and, as a result of being denied access to formal education, they will demonstrably not know as much of the standard canon as men – they are 'less intelligent'. This appears clearly to justify that they are not deserving of education, since they are apparently of 'lesser intelligence'. The theory about women's abilities actually significantly determines their abilities. But this is not a natural law, it is simply a tendency – one that can be utterly disrupted by adoption of another theory – for example, that women are equally deserving of high-quality education. The 'all other things being equal' principle is important for analysis of change in education. Women will appear less intelligent for the time that the idea of inferiority is dominant. Shift that view, and a lot of things change. What we think and do seriously affects the way in which the education system behaves – and education is affected by a diverse set of ideas and practices, determining the shape of its many features.
Now, a further illustration of ceteris paribus: all other things being equal or held constant. It is true that a specific system of schooling with a late age of starting does not need to be fraught with discussion about practices of how children acquire complex language, if the family culture has a strong tradition of literacy and ensures the majority of children acquire complex language before they start school. But if culture and practices in the family shift, for example because parents feel they need to work extended hours to maintain their standard of living, then schooling can make no assumptions, and had better respond, and fast. Responding to such shifts in complex systems is absolutely the stuff of effective domestic policy (Sylva, op cit).
'All other things being equal' is nowhere more evident than in vocational education and training, where attempts to increase volumes in employer-based training for young people constantly have been adversely affected by shifts in incentives and drivers, emanating from changes in the nature of production, the labour market, profitability and a raft of other economic factors. Vocational education and training also illustrate how 'all other things being equal' can highlight contradictions within the different arms of education and training policy: the drive to very high levels of participation in higher education sends strong messages that the vocational route from 16 is of lower status, and that it is more important to gain a higher education degree of any kind rather than to attend to alignment of learning with the labour market – thus undermining the drive to high-quality, long-duration, employer-based initial vocational education and training.
Because of the way in which our ideas about social systems actually are part of those systems, education is indeed bewilderingly complex. It is not only continually buffeted by external factors (social change, economic issues, demographics), it is also constantly disrupted by internal shifts in ideas and assumptions, theory and practice, where these ideas profoundly affect both the way education operates and the outcomes it achieves.
Critical realist perspectives help us to understand that some things are not arbitrary – the physiology of early and adolescent development, the importance of complex language in cognition – and that other things will only hold true while certain other things are held constant – ceteris paribus: all other things being held constant.
So . . . rather than lapsing into 'well . . . it's all so complex that we can't really know anything or predict anything, then . . .' or the assumption that we are condemned to endless conflict about ideas and to pendulum swings in practice, I want to place assessment in a special position. I believe that it can be and should be held more constant, and that this is an asset for policy makers, not withdrawal of a policy tool.
## Making control easier
Assessment IS easier to control than many elements of education systems. This makes it a very attractive target of reform policy – the first thing to which politicians and reformers turn when they wish to effect change in education and training arrangements. This ease of control stems from many aspects of assessment, but not least from the fact that when it is done, and how it is done are subject to greater regulatory control and social consensus than many other aspects of education. Pupils, parents, educationalists and employers have long agreed that exams should be administered in a highly consistent manner. The fairness and accuracy, that are at the heart of formal 'qualification', are predicated on such consistency. Dependability in recognition of achievement and in signalling attainment is essential to the very notion of 'qualification'. It can be controlled by policy makers since it is a tightly managed set of arrangements in which the participants 'follow the rules' and the controlling agencies have a commitment to and interest in ensuring that those rules are followed. The obvious temptation of policy makers is to use this established, highly proceduralised apparatus as a tool of transformation. With the (quite rational) notion that the washback from assessment is prompt and powerful, policy makers can impose relatively cheap and simple reform on arrangements. The Coalition government's use of the English Baccalaureate requirement (The Guardian, 17 October 2013) was entirely consistent with this approach to reform. Incredibly cheap – nothing more than a statement delivered from the centre regarding the set of GCSE results by which schools would be judged, with a re-casting of data already collected from schools – and with no legislative change required, the government effected a massive and overnight shift in the curriculum preoccupations of secondary schools (The Guardian, 11 January 2011). Timetables and option choices were re-cast, teachers were told that their subjects were no longer a priority. Entry patterns to GCSE underwent a seismic shift. Ministers were themselves shocked at the speed and extent of the re-alignment of arrangements. It appeared to be a strong confirmation of the power of assessment-led system transformation.
## Diversity of educational arrangements – the attraction of assessment
Let us now take a brief diversion into the peculiar diversity of education arrangements in England. It provides another element of the rationale for leaving assessment alone, and keeping it constant. The system in England is large – an annual cohort of over 600,000, compared with 70,000 in Finland and 40,000 in Singapore. But the diversity of arrangements is a feature of England that seldom is commented upon in analyses of reform and development. England has retained the 11-plus in some counties (Lincolnshire, Buckinghamshire, Kent and other minor areas) while others have varying forms of comprehensive education. Some areas deliberately have retained small rural primary schools (Cambridgeshire) while others have embarked on a programme of closures (Worcestershire, Wiltshire). Some areas have retained and are committed to middle schools, some have seen growth in school sixth forms, while others have ensured the growth of sixth form colleges. The age of institutional transfer thus varies considerably across England. UTCs have introduced 14–19 as a new 'phase'. FE colleges are the location of around 30 per cent of A-Level provision and 10 per cent of HE provision (AoC, 2014). The academy and free school developments have increased variation in structural form. Preschool provision is highly diverse, with an increase in nursery provision in primary schools in a number of areas. Local 'economies' of education vary widely, depending on local 'market' composition (for example, in a given area, the existence of dominant independent schools with day school provision can strongly affect local institutional form and policy). The size of institutions varies greatly, as do governance and management forms (federated schools, academy chains, and so on).
The DfE website gives the following description of variants of state schools. The most common ones are (www.gov.uk/national-curriculum):
* community schools, controlled by the local council and not influenced by business or religious groups;
* foundation schools, with more freedom to change the way they do things than community schools;
* academies, run by a governing body, independent from the local council – they can follow a different curriculum; and
* grammar schools, run by the council, a foundation body or a trust – they select all or most of their pupils based on academic ability, and there is often an entrance exam.
And this does not include the many variants of independent schools or reflect the variation among the group of schools that includes Montessori, Steiner, Buddhist and others. And a careful look at the descriptions shows that important dimensions of variation are present in each of the categories – governance, form, curriculum restriction, etc.
Structural variations are joined by variations in curriculum requirement. Unlike Finland, English law does not stipulate the number of hours that should be devoted to specific subjects. The National Curriculum does not apply to independent schools, academies and free schools. But there is more. The 2010 curriculum review detected further dimensions of variation – profound variation running deeply into beliefs regarding the aims of education, models of and assumptions about ability, models of progression, use of teaching assistants, vocational versus academic provision, and other fundamentals.
It is thus hardly surprising that, for any given central innovation (Reading Recovery, Assessing Pupils Progress, the Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, Diploma qualifications), impact is highly variable (Ofsted, 2002). Unlike teaching practice – action distributed across thousands of classrooms – the machinery and implementation strategy for qualifications reform are highly proximal to government – qualifications specifications can readily be reviewed and changed, and then fed into an established, highly structured implementation apparatus run by examination boards. In contrast, the means of directly affecting a system factor such as teacher quality in the existing teacher workforce requires sophisticated policy formation and a highly elaborate implementation strategy.
Such a high level of diversity is not present in smaller, high-performing systems such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Finland. Crucially, my own research in Singapore and Finland shows less diversity in ideas about education and children, particularly regarding ability and models of progression.
It is difficult to exaggerate the challenge that this many-layered diversity poses to policy makers – it ranges across the structure of schooling, the forms of schooling, organisation of learning and ideas about education. As Andy Green (2013) has pointed out, this variation is an enduring feature of the system in England deriving from the way in which modern schooling emerged in the country, and contrasts significantly with the form of emergence of education arrangements in France, USA and Germany. The acute and chronic diversity in arrangements is not going to go away, either overnight or in the near future – the pedigree of the diversity means that it is entrenched, and yet heavily contested (Aston et al., 2013). It poses a genuine challenge to centrally derived measures aimed at innovation and improvement. The effectiveness of improvement strategies tends to be heavily dependent on context. And context in England varies dramatically. Initiatives that reach deeply down into practice are expensive, complex to manage, and recently have been perceived, by both teachers and politicians, as intrusive – prime examples being the Literacy and Numeracy Strategies (Whitty, 2006). In the face of all of these factors, using assessment and qualifications and major instruments of reform looks, to policy makers, like a very attractive option – apparently cheap, and relatively easy.
## Change in assessment: a deceptively seductive option
So . . . cheap and easy, but I believe that change in assessment and qualifications is a deceptively seductive option for effecting change in key aspects of the system such as quality of learning, reduction of within-school and between-school variation and so on.
The first reason has already been outlined: the impact is variable and unpredictable, partly as a result of naïve dependence on a 'trickle down' effect – erroneous assumptions that educationalists always will respond in an optimum way to the challenges of new assessments, and partly as a result of the diversity of the settings into which the new assessment falls.
The second reason is of considerable importance. Assessment is one of the ways in which evidence of the impact of teaching and learning is created. Investigation of and experimentation on human cognition require measurement, as does investigation and development in education (see Mellanby and Theobald, 2014). It is no accident that, in the USA, it is the American Psychological Association that publishes The Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (APA, 2014). We need to know the impact of educational development and improvement strategies – and measurement is a key element of this. I am NOT arguing that public examinations and related assessments measure all the outcomes in which we should be interested when investigating and enhancing learning. What I AM arguing is that, for the outcomes that are legitimately assessed by public examinations and assessments, consistency of measurement is vital.
For investigation of whether a change in approach to learning yields benefit, valid and consistent measurement of outcomes is an essential part of method. This is a tenet of psychological research, and is a methodological aspect of many experimental and evaluative studies in education (Mellanby, op cit; Sylva 1999). I believe that the same discipline should enter our thinking about routine educational assessment – public examinations and national tests. These are the means by which we can measure desirable improvements in our system, as well as producing dependable descriptions of what pupils know, understand and can do. This supports an evaluative function, and a communication or signalling function – the latter to be used in admission to programme decisions (e.g. for higher education), and labour market selection. If the measures constantly are changing, we limit our ability to make rational decisions about what works in our teaching and learning, and compromise the dependability of the information that is used in admission and selection.
Although it is far more difficult to reach deeply down into our system with sympathetic and effective innovation targeted directly at practice – innovation that will enhance children's reading, scientific understanding, creative thinking, and so on – it is possible to measure with precision the impact of such innovation if valid and consistent measures are used to detect improvement in outcomes. And this kind of consistent measurement needs to be available over an extended period of time, since educational transformation typically occurs over years, not months, and the improvement often is something that society wishes to sustain. This sustained consistency of measurement is an essential basis of PISA, Timss and PIRLS. In public examinations, Finland provides a fascinating foil to the relentless change in post-16 qualifications in England. Finland's high-stakes leaving examination at 18/19, the Finnish Abitur, has at its core four external examinations in subject disciplines, with one of these being in native language. These exams resemble A Levels extremely closely, in being highly discipline-focused. But the salient feature of the Abitur is that it has not changed in function or form, in any significant way, for over 100 years. Through the periods of relatively slow improvement and through periods of deliberate transformation of all other aspects of the education system, this key measure of outcome was kept stable. During the 1980s, throughout the move from highly selective education to wholesale, committed adoption of a form of Asian comprehensive education, the Abitur remained a consistent reference point in the system. Other aspects of the system – teaching approaches, educational resources, school form, etc – all were attended to directly, not assumed to be transformed through radical change in qualifications. This provides an extreme contrast with England, where assessment-led change has assumed such dominance, and difficult confounding has occurred as a result of assessment reform being used as the main stimulant of change while the assessments simultaneously are depended upon as the prime means of measuring outcomes.
## Problems of change
It is important to recognise that this does not condemn assessment and public qualifications to moribund ossification. Measurement through assessment can be introduced in new areas of disciplines and of human learning, existing measures can be updated, and new measures equated with old ones. But there are limits on this equating, as demonstrated profoundly by the controversial contemporary challenge of linking standards in the new suite of post-2015 1–9 GCSEs with the previous suite of pre-2015 A*-G GCSEs. The tendency in England is to change the entire suite of A Levels and/or GCSEs at the same time, rather than changing specific subjects according to their own necessary timeframe – for example, when new knowledge is introduced to a specific discipline (Oates, 2010). Equating and maintaining standards become highly problematic when wholesale reform of examinations is effected (Bramley, 2013). And the system has been subjected to repeated waves of this wholesale, general reform. Two key elements of 'national standards' – standards over time, and standards between awarding bodies – are threatened by wholesale change in qualifications – adversely affecting confidence in qualifications, the signalling function of qualifications, and the ability to measure the impact of reform measures outside assessment. The recent controversy over the sample assessment materials for reformed maths GCSE – with two of the three national bodies expressing concern that the 'race to the bottom' was opened up by the Regulator's chosen approval process for the new qualifications (The Times Educational Supplement, 6 March 2015) – demonstrates the serious risks posed by all-embracing, ambitious reform processes.
## A conclusion?
There is a strong philosophical, historical and practical rationale for stating this: that changing all things all the time, in a highly diverse education system, will result in chaotic, incoherent development. Of course specific assessments have to be designed well, operate effectively and be refined through evaluation. But endless arbitrary change seriously disrupts system coherence. The very ease with which assessment can be changed from the centre is actually a rationale for it being the one thing that is kept as stable as possible. Stability in assessment should be seen as an asset by policy makers. It should be viewed as an anchor point in a constantly shifting sea – an anchor point that enables us to understand and respond to all the other shifts that occur. The importance of this cannot be overstated. Without consistent measurement, policy makers will not have dependable intelligence on the system. Given the complexity and diversity of English arrangements, enhancing the quality of learning requires sophisticated transformation policies, sensitive to context. After three decades, assessment-led transformation policy has not yet delivered the step-change in system performance that preoccupies policy makers (see The Telegraph, 8 July 2013). Changing assessment has at the same time been ineffective in raising underlying quality and diminished the key quality essential to assessment – the ability to measure key educational outcomes with consistency and precision. Assessment change rips educational capacity from the system, as textbooks, teaching notes, 'polished' lessons all are discarded. As each transformation through assessment has failed to deliver, policy makers have not undertaken radical re-thinking of assessment-led change, they have lapsed into Soviet-style 'one more push'. It is time to realise that stability in assessment and qualifications is a crucial element of a balanced programme of system improvement.
## References
AoC, 2014, College key facts 2014/2015. London: Association of Colleges.
APA, 2014, The Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Aston, H., Easton, C. and Sims, D., 2013, What Works in Enabling School Improvement? The Role of the Middle Tier. Slough: National Foundation for Educational Research.
Bell, M. and Cordingly, P., undated, 'Characteristics of high performing schools'. Coventry: CUREE.
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Blatchford, P., Basset, P., Goldstein, H. and Martin, C., 2003, 'Are class size differences related to pupils' educational progress and classroom practices?' British Educational Research Journal, 29 (5) pp. 709–30.
Bramley, T., 2013, Maintaining Standards in Public Examinations: Why it Is Impossible to Please Everyone. Cambridge: Cambridge Assessment.
Cambridge Assessment, 2014, Register of Change Report, Cambridge Assessment.
CEDEFOP, 2010, 'Changing qualifications – a review of qualification policies and practices', Report, European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, Luxembourg. Gillborne, D. and Mirza, H., 2000, Education Inequality: mapping race, class gender and inequality. London: Ofsted.
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Green, A., 2013, Education and State Formation, 2nd edn. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
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Stringer, E.T., 2007, Action Research. London: Sage.
Sylva, K., 1999, An Introduction to the EPPE Project. Institute of Education.
Sylva, K., Melhuish, E., Sammons, P., Siraj-Blatchford, I. and Taggart, B., 2003, The effective provision of pre-school education (EPPE) project – findings from the pre-school period, Research Brief RBX-15–03. Department for Education and Skills.
Whitty, G., 2006, 'Teacher professionalism in a new era', Paper presented at the first General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland Annual Lecture, Belfast.
# [11
Accountability and Inspection](content.xhtml#bck_Ch011)
Pat O'Shea
## Starting off as an English teacher
In schools in the early 1970s, accountability was not a word that often troubled us. I began teaching English in 1973 in what was then the only comprehensive school in Kent, a very large school whose families belonged to what was disparagingly referred to as 'London overspill'. As young teachers, our three major concerns were the impact of RoSLA (Raising of the School Leaving Age), the teacher recruitment crisis, and the Houghton pay award. The first meant that many 16-year-olds had to stay in school a year longer than they had expected and, even more alarming, be persuaded to take a public examination. The second meant that we started the school year four teachers short in the English department alone, and of those of us actually there, several were in our Probationary Year (NQTs). The third, Houghton, provided some succour, as in my second year of teaching our pay went up nearly 30 per cent at a stroke. (As a dampener to the excitement of this, inflation in 1975 was 24 per cent.)
As a young and inexperienced teacher I do not recall my teaching ever being observed. There were no appraisals, nor even any kind of review of my work. The avuncular head of department and his deputy supported as best they could with ideas and materials, but never watched us teach. The head of department was in any case somewhat distracted throughout 1974, as he stood as the Labour candidate in both the general elections that year. When I applied for this and later teaching posts, the selection procedure consisted solely of an interview with the headteacher. No governors were involved, but I did spend some time with the head of department and perusing the stock cupboard (the usual class sets of An Inspector Calls, Of Mice and Men, and Animal Farm – just as now, despite Michael Gove's aversion to English literature not from England). There was certainly no question of teaching a sample lesson or of meeting any students.
Teachers did not seem to regard examination results as a measure of accountability. At age 14, students were divided into three groups: those who would take no qualifications, CSE candidates, and those on track for the more prestigious O Level. The latter had been designed for the 20 per cent of young people in grammar schools, and could lead on to A Level and thence to higher education. CSE was aimed at the 'next' 40 per cent, so qualifications were deemed inappropriate for the remaining 40 per cent. (It was reading John Newsom's report Half Our Future, while I was supposed to be revising for finals, that made me go into teaching.) The syllabi for O Level and CSE did not overlap. After RoSLA in 1972, all students, more or less, had to take one or the other. This meant that a system of public examinations at 16 designed for the few became a universal point of assessment. This changed its nature, and made possible the later development of the whole apparatus of accountability through performance tables and examination outcomes at 16. It led the way to examination boards becoming businesses vying for custom, examination entry fees featuring heavily in schools' budgets, and the huge change in pace and focus that comes over secondary schools from May to July.
One version of the public exam at 16 was very attractive to ambitious and creative young teachers: the CSE Mode 3. Any teacher could design and propose a syllabus which would be marked and assessed by the teachers in the school through 100 per cent coursework. The course could reflect the enthusiasms and, indeed, political predilections of the proposer. The course and its assessment followed the teaching and its objectives, rather than the other way round. This put teachers in control of every stage of the process of the CSE public examination. We were participants in the Examination Board subject committees, setting syllabi, defining grade boundaries, and devising and developing the curriculum. We were driven by the need to make sure that the exams would suit our students' needs. It almost felt as though we were holding the Examination Board to account.
Although there was some external moderation, we were effectively taking in one another's washing, since we reciprocally moderated courses from other schools. I designed and taught a Mode 3 English syllabus. It included an independent art house film I liked and thought would appeal, some Bob Dylan, and Romeo and Juliet. It was not, to say the least, very coherent or rigorous. I am not proud of the fact that, for several of those who took it in the mid-1970s, it probably remains the only formal qualification in English they have. Complete freedom over the curriculum was no better for learners than excessive prescription.
## Deputy Head at Peers
My years as Deputy at Peers (1985–1992) saw the biggest changes to education and the organisation of schools affecting teachers and students until the current wave. Bob Moon, the inventive head who had come from the ground-breaking Stantonbury Campus in Milton Keynes, had introduced an innovative curriculum based on modular accreditation, similar to that now offered by many universities. Peers had a national profile. We regularly ran Saturday conferences for visiting teachers and heads who wanted to hear about the modular curriculum, and were often invited to conferences around the country to speak about it. We were proud of the work we were doing and its impact on the motivation and achievement of some very disadvantaged and hitherto underachieving young people. Students gained CSEs and O Levels and, from 1988, the new GCSEs, all of them continuously assessed by coursework and module tests. I sold off 300 examination desks, convinced that never again would a cohort of students sit down together to take a public examination. I was wrong.
While I was on maternity leave in 1987, Bob Moon came for tea, to inspect my son and to tell me two things: first, that he was leaving Peers for a chair at the Open University, and second, that when I returned in the autumn and before he left, we would have a full HMI inspection of the school. I received the first item of news with alarm and apprehension, but the second with complete equanimity, because I had no idea what it meant or that it was a serious business. It is said that at that time HMI inspections came round about once every 250 years, in any case at sufficient intervals for most teachers and headteachers to escape inspection throughout their careers. Bob, however, did know that our innovations were on the line, and that much was at stake. Now, those in schools are constantly aware of Ofsted's imminence; it presides implicitly or explicitly over much planning and evaluation; then, the notion of inspection was novel. For the first time I recognised that we were accountable for what we were doing, that we would be externally judged. (My infant son was judged Good with Outstanding features.)
## The HMI inspection
HMI were a cadre of highly experienced and mostly well-respected senior professionals. They were responsible for inspecting and evaluating a few individual schools, but the main part of their work was to provide information on education to the Secretary of State by carrying out and publishing national surveys, thematic studies, and evaluations of the teaching of particular subjects and aspects of school life across the country. About 12 HMI were in the school for most of the week. We took all this in our stride; we thought of the inspection as a kind of supportive professional review. We thought the HMI were interested in our modular curriculum and early use of records of achievement of our own devising (see also OCEA, discussed by Tim Brighouse), as was much of the rest of the secondary education world. On day three of the inspection one HMI was overheard saying to another: 'I have a little list – modular curriculum plus and modular curriculum minus. So far minus is ahead'. This sort of score-card tallying, rather than a more measured evaluative and reflective approach, seemed to us rather shocking.
The report was made available to the school and governors, but was not published until about a year after the inspection, by which time we had a new head and everybody had forgotten about it (HMI school inspection reports had only been published at all since 1983). Despite their misgivings about our unorthodox curriculum, we were relieved when the report was broadly very positive, on the teaching and on the curriculum offer. A significant concern was that the library was thought to be inadequate – this proved useful later when we were able to negotiate the creation of a substantial joint public library on the campus.
All of our curricular freedom was changed by the Education Reform Act of 1988. This legislation introduced parental choice, local management of schools, the National Curriculum, and Key Stages, with objectives for each. There was also provision for City Technology Colleges, which were maintained schools taken out of local authorities, the predecessors of academies. I remember a meeting of heads, deputies, and chairs of governors, at which Tim Brighouse, then Chief Education Officer for Oxfordshire, explained how the combination of these elements of legislation would exercise a vice-like grip on schools and local authorities, to the clear detriment especially of those in disadvantaged and economically deprived areas where educational achievement was low. (The introduction of grant-maintained schools posed a further threat to local authorities and their illusory 'control' of schools.) We were required to publish examination results to parents, although league tables did not begin until 1992, introduced by John Major's government after his surprise election victory. The stated aim then was to give parents the consumer information they needed, to create a free market in school choice. That 'choice' has only ever been patchy at best, varying wildly between rural and urban settings, by class, by faith, and by parents' willingness to undertake informed perusal of all the data. Performance tables, as instruments of accountability, also provide a lever whereby government can directly influence the school system and the curriculum: the later double-weighting of English and mathematics, the introduction of value-added to tackle high-attaining but 'coasting' schools, the down-valuing of vocational qualifications and ignoring any but the first shot at a subject examination, the invention of the EBacc: all provide examples of this.
## Warden of a Cambridgeshire village college
By the early 1990s I was in my first headship at a village college in Cambridgeshire. Because of the rich community dimension to these wonderful schools, headteachers were known as Wardens, an idea of the visionary bureaucrat who founded the village colleges, Henry Morris, CEO in Cambridgeshire in the 1930s. I greatly valued that title, carrying as it does the notion of guardianship of the whole learning community as well as of its young people. By now, the National Curriculum had settled down a bit: the 17 attainment targets and the 17 ring-binders that specified the science curriculum alone had been reduced to a more manageable number. SATs were firmly in place, and, for the first time, we knew how well the youngsters joining us in Y7 had performed against a national benchmark, however flawed.
We were subject to a new-style Ofsted Section 10 inspection in 1994. In contrast to the current approach, the focus was very clearly on the curriculum and its subjects. The inspection team comprised 25 mostly subject specialists from the school improvement service in a neighbouring local authority. Like every inspection team, there was also a lay inspector, a kindly, interested person with no professional experience in education. They were usually deployed to consider matters considered more peripheral than the curriculum, such as attendance, assemblies, and extra-curricular activities.
We had six weeks' notice of the inspection dates. During this time the deputy head spent many of his waking hours gathering data, information, evidence, and documents of every kind. His rather cramped office was stacked from floor to ceiling with dozens of green box files in which these were obsessively filed. Teachers, too, had six weeks to prepare the lessons they would teach during the inspection, and to become anxious about them. During the inspection every teacher knew they would be seen teaching at least once. By Friday afternoon an RE teacher who taught nearly 20 different classes in the school had still not been seen, and was in tears at Friday lunchtime knowing that her fate was closing in on her.
In contrast to the HMI approach at Peers, reports were now written to a common framework, and published within a month. For the first time, we were all clear what the criteria were, and the handbook included descriptions of what each of the seven grades looked like, from Excellent to Very Poor. This clarity was welcome. Inspection was almost wholly subject-based, with inspectors only coming together for large team meetings at the end of the day, in which findings were pooled. Several never met the head, nor understood how the school worked beyond the department they were inspecting. On Thursday the head of PE approached me with a concern about the PE specialist adviser who had made a number of comments revealing these limitations, including asking the head of PE, 'Who is this Warden person, anyway?'.
We had been reassured there would be no surprises in the report, and that proved to be the case. We had to draw up and submit an action plan within six weeks, but that was already there in our school development plan. Lesson observation by heads was not routine or formalised, but the deputies and I were confident we knew our teachers' strengths pretty accurately, from MBWA (management by walking about), and from having active antennae. I had begun at Peers to look at a teacher's results and manually compare what the same students had achieved in other subjects. I later learned to call the resulting measure a residual, when computers made this sort of analysis much easier, and school leaders acquired new skills in data and statistics. We were devising our own systems of data analysis before Raiseonline and FFT came along.
In my second headship, appraisal of teachers and school leaders became part of the annual gardening calendar of a school's work. The processes were somewhat cumbersome, but we tried to make them supportive of teachers' work and complementary to the planning of CPD. The unions were influential in this, and acted as guardians of teachers' interests, so that appraisal was developmental, and not linked to pay in any way. This was to change step by step in later years, with the introduction of pay thresholds, the need for clear evidence against published standards, moves away from a national pay scale, and the stealthy approach of performance-related pay – anathema in the 1990s.
Examination results days began to affect my family life and that of all heads, as holidays in Provence or Tuscany were curtailed so we could be in school on the third and fourth Thursdays of August, to celebrate A-Level and GCSE results with students, but also to issue carefully crafted press statements and begin to calculate what our value-added might be and where we might stand in the league tables. KS2 and KS3 SATs were also externally marked, but the tests were erratic in standard, and their marking was sometimes plainly inaccurate. I may have been one of the few heads who appealed against the KS3 SATs English results on the grounds that they were too high. I knew that if they stood, our GCSE value-added results two years later would look poorer than they should, and I would be held accountable.
## LEA adviser and SIP
After the turn of the century, I was working for a local authority. Oxfordshire LA, like many, had set up and run its own team of Ofsted inspectors, comprising the wide range of subject and phase advisers and inspectors working for the service. We had been inspected by just such an LA team in Cambridgeshire. LA services of this kind were beginning to have identity crises, reflected in the frequent changes of name. They were also grappling with cuts, as central government endeavoured to reduce the influence of local democracy and to introduce market practices. During my time, there were at least five reorganisations (restructuring, remodelling, re-alignment . . .) and at least five different names in as many years. Were we about advice, inspection, improvement, school development, raising achievement, effectiveness? All these words figured in the names of the service.
A further string was added to the accountability bow in 2004: the School Improvement Partner (SIP) scheme was introduced, as part of a so-called New Relationship with Schools. Experienced school leaders and local authority advisers like me could, through training and assessment, become accredited as SIPs. All schools had an SIP with whom they would have a 'single conversation'. The scheme was nationally funded and ran from 2004 to 2010. It was cut as a consequence of a change of government in 2010, despite evidence that it was effective, though not consistently so. As an SIP, I developed a working relationship with schools in a way impossible for an Ofsted inspector, so there was a perspective of evaluation and change over time. We provided external challenge as well as support; schools were accountable, as SIPs reported to their LAs, but could also deploy their SIP to support school initiatives. Discussions about target setting were informed by both comparative data and a knowledge of the context; they could be tough, and many heads valued a robust exchange with a supportive but external fellow professional. Many schools have chosen to continue to seek external support and challenge from former SIPs, but the free market in school improvement services has left schools able to choose not to seek and pay for external advice.
## Becoming an inspector for Ofsted
As I arrived at the LA, the Ofsted teams lost their remit, and six national companies ran inspections in England. (Later, only three companies – Tribal, Serco, and CfBT – won a competitive bidding process for contracts to run inspections across the country. Costs were cut.) In 2005 I trained as an inspector for Ofsted. The training was extensive and expensive. At the end, I spent a whole day sitting examinations in a large area of a posh hotel in Park Lane. It was an extraordinary experience to be sitting at an examination desk, one of a hundred candidates arranged in rows, doing written exams all day, complete with prowling HMI invigilators. Mysteriously, we were only allowed to use a pencil. The experience felt like a throwback: nervousness waiting for the results, relief at passing. We were tested on data analysis, evaluating evidence, applying criteria, writing clearly. It felt adequately rigorous.
As I began inspecting in 2005, the framework and the process were slimmed down enormously. Average-sized secondary schools now had nine or ten inspector days – a team of four or five for two days – and two days' notice of inspections. The emphasis on subjects and the curriculum disappeared, and with it the inspection of subject teaching by specialists in that subject. This was a major step in the decline of the place of the curriculum in the inspection framework. Apart from the growing emphasis on English and mathematics, subjects have been sidelined, and the quality of the whole curriculum, once graded separately, now merits one paragraph in the long list of aspects of leadership and management to which inspectors must attend. With my roots in curriculum development and subject expertise, this seems a significant loss.
Also in 2005, schools' self-evaluation became hugely important. Never compulsory, but always expected, the exercise of completing an SEF was onerous but arguably did much to improve the skills of school leaders, to gather evidence, to interrogate data, to plan improvements, and to evaluate impact. Heads and senior leaders began routinely to observe lessons and grade them, something rarely done before this. Comparative information about schools transformed beyond measure during this time. As deputy at Peers School in the 1980s, on open evenings for prospective parents, each year I scanned the results from the previous year with the aim of finding three things that had improved. I then designed graphs with extended vertical axes to give a visual impression of rapid and impressive improvement. In the 2000s, the accountability measures were plain to all and common across schools. Data dominated our preparation for inspection. Performance tables had been introduced in 1992 in the public domain, but gave only broad-brush data. In the 2000s, Raiseonline provided sophisticated information for school leaders, and for inspectors. For the first time it was easy to compare a school's outcomes with national figures.
Many schools and local authorities subscribed to the Fischer Family Trust. This gave a new perspective on data about progress and achievement in schools, using a complex formula including social and economic make-up, gender, incidence of special needs, deprivation factors, and ethnicity, so that there was more chance of comparing like with like. This provided a very helpful set of comparators but was never made routinely available to Ofsted inspectors. Schools offered it to the inspection team if they chose. Doubts crept in that the weighting of deprivation factors, for example, to give 'contextual value-added', might be seen as an excuse for low expectations, and the contextual part of value-added was removed from later versions of Raiseonline. The effect for us as inspectors was to remove the capacity to give due consideration to the enormous social and economic problems some schools were addressing. Social deprivation was not to be seen as an excuse, rightly so, but nor was it accorded any explanatory power. Schools were expected to compensate for the growing inequalities in society.
During this period, however, I felt that Ofsted provided a broadly accepted national standard of what good practice meant, and I used it as such when providing INSET. The evaluation schedule provided lists of the aspects of the school's work that inspectors must and should consider, in each section. There were also detailed grade descriptions of what constituted outstanding, good, satisfactory, and inadequate practice and outcomes. Ofsted was and is unpopular in schools; the process is often damaging. However, it was possible to argue that the evaluation schedule was a powerful handbook of good practice, and could be used for professional development and to help school leaders improve their schools. The descriptions of what constitute good teaching, good leadership and management, good governance, and what additional factors make them outstanding: all those in schools could draw upon these.
Despite this, there has always been some lack of clarity and evidence about whether Ofsted was an instrument of school improvement or merely its chronicler. Certainly, the motivation of many inspectors, mine included, was to help schools improve by providing an external focused view of what would make the school even better. 'Improvement through inspection' was Ofsted's strapline, though there was no mention of improvement in the Education Act 1992 that created it. Improvement could perhaps come through the action plan that schools (governors, in fact) had to produce and circulate to parents. The idea was that the governors would ensure that the school followed up the inspection, and that parents would hold the governing body accountable. The LA also had a role in ensuring action plans were fit for purpose and, for a while yet, in supporting schools to implement them. This closing of the loop has ceased, however, and the function of Ofsted in helping schools to improve has withered. Local authorities no longer have the capacity to provide practical school improvement support; many schools are not part of an LA or even an academy chain, and so schools seem to be left with judgements and only their own resources to work out how to respond to them. Gerald Haigh quotes American management consultant William Deming: 'You can't inspect quality into a process'. The separation of powers – of inspection from support for improvement – seems part of what has been called the 'decentralisation of blame'. In a climate of much-vaunted autonomy and freedom for schools and their heads, who is responsible if things go wrong, or into decline? Over time, Ofsted's expectations of governing bodies and the extent of their accountability have increased hugely, seemingly to compensate for the diminution of the LA's role as the middle tier. My increasing awareness of the gulf between inspection and school improvement led me to withdraw from inspecting at all. It has also become ever clearer that Ofsted creates unacceptable stress, fear, and pressure for teachers, and several of us could no longer be part of that.
Political imperatives surfaced from time to time in iterations of the Ofsted schedule, under both Labour and Coalition governments. Every Child Matters followed in the wake of the Victoria Climbié case, bringing together national and local leadership of education and the social care of children. Working in education in an LA, it often felt as though direction was lacking, as aspects of the education service were led by people with no background in education. The five priorities of this framework each had a paragraph in an Ofsted report. Inspections at this time became something of a scramble, as each individual inspector had to chase down evidence of our allotted ECM aspects, and also the four aspects of social, moral, spiritual, and cultural (SMSC) development. Inspecting school dinners became routine in order to have something to say about how well a school enabled children to Be Healthy. The five priorities had been developed through discussion with young people, and the aim was laudable, but the implementation became unwieldy.
Safeguarding too came to the fore after the Bichard report on the Soham case. Again, the cause was right, but the mechanism faulty, at least initially. Some schools failed their Ofsted inspection if there were minor administrative errors in the single central record. On one inspection it required several frantic phone calls to head office confirming that errors had been corrected within the hour to ensure that a strong and successful school did not go into special measures because of a typographical failing.
Community cohesion entered the lexicon in 2007 and became an inspection focus, in light of the fears about the rise of the far right and increase in racism. Nobody really knew what community cohesion meant, and the descriptors for it overlapped significantly with other elements of the Ofsted framework, especially SMSC, which had its own judgement grade in an Ofsted report. The new coalition government decided in 2010 that it was no longer important and abolished it, but later introduced a requirement to inspect the promotion of British values instead, in response to developments in some Birmingham schools.
These fluctuations in what schools were being judged on, and the consequent flurry of activity to produce evidence for the newest priority, have intensified under the Coalition. Increasingly, carrying out an Ofsted inspection is about checking for compliance, and chasing down evidence for aspects of school management that had never been subject to inspection before. The clarity of focus on learning and progress, on the quality of teaching and leadership, has been muddied by additions favoured by the Secretary of State. We are now required for the first time to inspect the use of one particular funding stream (Pupil Premium), examination entry policy (because 'early' entry might limit the highest grades), and salary progression and its link to appraisal (to embed performance-related pay). Changes to the accountability framework impose pressure on schools to offer a curriculum that will look well in tables, whether or not it motivates and meets the needs of students.
Increasingly, inspecting no longer felt like the exercise of professional judgement or the opportunity to work with schools to provide a helpful, informed external view. Rather, it felt like operating someone else's instruction manual. After the three national contractors took over, the day rate for Ofsted inspector was reduced by nearly 25 per cent. This major cut in the pay of additional inspectors opened up the gulf between salaried HMI and freelance additional inspectors. It appeared to me that quality also became more variable. HMI Lead Inspectors were almost all exceptionally skilled professionals for whom I had great respect. Increasingly, they were deployed to monitoring inspections, subject surveys, and work with schools in a category, and now lead almost no Section 5 inspections. I had only ever inspected infrequently, but now job satisfaction, never high, plummeted. Inspection provided none of the colleagueship and camaraderie that have been so rewarding through all my working life in schools. The pay cut was less important than the two experiences in 2014 that clinched my decision to stop.
First, additional inspectors received a memo from the Ofsted contract holders to emphasise that Ofsted had no preferred teaching style. It clarified the language it was permissible to use to describe teaching:
Please consider the use of the phrase 'independent learning' or similar phrases as banned with immediate effect . . . inspectors should focus more upon aspects of teaching which will be more readily understood by lay readers and parents such as:
* whether homework is purposeful and regularly set and marked
* whether lessons begin promptly
* whether classrooms are tidy and have stimulating wall displays.
The gulf between this instruction, and the model of a professional, rigorous, fair and consistent approach to helping schools develop seemed unbridgeable.
The second made even more plain the divorce of inspection from school improvement. I attended my final Ofsted training in September 2014. By careful questioning, a participant obliged the HMI leading the training to make explicit that Section 5 inspections had nothing to do with school improvement – this was a matter for monitoring visits and Section 8 inspections. We were to give only judgements, with no advice to teachers in lesson feedback, nor discussion of possible strategies to improve the school further with school leaders. I had already become disaffected with the work of undertaking Ofsted inspection. The territory held by the political agenda was increasing. We caused stress and distress to teachers and heads, who were under huge pressure. Fear does not improve schools for young people. My inspection life is over.
## Reflections
Writing this in the approach to the 2015 election, there is a broad consensus that Ofsted must change, or be replaced. The cost in teacher stress is too high, and the gains are not demonstrable. Ofsted is increasingly driven by political imperatives, is insufficiently rooted in the context of the school, and is intrusive in the demands the process makes. It labels schools, accurately or not, but makes little contribution to helping them move forward. A publicly funded system should, of course, be accountable to those who fund it, and a future model for monitoring and evaluating schools should have at least these features:
* local democratic accountability, through LAs or some other regional forum;
* self-evaluation rigorously tested by triangulation with other local schools;
* a focus on support for improvement, from a range of sources including local expertise;
* a developmental perspective, not a snapshot in time;
* high quality and consistency across the country, assured by a renewed HM Inspectorate or its equivalent.
# [Part V
Reflection on policy matters](content.xhtml#bck_part5)
# [12
From 'Optimism and Trust' to 'Markets and Managerialism'](content.xhtml#bck_Ch012)
Sir Tim Brighouse
It is arguable that are three definably different periods in education policy making in England since Butler's 1944 Education Act. The first lasted for nearly 30 years, the second for 15 between the late 1960s and early 1980s, and the third for another 30 almost to the present, when there are signs that it will give way to a fourth. Each is characterised by values and attitudes that reflect the wider social and economic context of the different periods. I shall argue that the first could be dubbed an age of 'optimism and trust'; the second, one of 'doubt, disillusion and un certainty' and the third, one of 'markets and managerialism', which is even now giving way to another period of transition. As with all 'ages' of history, activity characteristic of one period spills over to the next, but in the context of a different and less accommodating climate as new values catch hold. I shall end by speculating about the next age into which we are now entering, as the limitations of 'markets and managerialism' are being exposed.
My involvement over those 70 years has been as pupil, student, teacher, academic and administrator, progressively observing, writing, and commenting on and seeking to influence policy and practice.
## The age of optimism and trust
The first period, which caught the post-war spirit of optimism (and a determination not to return to the habits of the 1930s), lasted until the late 1960s and early 1970s. It was an age of 'optimism and trust', characterised by partners in education knowing their respective roles and exercising them energetically, as all were agreed that education was a public good and we needed more of it. They behaved interdependently confident that each would play their part.
The Secretary of State had but a handful of powers, the most important of which was the duty of securing a sufficient supply of suitably qualified teachers in different parts of the country. In the process of discharging this ministerial duty, meticulous planning was involved with the Local Education Authorities (LEAs), which supplied local knowledge and ran the Teacher Training Colleges through grants from central government. Likewise too with the Secretary of State's second main responsibility, namely approving the opening and closure of schools, and rationing the size of building programmes against national minimum standards. In this latter duty the Secretary of State initiated an annual bidding process from LEAs, which were expected to ensure that the bids they were all asked to produce were consistent with the 1948 Development Plan. London 'overspill' and unanticipated housing schemes, including the creation of new towns and a birth-rate induced 'bulge' in the number of children requiring schools, soon rendered these 1948 Development Plans redundant. Direct contact between DfE and LEAs mainly focused on buildings and teacher supply. There were few 'circulars' – that is to say, papers asking LEAs to consider action on a particular matter – and no legislation followed the 1944 Act until the early 1970s. Taken together, these ministerial duties and powers were intended to ensure that all children would have a fair deal in terms of their teaching and learning environment.
There was much else to be done in this first post-war period, apart from the need to train teachers and build schools. All the many other matters requiring attention could safely be left to the LEAs. This first period was a golden age for LEAs – their responsibilities, duties and powers legion and varied. Colleges of further education had to be created and staffed to respond to the long-felt need to provide further education and training for 'vocational' students. Every LEA responded to this need, guided by Regional Advisory Councils on which Industrial Training Boards were represented and which were charged with securing a fair spread of accessible courses according to employment needs. Nor did it stop there. Using the same mechanism of 'pooling' of resources, local authorities established advanced further education opportunities through Colleges of Technology and Arts whose degrees were accredited by CNAA (a Council for National Academic Awards) and were later to become polytechnics and universities in the wake of the Robbins report, which also saw the establishment of a wave of new universities in the 1960s. As I have noted, Teacher Training Colleges – later Colleges of Education – were run by LEAs and their work planned through Area Training Organisations (ATOs), and a dozen or so rural LEAs used a similar pooling mechanism to establish Colleges of Agriculture.
Local Education Authorities were busy in this age of post-war reconstruction and expansion. All established a Youth Service and a Youth Employment Service – later called a careers service – and many bought old country mansions and set up adult education residential centres where they ran courses for their local citizens, as well as outdoor pursuit centres for their schools to use. Local advisory or inspection services were established to give advice to schools, whose control of the curriculum and how it was taught was regarded as sacrosanct. Recruited from schools, LEA advisers attempted to persuade school colleagues of the advantages of different approaches to subject teaching and primary school practice, but adoption of the ideas was down to schools. Teachers' Centres, financed by LEAs, ran twilight and weekend courses for teachers whose conditions of service were general and limited solely by convention and tradition.
This brief description captures some of the features of this first period – the age of 'optimism and trust'. Despite a huge national debt, public services were established for all: indeed, a career in the public service, together with what might be called public service values, were regarded as an uncontroversial 'good thing'. This regard for the public service, which seems so odd to modern eyes, was doubtless bolstered by the twilight of Empire, which was run by copious supplies of people from public schools, but perhaps also by the nationalisation of so many services – water, electricity, steel, coal, buses, railways – and by the establishment of the new National Health Service. All classes – upper, middle and working – had careers within public service. It was the main home of professions – architects, planners, lawyers and accountants.
In education, it was for the Secretary of State and national government to set out general policy and for the LEAs to flesh it out in a way appropriate to local circumstances and then implement it. In setting out and formulating policy, the Secretaries of State were advised by civil servants and HMI; they would also consult in depth with William Alexander, the Secretary of the Association of Education Committees (AEC), the representative body of the LEAs, each of which sat within a broader democratically elected set of local authorities. They would also consult with the teacher unions, then dominated by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and its General Secretary Ronald Gould. In practice, for many of the post-war years, Alexander and Gould could heavily influence most policy. Secretaries of State and local councillors came and went. Continuity was provided by Alexander, Gould and the senior civil servants. They were, of course, direct protagonists in terms of Burnham Committee negotiations over teachers' pay but that did not prevent them co-operating to further their common interests. School budgets were determined locally by local authorities through the rates supplemented by the Rate Support Grant, and since the early part of this period was one of low inflation – pay deals were for two-year periods for example – the issue of money was not contentious.
Within most local authorities in this first period, education was seen as the 'cuckoo in the nest' of local government, greedy of resources, consuming 60 per cent or more of most local spending, and a 'law unto itself'. There were no Chief Executives and, in all but the cities, no real party politics: many councillors were Independent. The position of the Chief Education Officer was seen as important. Many of them had distinguished war careers and some of them used their position in very creative and influential ways. For example, Newsom in Hertford-shire, Clegg in the West Riding, Morris in Cambridgeshire and Mason in Leicestershire were all in different ways innovators and extended our ideas of what education could do. The impact of their achievements is still with us, not just in education, but in our wider lives. It is arguable, for instance, that Clegg's influence on the arts has a direct link to that thriving sector today. Locally, every education officer saw it as his – and they were all men – duty to ensure that schools were well staffed, resourced and supported, and they competed with each other in extending what an LEA could and should do to discharge its limited 1944 Act duties.
My experiences in those years lie in five years after VE day in a three teacher primary school in Leicestershire, a brief six week school-phobic inducing spell in a direct grant grammar school and then seven blissful years in a relaxed 'county secondary school' where the prizes were given out by the Education Officer of the Excepted District of Lowestoft in the East Suffolk LEA, whose Chief Education Officer, Leslie Missen, preferred directing his creativity to writing books on 'after dinner speeches' rather than administration. On a full grant, I received the modern-day equivalent of £100,000 for tuition and my living expenses at university. After training to be a teacher and jobs in grammar and secondary modern schools, I became an assistant in Trevor Morgan's Monmouthshire LEA office in charge of sites and buildings. My first week's task, clearly an induction test of my powers of analysis and initiative, was to give a 'school by school' description of what would need to be done if Monmouthshire were to raise the age of transfer to 12, as both a response to the Gittins Report – the Welsh equivalent of Plowden – and the need to go comprehensive suggested in Tony Crosland's circular 10/65. My exercise was academic. Trevor Morgan had no intention of raising the age of transfer to 12 and needed quite a bit of persuasion, as did all in South Wales, that going comprehensive was a good idea. My main responsibility, both there and in my next job, in Roy Harding's Buckinghamshire, was to persuade the DfE to give us large loan consents for school building in the annual bidding round and then brief architects with the resulting work in what were called 'major' and 'minor' building programmes. In Buckinghamshire, there was a new city to be planned, as well as raising the age of transfer to 12. This change enabled selective Buckinghamshire to provide more grammar school places and accommodate the raising of the school leaving age to 16 while still living within the ban on building more places in grammar schools, which central government had imposed in an attempt to pressurise LEAs to end selection. Almost all were primary building projects to accommodate the extra age group at 11 rather than 15. At that time, Buckinghamshire faced an expansion of schools places to respond to house building in south Buckinghamshire, Aylesbury and the creation of Milton Keynes, where the County Council made an exception to its selective stance and, to the astonished dismay of the headteacher of Bletchley Grammar School, approved comprehensive reorganisation. Fortunately, the most influential Conservative County Councillor for that area, Lady Markham, approved of comprehensive schooling. It is hard to see how Buckinghamshire would have received approval for new secondary schooling for the new population within the new city, had they not held their noses and done in one small area what they would never contemplate in the other more affluent areas of their County. Their pragmatism enabled me to help plan Stantonbury Campus, an 'educational village' in Milton Keynes that excited the DfE Architects and Buildings Branch which throughout this first period issued Building Bulletins in an attempt to influence, rather than prescribe, the design of new school buildings. Their favourite secondary examples stemmed from the designs of Countesthorpe in Leicestershire, Sutton Centre in Nottinghamshire and the Abraham Moss in Manchester. In that pre-national curriculum age there was room for innovation and experimentation. At Stantonbury, Roy Harding, Buckinghamshire's CEO, took a calculated risk and appointed Geoff Cooksey, Assistant Secretary from the Schools Council, to run it. It was immense fun, and Cooksey, who might be called a 'progressive', attracted and appointed a remarkable staff, whose deeds have reverberated for decades as teachers from those pioneering years have taken up posts elsewhere.
As a teacher I had experienced the absolute freedom schools enjoyed over the curriculum and how it should be taught. It was a freedom not uniformly exercised. Stantonbury was the exception rather than the rule. For example, the curricula in many grammar schools, and their timetables too, were much the same from year to year. There was more use of the freedom in secondary modern schools, either created for new populations or arising out of the national decision to discontinue all-age schools. Primary practice varied much more, as the teachers were influenced by strong advisory services in a few LEAs: so the West Riding, Leicestershire, Hertfordshire and Oxfordshire became synonymous with progressive primary practice.
The freedom teachers were encouraged to exercise in this period is best illustrated by the Foreword written by the minister to 'Story of a School', first issued in 1949 and re-issued in the 1950s as the sole central advice to primary schools about what they should do. In effect, schools were 'encouraged to experiment as the head who had written the pamphlet had done'.
Perhaps the last national expression of this period's optimism was Margaret Thatcher's White Paper 'A Framework for Expansion' of 1971. It outlined the most ambitious plans for nursery and pre-five education ever contemplated. It was still-born, cut down first by economic crisis and then a change in beliefs on economic policies.
## The age of doubt and disillusion
By the time I left Buckinghamshire at local government reorganisation in 1974, the first age of optimism and trust was giving way to one of doubt and disillusion. The causes were many and varied. The year 1968 witnessed student unrest; 1969 the publication of the Black Papers casting doubt on the progressive methods of teachers and schools and Leila Berg's 'Death of a Comprehensive School', the story of the rise and fall of 'progressive' Risinghill Secondary School in Islington, where later there was a parallel primary school failure – 'William Tyndale' – which led to the Auld Inquiry. And of course there was the oil crisis, which contributed to cutbacks in public services amid massive inflation.
The settled educational world of a 'national service locally administered' was disturbed on other fronts too.
William Alexander and his beloved AEC were sidelined by the creation of the Council of Local Education Authorities (CLEA), a body representing two of the local authority associations, the Association of Metropolitan Authorities (AMA) and the Association of County Councils (ACC). In effect they were the usurpers of the AEC. Newly created Chief Executives and their political leaders in councils where political allegiance to one party or another was the rule, were determined to put over-mighty Education Officers and their committees in their place. I had left Buckinghamshire to join the ACC as Under-Secretary for Education and my tasks included making a fist of CLEA and proving that education, even in the new world of reorganised local government, would still be a force to be reckoned with. At first there were fraught meetings with the AEC and its beleaguered secretary, whose supply lines had been cut off by all the newly created authorities paying their dues to the AMA or the ACC rather than a subscription to the AEC.
Of course, as a young administrator I had known of Alexander's influence. He wrote a 'weekly' column for the journal Education, edited by Stuart Maclure. This was compulsory reading, as was The Times Educational Supplement's leader when Maclure moved to be editor in 1969. Both these characters were wont to have lunch at their club, the Athenaeum, with ministers and senior civil servants on a regular basis. I could tell from Trevor Morgan and then Roy Harding that they each rated Alexander highly and were pleased to be advisers to meetings of the AEC. So Alexander's demise left them and most of their Chief Education Officer colleagues with mixed emotions. The old and trusted lines of influence were broken.
New ones would have to be forged through the AMA and ACC. For me it was an opportunity to see how policy was made at close quarters, albeit at a time of retrenchment and decline. School rolls were falling, and money was in short supply as a result of the oil crisis and hyperinflation. My life was spent in reading and commenting on drafts sent by the DfE to the AMA and ACC prior to public announcement; in writing reports for the ACC education committee, both on these issues and on those raised by members' authorities; and in sitting on various bodies such as the 'Pooling Committee' or the 'Inter-Authority Payments Committee'. These two had arcane rules and procedures intended to ensure a level playing-field for all authorities. If the rules of the first of these were understood there was room for individual officers to have huge influence on policy, practice and the speed of expansion of services. It was through 'Pooling' that advanced further education in the Colleges of Advanced Technology and the polytechnics expanded to form a base for the expansion of higher education over the remainder of the century. It was also to provide me with insights that were to come to my rescue in my first Chief Education Officer's post in Oxfordshire. But that is to anticipate.
Some of my time at the ACC was also taken up in negotiations with the teacher unions, on behalf of the employers, about conditions of service, and in sitting at the Burnham Committee to witness increasingly influential government observers advised what was affordable.
Of course, at this time of inflation, falling school rolls and diminished resources, expenditure was a contested issue. The work of the Expenditure Steering Group for Education (ESGE) was key to budget settlements. In my role at the ACC I attended, along with half a dozen CEO advisers, Treasurer advisers from local government and Treasury and DfE officials who acted as hosts. Key to decision making at this time was the annual report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector Sheila Browne. She was almost Robespierrean in her sea-green incorruptibility: she certainly had integrity and a nerveless capacity to tell the unvarnished truth as she and her inspectorate saw it. It was policy making in a world where the old certainties had evaporated and everything was open to question. Policy was forged no longer through a comfortable debate among a powerful few, as civil servants tried to work out where the power lay in reorganised local government, which still was a vital engine of translating broad policies into practice. I suspect it was then that civil servants began to form a mistrust of local government, which has grown with the years.
In both the first and second ages, the influence of HMI on policy and practice was enormous if unobtrusive, both at the ministerial table and in the classroom. One has only to look at their publication record of national surveys during the late 1970s and early 1980s to see how they were attempting to influence the direction of the education debate.
Of the whole of my career, this period at the ACC was the least enjoyable, although formative and valuable, as I could see at close quarters how policy was made nationally. Within two years I had secured the exciting position of one of three deputies to Peter Newsam, who had become the Education Officer of the Inner London Education Authority, having been deputy to the legendary Alec Clegg in the West Riding, which had been abolished in 1974. I was back at the local scene and closer to the schools where I have always gained my energy and enthusiasm for what might be possible. But by then nationally 'Doubt and Disillusion' were in full flood.
For me, two incidents epitomised that doubt and disillusion. Both were speeches, one by Sir Ashley Bramall, the leader of the ILEA, when he charged his Education Officer, Peter Newsam and his team (of which I was by then a member) to make budget cuts with the words that it was 'time to get rid of some of the expensive horses in the ILEA's many stables, as not all of them are winners'. This was in the same year (1976) as Jim Callaghan's Ruskin speech, the impact of which was to be long lasting and the tone of which signalled the end of the unqualified trust and hope afforded to educational professionals for so long. The curriculum once dubbed a 'secret garden' by a Minister of Education was soon to lose its professional mysteries.
Both these speeches made me realise only too clearly that the post-war consensus was well and truly over. It hadn't yet given way to a third age, as it would in the mid-1980s, of 'markets and managerialism'. But doubt and disillusion were pervasive.
When I took up post in Oxfordshire in 1978, LEAs received another circular enquiring forensically into their curricular oversight. It was clearly a precursor to other action. I set out from a local position to try to influence the direction of national policy. At first it was as a result of an apparent crisis, which we were able to turn into an advantage.
On arrival from the ILEA – an unlikely source for such an appointment by a Conservative-dominated council – the chairman of Oxfordshire's Education Committee, Brigadier Streatfeild, charged with making large cuts, informed me that in his view the best way of doing this was to dismiss 200 teachers. This was where my knowledge of what was called the 'uncapped pool' came in handy. I knew there was no limit on the number of teachers who could be seconded for a term or a year at approved courses at the polytechnics or universities. To the superficially informed, an impenetrable barrier seemed to be that the sending LEA had to pay for a quarter of the salary costs of the seconded teacher. It was possible on closer examination to see that, if an LEA seconded a senior teacher, the costs of a quarter of her salary plus a temporary allowance for the person replacing her, together with the salary costs of Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) – or Probationers as we called them – were less than leaving the teacher where she was. With natural turnover from retirements and teachers moving on, it was easy to see that seconding senior teachers to such courses would solve our financial problems, provided that we could ensure that teachers could continue to live at home. Brigadier Streatfeild, once convinced of the arithmetic, needed no further persuading. Discussions quickly followed with the Oxford University Department of Educational Studies where Harry Judge was Director and with Brian Tongue, the Deputy at Oxford Polytechnic (now Oxford Brookes University). Each was willing and inventive in creating new courses that might be suitable for curriculum thinkers among the teaching profession.
It was all very well to solve a local financial crisis, but I wanted to use it to change national policies in directions that would benefit children's experience of school. In one sense it would do so, in that nobody previously had tried to breathe reality into the recommendations of the James Committee (of which Harry Judge had been a member) that the Continuous Professional Development of teachers should be taken seriously and that, among the measures to achieve this, teachers should have an entitlement to 'sabbaticals'. In effect that's what our solution to a budget cut would ensure, but we wanted more. A couple of years earlier, Michael Rutter had published '15,000 hours: secondary schools and their effects on children', which was the first substantial piece of research that showed that schools and how they are organised make a difference to children's achievement. Oxfordshire secondary heads at the time were very interested in finding ways to improve what was going on. Feeding the intellectual curiosity of teachers through engaging them in self-chosen study in groups and on topics relevant to practice would help. Notwithstanding the cuts and falling rolls, causing the LEA to close some schools, heads and teachers in Oxfordshire recall this period as a golden one, probably as a result both of the secondments and of the sometimes orchestrated purposes for which the teachers took part. Take two examples. Keith Joseph, when Secretary of State, upset local government by announcing that he would top slice up to one half of 1 per cent to fund nationally determined initiatives. He would start with two schemes: one the Technical, Vocational, Educational, Initiative (TVEI) and what was called the Low Attainment Pupil Project (LAPP). Oxfordshire succeeded in a joint bid with Somerset for the latter, and, with Barry Taylor, their
CEO, we focused in part on Feuerstein's work in what we called the 'Thinking Skills' project. Taylor was intrigued by our capacity to add to the scheme by supporting seconded teachers who engaged in action research while carrying out their courses at the polytechnic or the university department.
Once the finances of the pooling device were shared with Taylor and his counterparts, Andrew Fairbairn and Bob Aitken, in Leicestershire and Coventry, respectively, we discussed an ambitious attempt to revolutionise what we saw as a divisive and limiting secondary exam system of GCEs and CSEs. What if such a system could be seen within the context of a broader assessment of pupils' achievements in what we would call the Oxford Certificate of Educational Achievement (OCEA), which would be accredited by Oxford University through its Delegacy of Local Examinations – then a GCE board, on which I sat as a delegate by virtue of holding my post? It would have three parts, one a 'G' part focusing on graded assessments of skills that could be assessed; another, an 'E' part containing records of exam success; and a third, a 'P' section attempting to record personal development. We could second teachers to Harry Judge's department and have them working with the Delegacy in devising the detail.
I simultaneously worked with two colleagues, Gordon Hainsworth (CEO of Gateshead and then of Manchester) and Bill Stubbs, a former colleague in ILEA and Peter Newsam's successor as its Education Officer: they too were promoting, with the Northern and London GCE boards, respectively, developments similar to OCEA. We thought it would be irresistible as it appeared simultaneously in different parts of the country. In practice it was taken over by DfE and ruined by imposition as a National Record of Achievement (NRA). In the process of universal prescription it lost the energy of its teaching progenitors.
Harry Judge was effectively my mentor in those years; a better or wiser one it would be hard to find. He had other plans for affecting policy through local innovation. He had long been doubtful about the effectiveness of the university model for PGCE. Impressed by medical analogy and some models elsewhere, he launched the Internship scheme, which effectively turned the PGCE into a partnership with schools, all of whom through their participation were inclined to focus anew on teaching and learning and staff development. In the years that were to follow, the Oxford Internship scheme shifted the balance of theory and practice and of university and school.
All these exciting ventures were happening at a time of cuts in the age of national 'Doubt and Disillusion'. In short, some of us were behaving as though the virtues of the previous age – strong LEAs and partnerships with heads and teachers in exciting development of the curriculum – still existed. Of course we could read the runes of a new age, but we enjoyed ourselves as we searched for the characteristics of the age that would emerge.
## The age of markets and managerialism
Margaret Thatcher's election in 1979 ushered in an economic policy that set the defining features of this age, which was taken on by New Labour when they were elected in 1997. All the White Papers contained mantra words – 'choice', 'autonomy', 'diversity'; much mention too of 'accountability', with some exhortation towards 'equity' and of course 'excellence'. If the state was going to unleash market forces, it realised it had to regulate.
Just prior to my arrival in Oxfordshire, the council formally resolved 'to publish exam results so that parents could make a better choice of school' – 15 years before publication became a national requirement, and 3 years before parental preference became a required feature of admission to schools arrangements. Encouraged by Brigadier Streatfeild, I had supper with John Redwood, formerly a councillor and shortly to be head of Mrs Thatcher's Policy Unit. His views – to privatise everything and create a quasi-market in education – seemed bizarre at the time and certainly eccentric to the Brigadier, whose background was steeped in public service. The Brigadier encouraged me to think of ways to head off the worst possibilities of accountability. I rejected the idea of local inspectors, because it seemed unlikely that LEA advisers would walk the tightrope of being a 'critical friend' by avoiding the Scylla of 'hostile witness' or the Charybdis of 'uncritical lover'. Instead, we set up a four-year cycle of 'School Self-Evaluation' backed by a stimulating set of questions, 'Starting Points in Self-Evaluation', with the schools involving their staff and a selected outside professional. The outcome was their presenting to a small group of councillors, including the member local to the school.
Finally, I encouraged teachers, parents and governors to respond to Kenneth Baker's 1987 consultation on the 1987 Reform Bill. Local Management of Schools (LMS) seemed long overdue, as the practice of stipulating what a school should spend in great detail seemed antiquated. Removing from schools power over what is taught seemed to me entirely wrong. I wrote a 600-word piece, 'First Steps on a Downward Path', for The Observer, comparing the government with the 'authoritarian church states of the 16th century' and, conjuring 'images of brown and black', I worried 'for my grandchildren'. It provoked a strong reaction, including my having to sit through a Conservative censure motion in the council chamber that was lost, because the council was by then 'hung'. I could not continue to lead a community when all I had fought for seemed lost. I was no longer credible as a leader who could make sense of the external world to the teachers.
I accepted a job at Keele University as Professor and Head of Education Department to start in 1989. So it was from this academic vantage point that I saw LEAs lose their Colleges of FE, Polytechnics and the Colleges of Education. GCSE results were published as league tables, as would be Key Stage 2 SAT results for primary schools in due course. Ofsted was created, and the outcomes of regular inspections of schools were published, as was the name of the first 'failing' school. Meanwhile at Keele, I introduced the Oxford model of the PGCE, taught in schools and the university, supervised Masters and Doctorate students, founded a Centre for Successful Schooling, read voraciously, wrote about school improvement that was fascinating me, and campaigned for a movement called 'Towards a New Education Act' (TANEA). However, if one wanted to influence national policy, being in a university wasn't a good place to be effective.
In 1993 I started a ten-year period as Chief Education Officer in Birmingham. With no responsibility for further and higher education as a result of government action, and with responsibilities for the youth service, adult education and the libraries given to other chief officers, I focused on pre-school and schools, which were my first loves in any case. Armed with a set of recommendations for improvement from an independent enquiry and report chaired by Ted Wragg, and with excellent data, we set about transforming expectations and outcomes in the city. This was not something confined to the professionals: the whole city was caught up in our determination each year 'to improve on previous best'. We harnessed the considerable 'common wealth' of the city – art galleries, music, universities and other performances and the like – to establish a set of experiences or entitlements that we asserted all children should have. Schools were the guardians who would make sure they had them. Simultaneously with teachers and heads we shared a common language and map of school improvement and set targets for improvement from the 'bottom-up' rather than, as the government later imposed, the 'top-down'. We were determined to change the culture of a city, at least so far as education was concerned. After a couple of years, the data (which we collected meticulously and used imaginatively to encourage 'school-to-school' learning) suggested we were succeeding, although, in our efforts to improve, we were hampered by the DfE's inability or unwillingness to give us comparative data by ethnic and socio-economic groups. Instead, we used anecdote to help us search out what might be better practice in other LEAs. Schools enthusiastically embraced the agenda and co-operated one with another in a quest for ever-better practice and outcomes. Between 1993 and 1997, we did this largely unnoticed beyond the city, but one of the local MPs, Estelle Morris, invited David Blunkett frequently for discussions, and I was part of a small group that helped him and Tony Blair prepare their education priorities for government. Indeed, after their election, Blunkett had wanted me to work full-time in a post eventually given to Michael Barber. I had refused, partly because I knew the work with Birmingham was not yet fully rooted, partly because I loved the city and its people and partly because I knew I would fall out with David Blunkett over method. He was inclined to national prescription and imposition, which seemed unlikely to work in somewhere as vast as England. My experience suggested it would breed professional resentment and a loss of teacher energy, which is so vital to school success. In the years after 1997, both David Blunkett and Estelle Morris would tell me when I complained of their agenda that all they were doing was what they had learned worked in Birmingham. In vain did I explain that the agenda – well, most of it – might be fine, but the language (always emphasising failure and 'zero-tolerance') and the method of introducing it were counter-productive.
It is hard to overestimate the excitement of having a government that put education at the top of its agenda. I was offered the Chair of the Standards Task Force by David Blunkett, who withdrew the offer on the grounds that, for it to make a difference, he needed to chair it, but I could be vice-chair. He then made a big request that I should be joint vice-chair with Chris Woodhead, HMCI and head of Ofsted, which, as I thought then and have done ever since, needed total reform. He and I did not get on, as any glance at newspaper coverage of our fairly public disagreements at that time will testify. But I accepted to help in what I saw as a huge opportunity for education to make the difference it could when put centre stage of public policy. I soon saw, however, that the Task Force had little influence and wasn't sorry to resign when Woodhead's 'pilot' inspection of LEAs was taking place in Birmingham and was going to demand all my time to handle, if damage was to be avoided.
I had anticipated, wrongly as it turned out, that New Labour would re-establish 'planning' as a watchword to accompany and limit 'choice', 'diversity', 'autonomy' and 'accountability' in the mantra lexicon of the new government's policy and practice. Certainly they emphasised 'equity' and took many measures designed to make the schooling system less unequal and unfair, especially in the early years where they introduced and exceeded all the measures contained in Mrs Thatcher's stillborn Framework for Expansion White Paper of 1971. Nevertheless, we were still in an age of 'markets and managerialism': indeed, New Labour consolidated their influence. The first 15 failing schools were named and shamed, and 'literacy' and 'numeracy' hours introduced. Their legislation gave yet more powers to the Secretary of State who, from 1945 to 1980, had but three and, by 2015, had added another 2,000 powers, with over 3,000 schools run by direct private contracts with him.
## The London challenge
By 2002, with a second LEA inspection behind me, it was time to retire. But Estelle Morris, by then Secretary of State, had other ideas. London had become synonymous with all that was wrong in education, just as Birmingham had been a decade earlier. Neither reputation was deserved and was more the result of a bad press. Would I be interested in becoming Commissioner for London School and running the London Challenge? It was an irresistible temptation. I was to be given a 'more or less free hand'.
I had written a no-holds-barred attack on markets and managerialism as the Caroline Benn–Brian Simon memorial lecture in 2002, 'Dreams and Nightmares', speculating about two possible scenarios of ever-widening hierarchies of schools in urban areas, on the one hand, the product of market competitions, and, on the other hand, of partnerships of schools in an area, working interdependently and committed to pooling their ideas, skills and knowledge and being judged as a group. What I was witnessing was ever-harsher Ofsted regimes, a use of language that emphasised failure, challenge and 'zero tolerance' of whatever undesirable feature one was trying to eradicate. I asked all ministers to read it and only approve my appointment if they did not think it would embarrass them.
The measures put in place and expertly framed in the London Challenge prospectus and carried through by Jon Coles, the ablest civil servant of his generation, included school-to-school support, a Families of Schools database to support learning from each other, a focus on Continuous Professional Development through the Chartered London Teacher scheme and a small group of part-time expert experienced school advisers who would work with schools that elsewhere (and up to that point) DfE classified as 'failing' because of low GCSE results. We dubbed such schools 'Keys to Success' – a subtle but important change of language intended to contribute to a change in culture. After all, if these schools could transform standards, any school could. Name, blame and shame might make good headlines but it set back the chances of improvement, and I was granted some latitude in London, where my experience as deputy to Peter Newsam meant I was remembered, by teachers now leading schools, as somebody who probably understood their circumstances.
In short, in London we were allowed to try a distinctive set of practices that were tailored to London's needs but within national educational policies. What we tried to encourage was professional trust and schools learning from each other, backed by a database that enabled them to see in forensic detail what other schools in similar circumstances were doing. We talked the language of partnership and, by speculating on different solutions working in different contexts, tried to counter the belief in 'one size fits all', which was then prevalent in policy making.
There remained, however, a belief in the overall efficacy of the 'market', as expressed through creating autonomous competitive quasi-independent schools. This had first surfaced with the Grant-Maintained School, which was abandoned as a model by New Labour in 1997 but was about to make a come-back through the Academies movement.
Ten years on, as politicians celebrate the extraordinary success of London schools, and as researchers seek to explain the phenomenon, the seeds sown then are beginning to surface, and the questions crowd in. Agreement about London is by no means the only political pointer to the direction of the educational weathervane. The main parties, presumably aware of the unreasonable pressures on heads and teachers and the imminent shortage of candidates for both, are agreed that Ofsted is no longer fit for purpose and needs reform, that there should be a Royal (or National) College of Teaching, and that the autonomous independent school is an inadequate and unreliable model on which to plan a successful schooling system. Are perhaps partnerships of schools for very clearly stated purposes – including of course school improvement and teachers' continuous professional development – essential? If so, how should they be funded and held accountable? In the age of creativity, which makes new and different demands on schools, are we holding schools themselves accountable for the wrong things?
In short, there are plenty of signs that the Age of Markets and Managerialism may have nearly run its course and may be succeeded by one of Partnerships and Intelligent Accountability, where democratic influence is regional rather than national and where policies are more overtly based on research evidence tempered by an understanding of context rather than on anecdote and personal opinion.
# [13
Schools](content.xhtml#bck_Ch013)
A shifting landscape
Margaret Maden
## Islington Green Comprehensive School
In October 1976, Prime Minister James Callaghan criticised schools, mildly but firmly, in his Ruskin Speech. I was then in my first year of headship at Islington Green Comprehensive School, part of the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA). I was already conscious of growing doubts about schools, not least through a nearby school's headteacher, Dr Rhodes Boyson, and the part he played in the 'Black Papers'. These raised questions about 'progressive' teaching methods, many of which I supported through Schools Council projects such as history, geography for the Young School Leaver, music and humanities. Through these, teachers developed learning materials and pedagogy alongside university curriculum specialists. They were properly trialled and amended in light of classroom experience. The 'progressive' nature of these appeared to be the ambition to democratise more contemporary scholarship and emphasise the modes of learning particular to each discipline. In the hands of able and motivated teachers, Schools Council projects were demonstrably raising standards of thinking and investigation on the part of pupils. Insufficient evaluation of their impact probably aided those who valued, above all else, more traditional syllabi and rote learning.
Several teachers at Islington Green welcomed the more comfortable challenge-free implications of the Black Papers, something not intended by their authors. The rhetoric at this time now seems naïve. It was, of course, in a context when the secondary school curriculum was primarily determined by examination boards. In primary schools there was no equivalent framework, and one of my main feeder schools, William Tyndale, deepened my anxiety levels about the mounting worries of many parents. I roused the wrath of NUT friends by expressing public condemnation of its teachers barring access to inspectors and 'unacceptable' school governors. None of its antics helped me at all in my determination to galvanise teachers at my school, not through idle polemics but through hard graft and appointing teachers, once the pupil roll increase permitted, who were imaginative and optimistic about their pupils' capabilities.
In 1977, I was invited to address one of the regional conferences in 'The Great Debate', the response of the Secretary of State, Shirley Williams, to her Prime Minister's expressed concerns about the nation's schools. To my best recollection, this was the first and last time I received, as a headteacher, any communication from central government. How very different now. The outcome of the 'Great Debate' was an advisory Circular in which local education authorities were to devise a 'core curriculum' for their schools and the accumulated knowledge of the Schools Council would be 'considered'. Compared with what followed in the 1980s, this was all 'business as usual' and a bit of fudge. Even at the time, it was clear that significant interest groups, including employers' organisations, were dissatisfied with many school leavers. It was quite common for a mere 20 per cent of 16-year-olds to continue in full-time education and training at the end of their time in a comprehensive school. The gap between high achievers and low achievers was not only greater than today but also seen by many as unbridgeable. Primary schools varied from creative brilliance and impressive outcomes to those characterised by an unstructured lack of challenge.
## The Local Authority – London
So that many more 16–19-year-olds could voluntarily and usefully continue their studies, a changed approach was needed. In Islington, better A-Level teaching was provided through a combined approach, with its ten secondary schools working through a sixth form centre. This evolved from a loose federation to a larger college based in former London County Council Board schools. An initial student enrolment of 300, mainly part-time and still formally enrolled in one of 11 local schools, rose to over 500 in its first year, and increasingly, students were full-time as they consciously opted for the more adult ethos and better outcomes. Economies of scale plus high-level teaching skills meant that a wide range of needs could be supported. This is where the role of the local authority proved positive. It quickly located empty buildings, and its architects did wonders with unpromising conditions, making the physical provision both attractive to staff and students and appropriate in terms of specialist facilities.
The ILEA was an odd mixture of brilliance and frustration for its schools. In quickly and imaginatively responding to post-16 inadequacies in Islington, it was at its best, aided and abetted by a new head of service, Dr William Stubbs, and a new Leader, Councillor Frances Morrell, the latter being a resident of Islington. Additionally, Dr Stubbs ensured that I, as Director-designate, visited successful community colleges in the USA and sixth form colleges in England so as to raise aspirations and strengthen organisational planning. Likewise, money was found so that a core of excellent teachers could be appointed as heads of faculty, with teachers from local schools teaching on a sessional basis.
All schools and colleges benefited from the ILEA's Research and Statistics branch. This generated high-quality data about us and our performance and, equally, promoted good practice exemplars of both a qualitative and quantitative kind. With a powerful inspectorate, subject centres were a godsend, where teachers could immerse themselves in the best of their specialisms and meet each other, irrespective of their headteachers' predilections. In 1979, 15,000 hours (Rutter et al., 1979) was published, a rigorous study of how secondary schools in the ILEA with similar pupil characteristics were highly variable in outcomes and, crucially, why. 'Nowhere now to hide' as one head said. This was a project led by Professor Michael Rutter, leading a team of University of London researchers, including Peter Mortimore, who soon afterwards became Director of the ILEA's Research and Statistics Branch. This kind of expert systemic support and challenge represented the 'middle tier', between central government and individual institutions, at its best.
However, in other regards, the ILEA was cumbersome and aggravating. Limited autonomy for headteachers meant that I could not get into my school unless the school-keeper (janitor) allowed it, neither could I require the school bursar to arrange her holiday leave at a time that made sense to the school; both reported to line managers somewhere else in the ILEA firmament. I was keen, with leading governors and teachers, to develop Islington Green as a community school, combining school and adult education, 'open all hours', which I believed would improve our educational relationship with parents and neighbours. It would also enlarge our students' sense of the value and potential of education. However, I was stopped by the ILEA's Youth and Adult Education service which saw our proposal as a threat and its youth club in the school premises five evenings a week (term time only, of course) as sacrosanct. Visits to Leicestershire's community schools merely made me feel worse. When I managed to get funding from the Manpower Services Commission (MSC) for a School-Work Liaison Officer, several leading ILEA councillors complained, saying 'every school will want one if she gets one'. Only the intervention of senior officers secured this, but the time and angst wasted were absurd. The extension of our successful sixth form centre to other inner London boroughs was likewise stymied by the authority's FE lobby. That successful provision depended on the skills and knowledge of FE colleges as well as schools seemed to be lost in the struggle.
## The Local Authority – Warwickshire
The reconstruction of educational systems, accountabilities and powers proceeded at breakneck speed through the 1980s and beyond. GERBIL – the Great Education Reform Bill – took up hours of angry debate among the traditional 'partners' in the education service. At the end of that decade, I was appointed to Warwickshire County Council as its County Education Officer. Councillors took a calculated risk in appointing an LEA novice, a woman at that, with London experience, but they sniffed the prevailing air and decided that headship experience was a more timely criterion. The education department wit expressed widespread surprise at my appointment, commenting that this was like 'Maradona being appointed to Port Vale'. That Warwickshire staff saw themselves as Port Vale spoke legions about this 'Middle England' local authority. Later accusations of local authority 'control' over schools were and are laughable.
My recent experience as a headteacher and Sixth Form Centre Director was certainly helpful in working constructively with headteachers and governors in this shire authority. Initially, I set up working groups of officers and headteachers to prepare a series of proposals for the council and schools as a response to GERBIL. Not all headteachers welcomed the autonomy that was offered, nor the 'freedoms' associated with devolved budgets. The role of officers and inspectors actually became stronger and more creative as school autonomy increased. From my ILEA days, the setting out of a larger vision, backed up with visiting luminaries from the education world, made many of the 380 schools feel more positive about their possible futures. Some were amused, though worried, to hear Peter Wilby, an experienced education correspondent, tell them that he felt that the new National Curriculum was, in effect, 'Mr Baker's dimly remembered prep school timetable', 'Mr Baker' being the Secretary of State responsible for the new structures being put in place.
It soon became apparent that the amiable days of government circulars were over. Schools were to be more publicly scrutinised and reported on. Quantification and grading were soon the main means of 'quality control'. In most shire counties all this was unheard of, as was any kind of local authority inspection. Advisers were important in encouraging the adoption of newer curricular and pedagogic approaches, but the kind of Quinquennial Review, a local school system inspection that I had experienced in London, was unheard of. The Warwickshire advisory team of 11 was developed as a local inspectorate with a brief to help schools work through and, hopefully, thrive in a quite new world. Some of the traditional advisory work persisted: the art adviser arranged visits for teachers to great galleries, home and abroad, and the music adviser ensured that the County Youth Orchestra was open to all, irrespective of family income, and arranged teacher excursions to major Birmingham concerts. In-service training was increased with a new Professional Centre in Leamington Spa. Helping headteachers and classroom teachers confront a rapidly changing context was our main objective, but not at the cost of some traditional customs and practices. Subject Associations were important and the nearest equivalent, for secondary teachers, to the well-resourced subject centres in London. Before budgets were almost entirely devolved to schools, we paid teachers' subscription costs to these vital national associations.
Nonetheless, the early 1990s were an unsettled period of fear and uncertainty in Shakespeare's leafy county, as a raft of central government reforms were absorbed. The appointment of a rather brilliant hands-on deputy, Eric Wood, settled initial rumblings from the teacher unions, both within and beyond the council. Five further education colleges were largely 'autonomous', irrespective of legislation, although it was clear that an expert County Treasurer's department was still needed for both capital and revenue oversight. There was no evidence that a new government quango, the Further Education Council, improved this situation. The profound changes arising from government reforms were made manageable and largely positive as much by informal exchanges and chat across and between officers, county councillors, governors, union reps and teachers as by hundreds of hours of scrutiny of central government documents and more formal council meetings. These less formal exchanges and insights strengthen the real, rather than posited, 'checks and balances' required in the proper management of public bodies . . . and money. Whitehall doesn't always know best.
## School re-organisation
My final four years in Warwickshire were not easy, certainly in terms of my popularity, but hugely important for the county's 244 primary schools and 37 secondary schools. After witnessing a series of failed attempts to close individual under-subscribed schools and the negative reaction to Labour councillors' proposals to 'comprehensivise' the county's five grammar schools, I increasingly worried about the lack of overall strategy with regard to 'surplus places'. Over 20 per cent of our school capacity was surplus to needs, and this meant that we were asking more fully subscribed schools to pay for empty school desks elsewhere. We could gain more than an additional £2 million annually for schools with a more rational system and this, in turn, would trigger capital spending on improving a rather lacklustre set of buildings to the tune of £29 million. Additionally, as the National Curriculum unfolded with its key stage assessments at ages 7, 11, 14 and 16, it was increasingly apparent that our first, middle and upper school system, which applied overall – except in the south of the county – was inappropriate. This system had transfer ages that cut across the new key stages, and it would be clearer to everyone – parents and governors, as well as teachers – if key stage assessments were aligned, for accountability purposes, to one school for each child's educational phase: primary, then secondary.
A massive planning exercise, based on accurate birth data from the Area Health Authority, housing development information from District and Borough Councils and cost analyses from our own County Treasurer, was further supported by work from Price Waterhouse Coopers, our external auditors. We first consulted on basic principles and objectives, then trialled a range of formative proposals in one of our local divisions, North Warwickshire. Over 30 consultative meetings were held, all with predictable results. 'Go away' was the general message. The local Labour MP wanted me sacked. A former NUM member who was the Education committee's Deputy Chair voted for the proposals, even though two of 'his schools' were lined up for closure. He lost his seat at the next local elections because of doing what he believed was right for children. There were threats to 'opt out', as schools sought an escape route through grant-maintained status in order to evade the 'County Plan'. Secondary schools supported the proposals, as they would acquire an extra year group of pupils from the middle schools, as well as new buildings to support these. Over the following three years, as the whole county was involved, some 400 consultative meetings were held. Highly effective officers led these and took a whole load of stick. Senior officers, myself included, alongside leading councillors, attended many meetings under a vow of silence, concentrating on listening to the arguments as they raged on. At one such meeting, the Permanent Secretary from the DES sat silently at the back of the village hall, commenting later, 'I was surprised at the intensity of feelings expressed'. Indeed. On another occasion, when leaving a particularly heated consultative meeting, I saw that the tyres of my car had been cut. On a welcome Saturday break in Stratford-upon-Avon's Jaeger shop, I was concluding a purchase of clothes when the assistant looked at my VISA card and shrieked, 'Oh you're that awful woman who's trying to close all our schools'.
Final approval had to be secured from the Secretary of State for Education. A delegation of leading councillors and myself were able to present our case to the then Minister of Schools, Robin Squire, and sitting there was the Secretary of State, Gillian Shephard. We were courteously treated and on leaving, Gillian Shephard said to me, 'My husband sends you his warmest regards'. Thank goodness her husband was a former headteacher and knew me through that oddly masonic clan. We were fortunate that she was in office and not her predecessor, John Patten. As she had warned me, 'I'll have to let a few go GM you know', and indeed, of the 197 schools for whom legal notices had to be issued for restructuring purposes, five were allowed to 'opt out' and become grant maintained, outside the Local Authority. Actual site closures amounted to 30. These were hotly disputed and they were primarily very small rural schools. We learned that an inverse ratio operates: smallness and rurality of school equal largeness and fury of objections. The Deputy Secretary at the Department of Education and Science later told me that the Warwickshire school re-organisation scheme was the largest the Department or former Ministry of Education had received since the 1944 Act first established the ground rules.
The local passions roused and expressed are now avoided in that local authorities no longer close or open schools. The presumption is that new schools will either be Academies or Free Schools with sponsors, not needing to survey the intricate needs of localities or regions. Whitehall has assumed for itself the boring-sounding but vital business of ensuring that there are sufficient school places for children, ideally, in locations helpful to parents, but all this is done without deep local knowledge. The escalation of performance tables and Ofsted reports means that many parents 'shop around' much more, and so it is that a 'rational' approach to the location, size and type of school is impossible. School closures are assumed to result from market forces, which also encourage the promotion of 'Free Schools', which parents and particular local interest groups set up, irrespective of 'basic need' or the connections to, or impact on, other schools. The growth of multiple faith schools is also evident; that our Warwickshire proposals were underwritten by both the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Authorities was important. I was immensely gratified when the Bishop of Coventry came with me to persuade the Conservative MP in Stratford-upon-Avon to support our plan. We failed totally.
Neither in-depth consultation rooted in locality nor value for money is now considered. By value for money, I mean securing whatever funds are available for classroom work and the finest buildings possible for schools and colleges. Warwickshire's early 1990s re-organisation provided much better buildings across the county and increased spending per pupil, much more equitably spread. Warwickshire's administrative costs as a local education authority remained modest at 73 per cent of the English county average. Hard though the consultation exercise was, it represented public debate at its best, with significant modifications to the officers' original proposals emerging from those long, tortuous exchanges.
## National Commission on Education
In 1991, following Sir Claus Moser's British Association for the Advancement of Science presidential speech, the National Commission on Education was established. A two-year investigation, equivalent to earlier government-sponsored enquiries, was funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation. I was one of the Commission's 16 members, and we were asked to investigate and take stock of the rapid changes, which had been set in train during the 1980s in particular. However, the main task was to look ahead some 25 years and think about educational goals and training needs in a way that responded creatively to both economic and social circumstances and 'the needs and aspirations of people throughout their lives'. Our Chair was Lord Walton of Detchant, with much medical educational experience, and other members represented all sectors and phases of education as well as industry and commerce.
The final report, 'Learning to Succeed' (National Commission on Education, 1993), was well received, primarily because our analysis and recommendations were powerfully argued and substantiated with evidence. High-quality research was commissioned, so that the report was rooted in empirical findings, not just from within England and Wales, but also from international studies.
That large-scale, well-resourced and researched commissions of enquiry are now consigned to history is depressing. The current pace of change and rapid reform are not inevitable and are often damaging to those who provide and receive education. Frequent initiatives and shifts of policy require an evidential base as well as every effort to involve and win over the support of teachers, in particular. Germany bucked this trend when it investigated and took action on its low ranking in the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) tables, and this was a ten-year exercise (2002–2012). It stressed that 'a much improved research establishment has now fed into teacher training so that teachers are enabled to analyse and diagnose their students' specific problems' (OECD, 2011). In all high-performing systems, there is a similar emphasis on a strong relationship between universities and schools and colleges. In England, Free Schools are allowed, perhaps encouraged, to employ unqualified teachers. However, in Scotland, headteachers are to be required to continue their understanding and knowledge through Masters' courses, and the Scottish government's review of teacher training in 2011 stressed that, for teachers, 'the values and intellectual challenges which underpin academic study should extend their own scholarship and practice, equally' (Scottish Parliament, 2011).
## The Centre for Successful Schools
From the National Commission on Education (1996) came 'Success Against the Odds', a series of case studies of 11 UK schools where pupils demonstrating significant disadvantage had succeeded 'against the odds'.
In this project, well-respected researchers forensically examined the factors that seemed to explain the schools' successes. Published in 1996, it coincided with my move to Keele University as the Director of the Centre for Successful Schools, originally set up by Tim Brighouse. As I read more, visited scores of schools and was asked to speak about the 11 schools in the National Commission's study, it occurred to me that a follow-up study was needed. Five years later, the original team returned to the schools to check on their further progress and found a range of significant changes, with one school having effectively collapsed. Lessons from this school were as instructive as the others who had continued their upward progress, but in markedly different ways. Success Against the Odds: Five Years On (Maden, 2001) is still being widely read, mainly by practitioners in and around schools. This contrasted with increasing amounts of educational research, as I rapidly learned.
I worked at Keele on a half-time contract, but was there at least three days each week. It was an odd experience, after working in schools and a local authority. In the latter, there was a daily sense of collegiality, not always smooth or consensual, but nonetheless materially evident. Meeting and greeting from 8 a.m. or earlier, planned or chance encounters throughout the day all featured as 'work'. Gradual development, in Warwickshire, of 'working from home' was piloted as computers became more important. It was necessary in trialling this to define where and when face-to-face exchanges were needed and preferable. This emerged as an effective and welcome practice.
At Keele, there was not any tradition of day-to-day, hour-by-hour, 'social' working. The 8–9 morning start didn't exist. Many meetings with lecturers were arranged by students through an appointments system rather than through chance encounters. Staff didn't seem to work as a collegium, rather odd given the origin of that term. Increasingly, email exchanges predominated (now text messaging, no doubt). Starting in the late 1990s, more research was needed for the maintenance and improvement of the university's income and reputation. The Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), followed by the Research Excellence Framework (REF), increasingly dominates the work and ethos of university departments. However, when the bulk of 'output' is teachers and other education practitioners, this can sometimes lead to conflicts of interest. In some cases, an older practitioner-learning tradition has left some staff stranded, trying, as required, to produce more esoteric research and publications.
Ofsted now inspects university education departments, so that the vocational preparation of teachers is judged and ranked. With the rise of school-based teacher training through the newer First and Schools Direct schemes, these departments are thus under the additional strain of competition. This, combined with the pressures of the REF, has led some universities to question the continuing role and existence of their education departments' vocational training work. To date, Warwick, Bath and Sheffield have closed their Post Graduate Certificate of Education programmes rather than invest in their improvement along Ofsted lines, especially if the education research output is not helping to raise the university's REF ranking and income.
A welcome change to REF in 2014 was the requirement placed on universities to demonstrate the impact of research on practice, not simply in education. It is certainly in the interests of schools that practice and innovation should be rooted in research, often of an empirical kind. The opposing of practice and theory is extremely damaging. Medical education is rooted in research as well as in practitioner advances and reflection. The same should apply to teacher training and continuous professional development.
## Reflecting on the 'middle tier'
In 2003, the post of Chief Education Officer was abolished when the recommendations of the White Paper 'Every Child Matters' were put in place through Parliament. The reaction to the Victoria Climbié case in Haringey had led to understandable consternation about the public protection of such children, and subsequent events have confirmed this anxiety. Whether the removal of local educational leadership and co-ordination should have been wrapped up in this is a separate matter. I followed up my Warwickshire experiences by writing about 'the middle tier' in education and finding out how these matters were handled elsewhere.
Through my involvement in OECD reviews – Russia and Hesse, Germany – and a special study of Midi-Pyrénées in France (Maden, 2000), as well as attending Council of Europe and OECD seminars on school improvement, I tried to define why and how some kind of middle tier was necessary and helpful in the continuous development of schools and colleges. It was clear that greater 'school autonomy' was being thought about elsewhere, but it was seen as a high-risk strategy if taken too far, especially if a school's improvement halted or stuttered. Experience and expertise should be available locally, both to identify emerging problems and to advise and know where relevant support is to be found. Whether this person is in a local authority as currently organised is arguable, but there certainly needs to be a statutory body employing such advisers.
Related to this is the role of a local or sub-regional authority in tasks that even the best schools cannot carry out, but that affect how well children and young people thrive. Examples include high-level special needs assessment and provision, specialist arts and sporting facilities and instruction administering school admissions, and planning school places. I would argue that local democratic accountability is intrinsic to most of these for the qualitative reasons I have tried to describe in the Warwickshire planning exercise. Answerability to electors – and even to non-voting parents, if such exist – is a civic good and curbs, if necessary, the over-reaching power of headteachers, local-level officers or government civil servants. While I recognise that international visits and knowledge do not offer ready-made models to emulate, I continue to be impressed by the quality and citizen appreciation of local and regional government in, say, France, Germany and Italy. Our lack of a basic law protecting a middle tier of government from central government forays is damaging to the quality of our civic life.
Irrespective of the civic polity, monitoring school performance and encouraging schools to 'do even better' cannot depend solely on published performance data ('league tables') and popularity with parents on school choice. These indicators do not identify further potential or weaknesses soon enough. Neither will the vital institutional health of a well-motivated and skilled staff be assured through such data.
As a former headteacher, I increasingly question the Hollywood star model of headship – 'l'école c'est moi' now appears to be the underlying precept. The way successful orchestras work interests me, especially following my chairing of the Royal Opera House's Education and Access committee. The idea of supremely skilled, proficient instrumental players, often a bit stroppy, working at ever-higher levels of excellence under the right conductor fascinates me. The von Karajan 'dictator' model is recognisable but limited. The Claudio Abbado model is better: he's described as 'a catalyst', his most frequent urging in rehearsal is 'Listen, listen' (to other sections of the orchestra), and we're told that his work with his players is 'a tectonic generative approach to musical architecture, in which Abbado knows how each part relates to the other, how shifting weights and densities in one part of the score will affect and shape the whole landscape of the symphony' (Service, 2012).
This is a more appropriate model of headship than most others proposed by business leadership consultants. The important role of the audience is also greater than most of us imagine, a 'circle of listening' with orchestra members being clear that this dynamic affects their performance. The pupils and their parents in schools likewise affect outcomes and strategies. The sensitive 'ear' is needed, and we should be cautious about charismatic omnipotence as a worthwhile quality. Potentially excellent headteachers are lost to the profession because of this tendency to promulgate a Dragon's Den model of leadership and obtrusive dynamism.
In recent years I have been a school governor and have observed the intense pressures on headteachers as they worry about an unfavourable Ofsted inspection and the slightest downward shift in published performance tables. Public scrutiny is a good thing, even if occasionally uncomfortable, but when scrutiny overload occurs – as I believe is now happening – the development of teaching and of children's learning is adversely affected. The almost total lack of professional space for any kind of innovation is depressing. It is also self-defeating. The high-stakes model of intensive instruction in Shanghai or Singapore schools has been promulgated by recent Secretaries of State, and yet, more critical appraisals of these are side-stepped (Ravitch, 2014). Meanwhile, the steady teacher-centred Finnish model is ignored, even though its development over three decades has resulted in consistently high outcomes. In Finland, teaching is an enviable profession, with high levels of entry qualification, and turnover is very low, unlike in England. The potential of the teachers I see working now is great but unrealised. Headteachers watch their backs; so do teachers; so do governors. The following of laid-down rules from the centre is paramount. Yet measured outcomes are better than those two or three decades ago. Thus, a move towards more local innovation at classroom level and encouragement of the non-measurable in education should proceed, without losing the positive improvements of recent years. Without such a move, we will lose our best teachers.
## Postscript: the educational undergrowth
From my first job as a geography teacher in Brixton in the 1960s through to a professorial chair at Keele University in the early years of the twenty-first century, I have been conscious of informal networking influences on my professional journey. From early NUT days to The All Souls Group, based in Oxford, making contacts from beyond the particular workplace setting has been enlightening. Around the time of the James Commission, investigating teacher training in the early 1970s, some of us set up SPERTTT, the Society for the Promotion of Educational Reform through Teacher Training, and produced a Penguin Education Special for the good Lord James to savour (Burgess, 1971). Later, while at Islington Green School, the Deputy Chair of governors, Professor Maurice Kogan, asked me to join him in establishing The Ginger Group where, again, rambling discussions in a local restaurant led to publications across and between educational sectors and phases. In The All Souls Group, invited members from senior levels of the civil service, higher and further education, as well as local authorities and schools meet three times a year to listen to and discuss with leading practitioners and theorists. By straddling issues from early years to higher education and demonstrating the connections across and between apparently separate components, we enlarge our sense of what we should be trying to achieve. This is a powerful form of continuing education. Writing also helps to distil and analyse our thoughts and experience. What I am now concerned about is the increased separation of educational professionals into their specialist 'silos'. Quality and innovation are thus diminished.
Finally, over my professional lifetime, the position of women has been a marked characteristic of change, mainly improvement. Being rejected for a deputy headship at age 30 on the basis that a 'strong man' was needed was strange. This was followed by a much better post in an Oxfordshire comprehensive where, on this front, the main problem was my membership of the 'Oxfordshire Senior Mistresses Association', its title denoting the lack, until then, of any female deputy heads in Oxfordshire secondary schools. Inner London was used to doughty women, both elected to the authority and professionally, but my 1988 interview in Warwickshire was marked by elected members not being able to decide whether my student days' membership of the British Communist Party was a worse problem than my gender. In 1993, Jenny Ozga included me in her collection of case studies on women in educational management (Ozga, 1993). She interviewed me, then ruefully observed that my progression through the educational world appeared to have been founded on 'male patronage'. At least, this dubious phenomenon is far less likely to occur today for all those able and talented women who run the education world.
## References
Burgess, T. (ed.) 1971, Dear Lord James: A Critique of Teacher Education. Harmondsworth: Penguin.
Maden, M. 2000, Shifting Gear: Changing Patterns of Governance in Europe. Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham Books.
Maden, M. 2001, Success Against the Odds: Five Years On. London: Routledge-Falmer.
National Commission on Education, 1993, Learning to Succeed. London: Heinemann.
National Commission on Education, 1996, Success Against the Odds: Effective Schools in Disadvantaged Areas. London: Routledge.
OECD, 2011, Education at a Glance, Country Note – Germany. Paris: OECD.
Ozga, J. (ed.) 1993, Women in Educational Management. Buckingham: Open University Press.
Ravitch, D. 2014, The Myth of Chinese Super Schools. New York: New York Review of Books, November.
Rutter, M., Maughan, B., Mortimore, P. and Ouston, J. 1979, 15,000 Hours. Open Books, London.
Scottish Parliament, 2011, Teaching Scotland's Future. Edinburgh.
Service, T. 2012, Music as Alchemy. London: Faber and Faber.
# [14
1944–2015](content.xhtml#bck_Ch014)
Towards the nationalisation of education in England
Sir Peter Newsam
## Teacher and administrator
As a teacher for seven years, my main interest was with what happened inside schools: with the curriculum and in learning how to teach better. Since 1963, as a local education authority administrator in four different education authorities, three of them Conservative led, I was necessarily mostly concerned with what the local authority provided or managed outside the schools and colleges they maintained. Earlier, as a teacher in a grammar school immediately adjoining a secondary modern school, I had become directly aware of, as I saw it, the adverse consequences of the 11+ examination. It was the wrong examination at the wrong age, with damaging consequences for far too many children. It was in 1970, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, as Deputy to Sir Alec Clegg, that I became directly involved in discussions on ending selection in Harrogate; this was managed by a Conservative local authority with the widespread agreement of the parents, teachers and governing bodies concerned. As Deputy, from 1973, and then as Education Officer to the Labour-led Inner London Education Authority, ending selection at 45 grammar schools by 1977 proved rather more difficult. But the system of schools then created has provided the secure platform on which London's parents, teachers and governing bodies have since been able to build so successfully.
## The 1944 Education Act: a national system locally managed
Educationally, the Britain of 2014 is a very different place from when I left school in 1947.
In 1947, victory in two wars had recently been enthusiastically celebrated. Britain was close to bankruptcy, with large parts of its major cities and industrial areas in ruins. India's independence had just been achieved, and it was already evident that the further dissolution of the Empire, over which Britain had ruled and from which it had benefited for many years, could not long be delayed.
In the immediate post-war years, Britain was led by people who had lived through a war against totalitarian government. Many had experienced the war at first hand. They did not intend their hopes for the future to be crushed by apparently insurmountable debt. Britain's successful staging of the 1948 Olympic Games was an early statement of that intent, followed by the Festival of Britain in 1951.
At school, we learned of the proposal for a national health service and for an education system that would provide opportunities for all, of the kind that we had taken for granted. There was a widespread feeling among many of my educated-in-war-time contemporaries that we had a duty to play an active part in our country's future.
So much for 1947. Seventy years later, England, though not the rest of Britain, has moved a long way towards nationalising its education system, without its electorate ever having been invited to say whether it wants that to happen. Any account of how this has come about begins with the Education Act of 1944.
The 1944 Education Act was a continuation of earlier thinking. The terms of the Act were devised by an able group of civil servants, working with a small number of politicians of outstanding competence. In its final form, the Act was warmly welcomed by all the parties involved: Parliament, local authorities, teacher unions, the churches, the general public and even the press.
The first of the 1944 Act's two main achievements was structural. It established a, subsequently abandoned, division between primary and secondary education. Primary schools would cater for children up to the age of 11. Thereafter, all children would attend secondary schools up to the school leaving age, soon to be raised from 14 to 15, and beyond. As part of that restructuring, the Act created a secondary school system out of two very different types of existing school. The publicly funded elementary schools, which since 1870 had provided education for most of the population up to the school leaving age of 14, were combined with a group of mostly fee-charging secondary schools, provided by a whole range of denominational and charitable individuals or agencies, that educated children up to the age of 18.
Restructuring led to many long-established and independently managed secondary schools, some denominational but many not, joining the national system as voluntary aided (VA) schools. As they brought their land, their school buildings and their teachers into the national system, these VA schools were allowed to retain important elements of their independent status. VA school trustees formed the majority on the governing body, retained the right to appoint their own staff, to develop their own curriculum and to decide which children to admit to their school. The incorporation of many of these essentially independent schools into the national system for England and Wales was a great achievement. It made possible a stated aim of the Act: secondary education for all.
The 1944 Act's second main achievement was to establish a school system that reflected the values of a democratic society. The Act had been drafted during a war against totalitarian governments in which institutions like schools, and what was taught inside them, were directly controlled by the government. The civil servants and politicians who developed the Act and the Parliament that approved it were unitedly determined to create a structure that would make such a development in England impossible. To that end, the Act ensured that responsibility for the management of education in England and Wales would be shared between the government, elected by the national electorate, and local education authorities, elected by a local electorate. Accordingly, no publicly funded school could become wholly dependent for its wellbeing or its existence on either local or national government acting alone. Neither could open, close or change the character of any publicly funded school without the agreement of the other. Proposals for a new or significantly enlarged school had to be published locally, either by the local authority or by a group of proposers. Any such proposals were then subject to consultation locally. Proposals, with any objections to them, were then sent by the local authority to the Secretary of State. His role was to approve, amend or reject these proposals. For his part, the Secretary of State could not open, close or change the character of any school. He had to await a proposal to do that from the local authority that either already was or would be maintaining it. The 1944 Education Act made it impossible for any school in England or Wales to be directly controlled by an individual government minister or by any individual local authority, because neither could act without the agreement of the other.
The 1944 Act placed a general duty on local education authorities to provide secondary education in schools, 'offering such variety of instruction and training as may be desirable in view of their different ages, abilities and aptitudes'. The Act did not stipulate how this was to be done. It was left for local education authorities to submit their plans on how they intended to meet these requirements. The terms 'grammar school', 'secondary modern school' or 'technical school' do not appear in the Act, but the government had made known its preference for a secondary school system consisting of these three types of secondary school. At a time of acute financial difficulty, this preference for what became known as the 'tri-partite' system was understandable. It broadly fitted the structure of schools already in use and was widely adopted. Existing secondary schools became grammar schools that selected their pupils as they left their primary schools; elementary schools, once primary-aged children were provided for elsewhere, were adapted to become secondary modern schools. Technical schools were provided wherever that proved possible.
The preference of a government for a tri-partite system had no statutory force. Accordingly, several local education authorities, including the London County Council and the West Riding of Yorkshire, decided to meet the age, ability and aptitude criteria by combining in one school what the tri-partite system took to be three different types of pupil requiring three different types of education in three different types of school. Schools designed to meet the full range of the 'aptitudes and abilities' of pupils within one secondary school, rather than between three, became known as 'comprehensive' schools. The London School Plan of 1947 set out the London County Council's reasons for providing schools of that nature.
A second example of shared responsibilities between central and local government was the way in which school places were provided during the post-war years of sharply rising school numbers. Under the Act, the duty to secure sufficient and suitable school places was the responsibility of local government. Central government's role was to control the total amount of expenditure involved and to approve or reject major building schemes proposed by individual local authorities. Governments had to ensure that their own national priorities were met. The most important of these was ensuring that sufficient funds were available to provide 'roofs over heads', schools needed to cater for rising school numbers. Between 1947 and the mid 1960s, local education authorities and successive governments worked together to provide over five million school places within tightly controlled cost limits. The efficiency with which the Department for Education's Buildings Branch helped to make this possible was widely recognised within local government and nationwide.
A third aim of the Act had been to extend the amount and to improve the quality of technical and vocational education. In this, it failed. The cost of the school places needed to raise the school leaving age to 15 meant there was little money left to spend on creating the technical schools required or on the system of national part-time day release the Act had designed to provide continued training for those entering employment on leaving school. These constraints meant that the need to provide systematically for such training, first identified in the latter part of the nineteenth century and only partially developed following the 1918 Education Act, was still not dealt with successfully by the 1944 Act. Despite sporadic efforts to remedy this problem, notably by Kenneth Baker in 1988, it remains largely unresolved in 2014.
## The school curriculum
The 1944 Act deliberately did not deal with the school curriculum. It was not seen as the role of local or central government in a democratic society to require schools to teach pupils particular things in any particular way. Until the late nineteenth century, publicly funded schools in England had been required to work within a nationally prescribed curriculum. Teachers were paid on a set of measurable results achieved by their pupils. After some 20 years, there was general agreement that 'payment by results' had failed.
Under the 1902 Education Act, education became the responsibility of all-purpose local councils, as opposed to single-purpose school boards. In 1904, the Board of Education issued a Prefatory Memorandum, setting out the general aim of the elementary school. The Memorandum contained the following paragraph:
The only uniformity of practice that the Board of Education desire to see in the teaching of Public Elementary Schools is that each teacher shall think for himself, and work out for himself, such methods of teaching as may use his powers to the best advantage and be best suited to the particular needs and conditions of the school.
Subsequently, the Board provided a handbook of Suggestions for Teachers in Elementary Schools. These suggestions covered all aspects of the curriculum and reflected an unchanged approach of successive governments to the role of teachers that lasted until the late 1970s.
Suggestions for teachers in secondary schools were not considered necessary. It was left for a variety of examination boards, working with universities and schools, to cause teachers to adapt their teaching, so far as they thought this necessary, to the questions posed by the examinations themselves.
The 1944 Act did not change the government's attitude towards the primary school curriculum. In 1949, the foreword to the Ministry of Education's publication, Story of a School, simply reproduced the words of the 1931 Consultative Committee's Report on the Primary School:
Instead of the junior schools performing their proper and highly important function of fostering the potentialities of children at an age when their minds are nimble and receptive, their curiosity strong, their imagination fertile and their spirits high, the curriculum is too often cramped and distorted by over-emphasis on examinations subjects and on ways and means of defeating the examiners. The blame for this lies not with the teachers but with the system.
## 1960s: a period of major reports
In 1966, the Plowden Report on the Primary School broadly endorsed this approach to the primary school curriculum. Commentators with an insecure grasp of the history of English education interpreted what had been endorsed by successive governments since 1904 as an example of the supposedly collapsing standards of the 1960s. The evidence, contained in an appendix to the Plowden Report, of the marked improvement in reading standards over the previous 20 years was ignored.
The Department's circular Number 10 in 1965 is an often quoted, but evidently seldom read, example of the relationship between central and local government under the 1944 Act. The circular took the form of a request to local authorities to submit plans for developing comprehensive schools. Requests by circular lacked the force of statute; so local authorities could not be required to respond to the circular. Most did, but others did not. Those that did could not be required to carry out any proposals they had decided to submit.
The 30 years between the 1944 Act and the early 1970s saw little substantial educational legislation, but a succession of well-researched reports on primary, secondary and higher education were published. These included the Crowther (1959), Newsom (1963), Robbins (1963) and Plowden (1967) Reports. The research appendices of these reports ensured that administrators and politicians alike did not lack facts, as well as opinions, on which they could base their decisions.
The 1944 Education Act had staying power. It was based on widely shared principles of the place of education in a democratic society. Its provisions underpinned the expansion and improvement of the education service in England and Wales for some 25 years and created, in the words of Sir William Alexander, a national system locally administered. It was not until early in the 1970s, at which point Part 1 of this autobiography ends, that this balance of responsibilities between local and central government showed the first signs of developing into a national system nationally administered.
## 1972 to 1982: the decline of local authorities
It was during these years that the educational role of local authorities in England, either by accident or design, began to decline.
In 1966, the government had established a Royal Commission on Local Government outside London. In June 1969, the Commission's Report was presented to Parliament. So far as education was concerned, the Report made two crucial proposals and issued a warning. The first proposal was that, to be able to act as a full partner with central government, local education authorities needed to be much larger than many existing ones. The evidence from HMI, the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, local authorities and the Department for Education all indicated that large education services performed better than small ones, some of which were doing poorly. The Commission therefore proposed the creation of 78 education authorities, outside London, with a preferred population of 500,000 and a minimum size of 250,000. These 78 would replace 124 existing education authorities and the 156 other local government bodies with some responsibilities for education.
A second proposal was that, even with larger local authorities, some elements of education, such as further education, would need to be dealt with at a provincial level. The Commission suggested that the newly formed local authorities should, to deal with these issues, appoint some of their members to form eight provincial councils. The Commission did not recommend that a provincial council should be an independently elected body.
In 1970, the government set aside the Commission's recommendations, notably on the need for some provincial local authority presence. Eventually, under the 1972 Local Government Act, 97 local education authorities were created instead of the 78 proposed. In Yorkshire, 13 local authorities, some of which have, predictably, since functioned poorly, were created in place of the five much larger ones proposed by the Royal Commission.
The Commission's powerfully stated prediction that, if local government was not reformed in the way it proposed, 'local government will be increasingly discredited and will be gradually replaced by agencies of central government' has since proved correct.
A second development that substantially reduced the capacity, even the will, of some local authorities to carry out a full range of educational functions was initiated by local government itself. The Bains Report of 1972 was produced by a group of local authority chief clerks. Historically, functional legislation was administered by functional government departments. So educational legislation was devised and administered by a national education department. Similarly, health, police, housing and so on were administered by separate government departments, each responsible for the legislation relating to their function. Until the 1970s, local government committees were organised in much the same way. Senior education officials in local government, working with their education committees, dealt directly with their opposite numbers in the national Department for Education. Similarly, political leaders of education in a local authority dealt directly with education ministers. Both had detailed knowledge of the legislation they were dealing with. Nationally, until the mid-1970s, leaders of local authority education committees and their senior officials formed the highly influential Association of Education Committees. For many of these years, Sir William Alexander, as its Secretary, was able to represent the views of local education authorities directly to senior officials in the Department and to its ministers.
From 1974, most local authorities outside London became corporately managed. Once received by local government, money provided or expenditure authorised by central government departments was, to a varying extent, distributed in accordance with local government priorities rather than those of the government department that was its source. The managerial logic of corporate local government is indisputable; its practical and political consequences for the education service were disastrous, culminating in 2010 in the government removing the word 'education' from the term 'local education authority'. Under the 1944 Act, the local management of schools was the responsibility of education-specific local authorities, with their own chief officer holding the statutorily required office of chief education officer. All that was set aside, and the management of education was no longer seen by politicians, few with any experience of either, as a specific function.
While local government became corporate, government departments stayed functional and could no longer rely on corporate local education authorities deciding to spend money on the department's national priorities. Having won money from the Treasury for one purpose, ministers and their officials were not content to see it used for some other purpose. As the Royal Commission had predicted, central government's reaction was to create organisations outside local government to perform educational functions that had hitherto been exercised locally. Combined with the failure to create local authorities of an appropriate size and in the absence of the Commission's proposed provincial arrangements, this led to the creation of government agencies such as the Manpower Services Commission, the Learning and Skills Council and, later, Connexions and a series of funding and other such agencies created to do what had earlier been done by local government.
Within local government, newly appointed and corporately minded chief executives saw no reason for particular departments, of which education was by far the largest, to retain direct access to any functional government department. Many actively prevented it. From being a central element of the local authority system, education officers, almost all with teaching as well as administrative experience, found themselves spending much of their time dealing with issues that had little to do with their area of expertise. It was during the 1970s that the role of local authority education officer became less attractive as a career. With the decline of that career structure went much of the expertise and understanding needed to manage even a diminished set of educational responsibilities. In 1977, the authoritative voice for local government's education service ceased with the demise of the Association of Education Committees.
My own direct participation in educational administration ends in 1982. By the end of the 1980s, the role of local authorities in education and, in some of them, even their commitment to the education service itself had been further weakened. In a few urban local authorities, irresponsible behaviour had strengthened the government's general distrust of local government.
## Nationalisation of the curriculum and schools
Between 1988 and 2014, two of the main changes to education in England have been the nationalisation of the school curriculum and, at an increasing rate since 2010, the nationalisation of its publicly funded schools. Nationalisation is here defined as a system under which all important decisions are exercised by a single government minister, accompanied by an actual or potential transfer of assets to the state. This process necessarily requires the elimination of local government and other independent institutions from anything more than a peripheral influence on decisions about the form and content of education, either locally or nationally.
The curriculum of schools in England was nationalised in 1988. This replaced the system whereby, since 1904, governments had provided advice on the curriculum, which schools were encouraged but not required to follow. From 1963, under arrangements originating with the Department for Education, a wider range of advice than in the past had been provided by the Schools Council. The Council's members included representatives of teachers, local authorities, universities, officials from the Department for Education and members of HM Inspectorate. The documents the Council produced, its advice, the research it undertook and the experimental work it supported were designed to encourage good practice. Most of what it produced was of high quality.
In 1976, a speech at Ruskin College by the Prime Minister pointed out that the government had a legitimate interest in the curriculum of schools, and that the balance between the role of local government and central government in dealing with this might well require adjustment. His carefully worded statement left open the question of how and to what extent this adjustment would be made. In the years following the Prime Minister's speech, elements in the Department for Education had come to believe themselves better qualified to deal with the curriculum than the Schools Council. They openly expressed dissatisfaction with the Council's work and commissioned a report on its effectiveness. When the report recommended that the Council should continue, in April 1982 the Secretary of State's response was to stop financing it. That left the way open for the nationalisation of the curriculum in 1988.
During the creation of a statutorily enforceable national curriculum, advice from all quarters on its scope and content was, with rare exceptions, ignored. A complex set of curricular requirements, with an accompanying apparatus for ensuring schools were accountable for meeting these effectively, was given the force of statute. The National Curriculum was poorly constructed and imposed in haste. It has since had to be regularly and expensively revised, with teachers having to be retrained to meet new requirements as these have arisen. In 2014, some schools are still required to comply with it while others are not. Its collapse has been gradual, in recent years punctuated by personal and often ill-considered interventions from government ministers.
The nationalisation of schools in England began, on a small scale, in 1988. Twenty-five years later, that process is well advanced. Nationalisation has gone through three stages, best identified by the ministers most closely associated with them. Each stage began with a good idea. The idea behind the City Technology Colleges (CTCs), promoted by Kenneth Baker, was admirable. New and forward-looking sponsors, with a strong commitment to technical and vocationally relevant education, were invited to create and lead a series of enterprising and self-managed secondary schools. The sponsors of these schools would control the governing bodies, appoint their own staff, develop their own curriculum, decide on which children to admit, and be responsible for the financial management of their school.
In creating these schools, Kenneth Baker was either unaware of or deliberately chose to ignore the fact that schools with almost exactly the same degree of self-governance as CTCs already existed as Voluntary Aided (VA) schools. Many of these had been developed as independent schools during the nineteenth century by city companies, the churches and by individuals such as Miss Beale and Miss Buss. To develop more of such schools with appropriate sponsors would not have been difficult. Two things had to be done. First, the 1944 Act requirement that proposers/sponsors of a new school of the kind required had to provide both site and buildings had to be replaced by the need to make only a token or even no contribution to the cost of the new school. Second, local authorities, in submitting their proposals for a new school in their area, as they had done since the 1944 Act, would have had to be required by the Secretary of State to include any proposal they received for a CTC. The Secretary of State would then have had to consider all such proposals on their merits and to decide which to accept, modify or reject. If he decided to approve a proposal for a CTC, it would then have been for the local authority to find the site and, as in the case of VA schools, convey it to the trustees. Within agreed cost limits, the trustees would then manage the construction of their school.
Kenneth Baker's decision to develop CTCs, in itself a good idea, as government schools instead of VA ones, maintained but not controlled by a local authority, was the first move towards replacing local government's role in education with control of individual schools in England by a government minister.
No prime minister since 1997 has been educated in a publicly funded school in England or later had any personal association with the management of any such school. This lack of understanding has made it possible for unelected and inexperienced policy advisers to play an increasingly important role in formulating educational policy. One such adviser, Andrew Adonis, later ennobled as Minister for Schools, had an excellent idea. This was to encourage enterprising groups of sponsors to run independently managed and newly built schools in areas of poor performance. Like Kenneth Baker, he was apparently unaware that the VA model could provide the legally established independent trustees and status that he believed to be necessary. That is presumably why the existence of VA schools is not mentioned in the account Lord Adonis has given of his struggle to develop, against fierce resistance, a type of school that already existed.
## The academy programme
In developing academies in the form of Kenneth Baker's CTC model of school governance, the Secretary of State was authorised, under section 65 of the Education Act 2002, to enter into a contract with 'any person' to 'establish and maintain' a school, at public expense. Contracts formed in this way are at the heart of the academy programme. As the governance structure of VA schools makes clear, academy 'freedoms' can be secured without any such contract. Although, in themselves, contracts serve no useful educational or administrative purpose, what academy funding contracts successfully do – as they are clearly intended to do – is place the minister concerned in ultimate control of the schools or groups of schools contracted to him. Contracts leave it to an individual government minister, the Secretary of State, to determine exactly how much money each school contracted to him receives to run itself each year. If the governing body of any school dependent on a single politician in this way believes itself to be 'independent', it runs a severe risk of deluding itself.
Labour's enthusiasm for contracts in the form of funding agreements has caused a clause to be inserted that reads: 'the Academy Trust cannot assign this agreement'. But the Secretary of State can, and some future one may well decide to assign many hundreds of his contracts to other agencies to manage.
Academies, as essentially government schools, paved the way for Michael Gove. His declared intention has been that all schools in England, willingly or otherwise, should have rolling 7-year contracts with him, terminable by either party after due notice. In giving a Secretary of State what amounts to direct control of an increasing number of England's schools, contracts potentially involve a huge transfer of assets to the state. On becoming contracted to the Secretary of State as an academy, the trustees acquire the site and buildings of any school built and paid for by a local authority. If the Secretary of State's funding contract with those trustees is terminated, that property reverts to the Secretary of State and not to the local authority that originally paid for it. The academy programme is a nationalisation of local assets process in waiting.
As an extension of its legislative approval of the Secretary of State's move to nationalise England's schools, Parliament has further legislated to allow nearly all important decisions about education in England to be made by or on behalf of the Secretary of State, without reference to anyone else, including Parliament itself. Parliament is not a party to the contracts that it has allowed the Secretary of State to make with any set of trustees he finds acceptable. His only evident criterion for establishing the suitability of trustees to run a school at public expense appears to be that they have not been elected by anyone.
The Secretary of State's uninhibited control of education now extends to the examination system, the training or lack of it of teachers, the structure of the governing bodies of academies, including the right to decide whether any of which he disapproves are to be allowed to remain in office, where, whether and at what cost new schools are to be built, and so on.
## What next?
Two consequences of this legislatively authorised control of education by an individual government minister have become evident. The first is that it is very obviously inefficient. Even the straightforward task of relating the number of school places provided to the number of school places required has been mismanaged. Public money is routinely spent on children and students who do not exist. Financial control of academies is defective. Schools are developed where new schools are not needed. This practice of creating extra school places where there are already spare places, apart from wasting money, almost always adversely affects what local schools with spare places can still afford to offer their pupils. Sixth forms are encouraged to proliferate at a time when sufficient teachers of high quality, available to teach a full range of subjects in many existing sixth forms, are lacking. Narrowly defined systems of accountability are created that give teachers perverse incentives for teaching badly. Bad practices are routinely imported from foreign countries. Over the past few years, the list of poorly structured 'initiatives' and ministerial incompetencies has become long and is lengthening.
Control of education by an individual government minister is also leading to increasingly totalitarian behaviour. As Lord Acton put it in 1887, power that verges on the absolute corrupts. The symptoms are unmistakeable. Ministerial hostility to all forms of real or imagined sources of opposition is loudly proclaimed. Enemies of 'reform', a term used to describe any ministerial initiative, however ill-considered, are said to be lurking everywhere. Local government, the universities, the judiciary, the churches, the BBC, non-conforming elements of the press and any form of independent thinking or action from teachers or their unions are all perceived as inherently pernicious. All are treated with contempt. Disciplined conformity, within schools and by everyone connected with them, is to be the order of the day.
The arbitrary and sometimes irrational behaviour of individual government ministers is just one instance of England's general retreat from its democratic past. Now that Parliament, with the notable exception of some of its select committees, has legislated away its ability to exercise effective control of the Executive, Parliament itself is widely perceived as little more than a noisy and largely irrelevant adjunct to the Executive. This has damaging consequences for England as a functioning democracy. It is becoming difficult for England's electorate to find good reasons to vote at parliamentary elections for individual Members of Parliament. Voters correctly perceive that few of the people they vote for have any influence on what the government of the day, once safely elected, then decides to do.
Within narrowing limits, resistance to the government is still permitted, but the form democracy has taken in England is increasingly reminiscent of the 'democratic centralism' proposed by Lenin in 1917. Under such a system, further developed in parts of Europe during the 1930s, people are still allowed to discuss issues and to march about with banners, provided they behave themselves. The deployment of second-hand water cannons would, in the opinion of at least one mayor, help to remind marchers of their duties in this respect. But there is little room left for alternative sources of decision making, even on important local issues. All important decisions in England are now taken by the small group in charge of the government. Intervention from subordinate bodies such as local government, professional bodies, independent researchers or even, other than grudgingly, from Parliament itself is rarely found acceptable. In the wings, another small group of much the same composition awaits its opportunity to replace the existing one.
Education in England has been particularly badly damaged by this nationwide retreat from the widely shared beliefs in what constitutes a democratic society that underpinned the Education Act of 1944. As Friedrich Hayek put it in that same year, 'Nowhere has democracy ever worked well without a great measure of self-government'. That measure of self-government is what the 1944 Education Act secured and has since largely been legislated away.
In 2015, one simple question about education needs to be asked: is England content to place a single individual, the Secretary of State of the day, in what is close to absolute control of all elements of this country's education system? If it is, no action is needed; that is what England's schools and other educational institutions are being frog-marched towards. If it does not, a second question arises: is any political party prepared to put that question to the electorate? That is the question that hangs in the air, awaiting an answer.
# [Part VI
Role of the media](content.xhtml#bck_part6)
# [15
Media and Education in the UK](content.xhtml#bck_Ch015)
Peter Wilby
Today, nearly every British national newspaper has an education correspondent, covering schools, colleges and universities. If the numbers are fewer than they were 20 years ago – when some papers employed as many as three such specialists – that is more a reflection of newspapers' increasing financial difficulties and journalists' higher workloads than of any diminution in education coverage. Some newspapers publish weekly sections devoted to education, though these, too, are much reduced from what they were even 10 years ago. For example, The Guardian's section, published on Tuesdays and branded Education Guardian, was once a separate supplement of 12 pages or more; now the section has gone, replaced by barely half as many pages within the main paper.
Yet education remains a far more high-profile subject than it was half a century ago. Before the 1960s, it was scarcely regarded as a news subject at all. Though the annual teachers' union conferences attracted attention even in the immediate post-Second World War years – mainly because they were (and are) held at Easter, when other news is in short supply – the 'popular' press particularly focused almost exclusively on teachers' pay, often linking it to difficulties in recruitment (Cunningham, 1992). More detailed coverage, particularly in the 'quality' press, tended to focus on universities (especially Oxford and Cambridge), then attended by less than 6 per cent of young Britons, and on fee-charging schools (such as Eton, Harrow and Rugby), rather than on the taxpayer-funded schools attended by the majority of the population.
According to one estimate, there were only three full-time education journalists at the beginning of the 1960s, excluding those working for specialist publications. An education correspondents group – formed to co-ordinate the reporters' access to ministers and other key sources of information – was not formed until 1962, whereas a labour and industrial correspondents group was formed in 1937, and a crime reporters' association in 1945 (Williams, 2009). By the early 1970s, the education correspondents group had around 50 members. In The Times, the number of articles on educational matters rose from 70 in 1960 to 184 in 1967 (Kogan, 1975). In 2013, a search on The Times website identified a total for the year of 439 articles devoted to education. Interviews with education journalists in the mid-2000s found that most of them saw education as 'one of the top specialist areas of reporting . . . comparable in importance to . . . health reporting, crime reporting and business/finance reporting'. Though few had sufficiently long memories to be certain, the general consensus was that it ranked higher than it did in the past (Hargreaves et al., 2007).
The main drivers of this growth in education coverage – on radio and television, as well as in the press – were the politicisation and centralisation of education. Politicisation started in the late 1950s and 1960s, as Britain began to abolish most of its grammar schools, which selected the most academic children after a competitive examination at 11, and to introduce 'all-ability' comprehensives instead. Though the division between the major parties on selective schooling was never a rigid one – Conservative local councils were among the pioneers of comprehensives, and, to this day, the official Conservative policy is that comprehensives should continue – Labour was always more eager to hasten the demise of the grammar schools, by central diktat if necessary.
Until the late 1970s, however, it was widely accepted that what was taught in schools and how it was taught remained a matter exclusively for teachers. The curriculum, as an education minister observed in 1960, was the teachers' 'secret garden', and 'parliament would never attempt to dictate the curriculum'. Or, as the Lancastrian George Tomlinson, education minister during Clement AttIee's 1945–1951 government, more colloquially put it, 'minister knows nowt about curriculum'. In Westminster and Whitehall, the curriculum was not a contestable subject. An education 'parliament' for curriculum and examinations, the Schools Council, was set up in 1965, but it had no formal powers of legislation or direction and was essentially a talking shop in which, though both local and national government were represented, teachers' unions and subject associations held most of the seats. Outside the classroom, nearly all the power in education resided with local councils. Though much of their funding came from central government, they controlled the distribution of money and decided which children should go to which schools. David Eccles, education minister from 1954 to 1957, complained that, 'having succeeded in getting Cabinet support for increased funds for education, he had no real say in how those funds should be spent' (Jarvis, 2014).
Education was covered more thoroughly, and often better, in local newspapers than it was in Britain's national newspapers, radio and TV. The national press, geared to receiving most of its information from Whitehall, Westminster and assorted bodies associated with central government, found it hard to derive significant news from the subject. A row over school admissions in Newcastle, it was thought, would not interest readers in Birmingham. Similarly, a curriculum innovation in Birmingham would not interest readers in Newcastle. Only in the 1960s did the growing numbers of specialist education reporters begin to present some local developments as being of national significance. Newly opened comprehensive schools, for example, might get national coverage. So might radical developments in internal school organisation, curriculum and teaching methods that went loosely under the heading 'progressive'. But universities and the fee-charging, private boarding schools (confusingly known by the English as 'public schools') continued to get more coverage, because both drew on a national clientele that was almost entirely the well-heeled middle classes, the most sought-after audience for advertisers, even in the more downmarket papers.
In this era, nearly all education journalists favoured comprehensive schools and 'progressive' teaching styles. A columnist in the right-wing weekly magazine The Spectator complained in 1972 that all but one of the 48 members of the education correspondents group were 'left-wing, some extremely so'. Even on Conservative papers, they could favour the 'progressive' cause, or at least give it an easy ride, mainly because their editors had little interest in education. C.B. Cox, a Manchester University professor of English, told a conference in Australia in 1981 that newspapers had played a leading role in persuading the public of the merits of 'progressive' teaching. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Cox and like-minded colleagues brought out a series of 'Black Papers' – written by academics and teachers who favoured 'traditional education' – that deliberately attempted, as Cox put it, to 'shift the centre' of debate. They were written in a populist, jargon-free, accessible style and were heavily promoted to the newspapers. The Black Paper editors understood that they could maximise sympathetic coverage by sending the pamphlets to newspapers on Sundays – a thin news day and one on which most specialist reporters would be off work – for publication on Monday mornings. A Labour Education Secretary foolishly assisted them by branding their first publication as 'the blackest day in English education for over a century'.
The Black Papers – alongside their offshoots such as the National Council for Educational Standards, which, again to maximise media coverage, held its conferences on Sundays – turned the tide. The 'traditionalists' had no inhibitions about wooing journalists, making their leaders accessible to the press and trying to reach a mass audience. In contrast, the 'progressives' regarded populism with distaste and the 'capitalist' press with suspicion. The Campaign for Comprehensive Education, for example, had a spokeswoman who could be reached only with the greatest difficulty, took no trouble to conceal her hostility to journalists and insisted that she should never be named.
For all the efforts of the Black Paper editors and their media supporters, the rise of comprehensives initially continued without interruption: in the 1970s, despite the Education Secretary in the first half of the decade being none other than Margaret Thatcher, more were created than in any previous decade, with grammar schools surviving only in a handful of areas ruled by true-blue Conservative councils. The media have little power in education (or indeed in politics generally), at least in the sense of 'transformative capacity' as defined by the sociologist Anthony Giddens: 'the capability to intervene in events so as to alter their course' (Giddens, 1984). But they do create an agenda and a framework – sometimes a very restrictive one – for debate. In the 1970s, the media, influenced by the Black Papers, began slowly to change the agenda. Newspapers eagerly reported research showing the weaknesses of 'progressive' teaching methods – which were nothing like as ubiquitous as journalists suggested – and highlighted the case of a London primary school that, by any standards, had gone too far in its 'progressive' methods, with its teachers apparently training pupils to become members of a revolutionary vanguard while completely neglecting the basics of reading and maths.
Public interest in education was growing, and not just because the media debate was increasingly vigorous and polarised. For most of the twentieth century, education played only a minor role in the lives of the majority of the population. Most people left school in their mid-teens and never returned to full-time education. They took no exams and had no paper qualifications. Some returned to college, a day or two a week, to learn skills for a trade, but many learned skills on the job or found unskilled factory or labouring jobs that were then in plentiful supply. Even many white-collar jobs required only minimal qualifications. Journalism itself required nothing more than a rudimentary knowledge of shorthand and law.
In the second half of the twentieth century, however, career prospects – and, as heavy industry declined, the chances of getting a job at all – depended increasingly on length of education and particularly on credentials acquired at school. Education became a distributor of life chances and a source of growing anxiety to parents of all classes. This made it a subject of interest, not only to newspapers and their readers, but also to politicians.
From the mid-1980s, Margaret Thatcher's Conservative governments introduced dramatic changes in England and Wales (Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate education systems, subject to separate regimes), which were largely accepted by Tony Blair's Labour governments from 1997 and then further elaborated by the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition from 2010. Parents were allowed more choice of schools and more say in how schools were run. Schools were required to publish their examination results in standardised form. Local councils were required to distribute funds according to a national formula and to delegate spending decisions to schools, leaving governors and headteachers to determine, for example, how much was spent on books and how much on repairs to buildings.
Crucially, schools were given the opportunity to opt out of local council control and to become 'independent', receiving their money direct from central government; a majority of secondary schools have now taken this route. Private companies and voluntary associations were invited to set up new schools and take over existing ones. Through a new regulatory body, the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted), the powers of central school inspectors were greatly enhanced, and Education Ministers increasingly took it upon themselves to order a change of leadership or even closure for 'failing' schools. Most importantly, schools were required to follow a national curriculum, which different ministers determined in varying amounts of detail. Being mostly educated in the humanities, ministers were particularly anxious to specify which novels, plays and poems should be studied for English literature and which events for history. Labour dictated, not just curriculum content, but the methods used to teach reading and maths in primary schools, thus breaching what one professor of education has called 'the final frontier of professional autonomy', which, even as late as 1991, a Conservative Education Secretary declined to cross, saying that, 'questions about how to teach are not for government to determine' (Alexander, 2014).
All this led to an explosion of media interest. The secret garden was now open for everybody to trample over the flowerbeds. In the past, only teachers' pay disputes created the simple dramatic clashes of opposites on which the mass media thrive. These were only peripherally connected to educational issues; they were covered as simple employer–employee battles, similar to other labour disputes. Now, the disputes were about what was taught and how, with highly politicised debates developing about, for example, how the history of the British Empire should be taught and whether English lessons should focus on creative writing or on correct grammar and spelling.
The national media distilled such disputes into a simple opposition between mainly right-wing 'traditionalists' and mainly left-wing 'progressives'. The former favoured a strong emphasis on basic literacy and numeracy; academic subjects such as physics, chemistry, history and literature; formal instruction, with pupils sitting in rows at desks facing the front while the teacher told them what to learn; the 'phonics' method of teaching reading; selection by ability into different 'streams' within schools and, if possible, into different schools; old-fashioned written examinations, usually lasting three hours. The latter supported a more flexible curriculum that did not divide knowledge by rigid subject boundaries; informal or 'discovery' learning where pupils sat in groups and were encouraged by teachers to find things out for themselves; the 'whole word' method of teaching reading; comprehensive schools with 'mixed-ability' classes; and new-style examinations that involved continuous classroom assessment and projects completed in the pupils' own time. Most classroom teachers are pragmatists who do not fall into either camp. They prefer a balanced curriculum and a mixture of teaching and assessment methods. But the media wished to subsume almost every educational issue into the progressive–traditional framework: for example, it was thought desirable to give parents more choice of schools and the private sector more opportunities to run them, because both would bring schools 'back to basics'.
Politicians, working to their own ends, encouraged journalists and media commentators to report education in terms of this dichotomy. Indeed, politicians increasingly presented their policies in tabloid newspaper terms. When Michael Gove, Conservative Education Secretary from 2010 to 2014 and himself a former journalist, introduced a national curriculum that placed more emphasis on factual knowledge, he presented it as an attempt to wrest control of schools from what he called 'the blob': academics, teachers, school inspectors, advisers and local authority officials who were 'enemies of promise', guilty of 'valuing Marxism, revering jargon and fighting excellence'.
Unlike his predecessors, Gove was in a position to get his way. The decentralised governance of English schooling was long a source of frustration to both Westminster politicians and Whitehall civil servants. Education ministers frequently had ideas as to how to improve schools but found they had no levers to make anything happen. For example, when Sir Keith Joseph, one of the chief architects of what became known as Thatcherism, took over as Education Secretary in 1981, he wanted schools to create more pro-business, pro-free enterprise attitudes among young people. To his despair, he found himself powerless to insist on any such change. Like all previous education ministers, he was little more than a spectator, as the teachers' unions and local education authorities – among whom education journalists cultivated contacts as assiduously as they did among ministers, their advisers and civil servants – ran the system.
Largely because he had so little direct power, Joseph badly needed public support for his ideas in order to put pressure on those who were in charge. He wished, for example, to change teachers' working practices and to introduce regular assessment of their performance ('teacher appraisal', it was called at the time). But, since he did not himself employ teachers or determine what or how they were paid – though he did provide the money to fund pay increases – he needed to put pressure on the local council employers and the teachers' unions who, through a somewhat cumbersome machinery (known as the Burnham Committee), negotiated pay and working conditions. Public support and, therefore, press support would be crucial if he were to get his way.
He largely failed. The teachers' unions mounted a highly effective campaign highlighting teachers' poor pay, which required some to take second jobs, heavy workload and propensity to heart attacks and nervous breakdowns. Joseph, by contrast, was, to the despair of his department's press officers, 'unskilled and uninterested' in influencing the media. 'He was often reluctant to meet journalists, and conducted press conferences with ill-concealed distaste and indecent speed' (Wilby, 1986).
Only after Joseph left office in 1986 did the Education Reform Act, introduced by Kenneth Baker, begin to change the balance of power. Baker, like nearly all Joseph's successors (John Patten, Education Secretary from 1992 to 1994, was the only significant exception), was far more media savvy. He launched the first National Curriculum, the first legislation allowing schools to become 'free' of council control and the first experiments in persuading private sponsors to back state schooling. He also solved the problem that Joseph faced in influencing teachers' pay and working conditions by abolishing the Burnham machinery and giving himself power to determine teachers' terms of employment.
By the end of the 1980s, the media narrative was almost wholly focused on an apparent battle to the death between 'traditionalists' and 'progressives' (sometimes called 'trendies') and, after the Conservatives' centralisation of educational power, it had an increasingly political dimension. The events of 1991 showed how the narrative would now develop.
In that year, Leeds council published a report on the outcomes of a programme to transform its primary schools into exemplars of 'good primary practice', which meant – or was thought to mean – making them more 'progressive'. Normally, such a report from a provincial education authority would attract little national press attention. Nobody can be sure why this one was different. Perhaps it was just the date of publication: the end of July, when other news is thin. But some commentators suggested that the Conservative government, facing a tricky general election the following year, tipped off some of the London-based education correspondents, seeing an opportunity to discredit a Labour-controlled city council and associate their main political opponents with falling educational standards.
Whatever the explanation, the coverage of the report, written by Robin Alexander, professor of primary education at Leeds University, dealt a devastating blow to 'progressive' education, possibly the most serious in more than a decade. 'Progressive teaching in schools was £14m failure', was the Daily Telegraph headline. 'The education of millions of primary school children has been blighted in the name of an anarchic ideology', the paper explained. The government's reaction chimed precisely with this press coverage. John Major, who had recently succeeded Margaret Thatcher as Conservative prime minister, used the report to support 'a return to basics' and announced 'the progressive theorists have had their say and . . . they've had their day'. Later, in 1992, Alexander was invited by the government to join an official inquiry into 'the delivery of education in primary schools'. Also appointed to the inquiry were Jim Rose, the then chief inspector of primary education, and Chris Woodhead, the chief executive of the National Curriculum Council; the latter largely accepted the government and media narrative of sturdy traditionalists fighting a rearguard action against a mighty progressive juggernaut. Appointed just before Christmas, they were dubbed 'the three wise men' by the press. When they reported, newspaper headlines screamed: 'Call for return to traditional school lessons' (Alexander, 1997).
Yet, as Alexander pointed out, the Leeds report's main conclusion was that the Leeds project 'was an initiative well worth the Authority's investment', even though it found important weaknesses in some outcomes in some schools. 'A complex and carefully qualified analysis', Alexander wrote, 'was reduced to a simple pathology.' As Alexander saw it, the outcome of the 'three wise men' inquiry was similarly distorted, partly by Woodhead, who re-drafted what was supposed to be 'a discussion paper', partly by the Education Department's press release, partly by the press itself. For example, the report rejected a return to streaming by ability, a favourite demand of the traditionalists. When Alexander made public his reservations about a report that had appeared under his name, the press accused him of a U-turn and called him 'one rather unwise man' (Alexander, 1997). When, nearly 20 years later, Alexander headed an independent investigation into primary education (known as the Cambridge Review), his nuanced reports – which, as he put it, 'exposed the complexity of the data and the difficulty of making hard and fast judgements' – were simplified into headlines mostly designed to discredit an increasingly unpopular Labour government: 'Literacy drive has almost no impact', 'Primary pupils let down by Labour', and so on (Alexander, 2014).
The campaign against 'progressive' teaching was not confined to newspapers. Television played its role too. In the autumn of 1991, in the wake of the Leeds report, a prestigious BBC current affairs programme reported that 'experts with a mania for progressive education have spread a canker through Britain's classrooms'. To illustrate this thesis, the programme went to two primary schools where, according to one study, 'a small and unrepresentative sample of practice was filmed, an even smaller sample remained after editing and, stripped of much of its context, the material actually shown was employed . . . to portray progressivism in simplistic terms' (Wallace, 1993).
The narrative would change little over the next 20 years. Like the 'red menace' of the Cold War era, the 'progressives' were always lurking, never idle in their mission to subvert decent, common-sense, traditional values. The narrative was supported by the frequently repeated judgement that, while the Right won the economic wars (converting the whole world to free-market economics), the Left won the culture wars. 'Trendy' teaching methods, the narrative argued, were imposed for ideological reasons by an 'educational establishment' comprising some prominent heads and teachers, professors of education, teacher-trainers, local authority officers and advisers, and even Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools whose pronouncements were once treated as the Holy Grail. Even the advent of a Labour government in 1997 did not significantly alter the narrative, though some of the rhetoric was toned down, and Labour ministers made greater efforts to take account of teachers' opinions. The politicisation of schooling has gone to extraordinary extremes. Even the teaching of reading, essentially a technical matter, became a struggle between the 'phonics' method, supported by the Right, and the 'word recognition' or 'look-and-say' method, supported by the Left.
Politicians, meanwhile, have become hugely more sophisticated in using the media to their advantage. When they make policy, they think, not only of how well it will work, but of how they can 'sell' it to the media. All governments aspire to keep 'control' of the media agenda, and no departmental minister will survive for long unless he or she can feed the media with policy 'initiatives'. David Blunkett, Labour Education Secretary from 1997 to 2001, employed a special adviser (separate from the department's press office) who spent at least an hour a day on the media. In the early afternoon of each day, he would ring round the education correspondents and speak to them individually (Bangs, MacBeath and Galton, 2011).
But one effect of the increasing politicisation of education is that ministers often give news of what they regard as 'major initiatives' to the Westminster-based political correspondents, not to the education specialists. Since political reporters are by definition specialists in politics, not education (or health or policing or social services), policies rarely get expert scrutiny. Moreover, the growth in the number of columnists – nearly every newspaper has two or three of them each day – who express opinions on a large range of issues, and are employed for their ability to write provocatively and entertainingly, rather than for their understanding of a particular subject, further marginalises the role of expertise and informed critical scrutiny. Professors of education and other specialist academics are almost wholly excluded both from policy making and from newspaper coverage of education.
Most social media and Internet blogs multiply the amount of poorly informed comment. True, in education as in other areas, the Internet allows a few well-informed voices to bypass the press and to address directly a wide audience in a way that would once have been impossible. The Local Schools Network, for example, defends schools that are run by elected local councils and critiques the growing number of schools run by private chains with meticulously researched comment on its website.
But that is an exception. The narrative of 'progressives' versus 'traditionalists' continues to grip education, and no education minister has made more use of it than Michael Gove, Conservative Secretary of State in the Coalition government from 2010 to 2014. Successive governments, as one account puts it, have set up 'an object of derision' that they then pledge 'to exorcise' (Wallace, ibid). This perfectly suits the media, which has the clash of opposites that it craves and can put nearly all educational issues into this simple framework.
## References
Alexander, Robin (1997): Policy and Practice in Primary Education, 2nd edition. Routledge, London.
Alexander, Robin (2014): Evidence, Policy and the Reform of Primary Education: a cautionary tale, Forum, 6(3), Autumn 2014.
Bangs, John, MacBeath, John and Galton, Maurice (2011): Reinventing Schools, Reforming Teaching: From Political Visions to Classroom Reality. Routledge, London.
Cunningham, Peter (1992): Teachers' professional image and the press 1950–1990, History of Education: Journal of the History of Education Society, 21: 1, 37–56.
Giddens, Anthony (1984): The Constitution of Society. Polity Press, Cambridge.
Hargreaves, Linda et al. (2007): The Status of Teachers and the Teaching Profession in England, Department for Education and Skills, Research Report 831B.
Jarvis, Fred (2014): You Never Know Your Luck: Reflections of a Cockney Campaigner for Education. Grosvenor House, Guildford, Surrey.
Kogan, Maurice (1975): Educational Policy-Making: A Study of Interest Groups and Parliament. Allen and Unwin, London.
Wallace, Mike (1993): Discourse of Derision: the role of the mass media within the education policy process, Journal of Education Policy, 8: 4, 321–37.
Wilby, Peter (1986): Press and Policy: teacher appraisal, Journal of Education Policy, 1: 1, 63–72.
Williams, Kevin (2009): Read All About It! A History of the British Newspaper. Routledge, London.
This chapter is a version of a paper that was first published in Revue internationale d'éducation, 66, September 2014.
# Conclusions
# [16
Stories from the Field – Summarised](content.xhtml#bck_Ch016)
Richard Pring and Martin Roberts
## Overview of contributions
The changes in the educational provision – from early years, through primary, secondary, further and vocational education, to higher education and the training of teachers – have been amply illustrated by the contributions to this book. They have shown especially the revolutionary shift from minimal central control over what goes on in schools to much greater political control, first, through a national curriculum and national assessments, second, through the decline in local authority powers and responsibilities. The recently arrived academies and free schools are contracted directly to the Secretary of State. But higher education, too, has not escaped. The autonomy once protected by a University Grants Committee has been eroded as government has exercised its powers through funding and research to ensure greater relevance to its perception of national needs.
The scene was set by Lord Baker, who, as Secretary of State, introduced the 1988 Education Reform Act, thereby creating the National Curriculum and National Assessment, as well as the local management of schools. These were revolutionary changes arising from a belief that standards were too low in many schools – an understandable belief shared by the preceding Labour government, which, as explained in the introductory chapter and referred to in other contributions, set the ball rolling with Prime Minister James Callaghan's Ruskin College speech in 1976 – a generation of 40 years ago. In particular, the endemic neglect of technical and vocational education, despite many reports on the crisis since 1851, would be challenged through the establishment of City Technology Colleges, directly funded by government and private sponsors, and in a way resurrected by the more recent University Technology Colleges.
What the contributions illustrate are the gains and losses as experienced by those with responsibilities within the system – for example, by the early years' headteacher and ILEA adviser Wendy Scott, who, not denying the need for greater accountability to ensure high standards throughout, regretted the impact of the emerging top-down, short-term interference, undermining the much needed child-focused work of good early years education.
Both she and the former primary school headteacher, Tony Eaude, pay tribute to the Plowden Report of 1967, which influenced primary schooling at the beginning of our era, encouraging the arts and creativity in different forms. However, in their experience, what was often referred to as the more child-centred approach to education was gradually undermined by rigid assessment and accountability. Even how to teach literacy and numeracy came to be directed by government in the 1980s and 1990s. The autonomy of teachers was eroded in a political distrust of their expertise.
Similar concerns were expressed by Martin Roberts, a former head of a large and successful comprehensive school in Oxford. He expressed concern, not about there being a national curriculum framework, but about its mode of implementation. During his period of headship, the National Curriculum was increasingly implemented through an outcomes-driven system of accountability and through growing dominance of the newly established inspectorate, Ofsted, which was data-driven and judgemental rather than, as in the case of the HMI (which it largely replaced in 1992), much more supportive. Kenny Frederick experienced a similar case during her experience of headship in a challenging school in Tower Hamlets. There was a need to transform the racist and islamophobic ethos of the social context that affected the school, thereby creating a very inclusive school. But she pointed to the changes that had come to make the task more difficult, especially the decline in local authority support. On the other hand, both Martin Roberts and Kenny Frederick were able to point to innovations that had made improvements possible – increase in funding, greater opportunities for women, positive approaches to pupils with special needs, and initiatives like 'Excellence in Cities'.
The changes over the half century have paradoxically reflected both mistrust in the professionalism of teachers and yet the transformation of teacher preparation into a university-based profession. Richard Pring gives an account of that transformation and at the same time its gradual erosion, first, through political criticism of the content of that university preparation and, second, through the different routes now available for aspiring teachers – while highlighting the crisis facing the next generation in recruitment and maintenance of teachers, in part resulting from changes in schooling. But higher education, too, has changed, as explained by Richard Pring in a following chapter – from a relatively small group of universities catering for a small percentage of students to a massive increase with much wider student access. It has shifted from a mainly government-funded public service to one dependent on student fees.
Further education, as explained by Geoff Stanton, is the unknown sector of education, much neglected and under-funded as a result, despite the fact that colleges of FE cater for over three million students annually. They have witnessed, too, considerable changes, partly in response to those occurring in schools, which pass on, as it were, the students unlikely to succeed along an academic route. The colleges have provided innovative responses, especially through the pre-vocational courses they developed, to the needs of such students. But there has been a failure of recognition and thus of financial support, together with a bewildering change of programmes and qualifications, known by the flow (or flash flood) of acronyms: UVP, NVQ, TVEI, CGLI365, CPVE, DoVE, GNVQ, NFVQ, QCF, OCEA (and that's just a start).
It is to this changing system of qualifications that Tim Oates turns in a dramatic contrast between the whirligig of changes in England and the stability in other countries (e.g. the post-16 qualification in Finland has not changed in form or function for 100 years). That constant change in form and range of functions that the exam system has to perform (reflected, for example, in the short lives of GNVQ, 14–19 Diplomas, modularisation of A Levels, AS Levels as part of A Level) is one of the most distinctive and frustrating features of the last 40 years – not encouraging for the longevity of yet further changes promised by the political parties. The use and role of examining have been distorted by its use as an instrument of government policy.
One such use is its employment as an instrument of accountability. Certainly, as Pat O'Shea recounts, prior to our period, accountability of schools and the system as a whole left much to be desired. But, once the regime of Ofsted and testing had been in place for some time, the earlier kind of accountability provided by HMI, which was geared to school improvement, became divorced from inspection. The scheme of School Improvement Partners provided good professional support, but, like so many innovations, it had but a short life of six years. Inspection was slimmed down to two days, making judgements with little knowledge of the social context and with a shift of emphasis from curriculum to leadership and management. This reduction in professional support coincided with the enfeeblement of local authority responsibility and support.
The following three chapters (Part V) are written by people who, as well as having taught in schools, have also been Directors of Education in local authorities, dealing with the changes imposed and the increasing centralisation of services. Peter Newsam, Education Officer for the Inner London Education Authority, points to the weakening of local authorities from their partner role in a 'national system locally managed', as had been established by the 1944 Education Act. Such weakness strengthened the power of the Westminster politicians, not only through the curriculum control and assessment regime, but also through the broader 'reforms' of local government. The new corporate model had no room for the once powerful defenders of local democracy and accountability in education, namely, the Chief Education Officers. That understanding is reinforced by Tim Brighouse, whose reign as Director in both Oxfordshire and then Birmingham enabled him to see the shift from the age of optimism and trust at the beginning of our period (as reflected in 'teacher-based school improvement'), through the growing doubt and uncertainty (as trust in teachers gave way to high-stakes testing and increased prescription), to that of markets and managerialism (reflected in the espousal of 'choice', the language of targets and performance indicators, and the contraction out to external bodies (some 'for-profit' companies) of these public services. Margaret Maden, whose career enabled her to witness these changes from the positions of teacher, headteacher, Chief Education Officer and university professor of education, saw the need to adapt to the changes arising from the Education Reform Act, but also the importance of preserving the role of LEAs' advisory services, county in-service training centres and the organisation of schools from the viewpoint of one who knew the local needs and context. Local education authorities may have been driven to near extinction, but the gaping hole thereby left in organisation of education demonstrates the need for a 'middle tier' of organisation.
Throughout these changes, and the professional and public perceptions of them, the role of the press cannot be ignored. Peter Wilby shows how political standpoints entered into the reporting at key stages, particularly in the early 1970s with the Black Papers railing against the prevailing 'progressive ideas' (Teachers Mis-taught being the title of one of those papers). Hence, with the increased politicisation of education, the media tended to subsume issues into the progressive versus traditional, especially at the time when grammar schools were being transformed into comprehensives. In order to keep control of the media, Secretaries of State have fed 'initiatives' to journalists who often were political rather than specialist education journalists.
Of course, our period follows the transformation of the system of secondary education from a tri-partite one into a largely comprehensive system, albeit with that demarcation between able and less able still enforced by the dual examination system at 16 of GCE O Level and Certificate of Secondary Education. It was only in 1988 that the two systems were merged into the one that still prevails, namely, the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) – though for how long is open to question.
# [17
The Way Forward for the Next Generation](content.xhtml#bck_Ch017)
Richard Pring and Martin Roberts
Forty years have passed since Prime Minister Callaghan's Ruskin College speech. A generation of teachers, who commenced their careers then, are about to retire. When they commenced their careers, we had a 'national system of education locally maintained', as legislated in the 1944 Education Act. The Secretary of State had few powers, and those had nothing to do with the curriculum or how it should be taught.
One third of the time through the careers of this generation (13 years), the Education Reform Act radically changed that, giving the Secretary of State far-reaching powers over the curriculum (and its attainment targets and assessment), and over the establishment of schools no longer 'locally maintained' (namely, City Technology Colleges) but contracted to the Secretary of State.
Twelve years later, the City Academies Programme was launched, thereby opening up a system of schools (including the Free Schools) contracted directly to the Secretary of State, but maintained mainly through sponsors of various kinds.
Simultaneously, there has been an intensification of targets and performance indicators, of audits and league tables, by which schools, colleges and universities are held to account.
Therefore, these have been revolutionary times. But many aspects of that revolution are being seriously questioned, as the preceding chapters indicate. Furthermore, whatever the system, its success depends on the sufficient supply of good teachers. Yet there is a crisis looming in the recruitment and the retention of teachers. A shortfall of 27,000 is predicted by 2017, and between 40 per cent and 50 per cent of newly qualified teachers leave the profession within five years. Two-thirds of secondary schools had difficulty in recruiting maths teachers. Reasons given for leaving are constant teacher bashing, high-pressure accountability, excessive workload and relentless pace of change.
Therefore, the post-ERA education system seems now to be in much need of further reform. Although responsible for some necessary improvements, it has opened up a range of problems and is in danger, therefore, of doing more harm than good to many pupils.
Further reasons for questioning the efficacy of these years of continuous government-led reforms stem from international comparisons. One can debate the validity of the PISA tables, but they offer no evidence of England improving its position in recent years. Meanwhile, the Programme for International Assessment of Adult Competences (PIAAC) shows us performing very poorly on adult literacy measures. Uniquely within the OECD, the literacy scores of our 16–24 age group are lower than our 55–65 one. Vocational education and training is a black spot. Only 32 per cent of our upper secondary pupils are following vocational courses, compared with the OECD average of 44 per cent. As the government's own advisory group, the Social Mobility Commission, noted in 2014, there is 'a lack of a plan to prepare young people for the world of work and support them through this complex transition'. Educational experts from both the OECD and North America are critical of the inconsistencies of over-centralised political control. In its Education Policy Outlook 2015, OECD analysts noted that, in England, 'rather than build on the foundations laid by previous administrations, the temptation is always to scrap existing innovations and start afresh'. They also comment that, 'the more the government is only one partner among several, the less vulnerable programmes are to being wound up after administrative or personality changes'.
Having seen the evolution of the system of education over the last 40 years, what, in light of the considerable problems emerging, should be the direction of change for the next generation of teachers? In what follows, arising from the contributions to this book, we make the following recommendations and are confident that, if implemented and sustained over many years, they would lead to significant improvements in English education.
## 1 Limit the power and control by central government
Problems arise from concentration of so much power in the hands of a Secretary of State, who is not accountable even to Parliament for many of the decisions made. Those problems include:
* constant changes to examinations and qualifications that have a limited time-span or need soon to be reversed – to the frustration of employers, universities and teachers. There need to be a pause and wide deliberation before further 'reforms' are proposed and the establishment of an independent Examination and Qualifications Council to organise that deliberation and to make final decisions;
* initiative after initiative made in relation to election-driven timetables or in response to 24/7 media interests, rather than to well-researched deliberations; and
* persistent tinkering with curriculum content, which should be left to subject and pedagogical experts.
## 2 Create a 'middle tier' between schools, colleges and government
The pursuit of 'choice' within what has become a 'market of schools', with the drastic weakening of local education authorities throughout this generation, has led to fragmentation of schools, to competition rather than collaboration between them, and to expensively created extra places in some areas, with a lack of school places in others (while pupil numbers are rising). There is a need, therefore, for a 'middle tier' of organisation with a real democratic element to ensure:
* there are the right schools and colleges in the right places;
* schools and colleges work in partnership to ensure a fair spread of scarce resources and staff; and
* those schools receive good advisory support when needed.
## 3 Create a more rational and uniform system of schooling
There is now a bewildering variety of schools ('free', sponsored academies, academy chains, grammar, UTCs, local authority community, voluntary aided, voluntary controlled), each with distinctive forms of governance, funding arrangements and control over admissions. Sense needs to be restored through:
* total transparency of funding, governance and admissions;
* not allowing once again the creation of secondary modern schools through the expansion of grammar schools, either as new schools or by expanding existing ones; and the
* restoration of local accountability of all schools receiving (directly or indirectly through charitable status) public funding.
## 4 Ensure equal funding for pupils across schools and colleges
One result of the many different types of school, arising from different forms of sponsorship, is that the unit of resource varies from school to school, often without educational or social justification. It is important that:
* an agreed common funding formula be established for all pupils at the different age levels, irrespective of type of school;
* grounds for exception (e.g. special educational needs) should be universally agreed and applied; and
* the deficit funding currently applied to post-16, especially to FE, should be rectified.
## 5 Trust the teachers more
The quality of teachers is essential to good education – well educated, well trained, well supported professionally, well respected and well paid. There is now, however, a crisis in recruitment and retention, as described above. Concern over teacher supply has been exacerbated by Schools Direct filling only 61 per cent of the places allocated in 2014. And the provision of training is now increasingly fragmented, as its traditional prevalence in universities is receding. It is essential, therefore, to:
* establish an independent college of teaching (similar to the Royal College of Medicine) as an independent professional body for the regulation and support of teachers, for the provision of guidance on the training of teachers, for advice to government and for the link between teachers and the Secretary of State;
* require all teachers to have Qualified Teacher Status following an approved training course;
* ensure all teachers are required to have regular 'Continuing Professional Development'.
## 6 Make accountability of schools and teachers supportive rather than punitive
Characteristic of recent years has been increased accountability through examination results, testing and data-driven inspection by Ofsted. This has created a climate of fear, teaching to the test, and failure to do justice to the wider range of educational aims and achievements. It is important, therefore, to revert to a system of accountability that:
* is based on professional judgement as well as quantitative data;
* supports teachers in their efforts to improve their teaching;
* reforms Ofsted so that its members help rather than punish struggling schools; and
* encourages self-evaluation, monitored by other teachers.
There is no compelling evidence that Ofsted is contributing to the overall improvement of English education, as it concentrates excessively on individual institutions and not enough on local and regional performance.
## 7 Promote curriculum development, not imposition
'There is no curriculum development without teacher development.' The curriculum, within a broad national framework (but bearing in mind terminal examinations), should be developed by the teachers who know their subject and know their pupils. It should not be controlled by whichever government comes into power and at the whim of the ever-changing Secretaries of State. To assist schools in this task there is a need to:
* establish a National Council for Curriculum Development whose membership should have wide representation from teachers, professional associations (e.g. the Historical Association), universities, employers, inspectorate, government, the wider community; and
* support curriculum development by research evidence, including teacher research, which could be part of CPD.
## 8 Reviewing examining and qualifications
Qualifications, and the examinations leading to them, have been in constant change, often with a short life and often reversed after initial experience. This makes life exceedingly difficult for the teachers who have constantly to change their courses, and for universities and employers who depend on the qualifications for recruitment. It is important to:
* differentiate the different functions of testing and examining (formative and summative, international comparisons, national standards, school performance, personal achievement, remedial needs); and
* establish an independent Council for Examinations and Assessment with wide representation. (It could be integrated with the proposed National Council for Curriculum Development – we have been here before – several times!)
## 9 Promote technical education and training
The country has constantly failed to respect and to provide good-quality technical education and training, as reflected in Acts of Parliament and government papers ever since the 1851 Great Exhibition. The creation of city technology colleges and university technical colleges, together with the 14–19 Diploma in Engineering, are recent attempts to rectify this. It is important:
* to maintain this momentum and to ensure such opportunities are available for all and included in any new curriculum framework, such as a Baccalaureate.
## 10 Restore pre-vocational education in schools and colleges
At a time when all young people are to be in some form of education and training until the age of 18, it is important to consider ways in which, for many, general education can be continued but based on more practical and occupational interests. Hence, there is a need to:
* examine again the thinking and practices that were developed through the pre-vocational initiatives which took place within the last 40 years; and
* ensure greater partnership between schools, colleges of further education and employers, essential for success.
## 11 Benefit from the revolutionary developments within this generation of ICT
ICT and the electronic revolution have opened up immense possibilities for the improvement of learning. It has opened up distance learning in higher education on a massive scale (e.g. MOOCS). In schools and colleges, it has made possible online tutoring and seminars and even virtual social areas and laboratories for the house-bound and excluded (e.g. NISAI). Teacher collaboration and curriculum development have been made possible across schools and colleges. Therefore, it is essential:
* to build urgently on what has been achieved so far through teacher professional development and ready access to the necessary resources.
## 12 Restore 'proper' apprenticeships
Vocational education is essential, but, as the Wolf Report showed, much was of low standard and did not provide the necessary link between the hopes of students and the needs of employers. Although there are many political promises to create more apprenticeships, it is important to preserve the high standard of skill traditionally associated with apprenticeships and improve the routes through apprenticeship to employment. To that end, there is need:
* not to let quantity diminish the meaning and quality of apprenticeships; and
* to make it easier for employers to take on long-term apprenticeships.
## 13 Prioritise independent and professional careers guidance for all
Although this issue did not emerge in the chapters, we believe that the provision of information, advice and guidance (IAG) to students from 14 upwards is patchy and limited, and yet is essential if they are to know about the availability of apprenticeships, the many different university courses and the subject choices necessary to proceed to the right course. Therefore, it is necessary:
* to ensure every secondary school and college of FE has ready access to a professionally staffed, independent and well-informed IAG; and
* to provide courses in school about the different routes that students can take to a chosen career.
## 14 Reconsider the nature, shape and funding of the higher education system
It is now half a century since the Robbins Report. The higher education system has grown and changed, partly as a result of specific reports (e.g. on funding), but in particular because of much wider access and differentiation of higher education functions. Particular issues, however, have arisen through the development of open access, the greater importance attached to research, the entry of foreign and for-profit providers, and the corporate nature of current universities. Therefore:
* this would seem to be the time for another major and comprehensive report – Robbins Mark II.
So, in the interest of the future generations of schools and universities, there needs to be a new Education Reform Act encompassing many of the recommendations of this book and the insights of those who have contributed to it, ensuring a better, positive, productive educational culture.
But, learn from the past! Successful legislation has always followed a long period of deliberation, consultation, open debate and reference to relevant research. Our final recommendation is therefore:
## 15 Pause, think and deliberate, preferably for two years, before further 'reforms'
In the past 150 years, successful and long-standing reforms have followed major and comprehensive reports by commissions established to address problems (e.g. on the future of higher education, on examination reform, on developing a secondary school system). In the nineteenth century, these were called Royal Commissions. In the post-1944 era, they were commissioned by the Central Advisory Committee. They took time to consider every aspect, before finally making recommendations and only then legislated. Therefore:
* a crucial recommendation of this book is that, before any more reforms, a public enquiry should be established into the range of issues raised in this book, representative of the many interested parties, and should collect evidence, institute relevant research, engage in public debate, and finally (after two or three years) report to government, making recommendations for reform.
N.B. While this book was at proof stage Dr Paul Cappon, an international expert appointed by the DfE in 2014–15 to undertake a review . . . which could inform deliberations within the Department', published his findings in Preparing English Young People for Work and Life. Many of his recommendations are similar to the above; e.g. the government tries to do too much on its own; our accountability system needs serious realignment; we should prioritise vocational education, create a new 'middle tier', a College of Teaching and a National Council of Learning. Cappon concurs with the Wolf Review that 'in England strengths occur despite rather than because of its systems and structures'.
# Appendix
# Major education acts and reports
1976 | James Callaghan's Ruskin Speech
Auld Report on William Tyndale School
Assessment of Performance Unit
---|---
1977 | Further Education Unit established. Published A Basis for Choice Taylor Report: A New Partnership for our Schools
1978 | Waddell Commission Report – proposing unified system at 16+
**1979** | **General Election: Conservative victory (Thatcher)**
1980 | Assisted Places Scheme
1981 | Warnock Report on Special Educational Needs A New Training Initiative: A Programme for Action
1982 | Abolition of Schools Council, replaced by the Schools Curriculum and Development Committee (SCDC) and the Schools Examination Council (SEC)
TVEI (Technical Vocational Education Initiative)
1983 | Youth Training Scheme
CPVE (Certificate of Pre-vocational Education)
1986 | NCVQ (National Council for Vocational Qualifications) City Technology Colleges
1987 | Curriculum 11–16 (HMI The Red Book) unified and common curriculum
1988 | Higginson Report on A Levels
1988 | Education Reform Act
National Curriculum Council (NCC) and Schools Examination and Assessment Council (SEAC) established
ILEA abolished
1990 | Rumbold Report (Early Years)
**1992** | **Conservative government victory (Major)**
Ofsted established
White Paper: Choice and Diversity
Further and Higher Education Act: ended binary line in higher education
1993 | Specialist schools encouraged
Technology Schools Trust (becomes the SSAT in 2005)
SCAA (Schools Curriculum and Assessment Authority) created by merging NCC and SEAC (see above, 1988)
1994 | Dearing Report on the National Curriculum
1995 | FEU absorbed into the Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA) Dearing Report on HE – proposes fees for full-time undergraduates
1996 | White Paper: Self-government for Schools
(by now there were 163 grammar schools, over 100 GMS, 196 specialist schools, 15 CTCs, 30 language colleges, 151 new technology colleges, assistant places, whereby places in private schools were publicly supported)
**1997** | **General Election: victory for New Labour**
Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) formed through a merger of SCAA and NCVQ
White Paper Excellence in Schools: benchmarks, targets, standards, performance management, rigorous inspection
Kennedy Report, Learning Works: Widening Participation in FE Effective Provision for Pre-School Education (EPPE)
1998 | National Skills Task Force (Blair)
Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP) introduced, offering another route into teaching other than the well-established university-based PGCE
Education Action Zones (EAZs) established
National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies for primary schools introduced Sure Start begins
1999 | Excellence in Cities initiative
Moser Report, A Fresh Start: Improving Literacy and Numeracy
2000 | Introduction of city academies
2001 | Ofsted responsible for day care and childminding
Green Paper: Schools: Building on Success: raising standards, promoting diversity, achieving results
2002 | Citizenship added to the National Curriculum Education Act 2002 encourages the spread of academies Birth to Three Matters
2003 | The first Teach First graduates enter schools Ouseley Report: Community Pride, Not Prejudice
2004 | The Childrens' Act (Every Child Matters)
Tomlinson Report on 14–19 Curriculum and Qualifications Reform Higher Education Act: variable fees, foundation degree powers to FEC
2006 | Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory standards for early years providers
Raising age for remaining in education and training to 17
2007 | Ofsted responsible for FE but not universities
2008 | 14–19 Advanced Diplomas introduced
**2010** | **General Election: Coalition (Conservative and Lib Dem) victory (Cameron)**
SSAT loses government support and becomes much smaller Schools Network
Many education quangos abolished – for example, QCA, which had become the QCDA
2011 | Wolf Report on the Reform of Vocational Qualifications Rationalisation of qualifications, many scrapped (e.g. Advanced Diplomas) Free schools and academies vigorously promoted EBacc added as a measure of school performance Nutbrown Review (Early Years)
2012 | GTP programme replaced by Schools Direct and School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT)
2014 | Regional commissioners introduced
2015 | Carter Report on ITT
Government refers a workload review after one-day strikes about pay and workload
## Changing acronyms for the Education Department
From 1964 DES, 1992 DfE, 1995 DfEE, 2001 DfES, 2007 DCFS, 2010 DfE
## Changing Curriculum and Assessment Agencies
From 1964, the Schools Council, 1983 SCDC and SEC, 1988 NCC and SEAC, 1993 SCAA, 1997 QCA, 2008 QCD(development)A and OFQUAL, 2010 QCDA abolished
# Subject Index
academic respectability –, –
accountability xv, , , , , , , , , , –, –, –, ,
AEC (Association of Education Committees)
apprenticeship , –, , ,
assessment , –, –,
Baker-Dearing Educational Trust
Bedfordshire
B.Ed degree , –,
binary divide , –
Birmingham LA –
Black Papers on Education , , , , –,
Brighton University , ,
British values
Bryce Commission , ,
Buckinghamshire LA –
Bullock Report
Cambridgeshire Village Colleges
Careers education ,
Centre for Successful Schools –
citizenship education
City Learning Centres
City Technology Colleges , , , , ,
CNAA , ,
Colleges of Advanced Technology
comprehensive schools , –, ,
core skills –
curriculum , , –, , –, –, –, , , , –, –, , ,
digital revolution –
disability –,
distance learning ,
DLOs
Early Excellence Programme
early years , –, ,
ECF –
Education Action Zone , ,
Education Acts: 1944 xv, –, , , , –, , , ; 1988 Education Reform Act , , , , , , , , , , , , ; 2004 The Children's Act, Every Child Matters , , ,
Education Priority Areas ,
education system , , , ,
elementary education , –, , , –
employers
equality/equal opportunities ,
ethnic minorities and diversity , , , –, , , ,
examinations and qualifications xv, , –, , –, , ; Advanced Extension Awards ; BTEC , ; CEE ; CGLI 365 , ; CPVE , , ; CSE , , , ; Diplomas – , , , –, , , ; DoVE , ; EBacc ; GCE-A level , , , , , , , , ; GCE-AS –; GCE-O level , , ; GCSE , , , , , , , , , , , –, ; GCSE Applied ; GNVQ , , , , , ; NVQ , –, ,
Examination Boards/Awarding Bodies , , , ; CGLI , ; OCEA ; RSA ,
Examinations and Qualifications Council
Excellence in Cities , , ,
EYFS ,
faith schools
Finland (abitur) , ,
Fischer Family Trust
foundation degrees
France
further education , –, –, , ; colleges , –, –
Further Education Funding Council , ,
Further Education Unit , ,
George Green School –
Germany
gifted and talented –
government (central) control xv, , , , , , –, , , –, , , , , , , , ,
Great Debate
Headship –, , , ,
higher education , , , , , , ; history in the NC , ; unitary system , , , , ,
HMI , , , , –, , –, , ,
Humanities , ,
ICT , , ,
Immigration –
Inclusion , , ,
Inner London Education Authority –, ,
international comparisons ,
Islington Green C.S.
Jarratt Commission
key skills
Labour, Conservative and Coalition Governments overview –
labour market ,
league tables , , ,
Learning and Skills Council , , ,
literacy (strategies) , , –, , , –, ,
local (education) authorities xv, , , , , , , , , , , –, , , , –, –, , –, –,
local management of schools , –,
London Challenge , –
London Institute of Education ,
managerialism and language , , –, ; audits , , ; delivery, , ; Manpower Services Commission (MSC) , , ; performativity –, , , ; targets , , , , , , ,
markets , , , ,
Mathematics , ,
media (including 'social') , , –, ,
middle tier –
modular ,
National Commission on Education –
National Council for Curriculum Development
National Council for Vocational Qualifications , –
National Curriculum xv, , –, –, , , –, , , , , –, , , , –
National Foundation Vocational Qualifications
nationalisation of education –
National Qualifications Framework
National Youth Agency
New Labour , , , , –, , ,
Numeracy (strategies) –, , , –,
nursery education/provision , –,
NUT , , , ,
OCEA –, ,
OECD , , ,
Ofqual
Ofsted , , , –, , , –, , , , , , , , , –, , , , ,
Opening Minds (RSA)
Open University ,
Oxford Internship Partnership ,
Oxfordshire –, –,
pedagogy , , , , ,
Peers School, Oxford
performance management (appraisal)
PGCE , ,
physical education ,
PISA , , , ,
Plowden Report , , , , ,
policy/policy makers –, ,
political context –, –,
polytechnics , , , , –
post-16 education , ,
post-modernism
practical knowledge ,
pre-school
pre-vocational , , –, –, , ,
primary education and practice –, –, –
Prince's Teaching Institute –
private, privatisation, for-profit xv, , , –,
progressivism , –, –,
public service ,
pupil premium ,
PVI nurseries , ,
qualification-led reform , –, –
qualifications see examinations and qualifications
Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) , ,
Quality Assurance Agency , ,
race relation, racisms , , –,
reading , , , , ,
Reports (prior to 1976): 1884 Royal Commission on Technical Instruction ; 1938 Spens ; 1943 Norwood ; 1963 Robbins
research , , , ; Research Assessment Exercise , ; Research Excellence Framework , ,
restorative justice
Robbins Report on Higher Education , , , , , –,
Ruskin speech , , , ,
Sandy Upper School
School Improvement Partners
Schools: Academies , , , , –, , , –, , ; Community ; Comprehensive , , , ; Free , , , –, , , ; Foundation ; Grammar , , , , ; Grant Maintained , , ; Independent , –; Reorganisation –; Secondary Modern , , , ; Self-evaluation ; Specialist , ; Technical , , , ; Voluntary Aided and Controlled
Schools Council , –, , ,
Schools Direct
Schools Examination and Assessment Council (SEAC)
secondary education for all xv,
SEED Project ,
selection at ages and , ,
SIP
sixth forms ,
social class
social context –, , ,
special education needs (SEN) , , , , , ,
standards , , , , –, ,
Sure Start ,
Swann Report
Teach First , ,
teacher autonomy , , , ,
Teacher recruitment , , , ,
Teacher strikes ,
Teacher Training Agency
Teacher Training Colleges/Colleges of Education ,
teacher training/professional development , –, –, –,
teaching profession xv, –, , ,
technical and vocational , , ,
Technical and Vocational Education Initiative (TVEI) , , –
testing xv, , , , ; teaching to , ,
Timss ,
Tomlinson Committee ,
Tower Hamlets , ,
Training and Enterprise Council (TEC)
unemployment
Unified Vocational Preparation (UVP) –
universities , –, –
University Funding Council
University Grants Committee (UGC) , , , , , ,
University Technology Colleges , –, , ,
USA ,
vocational education and training –, –, –, –, ,
voluntary bodies xv, , ,
Warwickshire LA –
world of work
youth service ,
# Name Index
Adonis, A. ,
Ainscow, M.
Alexander, R. , , , ,
Alexander, W. ,
Allen, G.
Baker, K. , , , ,
Ball, S.
Balls, Ed
Bangs, J.
Barber, M. –,
Beales, A.C.
Beaumont
Bell, D.
Bernstein, B.
Bhaskar. R.
Blair, T. , , , , –
Blunkett, D. , ,
Booth, T.
Boyle, Edward
Brighouse, Tim , , ,
Brock, M.
Cable, V.
Callaghan, James , , , , ,
Coleridge ,
Dearing –,
Dewey, J. , , ,
Dweck, C.
Eaude, T. ,
Friedman
Fullan, M.
Gardner H.
Gillborne, D. , ,
Glass, N.
Gove, M. , , , –, –
Gramsci
Green, A.
Greer, G.
Hargreaves, A ,
Hargreaves, D.
Hayek, F.
Hirst, P.
Jones, K.
Joseph, Keith , , ,
Judge, H. ,
Kennedy, H.
Kerpel, A. ,
Letwin, O.
Major, J.
Mercer, N.
Mill, J.S.
Morrell, D.
Morris, E. ,
Newman, J.H.
Newsom, J.
Newton, P.
Nias, J.
Oakeshott, M. –
Oates, T. , ,
O'Hear, A. –,
Perry, P.
Peters, R.S.
Piaget
Plato
Pugh, G.
Riddell, P.
Rose, J.
Rutter, M.
Sahlgren, G.H.
Shulman, L.
Simon, B.
Stenhouse, L.
Sylva, K. , ,
Taylor, C.
Thatcher, M. –, , , , , –, ,
Tickell, C.
Tomlinson, M.
Tomlinson, S.
Twigg, S.
Vygotsky
Wall, W.D.
Warnock, M.
Watson, David –, , ,
Whitty, G. ,
Wilby, P.
Woodhead,C. , ,
Wragg, T. ,
Young, M.
Zeldin, T. –
| {
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Larry Ribstein: In Memoriam (1946-2011)
The Politicization of Antitrust
FTC v. Qualcomm: Analyzing the theory of the case
Should We Break Up Big Tech? Symposium
Amazon-Whole Foods After One Year Symposium
Agricultural and Biotech Mergers Symposium
Apple E-Books Antitrust Case Symposium
Syposium Honoring the Honorable Joshua Wright
Unfair Methods of Compettion Sympoisum
Unlocking the Law Symposium
Free to Choose Symposium
The Law & Economics of Interchange Fees Symposium
Merger Guidelines Symposium
Section 2 Symposium
Innovation for the 21st Century Symposium
Truth on the Market
Scholarly commentary on law, economics, and more
Archives For section 5
The FTC should address how (and whether) it assesses causation as it looks to define "informational injury"
Geoffrey Manne & Kristian Stout — 8 November 2017
The FTC will hold an "Informational Injury Workshop" in December "to examine consumer injury in the context of privacy and data security." Defining the scope of cognizable harm that may result from the unauthorized use or third-party hacking of consumer information is, to be sure, a crucial inquiry, particularly as ever-more information is stored digitally. But the Commission — rightly — is aiming at more than mere definition. As it notes, the ultimate objective of the workshop is to address questions like:
How do businesses evaluate the benefits, costs, and risks of collecting and using information in light of potential injuries? How do they make tradeoffs? How do they assess the risks of different kinds of data breach? What market and legal incentives do they face, and how do these incentives affect their decisions?
How do consumers perceive and evaluate the benefits, costs, and risks of sharing information in light of potential injuries? What obstacles do they face in conducting such an evaluation? How do they evaluate tradeoffs?
Understanding how businesses and consumers assess the risk and cost "when information about [consumers] is misused," and how they conform their conduct to that risk, entails understanding not only the scope of the potential harm, but also the extent to which conduct affects the risk of harm. This, in turn, requires an understanding of the FTC's approach to evaluating liability under Section 5 of the FTC Act.
The problem, as we discuss in comments submitted by the International Center for Law & Economics to the FTC for the workshop, is that the Commission's current approach troublingly mixes the required separate analyses of risk and harm, with little elucidation of either.
The core of the problem arises from the Commission's reliance on what it calls a "reasonableness" standard for its evaluation of data security. By its nature, a standard that assigns liability for only unreasonable conduct should incorporate concepts resembling those of a common law negligence analysis — e.g., establishing a standard of due care, determining causation, evaluating the costs of and benefits of conduct that would mitigate the risk of harm, etc. Unfortunately, the Commission's approach to reasonableness diverges from the rigor of a negligence analysis. In fact, as it has developed, it operates more like a strict liability regime in which largely inscrutable prosecutorial discretion determines which conduct, which firms, and which outcomes will give rise to liability.
Most troublingly, coupled with the Commission's untenably lax (read: virtually nonexistent) evidentiary standards, the extremely liberal notion of causation embodied in its "reasonableness" approach means that the mere storage of personal information, even absent any data breach, could amount to an unfair practice under the Act — clearly not a "reasonable" result.
The notion that a breach itself can constitute injury will, we hope, be taken up during the workshop. But even if injury is limited to a particular type of breach — say, one in which sensitive, personal information is exposed to a wide swath of people — unless the Commission's definition of what it means for conduct to be "likely to cause" harm is fixed, it will virtually always be the case that storage of personal information could conceivably lead to the kind of breach that constitutes injury. In other words, better defining the scope of injury does little to cabin the scope of the agency's discretion when conduct creating any risk of that injury is actionable.
Our comments elaborate on these issues, as well as providing our thoughts on how the subjective nature of informational injuries can fit into Section 5, with a particular focus on the problem of assessing informational injury given evolving social context, and the need for appropriately assessing benefits in any cost-benefit analysis of conduct leading to informational injury.
ICLE's full comments are available here.
The comments draw upon our article, When 'Reasonable' Isn't: The FTC's Standard-Less Data Security Standard, forthcoming in the Journal of Law, Economics and Policy.
In consumer protection, cost-benefit analysis, data security, federal trade commission, ftc, international center for law & economics, law and economics, privacy, regulation, regulatory reform, section 5 data security, Federal Trade Commission, ftc, FTC Act, Informational Injury, section 5
Speaking at events next week on privacy/data security and merger enforcement
Geoffrey Manne — 31 May 2017
I'll be participating in two excellent antitrust/consumer protection events next week in DC, both of which may be of interest to our readers:
5th Annual Public Policy Conference on the Law & Economics of Privacy and Data Security
hosted by the GMU Law & Economics Center's Program on Economics & Privacy, in partnership with the Future of Privacy Forum, and the Journal of Law, Economics & Policy.
Conference Description:
Data flows are central to an increasingly large share of the economy. A wide array of products and business models—from the sharing economy and artificial intelligence to autonomous vehicles and embedded medical devices—rely on personal data. Consequently, privacy regulation leaves a large economic footprint. As with any regulatory enterprise, the key to sound data policy is striking a balance between competing interests and norms that leaves consumers better off; finding an approach that addresses privacy concerns, but also supports the benefits of technology is an increasingly complex challenge. Not only is technology continuously advancing, but individual attitudes, expectations, and participation vary greatly. New ideas and approaches to privacy must be identified and developed at the same pace and with the same focus as the technologies they address.
This year's symposium will include panels on Unfairness under Section 5: Unpacking "Substantial Injury", Conceptualizing the Benefits and Costs from Data Flows, and The Law and Economics of Data Security.
I will be presenting a draft paper, co-authored with Kristian Stout, on the FTC's reasonableness standard in data security cases following the Commission decision in LabMD, entitled, When "Reasonable" Isn't: The FTC's Standard-less Data Security Standard.
Conference Details:
at George Mason University, Founders Hall (next door to the Law School)
3351 Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22201
View the full agenda here
The State of Antitrust Enforcement
hosted by the Federalist Society.
Panel Description:
Antitrust policy during much of the Obama Administration was a continuation of the Bush Administration's minimal involvement in the market. However, at the end of President Obama's term, there was a significant pivot to investigations and blocks of high profile mergers such as Halliburton-Baker Hughes, Comcast-Time Warner Cable, Staples-Office Depot, Sysco-US Foods, and Aetna-Humana and Anthem-Cigna. How will or should the new Administration analyze proposed mergers, including certain high profile deals like Walgreens-Rite Aid, AT&T-Time Warner, Inc., and DraftKings-FanDuel?
Join us for a lively luncheon panel discussion that will cover these topics and the anticipated future of antitrust enforcement.
Albert A. Foer, Founder and Senior Fellow, American Antitrust Institute
Profesor Geoffrey A. Manne, Executive Director, International Center for Law & Economics
Honorable Joshua D. Wright, Professor of Law, George Mason University School of Law
Moderator: Honorable Ronald A. Cass, Dean Emeritus, Boston University School of Law and President, Cass & Associates, PC
Panel Details:
at the National Press Club, MWL Conference Rooms
529 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20045
Hope to see everyone at both events!
In administrative, announcements, antitrust, consumer protection, data security, federal trade commission, ftc, george mason university school of law, international center for law & economics, law and economics, mergers & acquisitions, scholarship bert foer, Competition law, conference, data security, ftc, James Cooper, joshua wright, labmd, mergers, privacy, ron cass, section 5, Unfairness
FTC v Amazon: With every victory in court the FTC loses a little more
Geoffrey Manne — 27 April 2016
Yesterday a federal district court in Washington state granted the FTC's motion for summary judgment against Amazon in FTC v. Amazon — the case alleging unfair trade practices in Amazon's design of the in-app purchases interface for apps available in its mobile app store. The headlines score the decision as a loss for Amazon, and the FTC, of course, claims victory. But the court also granted Amazon's motion for partial summary judgment on a significant aspect of the case, and the Commission's win may be decidedly pyrrhic.
While the district court (very wrongly, in my view) essentially followed the FTC in deciding that a well-designed user experience doesn't count as a consumer benefit for assessing substantial harm under the FTC Act, it rejected the Commission's request for a permanent injunction against Amazon. It also called into question the FTC's calculation of monetary damages. These last two may be huge.
The FTC may have "won" the case, but it's becoming increasingly apparent why it doesn't want to take these cases to trial. First in Wyndham, and now in Amazon, courts have begun to chip away at the FTC's expansive Section 5 discretion, even while handing the agency nominal victories.
The FTC largely escapes judicial oversight in cases like these because its targets almost always settle (Amazon is a rare exception). These settlements — consent orders — typically impose detailed 20-year injunctions and give the FTC ongoing oversight of the companies' conduct for the same period. The agency has wielded the threat of these consent orders as a powerful tool to micromanage tech companies, and it currently has at least one consent order in place with Twitter, Google, Apple, Facebook and several others.
As I wrote in a WSJ op-ed on these troubling consent orders:
The FTC prefers consent orders because they extend the commission's authority with little judicial oversight, but they are too blunt an instrument for regulating a technology company. For the next 20 years, if the FTC decides that Google's product design or billing practices don't provide "express, informed consent," the FTC could declare Google in violation of the new consent decree. The FTC could then impose huge penalties—tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars—without establishing that any consumer had actually been harmed.
Yesterday's decision makes that outcome less likely. Companies will be much less willing to succumb to the FTC's 20-year oversight demands if they know that courts may refuse the FTC's injunction request and accept companies' own, independent and market-driven efforts to address consumer concerns — without any special regulatory micromanagement.
In the same vein, while the court did find that Amazon was liable for repayment of unauthorized charges made without "express, informed authorization," it also found the FTC's monetary damages calculation questionable and asked for further briefing on the appropriate amount. If, as seems likely, it ultimately refuses to simply accept the FTC's damages claims, that, too, will take some of the wind out of the FTC's sails. Other companies have settled with the FTC and agreed to 20-year consent decrees in part, presumably, because of the threat of excessive damages if they litigate. That, too, is now less likely to happen.
Collectively, these holdings should help to force the FTC to better target its complaints to cases of still-ongoing and truly-harmful practices — the things the FTC Act was really meant to address, like actual fraud. Tech companies trying to navigate ever-changing competitive waters by carefully constructing their user interfaces and payment mechanisms (among other things) shouldn't be treated the same way as fraudulent phishing scams.
The court's other key holding is problematic, however. In essence, the court, like the FTC, seems to believe that regulators are better than companies' product managers, designers and engineers at designing app-store user interfaces:
[A] clear and conspicuous disclaimer regarding in-app purchases and request for authorization on the front-end of a customer's process could actually prove to… be more seamless than the somewhat unpredictable password prompt formulas rolled out by Amazon.
Never mind that Amazon has undoubtedly spent tremendous resources researching and designing the user experience in its app store. And never mind that — as Amazon is certainly aware — a consumer's experience of a product is make-or-break in the cut-throat world of online commerce, advertising and search (just ask Jet).
Instead, for the court (and the FTC), the imagined mechanism of "affirmatively seeking a customer's authorized consent to a charge" is all benefit and no cost. Whatever design decisions may have informed the way Amazon decided to seek consent are either irrelevant, or else the user-experience benefits they confer are negligible.
As I've written previously:
Amazon has built its entire business around the "1-click" concept — which consumers love — and implemented a host of notification and security processes hewing as much as possible to that design choice, but nevertheless taking account of the sorts of issues raised by in-app purchases. Moreover — and perhaps most significantly — it has implemented an innovative and comprehensive parental control regime (including the ability to turn off all in-app purchases) — Kindle Free Time — that arguably goes well beyond anything the FTC required in its Apple consent order.
Amazon is not abdicating its obligation to act fairly under the FTC Act and to ensure that users are protected from unauthorized charges. It's just doing so in ways that also take account of the costs such protections may impose — particularly, in this case, on the majority of Amazon customers who didn't and wouldn't suffer such unauthorized charges.
Amazon began offering Kindle Free Time in 2012 as an innovative solution to a problem — children's access to apps and in-app purchases — that affects only a small subset of Amazon's customers. To dismiss that effort without considering that Amazon might have made a perfectly reasonable judgment that balanced consumer protection and product design disregards the cost-benefit balancing required by Section 5 of the FTC Act.
Moreover, the FTC Act imposes liability for harm only when they are not "reasonably avoidable." Kindle Free Time is an outstanding example of an innovative mechanism that allows consumers at risk of unauthorized purchases by children to "reasonably avoid" harm. The court's and the FTC's disregard for it is inconsistent with the statute.
The court's willingness to reinforce the FTC's blackboard design "expertise" (such as it is) to second guess user-interface and other design decisions made by firms competing in real markets is unfortunate. But there's a significant silver lining. By reining in the FTC's discretion to go after these companies as if they were common fraudsters, the court has given consumers an important victory. After all, it is consumers who otherwise bear the costs (both directly and as a result of reduced risk-taking and innovation) of the FTC's largely unchecked ability to extract excessive concessions from its enforcement targets.
In consumer protection, federal trade commission, ftc, law and economics, litigation, regulation, section 5, technology 1-Click, Amazon, authorized consent, consent order, damages, ftc, injunction, Kindle Free Time, section 5, Unfairness, user interface
Voting Now Open for 2016 Concurrences Writing Awards
Alden Abbott — 29 January 2016
I urge Truth on the Market readers to signal their preferences and help select the 2016 antitrust writing awards bestowed by the prestigious competition law and policy journal, Concurrences. (See here for the 2015 winners.)
Readers and a Steering Committee vote for their favorite articles among those nominated, which results in a short list of finalists (two per category). The Concurrences Board then votes for the award-winning articles from the shortlist. (See here for detailed rules.)
Readers can now vote online until February 15 for their favorite articles at http://awards.concurrences.com/.
Among the nominees are three excellent papers written by former FTC Commissioner Joshua D. Wright (including one written with Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg) and one paper co-authored by Professor Thom Lambert and me (the four articles fall into three separate categories so you can vote for at least three of them):
Academic Article IP Category: Douglas H. Ginsburg, Koren W. Wong-Ervin, and Joshua D. Wright, Product Hopping and the Limits of Antitrust: The Danger of Micromanaging Innovation, http://awards.concurrences.com/articles-awards/academic-articles-awards/article/product-hopping-and-the-limits-of-antitrust-the-danger-of-micromanaging.
Academic Article General Antitrust Category: Joshua D. Wright & Angela Diveley, Unfair Methods of Competition after the 2015 Commission Statement, http://awards.concurrences.com/articles-awards/academic-articles-awards/article/unfair-methods-of-competition-after-the-2015-commission-statement.
Academic Article Unilateral Conduct Category: Derek Moore & Joshua D. Wright, Conditional Discounts and the Law of Exclusive Dealing, http://awards.concurrences.com/articles-awards/academic-articles-awards/article/conditional-discounts-and-the-law-of-exclusive-dealing.
Academic Article General Antitrust Category: Thomas A. Lambert and Alden F. Abbott, Recognizing the Limits of Antitrust: The Roberts Court Versus the Enforcement Agencies, http://jcle.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2015/09/14/joclec.nhv020.abstract and http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2596660 (downloadable version).
All four of these articles break new ground in important areas of antitrust law and policy.
(Full disclosure: Wright and Ginsburg are professors at George Mason Law School. I am on the adjunct faculty at that fine institution and Wong-Ervin is Director of George Mason Law School's Global Antitrust Institute.)
In antitrust, federal trade commission, intellectual property, section 5, truth on the market antitrust, Intellectual property, joshua wright, section 5
FTC Commissioner Joshua Wright gets his competiton enforcement guidelines
Geoffrey Manne — 13 August 2015
Today, for the first time in its 100-year history, the FTC issued enforcement guidelines for cases brought by the agency under the Unfair Methods of Competition ("UMC") provisions of Section 5 of the FTC Act.
The Statement of Enforcement Principles represents a significant victory for Commissioner Joshua Wright, who has been a tireless advocate for defining and limiting the scope of the Commission's UMC authority since before his appointment to the FTC in 2013.
As we've noted many times before here at TOTM (including in our UMC Guidelines Blog Symposium), FTC enforcement principles for UMC actions have been in desperate need of clarification. Without any UMC standards, the FTC has been free to leverage its costly adjudication process into settlements (or short-term victories) and businesses have been left in the dark as to what what sorts of conduct might trigger enforcement. Through a series of unadjudicated settlements, UMC unfairness doctrine (such as it is) has remained largely within the province of FTC discretion and without judicial oversight. As a result, and either by design or by accident, UMC never developed a body of law encompassing well-defined goals or principles like antitrust's consumer welfare standard.
Commissioner Wright has long been at the forefront of the battle to rein in the FTC's discretion in this area and to promote the rule of law. Soon after joining the Commission, he called for Section 5 guidelines that would constrain UMC enforcement to further consumer welfare, tied to the economically informed analysis of competitive effects developed in antitrust law.
Today's UMC Statement embodies the essential elements of Commissioner Wright's proposal. Under the new guidelines:
The Commission will make UMC enforcement decisions based on traditional antitrust principles, including the consumer welfare standard;
Only conduct that would violate the antitrust rule of reason will give rise to enforcement, and the Commission will not bring UMC cases without evidence demonstrating that harm to competition outweighs any efficiency or business justifications for the conduct at issue; and
The Commission commits to the principle that it is more appropriate to bring cases under the antitrust laws than under Section 5 when the conduct at issue could give rise to a cause of action under the antitrust laws. Notably, this doesn't mean that the agency gets to use UMC when it thinks it might lose under the Sherman or Clayton Acts; rather, it means UMC is meant only to be a gap-filler, to be used when the antitrust statutes don't apply at all.
Yes, the Statement is a compromise. For instance, there is no safe harbor from UMC enforcement if any cognizable efficiencies are demonstrated, as Commissioner Wright initially proposed.
But by enshrining antitrust law's consumer welfare standard in future UMC caselaw, by obligating the Commission to assess conduct within the framework of the well-established antitrust rule of reason, and by prioritizing antitrust over UMC when both might apply, the Statement brings UMC law into the world of modern antitrust analysis. This is a huge achievement.
It's also a huge achievement that a Statement like this one would be introduced by Chairwoman Ramirez. As recently as last year, Ramirez had resisted efforts to impose constraints on the FTC's UMC enforcement discretion. In a 2014 speech Ramirez said:
I have expressed concern about recent proposals to formulate guidance to try to codify our unfair methods principles for the first time in the Commission's 100 year history. While I don't object to guidance in theory, I am less interested in prescribing our future enforcement actions than in describing our broad enforcement principles revealed in our recent precedent.
The "recent precedent" that Ramirez referred to is precisely the set of cases applying UMC to reach antitrust-relevant conduct that led to Commissioner Wright's efforts. The common law of consent decrees that make up the precedent Ramirez refers to, of course, are not legally binding and provide little more than regurgitated causes of action.
But today, under Congressional pressure and pressure from within the agency led by Commissioner Wright, Chairwoman Ramirez and the other two Democratic commissioners voted for the Statement.
Competitive Effects Analysis Under the Statement
As Commissioner Ohlhausen argues in her dissenting statement, the UMC Statement doesn't remove all enforcement discretion from the Commission — after all, enforcement principles, like standards in law generally, have fuzzy boundaries.
But what Commissioner Ohlhausen seems to miss is that, by invoking antitrust principles, the rule of reason and competitive effects analysis, the Statement incorporates by reference 125 years of antitrust law and economics. The Statement itself need not go into excessive detail when, with only a few words, it brings modern antitrust jurisprudence embodied in cases like Trinko, Leegin, and Brooke Group into UMC law.
Under the new rule of reason approach for UMC, the FTC will condemn conduct only when it causes or is likely to cause "harm to competition or the competitive process, taking into account any associated cognizable efficiencies and business justifications." In other words, the evidence must demonstrate net harm to consumers before the FTC can take action. That's a significant constraint.
As noted above, Commissioner Wright originally proposed a safe harbor from FTC UMC enforcement whenever cognizable efficiencies are present. The Statement's balancing test is thus a compromise. But it's not really a big move from Commissioner Wright's initial position.
Commissioner Wright's original proposal tied the safe harbor to "cognizable" efficiencies, which is an exacting standard. As Commissioner Wright noted in his Blog Symposium post on the subject:
[T]he efficiencies screen I offer intentionally leverages the Commission's considerable expertise in identifying the presence of cognizable efficiencies in the merger context and explicitly ties the analysis to the well-developed framework offered in the Horizontal Merger Guidelines. As any antitrust practitioner can attest, the Commission does not credit "cognizable efficiencies" lightly and requires a rigorous showing that the claimed efficiencies are merger-specific, verifiable, and not derived from an anticompetitive reduction in output or service. Fears that the efficiencies screen in the Section 5 context would immunize patently anticompetitive conduct because a firm nakedly asserts cost savings arising from the conduct without evidence supporting its claim are unwarranted. Under this strict standard, the FTC would almost certainly have no trouble demonstrating no cognizable efficiencies exist in Dan's "blowing up of the competitor's factory" example because the very act of sabotage amounts to an anticompetitive reduction in output.
The difference between the safe harbor approach and the balancing approach embodied in the Statement is largely a function of administrative economy. Before, the proposal would have caused the FTC to err on the side of false negatives, possibly forbearing from bringing some number of welfare-enhancing cases in exchange for a more certain reduction in false positives. Now, there is greater chance of false positives.
But the real effect is that more cases will be litigated because, in the end, both versions would require some degree of antitrust-like competitive effects analysis. Under the Statement, if procompetitive efficiencies outweigh anticompetitive harms, the defendant still wins (and the FTC is to avoid enforcement). Under the original proposal fewer actions might be brought, but those that are brought would surely settle. So one likely outcome of choosing a balancing test over the safe harbor is that more close cases will go to court to be sorted out. Whether this is a net improvement over the safe harbor depends on whether the social costs of increased litigation and error are offset by a reduction in false negatives — as well as the more robust development of the public good of legal case law.
Reduced FTC Discretion Under the Statement
The other important benefit of the Statement is that it commits the FTC to a regime that reduces its discretion.
Chairwoman Ramirez and former Chairman Leibowitz — among others — have embraced a broader role for Section 5, particularly in order to avoid the judicial limits on antitrust actions arising out of recent Supreme Court cases like Trinko, Leegin, Brooke Group, Linkline, Weyerhaeuser and Credit Suisse.
For instance, as former Chairman Leibowitz said in 2008:
[T]he Commission should not be tied to the more technical definitions of consumer harm that limit applications of the Sherman Act when we are looking at pure Section 5 violations.
And this was no idle threat. Recent FTC cases, including Intel, N-Data, Google (Motorola), and Bosch, could all have been brought under the Sherman Act, but were brought — and settled — as Section 5 cases instead. Under the new Statement, all four would likely be Sherman Act cases.
There's little doubt that, left unfettered, Section 5 UMC actions would only have grown in scope. Former Chairman Leibowitz, in his concurring opinion in Rambus, described UMC as
a flexible and powerful Congressional mandate to protect competition from unreasonable restraints, whether long-since recognized or newly discovered, that violate the antitrust laws, constitute incipient violations of those laws, or contravene those laws' fundamental policies.
Both Leibowitz and former Commissioner Tom Rosch (again, among others) often repeated their views that Section 5 permitted much the same actions as were available under Section 2 — but without the annoyance of those pesky, economically sensible, judicial limitations. (Although, in fairness, Leibowitz also once commented that it would not "be wise to use the broader [Section 5] authority whenever we think we can't win an antitrust case, as a sort of 'fallback.'")
In fact, there is a long and unfortunate trend of FTC commissioners and other officials asserting some sort of "public enforcement exception" to the judicial limits on Sherman Act cases. As then Deputy Director for Antitrust in the Bureau of Economics, Howard Shelanski, told Congress in 2010:
The Commission believes that its authority to prevent "unfair methods of competition" through Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act enables the agency to pursue conduct that it cannot reach under the Sherman Act, and thus avoid the potential strictures of Trinko.
In this instance, and from the context (followed as it is by a request for Congress to actually exempt the agency from Trinko and Credit Suisse!), it seems that "reach" means "win."
Still others have gone even further. Tom Rosch, for example, has suggested that the FTC should challenge Patent Assertion Entities under Section 5 merely because "we have a gut feeling" that the conduct violates the Act and it may not be actionable under Section 2.
Even more egregious, Steve Salop and Jon Baker advocate using Section 5 to implement their preferred social policies — in this case to reduce income inequality. Such expansionist views, as Joe Sims recently reminded TOTM readers, hearken back to the troubled FTC of the 1970s:
Remember [former FTC Chairman] Mike Pertschuck saying that Section 5 could possibly be used to enforce compliance with desirable energy policies or environmental requirements, or to attack actions that, in the opinion of the FTC majority, impeded desirable employment programs or were inconsistent with the nation's "democratic, political and social ideals." The two speeches he delivered on this subject in 1977 were the beginning of the end for increased Section 5 enforcement in that era, since virtually everyone who heard or read them said: "Whoa! Is this really what we want the FTC to be doing?"
Apparently, for some, it is — even today. But don't forget: This was the era in which Congress actually briefly shuttered the FTC for refusing to recognize limits on its discretion, as Howard Beales reminds us:
The breadth, overreaching, and lack of focus in the FTC's ambitious rulemaking agenda outraged many in business, Congress, and the media. Even the Washington Post editorialized that the FTC had become the "National Nanny." Most significantly, these concerns reverberated in Congress. At one point, Congress refused to provide the necessary funding, and simply shut down the FTC for several days…. So great were the concerns that Congress did not reauthorize the FTC for fourteen years. Thus chastened, the Commission abandoned most of its rulemaking initiatives, and began to re-examine unfairness to develop a focused, injury-based test to evaluate practices that were allegedly unfair.
A truly significant effect of the Policy Statement will be to neutralize the effort to use UMC to make an end-run around antitrust jurisprudence in order to pursue non-economic goals. It will now be a necessary condition of a UMC enforcement action to prove a contravention of fundamental antitrust policies (i.e., consumer welfare), rather than whatever three commissioners happen to agree is a desirable goal. And the Statement puts the brakes on efforts to pursue antitrust cases under Section 5 by expressing a clear policy preference at the FTC to bring such cases under the antitrust laws.
Commissioner Ohlhausen's objects that
the fact that this policy statement requires some harm to competition does little to constrain the Commission, as every Section 5 theory pursued in the last 45 years, no matter how controversial or convoluted, can be and has been couched in terms of protecting competition and/or consumers.
That may be true, but the same could be said of every Section 2 case, as well. Commissioner Ohlhausen seems to be dismissing the fact that the Statement effectively incorporates by reference the last 45 years of antitrust law, too. Nothing will incentivize enforcement targets to challenge the FTC in court — or incentivize the FTC itself to forbear from enforcement — like the ability to argue Trinko, Leegin and their ilk. Antitrust law isn't perfect, of course, but making UMC law coextensive with modern antitrust law is about as much as we could ever reasonably hope for. And the Statement basically just gave UMC defendants blanket license to add a string of "See Areeda & Hovenkamp" cites to every case the FTC brings. We should count that as a huge win.
Commissioner Ohlhausen also laments the brevity and purported vagueness of the Statement, claiming that
No interpretation of the policy statement by a single Commissioner, no matter how thoughtful, will bind this or any future Commission to greater limits on Section 5 UMC enforcement than what is in this exceedingly brief, highly general statement.
But, in the end, it isn't necessarily the Commissioners' self-restraint upon which the Statement relies; it's the courts' (and defendants') ability to take the obvious implications of the Statement seriously and read current antitrust precedent into future UMC cases. If every future UMC case is adjudicated like a Sherman or Clayton Act case, the Statement will have been a resounding success.
Arguably no FTC commissioner has been as successful in influencing FTC policy as a minority commissioner — over sustained opposition, and in a way that constrains the agency so significantly — as has Commissioner Wright today.
In antitrust, Efficiencies, error costs, exclusionary conduct, exclusive dealing, federal trade commission, ftc, law and economics, monopolization, resale price maintenance, section 5, settlements, UMC symposium antitrust law, Commissioner Wright, Edith Ramirez, Federal Trade Commission, ftc, guidelines, joshua wright, Maureen Ohlhausen, section 5, UMC, unfair methods of competition
Joshua Wright, Martin Gaynor and Past FTC Officials to Speak at ICLE Event on Apple and Amazon Cases
Geoffrey Manne — 28 July 2014
The Federal Trade Commission's recent enforcement actions against Amazon and Apple raise important questions about the FTC's consumer protection practices, especially its use of economics. How does the Commission weigh the costs and benefits of its enforcement decisions? How does the agency employ economic analysis in digital consumer protection cases generally?
Join the International Center for Law and Economics and TechFreedom on Thursday, July 31 at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company for a lunch and panel discussion on these important issues, featuring FTC Commissioner Joshua Wright, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Economics Martin Gaynor, and several former FTC officials. RSVP here.
Commissioner Wright will present a keynote address discussing his dissent in Apple and his approach to applying economics in consumer protection cases generally.
Geoffrey Manne, Executive Director of ICLE, will briefly discuss his recent paper on the role of economics in the FTC's consumer protection enforcement. Berin Szoka, TechFreedom President, will moderate a panel discussion featuring:
Martin Gaynor, Director, FTC Bureau of Economics
David Balto, Fmr. Deputy Assistant Director for Policy & Coordination, FTC Bureau of Competition
Howard Beales, Fmr. Director, FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection
James Cooper, Fmr. Acting Director & Fmr. Deputy Director, FTC Office of Policy Planning
Pauline Ippolito, Fmr. Acting Director & Fmr. Deputy Director, FTC Bureau of Economics
The FTC recently issued a complaint and consent order against Apple, alleging its in-app purchasing design doesn't meet the Commission's standards of fairness. The action and resulting settlement drew a forceful dissent from Commissioner Wright, and sparked a discussion among the Commissioners about balancing economic harms and benefits in Section 5 unfairness jurisprudence. More recently, the FTC brought a similar action against Amazon, which is now pending in federal district court because Amazon refused to settle.
The "FTC: Technology and Reform" project brings together a unique collection of experts on the law, economics, and technology of competition and consumer protection to consider challenges facing the FTC in general, and especially regarding its regulation of technology. The Project's initial report, released in December 2013, identified critical questions facing the agency, Congress, and the courts about the FTC's future, and proposed a framework for addressing them.
The event will be live streamed here beginning at 12:15pm. Join the conversation on Twitter with the #FTCReform hashtag.
11:45 am – 12:15 pm — Lunch and registration
12:15 pm – 2:00 pm — Keynote address, paper presentation & panel discussion
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company – Rehearsal Hall
641 D St NW
Questions? – Email [email protected]. RSVP here.
See ICLE's and TechFreedom's other work on FTC reform, including:
Geoffrey Manne's Congressional testimony on the the FTC@100
Op-ed by Berin Szoka and Geoffrey Manne, "The Second Century of the Federal Trade Commission"
Two posts by Geoffrey Manne on the FTC's Amazon Complaint, here and here.
About The International Center for Law and Economics:
The International Center for Law and Economics is a non-profit, non-partisan research center aimed at fostering rigorous policy analysis and evidence-based regulation.
About TechFreedom:
TechFreedom is a non-profit, non-partisan technology policy think tank. We work to chart a path forward for policymakers towards a bright future where technology enhances freedom, and freedom enhances technology.
In administrative, announcements, antitrust, consumer protection, cost-benefit analysis, error costs, federal trade commission, international center for law & economics, law and economics, regulation, section 5, technology Amazon, Apple, consumer protection, Federal Trade Commission, ftc, icle, section 5, techfreedom, Unfairness
The FTC's in-app purchasing complaint against Amazon reflects its flawed, per se approach to unfairness
Today the FTC filed its complaint in federal district court in Washington against Amazon, alleging that the company's in-app purchasing system permits children to make in-app purchases without parental "informed consent" constituting an "unfair practice" under Section 5 of the FTC Act.
As I noted in my previous post on the case, in bringing this case the Commission is doubling down on the rule it introduced in Apple that effectively converts the balancing of harms and benefits required under Section 5 of the FTC Act to a per se rule that deems certain practices to be unfair regardless of countervailing benefits. Similarly, it is attempting to extend the informed consent standard it created in Apple that essentially maintains that only specific, identified practices (essentially, distinct notification at the time of purchase or opening of purchase window, requiring entry of a password to proceed) are permissible under the Act.
Such a standard is inconsistent with the statute, however. The FTC's approach forecloses the ability of companies like Amazon to engage in meaningful design decisions and disregards their judgment about which user interface designs will, on balance, benefit consumers. The FTC Act does not empower the Commission to disregard the consumer benefits of practices that simply fail to mimic the FTC's preconceived design preferences. While that sort of approach might be defensible in the face of manifestly harmful practices like cramming, it is wholly inappropriate in the context of app stores like Amazon's that spend considerable resources to design every aspect of their interaction with consumers—and that seek to attract, not to defraud, consumers.
Today's complaint occasions a few more observations:
Amazon has a very strong case. Under Section 5 of the FTC Act, the Commission will have to prevail on all three elements required to prove unfairness under Section 5: that there is substantial injury, that consumers can't reasonably avoid the injury and that any countervailing benefits don't outweigh the injury. But, consistent with its complaint and consent order in Apple, the Amazon complaint focuses almost entirely on only the first of these. While that may have been enough to induce Apple to settle out of court, the FTC will actually have to make out a case on reasonable avoidance and countervailing benefits at trial. It's not at all clear that the agency will be able to do so on the facts alleged here.
On reasonable avoidance, over and above Amazon's general procedures that limit unwanted in-app purchases, the FTC will have a tough time showing that Amazon's Kindle Free Time doesn't provide parents with more than enough ability to avoid injury. In fact, the complaint doesn't mention Free Time at all.
Among other things, the complaint asserts that Amazon knew about issues with in-app purchasing by December of 2011 and claims that "[n]ot until June 2014 did Amazon change its in-app charge framework to obtain account holders' informed consent for in-app charges on its newer mobile devices." But Kindle Free Time was introduced in September of 2012. While four FTC Commissioners may believe that Free Time isn't a sufficient response to the alleged problem, it is clearly a readily available, free and effective (read: reasonable) mechanism for parents to avoid the alleged harms. It may not be what the design mavens at the FTC would have chosen to do, but it seems certain that avoiding unauthorized in-app purchases by children was part of what motivated Amazon's decision to create and offer Free Time.
On countervailing benefits, as Commissioner Wright discussed in detail in his dissent from the Apple consent order, the Commission seems to think that it can simply assert that there are no countervailing benefits to Amazon's design choices around in-app purchases. Here the complaint doesn't mention 1-Click at all, which is core to Amazon's user interface design and essential to evaluating the balance of harms and benefits required by the statute.
Even if it can show that Amazon's in-app purchase practices caused harm, the Commission will still have to demonstrate that Amazon's conscious efforts to minimize the steps required to make purchases doesn't benefit consumers on balance. In Apple, the FTC majority essentially (and improperly) valued these sorts of user-interface benefits at zero. It implicitly does so again here, but a court will require more than such an assertion.
Given these lapses, there is even a chance that the complaint will be thrown out on a motion to dismiss. It's a high bar, but if the court agrees that there are insufficient facts in the complaint to make out a plausible case on all three elements, Amazon could well prevail on a motion to dismiss. The FTC's approach in the Apple consent order effectively maintains that the agency can disregard reasonable avoidance and countervailing benefits in contravention of the statute. By following the same approach here in actual litigation, the FTC may well meet resistance from the courts, which have not yet so cavalierly dispensed with the statute's requirements.
In consumer protection, federal trade commission, markets, section 5, technology Amazon, Amazon.com, Apple, Commissioner Wright, Free Time, ftc, In-app purchases, Kindle, section 5, Unfair Practices, Unfairness
The FTC doubles down on its egregious product design enforcement with a threatened suit against Amazon.com
Geoffrey Manne — 2 July 2014
The Wall Street Journal reports this morning that Amazon is getting — and fighting — the "Apple treatment" from the FTC for its design of its in-app purchases:
Amazon.com Inc. is bucking a request from the Federal Trade Commission that it tighten its policies for purchases made by children while using mobile applications.
In a letter to the FTC Tuesday, Amazon said it was prepared to "defend our approach in court," rather than agree to fines and additional record keeping and disclosure requirements over the next 20 years, according to documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
According to the documents, Amazon is facing a potential lawsuit by the FTC, which wants the Seattle retailer to accept terms similar to those that Apple Inc. agreed to earlier this year regarding so-called in-app purchases.
From what I can tell, the Commission has voted to issue a complaint, and Amazon has informed the Commission that it will not accept its proposed settlement.
I am thrilled that Amazon seems to have decided to fight the latest effort by a majority of the FTC to bring every large tech company under 20-year consent decree. I should say: I'm disappointed in the FTC, sorry for Amazon, but thrilled for consumers and the free marketplace that Amazon is choosing to fight rather than acquiesce.
As I wrote earlier this year about the FTC's case against Apple in testimony before the House Commerce Committee:
What's particularly notable about the Apple case – and presumably will be in future technology enforcement actions predicated on unfairness – is the unique relevance of the attributes of the conduct at issue to its product. Unlike past, allegedly similar, cases, Apple's conduct was not aimed at deceiving consumers, nor was it incidental to its product offering. But by challenging the practice, particularly without the balancing of harms required by Section 5, the FTC majority failed to act with restraint and substituted its own judgment, not about some manifestly despicable conduct, but about the very design of Apple's products. This is the sort of area where regulatory humility is more — not less — important.
In failing to observe common sense limits in Apple, the FTC set a dangerous precedent that, given the agency's enormous regulatory scope and the nature of technologically advanced products, could cause significant harm to consumers.
Here that failure is even more egregious. Amazon has built its entire business around the "1-click" concept — which consumers love — and implemented a host of notification and security processes hewing as much as possible to that design choice, but nevertheless taking account of the sorts of issues raised by in-app purchases. Moreover — and perhaps most significantly — it has implemented an innovative and comprehensive parental control regime (including the ability to turn off all in-app purchases) — Kindle Free Time — that arguably goes well beyond anything the FTC required in its Apple consent order. I use Kindle Free Time with my kids and have repeatedly claimed to anyone who will listen that it is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Other consumers must feel similarly. Finally, regardless of all of that, Amazon has nevertheless voluntarily implemented additional notification procedures intended to comply with the Apple settlement, even though it didn't apply to Amazon.
If the FTC asserts, in the face of all of that, that it's own vision of what "appropriate" in-app purchase protections must look like is the only one that suffices to meet the standard required by Section 5's Unfairness language, it is either being egregiously disingenuous, horrifically vain, just plain obtuse, or some combination of the three.
As I wrote in my testimony:
The application of Section 5's "unfair acts and practices" prong (the statute at issue in Apple) is circumscribed by Section 45(n) of the FTC Act, which, among other things, proscribes enforcement where injury is "not outweighed by countervailing benefits to consumers or to competition."
And as Commissioner Wright noted in his dissent in the Apple case,
[T]he Commission effectively rejects an analysis of tradeoffs between the benefits of additional guidance and potential harm to some consumers or to competition from mandating guidance…. I respectfully disagree. These assumptions adopt too cramped a view of consumer benefits under the Unfairness Statement and, without more rigorous analysis to justify their application, are insufficient to establish the Commission's burden.
We won't know until we see the complaint whether the FTC has failed to undertake the balancing it neglected to perform in Apple and that it is required to perform under the statute. But it's hard to believe that it could mount a case against Amazon in light of the facts if it did perform such a balancing. There's no question that Amazon has implemented conscious and consumer-welfare-enhancing design choices here. The FTC's effort to nevertheless mandate a different design (and put Amazon under a 20 year consent decree) based on a claim that Amazon's choices impose greater harms than benefits on consumers seems manifestly unsupportable.
Such a claim almost certainly represents an abuse of the agency's discretion, and I expect Amazon to trounce the FTC if this case goes to trial.
In consumer protection, federal trade commission, markets, section 5, technology Amazon, Amazon.com, Apple, Commissioner Wright, ftc, In-app purchases, Kindle, section 5
Adam Mossoff's Senate Testimony on PAEs, Demand Letters and Patent Litigation
Adam Mossoff — 15 November 2013
Below is the text of my oral testimony to the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, the Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Insurance Subcommittee, at its November 7, 2013 hearing on "Demand Letters and Consumer Protection: Examining Deceptive Practices by Patent Assertion Entities." Information on the hearing is here, including an archived webcast of the hearing. My much longer and more indepth written testimony is here.
Please note that I am incorrectly identified on the hearing website as speaking on behalf of the Center for the Protection of Intellectual Property (CPIP). In fact, I was invited to testify soley in my personal capacity as a Professor of Law at George Mason University School of Law, given my academic research into the history of the patent system and the role of licensing and commercialization in the distribution of patented innovation. I spoke for neither George Mason University nor CPIP, and thus I am solely responsible for the content of my research and remarks.
Chairman McCaskill, Ranking Member Heller, and Members of the Subcommittee:
Thank you for this opportunity to speak with you today.
There certainly are bad actors, deceptive demand letters, and frivolous litigation in the patent system. The important question, though, is whether there is a systemic problem requiring further systemic revisions to the patent system. There is no answer to this question, and this is the case for three reasons.
Harm to Innovation
First, the calls to rush to enact systemic revisions to the patent system are being made without established evidence there is in fact systemic harm to innovation, let alone any harm to the consumers that Section 5 authorizes the FTC to protect. As the Government Accountability Office found in its August 2013 report on patent litigation, the frequently-cited studies claiming harms are actually "nonrandom and nongeneralizable," which means they are unscientific and unreliable.
These anecdotal reports and unreliable studies do not prove there is a systemic problem requiring a systemic revision to patent licensing practices.
Of even greater concern is that the many changes to the patent system Congress is considering, incl. extending the FTC's authority over demand letters, would impose serious costs on real innovators and thus do actual harm to America's innovation economy and job growth.
From Charles Goodyear and Thomas Edison in the nineteenth century to IBM and Microsoft today, patent licensing has been essential in bringing patented innovation to the marketplace, creating economic growth and a flourishing society. But expanding FTC authority to regulate requests for licensing royalties under vague evidentiary and legal standards only weakens patents and create costly uncertainty.
This will hamper America's innovation economy—causing reduced economic growth, lost jobs, and reduced standards of living for everyone, incl. the consumers the FTC is charged to protect.
Existing Tools
Second, the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) and courts have long had the legal tools to weed out bad patents and punish bad actors, and these tools were massively expanded just two years ago with the enactment of the America Invents Act.
This is important because the real concern with demand letters is that the underlying patents are invalid.
No one denies that owners of valid patents have the right to license their property or to sue infringers, or that patent owners can even make patent licensing their sole business model, as did Charles Goodyear and Elias Howe in the mid-nineteenth century.
There are too many of these tools to discuss in my brief remarks, but to name just a few: recipients of demand letters can sue patent owners in courts through declaratory judgment actions and invalidate bad patents. And the PTO now has four separate programs dedicated solely to weeding out bad patents.
For those who lack the knowledge or resources to access these legal tools, there are now numerous legal clinics, law firms and policy organizations that actively offer assistance.
Again, further systemic changes to the patent system are unwarranted because there are existing legal tools with established legal standards to address the bad actors and their bad patents.
If Congress enacts a law this year, then it should secure full funding for the PTO. Weakening patents and creating more uncertainties in the licensing process is not the solution.
Lastly, Congress is being driven to revise the patent system on the basis of rhetoric and anecdote instead of objective evidence and reasoned explanations. While there are bad actors in the patent system, terms like PAE or patent troll constantly shift in meaning. These terms have been used to cover anyone who licenses patents, including universities, startups, companies that engage in R&D, and many others.
Classic American innovators in the nineteenth century like Thomas Edison, Charles Goodyear, and Elias Howe would be called PAEs or patent trolls today. In fact, they and other patent owners made royalty demands against thousands of end users.
Congress should exercise restraint when it is being asked to enact systemic legislative or regulatory changes on the basis of pejorative labels that would lead us to condemn or discriminate against classic innovators like Edison who have contributed immensely to America's innovation economy.
In conclusion, the benefits or costs of patent licensing to the innovation economy is an important empirical and policy question, but systemic changes to the patent system should not be based on rhetoric, anecdotes, invalid studies, and incorrect claims about the historical and economic significance of patent licensing
As former PTO Director David Kappos stated last week in his testimony before the House Judiciary Committee: "we are reworking the greatest innovation engine the world has ever known, almost instantly after it has just been significantly overhauled. If there were ever a case where caution is called for, this is it."
In antitrust, federal trade commission, intellectual property, licensing, litigation, patent, regulation, section 5 antitrust, broken patent system, consumer, demand letters, ftc, legislation, licensing, mccaskill, mossoff, non practicing entity, PAE, patent assertion entity, patent reform, patent troll, podcasting patent, section 5, senate, wifi
Commissioner Wright Responds to Section 5 Symposium
Josh Wright — 2 August 2013
Joshua Wright is a Commissioner at the Federal Trade Commission
I'd like to thank Geoff and Thom for organizing this symposium and creating a forum for an open and frank exchange of ideas about the FTC's unfair methods of competition authority under Section 5. In offering my own views in a concrete proposed Policy Statement and speech earlier this summer, I hoped to encourage just such a discussion about how the Commission can define its authority to prosecute unfair methods of competition in a way that both strengthens the agency's ability to target anticompetitive conduct and provides much needed guidance to the business community. During the course of this symposium, I have enjoyed reading the many thoughtful posts providing feedback on my specific proposal, as well as offering other views on how guidance and limits can be imposed on the Commission's unfair methods of competition authority. Through this marketplace of ideas, I believe the Commission can develop a consensus position and finally accomplish the long overdue task of articulating its views on the application of the agency's signature competition statute. As this symposium comes to a close, I'd like to make a couple quick observations and respond to a few specific comments about my proposal.
There Exists a Vast Area of Agreement on Section 5
Although conventional wisdom may suggest it will be impossible to reach any meaningful consensus with respect to Section 5, this symposium demonstrates that there actually already exists a vast area of agreement on the subject. In fact, it appears safe to draw at least two broad conclusions from the contributions that have been offered as part of this symposium.
First, an overwhelming majority of commentators believe that we need guidance on the scope of the FTC's unfair methods of competition authority. This is not surprising. The absence of meaningful limiting principles distinguishing lawful conduct from unlawful conduct under Section 5 and the breadth of the Commission's authority to prosecute unfair methods of competition creates significant uncertainty among the business community. Moreover, without a coherent framework for applying Section 5, the Commission cannot possibly hope to fulfill Congress's vision that Section 5 would play a key role in helping the FTC leverage its unique research and reporting functions to develop evidence-based competition policy.
Second, there is near unanimity that the FTC should challenge only conduct as an unfair method of competition if it results in "harm to competition" as the phrase is understood under the traditional federal antitrust laws. Harm to competition is a concept that is readily understandable and has been deeply embedded into antitrust jurisprudence. Incorporating this concept would require that any conduct challenged under Section 5 must both harm the competitive process and harm consumers. Under this approach, the FTC should not consider non-economic factors, such as whether the practice harms small business or whether it violates public morals, in deciding whether to prosecute conduct as an unfair method of competition. This is a simple commitment, but one that is not currently enshrined in the law. By tethering the definition of unfair methods of competition to modern economics and to the understanding of competitive harm articulated in contemporary antitrust jurisprudence, we would ensure Section 5 enforcement focuses upon conduct that actually is anticompetitive.
While it is not surprising that commentators offering a diverse set of perspectives on the appropriate scope of the FTC's unfair methods of competition authority would agree on these two points, I think it is important to note that this consensus covers much of the Section 5 debate while leaving some room for debate on the margins as to how the FTC can best use its unfair methods of competition authority to complement its mission of protecting competition.
Some Clarifications Regarding My Proposed Policy Statement
In the spirit of furthering the debate along those margins, I also briefly would like to correct the record, or at least provide some clarification, on a few aspects of my proposed Policy Statement.
First, contrary to David Balto's suggestion, my proposed Policy Statement acknowledges the fact that Congress envisioned Section 5 to be an incipiency statute. Indeed, the first element of my proposed definition of unfair methods of competition requires the FTC to show that the act or practice in question "harms or is likely to harm competition significantly." In fact, it is by prosecuting practices that have not yet resulted in harm to competition, but are likely to result in anticompetitive effects if allowed to continue, that my definition reaches "invitations to collude." Paul Denis raises an interesting question about how the FTC should assess the likelihood of harm to competition, and suggests doing so using an expected value test. My proposed policy statement does just that by requiring the FTC to assess both the magnitude and probability of the competitive harm when determining whether a practice that has not yet harmed competition, but potentially is likely to, is an unfair method of competition under Section 5. Where the probability of competitive harm is smaller, the Commission should not find an unfair method of competition without reason to believe the conduct poses a substantial harm. Moreover, by requiring the FTC to show that the conduct in question results in "harm to competition" as that phrase is understood under the traditional federal antitrust laws, my proposal also incorporates all the temporal elements of harm discussed in the antitrust case law and therefore puts the Commission on the same footing as the courts.
Second, both Dan Crane and Marina Lao have suggested that the efficiencies screen I have proposed results in a null (or very small) set of cases because there is virtually no conduct for which some efficiencies cannot be claimed. This suggestion stems from an apparent misunderstanding of the efficiencies screen. What these comments fail to recognize is that the efficiencies screen I offer intentionally leverages the Commission's considerable expertise in identifying the presence of cognizable efficiencies in the merger context and explicitly ties the analysis to the well-developed framework offered in the Horizontal Merger Guidelines. As any antitrust practitioner can attest, the Commission does not credit "cognizable efficiencies" lightly and requires a rigorous showing that the claimed efficiencies are merger-specific, verifiable, and not derived from an anticompetitive reduction in output or service. Fears that the efficiencies screen in the Section 5 context would immunize patently anticompetitive conduct because a firm nakedly asserts cost savings arising from the conduct without evidence supporting its claim are unwarranted. Under this strict standard, the FTC would almost certainly have no trouble demonstrating no cognizable efficiencies exist in Dan's "blowing up of the competitor's factory" example because the very act of sabotage amounts to an anticompetitive reduction in output.
Third, Marina Lao further argues that permitting the FTC to challenge conduct as an unfair method of competition only when there are no cognizable efficiencies is too strict a standard and that it would be better to allow the agency to balance the harms against the efficiencies. The current formulation of the Commission's unfair methods of competition enforcement has proven unworkable in large part because it lacks clear boundaries and is both malleable and ambiguous. In my view, in order to make Section 5 a meaningful statute, and one that can contribute productively to the Commission's competition enforcement mission as envisioned by Congress, the Commission must first confine its unfair methods of competition authority to those areas where it can leverage its unique institutional capabilities to target the conduct most harmful to consumers. This in no way requires the Commission to let anticompetitive conduct run rampant. Where the FTC identifies and wants to challenge conduct with both harms and benefits, it is fully capable of doing so successfully in federal court under the traditional antitrust laws.
I cannot think of a contribution the Commission can make to the FTC's competition mission that is more important than issuing a Policy Statement articulating the appropriate application of Section 5. I look forward to continuing to exchange ideas with those both inside and outside the agency regarding how the Commission can provide guidance about its unfair methods of competition authority. Thank you once again to Truth on the Market for organizing and hosting this symposium and to the many participants for their thoughtful contributions.
*The views expressed here are my own and do not reflect those of the Commission or any other Commissioner.
In antitrust, federal trade commission, section 5, UMC symposium Competition law, Efficiencies, Federal Trade Commission, ftc, Harm to Competition, section 5, UMC
Geoffrey Manne on the Importance of Sensible Guidance for UMC Enforcement
Geoffrey Manne — 1 August 2013
Geoffrey Manne is Lecturer in Law at Lewis & Clark Law School and Executive Director of the International Center for Law & Economics
Josh and Maureen are to be commended for their important contributions to the discussion over the proper scope of the FTC's Section 5 enforcement authority. I have commented extensively on UMC and Section 5, Josh's statement, and particularly the problems if UMC enforcement against the use of injunctions to enforce FRAND-encumbered SEPs before (see, for example, here, here and here). I'd like to highlight here a couple of the most important issues from among these comments along with a couple of additional ones.
First, there is really no sensible disagreement over Josh's harm to competition prong. And to the extent there is disagreement over the proper role for efficiencies, given the existence of compelling arguments that we don't need Section 5 at all (see, e.g., Joe Sims and James Cooper), what might have seemed like a radical position in Josh's statement that the FTC enforce UMC only where no efficiencies exist, Josh's position is actually something of a middle ground. In any case, the first prong of Josh's statement (the harm to competition requirement) really should attract unanimity, as it essentially has here today, and all of the FTC's commissioners should come out and say so, even if debate persists over the second prong. This alone would provide an enormous amount of certainty and sense to the FTC's UMC enforcement decisions.
Second, sensible, predictable guidance is essential. In her recent speech, echoing the fundamental issue laid out so well in Josh's statement and elaborated on in his accompanying speech, Maureen notes that:
For many decades, the Commission's exercise of its UMC authority has launched the agency into a sea of uncertainty, much like the agency weathered when using its unfairness authority in the consumer protection area in the 1970s. In issuing our 1980 statement on the concept of "unfair acts or practices" under our consumer protection authority, the Commission acknowledged the uncertainty that had surrounded the concept of unfairness, admitting that "this uncertainty has been honestly troublesome for some businesses and some members of the legal profession." This characterization just as aptly describes the state of our UMC authority today.
It seems uncontroversial that some guidance is required, and a pseudo-common law of un-adjudicated settlements lacking any doctrinal analysis simply doesn't provide sufficient grounds to separate the fair from the unfair. (What follows is drawn from our amicus brief in the Wyndham case).
The FTC's current approach to UMC enforcement denies companies "a reasonable opportunity to know what is prohibited" and thus follow the law. The FTC has previously suggested that its settlements and Congressional testimony offers all the guidance a company would need—see, e.g., here and here, where Chairwoman Ramirez noted that
Section 5 of the FTC Act has been developed over time, case-by-case, in the manner of common law. These precedents provide the Commission and the business community with important guidance regarding the appropriate scope and use of the FTC's Section 5 authority.
But settlements (and testimony summarizing them) do not in any way constrain the FTC's subsequent enforcement decisions; they cannot alone be the basis by which the FTC provides guidance on its UMC authority because, unlike published guidelines, they do not purport to lay out general enforcement principles and are not recognized as doing so by courts and the business community. It is impossible to imagine a court faulting the FTC for failure to adhere to a previous settlement, particularly because settlements are not readily generalizable and bind only the parties who agree to them. As we put it in our Wyndham amicus brief:
Even setting aside this basic legal principle, the gradual accretion of these unadjudicated settlements does not solve the vagueness problem: Where guidelines provide cumulative analysis of previous enforcement decisions to establish general principles, these settlements are devoid of doctrinal analysis and offer little more than an infinite regress of unadjudicated assertions.
Rulemaking is generally preferable to case-by-case adjudication as a way to develop agency-enforced law because rulemaking both reduces vagueness and constrains the mischief that unconstrained agency actions may cause. As the Court noted in SEC v. Chenery Corp.,
The function of filling in the interstices of [a statute] should be performed, as much as possible, through this quasi-legislative promulgation of rules to be applied in the future.
Without Article III court decisions developing binding legal principles ,and with no other meaningful form of guidance from the FTC, the law will remain unconstitutionally vague. And the FTC's approach to enforcement also allows the FTC to act both arbitrarily and discriminatorily—backed by the costly threat of the CID process and Part III adjudication. This means the company faces two practically certain defeats—before the administrative law judge and then the full Commission, each a public relations disaster. The FTC appears to be perfectly willing to use negative media to encourage settlements: The House Oversight Committee is currently investigating whether a series of leaks by FTC staff to media last year were intended to pressure Google to settle the FTC's antitrust investigation into the company's business practices.
Third, if the FTC doesn't act to constrain itself, the courts or Congress will do so, and may do more damage to the FTC's authority than any self-imposed constraints would.
The power to determine whether the practices of almost any American business are "unfair" methods of competition (particularly if UMC retains the broad reach Tim Wu outlines in his post) makes the FTC uniquely powerful. This power, if it is to be used sensibly, allows the FTC to protect consumers from truly harmful business practices not covered by the FTC's general consumer protection authority. But without effective enforcement of clear limiting principles, this power may be stretched beyond what Congress intended.
In 1964, the Commission began using its unfairness power to ban business practices that it determined offended "public policy." Emboldened by vague Supreme Court dicta from Sperry & Hutchinson comparing the agency to a "court of equity," the Commission set upon a series of rulemakings and enforcement actions so sweeping that the Washington Post dubbed the agency the "National Nanny." The FTC's actions eventually prompted Congress to briefly shut down the agency to reinforce the point that it had not intended the agency to operate with such expansive authority. The FTC survived as an institution only because, in 1980, it (unanimously) issued a Policy Statement on Unfairness laying out basic limiting principles to constrain its power and assuring Congress that these principles would be further developed over time—principles that Congress then codified in Section 5(n) of the FTC Act.
And for a time, the Commission used its unfairness power sparingly and carefully, largely out of fear of reawakening Congressional furor. Back in 1980, the FTC itself declared that
The task of identifying unfair trade practices was therefore assigned to the Commission, subject to judicial review, in the expectation that the underlying criteria would evolve and develop over time.
Yet we know little more today than we did in 1980 about how the FTC analyzes each prong of Section 5.
Moreover, courts may not support enforcement given this ambiguity, and in our Wyndham brief we supported Wyndham's motion to dismiss for exactly this reason (and that was brought under the Commission's unfairness authority where it even has some guidelines). As we wrote:
Since the problem is a lack of judicial adjudication, it might seem counter-intuitive that the court should dismiss the FTC's suit on the pleadings. But this is precisely the form of adjudication required: The FTC needs to be told that its complaints do not meet the minimum standards required to establish a violation of Section 5 because otherwise there is little reason to think that the FTC's complaints will not continue to be the Commission's primary means of building law (what amounts to "non-law law"). But even if the FTC re-files its unadjudicated complaint to explain its analysis of the prongs of the Unfairness Doctrine, it will not have solved yet another fundamental problem: its failure to provide Wyndham with sufficient guidance ex ante as to what "reasonable" data security practices would be.
The same could be said of the FTC's UMC enforcement. Section 5(n) applies to UMC, and states that:
The Commission shall have no authority under this section or section 57a of this title to declare unlawful an act or practice on the grounds that such act or practice is unfair unless the act or practice causes or is likely to cause substantial injury to consumers which is not reasonably avoidable by consumers themselves and not outweighed by countervailing benefits to consumers or to competition. In determining whether an act or practice is unfair, the Commission may consider established public policies as evidence to be considered with all other evidence. Such public policy considerations may not serve as a primary basis for such determination.
Finally, applying this to FRAND-encumbered SEPs, as I have previously discussed, is problematic. As Kobayashi and Wright note in discussing the N-Data case,
[T]he truth is that there was little chance the FTC could have prevailed under the more rigorous Section 2 standard that anchors the liability rule to a demanding standard requiring proof of both exclusionary conduct and competitive harm. One must either accept the proposition that the FTC sought Section 5 liability precisely because there was no evidence of consumer harm or that the FTC believed there was evidence of consumer harm but elected to file the Complaint based only upon the Section 5 theory to encourage an expansive application of that Section, a position several Commissioners joining the Majority Statement have taken in recent years. Neither of these interpretations offers much evidence that N-Data is sound as a matter of prosecutorial discretion or antitrust policy.
None of the FTC's SEP cases has offered anything approaching proof of consumer harm, and this is where any sensible limiting principles must begin—as just about everyone here today seems to agree. Moreover, even if they did adduce evidence of harm, the often-ignored problem of reverse holdup raises precisely the concern about over-enforcement that Josh's "no efficiencies" prong is meant to address. Holdup may raise consumer prices (although the FTC has not presented evidence of this), but reverse holdup may do as much or more damage.
The use of injunctions to enforce SEPs increases innovation, the willingness to license generally and the willingness to enter into FRAND commitments in particular–all to the likely benefit of consumer welfare. If the FTC interprets its UMC authority in a way that constrains the ability of patent holders to effectively police their patent rights, then less innovation would be expected–to the detriment of consumers as well as businesses. An unfettered UMC authority will systematically curtail these benefits, quite possibly without countervailing positive effects.
And as I noted in a post yesterday, these costs are real. Innovative technology companies are responding to the current SEP enforcement environment exactly as we would expect them to: by avoiding the otherwise-consumer-welfare enhancing standardization process entirely—as statements made at a recent event demonstrate:
Because of the current atmosphere, Lukander said, Nokia has stepped back from the standardisation process, electing either not to join certain standard-setting organisations (SSOs) or not to contribute certain technologies to these organisations.
Section 5 is a particularly problematic piece of this, and sensible limits like those Josh proposes would go a long way toward mitigating the problem—without removing enforcement authority in the face of real competitive harm, which remains available under the Sherman Act.
In antitrust, federal trade commission, section 5, UMC symposium Federal Trade Commission, ftc, google, N-Data, section 5, UMC, unfair methods of competition, Wyndham
James Cooper on a Sensible Limit to the FTC's Section 5 Authority
totmauthor — 1 August 2013
James Cooper is Director, Research and Policy at the Law & Economics Center at George Mason University School of Law
In this posting, I sketch out a sensible limitation to the FTC's Section 5 authority. This domain should be narrow, focusing only on harmful conduct that but for the application of Section 5 would remain un-remedied.
As a threshold matter, the FTC explicitly should renounce its reliance on early Section 5 case law like S&H and Brown Shoe and write from a clean slate. No serious antitrust enforcer today would consider challenging the conduct at issue in these cases, yet, in each of its recent standard-setting cases, the Commission dutifully invokes the language in S&H and Brown Shoe like a sacred talisman that will conjure the authority to act beyond the "letter and spirit of the antitrust laws." This dicta, however, comes from seriously outmoded cases. For example, S&H upheld the Commission's challenge to the practice of preventing unauthorized green-stamp exchanges, and cited approvingly a Section 5 decision from 1934 that condemned the practice of selling penny candy to children in "break and take" packs, because "it tempted children to gamble and compelled those who would successful compete with Keppel to abandon their scruples by similarly tempting children."[1] Brown Shoe and S&H were decided in the era of Schwinn and Utah Pie. Sherman Act case law has moved light years in the direction of economic literacy since then, and the Commission should recognize that had the Supreme Court entertained Section 5 case in the past forty years, precedents like S&H and Brown Shoe likely would have met fates similar to these outmoded cases.
Second, the FTC should not use Section 5 when the conduct at issue is reachable under the Sherman or Clayton Acts. Section 5 should never be used as a trump card to reduce the Commission's burden to show a practice is harmful to consumers. If the Commission cannot carry its burden under the Sherman Act, then presumably the conduct is not likely to be a threat to competition.
Third, the Commission must explain how consumers would benefit from expansion of the antitrust laws beyond the current Sherman Act limits. Again, merely because there is old Supreme Court language blessing an expansive Section 5 does not ipso facto convert Section 5 enforcement beyond the Sherman Act into a welfare-enhancing exercise. Accordingly, demonstrable consumer harm must be a necessary condition for invoking Section 5 against a particular practice.
Further, to mitigate the possibility of errors, and hence the probability that FTC action is welfare enhancing, the practice in question should be one that is unlikely to generate cognizable efficiencies. Thus the FTC should limit itself to the type of conduct that would be subject to per se or a "quick look" condemnation – the type of conduct that can be assessed without an elaborate inquiry into market characteristics. It should avoid using Section 5 to challenge conduct that would require complex balancing.
How would such a standard treat the FTC's portfolio of Section 5 cases? First, ITCs involving small firms would remain. This conduct is not reachable under Sherman Act and is likely to generate substantial consumer harm. At the same time, the risk of deterring beneficial conduct is minimal, although as one moves from private solicitations to engage in price fixing or market allocation towards public communications and unilateral conduct, the calculus changes. Relatedly, involving information sharing seems sensible to retain as well. Like ITCs, this conduct is not reachable under the Sherman Act (assuming sufficiently low market shares), poses a significant threat to competition, and it is hard to justify on efficiency grounds. Of course, the Sherman Section 1 can reach agreements among competitors to exchange competitively sensitive information, so this genre of cases should be limited to instances where an agreement cannot be shown. Further, as in the ITC case, the FTC needs to tread carefully as the conduct moves further from direct and private exchanges of future competitive actions toward unilateral public announcements of current and past price and output decisions. Bolstering the case for the use of Section 5 in these cases is that both ITCs and information sharing cases fall under the broad rubric of incipient harms. Legislative history and subsequent Supreme pronouncements suggest that Congress intended Section 5 to concern itself with incipiency – a concern lacking in the Sherman Act.
The FTC should abandon its use of Section 5 to reach breaches of FRAND commitments. Although policies that encourage participation in standard setting are likely to be beneficial to consumers, it is not evident that Section 5 is the best – or even a good – vehicle to address these issues. That hold-up may result in a higher end price for consumers is insufficient to justify use of Section 5. There are a host of institutions arguably better suited than the FTC to handle these policy issues, including Article III courts, the ITC, the Patent & Trademark Office, Congress, and self-regulatory bodies. As Commissioner Ohlhausen remarked in her dissent in Bosch, the FTC appears to lack "regulatory humility when it usurps the resolution of FRAND disputes from these other fora.
Finally, deceptive conduct in business-to-business relationships – such as that alleged in Intel or Dell– should be left out of the portfolio entirely. To the extent that deception gives rise to, or helps maintain, monopoly power, it is reachable under Sherman Section 2. Otherwise, deception should be left to the domain of contract law or business torts. Further, these practices should not be challenged under UDAP, which should be confined to deception that directly involves consumers.
[1] S&H, 405 U.S. at 242-43 (quoting FTC v. R.F. Keppel & Bro., Inc., 291 U.S. 304 (1934)).
In antitrust, federal trade commission, section 5, UMC symposium antitrust, Competition law, Federal Trade Commission, ftc, section 5, UMC
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Stocks Down In Price Today, 17th Nov 2021 | MarketSmith India
Stock has rallied nearly 112.5% as compared to 42% for the Nifty500, in the last twelve months. It has a Relative Strength Rating of 66 which is a respectable rating, but needs improvement. The EPS Rank of 55 is poor and needs improvement.
The stock has a strong institutional support. The Accumulation/Distribution Rating of A- represents heavy institutional buying over the past 13 weeks. Although the number of institutions holding the stock dropped in the last quarter, the number of shares held by the institutions increased at the same time.
Today, Thermax stock closed -4% down on a 630% greater volume than the 50-day average. A leading stock that closes down in heavy volume is often sending a signal that the rally might be coming to end. For now, you may want to keep a close eye on the stock so that you can act if it triggers your sell signal.
Mahindra Cie Auto has rallied nearly 93.3% as compared to 42% for the Nifty500, in the last twelve months. It has a Relative Strength Rating of 65 which is a respectable rating, but needs improvement. The EPS Rank of 67 is fair, but needs improvement.
Today, Mahindra Cie Auto stock closed -3.8% down on a 133.3% greater volume than the 50-day average. A leading stock that closes down in heavy volume is often sending a signal that the rally might be coming to end. For now, you may want to keep a close eye on the stock so that you can act if it triggers your sell signal.
Sundaram Finance Hol has rallied nearly 79.5% as compared to 42% for the Nifty500, in the last twelve months. It has a Relative Strength Rating of 53 which is a respectable rating, but needs improvement. The EPS Rank of 84 is exceptional indicating outperformance in earnings growth.
Today, Sundaram Finance Hol stock closed -2.3% down on a 81.2% greater volume than the 50-day average. A leading stock that closes down in heavy volume is often sending a signal that the rally might be coming to end. For now, you may want to keep a close eye on the stock so that you can act if it triggers your sell signal.
Sirca Paints India has rallied nearly 103.9% as compared to 42% for the Nifty500, in the last twelve months. It has a Relative Strength Rating of 69 which is a respectable rating, but needs improvement. The EPS Rank of 79 is fair, but needs improvement.
Today, Sirca Paints India stock closed -1.6% down on a 58.8% greater volume than the 50-day average. A leading stock that closes down in heavy volume is often sending a signal that the rally might be coming to end. For now, you may want to keep a close eye on the stock so that you can act if it triggers your sell signal.
Somany Ceramics Ltd. has been an outperforming stock as compared to the broader market. It has a strong Relative Strength Rating of 86. In the last twelve months, the stock has rallied over 254.8% as compared to 42% for the Nifty500. The EPS Rank of 64 is fair, but needs improvement.
Today, Somany Ceramics Ltd. stock closed -4.2% down on a 55.5% greater volume than the 50-day average. A leading stock that closes down in heavy volume is often sending a signal that the rally might be coming to end. For now, you may want to keep a close eye on the stock so that you can act if it triggers your sell signal.
Bata India has rallied nearly 49.1% as compared to 42% for the Nifty500, in the last twelve months. It has a Relative Strength Rating of 59 which is a respectable rating, but needs improvement. The EPS Rank of 47 is poor and needs improvement.
Today, Bata India stock closed -1.3% down on a 40.4% greater volume than the 50-day average. A leading stock that closes down in heavy volume is often sending a signal that the rally might be coming to end. For now, you may want to keep a close eye on the stock so that you can act if it triggers your sell signal.
Force Motors has rallied nearly 42% as compared to 42% for the Nifty500, in the last twelve months. It has a Relative Strength Rating of 51 which is a respectable rating, but needs improvement. The EPS Rank of 25 is poor and needs improvement.
Today, Force Motors stock closed -1.7% down on a 36.6% greater volume than the 50-day average. A leading stock that closes down in heavy volume is often sending a signal that the rally might be coming to end. For now, you may want to keep a close eye on the stock so that you can act if it triggers your sell signal.
Eclerx Services has been an outperforming stock as compared to the broader market. It has a strong Relative Strength Rating of 85. In the last twelve months, the stock has rallied over 248.4% as compared to 42% for the Nifty500. The EPS Rank of 73 is fair, but needs improvement.
Today, Eclerx Services stock closed -3.5% down on a 33.1% greater volume than the 50-day average. A leading stock that closes down in heavy volume is often sending a signal that the rally might be coming to end. For now, you may want to keep a close eye on the stock so that you can act if it triggers your sell signal.
Astral Ltd has rallied nearly 121% as compared to 42% for the Nifty500, in the last twelve months. It has a Relative Strength Rating of 62 which is a respectable rating, but needs improvement. The EPS Rank of 98 is exceptional indicating strong outperformance in earnings growth.
Today, Astral Ltd stock closed -2.1% down on a 30.6% greater volume than the 50-day average. A leading stock that closes down in heavy volume is often sending a signal that the rally might be coming to end. For now, you may want to keep a close eye on the stock so that you can act if it triggers your sell signal.
Nhpc has rallied nearly 65.4% as compared to 42% for the Nifty500, in the last twelve months. It has a Relative Strength Rating of 56 which is a respectable rating, but needs improvement. The EPS Rank of 54 is poor and needs improvement.
Today, Nhpc stock closed -2.1% down on a 29.7% greater volume than the 50-day average. A leading stock that closes down in heavy volume is often sending a signal that the rally might be coming to end. For now, you may want to keep a close eye on the stock so that you can act if it triggers your sell signal.
Chambal Fertilis has rallied nearly 102.3% as compared to 42% for the Nifty500, in the last twelve months. It has a Relative Strength Rating of 62 which is a respectable rating, but needs improvement. The EPS Rank of 93 is exceptional indicating strong outperformance in earnings growth.
Today, Chambal Fertilis stock closed -5.3% down on a 15.3% greater volume than the 50-day average. A leading stock that closes down in heavy volume is often sending a signal that the rally might be coming to end. For now, you may want to keep a close eye on the stock so that you can act if it triggers your sell signal.
Zensar Technologies has rallied nearly 139.4% as compared to 42% for the Nifty500, in the last twelve months. It has a Relative Strength Rating of 75 which is a respectable rating, but needs improvement. The EPS Rank of 89 is exceptional indicating outperformance in earnings growth.
Today, Zensar Technologies stock closed -1.2% down on a 13% greater volume than the 50-day average. A leading stock that closes down in heavy volume is often sending a signal that the rally might be coming to end. For now, you may want to keep a close eye on the stock so that you can act if it triggers your sell signal.
Fiem Industries has rallied nearly 115.3% as compared to 42% for the Nifty500, in the last twelve months. It has a Relative Strength Rating of 73 which is a respectable rating, but needs improvement. The EPS Rank of 79 is fair, but needs improvement.
Today, Fiem Industries stock closed -3.7% down on a 6.8% greater volume than the 50-day average. A leading stock that closes down in heavy volume is often sending a signal that the rally might be coming to end. For now, you may want to keep a close eye on the stock so that you can act if it triggers your sell signal.
Thermax -4 630
Mahindra Cie Auto -3.8 133.3
Sundaram Finance Hol -2.3 81.2
Sirca Paints India -1.6 58.8
Somany Ceramics Ltd. -4.2 55.5
Bata India -1.3 40.4
Force Motors -1.7 36.6
Eclerx Services -3.5 33.1
Astral Ltd -2.1 30.6
Nhpc -2.1 29.7
Chambal Fertilis -5.3 15.3
Zensar Technologies -1.2 13
Fiem Industries -3.7 6.8 | {
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1. If the Company solicits approval of its stockholders of a Business Combination, the undersigned will vote all shares of Common Stock (including shares of Founders' Common Stock and those shares of Common Stock that may be issued to it upon conversion of Class B common stock) beneficially owned by him, whether acquired before, in or after the IPO, in favor of such Business Combination.
2. In the event that the Company fails to consummate a Business Combination within the time period set forth in the Company's Certificate of Incorporation, as the same may be amended from time to time, the undersigned will, as promptly as possible, cause the Company to (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible, but not more than 10 business days thereafter, redeem the Common Stock sold as part of the Units in the IPO, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the Trust Account net of interest released to the Company as permitted pursuant to the Trust Agreement, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders' rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any), and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Company's remaining stockholders and the Company's board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in the cases of clauses (ii) and (iii) to the Company's obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and other requirements of applicable law. The undersigned hereby waives any and all right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any distribution of the Trust Account ("Claim") with respect to his shares of Founders' Common Stock and hereby waives any Claim the undersigned may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any contracts or agreements with the Company and will not seek recourse against the Trust Account for any reason whatsoever. The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that there will be no distribution from the Trust Account with respect to any Warrants, all rights of which will terminate on the Company's liquidation.
5. (a)In order to minimize potential conflicts of interest that may arise from multiple corporate affiliations, the undersigned hereby agrees that until the earliest of the Company's initial Business Combination or liquidation, the undersigned shall present to the Company for its consideration, prior to presentation to any other entity, any suitable target business, subject to any pre-existing fiduciary or contractual obligations the undersigned might have.
(b)The undersigned has agreed not to participate in the formation of, or become an officer or director of, any other special purpose acquisition company with a class of securities intended to be registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which has publicly filed a registration statement with the SEC until the Company has entered into a definitive agreement regarding an initial Business Combination or the Company has failed to complete an initial Business Combination within the time period required by the Company's Certificate of Incorporation, as the same may be amended from time to time.
` (c)The undersigned hereby agrees and acknowledges that (i) each of the Underwriters and the Company may be irreparably injured in the event of a breach of any of the obligations contained in this letter, (ii) monetary damages may not be an adequate remedy for such breach and (iii) the non-breaching party shall be entitled to injunctive relief, in addition to any other remedy that such party may have in law or in equity, in the event of such breach.
6. (a)The undersigned agrees that the shares of Founders' Common Stock may not be transferred, assigned or sold (except to certain permitted transferees as described in the Registration Statement) until the earlier to occur of: (1) one year after the consummation of a Business Combination and (2) the date following the completion of the Company's initial Business Combination on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of its shareholders having the right to exchange their shares of Common Stock for cash, securities or other property. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the closing price of the Common Stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after the Company's initial Business Combination, the shares of Founders' Common Stock will be released from the lockup.
(b)The undersigned will not, without the prior written consent of the Representative pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, hedge or otherwise dispose of (or enter into any transaction that is designed to, or might reasonably be expected to, result in the disposition (whether by actual disposition or effective economic disposition due to cash settlement or otherwise) by the undersigned or any affiliate of the undersigned or any person in privity with the undersigned or any affiliate of the undersigned), directly or indirectly, including the filing (or participation in the filing) of a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission in respect of, or establish or increase a put equivalent position or liquidate or decrease a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission promulgated thereunder with respect to, any other Units, Common Stock, Warrants of the Company or any securities convertible into, or exercisable, or exchangeable for, common stock or publicly announce an intention to effect any such transaction, for a period of 180 days after the date of the Underwriting Agreement.
7. The undersigned has full right and power, without violating any agreement by which he is bound, to enter into this letter agreement and to serve as an Officer and/or Director of the Company.
8. The undersigned hereby waives his right to exercise conversion rights with respect to any shares of the Company's common stock owned or to be owned by the undersigned, directly or indirectly (or to sell such shares to the Company in a tender offer), whether such shares be part of the Founders' Common Stock or shares purchased by the undersigned in the IPO or in the aftermarket, and agrees that he will not seek conversion with respect to such shares in connection with any vote to approve a Business Combination (or sell such shares to the Company in a tender offer in connection with such a Business Combination).
9. The undersigned hereby agrees to not propose, or vote in favor of, an amendment to the Company's Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation that would affect the ability of holders of IPO Shares to convert or sell their shares to the Company in connection with a Business Combination or affect the substance or timing of the Company's obligation to redeem 100% of the IPO Shares if the Company does not complete a Business Combination within the time period required by the Company's Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation unless the Company provides public stockholders with the opportunity to convert their shares of Common Stock upon such approval in accordance with the charter.
11. As used herein, (i) a "Business Combination" shall mean a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities; (ii) "Insiders" shall mean all officers, directors and sponsors of the Company immediately prior to the IPO; (iii) "Founders' Common Stock" shall mean all of the shares of Common Stock of the Company acquired by an Insider prior to the IPO; (iv) "IPO Shares" shall mean the shares of Common Stock issued in the Company's IPO; (v) "Trust Account" shall mean the trust account into which a portion of the net proceeds of the Company's IPO will be deposited; and (vi) "Registration Statement" means the Company's registration statement on Form S-1 (SEC File No. 333-229027) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission..
14. This letter agreement shall be binding on the undersigned and such person's respective successors, heirs, personal representatives and assigns. This letter agreement shall terminate on the earlier of (i) the consummation of a Business Combination and (ii) the liquidation of the Company; provided, that such termination shall not relieve the undersigned from liability for any breach of this agreement prior to its termination. | {
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Vector Security® signs sponsorship agreement with the Carolina Hurricanes
The company is now the "Official Security Partner of the Carolina Hurricanes" as part of a multi-year agreement
PITTSBURGH, August 7, 2018 – Vector Security, the fourth largest provider of security and smart automation services to homes and businesses in the US with local presence in Raleigh, NC and Authorized Dealer relationships across North Carolina and South Carolina, announces a multi-year sponsorship agreement with the Carolina Hurricanes. Vector Security will receive in-arena sponsorship exclusivity in the home and business security categories; and is named the "Official Security Partner of the Carolina Hurricanes" through the 2020-21 season.
"Raleigh has been synonymous with growth and we are excited to be in the middle of such a dynamic market," said Art Miller, Vice President of Marketing for Vector Security. "This partnership with the Hurricanes is a perfect fit for us, a match-up based upon two teams focused on the fan/customer experience and driving a winning culture. We look forward to promoting our brands side by side and sharing our collective attributes of creating value, delivering outstanding experiences and keeping them coming back for more. Let's Go Canes!"
Vector Security will receive dasherboard signage and title sponsorship of the Hurricanes Siren Sounder feature for maximum brand exposure to the nearly 550,000 fans that fill the arena for home games each year. The agreement also includes digital and social promotion, radio advertising and other benefits.
"We are very pleased to add Vector Security as our official security partner," said Don Waddell, Team President and General Manager for the Carolina Hurricanes. "Vector Security shares our vision and commitment to excellence, and we look forward to a successful partnership for many years to come."
About Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes were established in Raleigh in 1997 after relocating from Connecticut, where the National Hockey League franchise was originally founded in 1979. Since their arrival in North Carolina, the Hurricanes have captured three division championships, two Eastern conference titles and the 2006 Stanley Cup championship. The team also hosted the 2004 NHL Draft and the 2011 NHL All-Star Weekend at PNC Arena, where it plays its home games. Individual-game tickets for Hurricanes home games are sold at the PNC Arena Box Office and via Ticketmaster. For information on Hurricanes ticket packages, please call 1-866-NHL-CANES, or visit www.CarolinaHurricanes.com/tickets.
About Vector Security
For nearly 50 years, Vector Security, Inc. (www.vectorsecurity.com) has been a premier provider of intelligent security solutions tailored to the needs of the customer. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, the company offers a full suite of electronic security services for residential, business and national account customers across North America and the Caribbean through a network of branches, authorized dealers and their ADS Security division. The Vector Security Networks division offers customized physical security and managed network services to multi-site commercial customers. Vector Security is a sister company of the Philadelphia Contributionship, a mutual insurance company founded in 1752, and currently provides cost-effective, technology-based security and automation solutions to nearly 400,000 homes and businesses across 58 branch locations. | {
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Bolt BusinessBolt DriveBolt FoodCampaigns
For couriersFor driversFor passengersLife at Bolt
LifestyleNewsProduct updatesSafety Lab
Bolt donated over €5M to aid organisations that support Ukraine
We stand with Ukraine. Following Russia's invasion of the country, we committed to donating 5% of every order in Europe to Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) over a two-week period, starting on the 1st of March.
It was a direct donation and had no impact on order prices nor driver and courier earnings. However, every Bolt ride and Bolt Food delivery contributed to the overall amount.
Thanks to our customers, we donated over €5M in total. Besides transferring money, some incredible initiatives have been brought to life by our own big-hearted employees, just wanting to help.
We've covered some of the NGOs who received monetary aid from Bolt. What follows is the second list of organisations who've received donations and insights into how the money will be used.
The UN Refugee Agency
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) uses the donation to protect the rights of refugees and help build a better future fo those forcefully displaced from Ukraine. Thanks to a larger regional donation, we were able to support their operations within Ukraine and the bordering countries Romania, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova.
© UNHCR/Mihai von Eremia
You can get involved and help by making a donation through their website
Tallinn Rotary
Tallinn Rotary has used the donation to purchase and send five ambulances and a variety of medical and food supplies to Ukraine.
Mercy Corps uses the donation to provide humanitarian support, such as a supply of essential food and hygiene supplies on the ground in Ukraine and bordering countries Romania and Poland.
You can help by making a donation through their website.
International Rescue Committee Poland
International Rescue Committee Poland uses the donation to provide basic emergency assistance such as blankets, warm clothes, stoves, food, or cash assistance for displaced people in Poland.
You can get involved and help refugees by making a donation through their website.
President Kaljulaid Foundation
The foundation of the former Estonian president uses the donation to support independent media houses in Ukraine and Ukrainian journalists.
You can join their mission and support them with a donation made through their website.
Refugee Support Europe
Refugee Support Europe uses the donation to provide emergency food and hygiene items for Ukrainians living in the homes of welcoming Moldovans.
You can help them by donating through their website.
War Child uses the donation to train organisations on the ground so they would be able to provide children with psychological support as quickly as possible.
You can get involved and help by making a donation through their website.
There's a humanitarian crisis in Ukraine right now. Donations help. Voluntary support is needed. Contact your local refugee help organisation and find out what can be done and how you can support them the most.
Read the news, stay informed and be mindful. Only follow trusted and well-known media channels for updates and make sure your family and friends do the same.
Stay strong, Ukraine!
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Being a Bolt Food courier is an excellent way to make a living or earn additional income. You can start quickly, get paid weekly, choose your schedule, and earn on […] | {
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Russian business
City of the dead
Russia's flashiest example of municipal capitalism is fraying
Luzhkov's costly double fault
ANY normal car company that sold barely 100 examples of a new model would be facing oblivion. But Russia is not a normal market, the city of Moscow is not a normal shareholder, and Moskvitch is definitely not a normal company. Nobody seems particularly upset that the Yuri Dolgoruky saloon has failed to sell. "The market didn't like it, and advertising is too expensive," explains the general director, Ruben Asatrian.
The Moskvitch motor works was notorious in Soviet times for producing cars unreliable even by the challenging standards of the planned economy. Now, supposedly, everything is different. Fuelled by an injection of cash (Mr Asatrian says he "can't remember" how much) from Moscow's municipal government, which is also its main shareholder, the factory has started producing a new range of cars.
These include Soviet-era models fitted with Renault engines (of which Moskvitch sells tens of thousands) and three new models, all Volvo look-alikes, consisting mainly of imported parts bolted into a locally made steel shell. "The mirrors and seats are made by us," says the plant's chief engineer, after some thought.
At first sight the whole project seems mystifying. The plant's finances, like almost all Moscow city businesses, are emphatically private. "Would you go to a western car company with these questions?" responded one municipal entrepreneur tetchily, when asked about his return on equity. The new cars are not an engineering success (they have a reputation for rapid corrosion). Even municipal entities such as the Moscow police force prefer Fords. Although new western cars cost around twice as much as Moskvitch's best-seller, the Prince Vladimir saloon, the firm sold only 1,100 cars last year; this year's target is 3,000.
The mayor of Moscow, Yuri Luzhkov, has built a business empire in a city in which prestige and politics count for more than customers or profits. The new Moskvitch cars may not be much good, but they are still the flashiest, best-equipped and most powerful volume cars ever made by a Russian firm. Furthermore, the antiquated plant employs 12,400 workers. Thanks to foreign borrowings (around $2.5 billion in bonds and syndicated loans) the city has been able to support its businesses generously. On March 16th the city's industry minister, Yevgeny Panteleev, said that all three car plants in Moscow would have the repayment date on their debts moved to June 1st next year.
How much longer can such generosity continue? Although Moscow's city finances are obscure, the few outside signs are worrying. Despite Mr Luzhkov's assertion in a recent interview that the city was "super-liquid", it last month nearly missed a $17m interest payment on a $295m bank loan, finding the money only in the grace period. The city's credit rating has plunged since last summer's crisis and another downgrade is looming. Its bond yields have soared in comparison with (hardly rock-solid) Russian federal Eurobonds (see ). Foreign analysts who have looked at the city accounts say interest payments this year will total $250m.
The most conspicuous failure in Mr Luzhkov's empire is Moscow's grandest shopping centre, a three-storey underground mall next to the Kremlin. Even before the crisis, the project looked weak. It is badly designed, awkwardly sited (there is no warehousing space nearby) and it failed to attract a well-known western retailer to be its star attraction. Much of the space is taken up with boutiques selling designer clothes (and now offering discounts of up to 70%). These contrast oddly with a sprinkling of cheap-and-cheerful shops and fast-food outlets.
Now the centre seems to be in real trouble. To bring in tenants quickly, rents were pitched very low (by Moscow standards), at $2,000 a square metre per year. They were supposed to rise to $3,500 by the end of this year. This looks impossible. On a recent visit, around 20 units in the 22,000 square-metre development—some 10%—were empty. The complex has a heavy burden of debt, commonly thought to be at least $330m. (Kim Iskyan, an analyst at MFK Renaissance, a Moscow investment bank, thinks it is nearer $600m.) The company plans to issue new shares in an attempt to raise 1.2 billion roubles ($52m). Given that at least 85% of the equity will stay in preferred shares owned by the city, outsiders are unlikely to be tempted.
Mr Luzhkov's adventures have been costly and unsuccessful; Moscow's finances are disorganised; and its response to the crisis has been to bluster and fumble. But it is still too soon to forecast meltdown. Vast amounts of money have sloshed through the city and its associated banks and companies in past years; it is unlikely that all of this has vanished. And there are still favours, from both foreigners and locals, to be extracted and cashed. Mr Luzhkov, after all, stands an excellent chance of becoming Russia's next president or prime minister.
This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline "City of the dead" | {
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Narendra Modi Daily Routine
All Daily Routines, Politics
Narendra Modi Ji wakes up at 5:00 AM and starts his day with yoga and meditation for 30-45 minutes on a daily. By 8:00 AM, he attends to his calls of party employees and friends. If he is in Old Delhi, at 9:00 AM, he will his breakfast sometimes a Gujarati one in fewer amounts and checks his Tweets and private websites before reaching PM workplace at 9:30 am sharp.
He gets informing by his secretary regarding a daily schedule that incorporates the main points of his meeting with ministers, officers. He checks files and shows given by PMO officers and ministers throughout the day.
Narendra Modi Ji has his lunch by 12:30 PM and later works until 9:00 PM and has his dinner at constant time. often he takes breaks in between supported feasibleness.
His time schedules might vary supported his tours to varied states and foreign countries. Throughout the day, he interacts with folks via tweets, and his websites while not fail. Narendra Modi Ji works for 16 hrs that too at the age of sixty-nine may be a commendable effort he puts sure the welfare of the country. This is all about Narendra Modi daily routine.
All of us are well aware of the fact that PM Modi begins his day with yoga. In fact, the Prime Minister often posts fitness videos on social media. Recently, ahead of Yoga Day on June 21, the health-conscious PM had also tweeted a series of videos showing an animated version of himself performing different asanas to inspire citizens to embrace a healthier lifestyle such as yoga. The physical and mental health benefits of yoga are immense, ranging from increasing flexibility and muscle strength to reducing stress and insomnia.
Panchtatvas
Apart from yoga, the Prime Minister also said that his fitness regime includes walking on a track inspired by the Panchtatvas or 5 elements of nature – Prithvi (Earth), Jal (Water), Agni (Fire), Vayu (Wind), Aakash (ether), which he said is extremely refreshing and rejuvenating. According to Ayurveda and Yoga, these five elements have different characteristics and are associated with the overall health of the human being. For instance, it is claimed that any disorder in the human body indicates an imbalance of one or more of these elements.
Reflexology path
Revealing some interesting details about his fitness regime, PM Modi also posted a video in which he can be seen doing foot reflexology (barefoot) path. Basically, foot reflexology is a form of exercise designed to massage and stimulate acupressure points on the soles of the feet. Reflexology walking paths are claimed to offer many health benefits, including lowering blood pressure, relieving stress, stimulating reflex points and vital energy.
PM Modi had also revealed that he practices breathing exercises, whose purported benefits range from calming the nervous system to improving the cardiovascular system. The benefits of breathing exercises also include improving the respiratory system and boosting digestion among many others.
A post shared by Narendra Modi (@narendramodi)
Modi is one in all the primary Prime Ministers to eat the employee's canteen and once he did he opted for a feeder thali that featured saag, salad, dal, and curry. After finishing the feeder thali at the Parliament canteen, PM Modi ordered a salad.
On many occasions, we have seen PM Modi elect a straightforward Gujarati thali.
Let's see the 5 favorite dishes of PM Modi
White Khatta Dhokla
This nourishing, protein-free Gujarati snack is among the highest favorites of Modi Ji. It's kind of like south Indian snack idli, however a lot of spongy.
Khilli hui Khichdi
No matter however boring we discover khichdi and classify it as a food item to be ingested only we tend to are unwell, we tend to cannot ignore its advantages. Khichdi is straightforward to digest, terribly nourishing and aids in digestion.
Besan Khandvi
Again a Gujarati snack item, that's each tasty and healthy. A combination of besan, milk, and seasoning with some spices creates it a mouth-watering dish.
Undhiyu
It is a classic Gujarati dish that's cooked with a ton of vegetables in an aromatic mix of spices. It may be served as a main dish or a dish. This Gujarati dish is preferred by all and therefore, by our Prime Minister too.
Almond Pistachio Shrikhand
A Gujarati dessert recipe, it's served chilled counterpart to all or any the new and spicy curries. Healthy daft like almonds and pistachios area unit used for it's garnishing. For all people who have an appetite, Narendra Modi's favorite dessert could be a should try for everybody. This is all about the Narendra Modi diet plan.
https://www.timesnownews.com/health/article/4-fitness-lessons-to-learn-from-pm-narendra-modi-daily-routine/451501
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/one-with-nature-always-pm-narendra-modi-shares-video-of-his-morning-routine/articleshow/77701496.cms
https://www.health-yogi.com/narendra-modi-diet-plan-daily-routine/ | {
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Reaction To Musk Offer Suggests Content Moderation More About Control Than Safety
twitter • Apr 27, 2022
The reaction among the press and tech communities to Elon Musk's efforts to purchase Twitter has been nothing short of apocalyptic. A common theme has been that democracy itself would be under threat if unelected billionaire oligarchs controlled what was allowed online. Yet this is precisely how social media works today. The Musk controversy, like the Cambridge Analytica story before it, highlights the real issue: the fight over content moderation is less about online safety and more about who controls the digital public square.
Only a year ago, the media cheered the unilateral decisions by a handful of billionaires to effectively banish then-President Donald Trump from the digital public square. Lawmakers and media outlets alike proclaimed the societal benefits of private companies controlling the digital public square beyond the reach of government. In contrast, the possibility of a libertarian-leaning billionaire like Musk wielding that same power has been presented as nothing short of an attack on democracy itself.
In January, the Washington Post argued that oligarchs banning Trump wasn't censorship; now it warns of the "risks of social media ownership." Former Facebook chief security officer Alex Stamos argued, "If you want people to be able to interact, you need to have basic rules" for speech. Former FCC chair Tom Wheeler went further, proposing a "First Amendment-respecting process in which the government doesn't dictate content but does cause there to be an acceptable behavioral code." In short, tech billionaires enforcing speech rules that align with Democratic Party priorities is a benefit to society; Republicans or libertarians wielding that same power is a threat.
This double standard has been in place for some time. Consider how it played out a few years ago, in the Cambridge Analytica "scandal" involving the Trump campaign.
After Barack Obama's 2012 reelection victory, the media had heralded his campaign's "groundbreaking" "dream team" of "masterminds" that "built a database of every American voter" by mass-harvesting their personal data from Facebook. As a campaign lead later put it, "We ingested the entire U.S. social graph … We would ask permission to basically scrape your profile, and also scrape your friends, basically anything that was available to scrape. We scraped it all." They even scanned users' photographs, "looking for who were tagged in photos with you, which was a really great way to dredge up old college friends – and ex-girlfriends" in their attempts to reach voters. These efforts were combined with offline data "showing which [television] channels they were watching, sometimes on a second-by-second basis" in order to build a holistic view of the American electorate. The Obama campaign's own analytics director later conceded the scale of personal information acquired was "creepy."
Despite the campaign's downloading of a measurable fraction of the data Facebook held on the American public, Facebook took no action, allegedly telling campaign staffers that "they allowed us to do things they wouldn't have allowed someone else to do because they were on our side."
When Facebook rolled out new policies in 2014 that would limit the ability of future campaigns to replicate the Obama campaign's mass downloads, media coverage lamented the loss of such a powerful political targeting tool. Concern focused on how future campaigns would be able to construct such detailed voter data, rather than on the privacy and societal implications of mass-harvesting people's data without their consent. As the 2016 campaign drew to a close, with Hillary Clinton the expected winner, media coverage touted her campaign's adroit use of mass data harvesting and analysis, while scoffing at the Trump campaign's apparent failure to incorporate big-data analytics.
All that changed in 2018, when the story broke that Trump's campaign had almost exactly replicated Obama's strategy of mass-harvesting Facebook data. Suddenly, the mass download of social media data was a "scandal" involving the "dangerous" "misuse" of "surveillance" technology that "exploited" voters' privacy and represented a "serious breach of the law."
How did the work of Obama's "masterminds" become "misuse" in the hands of Trump's campaign?
On a technical level, the two campaigns had done exactly the same thing: recruit supporters to allow them to harvest the data of their friends to build a massive database of Americans. The difference, as a Facebook spokesperson later clarified, was that the Trump campaign had acquired the data from a third party – Cambridge Analytica – while the Obama campaign had harvested the data itself. According to the spokesperson, if Trump's campaign had downloaded the data itself instead of receiving it from Cambridge Analytica, it would not have been in violation of any Facebook policies. Despite demanding that Cambridge Analytica delete all of the Facebook data it had downloaded, a Facebook spokesperson confirmed that the Obama campaign would be allowed to keep all the data it had harvested and continue to use it for future Democratic campaigns because there was nothing wrong with what it had done.
In short, the "scandal" was merely that the Trump campaign had contracted out the data collection instead of using its own staffers to download it. In the eyes of the media, however, Trump's use of Facebook data had undermined democracy. Across the media, condemnation was swift and furious, with calls for new rules governing the use of social media data for campaigning.
In the end, the battle over Elon Musk controlling Twitter has nothing to do with oligarchs or online safety, just as the Cambridge Analytica controversy had nothing to do with a technical distinction between contractors and employees. Instead, it is merely the latest chapter in the battle over who controls the digital public square – and which political party determines its rules.
By Kalev Leetaru
Tone-Deaf MSNBC Pundit Says Musk-Run Twitter Could Be Manipulated For Political Reasons
MSNBC's Ari Melber may be the most tone-deaf pundit on the planet, after suggesting an Elon Musk-Run Twitter could be 'manipulated' to change political outcomes in favor of Republicans by suppressing stories that might harm a conservative candidate - exactly what Twitter did to Donald Trump during the 2020 US election.
"If you own all of Twitter or Facebook or what have you, you don't have to explain yourself. You don't even have to be transparent. You could secretly ban one party's candidate or all of its candidates, all of its nominees, or you could just secretly turn down the reach of their stuff and turn up the reach of something else," said Melber. "And the rest of us might not even find out about it until after the election. Elon Musk says this is all to help people because he is just a free speech, philosophically clear, open-minded helper."
Watch what Jonathan Turley described as almost a clinical (if not comical) example of transference:
Twitter manipulating the reach of stories for political reasons during an election? Nah, that could never happen.pic.twitter.com/fkls7RzDf3
— Jerry Dunleavy (@JerryDunleavy) April 26, 2022
To review, Twitter suppressed perhaps the biggest bombshell in US politics in October 2020when it banned the New York Post for truthfully reporting on Hunter Biden's laptop - which contained revelations of shady Biden family business dealings involving Joe Biden.
Yes, agreed.
Thank you. https://t.co/zEGZ3RBEiw
— Emma-Jo Morris (@EmmaJoNYC) April 26, 2022
In addition to damning emails, the laptop also contained a cache of text messages, photos and financial documents which revealed that Joe Biden absolutely lied when he said he had no knowledge of Hunter's dealings - and may have been collecting 10% of Hunter's income.
I fear Elon Musk could undermine the ideological diversity, equity and inclusion at Twitter which currently maintains a careful balance of 98.7% for one side. pic.twitter.com/I6JeTuTx9k
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) April 25, 2022
More via The Post Millennial:
Emma Jo Morris, who broke the Hunter Biden laptop story in the Post, shared the Melber clip, saying "@AriMelber that would be crazy. Hey, similar thing actually already happened tho- next time you're in New York I'll show you this hard drive I got that belongs to Joe Biden's corrupt son and that Twitter banned my reporting about 3 weeks before the last presidential election."
The New York Times, NPR, Politico and the Washington Post, worked to suppress the story, with the Times by publishing an article calling the report "unsubstantiated" in September 2021, then editing the story without publishing a formal correction notice.
Recently, several of those same outlets have recently confirmed the legitimacy of the content of the laptop.
A poll previously released by the Media Research Center showed that 16 percent of voters who were unaware of the Hunter Biden laptop scandal would have switched their minds and not voted for Joe Biden, had they known about it at the time.
According to a December 2020 Rasmussen poll, a majority of Americans believed that the media purposely buried the Hunter Biden laptop story to influence the 2020 election.
After the election, Hunter Biden revealed that he was under a federal investigation. Hunter Biden has been under investigation for failing to pay taxes since Joe Biden was US Vice President. In 2018, the inquiry expanded to investigate how Hunter's international business dealings connected with President Biden's political career. There are even reports that Hunter could be under as many as four investigations.
Republicans have repeatedly criticized Twitter over alleged bias against users who politically lean conservative. Sen. Tom Cotton, (R-AR), was locked out of his account after tweeting about the Black Lives Matter riots in June 2020.
During a 2019 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Josh Hawley (R-MO), questioned a Twitter executive regarding the alleged bias.
Twitter admitted to me today that they have protocols they use to determine when speech is offensive. So release the protocols! Make them public. If you aren't biased, what do you have to hide? pic.twitter.com/rEG94cq2Ly
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) April 10, 2019
During the testimoney, Twitter Director of Public Policy and Philanthropy Carlos Monje Jr., apologized to Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), for the company's decision in October 2017 to block one of her campaign ads.
The Libs of Tik Tok account, which highlights videos liberals post of themselves to the social media app TikTok, was locked out for "hateful conduct" by Twitter twice in one week. The company did not explain which tweet contained "hateful conduct."
Congressional Republicans such as Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), have been censored for tweeting on transgender issues.
Twitter also banned President Donald Trump following the January 6 riot in 2021, but allows well known bigots, antisemites, dictators and users who've been accused of murder full access to tweet.
By ZeroHedge
Twitter's Top Lawyer Breaks Down In Tears During Musk Takeover Meeting
Twitter's top lawyer, Vijaya Gadde, reportedly broke down in tears during a virtual meeting with the company's policy and legal teams to discuss the ramifications of Elon Musk's purchase of the social media platform.
According to Politico, "Gadde cried during the meeting as she expressed concerns about how the company could change," and "acknowledged that there are significant uncertainties about what the company will look like under Musk's leadership."
Having been with Twitter since 2011, Gadde was the key executive in charge of 'trust and safety, legal and public policy functions' - described by Politico as the company's "moral authority."
Gadde holds one of the most controversial positions at Twitter: Her teams decide how to moderate content. That's made her a target of right-wing criticism, particularly when Twitter blocked the distribution of a New York Post article about President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, in 2020. She faced a renewed wave of criticism after multiple reports confirmed she was behind the decision to ban Trump from Twitter. -Politico
In other words, Gadde is likely the exec who signed off on ZeroHedge's February 2020 ban for speculating that Covid-19 may have emerged from a Wuhan Lab, and President Trump's January 2021 ban in connection with the capitol riot.
She has shepherded Twitter through some of its most contentious political battles, including the decisions to remove all political advertising and to boot former President Donald Trump from the platform in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on Capitol Hill — a position that has earned her devoted fans within Twitter, as well as a large contingent of right-wing critics.
But as news of Musk's official takeover broke, policy and legal employees fretted at the meeting about what his leadership could mean for Twitter's carefully crafted online speech rules, including its policies against hate speech, misinformation and even political advertising. -Politico
She played a 'leading role' in the negotiation between Twitter and Musk, according to the report.
"I think everyone at Twitter, regardless of how they feel about the news, is feeling reflective and emotional," said a Twitter employee. "We've gone through a lot in the past two years and I think it's generally instigated a lot of reflection. I think this was more of an acknowledgment of the uncertainty everyone is feeling right now."
As a reminder, Gadde is crying because her new boss is a 'free speech absolutist,' while she wants to silence divergent opinions from her own.
she seemed so tough then:https://t.co/3HXyJkeGnY
— 01 (@seancpdx) April 26, 2022
"I'm often inspired by the vigorous debates on controversial issues that occur on Twitter, but I've also been seriously troubled by the plight of some of our users who are completely overwhelmed by those who are trying to silence healthy discourse in the name of free expression," Gadde wrote in 2015. "At times, this takes the form of hateful speech in tweets directed at women or minority groups; at others, it takes the form of threats aimed to intimidate those who take a stand on issues."
What a crying shame.
Suspending the Twitter account of a major news organization for publishing a truthful story was obviously incredibly inappropriate
By Tyler Durden
Project Veritas Leaks Audio Of Twitter Meeting Following Musk Acquisition
James O'Keefe's Project Veritas just released leaked audio of Monday's Twitter staff meeting and sharing their emotions after Elon Musk's purchase of the platform.
Employees and management of the company alike appear to be distressed in footage that has leaked from Project Veritas thus far.
"I believe Twitter grows as a service, allows for more people to use the product… because we have built tools, processes for people to be able to feel safe and control their experiences… Sometimes that means more thoughtful moderation," Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal could be heard saying during the meeting.
Twitter board member Bret Taylor reportedly kicked off the meeting by taking a moment to recognize the emotional shock that he and others at the company experienced following Musk's acquisition.
"I also just want to acknowledge all the emotions of today. It is an emotional day. I want to acknowledge it," Taylor said. "By law, we are required to act in the best interest of our shareholders," he said while justifying the company's sale.
Agrawal made similar comments, telling employees "it's important to acknowledge that all of you have many different feelings about what is happening."
"Many of you are concerned, some of you excited, many people here are waiting to understand how this goes and have an open mind," he continued.
Project Veritas has promised that more leaks will follow soon.
By Darian Alexander
Pukefest!
As Elon Musk made yet more headlines today - by doing nothing today apart from tweeting this...
The extreme antibody reaction from those who fear free speech says it all
It appears someone decided he needed to be punished for daring to preserve free speech (oh the horror!) as TSLA shares tumbled over 11% today, raising questions from many on who was behind this move...
As Trey Henninger (@TreyHenninger) detailed, "If $TSLA stock hits $570, Elon Musk will be margin called on his Twitter purchase loan. If that occurs, he'll have two business days to either pay the entire $12.5 billion margin loan, post $3.57 billion USD in CASH, or sell his $TSLAQ collateral shares. So, Soros has to short TSLA to 570 to kill the deal."
TSLA's tumble weighed heavily (given its weighting) on the major indices, with Nasdaq clubbed like a baby seal today, back below March's lows (down 3.5% today)...Nasdaq's worst day since Sept 2020
Erasing all of yesterday's gains and then some...
The Nasdaq and Small Caps are now back below the March lows...
FANG+ stocks puked to their lowest since September 2020...
"Most Shorted" Stocks have erased all of the late-March gains and then some are now testing the spike lows from the day Putin invaded Ukraine...
It appears stocks are starting to converge down to the extreme hawkishness priced in to STIRs...
"Better get a bucket..."
But it wasn't just stocks as Bitcoin was monkey-hammered back below $40k and below yesterday's lows...
Gold fell back below $1900 today...
But Bonds & Black Gold were bid amid all the chaos.
Treasuries were bid across the curve today, led by the short-end (2Y-9bps, 30Y -3bps).
Notice the pattern was similar today to yesterday but lower magnitude on the post-EU close selloff...
WTI traded up, back above $100...
And the dollar just refuses to weaken...
Now surging to its highest against its fiat peers since May 2020...
Finally, will Alphabet or Microsoft's earnings spark a squeeze into the 5/4 FOMC/Russia-Default-Deadline?
As Put volumes soar, stoking the fuel for a squeeze...
Or does The Fed need a crash to justify jawboning the extreme hawkishness back from the cliff's edge?
The following is a big deal that few are paying attention to - the credit market is cracking...
JPMorgan Struggling to Offload Carvana Debt Even at 10.5% Yield: BBG
Finally the credit market is freezing up - rejoice for it means BRRRR is not far behind
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) April 26, 2022
Elon Musk 'Clarifies' Free Speech Stance After EU Threats
Elon musk clarified what he meant by "free speech," writing in a Tuesday tweet: "I simply mean that which matches the law."
By "free speech", I simply mean that which matches the law.
I am against censorship that goes far beyond the law.
If people want less free speech, they will ask government to pass laws to that effect.
Therefore, going beyond the law is contrary to the will of the people.
The European Union has put Elon Musk on notice - warning that he faces hefty fines or even a ban if he allows free speech on Twitter.
EU commissioner Thierry Breton told the Financial Times that Musk must follow rules on moderating illegal and harmful content online, since words have been elevated to 'sticks & stones' when it comes to the dangers of modern life.
"We welcome everyone. We are open but on our conditions. At least we know what to tell him: 'Elon, there are rules. You are welcome but these are our rules. It's not your rules which will apply here," said Breton.
Musk's take-private deal for Twitter could transform the Tesla chief executive, who has used the platform to attack regulators and critics, into a social media baron, given that millions of people rely on the San Francisco-based platform for news.
He said on Monday that "free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy" and described Twitter as "the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated". -FT
Breton's comments come just days after Brussels signed a major piece of legislation targeting big tech for not doing enough to police content online, which runs counter to Musk's plan to loosen Twitter's content moderation policies to match his stated "free speech absolutist" ideology that could even see the return of former President Donal Trump to the platform (despite Trump's insistence he won't be back).
According to Breton, he's simply offering Musk a "reality check" over plans for less stringent moderation, as a lack of compliance risks a ban in Europe.
"Anyone who wants to benefit from this market will have to fulfill our rules. The board [of Twitter] will have to make sure that if it operates in Europe it will have to fulfill the obligations, including moderation, open algorithms, freedom of speech, transparency in rules, obligations to comply with our own rules for hate speech, revenge porn [and] harassment," said Breton, adding "If [Twitter] does not comply with our law, there are sanctions — 6 per cent of the revenue and, if they continue, banned from operating in Europe."
Looks like Elon Musk is going to have to buy the EU. https://t.co/sV6qJSRa8t
— Clint Ehrlich (@ClintEhrlich) April 26, 2022
Elon Musk says Twitter's censorship of Hunter Biden laptop story was "incredibly inappropriate"
Musk speaks out amidst speculation about Twitter's new direction.
After it was confirmed that entrepreneur Elon Musk would be acquiring Twitter yesterday, the media has been awash with constant speculation about what it would mean for the future of the company and exactly what it was that spurred Musk to want to return the platform to its free speech roots.
Musk has given some indication of this in his most recent comments.
Musk criticized the "extreme antibody reaction" from "those who fear free speech" and said it "says it all" as he began his pushback against some of Twitter's most sensitive employees.
Musk said that whatever speech is legal should be allowed on the platform.
"By 'free speech', I simply mean that which matches the law. I am against censorship that goes far beyond the law," Musk added in a later post. "If people want less free speech, they will ask government to pass laws to that effect. Therefore, going beyond the law is contrary to the will of the people," Musk said.
Today, in comments on Twitter, Musk alluded to the censorship of the Hunter Biden laptop story and said that it was " incredibly inappropriate" for Twitter to have censored it.
In October 2020, just before the US presidential election, the New York Post published a story about Hunter Biden's potentially corrupt dealings when his father, Joe Biden, was vice president. The story was based on damning emails obtained from a laptop Hunter left at a repair shop in Delaware.
Twitter censored the story over the "origins of the material" and suspended the New York Post's account for two weeks. The online platform also prevented users from sharing the story.
Many speculated that the censorship was to protect President Biden's chance of winning the election.
This year, even The New York Times confirmed the authenticity of what the New York Post called the "laptop from hell."
The Breaking Points podcast host Saagar Enjeti took to Twitter to comment on a story from Politico that stated that Twitter's top censor Vijaya Gadde was in tears during meetings about the Musk purchase.
"Vijaya Gadde, the top censorship advocate at Twitter who famously gaslit the world on Joe Rogan's podcast and censored the Hunter Biden laptop story, is very upset about the @elonmusk takeover," Enjeti said.
By Cindy Harper
Mass Deactivations Have Taken Place On Twitter Following Elon Musk's Takeover
Twitter has been facing reports of high profile accounts losing thousands of followers in the wake of Elon Musk's takeover, with the company saying the 'fluctuations in follower counts' stems from 'organic' account closures.
According to NBC, former US president Barack Obama, the most followed account on Twitter at 131.7 million followers, lost more than 300,000 followers after the news on Monday, 25 April, while singer Katy Perry, the third-most-followed, lost more than 200,000.
The outlet reports that, meanwhile, some accounts on the political right have seen their follower counts skyrocket. This includes Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who had 539,000 followers the day before the Musk buyout, but had 632,000 by Tuesday evening.
Off the back of the strange pattern, Rep. Matt Gaetz – a close ally of former president Donald Trump – tweeted: "It really is something how conservative accounts are getting massive follower increases today."
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who is a right-wing populist, also gained almost 90,000 followers in the day after the announcement.
While Twitter has not provided an exact number or accounts that have been closed or activated since Monday, the company confirmed it was looking into the 'recent fluctuations in follower counts'.
In a statement to NBC, Twitter said: "While we continue to take action on accounts that violate our spam policy which can affect follower counts, these fluctuations appear to largely be a result of an increase in new account creation and deactivation."
A spokesperson said the accounts experiencing the most severe drop-offs in followers were 'high-profile accounts'.
Musk has vowed to make Twitter a home for 'free speech', while also 'defeating the spam bots'.
In the statement announcing the agreement, he said: "Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated.
"I also want to make Twitter better than ever by enhancing the product with new features, making the algorithms open source to increase trust, defeating the spam bots, and authenticating all humans. Twitter has tremendous potential – I look forward to working with the company and the community of users to unlock it."
Bret Taylor, Twitter's Independent Board Chair, said: "The Twitter Board conducted a thoughtful and comprehensive process to assess Elon's proposal with a deliberate focus on value, certainty, and financing.
"The proposed transaction will deliver a substantial cash premium, and we believe it is the best path forward for Twitter's stockholders."
By Jess Hardiman
The EU puts Elon Musk on notice with its censorship demands
The EU expects Musk's Twitter to censor.
Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter is the kind of stuff you can't make up – and for once, even EU bureaucrats are prepared to acknowledge (they ostensibly always see it, but like to deny it) that there's a new, emerging reality they live in.
A new sheriff in town, if you will.
And the Twitter takeover story seems to have the EU positively frazzled.
After all, Musk is a billionaire who has worked as a part of, within, and thanks to the system for years now to become who he is. Why would they doubt that he would fully comply?
Well, Musk has been having some "revolutionary" thoughts of late. And as we know, "in a time of universal deceit – telling the truth is a revolutionary act."
Like this: Twitter, with its influence and mindshare power, is in fact, a digital town square. That's how Musk recently put it. That's very different from the way this, and other Big Tech platforms have been defending their "right to censorship" – namely, that they are merely "plain and simple, privately-held companies" and therefore not subject to legal limitations such as those imposed by the US Constitution's First Amendment.
We can only imagine the kind of alarm bells that this one statement alone must have set off, in so many places. But as far as Europeans are concerned – why would the EU even care about any of this? Unless that is, the EU has in the meantime adopted the US Constitution, along with all its amendments.
Cedric O, France's digital minister, said that while there are "some interesting things" Musk wants to push for at Twitter, the EU's new Digital Services Act "will apply regardless of the ideology of its owner."
Either way, with the Musk acquisition, what we are seeing is several rattled establishments. How long that remains the case, and what it's really worth – only time will tell.
But it is very telling right now of the way the EU functions as the junior partner in the "trans-Atlantic partnership" – when it comes to controlling social media.
"Moderation" aka, "censorship" is the key concern here going forward. How will Twitter enforce it now? Musk, a man who is now labeled as "eccentric billionaire" is warned that in the EU, it is the-fresh-out-the-mint, Digital Services Act, that will have the last word.
That (ideology?) will apply regardless of "the ideology of (Twitter) owner," said France's digital minister.
Well. Game on.
By Didi Rankovic
Is Twitter "Burning The Evidence" By Unshackling Conservative Accounts?
Conservative Twitter users have noticed a massive uptick in followers and engagement following Elon Musk's Twitter buy, while leftists on the platform are experiencing the inverse, prompting some to wonder if the company is undoing evidence that it rigged the reach of people it deemed to be undesirable.
The trend is so extreme that it prompted Twitter to address it, claiming that it is all organic owing to new accounts being created and existing accounts being deactivated.
"We've been looking into recent fluctuations in follower counts. While we continue to take action on accounts that violate our spam policy which can affect follower counts, these fluctuations appear to largely have been a result of an increase in new account creation and deactivation," the company said in a statement.
New from me:
On the day Elon Musk announced his Twitter takeover, 200,000 Katy Perry followers deactivated.
Marjorie Taylor Greene gained 90,000 followers.
Twitter confirmed to @NBCNews: It wasn't bots.
Apolitical users fled. Right-wing users joined.https://t.co/gxBWpxq1uG
— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) April 27, 2022
Not everyone is buying Twitter's explanation, however.
While I'm awesome and totally deserving of 87,000 new followers a day it seems that someone took the shackles off my account. Wonder if they're burning the evidence before new mgmt comes in? pic.twitter.com/9Mso48qyNP
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) April 26, 2022
Remember when Twitter, one of the biggest social media companies in the world, spent years shadow banning conservatives and gaslit everyone by pretending they didn't?
Crazy world back then, a few days ago
— Buck Sexton (@BuckSexton) April 27, 2022
Noticing an increase in followers and engagement after losing huge chunks (or static follower count for weeks on end) for the past few years. Also seeing tweets from people I whose accounts I never see and am not having to refollow other conservatives repeatedly.
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) April 26, 2022
+/- Twitter followers since the Elon Twitter announcement: @aoc - 27,641 followers@maddow -18,648 followers@StephenAtHome -21,460 followers@mattgaetz +24,929 followers@DineshDSouza +41,945 followers@RepMTG +41,181 followers
— Barry Rubin (@barubin) April 26, 2022
Is anyone else losing followers too? I'm seeing people across Twitter report they have lost thousands today. I am down 5,000. Though much of that could be because I'm an idiot with way too many followers. Idk
— David Hogg 🌻 (@davidhogg111) April 25, 2022
Weird. I just lost more than 8,000 followers in the last couple of hours. Was it something I said? https://t.co/TS3vwDephc
— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) April 25, 2022
Twitter is deleting the suppression algos before musk can find them in the code.
You know... The suppression algos that Twitter told Congress they didn't have and didn't use...
— Shaeroden, a simple BTC psychopath (@Shaeroden) April 27, 2022
Human Events Daily host Jack Posobiec noted Wednesday, "They're deboosting liberal accounts right now. Anna Navaro had a post up that said that she's losing followers, Meanwhile, myself, Cernovich, LibsofTikTok… Everybody on our side got a massive boost out of nowhere."
"You know what it is, they're pulling the breaks out, they're trying to cover up all of their tracks, because they know what they've been doing. James O'Keefe proved this with the shadow banning," Posobiec continued, adding "He proved it. James O'Keefe found the algorithms within Silicon Valley, they do this stuff."
"Elon… He didn't just purchase a company, he purchased evidence. He purchased evidence in criminal cases. That's what he's got here, and that's what you're seeing. He called it himself, an antibody-like response to his action," Posobiec further asserted.
Fox News host Sean Hannity also covered the development Wednesday, suggesting that Twitter is attempting to "cover their tracks" before Musk's takeover is complete.
Watch the latest video at foxnews.com
"Conservatives on the platform—all of a sudden out of nowhere—enjoyed a massive bump in followers and interactions," Hannity said, explaining "For example, in just two days, Donald Trump Jr.—wow, magically—he got 200,000 new followers. That is roughly a 2,000 percent increase daily. Wow. It's almost as if Twitter employees lifted a broad anti-conservative, anti-Trump shadow ban—which we all knew was taking place anyway—in an effort to cover their tracks before the new boss takes over."
Elon Musk is, of course, completely aware of the evidence pointing to shadow banning:
shadow ban council reviewing tweet … pic.twitter.com/cawjtwc7CW
If you want the context for this based meme— enjoy @Timcast and @joerogan shredding Twitter to their faces over left-wing bias
pic.twitter.com/O8nwR5FQCj
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) April 27, 2022
Twitter DMs should have end to end encryption like Signal, so no one can spy on or hack your messages
For Twitter to deserve public trust, it must be politically neutral, which effectively means upsetting the far right and the far left equally
Attacks are coming thick and fast, primarily from the left, which is no surprise, however I should be clear that the right will probably be a little unhappy too.
My goal is to maximize area under the curve of total human happiness, which means the ~80% of people in the middle.
A social media platform's policies are good if the most extreme 10% on left and right are equally unhappy
What are talking about? I'm just saying Twitter needs to be politically neutral.
By Steve Watson
fml.lol
Latest news & random rants
Elon Musk buys 9.2% stake in Twitter
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"redpajama_set_name": "RedPajamaCommonCrawl"
} |
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"Tiger King" Joe Exotic Finds God in Prison, Requests Presidential Pardon in Letter to Josh Belcher Uncharted Podcast
The Josh Belcher Uncharted Podcast
Exotic says he has become a minister in prison, shares his thoughts on the death of George Floyd, blames politicians and Hollywood for America's race issues.
I have the platform. I have the mouth. And I truely [sic] believe I can unite THIS nation without politics."
— Joe Exotic
NASHVILLE, TN, USA, July 30, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ — On today's episode of the Josh Belcher Uncharted Podcast, Belcher reads another exclusive letter from "Tiger King" Joe Exotic. This is the 2nd letter received from Exotic in prison, following the 3-page, single-spaced, handwritten letter received in early June and read at Exotic's request on Episode 51.5 (June 3).
In his new 3-page handwritten letter, dated July 15, Exotic says he has been baptized in prison and has become a minister. He shares his thoughts on the death of George Floyd and declares that "this is not a race problem." He goes on to blame politicians, Hollywood, canceled TV series Live P.D., and "a bad police system" for the race issues and accusations of police brutality dominating today's news cycle. According to Exotic, the only solution is to overhaul the system and "change laws and give this country back to the people," and he believes he can lead such a movement.
"I have the platform," writes Exotic. "I have the mouth. And I truely [sic] believe I can unite THIS nation without politics. But I need our President to stand against corruption and make this right and pardon me sooner than later, so I can be a live face of change."
He then gives a directive to fans… "Start a movement on Trump's Twitter to pardon me and give me a chance to help save America. Be my voice."
Joe Exotic (aka Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage) became a household name earlier this year when Netflix released an eight-part documentary, Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness. In 2019, Joe was convicted on 17 federal charges of animal abuse and 2 counts of murder for hire, for a plot to kill Big Cat Rescue CEO Carole Baskin. He is currently serving a 22-year sentence in federal prison.
In his original letter, Exotic detailed new evidence that "2 Assistant U.S. Attorneys, 2 FBI agents and a federal wildlife agent all conspired to commit perjury." He also claimed he was being abused in prison, saying "I have scars from the skin coming off of my arms from being strapped in a chair so tight and so long just for demanding answers."
The new episode of the Josh Belcher Uncharted Podcast is available now at https://anchor.fm/joshbelcheruncharted.
The Josh Belcher Uncharted Podcast covers entertainment, music and comedy. Previous guests include Charlie Daniels, John Schneider, Mickey Dolenz, Caroline Jones, Uncle Si Robertson, Victoria Jackson, James Burton, Henry Cho, Matisyahu, Steve Wariner, Dusty Slay, Heather McDonald, Alice in Chains' William Duvall, Jeff Allen and many more.
Connect with the Josh Belcher Uncharted Podcast:
https://www.facebook.com/JBUPod/
https://www.instagram.com/jbupod/
Brian Mayes
Nashville Publicity Group
Author EIN PresswirePosted on July 30, 2020
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Gymea bay is a city in New South Wales. So far we have accumulated 67 streets in Gymea bay and on these streets we have added 2,124 real estate properties.
The suburb of Gymea Bay is located in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Gymea Bay is 27 kilometres (17 mi) south of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Sutherland Shire. The postcode is 2227, which it shares with the adjacent suburb of Gymea. The suburb of Gymea Bay takes its name from the small bay of the same name on the north side of the Port Hacking estuary (also known as the Port Hacking River). The suburb included only the area of the single peninsula between Gymea Bay and the North West Arm of the Port Hacking River and bounded by Coonong Creek on the north and, on the west, by an unnamed creek flowing south of Gymea Bay Road between Barraran Street and Coonong Road. In 2008, the NSW Geographical Names Board suggested a much enlarged area for the suburb of Gymea Bay, taking in much of former Gymea and even part of the suburb of Miranda, in which the suburb's extremities are defined by Forest Road on the northeast, Avenel Road on the north, Dents Creek on the west, and the waters of North West Arm and the bay itself to the south. These boundaries remain contentious. The area is characterised by large amounts of verdant bushland. However, since the 1980s, increased subdivision with smaller lots, larger houses and increased motor vehicle ownership has decreased the number of large trees and since the 1990s, the invasions of feral deer from the Royal National Park have begun to negatively affect the ground cover underneath the tree canopy. | {
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Last will and testament for Scotland
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How to make a Last will and testament for Scotland
This document is for Scotland only.
Put your mind at ease with this straightforward last will and testament for Scotland. Having an up-to-date will is important. Doing so means that you can be confident that the people and causes that you care about will inherit your property, money and possessions in the way you want after you die.
When should I use a last will and testament?
Use this last will and testament:
if you want to set out who you want to inherit your estate
if you want to appoint a guardian for your children
if you want to appoint executors to deal with your estate
What's included in a last will and testament?
This last will and testament covers:
the testator's details
the testator's alternative name
the executor's details
substitute executors
appointing a guardian
witness details
What's a last will and testament?
A will sets out how someone's estate - which includes property, savings and other assets - should be distributed after their death. It's essentially a written set of instructions that specifies the beneficiaries who will inherit the estate of the deceased and the executors who will ensure that assets are distributed according to the wishes contained in the will.
Do I need a last will and testament?
It's very important for you to make a will whether or not you think you have many possessions, property or much money. If you die without having a written will, known as dying intestate, your assets and estate will pass in accordance with the rights of succession. This may not be the way that you would have wished your money and possessions to be distributed.
What should be included in a last will and testament?
You should think about what you want included in your will. A will can cover a range of issues, including:
who should inherit your property, money, other assets and possessions
how your children should be cared for
who should be responsible for looking after your estate (the executors)
special arrangements for your funeral
and charitable donations you would like to make
You should think about how much money and what property and possessions you have, for example, property, savings, occupational and personal pensions, insurance policies, bank and building society accounts, shares.
If you want to include digital assets in your will, for example, music and text; social media accounts; online photograph albums, online gaming identities, you will need to make a list of how to access all these accounts. You may need specialist legal help because there could be issues about your online account being American, for example, and not covered under Scottish executory law.
You may need to think about who should look after any children under 16 and what provisions need to be made for them and any older children.
If you want to leave property to a transgender person you must seek advice as you may have to refer to the person in their acquired gender, not their birth gender.
Extra care needs to be taken when you are making a will and including instructions about property such as your house or flat. In some cases, there may be a clause in the title deeds called a 'survivorship destination' clause. These clauses can override what it says about the property in a will. A solicitor can give advice about the impact of these clauses.
What is as an executor?
Executors are the people who will be responsible for dealing with your estate (property and possessions) and carrying out your wishes in accordance with your will. They will have to collect together all the assets of the estate and deal with all the paperwork. They may have to pay all the debts, taxes, funeral and administration costs out of money in the estate. They will need to pay out the financial assets and other possessions and transfer any property to beneficiaries.
Who should I appoint as an executor?
When appointing an executor you should make sure that they are aware you would like them to act as an executor. If someone does not want to be named as an executor in your will they can refuse. Furthermore, being an executor comes with a lot of responsibility and administration. You should choose people whom you trust or those with special client relationships. People most commonly appointed as executors are:
If you do not appoint any executors in your will the court will have to do this after your death. Once the court appoints an executor that person cannot resign or take on other executors without going back to the court for permission.
It is not necessary to appoint more than one executor although it is advisable to do so, for example, in case one of them dies.
If an executor dies, any other surviving executor(s) can deal with the estate. If there are no surviving executors, the court can appoint one.
What are the requirements for a valid will?
In order for a will to be valid, it must be:
made by a person who is 12 years old or over; and
made voluntarily and without pressure from any other person; and
made by a person who is of sound mind. This means the person must be fully aware of the nature of the document being written or signed and aware of the property and the identity of the people who may inherit; and
made in writing; and
signed by the person making the will on every page; and
signed by the person in front of a witness.
As soon as the will is signed and witnessed, it is valid.
Where should I store my will?
Once a will has been made the original document should be kept in a safe place. There are a number of places where you can keep a will:
with a solicitor. Make sure that someone knows which solicitor's office holds the original will
at a bank although it may charge an annual fee
at home. If you keep a copy at home it is a good idea to put it in an envelope that is clearly labelled. It is generally not a good idea to keep an original will at home as it can get damaged.
For further information, read Storing your will.
What happens if circumstances change?
When you make a will, it's important to keep it up-to-date to take account of any changes in circumstances. The most common changes of circumstances that can affect your will are:
getting married, remarried or registering a civil partnership
getting divorced, dissolving a civil partnership or separating
the birth or adoption of children, if you wish to add these as beneficiaries in a will
the death of a beneficiary
any new assets
If you do not change your will after a marriage or registration of a civil partnership the existing will is still valid. From 1 November 2016, getting divorced or ending a civil partnership does affect a will. If you have left a gift in your will to your spouse or your civil partner, it will not take effect if you get divorced or end your civil partnership.
How do I change my will?
If there has been a change in circumstances, then you may want to consider updating your will. However, you cannot amend the original will once it has been signed and witnessed. Any obvious alterations to the will are assumed to have been made at a later date, do not form part of the original legally valid will and can give rise to expensive legal proceedings to establish which is the valid will.
The only way you can change a will is by making a codicil to the will or a new will.
What is a codicil?
A codicil is a document that needs to be signed and executed in the same way as a will. However, it allows for changes or amendments to take effect instead of completely creating a new will or re-writing the original one.
Ask a lawyer for:
advice if the document doesn't meet your needs or cover what you want
advice if you want to have your will reviewed
advice if you share ownership of a property with someone who is not your spouse or civil partner
advice if you wish to make provision for a dependent who is unable to care for themselves, for example, a trust
advice if there are several family members who may make a claim on the will, for example, a second wife or children from a first marriage
advice if your permanent home is not in the United Kingdom
advice if you are resident here but you own or part-own overseas property
advice if you are involved in a business
This last will and testament is governed by the laws of Scotland.
Other names for Last will and testament for Scotland
Will, Scottish Will.
Sample Last will and testament for Scotland
Members that make a Last will and testament for Scotland sometimes need additional documents. You might be interested in:
Living will / Advance decision
Outline your wishes for refusing future medical treatment
Set out how your estate should be distributed
Change a will after the death of the testator
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How fitness amenities can help offices lead the pack
Water-cooler conversations used to focus on last night's TV. Now they're less about watching sports and more about last night's training session.
Companies are responding to a growing number of fitness-minded employees by improving their health and wellness amenities. State-of-the-art office gyms, locker rooms and lunchtime fitness classes are becoming key amenities for helping attract and retain workers—particularly the fitness-focused Millennial generation.
Landlords also recognize that onsite fitness amenities can differentiate a property in a competitive market, bring in the tenants and increase the property price when it's time to sell. With construction costs trending upward, however, companies must weigh the costs of even the most worthwhile amenities against the expected benefits, just as in any other business decision—and it's easy to over-invest.
The health and well-being premium
Office build-outs that include both outdoor space and indoor improvements increase overall workplace productivity by 16 percent, according to JLL research, and that's highly motivating for corporate employers. Also important are bike storage, green space, stair-centric designs that encourage physical activity, and other health-sustaining amenities that can help attract and retain employees. Since employee turnover is costly, retention can save company money in the long run.
"Employees today want to work for a company that shares their values, and that includes health and fitness, along with environmental sustainability," says Jessica Bollhoefer, Vice President and Sustainability Practice Co-Lead, JLL Project and Development Services.
As health and well-being features catch on, some companies are pursuing the new WELL designation. This up-and-coming standard recognizes facilities that meet rigorous standards for air quality, lighting design, drinking water, fitness and comfort, and even workplace health benefits such as maternity and stress leave, and availability of healthy food.
WELL-designated buildings may eventually command a premium just as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) buildings do. A report from the Urban Land Institute found that developers of WELL-designed buildings said market response exceeded their expectations in terms of lease take-up and sales rates, along with higher rents and sales premiums along with interest from lenders and investors.
As beneficial as health and fitness amenities can be, renovations and build-outs require careful planning and investment. Nationwide, construction costs continue to rise, largely because of a skilled construction labor shortage.
The cost for office fit-outs in 2017 averaged $152.88 per square foot across the U.S. after tenant incentives were taken into account, rising to above $190 per square foot in San Francisco and Silicon Valley. "Renovations become even more costly if developers use expensive materials or do custom build-outs," Bollhoefer notes. "Fitness amenities like bike rooms can be well worth the cost, but, as construction costs continue to grow, you have to think strategically about what amenities are truly important."
The demand for state-of-the-art technology further increases the price. Electrical costs are the biggest-ticket item, making up over a quarter of the typical renovation budget. Gyms, with their massive electrical demands, are especially expensive for this reason. And those spacious windows that boost work and workout productivity with plentiful natural light? Glass, like construction labor, is in short supply and costly.
Office gyms have unique construction demands because of the dual requirements for easy access and safe parameters for workout equipment. Acoustical ceilings, carpet, resilient flooring, special fire-suppression materials and other finishes for workout space are more costly than general office materials. Average workplace gym costs range from $30 per square foot to $120 per square foot, depending on size.
Other special considerations for fitness and health amenities include heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) for workout comfort, and soundproofing to avoid distracting the rest of the office. In urban settings where bike lanes and bike-sharing programs are common, some companies are adding amenities just for cycling commuters. Bike racks average $300 to $400 per unit, however, and cyclists also need shower rooms and bicycle storage areas.
"Landlords or corporate tenants sometimes overlook the extra costs that health and fitness amenities can entail," notes Bollhoefer. "Once you build out a workout space and shower room, for instance, you still need the exercise equipment and fixtures for the showers—and it all adds up."
Whether the landlord or the corporate employer is footing the bill, Bollhoefer advises companies to look closely at the materials being used and to budget carefully for renovations aimed at well-being. Ideally, a building can offer both a healthy environment and a healthy bottom line for both corporate tenants and property owners and investors.
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Home-State Senate candidate Steven Zilberg featured in St Cloud Times
State Senate candidate Steven Zilberg featured in St Cloud Times
Steven Zilberg, a student, world traveler, and liberty advocate, was featured in the St Cloud Times. He is the Libertarian candidate for State Senate District 14. Supporters can follow his campaign via his Facebook page.
The original article can be found here.
A different kind of candidate
Kirsti Marohn, [email protected]
10 a.m. CDT September 5, 2016
Steven Zilberg
Ask Steven Zilberg a question about his political beliefs or the key issues in his campaign for the state Legislature, and don't expect to get a simple answer.
He might quote Nelson Mandela or Malcolm X, or talk about his belief in the right of everyone to carry a weapon. He'll mention his teaching and travels to two dozen countries in five years, including far-flung places like Yemen and Indonesia. The conversation might drift from the war on drugs to the Black Lives Matter movement to fighting AIDS in Africa.
Zilberg is running as a Libertarian Party candidate in Senate District 14, against Republican candidate Jerry Relph and DFLer Dan Wolgamott. In many ways, he is emblematic of young voters' disillusionment with the traditional political parties that often don't represent their views in a system that offers few alternatives.
"I'm just someone who's very cynical when it comes to two parties and just like, give people choices," he said. "Let people believe what they want to believe. Why does it have to be so restrictive?"
Zilberg knows his candidacy is a long shot. But while he'd like to win, he's not focused on achieving a certain percentage of the vote. It's more about helping to shape the debate and ask questions no one else is asking.
"It's more or less the ideas, and the fact that if more people talk about issues that are important – I mean, whether I lose or win, OK, fine," Zilberg said.
Zilberg grew up on Lake Street in Minneapolis. By age 9, he was an orphan after both of his parents died of drug overdoses. He still has photos of his parents and memories – mostly bad ones, like seeing mirrors with lines of cocaine around the house.
"Growing up with that – it's very impactful," he said. "You don't walk around the same when you're 25, and you don't have the same thinking on issues that other people do."
Zilberg spent a year in foster care, then was adopted by a Jewish father and Catholic mother when he was 10 or 11. He attended college as an undergraduate at St. Cloud State University, studying linguistics.
Then the travel bug hit. Zilberg studied in South Africa during his freshman year in 2010, where his roommate from Somalia gave him a Quran. He converted to Islam, taking the Muslim name of Khalid.
"I like the difference of opinion," Zilberg said. "There's tons of differences of opinion, and there's not a right one and a wrong one."
In the next few years, he would travel to 25 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. He met his future wife in Indonesia, where she remains awaiting a visa.
The travels weren't always smooth. As a Muslim with a passport stamped in numerous war-torn countries, he's frequently stopped at airport security checkpoints and was once detained by Toronto authorities for a week.
Zilberg is now a graduate student at St. Cloud State, pursing a master's degree in social responsibility. He decided to run as a Libertarian candidate because of his dislike of both political parties.
It's hard to cubbyhole Zilberg into traditional positions. He likes former U.S. Rep. Ron Paul and shares the libertarian view that all taxes are theft.
But many of Zilberg's social views are liberal. His parents' deaths have shaped his views on drug policy. He believes marijuana should be legalized and thinks too many people are in prison for drug offenses.
"They need rehab. They need healing," he said. "They don't need to go behind bars."
Although he's white, Zilberg frequently talks about racial disparities and wants to see more accountability for police shootings of civilians. He believes officers should be required to be trained in non-lethal methods.
"We have to make sure the police officers understand that's first, before taking out their gun," he said. "The gun is there for the worst-case scenario, not just for you to pull it out because you're trigger happy."
But Zilberg also believes in civilians' right to carry a weapon, believing it deters crime.
So far, Zilberg's campaign has relied on his involvement on campus and social media. He hopes voters will be more open this year to choosing a third-party candidate, such as presidential contenders Gary Johnson from the Libertarian Party or Jill Stein from the Green Party.
"I just wish that more people would run that way, because then it would make people easier to vote based on are they actually good candidates," Zilberg said. "Rather than, 'Oh, he's a Democrat. I'll just vote Democrat, because I have for the last 40 years.' "
Follow Kirsti Marohn on Twitter, Facebook, or contact her by phone at 320-255-8746.
Concerned about the expansion of government control and the erosion of individual liberty? Please consider joining and becoming active with the Libertarian Party of Minnesota. Libertarians support liberty on all issues, all the time! Libertarianism is a philosophical and political movement to promote personal freedom, strong civil liberties, a genuinely free marketplace, and peace.
Want to comment? Join this conversation on our Facebook thread.
LPMN 2016-09-08T23:07:40+00:00 September 8th, 2016|Comments Off on State Senate candidate Steven Zilberg featured in St Cloud Times
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What The Future May Look Like For Homeschooled Graduates by Jennifer Oswald
Minnesota elections: Why we must open the gate to minor parties Our state's current restrictions on groups like Libertarians are, well, un-American. These three reforms will help level the playing field. By Chris Holbrook
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Home/argentina/Risk of land without braking: exceeded 800 points; Merval sank 2.2%
Risk of land without braking: exceeded 800 points; Merval sank 2.2%
argentina December 20, 2018 argentina
Indicator prepared by JP.Morgan Bank rose 2.2% (17 units) to 804 points, at the rate of the modern bond fell. This is the highest level for more than four years, as on December 16, 2014, it reached 823 units.
Thus, by now this year, the indicator accumulates a jump of almost 130%, from 351 points registered at the end of 2017; while in the month it climbs almost 14%.
Country risk "is also affected by a decline in the US 10-year yield by" flight to quality ".
In fact, these yields fell minimum of eight months (2,748%) and return curve, at a session in which investors assessed Federal Reserve plans to continue to tighten monetary policy.
On Wednesday, the US central bank adopted a slightly more moderate tone than previous meetings, but kept up the plan to continue withdrawing support for the economy it considers strong.
The Fed has proposed "some" additional additional increases in interest rates and It did not stop selling its huge debt portfolio.
"I think that some hope that they will see something of a tremendous change in the statement, actually reduce economic prospects or even have a clearer connection with dependence on economic data or the like" said Blake Gvinn, a strategist for interest rates at Natwest Markets in Stamford, Connecticut. "So there may have been a bit of disappointment about that," he added.
In this context, major bonds in dollars (operating in pesos) are closed with widespread losses. Discount under the Argentinean Act.
The portena torba fell on Thursday, after leading the sale among leading stocks, after confirming the Fed's rate hike.
Index Merval de Bolsas and Mercados Argentinos (BIMA) He lost 2.2%, to 29.305 points after having climbed 0.6% on Wednesday.
The shares of Pampa Energija stand out at a loss of 6.4%, followed by shares of Metrogas (-4.8%); and those Banko Macro (-4%).
The Federal Bank raised interest rates on Wednesday, but predicted lower growth rates in the coming year and noted that the tightening cycle came to an end at a time of instability in financial markets and a slowdown in the economy. the world
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Best Tears for Fears Songs
Everybody Wants to Rule the World
Grew up with this song love a lot of other songs by them, like change and mad world, but this song captures what the band represented and is just their best song. It's also one of the best songs ever.
My number one song is really awsomehow they put the rythim into it and makes it motivated to everything. I really love them both I feel like their number 1 FAN! It should be number one song
Even though Saints Row 2 had this song, Grand Theft Auto V on the other hand scrapped this song and rejected it from the Re-Release of the game.
One of my favourite songs by anyone ever and proof there is genius in Roland's dna. Brings back so many memories and still sounds freah
That guitar - xylophone combo is badass. Their best melody, pwoerful hook and therefor my favourite TfF song.
Sucha good melody to listen when someonw fake comes just say "you can change"like litterly
That xylophone thing is incredible! Love this song. CHANGE
This is probably my favorite TFF song, even though I could never truly pick one. There's something about the amazing combo of the main riff, the bass the vocals and the la la la's. This is a complex, truly outstanding songs.
Love this song so much and the music video is hilarious. Definitely one of my favourite music videos of all time.
Will always be remembered. Though they are way before my time. A band you will NEVER forget.
This song was first then is second not better than everybody wants to rule the world
This is an amazing song! The build up towards the end is something that no other band can replicate!
The lyrics are so meaningful, too... I am so surprised that this is only no.5...
Certainly one of the best, and most iconic, songs of the 1980's.
Always gets me singing along, and the other half now I have her into it!
Love the drumming in this song. Maybe not as good as Everybody Wants to Rule the World, but more unique. Love 'em both.
People are getting fed up with the governments. They're upset and there's nothing they can do about it.
This is way better than any cover I've heard so far. "The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had". Chilling!
Gary's is the worst I love this even though it's like 30 years before I was alive
Jesus, I love the song, but do you have to put down Gary to bring this up?
Yea Gary's suck and this one is the best
Pale Shelter
Awesome song. The whole idea of "you don't give me love/you give me pale shelter" is a cool metaphor. The vocals in this song are great too.
A song featured on 2 Rockstar Games and also one of my personal favorites. Why isn't this higher up on the list?
Just LOVE this song and most all of their works. LOVE this band. This songs makes me feel so good when I hear it.
When you don't give me love, (you give me pale ahelter), you don't give me love (you give me cold hand) and I cannot operate on this failure wgen all I want to be is complety in commaaand!
This is my personal favorite song from TFF, however, it is probably not the best song they ever made. Sowing the Seeds of Love has a strong melody and is very good from a composing standpoint. The song also benefits from Orzabal's strong, gritty, and round vocals on this particular track. Everybody wants to rule the world is runner up, due to its very good instrumentation and composition, but falls short from Curt's nasally round and honestly sub-par vocals (although his voice improved much as time went on, especially in the seeds of love album). Mad World falls a bit short for me in instrumentation and vocals, but is a lyrical masterpiece, this also goes for Pale Shelter. Overall, I would say that the best TFF song is Head Over Heels with its surprisingly good vocals from Curt and good instrumentation, however this is not my personal favorite song from them.
So catchy! And it's similar to Stairway or BoRhap in the way it has different sections of the song where it changes. Really good song right here.
Takes me back to the 'good old days' of Thatcherite Britain & the sad demise of The Jam
Great song, should be higher
The Working Hour
Simply the finest hour for a band with some amazing songs. The music and vocals are sublime, creating a song with true atmosphere. The Working Hour is a masterpiece, deserving of a quiet room and high fidelity. While not a pop sensation, or stadium anthem, in my opinion, this song is truly their best work.
THIS IS their best song and they've even admitted the fans love this song the most but don't perform it live anymore. WHY! Working Hour is their best song if not their second best song after Everyone Wants to Rule the World.
Great sax. Great vocals. Great emotion.
Great architecture. Great atmosphere.
Advice for the Young at Heart
Beautifully composed song, curt outdoes himself with the vocals and the piano is amazing
Every second of this one is pure bliss. Possibly one of the greatest songs ever written.
Yeah - possibly one of the greatest songs ever written..
That intro and outro though! The best parts of the song.
Woman in Chains
This song is a masterpiece. It's just so well-crafted, how everything builds to the end, and the lyrics are truly poignant. Musical genius.
Such a deeply touching, passionate masterpiece... Roland and Oleta make such a great power duo. This deserves to be in the top 5 power ballads of all time.
Shares a message and just brings you into the zone of sadness, the zone you didn't know existed.
This is the #1 song ever, not just by Tears for fears. Just the best song ever.
Mothers Talk
We can WORK IT OUT! I always loved that part. This song is sadly underrated. I love it. The beat is just...wow.
Put your head right next to my heart the beat so sexy just like the other comment
By far my favorite, so many moving parts that make the song amazing
Out of all of their songs, this one has the sickest beat.
Way You Are is so epic, amazing, and dramatic. As I listen to it, I can feel as if I'm trapped as a slave inside a rural British assembly line, and can really visualise machinery and lonely green outdoors with grey rainy skies, reminiscent of my youth depression. But it tells me "Talk about it! " and I see the peacock on the Single album (contains the songs The Marauders and Way You Are). The extended version of this song is even better!
This song doesn't compare to Woman In Chains. Sorry. This song should not be in Top 10
Absolutely incredibly song. The way the ballad slowly builds and adds instruments before crashing into a massive rock segment is simply chilling, and the lyrics about overcoming insurmountable odds are really touching. Amazing end to a fantastic and somewhat underrated album.
Song represents the times about nuclear war. Chilling and romantic at the same time.
One of the few songs that actually made me cry.
"And we will carry war/No more. "
This is a bit over-the-top, and could be described as "emo" before there was "emo. " I find it entertaining.
Badman's Song
Love the way Roland and Oleta's vocals wrap around each other in this one!
I absolutely love this song
Nice shift from typical TFF style. I love the "mirrorman" concept.
Break It Down Again
A pretty good song considering it was pretty much without Curt!
This song has a los of elements that majes a unike peace, come on!, it deserves a top five
This is my best song from tears for fears.. you have to watch the video and then hear the song.. if your head is hurt, have nausea or migraine or headache.. you should definitely watch this :-). smashing hit and my favourite.
Best song on the album! Surprised it was never released as a single!
By all means my favorite. The live feel it's given on the album and the live versions are amazing. You just don't want it to end.
I have no idea what this song is about, but it is so expressive and so passionate.
Goodnight Song
Guitar leads and amazing melody make this one my number one.
The perfect song to get cosy with on a snowy winter night as you sleep.
Amazing vocal on this one by Orzabal though it sounds like Curt Smith.
Killer tuneage.
Standing on the Corner of the Third World
Laid So Low
Laid So Low is a beautiful dark song with great groovy suspense and dramatic chill. "Into that void of silence, where we cry without sound... as tears roll down, as TEARS ROLL DOWN! "
Haunting, ear worm that you that you don't mind getting stuck in your head.
How is this #23 this song is perfect roland nailed probably in my top 10
Nice piece of song. Much more an Orzabal's solo effort but still worth.
Elemental is just okay. Not terrible but not super great, but it's got a swingy rock type vibe.
Memories Fade
I have the LP. Just played this for first time in years. This track could stand up today, it is beautiful in its majesty
The vocal part of Roland sound so intense to me.. It should be top 5!
I love this song! Should be in the top ten
Should be in top 10
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Westlake Legal Group > Electric and Hybrid Vehicles
Climate Change Could Blow Up the Economy. Banks Aren't Ready.
in Banking and Financial Institutions, Electric and Hybrid Vehicles, European Central Bank, Facebook Inc, Global Warming, Inflation (Economics), Lagarde, Christine, News, News and News Media, News Corporation, News Media, News Releases, Uncategorized, Virtual Currency
FRANKFURT — Climate change has already been blamed for deadly bush fires in Australia, dying coral reefs, rising sea levels and ever more cataclysmic storms. Could it also cause the next financial crisis?
A report issued this week by an umbrella organization for the world's central banks argued that the answer is yes, while warning that central bankers lack tools to deal with what it says could be one of the biggest economic dislocations of all time.
The book-length report, published by the Bank for International Settlements in Basel, Switzerland, signals what could be the overriding theme for central banks in the decade to come.
"Climate change poses unprecedented challenges to human societies, and our community of central banks and supervisors cannot consider itself immune to the risks ahead of us," François Villeroy de Galhau, governor of the Banque de France, said in the report.
Central banks spent much of the last 10 years hauling their economies out of a deep financial crisis that began in 2008. They may well spend the next decade coping with the disruptive effects of climate change and technology, the report said.
The European Central Bank, which on Thursday concluded a two-day meeting in Frankfurt focusing on monetary policy, is beginning to grapple with those challenges. The bank did not make any changes in interest rates or its economic stimulus program on Thursday. Instead, other issues are coming to the fore.
Christine Lagarde, the central bank's president, who took office late last year, has pledged to put climate change on the bank's agenda, and it was a topic of discussion at the last monetary policy meeting, in December.
Members of the European Central Bank's governing council argued "that there was a need to step up efforts to understand the economic consequences of climate change," according to the bank's official account of the discussion.
Global warming will play a big role in the European Central Bank's strategic review, a broad reassessment of the way the bank tries to manage inflation. For example, when trying to influence market interest rates, the bank could decide to stop buying bonds of corporations considered big producers of greenhouse gases.
This new awareness of the financial consequences of a hotter earth comes as central banks are contending with another new challenge: technologies that threaten their monopoly on issuing money and their power to combat a financial crisis.
Unofficial digital currencies like Bitcoin or Facebook's Libra, which is still in the planning stages, bypass central banks and could undermine their control of the monetary system. The obvious solution is for central banks to get into the digital currency business themselves.
On Wednesday, the central banks of Canada, Britain, Japan, Sweden and Switzerland said they were working together with the Bank for International Settlements to figure out what would happen if they did just that.
It's complicated, though.
Like cash, people can use digital currencies to pay other people directly, without a bank in the middle. Unlike cash, digital currencies allow person-to-person transactions to take place online.
Such a system could be more efficient, but also risky, according to a report issued on Wednesday by the World Economic Forum, the organization that stages the annual conclave in Davos.
Commercial banks might become superfluous, and fail. Central banks would in effect become giant retail banks. But they have no experience dealing with millions of individual customers and could be overwhelmed. If a central bank collapsed, so would the monetary system.
Climate change also takes central banks into uncharted territory. Think the subprime crisis in 2008 was bad? Imagine a real estate crisis caused by rising sea levels and coastal flooding that renders thousands of square miles of land uninhabitable or useless for farming.
By some estimates, global gross domestic product could plunge by 25 percent because of the effects of climate change. Central banks have enough trouble dealing with mild recessions, and would not be powerful enough to combat an economic downturn of that scale.
"In the worst case scenario, central banks may have to intervene as climate rescuers of last resort or as some sort of collective insurer for climate damages," according to the report, published by the Bank for International Settlements, a clearinghouse for the world's major central banks.
It suggested some precautionary measures central banks could take.
Central banks, which often function as bank regulators, could require lenders to hold more capital if they hold assets vulnerable to the economic effects of a shift to renewable energy. An example might be a bank that has lent a lot of money to fossil fuel companies, or to the Saudi government.
The auto industry already illustrates how investors are moving their money away from companies seen as polluters and into companies seen as green, with disruptive effects on economies. Tesla's value on the stock market is more than $100 billion, second only to Toyota among carmakers.
In this way, Tesla is being rewarded for producing emission-free electric vehicles. But the migration of capital away from the established manufacturers makes it difficult for them to invest in new technology, and threatens massive job losses and social and political upheaval.
Central banks need to coordinate their policies to deal with these new challenges, according to the Bank for International Settlements report. Unfortunately, coordination is not something that central banks are very good at right now.
"Climate change is a global problem that demands a global solution," the paper said. But it added that "monetary policy seems, currently, to be difficult to coordinate between countries."
Climate Change Could Cause the Next Financial Meltdown
Tesla Value Hits $100 Billion. Will Elon Musk Get a Big Bonus?
in Automobiles, Electric and Hybrid Vehicles, Executive Compensation, Musk, Elon, News, News and News Media, News Corporation, News Media, News Releases, Stocks and Bonds, Tesla Motors Inc, Uncategorized
Tesla's share price hit a record high on Wednesday, surpassing a threshold that could ultimately unlock hundreds of millions of dollars in bonus compensation for its chief executive, Elon Musk.
The award is contingent on a $100 billion market capitalization for Tesla — the milestone reached Wednesday — over a sustained period. The stock closed at $569.56 per share, giving the company a valuation just shy of $103 billion.
If the market capitalization remains above $100 billion on average over a six-month period, including at least 30 consecutive days, Mr. Musk will have the option to buy about 1.69 million shares at about $350 each — a payout worth more than $370 million before taxes at the current stock price.
Forbes and Bloomberg estimate Mr. Musk's current net worth at about $32 billion, about half of it composed of Tesla shares.
Tesla's gain of more than 4 percent in Wednesday's trading extended a recent surge in which its share price has more than doubled in three months. Along the way, Tesla's market value surpassed that of General Motors and Ford Motor combined, reflecting a faith among some investors in the company's ability to disrupt the automotive industry.
At the same time, the stock is also one of the biggest targets of short-sellers, ranking alongside much larger companies like Apple and Microsoft in interest from investors who hope to profit from what they see as an inevitable decline in the share price. According to S3 Partners, a financial technology and data firm, the number of Tesla shares shorted has hovered around 26 million or 27 million — about 20 percent of the shares available for trading — for some time.
"The amount is just telling you that the soap opera continues," said Bob Sloan, the founder of S3 Partners. "The company's stock has doubled, and the doubters are still the doubters."
Tesla's stock started surging in October when the company reported an unexpected profit for the third quarter after recording a $1.1 billion loss in the first half of 2019 as it struggled to produce and deliver its Model 3 sedan. Earlier, in September 2018, Mr. Musk had agreed to step down as chairman in a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission after it had accused him of misleading investors with a claim on Twitter about having "funding secured" to take the company private.
Even with that settlement, Tesla remains under regulatory scrutiny. Last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that it was considering a request to investigate claims that some Tesla vehicles have accelerated on their own. The company dismissed the claims as "completely false" in a blog post. The author of the request, Brian Sparks, acknowledged in an interview with CNBC that he was shorting Tesla's stock.
The highway safety agency is also investigating at least 14 crashes involving Tesla vehicles in which Autopilot, its driver-assistance system, is believed to have been engaged. The National Transportation Safety Board is meeting next month to look into one such crash in Mountain View, Calif., in 2018.
Despite its difficulties, the company has become a force in its industry, said Colin Rusch, an analyst at Oppenheimer.
"We're looking at a company that we think has a very sturdy and insightful strategy in terms of the narrowness of the focus on the technology and really looking at disrupting the industry in a way that consumers find compelling," he said.
Mr. Rusch is one of several Tesla analysts who increased their target price for the company's stock this month, reflecting growing faith on Wall Street that the company can manage a global expansion and steal market share from established automakers that have been slow to develop and sell electric vehicles.
The company has shown that it can learn quickly from its mistakes and has displayed "larger ambition" than its peers, Mr. Rusch said in a research note. It also benefits from a large fleet of vehicles on the road collecting data that could be used to train future autonomous driving systems.
In a CNBC interview on Wednesday, President Trump reflected the enthusiasm that many investors have for Mr. Musk, comparing him to Thomas Edison and describing him as "one of our great geniuses."
Tesla managed a difficult transition last year as it ramped up production of the Model 3, which accounted for more than 80 percent of the cars it produced and delivered in the fourth quarter of 2019. This month, Tesla began delivering cars built at a new Shanghai factory. The company plans to start deliveries this year of the Model Y, a sport utility vehicle that Mr. Musk has said could become the company's most popular offering.
The bonus that Mr. Musk stands to receive for his stewardship of the company is part of a unique compensation plan Tesla laid out two years ago that includes 12 components. Under its terms, Mr. Musk, who does not take a salary, would be allowed to buy just over 20 million shares of Tesla stock at a deep discount as the company meets a mix of revenue, profit and valuation targets.
"It's certainly a very unusual compensation plan," said Ken Bertsch, the executive director of the Council of Institutional Investors, which represents pension funds, endowments and other investors.
The council's members are divided on the plan, he said. Proponents say it wisely provides an incentive to Mr. Musk, whose leadership they view as crucial to Tesla's success. Opponents say it overemphasizes his role and could lead to decisions aimed at increasing Tesla's market capitalization, such as making acquisitions, even if they don't make sense for the company.
Should Tesla achieve all of the goals laid out in the compensation plan, including reaching a $650 billion market capitalization — or roughly double Walmart's valuation today — Mr. Musk could receive up to $55 billion in compensation, a number that could change if the company issues more stock.
Tesla Reports Record Output as Elon Musk Achieves Goal
in Company Reports, Electric and Hybrid Vehicles, Factories and Manufacturing, Musk, Elon, News, News and News Media, News Corporation, News Media, News Releases, Tesla Motors Inc, Uncategorized
Tesla on Friday said that it had produced over 100,000 vehicles and delivered even more in the fourth quarter of 2019, meeting a goal it had laid out to investors and ending the year on stronger footing than it began.
In a statement, the electric-vehicle maker said it delivered 112,000 cars in the final three months of last year and produced a record 104,891, showing healthy demand as it continues to focus on global growth.
"When you deliver more cars than you produce, you get into your bank more cash than you spent," said Pierre Ferragu, an analyst with New Street Research. He said that would enable Tesla to continue its expansion, including its manufacturing presence in China, where cars are beginning to roll off a Shanghai assembly line.
Mr. Ferragu estimated that Tesla delivered about 60,000 vehicles in North America and 52,000 internationally in the fourth quarter. The company did not provide a breakdown.
Friday's figures put Tesla's total deliveries for 2019 at 367,500, which the company said was 50 percent more than in 2018. It had forecast deliveries of 360,000 to 400,000 for the year, and analysts say that the company could deliver as many as half a million vehicles in 2020.
The news caps a volatile year for Tesla, which turned a corner in the second half of 2019 after the strain of a $1.1 billion loss in the first half. After falling as low as $177 in June, the company's stock price started to soar in late October, when Tesla reported a third-quarter profit. The stock closed Thursday at $430.26 and rose more than 3 percent after the announcement Friday, briefly reaching a new high, even as the overall market declined.
The share price last week surpassed a milestone of $420. It was at that price that Tesla's chief executive, Elon Musk, said in 2018 that he had "funding secured" to take the company private. The deal turned out to be less solid than Mr. Musk had made it seem, attracting the scrutiny of federal regulators and resulting in his stepping down as chairman.
Expectations for the year ahead are mixed. Some analysts predict Tesla's stock will rise above $500 because of increasing interest in electric vehicles and the company's strong recent performance. Others say the company is greatly overvalued.
By most accounts, however, Tesla underwent a difficult yet successful evolution in the last year as it ramped up production and sales of its less-expensive Model 3, shifting away from its larger and lower-volume Model X and Model S.
"Those transitions are usually never seamless, never easy," said Jed Dorsheimer, an analyst with Canaccord Genuity. "They're bumpy and they can be ugly. But the company executed pretty well." He expects Tesla's stock to reach $515 as demand accelerates for electric vehicles.
The Model 3 accounted for more than 80 percent of the cars produced and delivered by Tesla in the fourth quarter, according to the figures released Friday.
Tesla this week announced the first deliveries of the nearly 1,000 cars it has produced so far at its Shanghai factory, less than a year after breaking ground. Until now, Tesla output had been limited to its assembly line in Fremont, Calif. The company said it had demonstrated an ability to produce more than 3,000 vehicles per week at the Shanghai plant.
Such news has heartened optimistic analysts like Mr. Ferragu and Mr. Dorsheimer, but others are more skeptical about the year ahead for Tesla.
While the company has been a leading maker of electric vehicles, it faces growing competition from established carmakers and start-ups alike, said Craig Irwin, an analyst with Roth Capital Partners.
"Yeah, they're the innovator," he said. "Yeah, they're aggressively out there first on the technology, and they've done a superb job. But others will be in that market, too. It's not just going to be exclusively for Tesla."
To Mr. Irwin, the company's stock is "egregiously" overvalued because many investors still treat Tesla as a company defined by aggressive growth even though it has matured into something different.
"Now it needs to be treated like an automotive company," he said.
Tesla had also benefited in recent years from a federal tax credit on electric vehicles that effectively lowered the cost of its vehicles by as much as $7,500. But the credit began phasing out after Tesla sold 200,000 qualifying cars and was fully eliminated at the end of last year.
That may be an advantage for Tesla rivals that are able to offer the credit. But analysts do not expect the loss of the tax credit to have a major long-term effect on sales for Tesla, a well-known brand at a time when demand for electric vehicles is rising.
In addition to its global expansion, Tesla plans to begin deliveries of its all-electric, midsize sport utility vehicle, the Model Y, in the fall. Thanks to a significant overlap in components with the Model 3, the company should be able to save on production costs for the Model Y, analysts said, though some question whether the new S.U.V. will eat into demand for the Model 3.
Electric Cars Threaten the Heart of Germany's Economy
in Batteries, Economic Conditions and Trends, Electric and Hybrid Vehicles, Factories and Manufacturing, Germany, International Trade and World Market, Labor and Jobs, News, News and News Media, News Corporation, News Media, News Releases, Uncategorized
ÖHRINGEN, Germany — Öhringen lies deep in automaking country, homeland of Germany's biggest industry and a source of national pride. And by most appearances, life is pretty good.
The unemployment rate in Öhringen is a mere 2.3 percent. Restaurants, nursing homes and kindergartens are begging for workers. The city government is using bulging tax receipts to build a new secondary school and a hospital.
But just outside Öhringen's tidy old quarter, dominated by the steeple of a 15th-century stone church, there are signs that the economic upswing that has nourished this idyll is beginning to falter.
A factory that makes air filters is closing, putting 240 people out of work. The plant, owned by Mahle, an auto parts manufacturer based in nearby Stuttgart, is a victim of forces that are reshaping the auto industry and threatening the foundation of the German economy.
A Mahle factory in Öhringen, Germany, that makes air filters for the auto industry is closing. Credit…Felix Schmitt for The New York Times
Global car sales are declining at the same time that companies are pouring billions of dollars into new technologies like autonomous driving and electric cars, which are easier to assemble and require fewer workers and fewer parts.
Carmakers, including Daimler and Volkswagen's Audi division, as well as suppliers like Continental and Bosch, have announced tens of thousands of job cuts in recent weeks. German auto production will be at a 22-year low in 2019 and 2020, according to calculations by Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, a professor at the University of Duisburg-Essen.
Workers are feeling the brunt, and not just in Germany. The upheaval in auto technology was an undercurrent in the United Automobile Workers' recent strike against General Motors, with G.M. aiming for flexibility in staffing levels as it devotes more resources to electric vehicles.
"For Mahle — and for the industry as a whole — the technological transformation is a monumental task," said Jörg Stratmann, the company's chief executive. It means, he said in a statement, "cutting our costs and making tough decisions."
There is a gnawing feeling that something more fundamental is going on in Germany's powerful auto industry, which employs 835,000 people, than just another economic cycle.
The growing popularity of electric vehicles could force a shift in the balance of power in the global car business that would have long-term consequences for Germany.
So far, sales of electric cars make up a small share of the overall auto market, but they are growing fast. In October, battery-powered cars and hybrids accounted for almost 10 percent of new car registrations in Europe, according to JATO, a market research firm; figures from another firm, LMC Automotive, put the share at less than 4 percent in the United States. Sales of those cars in Europe were up 40 percent from a year earlier in an otherwise stagnant market.
If the trend continues, it spells trouble for the hundreds of suppliers that make parts for internal combustion engines. The Mahle factory in Öhringen makes equipment that controls the flow of air in diesel and gasoline motors.
"There is a transition toward more electric vehicles that have far fewer components and are easier to manufacture," Bernhard Mattes, the president of the German Association of the Automotive Industry, said in an interview in Berlin. "Therefore, we can expect less employment."
Mr. Mattes, former head of Ford's operations in Germany, quoted studies estimating that a shift to electric cars could cost 70,000 jobs in Germany by 2030. Some estimates are higher.
The effect of those cuts may be felt most acutely in communities like Öhringen, where the local economy revolves around small and midsize manufacturers, often serving the auto industry. Audi, Porsche and Daimler all have factories within a 40-mile radius.
Faced with flat or declining sales in their major markets, the big automakers are expected to pass much of the pain on to suppliers. The carmakers will demand lower prices and begin taking over work that they would have previously delegated to contractors.
Thilo Michler, the mayor of Öhringen, said the local economy was diverse enough to survive the closing of the Mahle plant. The city, with about 25,000 residents, is also the home of other midsize companies such as Huber Packaging, the world's largest manufacturer of five-liter beer kegs.
"Mahle is painful, but it's manageable," Mr. Michler said.
Unemployment is so low that most Mahle workers will probably find new jobs by the time the plant ceases operations by the end of 2020. But they will have trouble finding work that pays as well, and may have to accept temporary contracts that offer little job security, said Rüdiger Bresien, an official of the IG Metall union who represents workers in the area.
Mr. Bresien said job losses from upheaval in the car industry were bigger than they seemed, with companies quietly letting go of workers on temporary contracts.
"In a lot of firms, we see that temp work is going down a lot," Mr. Bresien said. "But you don't hear so much about that."
He said he worried that frustrated workers would be drawn to the far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany party. In elections for the European Parliament in May, the populist party scored 10 percent of the vote in the state of Baden-Württemberg, which includes Öhringen.
"There is always a risk that people ask, 'Who's at fault?' and 'Who's going to help me?'" Mr. Bresien said.
The gently rolling countryside around Öhringen is dotted with factories carrying the logos of companies that may not be household names but often dominate their niche markets. Such companies are a big reason for Germany's economic success.
Just down the autobahn, for example, is Ziehl-Abegg, a maker of industrial fans that has more than 4,000 employees worldwide.
Owned by a grandson of the inventor who founded the company in 1910, Ziehl-Abegg has achieved soaring sales over the last decade. But this year, sales were flat, reflecting a broader decline in German industrial production.
Germany narrowly avoided recession this year, but German factory output has been declining since the beginning of 2018. The trade war has hit even companies like Ziehl-Abegg that are not dependent solely on the auto industry. More than three-quarters of Ziehl-Abegg's products are exported.
Ziehl-Abegg is among companies trying to adjust to the shift in automotive technology by using its expertise in electric motors. The company sells a propulsion unit for buses that embeds the electric drive inside the wheel. Ziehl-Abegg says the so-called axle-drive module saves energy because there is no need for a gearbox, which reduces friction.
But the axle drive also illustrates the danger that electric technology presents to the German auto industry. More than a century of expertise in internal combustion engines and transmissions could become irrelevant. German car companies typically build their own motors, but almost all of Europe's battery cells, which account for a large share of an electric car's cost, are imported from Asia.
The risk for the established German carmakers is that they will cling too long to old technologies and be overrun by new companies that focus exclusively on electric vehicles. Those include Tesla, which has announced plans to build a factory in Berlin, and Eurabus, a company in Berlin that makes battery-powered buses.
Ziehl-Abegg's axle-drive module is being used by companies that make sightseeing buses, airport shuttles and other specialized vehicles. But Ralf Arnold, managing director of Ziehl-Abegg's automotive division, said it had been difficult to win over major bus makers like Daimler or MAN, a unit of Volkswagen.
"What's still missing is one of the big players," Mr. Arnold said at Ziehl-Abegg's headquarters in Kupferzell, about 12 miles east of Öhringen. "They are very cautious. They live in their own world."
Tesla Stock Hits Elon Musk's Magic Number: $420
in Electric and Hybrid Vehicles, Musk, Elon, News, News and News Media, News Corporation, News Media, News Releases, Prices (Fares, Fees and Rates), Stocks and Bonds, Tesla Motors Inc, Uncategorized
Back in August 2018, Elon Musk casually announced on Twitter that he planned to take Tesla private at a price of $420 a share, a 20 percent premium at the time. He added that he had "funding secured."
The announcement turned out to be much less secure than Mr. Musk had suggested, and it landed him in hot water with securities regulators, who asserted that he had misled investors. For more than a year after that, troubles seemed to mount for Mr. Musk and his electric-car company — including distribution challenges, a sales slump, quarterly losses, a liquidity scare and more legal problems for Mr. Musk.
All of that weighed heavily on Tesla's share price, which fell as low as $177 in June.
But in recent months the company has seemed to turn a corner. Rising sales lifted Tesla to a profit in the third quarter, it unveiled a fourth car for its model line, and it completed a factory in China, a market of vast potential growth.
On Monday, its stock reached a milestone, rising to an intraday high of $422, exceeding the price that Mr. Musk once appeared to offer. Even though Tesla shares ended the day slightly below $420, they are up more than 60 percent in two months.
"It's pretty dramatic how sentiment has shifted about the company's outlook," said Mike Ramsey, a Gartner analyst.
Tesla's fortunes have risen as Mr. Musk has presented a more measured presence on Twitter this year, refraining from clashing as often as he did in the past with short-sellers — investors betting against Tesla's stock — and other detractors online.
And Mr. Musk scored a legal victory this month when a jury in federal court in Los Angeles cleared him in a defamation case brought by a British man whom Mr. Musk had referred to as a "pedo guy."
"It removes a major issue that was hanging over the company that could be really damaging to the brand," Mr. Ramsey said. "Now he's off the hook."
Tesla did not respond to requests for comment.
Mr. Musk hasn't eliminated all irreverence from his Twitter feed. After the stock passed the $420 mark on Monday, he tweeted, "Whoa … the stock is so high lol," apparently a reference to the association between the number 420 and marijuana use.
Right after Mr. Musk proposed taking Tesla private at $420 a share, he appeared to take a puff of a marijuana cigarette during a podcast interview, one of the actions that had raised concerns about his behavior among investors and his own board members.
Tesla still faces plenty of challenges. Sales of its most profitable cars, the Model S luxury sedan and Model X sport utility vehicle, have plunged. It is spending heavily to ramp up production in China, build a plant in Germany and finish development of two new vehicles — a roomier version of its Model 3 sedan called the Model Y and a wedge-shaped pickup known as the Cybertruck.
On Jan. 1, Tesla will have exhausted the federal tax credit available to its buyers, effectively making its cars slightly more expensive just as more competing models are arriving on the market.
Mr. Musk has also promised to have a million self-driving cars on the road by summer, while other industry executives have concluded that autonomous vehicles are still several years away from widespread use.
Nevertheless, cost-cutting and continuing increases in sales of its most affordable car, the Model 3, have put the company into the black. It reported income of $143 million for the third quarter, when many analysts had expected a loss. It sold 97,000 cars in the period, helped by rising sales overseas.
Tesla needs to sell 105,000 cars this quarter to reach sales of 360,000 cars for the year. It had forecast 360,000 to 400,000.
The new factory outside Shanghai should help Tesla continue its growth streak. China is the world's largest market for electric cars, but Tesla has been held back because import duties make its vehicles more expensive there. The new plant will produce the Model 3. The car will be eligible for incentives offered by the Chinese government aimed at encouraging purchases of locally made electric cars.
At the same time, Mr. Musk's more measured presence on social media has eased concerns about the company's decision making, Mr. Ramsey said.
"I have always felt the only thing that could truly derail Tesla was Elon going off the rails with his behavior," he said. "And he has been more professional."
In October, Mr. Musk said the Model Y would be available in the summer and probably outpace the Model 3 in sales. Last month, he unveiled the Cybertruck, although production probably won't start for at least two years.
Tesla may be beaten in the race to offer an electric truck by another start-up automaker, Rivian Motors. On Monday, Rivian said it had raised $1.3 billion from investors including the fund manager T. Rowe Price, Amazon and Ford Motor. Earlier this year, Rivian announced three other rounds of funding totaling more than $1.5 billion.
G.M. Venture to Create Ohio Battery Plant and 1,100 Jobs
in Batteries, Electric and Hybrid Vehicles, Factories and Manufacturing, General Motors, Labor and Jobs, News, News and News Media, News Corporation, News Media, News Releases, Uncategorized
After idling its car plant in Lordstown, Ohio, this year, General Motors promised that it would bring jobs back to the once-mighty manufacturing region.
On Thursday, its plans began to take a shape: It will build a factory to make electric-vehicle batteries along with a South Korean partner, LG Chem.
The companies said they planned to invest a total of $2.3 billion in a joint venture that would produce battery cells. G.M. and LG Chem would have equal stakes in the business.
Executives said the venture would set up a plant in the Lordstown area that would create more than 1,100 jobs. Groundbreaking is expected in the middle of next year.
"We think as we do this in a joint fashion it is going to accelerate our ability to win in the electric vehicle space," G.M.'s chief executive, Mary T. Barra, said at a news conference. "I absolutely believe this is a critical point, with LG Chem and G.M. working together to drive affordability."
The cost of battery packs is one of the major challenges of luring mainstream consumers to electric vehicles. Tesla, the leading seller of electric cars, makes its own battery packs in a joint venture with Panasonic at a giant factory in Nevada. Even with the economies of scale of that plant, however, most Tesla cars still sell for $10,000 or more above the average new-car price of about $35,000. And Tesla has yet to show it can make money consistently.
"It's not at all clear there is going to be much demand for E.V.s, at least in North America," said Sam Abuelsamid, an analyst at Navigant Research. "There's probably going to be more demand in Europe and China, but if they can get the cost down to parity with internal combustion vehicles, then there may be potential."
LG Chem is a major supplier of lithium-ion batteries to the auto industry and other sectors, with clients including Volvo. A financial filing in South Korea indicated that its investment in the joint venture would occur over four years.
G.M. is making a major push into electric vehicles, including 20 battery-powered models by 2023. It aims to sell one million such vehicles globally by 2026. Ms. Barra said G.M. expected to introduce a new Chevrolet electric car next year and an electric truck in 2021.
Its current model, the Chevrolet Bolt, is a compact car that has attracted modest interest from car buyers. G.M. sells roughly 1,500 Bolts a month in the United States, compared with the 30,000 cars Tesla tends to sell monthly around the world.
Other traditional automakers are also looking to expand their electric vehicle offerings. In November, Ford Motor unveiled an electric sport utility vehicle styled to resemble its Mustang sports car. Called the Mustang Mach E, it will be assembled at a plant in Mexico, with battery packs from a factory in Poland. Ford is planning to introduce more than a dozen electric models over the next five years, including a battery-powered version of its popular F-150 pickup truck.
Ms. Barra said G.M. was working to offer electric vehicles to help combat climate change. "G.M. believes in the science of global warming," she said.
G.M. had repeatedly announced its intent to set up a battery-making plant with a partner that would bring back jobs to the Lordstown area, where it abandoned production in March.
The shutdown of the Lordstown plant, which most recently made the Chevrolet Cruze, was traumatic to Ohio's Mahoning Valley, between Cleveland and Pittsburgh. President Trump, who promised to increase factory jobs and has called on automakers to move production from Mexico to the United States, has heaped criticism on G.M. for closing the plant.
Ms. Barra said on Thursday that G.M. had informed the White House of its battery-plant plans.
Peter Navarro, the director of Mr. Trump's Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, said G.M.'s announcement would help create an ecosystem of electric-vehicle manufacturing in the region.
"We expect that plant will not only do very well but grow in size over time so that it becomes a useful anchor of employment in Lordstown," he said.
While many Lordstown workers accepted jobs at other G.M. plants, the factory's fate hovered over rancorous contract talks with the United Automobile Workers union. The contract impasse resulted in a 40-day nationwide walkout in the fall, the longest against G.M. in almost half a century.
The union's settlement allowed the company to close the plant permanently, but G.M. committed investing in other American factories. The jobs foreseen at the battery plant are far fewer than the 3,000 that the G.M. assembly plant once employed.
Earlier accounts said the pay at the battery plant was likely to be about $17 an hour, well below the $31 that many assembly workers made in Lordstown. Ms. Barra said wages at the battery plant would be around the same levels U.A.W. workers earned at component plants, which tend to fall between $10 and $15 an hour, below the top union wage of $32 an hour.
"We have to be competitive," she said. "But these will be very good paying jobs."
After the Lordstown plant was idled, G.M. reached an agreement to sell it to a start-up, Lordstown Motors, which plans to produce electric pickup trucks. Lordstown Motors has said it expects to hire about 400 workers next year at wages comparable to what U.A.W. members make at major auto companies.
Su-Hyun Lee contributed reporting.
Tesla's Winding Road to Berlin
in Automobiles, Electric and Hybrid Vehicles, Factories and Manufacturing, Musk, Elon, News, News and News Media, News Corporation, News Media, News Releases, Tesla Motors Inc, Uncategorized
GRÜNHEIDE, Germany — The visitors from Palo Alto, Calif., were shown how Berlin, a hive of tech start-ups that likens itself to Silicon Valley, is just a short commute away.
They were promised building permits in four weeks rather than the customary 11 months.
And they were taken aloft in a 44-year-old Russian biplane for a leisurely tour of the site.
And it worked. Elon Musk, the chief executive of Tesla, decided to build the carmaker's first major European factory in Grünheide, a village just outside Berlin and surrounded by undeveloped tracts.
Mr. Musk made the announcement during seemingly impromptu remarks at an automotive awards ceremony in Berlin last week.
But the decision was months in the making, involving an elaborate courtship by local officials eager to attract not only the jobs that Tesla would bring — an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 within two years and eventually as many as 7,000 — but also the prestige. Somehow, the officials managed to keep the negotiations secret until Mr. Musk sprang the news.
A lot of things could still go wrong. Tesla, which has opposed unionization at its plant in Fremont, Calif., may chafe at German labor laws that give workers a say in management and limit overtime. Environmental groups may object to manufacturing on land near a nature preserve. The notoriously unpredictable Mr. Musk could change his mind.
Still, the decision was hugely significant for Germany, where cars are the biggest export and the backbone of the economy.
The news has temporarily quieted rising alarm that the German auto industry faces serious disruption from a transition to battery-powered cars like those made by Tesla.
A recent government study concluded that the switch to electric vehicles could cost Germany 114,000 jobs by 2035 and shave 0.6 percent from its gross domestic product. That is because electric cars have fewer moving parts and are simpler to make.
Grünheide's mayor, Arne Christiani, pointing out the factory site on a land-use plan in his office.Credit…Andreas Meichsner for The New York Times A vehicle charging station in Grünheide. Tesla's Model 3 is the best-selling battery-powered car in Europe.Credit…Andreas Meichsner for The New York Times
In addition, battery cells are made almost exclusively outside Germany and must be imported. German suppliers of parts for internal combustion engines, like pistons, ignition systems or emissions control equipment, face declines in sales.
Tesla's assembly plant would offset some of the job losses, and the company also plans to build batteries in Germany.
Based in Palo Alto, Tesla has already been taking market share from the German manufacturers BMW, Volkswagen and Daimler, the maker of Mercedes-Benz cars. The Tesla Model 3 has become best-selling battery-powered car in Europe, a segment that is small but growing fast.
With Tesla near Berlin, the established German carmakers "will have a better view of what Tesla is doing," said Felipe Munoz, a senior analyst at the market research firm JATO Dynamics. "They will need to accelerate their electrification plans."
Tesla did not respond this week to requests for comment, but Mr. Musk indicated that one attraction of Germany was its automaking tradition and deep pool of engineering expertise. That could be a reason he did not choose a country like Poland or the Czech Republic, where labor costs are much lower.
Tesla is ahead of the German carmakers in designing electric cars that people want to buy, but Daimler, BMW and Volkswagen can teach it a lot about how to churn out cars by the millions. While Tesla has had well-documented problems scaling up its manufacturing, Volkswagen has just begun mass producing an electric hatchback in Zwickau that will undercut the Model 3 on price.
"Some of the best cars in the world are made in Germany," Mr. Musk said while appearing at an industry event in Berlin last week alongside Herbert Diess, the chief executive of Volkswagen. "Everyone knows that German engineering is outstanding, for sure."
The state of Brandenburg, which includes Grünheide and was once part of East Germany, was a long shot to win the Tesla plant. The center of gravity of the German auto industry is in the southern states of Bavaria, home of BMW, and Baden-Württemberg, home of Daimler. Brandenburg, on the other hand, is known by some as the home of Berlin's new airport, whose construction has been plagued by technical problems and cost overruns and is seven years behind schedule.
The local effort to persuade Tesla officials was led by Jörg Steinbach, the economics minister of Brandenburg and a member of the left-leaning Social Democratic Party. He set out to prove that the sometimes ponderous state bureaucracy could move at Silicon Valley speed, and he was the one who promised the expedited permits.
Mr. Steinbach also chartered the Antonov biplane to sell executives on the virtues of the proposed factory site. (The plane seats up to 12 people, and Antonovs are maneuverable enough to be used as crop dusters.) It helped that the site had already been approved for a factory that BMW decided to build in Leipzig instead.
Mr. Christiani, on the Tesla site, said local officials hoped the factory would lure working-age people back from the cities.Credit…Andreas Meichsner for The New York Times
Arne Christiani, the mayor of Grünheide, said officials had strained to be helpful because they hoped the factory would lure back working-age people who had left for the cities. He joked that Teslas could be rolling off the assembly line sooner than planes begin taking off from Berlin's much-delayed new airport.
"We've been making bets on what happens first," he said.
There was a tense moment when, during a conference call between German officials and Tesla executives, it emerged that Mr. Musk was under the impression that the site was in Berlin proper.
"I told him, 'Well, not quite,'" Mr. Steinbach recalled. "'It's actually in Brandenburg.'"
Since the fall of the Berlin Wall 30 years ago, Berlin has spawned a thriving arts and start-up scene. It was obviously important to Mr. Musk to be there, Mr. Steinbach said, noting that the plant would be called Gigafactory Berlin in the Greater Berlin Region.
On Nov. 12, Mr. Musk met with the team from Brandenburg in the Hotel Adlon, which once stood in the shadow of the Berlin Wall and is freighted with history. Tesla and the local officials signed a one-and-a-half page letter of intent. Hours later, Mr. Musk delivered the news while receiving a Golden Steering Wheel award from the Bild newspaper.
"I actually have an announcement, which I think will be hopefully well received," Mr. Musk said from the stage. "We've decided to put the Tesla Gigafactory Europe in the Berlin area." The audience gasped and applauded.
Questions remain, particularly about how Tesla's high-intensity, 24/7 work ethic will adapt to Germany, where factory managers are expected to consult with employee representatives before making major decisions.
"The labor laws are distinctly different here," said Olivier Höbel, head of the IG Metall union in Berlin, Brandenburg and Saxony, which represents autoworkers.
But he added, "We are very happy about the decision." The union will work with Tesla, he said, "to create the perfect climate that the project becomes a full success."
Christopher F. Schuetze reported from Grünheide, and Jack Ewing from Frankfurt.
Tesla Reports Profit for Quarter, Sending Shares Soaring
in Automobiles, Company Reports, Electric and Hybrid Vehicles, Musk, Elon, News, News and News Media, News Corporation, News Media, News Releases, Tax Credits, Deductions and Exemptions, Tesla Motors Inc, Uncategorized
Tesla surprised Wall Street on Wednesday by reporting $143 million in net income in the third quarter as cost reductions more than offset a slight decline in revenue.
The electric-car maker said it had earnings of $1.86 per share on an adjusted basis. Revenue was $6.3 billion in the quarter.
Analysts had expected a loss of 46 cents per share and revenue of $6.4 billion, according to FactSet.
"Investors will love the results," said Erik Gordon, a business professor at the University of Michigan who follows the auto industry.
The news sent Tesla's shares up 17 percent after the close of regular trading.
Tesla said it removed "substantial cost" from its operations.
"Operating expenses are at the lowest level since Model 3 production started," the company said in a statement. "This year our focus has been on cost control and preparing for our next phase of growth."
Tesla said capital expenditures totaled $385 million in the quarter. That was more than the $250 million spent in the second quarter, but down from $510 million in the third quarter a year ago.
At the same time, it said its cash on hand grew to $5.3 billion, an increase of $383 million.
The company said that construction of its Shanghai factory was ahead of schedule and that trial production had started there. Its next vehicle, the Model Y, a roomier version of the Model 3, is now expected to be in production by next summer. Previously, Tesla had said that car would not arrive until late next year.
Tesla reported this month that it delivered 97,000 cars in the third quarter, up from 95,000 in the second quarter. But the sales gain reflected demand for its least expensive offering, the Model 3.
The most affordable version of the Model 3 sells for $39,500. The Model S luxury sedan and Model X sport utility vehicle sell for $80,000 and up, but their sales have fallen as Model 3 production has increased. In the third quarter, Model S and X sales totaled 17,400 vehicles, compared to Model 3 sales of 79,600.
Before the earnings report on Wednesday, Tesla's stock closed at $255, down about 18 percent since the beginning of the year, although Tesla still has a market value of $46 billion, about $10 billion more than Ford Motor.
Tesla has forecast it will sell 360,000 to 400,000 cars this year, and to reach the bottom of that range it will need fourth-quarter sales of 105,000 vehicles.
Automakers typically see strong sales in the year's final three months, and Tesla could benefit if consumers in the United States rush to take advantage of the $1,875 federal tax credit available to buyers of Tesla vehicles. The tax credit will cease at the end of the year. | {
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Todd Chrisley Net Worth (2023)
Home - Net Worth - Todd Chrisley Net Worth & Biography
Todd Chrisley Net Worth, Biography & Lifestyle: Todd Chrisley is an American reality TV personality and businessman with a net worth of negative $5 million.
Does Todd really knows best?
From the USA network, Chrisley Knows Best just finished its eighth season this 2023; you might wonder why the family's Patriarch has a negative net worth, right?
We've got you covered with this article.
Today, we're going to check out Todd Chrisley's career, and we'll be looking at:
Who Is Todd Chrisley?
How Much Is Todd Chrisley Worth?
Todd Chrisley TV Series/ Music/ Merchandise
The Young Todd Chrisley
Todd Chrisley Family & Relationships
Todd Chrisley Career
Todd Chrisley Scandals & Controversies
How Todd Chrisley Spends His Money
Todd Chrisley House
Todd Chrisley Car
Todd Chrisley Philanthropy
Fun Facts About Todd Chrisley
5 Financial Freedom Lessons From Todd Chrisley
Top 3 Quote From Todd Chrisley
Conclusion: Todd Chrisley Net Worth & Biography
A peek at Tom's personal life;
What he did to lose much if not all of his fortune;
His luxurious house and cars;
Todd's incredible string of controversies and scandals;
And charities he supports;
Now, sit back and relax; let's delve into the life and bank account of one Todd Chrisley.
<a href="https://bouncemojo.com"><img src="https://bouncemojo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/ToddyChrisley-Net-Worth-01.webp" alt="Toddy Chrisley" ></a>
Todd Chrisley is an American reality TV star, producer, actor, and businessman. He is best known for his role as the Patriarch of the Chrisley family in the series Chrisley Knows Best, airing on the USA network.
Before Todd became the reality TV star he is today, he wasn't well off; he needed to work hard to make his own money.
Todd worked at a textile mill in SC for six years, together with his father and mother.
He then found his footing in the real estate business, where he amassed an incredible amount of money that kick-started Todd Chrisley's net worth.
The reality TV show Chrisley Knows Best is an American reality series that airs on the USA Network.
This reality series centers around the lives of real estate magnate Todd Chrisley, his family, and their luxurious lifestyle.
Chrisley Knows Best is the show that made Millions for Todd Chrisley Worth and made him a reality star.
On March 11, 2014, the first episode of the reality show was released. The first episode got mixed reviews; viewers and critics alike loved and disliked it, making other people curious about it.
The first season ended on April 22, 2014, and the ratings showed that the reality show is well-loved and deserves a second season.
In the first three seasons, their lavish lifestyle was shot mostly in their Atlanta mansion in Georgia before they moved to Tennessee.
The series' eighth season premiered on July 9, 2020, and concluded on March 25, 2021, with season 9 already in the works.
…because of the success of the reality series, a couple of spin-offs were released.
According to Chrisley was hosted and featured Todd Chrisley, tackling the truth about parenting, sex, marriage, and relationships, released in 2017.
What's Cooking With Julie Chrisley is a 10-episode web series in where Julie shares her favorite recipes—released in October 2017.
Growing Up Chrisley is a reality spin-off that features Chase and Savannah Chrisley. The siblings embark to L.A. to prove their independence.
Season one premiered on April 2, 2019, season two premiered on August 6, 2019, with season 9 in 2021.
Profession: Businessman, TV personality, Entrepreneur, Film Producer
Worth: $-5 Million
Date of Birth: April 6, 1969
Zodiac Sign: Aries
Smoking/ Drinking: No/Yes
Favorite Food: Chicken Alfredo
Place of Birth: Georgia.
Tattoos: No
Relationship Status: Married
Todd Chrisley Net Worth is negative $5 Million.
Todd Chrisley's Net Worth Year By Year
2017 $-5 Million
Check out incredible celebrity net worth on bouncemojo!
Todd Chrisley duet with singer Sara Evans. Released in 2016.
A Chrisley Christmas
The Chrisley Family Christmas Record, released in 2016.
Chrisley Knows Best: Season One [DVD]
The first season of USA Network's #1 original program, "Chrisley Knows Best."
Chrisley Confessions
A podcast by Chrisley Knows Best star Todd Chrisley.
Chrisley Knows Best Color By Number:
The Lives of Georgia Real Estate Tycoon Todd Chrisley and His Wealthy Family TV Series Character Color Number … with Color Chart in Back Side, Easy to Color Paperback
A coloring book by the Chrisley Family.
<a href="https://bouncemojo.com"><img src="https://bouncemojo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/ToddChrisley-Net-Worth-03.webp" alt="Toddy Chrisley" ></a>
Michael Todd Chrisley, known professionally as Todd Chrisley, was born on April 6, 1969, in Georgia, the United States, to his father, Gene Raymond Chrisley, and Faye Chrisley.
He has two brothers Derrick, and Randy Chrisley.
Todd spent his childhood in Westminster, SC, together with his family. It's where he finished his elementary and high school studies.
Todd did not go to college; that's why he instills the value of education in his children.
Todd Chrisley Wife Julie Chrisley
Julie Hughes, also known as Julie Chrisley, was born on January 9, 1973, in S. Carolina.
Todd and Julie were married on 25th May 1996. Todd has 3 kids with Julie.
Todd Chrisley Children
Lindsie Chrisley Campbell
Lindsie is Todd's eldest child with ex-wife Teresa Terry. Lindsie was born on September 17, 1989, in South Carolina, USA.
Kyle Chrisley
Kyle was born on August 29, 1991, in South Carolina, USA. He is the son of Todd Chrisley and his ex-wife, Teresa Terry.
Chase Chrisley
Chase was born on June 1, 1996, in South Carolina, United States. He is the first child of Todd with his wife, Julie.
Savannah Faith Chrisley
Savannah Chrisley was born on August 11, 1997, in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. She is the second child of Todd and Julie Chrisley.
Grayson Chrisley
Grayson is the youngest son of reality star Todd and Julie Chrisley. He was born on May 10, 2006, in Georgia.
Todd Chrisley Ex-wife Teresa Terry
Teresa Terry was born in 1971 in South Carolina, US.
She got married to Todd in 1989.
The couple was together for seven years until their divorce in 2016. Todd and Terese have two children together.
Isn't that one heck of a life?
Up next – we're going to take a peek at how reality star Tom Chrisley spends his money!! But before that, let's check out his career, as well as his house, cars, and the controversies he encountered along the way.
Chrisley Knows Best Season 8 (July 9, 2020, to March 25, 2021)
Chrisley Knows Best Season 7 (May 28, 2019, to November 21, 2019)
Chrisley Knows Best Season 6 May 8, 2018, to December 18, 2018
According to Chrisley (September 12, 2017)
Chrisley Knows Best Season 5 February 21, 2017, to December 19, 2017
Sharknado 4: The 4th Awaken (July 2016)
Chrisley Knows Best Season 4 (March 8, 2016, to November 1, 2016)
Chrisley Knows Best Season 3 (June 2, 2015, to December 23, 2015)
Chrisley Knows Best Season 2 (October 14, 2014, to December 16, 2014)
Chrisley Knows Best Season 1 (March 11, 2014, to April 22, 2014)
On Oct. 9, 2019, news broke out that Todd and Julie were cleared in the state of Georgia for state tax evasion charges.
In August of 2019, Todd and his wife Julie were hit with a multi-count indictment that spans nine years, and that the couple allegedly participated in federal tax evasion, bank and wire fraud, among others.
…the indictment alleges that the couple, together with their accountant, conspired to bank fraud and wire fraud by creating phony documents to secure millions of dollars worth of bank loans.
Todd and Julie turned themselves to the FBI the day after the indictment was released. Chrisley's lawyer denies all allegations, and the couple pleaded not guilty on all charges against them.
…hours before the indictment, Todd Christley made a statement on his Instagram account stating that the trouble started back in 2012 when they discovered a trusted employee was stealing from them big time.
" I won't go into details, but it involved all kinds of really bad stuff like creating phony documents, forging our signatures, and threatening employees with violence if they said anything."
Todd added that they discovered that the former employee bugged their home, and that's when the real trouble started.
2013 Bankruptcy case
On April 22, 2013, Todd's company, Chrisley Asset Management, filed for bankruptcy. The bankruptcy case claims that his real estate empire collapsed primarily due to the 2008 real estate crash, as per court documents.
2012 Financial woes
Todd Chrisley originally filed for bankruptcy case protection in 2012 for nearly $50 million. In his 2012 filing, Todd listed his assets for more than $4.2 million but has a total of $50 million worth of debt. Ouch!
Also, in his personal bankruptcy statement, Todd claimed that he has $55 on his checking account and $100 in cash, as per court documents showed.
In his bankruptcy case claims, Todd's attorney, Robert Furr, reported that Todd's mortgage on the Atlanta mansion is $12 million.
Also, Todd reported that he owed about $600,000 in IRS late fees, penalties, and debts.
…in a recent court proceeding, the bankruptcy trustee claims that Todd hid millions of dollars worth of expensive designer clothes and assets under his wife's name.
Chrisley's lawyer denies the accusation thrown at his client and insisted that tax evasion was not part of the proceedings.
Todd Chrisley net worth may be negative, but it doesn't stop him from buying expensive clothes, expensive cars, and living a very lavish lifestyle.
Yep, I can hear you ask "how?" Same, bro.
A European-style villa with a white brick exterior, sitting on just over an acre of perfectly manicured lawn. This 13,279-square-foot home has six bedrooms and ten bathrooms.
He uses a 2010 Range Rover with an estimated market price of $12,339 – $14,891.
The National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.
National Breast Cancer Foundation was founded in 1991 by Janelle Hail. NBCF offers free, innovative programs that help women facing breast cancer. Todd is one of it's longtime patrons.
Todd co-produced the 2016 movie Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens.
Todd and Julie were married to their first partners before they met each other.
Todd loves giving his wife jewelry as gifts- not only because they're beautiful- but so that she can pawn them when things get rough. King of practicality, yes.
Boucemojo's 5 Lessons We Can Learn From Todd Chrisley For Financial Freedom
Learn how to manage money.
Clean up your finances.
Learn about other investment options.
Rewrite your major goals for financial freedom.
Be smart about your career choice.
Boucemojo's famous quotes from Todd Chrisley.
"If they have a penis, I don't trust them."
"Ignorance I can fix, stupid is forever."
"Let me give you a tip, don't be a douchebag."
How much is Todd Chrisley Net Worth?
Todd Chrisley net worth is estimated at -$5 Million.
How much does he owe when he filed for bankruptcy in 2012?
Todd Chrisley had $50 million worth of debt in 2012.
How much did he get for selling his Atlanta mansion?
Todd Chrisley sold his Atlanta mansion for $2.4 million.
Now, wasn't that something new?
Even with a negative net worth, Todd Chrisley continues to live a luxurious lifestyle.
And yes, he is facing some legal problems, but I truly believe that he will be able to get through this with the help of his family.
Good or bad, Todd Chrisley will still be in the limelight for years to come. Tune in to Bouncemojo for future updates if Chrisley does knows best!
I hope you enjoyed this article – you might also want to check out Todd Chrisley's Bounce Mojo Bio, and the best Todd Chrisley memes.
Missed out on Chrisley knows best? Check out season 8 here!
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You are at:Home»Sections»Consumer electronics»Massmart downsizing was expected
Massmart downsizing was expected
By Melitta Ngalonkulu 14 January 2020 No Comments
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It comes as no surprise that the South African unit of Walmart, Massmart, is in talks with unions to shut down its DionWired and Masscash stores, analysts say.
DionWired is the group's electronics and appliances subsidiary, while Masscash is its wholesale division and includes cash and carry, food and cosmetics outlets.
The retail and wholesale group, which also owns Game, Makro, Rhino and Jumbo among other stores, swung to its first half-year trading loss in two decades last August, as low growth, high unemployment and a rising cost of living hurt South Africans' spending power.
The reality is that people do not have money, and that has been a function of the economy for the past five to 10 years
Its Massdiscounters division, the largest within the group with more than 160 stores, was the most affected. The giant retailer's misfortunes extended to its Masscash division, with the latter recording a trading loss of R190.4-million to end-June 2019 across its African retail stores, from a loss of R4.1-million in 2018.
Massmart shares sank to a 13-year low last year.
The retailer is now expected to cut up to 1 440 jobs. According to its website, it currently employs more than 48 500 permanent and flexitime staff across the group.
Evan Walker, a retail analyst at 36One Asset Management, says the retail industry is over-saturated. He predicts more retail closures in the next five years, adding: "I wouldn't exclude anyone."
The cash-and-carry market is also over-saturated, he says, as a lot of independent wholesalers have come into the market. He says the latter are, in most cases, better at adapting and understanding their consumers than the large traditional wholesalers.
"The independent wholesalers are opening up and surviving all the time, and they do not operate within the realms of the law like the listed wholesalers."
Investment and market commentator Chris Gilmour believes that Massmart's mistake was entering the food market late.
"They were a late entrant into the food market, and tried hard with Cambridge Foods," he says. However, the retailer's efforts were fruitless, as it made a first-time loss at Cambridge Foods last year "even though they are the most price-competitive chain in the country".
Gilmour says he had expected the Jumbo, Rhino and Cambridge Foods chains to do well, as they target the lower end of the market.
Alec Abraham, senior equity analyst at Sasfin Wealth, shares the same sentiments expressed by Walker and Gilmour, adding that South Africa's low GDP has also been a major factor.
"The reality is that people do not have money, and that has been a function of the economy for the past five to 10 years — not that you can't try and pull out tricks to try and take market share away from each other," says Abraham.
DionWired's prices were not low enough and its marketing strategy not compelling enough to take market share from its competitors.
Phumzile Siboza, brand and communication executive at Massmart, says it is evident that the group's stores were not spared from the dire state of the economy, hence the possible downsizing announcement on Monday. "Retail performance has generally been constrained by the economy."
She adds that 11 Masscash stores will be affected by the possible downsizing.
"Our current focus is on ensuring a fair and rigorous consultation process, in which people are free to express their views and ideas about the potential closures."
DionWired's possible closure comes as no shock, says Gilmour; its prices were not low enough and its marketing strategy not compelling enough to take market share from its competitors.
Victim of deflation
He says DionWired has been a victim of deflation in the consumer tech industry.
"Technology has forced prices down so much that it requires inordinately high volume growth just to stand still…" The process is ongoing.
Massmart's share price closed 5.8% higher on Monday, indicating that the market approves of the move to rationalise.
This article was originally published on Moneyweb and is used here with permission
36ONE Asset Management Chris Gilmour DionWired Evan Walker top
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Geraldine Eddie McCann's new book "Third Watch Prayer Manual" is a stirring call to arms for prayer warriors within a world in deep need of salvation
Recent release "Third Watch Prayer Manual" from Page Publishing author Geraldine Eddie McCann is a moving work that sets out to mobilize intercessors and help the unsaved repent. At the beginning of the COVID-19 virus, McCann received a powerful message from God. This book and prayer guide is sprung from her conversations with Him.
Geraldine Eddie McCann, an ordained elder and prophetic intercessor, has completed her new book "Third Watch Prayer Manual": a gripping and rousing devotional to aid prayer warriors in standing in the gap and leading the unsaved to repentance.
"God used this book as His mouthpiece to convey His heart and the dire need for the believers in Christ to intercede for the people!" says author Geraldine Eddie McCann. "Not only is this a message for salvation and a teaching tool to some, and to many others, a motivation to enhance your God-fellowship; it's a cry from His heart for the hard-held captives to be made free. Therefore, I adjure you, by the power of the Holy Ghost, to please heed His call, get in position, and be that watchman on the wall—that He's calling you to be in Jesus's name."
Published by Page Publishing, Geraldine Eddie McCann's rousing tale begins at the start of the Coronavirus pandemic. This book serves as a prayer guide and tool to help the unsaved in these unprecedented times.
"Third Watch Prayer Manual" originally started out as journal entries documenting McCann's consecration experiences. Unbeknownst to her at the start, God would move her to writing a book. "As I continued taking notes, God kept manifesting His presence and revelation in such an awesome way," says McCann. "I quickly realized that this was much bigger than me! I now know that God had a greater purpose!" A powerful intercessor, Geraldine Eddie McCann now shares her incredible messages from God with readers.
Readers who wish to experience this inspiring work can purchase "Third Watch Prayer Manual" at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.
source: https://www.prweb.com/releases/geraldine_eddie_mccanns_new_book_third_watch_prayer_manual_is_a_stirring_call_to_arms_for_prayer_warriors_within_a_world_in_deep_need_of_salvation/prweb19015408.htm
Bishop Thomas Blagg's newly released "When God Came To Cooter" is a powerful story of a man's journey to God
Tamara K. Cooper's newly released "I Made It Through My Testimonies With God's Powerful Help" is an enjoyable celebration of God's gifts | {
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Bilfinger Power Systems GmbH, based in Oberhausen, Germany, is one of five business divisions of the German multinational construction and services company Bilfinger SE.
Business activities
Power Services primarily provides energy, environmental and pipeline technology. Bilfinger Berger also provides equipment such as steam generators and brine heaters as well as services including maintenance, installation, repair, power plant longevity assurance and power plant rehabilitation.
Bilfinger Berger Power Services focuses on construction, reconstruction and fabrication as well as providing spares and components to industrial plants, oil refineries and sewage treatment plants. A large percentage of these parts, such as pressure vessels and heat exchangers, are also fabricated on-demand from some of its regional manufacturing facilities.
At the end of the 2010 fiscal year, Bilfinger Berger Power Services employed approximately 7,400 specialized technicians, 3,200 administrative employees and 265 trainees.
Subsidiary companies
A dense network of branches links the activities in the group's major markets: Germany, Europe, Middle East, and South Africa.
Babcock Borsig Steinmueller GmbH
Babcock Noell GmbH
BHR Hochdruck-Rohrleitungsbau GmbH
Bilfinger Berger Power Holdings (Pty) Ltd., South Africa
Deutsche Babcock Middle East, United Arab Emirates
Deutsche Babcock Al Jaber, Qatar
Duro Dakovic Montaza d.d., Croatia
MCE Berlin GmbH
MCE Aschersleben GmbH
MCE Machine and Equipment Construction GmbH & Co. KG
Rosink Plant and Equipment GmbH
Rotring Engineering GmbH
History
{|
| style="width:10%;"|Date
| style="width:90%;"|Milestone
|- valign="top"
|08/2003
|Deutsche Babcock AG buys Babcock Borsig Service Group from the bankruptcy of Babcock Borsig AG.
|- valign="top"
|09/2003
|Deutsche Babcock Al Jaber is established by Deutsche Babcock Middle East as joint-venture in Qatar.
|- valign="top"
|12/2003
|Babcock Borsig Service buys Steinmüller-Gesellschaft Steinmüller Engineering Service (Pty) Ltd.
|- valign="top"
|01/2005
|Acquisition of license for flue gas desulfurization by Babcock & Wilcox, USA.
|- valign="top"
|04/2005
|Bilfinger Berger AG acquires all shares in Babcock Borsig Service Group.
|- valign="top"
|05/2006
|Changed name from Deutsche Babcock GmbH to Bilfinger Berger Power Services GmbH
|- valign="top"
|05/2006
|Acquisition of BHR Hochdruck-Rohrleitungsbau GmbH.
|- valign="top"
|04/2009
|Acquisition of 80.5% stake in Croatian company Duro Dakovic Montaza d.d. (formerly of Đuro Đaković)
|- valign="top"
|10/2010
|Bilfinger Berger Power Services GmbH takes over Rotring Engineering AG.
|- valign="top"
|02/2010
|Acquisition of MCE Maschinen-und Apparatebau GmbH & Co. KG as part of the power services segment.
|- valign="top"
|03/2010
|Power services becomes a separate division within Bilfinger Berger AG.
|- valign="top"
|09/2011
|Acquisition of equipment Rosink Anlagen und Apparatenbau GmbH.
|- valign="top"
|10/2011
|Acquisition of the remaining shares of the Duro Dakovic Montaza dd (100%).
|}
See also
Bilfinger Berger
Babcock Borsig Service
Deutsche Babcock Middle East
Deutsche Babcock Al Jaber
References
External links
Bilfinger Berger Power Services Official Website
Companies based in Baden-Württemberg
Construction and civil engineering companies of Germany
Oberhausen
Engineering companies of Germany
Construction and civil engineering companies established in 2003
German companies established in 2003 | {
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RCBC has recently strengthened its collaboration with Kabalikat ng Migrateng Pilipino, Inc. (KAMPI), allowing the bank's OFW clients a chance to receive the proper assistance and guidance needed to attain security. In the past year since the partnership has evolved, the bank and KAMPI have been able to open a PDOS extension center for OFWs in Ermita, Manila.
The PDOS (Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar) extension center formally opened its doors last March 19 with a simple ribbon cutting ceremony and blessing that was attended by top officials of government agencies such as KAMPI, PASEI (Philippine Association of Service Exporter, Inc.), SSS, Philhealth and Pag-ibig.
The bank's regular talks on financial literacy are focused to help Global Filipinos better manage their earnings for both themselves and their families. Through these seminars, OFW clients are given direct access to the bank's financial services as well as products and remittance options that are relevant to their specific needs.
Jephoney Sabandal Balasabas is a Global Filipino who has learned a lot from the financial literacy program that RCBC provides OFWs. He has been an airport security staff in Dubai, UAE since November 2012. And since that time, he has been a loyal client of RCBC Telemoney.
"The talks are very insightful," Balasabas further shares,. "They teach us how to budget and save our salaries and how to take advantage of RCBC Telemoney's remittance services." Since attending PDOS, Jephoney Balasabas has been able to gradually save with every remittance to the Philippines. He and his wife now have a home they can proudly call their own.
For more information on the schedule of talks and seminars, RCBC Telemoney clients are welcome to visit the bank's new PDOS-extension center in 2/F 1170 Roxas Blvd. corner Arquiza Street, Ermita, Manila. | {
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Notification of a New Drug Application for HP-3070 (Transdermal Patch for the Treatment of Schizophrenia) in the U.S.
Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical, Becomes an Official Partner (External Pain Relief Products) of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020!
Notification of the approval of a manufacturing and marketing for ALLESAGA® TAPE (Development Code: HP-3060) in Japan, a transdermal system for the treatment of allergic rhinitis.
Announcement regarding Establishment of "the 6th Medium-term Management Policy"
Announcement regarding the Recording of Extraordinary Loss (Impairment Loss) of the U.S. Subsidiary, Noven Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Notification of acquisition state and acquisition end of company's own shares.
Notification of acquisition result and acquisition end of company's own shares.
Notice concerning the decision of matters relating to acquisition company's own shares.
Notification of the results of the Phase II clinical study in the United States of HTU-520 (terbinafine hydrochloride patch), a therapeutic agent for tinea unguium.
The dispatch of directors to Yutoku Pharmaceutical Ind. Co., Ltd.
Regarding the Capital and Business Partnership with Yutoku Pharmaceutical lnd. Co., Ltd.
Notice of the availability of Norspan® Tape, a dermally absorbed remedy for persistent pain.
Notice concerning the decision of matters relating to acquisition of company's own shares.
Notice Pertaining the Acquisition of Approval to Add the Effects Related to "Pain and Inflammation Relief for Acute Disorders and Symptoms"
Hisamitsu to Acquire US-based Noven Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Notice concerning acquisition result and acquisition end of company's own shares.
Notice concerning the decision of matters relating to acquisition of company's own shares. | {
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Robert Mondavi & the Mondavi Family: American Wine Royalty
July 24th, 2007 By Brad Prescott
# California Wine Books, Napa Valley Books , Wine Celebrity Books, Napa Valley, Wine Producers, Growers, & Labels
When talk turns to Napa Valley royalty, Robert Mondavi and the Mondavi family indisputably qualify as the ruling monarchy of the Napa Valley –and frankly the US- wine industry. With an almost biblical or Shakespearean flair, the Mondavi family story of the last 100 years is one of passion, pettiness, family squabbling, wild success, dramatic failure, and of course, wine. In her new book, The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty, author Julia Flynn delivers a masterful narrative on the Mondavi clan. IntoWine.com recently had the privilege of chatting with Julia about the book and the evolution of the Mondavi family story.
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What inspired you to chronicle the Mondavi family wine story?
"The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty," began as a front page story for The Wall Street Journal which ran in June of 2004. A publisher contacted me a day or two after the story ran, asking me if I would consider writing a book based on the story. At that point, the company was in turmoil but it had not yet been taken over by Constellation Brands. I agreed to write a book and found myself in the fortune and very unusual position of being able to report closely on the company throughout the summer and fall of 2004, when the board stripped the family of voting control and Constellation mounted its takeover. One of the last scenes of the book takes place at the Oakville winery, shortly after the sale had been announced. I could report that employees were crying at their desks because I was there that day to witness this end of an era in the Napa Valley.
In researching the book, what were you surprised to learn about Robert Mondavi?
I was fascinated to discover how Robert Mondavi brought a lawsuit against his elderly mother, his younger brother, and his two sisters, for his share of the family business in the early 1970s.
Surely, in taking such a drastic step, Robert Mondavi must have known that the ensuing legal battle would, perhaps irreparably, create a deep rift in the family. The court case, Mondavi vs. Mondavi, which was tried in 1976, became one of the most famous in California legal history, and it created deep emotional scars in the family that never fully healed.
Of the many innovations for which Robert Mondavi can be credited, which stand out?
Robert Mondavi and his family were early adopters of such techniques as the use of French oak barrels for fermentation. As in many areas, they were not the innovators, but they helped spread good ideas and technologies. Perhaps most notably, Robert Mondavi, along with Julia Child and Alice Waters, helped lead America's culinary revolution by tirelessly preaching that Napa Valley wines were just as good as those from such storied regions as Bordeaux. In the 1960s—back in the dark ages of American food and wine marked by TV dinners, "space food," and jugs of Hearty Burgundy" – Robert Mondavi set out to turn America into a nation of wine drinkers by spreading the word that it was a civilizing beverage that had been embraced through the centuries.
The Mondavi story is arguably as much a tragedy as it is a success. Looking back, what were the most lamentable hardships the Mondavi family endured?
The Mondavis suffered from a recurring pattern of intense sibling rivalry. Cesare and Rosa Mondavi, who came to America from Italy shortly after the turn of the century, had two sons: Robert and Peter. For decades, the brothers worked together at the original family wine business, the Charles Krug winery. But when Cesare died in 1959, the simmering resentment and animosity between the brothers boiled over – leading to Robert punching Peter in the autumn of 1965, in the midst of an emotional dispute involving a mink coat.
Soon after, Rosa banished Robert from the family business. When Robert went a few miles down Highway 29 and founded the Robert Mondavi Winery, he, too, very much hoped his two sons – Michael and Timothy – would work together in harmony. But in an eerie repetition of the family pattern, Robert's sons also clashed repeatedly over the years, eventually leading the independent directors of the company to strip them of their operating control of the company. The Robert Mondavi Corp., which by 2004 was publicly traded and operated on five continents, was sold against the objections of several key family shareholders.
Mondavi partnered with Baron Philippe de Rothschild to create the famous Opus One label. At launch in the early 80's it was considered a resounding success by many. What impact have the events of the past 15 years -the IPO, the sale of the company to Constellation Brands- had on the reputation and image of Opus One?
Opus One remains a 50-50 joint venture between the Rothschilds and the Robert Mondavi Winery, which is now owned by Constellation Brands. What's changed since Constellation bought the Robert Mondavi Corporation for more than $1 billion in 2004 is that Opus One operates independently from its two owners: CEO David Pearson, for the first time, has full operating control of the winery now. Speaking personally, I think Opus One wines remains an absolutely delicious wine.
In the early 80's, Mondavi made the aggressive business decision of marketing Mondavi wine to the masses under the Woodbridge brand. While sales skyrocketed, what was the long term impact of this decision?
Harvard Business School has written five case studies on the Robert Mondavi Corp. and one of the key lessons to be drawn from the Mondavi business story is about how they managed their famous brand name, which Robert Mondavi sold to the company in the late 1970s.
Particularly after the company went public in 1993, it faced rising pressure to extend its brand name from its finest Oakville reserve wines to its mid-priced "Robert Mondavi Private Selection," and even to its lowest priced "Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi." Brand management, at best, is a delicate balancing act. But a strong case could be made that, facing increasing pressure from investors to improve its profitability, the company overextended the Robert Mondavi brand name, reducing its potency and confusing some customers. By the time Constellation bought the company, Woodbridge accounted for the vast majority of its sales and profits, while the "halo" of its super-premium Oakville wines had been dimmed by the ascendancy of such cult Napa wines as Screaming Eagle and Harlan Estate.
In 1993 Mondavi took the company public. What drove this decision and, looking back, what was the resulting effect?
Like many other wineries in Napa at the time, the Mondavis faced a threat from a microscopic pest called phylloxera, a voracious form of aphid that hid beneath the soil and quietly sucked on the roots of the vines until they shriveled up and died. The family first spotted the pest in 1988. By the early 1990s, they acknowledged they had a potential crisis on their hands. About 80 percent of its Napa Valley vineyards – about 750 of its 937 total acres – were infested. The company was forced to write down more than half a million dollars in vineyard assets in the fiscal years 1990 to 1992 and the estimated replanting bill was $20 million or so. At the same time, its lender, the Bank of America, was reluctant to extend it additional credit, beyond its existing line. By raising money from the public markets, the Mondavis could pay down their bank debt and afford to replant their vineyards. An initial public offering was also attractive to the family because it would allow them to tap into their wealth. The resulting effect was additional pressure from investors for growth. The business of winemaking, which is subject to the vagaries of nature and requires heavy capital investments, may in hindsight have posed special challenges for a publicly traded company.
The sale of Mondavi to Constellation Brands was shocking from many angles. Why?
Before deciding to take their company public, the Mondavi family and its advisors studied such family controlled companies as Levi Strauss, Coors, The Washington Post Company and The New York Times Company.
Using these models, it, too, decided to adopt a dual-class shareholder structure, which would give the Mondavi family the vast majority of voting shares of the company and the right to elect three-quarters of the company's directors. At the time, this seemed to ensure that the company would be "takeover-proof." So my question was how this seemingly "takeover-proof" family controlled company, in fact, end up being sold against the wishes of some of the key family shareholders?
I discovered the answer to this question the following year, when I finally was granted a series of lengthy interviews with Ted Hall, the former McKinsey & Co. consultant who had been brought in by the board to replace Michael Mondavi as chairman. The closely guarded secret, until then, was that Robert Mondavi had become financially overextended as a philanthropist, which was a source of deep worry to his family and his advisors. He had given away much of his fortune to such institutions as the University of California at Davis, Copia: The Center for Wine, Food and the Arts in Napa, and Stanford University. And when Robert Mondavi Corp.'s stock dropped below $20 a share in early 2003, Robert was underwater --- the dollar value of his shares couldn't cover his many philanthropic commitments.
To boost the stock price and thus help rescue Robert from this predicament, the board staged a coup which removed Michael as chairman and stripped the Mondavi shareholders of their voting control. In the midst of this turmoil, as the company was studying all of its options for improving shareholder value, Constellation Brands came into the picture – sensing an unusual buying opportunity. One of the most explosive quotes in "The House of Mondavi," comes from Timothy, Robert's younger son, who told me: "We felt the directors were holding a gun to our father's head and asked us to pull the trigger. I could not run the risk of his bankruptcy, even if he would have."
Fill in the blank: When history looks back, Mondavi's legacy will be ________________.
......as the person who put Napa Valley on the world's winemaking map.
Visiting wine country? The Priority Wine Pass gives you Complimentary or 2 for 1 tastings at 250 California wineries for an entire year.
Napa Valley's Top Ten "Best Kept Secret" Wineries
April 12th, 2008Written by Paula Barker
BEST OFF-THE-BEATEN-PATH NAPA TASTING ROOMS After having visited numerous renowned wineries, many of us are looking for the hidden gems within the Napa Valley. Good wines are certainly valued, but the entire experience a winery provides leaves guests wanting to return and telling their friends and family to visit. Each winery listed in this article has some special draw, whether it's art, architecture, ambiance, gardens or compelling history.
Top 75 California Wines to Try Before You Quit Drinking (a non-dump bucket list if you will!)
June 12th, 2012Written by Loren Sonkin
In my last article, I listed the Top 75 French Wines to Try Before You Quit Drinking . In this article I look at the "non-dump bucket" list for wines from California. This proved to be a different task. First, very few wineries have a long track record of making great wine. Secondly, while California is diverse, it does not have the diversity of climates and terroir and grape varietals of France. Still, it does produce some of the best wines in the world and any wine lover should make it a point to try as many of them as they can. Here is my list: 1. Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon – It's hard to pick the first wine. This one is a great wine in every vintage and has been for a long time. Expensive but still possible to afford and made in large enough quantities to be found in grocery stores. Every lover of Cabernet should try this once.
Top Wine/Food Pairing Restaurants in the Napa Valley
April 03rd, 2007Written by Paula Barker
CHEFS AND SOMMELIERS REVEAL THEIR FAVORITE PAIRINGS Enthusiasm radiates from their lips, as some of the most innovative chefs and sommeliers in the Napa Valley describe their most smashing wine/food pairings, whether recently concocted, or so reliable that they have become a permanent fixture on their tasting menus. Seasoned restaurant professionals not only uncover their wonderful wine and food combinations, but also explain a bit of the process behind their achievements.
Q&A with Bernard Portet, Winemaker at Heritance
December 13th, 2011Written by Michael Cervin
Mentored by his father, a technical director at Château Lafite, Bernard Portet grew up tasting each wine vintage. Born in Cognac, his family has owned vineyard property in France since the late 1600s. A firm believer that making wine is all about a specific place, Portet's journey led him to the United States, Australia, Morocco, South Africa and South America. Due to the similarities of several of his favorite wine regions in France, it was California's Napa Valley that inspired him. With a clear vision of the potential of the Napa Valley, in 1971 he co-founded Clos du Val. He pioneered several Napa Valley regions and developed a keen focus upon the Stags Leap region. Portet remained at Clos du Val for more than 35 years. His latest wine label, Heritance launched in 2011.
Top Napa Wine and Cheese Pairings
February 07th, 2008Written by Paula Barker
NAPA'S NEW WHOLE FOODS STORE WITH ARTISAN CHEESES AND AMPLE WINE SELECTION – THE TALK OF THE TOWN! I heard it from my hairdresser – everyone's buzzing about Napa's new Whole Foods store. I visited just after my appointment, and the place was swarming with people, having just opened on January 16th. I made my way from section to section, mouth wide open, as I marveled over the stunning meat and fish cases, welcoming wine tasting station and astonishing lineup of ready-to-eat deli soups, including Bouillabaisse and Cioppino! | {
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US-Nigeria Finally Sign Agreement To Return Abacha Loot, See How Much To Be Recovered
by Primeonline
The United States of America and the Nigerian government on Monday, February 3, signed an Asset Recovery Agreement to repatriate over $308 million of forfeited assets to Nigeria.
The confiscated funds were laundered through the US banking system and then held in bank accounts in Jersey in the name of Doraville Properties Corporation, a BVI company and in the name of the son of former Head of State of Nigeria, General Sani Abacha.
Governments of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, United States of America and the Bailiwick of Jersey commenced the negotiation of the procedures for the repatriation, transfer, disposition and management of the assets in 2018.
It is expected that the money which was forfeited as property involved in the illicit laundering of the proceeds of corruption arising in Nigeria from 1993 to 1998 when General Abacha was Head of State by a U.S. Federal Court in Washington DC in 2014, will benefit the people of Nigeria as it will be administered by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority and independently audited.
Three critical projects to be executed with the $308m were previously authorized by President Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian legislature. The recovered funds will reportedly be used to finance the construction of the Second Niger Bridge, the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Abuja-Kano road.
The Federal Government will also establish a Monitoring Team to oversee the implementation of the projects the money is channeled into and also make periodic reports.
The statement also revealed that the US will continue to seek forfeiture of over $177 million in additional laundered funds held in trusts that name Abacha associate Bagudu, the current governor of Kebbi State and his relatives as beneficiaries.
The statement reads in part; "Specifically, the laundered funds under this agreement will help finance the construction of the Second Niger Bridge, the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Abuja-Kano road – investments that will benefit the citizens of each of these important regions in Nigeria.
"The United States has asked the government of Nigeria to withdraw litigation it has instituted in the UK that hinders the US effort to recover these additional funds for the people of Nigeria.
The United States entered into the trilateral agreement to repatriate the Jersey assets because of its longstanding commitment to recover assets for the benefit of those harmed by grand corruption and because of the important safeguards embodied in the agreement.
Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department's Criminal Division, Brian A. Benczkowski was also quoted saying; "General Abacha and his cronies robbed Nigerians of vast public resources and abused the U.S. and international financial systems to launder their criminal proceeds.
"Today's landmark agreement returns to the people of Nigeria hundreds of millions of the embezzled monies through a lawful process that ensures transparency and accountability."
Abacha loot recovery
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UBT: Cheaters and "Grace"
June 26, 2017 by Chump Lady
Today's Chump Lady rant goes out to "Tim," a therapist who left a thoughtful review of my book on Amazon the other day. He gave it 4 stars (out of 5), which was very kind of him. So it's probably churlish of me to put his review through the Universal Bullshit Translator, but my blogging fingers got itchy when I read his criticism that I "leave no room for grace."
Chump Nation, hold my beer.
Tim, how can I put this gently? I don't write for nice, mild-mannered marriage counselors. I don't write for cheaters. I write for chumps.
Meditate on that for a moment. Okay, maybe 45 moments. Now bill yourself $150.
The whole idea that a chump should "leave room for grace" for cheaters — is not the mission of this site or my book. The tagline is "Leave a cheater, gain a life." I'm selling exactly what I'm advertising. I don't review Amazon cookbooks on Texas barbecue and inquire why there aren't more vegan recipes. Similarly, I wouldn't come to a book, which brazenly encourages readers to leave cheaters, and wonder why it doesn't discuss happily reconciled relationships. Or ponder the likelihood of their existence.
Now, maybe grace-for-cheaters is your job as a therapist, but I'm not a therapist, I'm a chump. Cheaters' grace is above my pay grade. Moreover, the whole meta level idea — that any worthy discussion of infidelity must include a grace-for-cheaters caveat — is offensive.
Tim, consider our radical perspective here — an entire discourse around infidelity (blog closing in on 15 million views and God knows how many book sales) that does NOT revolve around what the cheater wants, needs, or might become.
What makes chumps chumps is having spent entire relationships being lopsidedly, slavishly devoted to cheaters' wants, needs, and potential. And now, having been fucked over, we reject cheater centrality — in our lives and in the greater infidelity discourse. Chump Nation is about what the CHUMP wants, needs, and can become (mighty). That distinguishes this place from 99.99999 percent of the rest of the infidelity resources.
Now to UBT further misconceptions from your thoughtful review:
:: Disagreements ::
> You are a "chump" if you focus on hope for your marriage.
From the author: "Asking a marriage counselor if your marriage can be saved is like asking a barber if you need a haircut."
Let me first admit that I am in partial agreement with what the author has to say on this point. Too many counseling services and products promise (for a fee) to help a betrayed spouse save their marriage without the cooperation of the betrayer. And when these methods don't work, the wounded partner is left to shamefully conclude, "I couldn't get that right, either," accepting inappropriate blame.
We should probably throw religious leaders into this mix as well. Many well-meaning people are too quick to direct a betrayed spouse into attempts to save their marriage. That is a risk they are not required to make and should not be pressured to do so.
But denying hope for a healed marriage is a shift to the opposite extreme. The book leaves very little room for this consideration. In fact, the author wants to push chumps in the opposite direction. She writes, "I'm not here to help you save your marriage after infidelity. I"m here to help you save your sanity and protect yourself."
Here's the truth: there is hope. I've seen healing in marriages, the kind of healing that moves a couple back into connection and trust. Yes, it's hard. Yes, many couples do not experience this. But marriage healing after an affair is not a foolish hope.
The best healing choice for some is to leave their marriage, but that is not only choice for everyone.
Tim, what makes someone a chump is NOT that they hope for their marriage. (That would make them an ordinary, married person.) What makes someone a chump is that they were PLAYED by a con. They were duped, lied to, had their health risked, were UNKNOWINGLY cheated on.
If that happens to you, and you want to reconcile? That makes you a volunteer, not a chump. Now you know. I might call you a unicorn (because I think your odds are long), but chump just means you were the victim of infidelity. Someone did this to you.
Also Tim, hoping to reconcile your marriage should NEVER be inconsistent with protecting yourself. Hell to the NO. I'm arguing that if a cheater resists you protecting yourself (particularly your finances) or setting boundaries like transparency and STD testing — you've got jack shit to work with.
But denying hope for a healed marriage is a shift to the opposite extreme. The book leaves very little room for this consideration.
I make logical arguments why reconciliation is a long shot, and that if you do it, do it with protection. Which I find preferable to slouching towards grace toking a hopium pipe.
Reconciliation is a myth.
From the author: "I liken successful reconciliation to a unicorn—a mythical creature that I want to believe in, but that is rarely sighted."
There are many examples of marriages that somehow managed to avoid divorce after infidelity, but fail to experience a genuine return to intimacy. Online forums are filled with stories of people who tried to fix their relationship yet remain disappointed and frustrated. I can understand the tendency to conclude that reconciliation is little more than an empty dream.
But couples can and do reconcile in ways that are satisfying to both of them. Some of them are open about their stories, while many remain private about this part of their lives. Every decent affair recovery therapist I know can account for many marriages that are strong despite the devastation of an affair.
Reconciliation is not the only outcome, but it is a true one.
Yeah, about those "affair recovery therapists" — got any longitudinal studies on those marriages? Or just the self-reporting of people in affair recovery therapist offices who want to recover from affairs? Or the self-reporting from affair recovery therapists themselves? ("Oh yeah, we've got STRONG numbers! Short on the sides and longer on top?")
Leaves no room for grace.
From the author: "This is what enforcing a boundary looks like—the cheater decides to commit to the marriage then and there—or you put their crap in Hefty bags and throw it on the lawn for the raccoons."
This book is a great counter to the common tendencies of "chumps" to overlook the severity of the betrayal. Forgiveness and trust can be granted too quickly and easily.
But I want to live in a world that values grace and makes room for it. I know it is empowering to embrace justice and agree that many betrayed spouses SHOULD be taking a much stronger stand for their own well-being, but there is a way to balance grace and justice. I believe we are better people when we do.
To be clear, I am not suggesting that traumatized spouses should just roll over with an "It's okay, I still love you attitude." Real grace will still establish real boundaries. Grace is not the same thing as trust. Some cheaters should never be trusted again, but I would still encourage a consideration of grace, not just pure justice.
Well Tim, I want to live in a world where cheaters don't fuck over vulnerable, trusting partners. Where men don't rate sex workers like Amazon purchases, or pregnant chumps don't discover abnormal pap smears at their pre-natal screenings, where faithful husbands don't have to paternity check their children, or the middle-aged aren't abandoned for much younger models, and families aren't left when the new shiny wears off. Heck, Tim, I'm such a crazy dreamer, I wish child support was enforced!
We don't live in that world.
What makes you think we didn't already offer cheaters grace and get kicked in the teeth? Again and again and again and again? (Four D-Days here, Tim. FOUR. What's my grace score?)
There is a way to balance grace and justice. Justice is just natural consequences — the relationship ends. Grace is — no one backs up over the cheater with a truck.
What's grace to you? Wishing cheaters well? We don't wish our exes ill — we just wish them nothing. We reject revenge. We reject their centrality. Meh.
You want "grace"? Meh is Really. Fucking. Hard. It's a goddamn achievement.
Cheaters have one primary motive.
From the author: "Why do people cheat? Because they can. It's that simple. People cheat because they value their autonomy to engage in affairs more than they value your well-being."
No motive justifies betrayal, but it's not accurate to say that every cheater is driven by the same reason. Every cheater is 100% responsible for their choice and its consequences, but understanding an affair means giving attention to the unique vulnerabilities at play.
These vulnerabilities are not reasons or excuses. The unfaithful spouse had a multitude of other choices they could have made, but understanding the various influences at play in a person's life is necessary for healing, whether or not the marriage survives. Many cheaters did not choose to cheat before, even when there was an opportunity to do so. It's important to gain insight into the vulnerabilities at play so that appropriate changes can be made and necessary boundaries established. Only then can there be a secure return to trustworthiness.
Yes, at the core of every affair is selfishness, but cheaters do not all pop out of the same mold.
This is similar to the grace point — it's NOT MY JOB to ask what drives cheaters. Is the guy who pistol-whips your face and steals your wallet driven by his desire for cash, or how much he hates your haircut? Does it MATTER? Are you going to preach "grace" to the guy with a shattered nose? Or deliberate over mugger motivations as the victim lays there bleeding? Chump Lady is calling 911. Meditate on grace all you want to, I'm mopping up blood over here.
Dude, there are no "unique vulnerabilities" at play. There are only so many ways to manipulate a person, all of them very well trod. Cheaters say the same stupid, banal shit.
Cheaters don't change.
From the author: "I believe people cheat because they give themselves permission to cheat—and that's a matter of character… After suffering my own series of false reconciliations, reading infidelity boards, and running my own blog, I've yet to see the grateful, prodigal unicorn."
I doubt the author would claim that a cheater could never change, but it seems clear that she believes it is so rare that it is a near-fantasy. I wonder if her story has attracted like stories.
Over 20 years ago, I was a cheater. I am not a cheater now. And I know many other former cheaters who have long years of evidence pointing to their trustworthiness.
Some spouses have always been and will always be cheaters. Some spouses cheat once and never cheat again. And some were habitual cheaters who, like addicts, become "sober" in their relationships.
Thank God there is hope for us!
I don't preach "once a cheater, always a cheater." However, I do think once a cheater, you've put a bullet in that relationship and no one owes you reconciliation. Your character may change (I'm glad it did), but the person you fucked over is still fucked, and shouldn't be expected to invest in your potential.
I wonder if her story has attracted like stories.
Yeah Tim, millions of like stories. Or as scientists call it — "one hell of a data set." Oh hey, here's an actual scientist who did the largest study ever on infidelity that vindicates leave a cheater, gain a life. Psychologists asked over 5,000 women chumps about their relationship break-ups. Turns out the chumps fixed their pickers, learned from the experience, and had better future relationships. They also experienced more personal growth outside their relationships.
Five thousand people? Those are my numbers before noon. I got more chumps here than ever walked through your door or sat on your shrink sofa, Tim. I believe in the grace of self-worth. I see miracles of mightiness here every day. Cheaters are just the catalysts — the grace is all ours.
Filed Under: universal bullshit translator
Previous article: Flip the Script — The Un-Letter
Next article: When Affair Partners Marry
Epic take-down Chumplady, brava! Standing ovation.
neverwouldhaveimagined says
Love. Every. Word.
StartofSomethingGood says
Mic drop on this post!!!
My favourite: "Chump Nation, hold my beer."
nomoreskankboy says
Start, yep…loved "Chump Nation, hold my beer!" Hahahahahahaha!
kaycan says
Ha ha! That was meme worthy!
Nikki Lynn says
LOL. Fuck, we got it . . . Go head on, sister, . . . Preach.
Chumpalicious says
You want your beer back? I'll have one with you.
Mom Of The Good Guys says
Haha, yeah! That was an epic "hold my beer" moment! I laughed, too.
Great rebuttal, CL.
Janna says
My Fav…."Cheaters are just the catalysts — the grace is all ours." Indeed.
UnderConstruction says
That Is Not A Thing says
He brought sad sausage to a data set fight.
Mighty Mite says
Hahahaha!!!!! ???
Tempest says
Resa says
That Is Not A Thing BEST comment ever!
AllOutofKibble says
I ❤️ This comment
seeyalater says
Tim is a classic, covert narcissist. His condescending tone in his review is clear and so blah blah blah. Tim don't be a coward, spill the beans, drop the facade & mask… just say what you really want to say; Perhaps review the movie "Sausage Party" or the book "How Not to be a Wiener."
As an idiom, "saving grace" refers to a "redeeming quality" that makes a person or a thing acceptable. Hmmm … thinking about "the thing that makes it acceptable, aahh exactly, case closed.
My favorite author Harry Ironside wrote, "Grace is not only undeserved favor, but it is favor shown to the one who has deserved the very opposite"… Tim please review one of his book.
The word grace in the Bible means "unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification" or "God's benevolence to the undeserving." Biblically, "saving grace" is the grace of God that saves a person. Aahhh exactly, thank goodness, I am not God.
My favorite author Harry Ironside wrote, "Grace is not only undeserved favor, but it is favor shown to the one who has deserved the very opposite"…review his book please.
Saving my grace for myself and a better person.
I really want to know what this mans definition of "grace" is and how it's supposed to be applicable. How does a "graceful" spouse behave in the face of infidelity? It sounds like double speak to me. You're supposed to have "grace" towards your traitor spouse, but not at the risk of your own safety? In other words, act like you're beyond the bullshit and be super spouse, but if the betrayer strikes again it's now partly your responsibility because this time you knew better and chose to stay, aka, you weren't "safe" enough.
I think "grace" to this guy is just accept the word of the cheater (as many therapists do) that they want to be better, without looking at the actions which show that they are not doing better.
You want Grace?
She's in room 501 waiting for you for $150 an hour.
justadad says
"Kill shot. Now finish him!"
ChutesandLadders says
I'll hold your beer any day, CL!
Darkstar says
Grace is not backing over cheater with a truck! Awesome comeback CL.
Mandie101 says
I don't get it. Why are chumps held by cheaters et AL to such high standard of perfection? The recant is the same no one will love us unless we are perfect. While cheaters are horrid persons who are given a bligh for their human failings but still deserve love. Fcuk that noise.
ClearWaters says
Yeah, Mandi, why do CHUMPS have to be the saints??
Feelingit says
Yes and Tim is certainly one sad sausage!
Curious, he claims he was a cheater 20 years ago but now he is not, sort of like I was a runner but now I'm not or I was a Bills fan but now I 'm not. If that is true, what changed? Was there a consequence maybe? If you change once, do you think you could change again?
We need more one strike and you are out and grace can't be given unless someone is truly repentant and the surveys on chumps show these cheaters aren't!
MightyE says
I honestly DO believe cheaters can change. Some of them can see the consequences of their choices, decide they sucked, and fix themselves.
It's just that they'll end up applying that lesson in their next relationship, because I don't see a way anyone could get over some of the crap that's been done to people here, and I don't think there ought to be any obligation to try. When you're done, you're done.
Doingme says
MightyE
My advice to you would be to fix your picker. Are you with a former cheater? Most OW or the future spouses (victims) believe they are special. By the time a chump dumps the cheater they have learned to go underground and have been cheating repeatedly with multiple partners. The OW the Limited hooked up with shares your view. He sold himself as a victim of emotional abuse. Yet, he was dating/fucking multiple partners until he noted she was the most needy. Weeks after I threw him out I received copy of his health insurance statement. He was getting tested for HIV because he KNEW he was having unprotected sex with multiple women.
Cheating is about a lack of character and gaining power and control over whomever they 'select'. The only thing they change is partners and you can bet your ass if he cheated on a loyal spouse of many years, he has no honor to someone he just met.
It's a puzzle, mighty. However, if you read here you will see they are not unique in their lack of integrity. Read about the three phases of a narcissistic relationship and the types of narcissists. I was with a covert narcissist, the most malignant in my opinion. They mirror your love, kindness, and empathy. They open doors for the elderly, and YET can abandon their own children.
If you are with a 'reformed' cheater you are wasting your energy. It's always a lopsided equation. Read the verbally abusive relationship and learn about how an abusive person manipulates their victims. Con artists are very cunning.
Raising my hand–married Hannibal because he seemed to exhibit insight about his serial cheating in a former marriage. And now, here I am.
For what it's worth, I do think Once a SERIAL cheater, always a cheater. There may be some instances of one-offs, but there certainly aren't many examples of those from CN.
"But denying hope for a healed marriage is a shift to the opposite extreme."
I believe what Tim is really promoting is the belief we have control over a cheating spouse.
Shouldn't a one time (that we know of) affair be weighted on a spouses ability to look, act on, lie and have sex with an AP?
No he offers HOPE, not for the chump, but for the cheater. If only the chump chomps on that shit sandwich all will be well in fuck strange land.
No he's not the extreme cheater. He's a one kinda bad day I fucked strange kinda guy.
I see it as a lack of character and an indication of a poor investment. We can't control the outcome. We DO NOT have that power. Cheating should be a deal breaker. Why run the marathon when the race is rigged?
QueenBee says
Absolutely agree!! You don't spend 20 years of a 22 year marriage serial cheating..profiles on Ashley Madison, Adult Friend Finder, SugarDaddy.com and using Craigs List for random hookups…then magically, when caught, suddenly become the faithful husband. A 45 year old man who has spent all of his adult life cheating will not change, and nobody in this world will convince me that he will.
Yep, he cheated on last wife, too. Said he learned his lesson. Nope. He just learned how to give yourself permission to violate vows, lie, and deceive. Then hide it.
Chumptitude says
^^^ THIS ^^^
I could have written the same comment neverwouldhaveimagined…
My biggest mistake was to trust my X, now I know better!
No, I'm very happily single, and it would take someone really special to change that.
I just think people can grow if they want to. Trouble is not many really want to be better than they are.
horsesrcumin says
My thoughts exactly, MightyE. Poor Tim. He doesn't want to ALWAYS be a cheater because he cheated 20 years ago. Just like my ex. He's a good guy. He fucked up and has worked bloody hard to apologise and understand how to never fuck up again (hint: just don't fuck other people, works a charm for me.) But he never gets to be a guy who was faithful now. Despite his sad sausage, "but I loved you and was completely faithful for 27 years. I'm so sorry." Just like I don't get my lifetime of love and commitment. It fucking sucks. We had such a good thing going. My grace to him is that I still talk nicely to him and don't point out his lack of character (often.) I'm actually sorry for him. And I do still care about him. Unicorns are pretty. But damned if I have time for all the bullshit that goes into maintaining their sparkling whiteness and redying the rainbows in its mane and tail.
I'll admire from afar, and congratulate the person who's brave enough to take on that dented model. I'm sure never taking on an 'ex' cheater.
jaded61 says
He's a good guy. He fucked up and has worked bloody hard to apologise and understand how to never fuck up again (hint: just don't fuck other people, works a charm for me.) But he never gets to be a guy who was faithful now.
^^^^Yep, this.
Just like my daughters step-mom will always be a woman who slept with another woman's husband and played a part in the breakup of their family as they knew it. She can be nice, kind, and loving with them, and I am civil to her and him, but the facts do not change and they both know it.
They did not offer me grace or hope while lying and cheating to my face, but I am supposed to extend it to them? Civility is all I have to offer.
Golfgrrl says
"Unicorns are pretty. But damned if I have time for all the bullshit that goes into maintaining their sparkling whiteness and redying the rainbows in its mane and tail."
Exactly horsesrcumin. And I might add, in order to believe, you need to suspend or entirely change you belief system. Just for the unicorn.
The thing is you need a lot of hopium to get there. I can't afford that.
Lol. I spent five years desperately trying to will myself to suspend belief, Golfgrrl. Just not in me. Think I ways knew that. Ran outta my hopium supply years ago, and returning to the life that enabled the addiction? As we say down here, yeah, nah. Think I'll pass on that, thanks.
Change? Nope, sorry, I don't think so. Cheating is about selfishness, its also about inability to genuinely connect to another human being, its about preferring warm fuzzy limerence (projection) for true attachment to another imperfect person with faults.
I don't think that magically changes because the latest object that is making you feel good (projection) has darker hair, a few inches shorter or slimmer. He confessed to his two next soulmates that he had had an affair, they were horrified but decided they were special, until they ran into his inability to truly connect. Of which cheating is the finally unacceptably hurtful part of disconnect.
They remain as deep as a teaspoon.
MotherChumper99 says
I got on this guys' email chain about six months before I found chump lady. I can't seem to unsubscribe. So I followed some of the crap he sends out. He wanted his marriage back but his wife said no. He has capitalized on his cheating. In one disgusting move last year he had his children do a podcast about how devastating his conduct was to them. Literally horrifying.
Before I found chump lady and I was reading his website I just kept thinking to myself: "yeah, fucker, this would all be great if my husband felt as you do. But he doesn't! He wants to fuck his whore! And he thinks it's all my fault! And he doesn't value his family at all! And I have tried until I'm blue in the face to talk reason to him!" Tim has no solution for my scenario. I felt like dying when all I had was Tim's platitudes and his sugar sweet religiousness. I could not make my husband have Tim's worldview. There was nothing to work with.
Thank God I found chump lady, I woke up, realized that there was nothing to work with, that it was all on X, realized my worth, started the divorce proceedings, got divorced, and am busy building a life. I don't feel like dying any longer. I have a lot of joy and peace and happiness. Still grieving the 25 years, the trauma, but I'm going to survive this.
It's been nearly 3 years. My ex is still blaming me -he has never once shown an ounce of remorse. And it goes far beyond me. He's not even remorseful that his own children tried to kill themselves because of what he did. He's not remorseful that our children do not have a relationship with him. He just blames and blames and blames and lies and lies and lies
HE SUCKS ASS
I wanted to add: Tim, if you're reading this, I have all the Grace in the world. If my husband had shown 1 ounce of the type of attitude towards what he did that you espouse on your website and in your blogs, we wouldn't be getting a divorce today. But my husband refused to stop his affairs– yes, multiples! He refused to stop paying over $5000 dollars a month of our money for the apartment for his mistress of the day. He refused to use any protection when he had these extramarital affair's and I got an STD. That didn't stop him. He would text and sext whatever woman he was fucking right in front of our children so that they could see the texts over his shoulder in the car. He told our children he hated being a father when he got found out! He kept disappearing for days on end, I would later find out in our bank records that he had taken whatever woman he was currently fucking on a weekend trip. And I told him in marriage counseling and I told him every single day that I was not willing to live like that! I did not want an open marriage! Now I find out that his infidelities go back 25 years through all four of my pregnancies! So Tim, there's literally nothing to work with! Again, if my husband was like you, I wouldn't be here on this website.
Whodoesthat says
This is litterally my life . I find solace in the universality of these wankers. Same extreme mental health issues with teen / adult children ….couldnt give a fuck . His new found happiness eclipses all. Not content with fucking me over (in every direction. .emotional…financial. ..social..theres probably more) he sits back while me and the kids are reliant on welfare to make ends meet…and hes on a 6 fig salary !? No shame from him but the dismissal of his own kids? ? Except for the crocodile tears and poor me retorhic you would think he was father of the year trying to reconnect with his kids except for his complete rejection of his responsibilities. We need to share these extreme circumstances between those that have been through it …no one in my day to day life even believes the nightmare me and kids are living.
lovedandlost says
Ya when he said that he was a cheater once, it explained why the spackled " some cheaters are really good guys if you'd just give them a chance" bullshit!
No contact is the only way to leave a cheater and gain a life! Richard Grannon is the narcisst expert.
Nanki Poo says
I felt as though I was constantly getting this vibe, even from therapists. It was as if I was obligated to be saintly simply because they thought I had the capacity for it, and therefore it was incumbent on me to behave that way.
I. Do. Not. Get. It.
At what point are people of higher moral caliber no longer responsible for the shitty actions of assholes? My answer: when we decide that we're no longer responsible for the shitty actions of assholes, and we can go about our lives channeling our efforts to those we feel actually deserve them.
GetMeFree says
Maybe it is similar to the same line "The reward for good work is more work." We (chumps) do have the greater capacity to hold the relationship together (even if we shouldn't). The cheaters don't have a shot in hell of doing it. Therefore, the default is that the responsibility should fall on us.
So, yes, I agree with your statement, Nanki Poo, that we are the ones who have the capacity. Best chance to save a marriage is through the chump.
Ugh no... says
Agreed. The Olympic levels of forgiveness and benevolence required from me seemed astounding. While my cheater just looked raw and kept repeating how "human" he was.
I mentioned to the marriage counselor presiding over this bad soap opera that the thing that's actually impossible to achieve is what's needed- and unless he had a time machine or a memory wipe it couldn't genuinely happen.
I feel like the people I know who "forgave" & stayed in their marriage look haunted and beaten down like the crypt keeper. You basically have to conpartmentalilze (not too healthy) what someone did to you and pretend you're ok. That's painful and a full time acting job – it must be exhausting to give out all that fake grace
Rumblekitty says
Every person I've ever met who told me they reconciled with their cheater exhibited the following behaviors:
* They were constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. Lot's o' anxiety.
* Had to play marriage police.
* On some sort of anti-depressant or sleeping medication.
* Eventually had to deal with another D-day.
Every. Single. One.
I would also add
* constantly trying to get the cheater to value them
ANC says
Yes, because a parasite Appreciates you and your efforts but never Values you as an individual human host.
Parasites: they do want to keep their hosts alive (we are no use to most parasites if we are dead), some even make some vitamins for their hosts. But at what a cost….
lulutoo says
I would also add:
*Afraid to make any noise (as in, have needs, express wants, speak about feelings–cheaters OR the chump's feelings, etc.)
StaryEye says
I was always waiting for the other shoe but was still shocked when it did. ?
mila says
Me too, StaryEYe! But after the shock wears off, I concentrate on myself. And it is a good feeling.
The first phone call after D Day should be to a lawyer. Posting smiling pictures of you and your husband on social media, making him wear the wedding ring that he stopped wearing years ago, and dragging promises out of him accomplishes nothing. Well, nothing except the erosion of your self respect, your peace, and the gas lighting that will eventually ensue. The sparkly unicorn shares one thing in common with a happy, healthy, loving marriage after repeated infidelity…..merely a mirage.
Rumble kitty I think that is so true. I also believe that is why so many of the chumps that stay and seem SO happy… are merely trying to convince themselves that they have discovered a Super sparkly unicorn… Unfortunately, that enthusiasm is nothing more than industrial strength spackle. This is why so many here have experienced multiple D Days…leopards don't change their spots. It matters not if it is a wife or the OW. They are all the same to someone who is very good at playing the lying, manipulation game.
SpecialistInHope says
Abso-fricking-lutley! Rumblekitty, you speak the truth. This was my EXACT experience.
Ohana says
Agree 100% Nanki Poo.
I had a friend say "You will always have to be the bigger person" with regard to post-divorce interactions with x.
Um….why?
No contact was a much better solution.
kiwichump says
"You will always have to be the bigger person"
Can the reconciliation apologists answer this: Why should the chump waste their life being the bigger person next to a loser cheater who needs them to be the bigger person when they could enjoy their life being happy among equally big persons?
I'm now happy to give up the moral high ground for a peaceful life full of respect and free of exploitation.
GoodMazal says
Expecting the chump to take the high ground is part of the gaslighting. Ex (I refuse to say "my" he is nothing of mine) actually tried to write into our child custody document that all parties must give the other the benefit of the doubt even if it looks like one party is not following the agreement. I kid you not.
He is a lawyer and tried to fuck me over at every turn. We are not responsible to make them good people, give them grace, the benefit of the doubt, try to understand them, or have anything to do with them.
Our responsibilities are to heal ourselves and figure out how to sniff out and reject those who wave red flags at us in the future. In hindsight, ex treated me miserably from the start (flirting non-stop, leaving me at all social functions to hang out with other women, looking at me shark eyes, lying about wanting to work it out, lying in therapy, lying every minute for five years, making me think I was going crazy, yelling at me when I asked if he was having an affair when he was, being impossible to talk to about finances, never respecting my wishes for my son such as not wheeling him in the street—this is domestic violence, and he a complete asshole–just viscerally revolting). Knowing what I know now, I would not give him a minute of my time.
I was not surprised to find that Tim is a cheater. Only a cheater would demand grace from a violated person. Cheating comes along with overall disrespect and violations. Ex too spoke like Tim. He wrote me a doozy of an email saying its been one year since the divorce and can;t things be more "pleasant." I ignored him, deleted it. I have nothing to do with him.
Great response Tracy. They speak to disregard chumps' experiences.
To life, l'chaim!
Of course, I'm not advocating being an asshole, but I'm not going to subject myself to more crap just for the sake of it.
Example: I don't speak to my cheating ex wife except via text and email and in those cases about custody matters only, no exceptions. This presumably drives her nuts, and probably gives her friends some chatter fodder about me being a meanie, but I honestly don't give a flying fuck about either of those things. Not speaking to her is for my protection as the survivor of her abuse, and anyone who doesn't get that can get bent. Why? Because their social comfort level isn't more important than my mental health, that's why.
Its just so lame …. after fucking me over and leaving us with $200 …. taking me off the health insurance. .. forcing the house into near repossession. …spreading lies about me and turning my remaining friends against me…he wants us to have a united front at daughters graduation. Really???? As if this was just a formality to cooperate over. I think it just helps to maintain that horrific mental map we have to remind ourselves of. These people are NUTS.
I am going to get a tshirt that says "fuck that noise".
MissDeltaGirl says
This^^^^^
Thank you for stating something I have been feeling for a very long time.
My cheater had a long laundry list of all my offences and shortcomings.
The problem was that I loved him "as is".
He was looking for justifiable reasons to leave the marriage and pin the blame on chump-y old me.
If I tried to change – the rules would change.
He was a terrible person in many ways, but as Tracy said "I spackled " over the whole hot mess and took him at face value.
I will no longer try to fix, perceive potential or change a person to suit my needs.
Why can they be such utter pieces of crap and demand perfection from us. No thank you. My give a fuck is broken and it won't be fixed til Tuesday!
CL once said that to be codependent is to become addicted to the "potential" in someone else. We keep trying to change them.
ChumpedOff says
Much in the same way some simpering parents explain their son's poor behavior with "Oh, you know, boys will be boys" which also grinds my (_!_) no end and tosses their accountability right out the window! Is it any wonder we now have an entire generation of self-entitled narsisistic pricks who feel they deserve "it all" at the cost to everyone else around them? Grrrr…..
nomar says
The slow clap starts here, folks.
Today, CL wins the Internet.
Sorry, Tim. You probably meant we'll, but you are ignorant on the topic you addressed. Likely you are ignorant because you are lucky, for which I am glad for you. But the advice of ignorant lucky people to unlucky people still in harm's way is bad 10 times out of 10.
Chump Nation is flipping the script on indifelity therapy to focus on the chumps. The cheaters will lookout for themselves, as they always have. Therapists need to take note or risk becoming as irrelevant as leeches have become to modern medicine.
Scuffy says
I want to defend Tim. I found his website before I found Chumplady, and I felt like he gave good advice, advice that was actually consistent with Chumplady's.
It's possible that I held out too long trying to make it work, but that was my own fault; he spoke truth from the start on gauging the seriousness of your cheater and counseled cutting your losses if the sincerity wasn't there. He said it more nicely than did CL, but he basically says the same thing.
WisedUp says
Please share the link for Tim's web site.
hmm nevermind. easily found by googling
This is Not a Test. says
Scuffy- You said you "held out too long trying to make it work, but that was your own fault."
Please help me understand how you stop an adult from seeking and obtaining sex outside the marriage. Drones? Super glue? Trained crocodiles? Mossoud agents?
Do you see the self blame trick Tim has pulled that CL is exposing? When someone is conned with a love fraud, it is one of the rare, horrifying instances where there IS a black and white. No grey. There are not two sides to these pancake. There is a wronged party and a scumbag.
One person is used, abused and kept in the dark so the other person can get their rocks off with strange ass. Which many of us would have liked to have done, could have done but decided to honor covenants, promises & vows.
So, no matter how many mental leap frogs Tim tries to eek out, in his unwholesome obsession to show that a cheater could attain grace, absolution, atonement or enlightenment-
for those who have trudged this nightmare, located on the corner of West Shit and I am in Hell Avenue- it is just another manipulation to push some blame/shame/fault back on us.
NO way, No how- would I let his words penetrate my consciousness. We have come too far. It is deadly, deceitful and diabolical.
Giddy Eagle says
I remember thinking after DD1 that I'd love to take a 1 year sabbatical from our marriage so I could experience the high of a new relationship.
My DD1 was the discovery of an "online affair" more than a year after it was over. In his effort to reconcile, he admitted to a short physical affair years before — which I rationalized as a reaction to the death of his mom. I probed to make sure he was not having one affair after another, since he travels almost weekly for business. His response was "No, I'm not a monster." Of course, he lied in MC numerous other affairs which I discovered DD2.
I thought I married a kind, gentle man. I now know he's a narcissistic monster.
It is so true, Giddy Eagle! Who wouldn't like the thrill of new lips, in the long slog of a long term marriage or relationship?
We are not beasts. Men or women would gladly welcome us in their arms, their bed. We could ride the roller coaster of secret texts, lusty hotel sex and the biological excitement of new skin.
But we have those pesky consciences. We would feel like we had sludge in our hearts. We could not scoop out the ice cream and smile at our mates and children with the strange scent of another on us. Because we do not delight in deception.
The moon can fall, the sun can melt, penguins can do calculus, but Giddy- I will never forgive. I don't forgive monsters, as you aptly stated.
Wow…TINAT….amazing writing! You hit it out of the park! ???
I am so sick of everyone saying you have to forgive to move on. I will accept that what happened happened, but I will never forgive.
Why would I forgive the ONE person who was supposed to live and protect me ended up being the person that abused me? Give me a fucking break.
I am working on forgiving myself for staying in a marriage where I didn't feel loved and didn't feed my soul.
But at least I know why. I stayed because I didn't want my child to grow up without a father like I did and I didn't want to be a single mother like my mother was.
I had been married 10 years and together 13.5 when I had my child at 40. I thought I was in a rock solid marriage. Turns out he was cheating before we got pregnant. Who does that? A narcissist who likes his image and lifestyle.
I'm not rationalizing cheating; yes, it's black and white and ugly. I'm saying that, if my cheater had been sincere about repairing our marriage, I'd have accepted her back. Here's what Tim wrote about making that call: http://www.affairhealing.com/guard-your-heart-after-an-affair.html
Traffic_Spiral says
And if you had, she'd have fucked you over again. Tim is a cheater whose wife left him, and in between making his children write testimonials about how her anger over his affair was so horribly damaging, he's created a narrative of "Oh I stumbled and strayed, but I really was such a good man and I could have totally been a good husband if that unforgiving bitch hadn't had kicked me out!"
All his "guard your heart" shit is just elaborate justification so he can spin his narrative of "I'm not like all those other guys! I'm different!"
This comment will probably not go over well, but I think you get one mistake. You start an affair and you recognize what you're doing and you either fix it or get out. It really is that simple.
Ideally you figure it out before you actually sleep with someone… But there's no rationalizing once the deed is done. Fix it or leave. Don't string your spouse along for years. It's cruel and narcissist.
Kar marie says
You go nomar!! Well said!!
Hell, Yeah, Nomar.
ca-chump says
Sadly, being a unicorn milkmaid pays better than unicorn slayer. How many places on the internet can you find a therapist that actually states, out loud, that cheating is bad without immediately minimizing or qualifying it in some way.
NoMoreNarcs says
"But the advice of ignorant lucky people to unlucky people still in harm's way is bad 10 times out of 10"
Well said. But I would add that it's more than 'bad'. "Insert least favorite food here" is bad. The advice ignorant, lucky people give those who are dealing with the disordered is harmful.
Very harmful. There is no safe dose.
Poor Tim…
As I struggled through his review I kept thinking to my self: this guy is a cheater, wanna bet?! Well, there it is around his last words of wisdom. "Unique vulnerabilities" indeed.
The content and condescending style of Tim's poor review also makes me think that he is still a narcisist. More therapy for you Tim!
As usual, brilliant logic from CL. Tim didn't have the guts to give you a 1 star like he really wanted to.
Exactly. As soon as he got to the passive voice and repetition of "vulnerabilities at play," I knew he was a cheater!
Thanks, Chump Lady and Chump Nation, for teaching me this super power!
He lost me at: "I was a cheater."
After that, his opinion means nothing.
Jodi Lynch says
His opinion means nothing.
Hesatthecurb says
I feel compelled to say to Tim what I said to POP about the forgive and forget option:
Happily ever after says
Yes, simple but effective. A full sentence.
marriagedetective says
Yes! I detected a bit of cheater speak in his "unique vulnerabilities" circle jerk because ….. this is EXACTLY the kind of language my cheater used.
Telling it like it actually is what CL does. I was really convinced that my X was "different." I was convinced that he was different from all the other cheaters out there. I looked everywhere and to everyone for my "story," the one story that was identical to mine and then I wanted to know what people had done about it. The thing that I love about CL is that she doesn't minimize any cheating. Cheating is cheating. But then she also goes on to talk about common behaviors that all cheaters seem to have in common. It's those behaviors that send you over the edge. For me the behaviors were present BEFORE the cheating. I had plenty of reasons to divorce before I found out about the cheating. It was the cheating that really sent me over the edge and magnified the behaviors. Gaslighting, talking in circles and cheater speak (like what Tim is doing here), lying, stealing money, blameshifting everything onto me, treating me like absolute garbage, etc., etc.
I gave 3 years of grace. My X never caught that virtue. But he did catch an even bigger sense of entitlement. Life on the other side is better. 3 years was 3 years too long.
conniered says
Oh yes I thought the same thing….is he a cheater. then he confirmed it. Done.
Yes kaycan! I too noticed the passive voice and thought "this guy is taking the responsibility out of cheating" and so it was.
Amiisfree says
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand… This. This this this this, this this this. Oh, and also, THIS.
The only surprise his last statement revealed for me is that he openly admitted it.
I thought the same thing – he's a cheater !
nodancing says
I pegged him as a cheater too, he reveled way too much in the uniqueness of cheaters. He may not be cheating on his wife but he is a narcissist and one thing you cannot tell a narcissist is that they are just ordinary and not a unique paradigm of humanity with extraordinary pain that led them to where they are.
+1! This +100.
I seem to recall the CL says something to the effect of letting them keep their cake means that we allow them to keep that image that we are gifted with the splendidness that is them. They all seem to have this complex and if I may, Tim is using that same language to continue to justify what he did. Now he's so special that he completely and thoroughly understands all the dynamics in infidelity.
And this "former" cheater is now a marriage counselor….brilliant. Narcissist.
Indeed! Some convert to pastors, presidents and motivational speakers….All categories talk a good game
Lola Granola says
Tim was a cheater. So naturally he sees the whole thing from the cheater perspective. If Tim had ever been chumped, he would change his tune.
Lady b says
Asshats first two girlfriends cheated on him, he was heart broken. I was his third and was for 13 years, he cheated on me. Go figure, what an asshole.
Lady b, insane isn't it. On dday, skankboy shares with me his ex wife had cheated on him. (Why he told me this on Dday is beyond me.) I said to him, "you do to me what Kathy did to you? I just shook my head and continued to throw his crap into garbage bags! There will be no Grace coming from me now or EVAH!!
Silly me thought he would never cheat because he had been on the receiving end,, how silly and naive of me.
Not anymore this sucker has wised the fuck up.
Waffles says
I thought the exact same when XH said he'd been so decimated by ALL former GFs cheating. (First missed red flag) In retrospect, I think that was a lie. That lie is just the first step in order to line this chump up.
I suspect they give you the sob story to gauge your reaction. Makes the kibbles so much yummier when they KNOW you aren't like them. You're just some naive oaf that's buying their bullshit, and boy oh boy, isn't DD so much fun for them when they see just how much they gutted you? Must make them feel almost godlike to make you suffer like that.
How many of CN had a serial cheater that cried over how hurt they were when they were cheated on? I suspect it's a tactic to lower your defenses.
Sucker Punched by a Saffa says
The pity play…look out !
Why does this person want me to feel sorry for him/her ? Because I can be of use to said person ! Money, a listening ear as s/he drones about life's woes,take your pick.
Run for the hills !
Blindside says
My wife claimed that her fiance before me cheated on her, and so she left him. Looking back at how she lied her way through the second half of our marriage, I highly doubt that's what really happened. More realistically, I think she probably cheated on him.
Heck she was trying to tell me I was cheating on her when I caught her, so I'm sure her story going forward will be that I was the cheater. I guess if you tell yourself a lie long enough, you'll believe it. No thanks to that mindfuck.
I was cheating on him 25 years ago when we where friends and I was sleeping around being all boho and liberated. He was my friend not my boyfriend but this according to him was me cheating, wtf, grasping at straws or thinks he owns me.
chumpinrecovery says
You must have been cheating on her. She said so and she would know better than you.
Mine too! His previous girlfriend got pregnant with someone else's baby, broke his heart. But even having experienced it firsthand didn't stop him?! WTF?!
Meanwhile, I had opportunities out the ass to cheat, and shut them all down cold. (I'm cute and friendly, what can I say?) I just made the mistake of assuming he'd do the same. :/
Ever wonder if your ex was 'confused' and that he projected his infidelity onto his then wife?
Or that he cheated on her, but once he found out that she was cheating too, that became the focus?
That's what I think happens more than that they were really cheated on. They projected their own cheating on the ex to excuse their behaviour.
Traitor tried to claim that he wasn't sure his third son was his. He was studying 300kms away while wife was at home with the first 2 little boys. Mr was enjoying the student life in his 30s, boarding with an old lady, left wife supposedly when the third boy was 3 months old, and only then hooked up with his landlady's 24 year old grand daughter… Yeah, right.
So what does he do? Starts insinuating that he wasn't sure the infant was his son…
DARVO.
SingleMotherOf3 says
I left room for grace for 16 fucking years, so there. NaNaNaNa FooFoo!!
Yeah, SMO3, that's a great way of gauging chump-grace.
I gave my cheater THIRTY EIGHT years of grace. Now, maybe Saint Tim of Graceful Cheating should tell us chumps what the Magic Number is of grace-giving years before we give up.
70*70. Like Jesus said. Cause chump is a synonym for martyr and when we show our human side are unforgiving, bitter, etc. We are not turning the other cheek. Funny how at that point in the circumstances cheaters can cue biblical references. They even know about grace and redemption. But never ever restitution, compassion, repentance.
I'm not up for sainthood… God can forgive them. I won't. Let that be my one mortal flaw. Toodles!
We had room in our marriage for Grace. I just didn't realize that Grace was the name of a stripper.
Hee! Yup.
BTW, post-nups leave room for grace, while reducing (but far from eliminating) the chump's exposure to further devastation. And my guess is that the percentage of cheaters willing to accept an ironclad post-nup heavily favoring the chump is minuscule. Are therapists like Tim willing to counsel cheaters otherwise, so they might be worthy of grace?
Yeah Nomar, the Key Word here is: "worthy of grace".
Married for 38 years, my cheater wanted to reconcile, but did not accept my offer of a post-nup…..
Has a couples therapist ever recommended a post-nup to protect the chump? How about STD testing to protect the chump? They'd rather deal in nebulous issues like "offering grace" and "poor communication skills" than address the hard reality of harm reduction for the chump.
When you feed off of suffering, the idea is to prolong it — how many extra sessions can you book when the pregnant chump finds herself with a gonorrhea diagnosis? Or that poor guy who finds out that his cheating wife was hiding $50K in credit card debt?
I offered my ex the chance for a post nup if he wanted me to put the divorce on hold and to give him another chance. His response? he called me a bully!
Well said, Nomar!!!
"Flipping the script on infidelity therapy to focus on the chumps"
We are a NATION because Chump Lady has given us a safe, supportive space to speak out and support each other. A place where the reality of what was done to us, without our knowledge or consent, is shared openly.
Tim, you should check out the site's metrics, including how fast this Nation has grown. We are making our voices heard and we will be louder than anything previously seen!
Hear us roar!
Isis says
"We are a NATION because Chump Lady has given us a safe, supportive space to speak out and support each other. A place where the reality of what was done to us, without our knowledge or consent, is shared openly." THIS. This site helped save me after years of betrayal. It was the only place I could go where I wasn't reminded that I was "at least partly responsible" for my partner violating our commitment and destroying our family. I offered nearly a decade-long "grace" period. That's A LOT of interest to pay on that loan I took against my life.
coolbreezeout says
I am a member of Tim's site and have commented on his forum (encouraging people to visit here often). Let me say this – he may be a 'former cheater', but he was a HORRIBLE cheater. He has shared his story and he treated his wife terribly and she never, ever recovered. He turned her adult children against her – and admits it. He says she didn't take the infidelity well and was unable to 'move on' as she should have. He moved in with his whore and left her alone to raise the children, then got upset that depression consumed her.
He did a podcast with his grown children where he had them recount everything his wife 'did wrong' when dealing with his long term affair in which he finally decided to leave her and the children for his whore.
He is now supposedly happily married, while his ex-wife still suffers from the emotional trauma and now has children that disrespect her 'weakness'.
He touts 'grace' while people are in their 'affair fog'. Yes, you are supposed to give your cheater space while they decide if they want you or not. And, if you are honored enough to be chosen by them, be happy and 'safe' and don't make them feel bad about what the 'affair fog' did to them. See, it wasn't them or their failure, it was the fog!
He may be reformed in his new marriage, but the fact that he left his ex-wife in shambles and mocks her inability to simply move on when he chose the whore over her means he is still very much a cheater at heart.
There you have It… Tim, you are a phony…
Cactusflower says
Yowza!! Tim sounds like a narcissist who reinvented himself to get more attention (not from his whores) My ex goes around with his sad basset hound face and tells everyone "I want to talk to her, but I can't, because she HATES me". THAT "sad sausage". (Oh and he's made absolutely no effort to talk to me … or "make amends" cuz he's "working a program of honesty" – eyeroll.) The scapegoating/deflection that chumps have to endure is unbelievable-and in this case not only from their partner, but from the RIC.
Now I'm going to listen to the grunge classic "in and out of grace" by Mudhoney on "11" and jump around the room. The only thing Tim gets thanks for is giving me that ear worm to start off my week with great rock n roll.
Rock on Chump Nation!
Wow. If that's true, Tim is a monster. No wonder he prefers a world including his concept of "grace." Blech. Reminds me of my cheating ex-wife's fondness for "unconditional love." Emotionally immature and entirely self serving. I prefer to live in a world of integrity, reciprocity, and earned consequences. Most adults do.
If you can find his site, it is podcast 107 and it made my stomach turn. A good, reformed man would have had his ex-wife as a part of the conversation. Instead, it was his grown children recounting at the 'ridiculous', 'inappropriate' things his wife did and discussing how just was remiss in her parenting duties because she spent so much time in her bedroom crying.
unicornomore says
So she was a bad mom for crying but he was just dandy even though he wasn't even there.
I can't even.
We need to send the ex wife a copy of CL's book!
I have copies in my trunk!
KibbleFree_MightyMe says
Thank you, Coolbreezeout, for telling Chump Nation the TRUTH. This douchebag, Tim, STILL doesn't care that half-truths are lies. We know this b/c he writes that he was a cheater, but now isn't, but conveniently leaves out the facts that he is happily AN EMOTIONAL ABUSER of his x-wife, someone who pit her own children against her, and has no problem victim-shaming and blaming her for experiencing the mental and emotional trauma HE caused.
Tim needs a good bitch-slapping, and then some healthy fingerpointing and disgust at his trauma when he experiences the pain. What a douche. And seriously?? He's employed as a therapist??
QueenMother says
Why does his AP/now wife condone his abuse of his ex-wife?
Fellow narc or doesn't want to take a good,hard look at who she married. Or $$$$$$
Yes, that's were I went wrong, all that fucking crying in the car, in the shower, out on the farm. And the few times the kids saw it, that's what doomed me.
Because the chumps isn't allowed to have feelings, their hurt doesn't count. The chump is like an appliance, chattels. When they can't perform their duties to their usual level, they are worth nothing, a new host is better for the parasite.
Brutal, kiwichump, but sadly accurate.
Oh kiwi chump, you couldn't just stuff your emotions like a good little chump- how unattractive. You are not going to raise good little narcs if you let them see that it is ok to have feelings and express them. Go back to super Mr. Tim's website and learn how to get your hair done, do your makeup and put on your happy face. Do not let your kids see you down- Life is all rainbows and unicorns
P.s. Thanks for giving me a good laugh with your sarcasm
Was about to comment that reading Tim's tripe I concluded that he was an unrepentant cheat. And even if he doesn't cheat on his current wife (I doubt) he's still an asshole who believes his own hype. Cheating (and the accompanying behaviors) is symptomatic of a very warped person. Therefore sorry but I don't think that a cheater is ever cured.
Love between adults is inherently conditional. Unconditional love is for your children.
Thanks for the reminder cool breeze out. I listened to his kids on that podcast early on after day. They were cutting on their mom for crying all the time and letting her pain show. We can't expect kids to be the caretakers of our emotions and problems and it is horrible for them to have to see their mom like that but if as adults, they can't appreciate what she went through to some degree and realize your dad needs to take the blame for being out fucking around while mom was maintaining the homelife then I feel sorry for their spouses. It sounds like they got the entitled gene too! I feel my blood pressure rising!
Yup. I was horrified in hearing the podcast, because I could see the ex-wife being dragged through the mud yet again – years after the affair and relationship had ended.
How can she ever get to 'meh' is she is being publicly made to look like a fool for having her heart broken by a man she loved.
Tim is a cunt.
Yep. That word I used to clutch at my pearls about. I use it now, when it's due. Tim earned the title. Don't be like Tim.
KB22 says
Many children of narcissists tend to take the narc parent's side just to stay in their good graces. They perceive the narc parent as the strong one and panic at the thought of discard. Please do not think that I am bashing Tim's ex wife but his ex may have been a doormat throughout the marriage (narcs love doormats but not for long) and then completely crumbled when he cheated and left. She may have dropped the ball on parenting her kids as she was too wrapped up and depressed her husband left her. The kids would naturally resent the mom for not being supportive. Hopefully one day the kids will recognize their piece of shit father for what he really is but at the moment he's all they've got, in their minds anyway.
I'm the one that went no contact with our father "Harlow" (nod to that experiment with baby monkeys and their wire surrogates) whilst my brother grew up to be a narcopath. Waiting for the shoe to drop in my brother's marriage-he is entitled,selfish and lacks empathy but expects others to be there when he needs something.
+1000, FeelingIt, the apples don't fall far from the tree.
KB22, I hope you're right, but if you're not, heaven help their spouses, they've married narcs.
Wow. What a piece of shit Tim is.
Tim's stance falls into the excuse, "it's not what I did, it's your reaction, that is the problem."
NoKibble4U says
Exactly like that wing nut David Brooks.
Meh or Bust says
I was actually preparing a response until I read your comments CBO. Then I realized there was no point… no "pick me dance" for Timmo. You can't have a rational conversation with an irrational person. He sounds cruel and disturbed. And, this only furthers my belief that out of all the "therapists" in the world, maybe 1% are really any good. CL, while not a therapist, is in the 1%. 'Nuf said.
I'm going to mosey on over to Amazon and leave my own review now.
Yes, I already went and clicked on "this review was not helpful."
WU, great idea – I did that too. Timmo is getting some feedback from others of us here, too, LOL…
No Pick Me Dance for Timmo! Woot! Agreed. You can't argue with crazy. Throw your hands up and leave that cheater!
Chumpy UK says
put this under his review on the amazon.com site!!
He's making money out of being a nasty 'man' – what a weasel.
Oh my God, that is absolutely chilling. So he rips her to pieces then complains that he doesnt like how she acts in her destroyed state. monstrous.
Sad Shelby says
Which is exactly how all other entitled cheaters act. Just like a spoiled child destroying a favorite toy then throwing a tantrum that it's now non-functional.
Wow what an asshole! Blaming the chump for being weak because she couldn't just get over and move on from the trauma he caused he. And her kids? What a bunch of stupid and ungrateful little gits. She is the one who stayed and took care of them even if she did feel the need to cry in her room sometimes. Would they have preferred that she cry in front of them? Its too bad Chump Nation wasn't around 20 years ago to offer her the support she needed and to help her recognize the value of having his self serving ass out of her life..
PS. Thank you for outing him as the monster he is.
/Beth says
I get Tim and David Brooks are best buds. They are certainly cut from the same cloth.
Ugh. *bet, not get. #fuckin'monday
I posted the same about David Brooks a few posts up. It's bad enough that you cheat and fuck over a spouse, but then you're pissed because they're upset.
GraceInMotion says
Coolbreezeout, I knew there was a chump out there that he had harmed, felt it in my bones. I pray she finds us. That poor soul.
I would like to hit Tim in the face, gracefully of course, with this beer I am holding.
Can you share the link for Tim's site?
I am not sure the rules of posting a direct link. But, the name of the site is affair healing. If you google 'affair healing' it should come up first for you.
The podcast I was referring to was number 107
There is a forum as well with a lot of hurting people that are being counseled to sit around and wait for the 'affair fog' to clear in the mind of their cheater.
No contact is encouraged, but only to the extent that it keeps you from pressuring the cheater back if that isn't really what they want. Basically – it makes you look needy and not as attractive to the cheater.
Also, when you listen to the podcast, you will hear him laugh about lying to his ex-wife and the children about the affair being over. The kids said mom was driving past his house and saw the whore there and would see him with the whore. He admits (and chuckles) about lying to her and telling her he wasn't with the whore, even though he was. So, he was literally driving this woman crazy and gas lighting her. However, he feels it was all just 'affair fog'.
This is just awful! My heart goes out to the ex-wife. Poor lady needs to join our ranks.
Hopium4years says
O.M.G. I literally sit here with my mouth hanging open.
This makes me feel sick.
I found his site. Couldn't stomach listening to much of the podcast, but I heard more than enough! I heard his daughter say about his affair, "REGARDLESS IF YOU MADE A MISTAKE…" and I about gagged. No wonder he's OK with her talking about this for all the world to hear because he has obviously trained her to think about his affair as a "mistake." Aaaaaargh!
If his daughter had a healthier, more realistic, less blame-the-chump outlook on the devastation that cheating does, there's no way he would have put her on a podcast because it wouldn't have made him look good (narc much?). And I agree with Feelingit: it DOES sound like the entitled gene has been passed on. Daughter of cheater father, if your mother was emotional and overwhelmed at times, how can you gloss over the fact that HE did this to her, for crying out loud! He's the asshole who wounded her so deeply.
All that aside – REGARDLESS IF HE MADE THE MISTAKE of getting his adult children to talk in public about his mistake/affair – I'm still shocked at the idea that someone like him is doing post-affair counseling for couples!! If he had any concept of ethical behavior, he would not go NEAR that area. He has NO business COUNSELING anybody who's been cheated on! How can he be fair in a couples counseling situation?
Even doing individual counseling for cheater character-repair should be off-limits because he obviously has more work to do on HIS OWN character-repair. If he truly owned his asshole-ness and taught had taught his children more compassion and empathy toward their mother, THEN he might be ethically OK to do individual cheater therapy.
But I'm not even sure he should be doing counseling AT ALL, since he's not likely to help anyone who's secretive or lying about anything, since that was his own MO and he doesn't seem to have learned enough to know that behavior is atrocious – NOT just a "mistake."
Does the forum have a list of wingnut therapists to stay away from ? Ethical or legal dilemma of outing trauma inducing charlatans ?
Chump Lady says
Coolbreeze — I'm curious, how do you know this Tim of the podcast infamy is the same Tim therapist leaving a review?
Are there coincidentally more than one self-confessed cheater Tim therapists who do "affair recovery"?
Seems a long-shot but I'd hate to tar the guy if it's not him.
He posted the same review on his forum. There was a discussion about your book on the forum. He had originally said he didn't finish the book at first because of your use of the word "chump". He then came back and said he finished the book and had written a review. I actually thought you were talking about the review on his page – I didn't know he review it on Amazon as well.
Leave a Cheater, Gain a Life was the actual name of a thread: https://community.affairhealing.com/post/leave-a-cheater-gain-a-life-8513419?highlight=chump&pid=1296321189
I am not "coolbreeze" over there. My screen name that I use on that sight was taken when I registered here. So, I settled on coolbreezeout – which is another one with meaning for me 🙂
So it's the "C" word that bothers Tim, eh? Why should it bother him so much to the point of not finishing a highly entertaining, brilliantly argued book?
Chump, chump, chump, to you Tim.
Funny, my ex hated it when I called myself chump and hates it when I call him cheater. He says he is NOT a cheater….
You can feel free to delete my link to the forum, it may not show for people. This is the link I should have used:
http://www.affairhealing.com/blog/leave-a-cheater-gain-a-life-book-review
Oh, wow!!!!!
That's…unconscionable. I've often felt that the chumped spouse should "get" the kids when an affair leads to a dissolution of the marriage. For littles, that means the chump gets primary custody, (barring extenuating circumstances.) And, older or grown kids need to rally to the side of the cheated-on partner.
The fact that these kids are Team Tim tells me that either he did quite a brainwashing job on them and/or they inherited their father's "character", (or, lack thereof.) Talk about insult to injury!
cheaterssuck says
I doubt he's reformed at all. What he's learned is that his actions had consequences and he probably lost half his assets and had to pay child support. Plus his old stinky wife won't give him a pass, a high five and remain besties with him while buying into the narrative that they "just grew apart."
That's what he's reformed about. He doesn't want that to happen again and if that's true then he learned a valuable lesson that he can use on his second wife. He never would have learned that lesson however if his first wife didn't levy consequences.
That just makes me sick to think of him having his kids talk about his ex wife crying too much, etc.
Typical cheater logic — the problem isn't what he's done, but her reaction to it. They always wonder why everyone can't move on and just be friends?
The Ex-orcist says
This dude doesn't know that CL's collective anger on will be blowing hellfire in his direction. ??I'm meh and happy today. Without this blog I would still be with a cheating drunk rude miserable lying abusuve full blown sociopath.
This site saved me and gave me strength and clarity when I had nothing left to work with. I found out cheaters say and do the same stupid shit, kind of like this guy with platitudes galore for the RIC. Fuck that.
Pardon my typos?
Oh yes, and they keep saying on the podcast that she is all cool with everything now and they are just one big happy family.
Really? Let's here that from from the horses mouth!
Infidelity and betrayal kills trust which is essential for a successful relationship. You simply cannot unring that bell. Much of his review pointed out your strengths followed by a "but" so he sounds like he feels guilty for cheating and needs to justify this unjustifiable behavior. His comment reads like he is still seeking redemption.
Reading that "couples can and do reconcile in ways that are satisfying to both of them" really stuck a chord with me. I now know chumps who have shared with me that they reconciled with their cheater and stayed married but still suffer feelings of profound sorrow and are deeply unhappy. They still feel betrayed, bear a tremendous sense of loss, and constantly fear it will happen again. They fear they will never be truly happy, but they are loyal so they stayed. What a price to pay.
I, too, have four DDays. I realized no matter what he said, his actions told me he did NOT want to honor our wedding vows. CL helped me understand the cheater wanted cake. That level of deception, living a duel life, is most definitely a perversion of marriage that jeopardizes the faithful spouse's physical, emotional, and even financial well being. Pretending to be a faithful spouse while keeping someone on the side is a total mindfuck. And it is abusive. I lived it and survived by getting out.
Dual, not duel. (Well, not yet anyway. Lol)
Coolbreezeout, your comment above was very enlightening. I will NOT be visiting his site, but I will take your word for it. What you wrote makes him sound like he is looking for a free pass. Cheaters don't seem to get the trauma their actions have inflicted upon another.
His daughter talks about being 14 and being exposed to the 'mom's pain' and that it was an unhealthy environment to have to deal with.
He spent a significant amount of time talking about it being unfair that he had not been given an opportunity to tell 'his side' and that things were being said about him that weren't true.
However, he was moving in and out of state, shacking up with the whore, and he is still telling his kids that he had a 'side' and things weren't all his fault.
I can't count how many times stbx has told my children there are two sides to this story and you are never going to know mine. We want to put that on his tombstone when he dies!
As my son said, we are never going to know his because it's always changing.
And follow the money Tim, first, betray your wife and now exploit her to make a buck. I just hope your royalties are part of her settlement.
Can you ask for grace while you are still sinning?
I pity Tim's kids and their chances of having healthy marriages.
Welcome to Chump Nation, Tim's chump!!! May you come here and find truth and enjoy a good belly laugh, and feel the healing from that alone.
You'll see that you are right and that Tim is a big, stinking turd.
Come here, and join hands with us on the road to Meh, and the state of Mighty.
Yeah, being exposed to Mom's pain was bad but that was Dad's fault not Mom's.
And, mom's pain was not just a one shot deal – it was constant. He admits in the podcast that he was lying and telling her and the kids he had ended things with the whore. Mom would drive past (with the kids in the car) and see the whore was at his house or he was out with the whore.
He literally laughs in the podcast when he tells the kids that yes, he was lying to them all at the time about the affair being over. So, he was literally torturing this poor woman. Of course she was acting crazy – he was literally gas lighting her!
I couldn't bear to listen all the way through, but hearing that he chuckles about his continued cheating and lying about it to his family is SICKENING.
Roberta says
Does Tim realize that HE created that "unhealthy" environment his dear daughter was living in? Without he and his AP it NEVER would have existed! Sounds like he mindfucked his own kids! What a Prince!
It is extremely unhealthy that a 14 yo had to deal with her mother's pain. Caused by her POS cheating scumbag father fucking her mother around. And either side of the story is the wife is being a wife, raising a family, MARRIED to that POS and he's FUCKING AROUND AND LYING ABOUT IT. What more needs to be said? He was sad and wanted out? Then leave. He wanted more sex? Then get counseling or leave. He was unfulfilled? Then get counseling and take up a hobby OR LEAVE! It's not a difficult concept. Unless he spoke to his wife and said "I need something else or this relationship isn't working for me anymore" and then they had a rational discussion about him having a secret slut whore on the side and her being okay with it, this is all. His. Fault. His wife didn't find his whore and hook them up, then take his pants off and force his dick in her. He wanted to cheat. He liked the power and kibbles. He freaking LAUGHS about it! Tim you are a fucking MONSTER! And your ex-wife is still traumatized because you TORTURED HER!
They just can't pass up that cake!
Guess my father's expensive hobby of stamp collecting wasn't enough…Needed that post box in town because of said hobby. Yup-hiding money from my mother and no doubt having affairs with the p.o. box !
DesertGuy says
Tim…you say that you want to live in a world that values grace and has room for it…
So would all of us. I wanted to live with a spouse who valued me, our children, our commitment and didn't have room for another man. I guess we don't get what we want all the time, do we? And what do we do when we don't get what we want? We understand the world that we do live in.
My x was always asking when i would forgive her – forgiveness is not telling her that what she did was all right – forgiveness is me laying down my wrath and desire to hurt her back – people do not understand forgiveness – it is choosing to give up the innate desire to retaliate.
People do not understand grace – they want a one sided grace – that what modern churches sell – one sided grace. One sided grace says – God forgives me, so…. It's all good.
Real grace profoundly changes the recipient – they see the depravity of their actions, the condition of their soul, the horror of their actions on others – and they are broken by it. Real grace is vary rare – because it has been so diluted these days – Think about it – Amazing grace, so sweet the sound – that saved a WRETCH like me…. Nowadays…pop in to church on Sunday – sing a few bars of some catchy tune about how God is my friend…hear the 7 habits of effective people… God loves you and forgive everything – done.
That is cheap grace that mocks everything grace is.
LovedaJackass says
Great comment!
I'd add that the guy who wrote "Amazing Grace" had been a slave dealer. A wretched person indeed.
CL – do you track the comment rate?…i.e. comments per hour…i can always tell how deeply you have touched the nation by how quickly the comments flow…Bravo on this one – bunches of responses right away – a bad day for Tim…
Ain't THIS the truth!!
FightingChumpiness says
From what I know of John Newton, he never got over what he had done while a slave trader. While receiving Amazing grace, John never 'forgave himself' from what he had done and it haunted him the rest of his life. That sounds like repentence to me.
NOT this Tim therapist!!!!!!>:(
Thankful says
Real grace is amazing,
Fake grace sucks the life out of you while demanding more.
Standing ovation, DesertGuy.
Desert Guy,
Your comment brings tears.
So true about what true grace is.
That is why I like, no, LOVE CL and CN. It really is all about honesty and true grace.
Brilliant comment Desertguy. Thank you.
MsMachete says
"Real grace profoundly changes the recipient – they see the depravity of their actions, the condition of their soul, the horror of their actions on others – and they are broken by it."
This right here. ☝️☝️☝️
Bravo desert guy bravo! Well said. Apparantly TIM didnt bother to read chump ladys story or any of us here. He would know way more of grace. Four ddays for me over 30 years. I gave him grace four times. No more. My best advice to anyone would be eat no more shit sandwiches from anyone.
This grace is sounding like a combination of rugsweeping and 'forgiveness'. More kibbles.
Spackley says
I've been looking for the perfect response for all the chuckleheads who are telling me I HAVE to forgive.
My version of forgiveness is just what you wrote. I too have laid down my wrath and desire to retaliate because that level of hatred was unhealthy for me. Cheaty has more than enough hate and bitterness in his heart for both of us. I no longer see the point in carrying that burden in my own heart.
Desert Guy, I hope you write a guest column one of these days. Beautiful post. Thank you.
Your view on grace and forgiveness is right on the money, totally agree and well said
Cleopatra says
Brilliant! That comment is inspired, Desert Guy.
CleotheFormerChump says
*You want "grace"? Meh is Really. Fucking. Hard. It's a goddamn achievement.*
Brava, Chump Lady!
Considering how many cheaters actually disguise personality disorders (or reveal through that very action?), perhaps all of them, encouraging people to stay and reconcile means ultimately becoming responsible for a certain number of assaults and homicides. It's domestic abuse, let's stop spinning this any other way once and for all, Tim!
Well, BAM!! For CL's response !!
Wanna hear about Grace? I will show you some Grace… I was a good and faithful wife for 26 years, I never even called my (then) husband a bad name. I went to daily Mass and prayed for his soul for 7 years – while he living 3000 miles away claiming to simply be working there but odd that his OW had also gotten a job in that city quite far from the city where her fiance lived.
And I took him back and wreckonciled my family and later learned that not only did he never tell the truth, he had cheated for most of our marriage…his side of the marriage was a big giant lie, but I was all in. I was on my knees praying for his soul and I must have done quite a good job since God (who gave him more chances than I did) decided to end this charade and scooped his ass off of planet earth.
He was a liar and cheat and rager. I stayed with him to his last breath and gave him a hero's funeral – only yo learn that he had lied like a thousand times worse than I had ever guessed…I left lots of room for Grace, but my right to have agency in my own life was stolen from me.
Most of us here left the door wide open for a long time and got kicked in the teeth for it.
I'm right there with you Unicornnomore, and many others at CN. Try as I might I just had to throw in the towel finally, but got hoovered back! I gave much much better than I got from him. Part of my resentment now is knowing he NEVER would have done for me what I did for him in the end. But if Tim wants to talk about grace then he should have been sitting with me night after night watching my cheater die. I didn't see Tim at the beautiful funeral I gave my cheater! Where are you Tim? Mr. Paragon of virtue? I call BS on Tim and his crappy review!
I just love you! Your story has touched me since joining CL. When faced with the most devastating challenges you repeatedly showed strength and grace. What you did in the end was the most selfless act of kindness. You never deserved to be treated with such disrespect and indifference. You deserve to have peace and joy in your life. You are a mighty amazing woman I admire. Thank you.
Awwww, Doingme, thank you, but I'm just a regular run of the mill chump trying to do my best so I'm able to sleep at night! This blog is chock full of guys and lady chumps who are just amazing, including you Doingme! We all are dealing with the unimaginable end of our "dream" lives, but by God, we at least get to write the ending! And from what I see here we have so many Mighty heroes and I'm so proud to be associated with these chumps if only on a blog! This shit is hard, but we are facing it head on with CL's help and getting up everyday and building that better life we all deserve! The best revenge is living well!!! It kills these cheaters to know they didn't destroy you. They really resent us and it eats them alive to know we really can do very well without them!
"It kills the. Cheaters to know they didn't destroy you!"
So true Roberta.
Tessie says
I, personally think both of you rock, Roberta and Doingme! You are both examples of courage, grace and good character, and a great big hug to both of you. Count me in as a member of your fan club!
"my right to have agency in my own life was stolen from me."
SeeTheLight says
Sounds like a poor joke…that was my life. Cheater got Grace, and then Brianna, Gabrielle, Anne, Scarlett, Dawn, Andrea….
Oh snap !
Probably a George in there as well!
Mic drop. Hahahahahaha.
Chastity and Prudence both said fuck off, cheater.
Your story is so powerful. And you are so mighty!
@ unicornomore
Thanks, I hope that God forgives my profanity laced rants in the 2 years since I learned how badly chumped I was.
I did pray for his soul and I meant it. Sometimes people tell me that they hope or assume that he is in Hell…I surely don't want that…I worked too hard and sacrificed too much for that. I am convinced that he needed me to get to Heaven and I did my part. If I get there myself, I hope that Im not required to interact with him.
I asked for truth and eventually got it, but it was cloaked from me for a while. Truth is so powerful that it took on flesh and walked the Earth…don't forget that, Chumps.
kimsoverit says
lol, "If I get there myself, I hope that Im not required to interact with him." My friend's MIL was dying from ALS, quite religious family, and she was discussing Heaven with her grown son and he said, "yes, Mom, everyone you've ever known will be there with you" and she replied "Well, let's hope not EVERYone… Let's not go crazy with that"… 😉
UnicornNoMore, don't worry, you won't be required to interact with him because God is not marriage counsellor from the RIC.
Therapist Former Cheater Tim forgets to mention Empathy. As in where the Fuck was that from the cheater to the chump target?!!
Why must the chump offer a cheater anything? They, the cheater, have already consumed the chump's time, money and all sorts of emotional investments from kids to shared finances. Grace? Now you think Grace is what the chump must give to the cheater?
What really needs to be served to the cheater is a lawsuit for fraud, theft and manslaughter (if the cheater knowlingly gave the chump an STD). Since that doesn't happen in the Real World, Grace is best served to the chump to NopeTheFuckOut of a one-sided dysfunctional 'relationship' with a person who intrinsically lacks integrity, a moral compass and sound character.
Reformed Cheater Tim-What I have seen from people in this profession who are dysfunctional is that they try their hardest to project their continued bullshit onto others via therapized speak. At their core they are still who they are; any therapist knows that one's character is pretty much set between the ages of 3-6yrs old. What they do with their therapy knowledge is cover themselves with different frosting, facades, glitter to proclaim they are Healed or Aware. But their actions reveal they are the SAME manipulative, destructive person time after time after time.
So back to Empathy. Without ever having been taught to consider the feelings of others during early childhood, cheating is a huge indicator of the lack of empathy, it is absolutely ridiculous for anyone to pontificate that a cheater be given a Period of Grace from their victims. Empathy is what distinguishes a cheater from a chump. The marriage or relationship involved BOTH parties and maybe it was horrible through and through but the chump didn't cheat. All the 'temptations' in the World would not make a chump cheat on their partner because they were raised to be empathetic towards others.
Leave a dysfunctional asshole and regain an authentic life.
Yes, ANC, all of this. Cheaters "lack integrity, a moral compass, and sound character" and are "manipulate, destructive" so chumps have the terrible choice ti leave or continue to be taken advantage of.
Just yesterday I was reading that teaching cheaters empathy only gives them new tools to manipulate you with, does not help them become empathetic.
Exactly. They learn to fake empathy better and thus seduce even MORE people. My X was so offensive to many people when I first met him that his family thought I was the best thing that happened to him as I didn't tolerate his bad behavior. He improved over time, dramatically, but what I see now is that he learned from me to be diplomatic, to mirror people's emotions, to feign empathy. His seduction abilities thus improved, and his impression management improved, at my expense.
[And for the record–yes, I would like a time machine to go back and slap my younger self for staying with someone so obviously narcissistic and socially grating. No more 'projects' for me.]
KathleenK says
My two year wreckonciation was basically a tutorial for my X to learn to feign taking responsibility, empathy, remorse etc. I went to his therapy a couple of times with him and was regaled by his therapist about how he "cries real tears every session". Yeah, but his tears were only for himself. And I unknowingly taught him that. Damn!
And, if the cheater does group recovery work, the standard of care, they learn more and better ways to stay on the down low as they cheat. Win, win, win for everybody . . .
JesssMom says
It took me more than two decades of slow burn to realize that this was true for my STBX as well.
He was such an asshole to everyone (but me) when I met him … but, over time, he started mimicking my social cues. And, of course, once shit started to hit the fan he started to superficially co-opt my moral compass. So creepy in hindsight.
Yeah. Therapy for the disordered is a training manual to project Normalcy and manipulate others.
Datdamwuf says
Yep, Lundy's book "Why Does He Do That" tells you NEVER go to marriage counseling with an abuser. All you end up with is an abuser who has new tools to abuse you with.
I wish I had known that at our first attempt at MC a dozen year ago. Dick put on an Oscar-worthy performance for a few sessions and stated we were there to "take our marriage to the next level"… um, no, we were there because his disordered family was interfering in our lives in very negative ways.. When the MC called him out on HIS issues and the lack of boundaries with HIS FOO, he ceased to be interested in counseling. Oops, that wasn't his intention. Then I just 'hated his family'…not true, but I did hate their lack of BOUNDARIES and disrespect of MINE! I'm sure he picked up some new manipulative techniques for the price of admission ($150/hr).
Excellent point Dat, the abuser types described in "Why does he do this?" were an amazing help: https://www.facebook.com/notes/rebecca-cummings/abuser-profiles-from-why-does-he-do-that-by-lundy-bancroft/480862655302912/
A unique blend of Mr. Sensitive, The Victim and The Water Torturer, my X is one sucky soul in an aging package for his wifetress to enjoy, ah sweet sweet karma!
Sam Vaknin calls this 'cold empathy' – and likens it to the skills a predator needs to capture prey.
I def saw that in my ex (a narc). He used therapy to learn better behavior – at least for short spurts. Until the stress got too high one day and the mask fell off.
Luckily for me, I had the good sense to run and never look back. Even more luckily for me, that was the phase I found Chump Lady add started flipping the narratives back into reality.
Getting serious about fixing my picker is NO JOKE. I'm so proud to see how many Chumps are commenting here that their spider senses were all over Tim before his cheater reveal.
We are mighty
My ex actually told me once he knew how to get his employees to do anything he wanted. When I asked, "What's that?" He said, "I just have to act like I care." I remember feeling shocked and answering, "No, you REALLY need to care." Too bad I didn't realize what his statement truly meant back then.
VulcanChump says
Spot on as usual, CL. Why do so many people misunderstand what you're doing here?
I assure you I offered him grace (5 years of 'reconciliation') and I got kicked in the teeth because he didn't want to look at himself. At all.
I don't want a lot in life. But I do want to be respected and cherished. Infidelity really does the opposite.
Tim was a cheater. I am shocked!!! :-0
No Tim, Chump Lady has never said "Once a cheater, always a cheater" and I don't believe most of us here believe that either but cheating, even just one time, detonates a bomb over a relationship. Forgiving a cheater without levying big consequences just demonstrates to them that you're willing to be a doormat. We teach people how to treat us and staying in a relationship after infidelity teaches a cheater to treat you like shit. Ask me how I know.
The majority of the people here did give another chance to the cheater and showed them grace but they never found the elusive unicorn. The majority of who are left weren't given that opportunity but they would have tried again. There are only a few who asserted their boundaries immediately. We call them mighty! We admire the GRACE they had for themselves.
If you are a counselor Tim, take notice. The numbers are growing. The message is out there and its spreading like wildfire.
CS, wow! "There are only a few who asserted their boundaries immediately. We call them mighty! We admire the GRACE they had for themselves." I love this! I never looked at it like that.
jumper says
I kicked cheater out the day I discovered his double life, after 44 years of marriage. I see him most days, briefly, and I am civil. We share family holiday events. That is more grace than I would ever expect from him.
Off the crazy train says
On this 'once a cheater, always a cheater' milarky; I think there's a slightly different way to frame it.
Someone that commits murder once, and only once, will forever be a murderer.
I don't think the point is to say that people can't change, people can't better themselves. I'm sure that they can. I prefer optimism.
But the point is, that be it cheating or murdering, you have demonstrated that you are capable of acting out behaviours and actions that harm other people. Harm on a completely different scale and spectrum, of course. But still- it IS knowingly and willingly harming someone else.
So when we say 'once a cheater, always a cheater' I personally don't take that to mean that person will cheat again, but that they have the characteristics, capability and have actually put those into action.
I'd be wary of a reformed murderer, and I'd be wary of getting involved with a reformed cheater.
Good point off the crazy train! I will add that "once a cheater, always a cheater" were the exact words my cheater used when he wanted me to kick him out and I was trying to give him another chance. Now, I don't trust anything he says but I do believe him on that!
Also, I have been reading here for a few months now and nothing has touched a nerve like today. Tim represents the jackass therapists and people who blame the victim all the way to the bank. They populate the web and prey on chumps at their weakest moment like ambulance chasing attorneys. They are sick , twisted and greedy.
Exactly!!!!!!!!!!!!! We can never unknow what we now know. And cheaters can never unfuck that whore.
NotANiceChump says
As it has been put to me: once you see what someone is capable of, you can never unsee it. That goes for terrible things like cheating and betrayal as well as awesome things like mightiness. I look at the "once a cheater, always a cheater" thing more like addiction (and NO, I'm not saying sex addiction is a thing)–like and alcoholic may never have another drink in their life, but a true alcoholic always considers themselves such no matter they're 20 years sobriety. A cheater may never cheat again, but 9 times out of ten it's because they had the fear of god shoved into them…not because they truly don't want to cheat because they know the pain it causes and it because it just feels wrong. So, in essence, they aren't reformed, they are just fighting on the reg to abstain for their own safety. I'll save 1% for the real unicorns…but we all know how rare those are.
And then the question my therapist would have you ask yourself: Is this acceptable to you?
My cheater stopped his affair and did not pursue another until the day he asked for a divorce, but I could tell for all those almost 3 years what a goddamn struggle it was for him…to just be a decent human being and husband in this regard. Because once he cracked that door into cheating, there was not closing it, not really. And that is not acceptable to me, at all.
AuntieMame says
"Because once he cracked that door into cheating, there was not closing it, not really."
Recently, I found out that my XH cheated on his first wife with an "exit" affair. I believe opening that door creates an easy way to deal with things. So when our marriage hit a slump, instead of discussing it, going to counseling, or working at it, it was easy for him to cheat.
If Tim wants a blog to support reformed cheaters, he should start one.
He might be surprised at what he finds.
Great response, Chump Lady.
ShrylKL says
He will find crickets.
Awesome post Chump Lady
kmanning says
As my ex stood outside the courthouse (minutes after our divorce was finalized) blubbering because he "didn't feel good about this" and asking me to give him a hug, I had my epiphany.
I don't feel sorry for you, you sad-sausage, lying, cheating, disordered human being.
You blew up our lives (mine and our son) after 16 years of emotionally abusive behavior. I don't feel sorry for you.
My ex was on the receiving end of thousands of moments of grace that I gave him with my love and trust. He willfully stomped all over them. So when I finally, finally had my moment of clarity-I don't feel sorry for you, my ex-I had earned it. Shame on you, Tim, for trying to make us question those hard-won moments.
kmanning
When I was waiting for MY lawyer to give me and the cheater a copy of the settlement he pathetically said, "I think about you all the time." I raised my arms, gave him my back and shouted, "I'm single." He was so entitled he couldn't believe I would ever divorce his sorry ass.
Difficult to read, I find these articles insulting to us chumps. Discovering your spouse has been fucking around.. sometimes for most of your marriage.. is the worst thing that someone can do to you.
Tim, either your a cheater or intend to become one- stop writing reviews in something you know nothing about.
Kathleen, I found this one difficult too. Scroll up and find the post from Coolbreezeout, he is a cheater of the worst kind….he used their children against her. 🙁
GraceInMotion,
OMG! Just read it… son of a bitch He's
he has the "balls" to print the article?
Tim… you are a fraud, cheater & a 100% NARC
Keep your opinions to yourself. Used your kids against her??
OMG! Yes.
Where is the cheaters grace towards the faithful spouse when they are emotionally spent trying to work out what the fuck is going wrong behind closed doors in their publicly perfect marriage?
Where is the cheaters grace when the Chump is left to question their sanity, to the very core of who they are because the cheaters capacity to lie and deceive in order to keep their kibble supply is academy award winning?
Where is the grace for the Chump who has to pick up the pieces of their shattered life while the cheater acts like they have no idea what the problem is? Who then begins to draw battle lines amongst family and friends because they need to be seen as the victim, to minimise possible consequences.
I have grace for myself, forgiveness for myself, and hope for myself. I have non of these things for my cheater because despite his claims he does not need them from me, because he got them from a God and The Church, I have learned not to cast my pearls before swine.
Stormyweather says
Let me tell you about grace.
A decade ago I received a bill for an STD screen in my husband's name. We'd been married for 16 years at that point, with two small children. The tests, luckily, were negative.
I loved him, and believed we could make it through this difficult patch with the right help. We went to marriage counselling.
The unique vulnerabilities at play, according to the marriage counsellor?
His lack of self confidence.
His need to 'explore outside the marriage' with prostitutes.
My inability to put my career as a doctor aside.
I dug deep. I internalised blame and found forgiveness. I took a step back from my medical career. I made room for grace.
We rebuilt trust and intimacy over ten long years. Ten long years in which I believed he was committed to change, and I basked in the glow of our hard-won grace.
Ten long years in which he continued to pursue high-risk casual sex with men and women outside our marriage, without my knowledge or consent.
I made room for grace, and look where that got me.
Fuck grace. Get mighty instead.
MaryC says
Exactly this. After years of internalizing and accepting blame for my ex's abusive behavior, I finally got to the place where I rejected that particular mind-f*ck.
And now Tim is gonna tell me it's still all my fault?
No way. Cheaters make their choices time after time after time thinking only about themselves. Now that I claim myself as a priority in my own life, I will not apologize for it or backtrack.
I took mine back after throwing him out thinking it was an Internet affair because she lived in Germany. He had the perfect opportunity to commit to his family and kiss her ass goodbye. He did not and I found out it was a full affair and promptly kicked his ass out again three weeks later. He played my grace. I remember sitting in the car the moment I said he could come back after thinking I had been to harsh about an EA and he smiled and said 'you are too good for me and Im a fuck up' sooo true.
It's a rigged game, chump only wins by regaining their life, hard and painful but you got to look at the long term.
Stormyweather, your story makes me think we need a whole re-work of marriage counseling. We need therapists who live in this century, who know this reality, and expect men to become equal partners.
Why oh why would a therapist countenance that a wife who is a doctor put aside her career? That is some fucked up advice. Make the wife less, so asshole can be more? Sick.
Therapist should have told him to give you emotional and mental support and encouragement. Therapist should have encouraged him to think about the marriage as a unit and what he could do for the marriage, instead of focusing his thoughts on himself as being in need of confidence boosters.
If he needed confidence boosters, why couldn't he look in the right places?
Why would that therapist let you internalize blame? If the therapist was out of the picture, why did the therapist let that happen and leave you to yourself?
Chumps, could some of you consider becoming the new therapists that our world needs, and start a new therapy / healing modality? I think one mark of the new therapy would be straight talk to the cheater. Just saying.
Our therapist did try to do that. Actually he told us both that we needed to do that. Guess which one of us was ready and willing and eager to commit to the process and which one decided that was too much to ask and ran away?
They shy away from anything that would make them look too deeply into themselves! They'd rather bail or blame.
I think therapists should handle cheating the same way they should handle physical abuse. Absolutely refuse to have both partners in couples counseling and only require both to be in individual counseling for at least a year. Use individual counseling to boost the chump and gauge the authenticity of the cheater's desire for true reconciliation before making a verdict regarding the appropriatness of couples therapy for that specific relationship. Anything less than, is irresponsible and perpetuating further abuse on the chump.
I'm still trying to decide if I'm going to write letters to my 5 former therapists, asking them if I repeatedly came into counseling sessions with a black eye or fat lip, would they have taken the same approach with me. Because in between sessions that's exactly what stbx was emotionally doing to me. I reported that I was waking up in panic attacks and/or hysterics from the nightmares I was having ONLY when I slept in the same bed as him. For 8 months I some how found a way to survive off of less than 4 hours of sleep a night. When I finally took up a friend's offer to stay in her home, I automatically started sleeping 5-6 hours a night. After I got my own place from the first night on I've been sleeping 7-9 hours a night. My heart AND my mind may be a pair of dumbasses, but my.body sure as hell knew that what the fuck was going on.
Yes, Spackley–write to those therapists. Educate them individually & advance the Chump Revolution.
I wonder if they can be sanctioned, or at least give you a refund.
MJB says
Yep I ate that shit sandwich for 10+ years. During that time, I did start to see his character. Really it was all about him. Never about me. So why should I be surprised he would do it again? I couldn't believe he would chose schmoopie over his kids. I found out he's trying to screw around with a young schmoopie at our kids high school. Who does that? Who thinks their wants or needs outweigh those of their wife and kids? How fucking embarrasing!! I don't owe that loser anything. Not grace, not forgiveness.
To those out there reading this and trying to untangle that skein, don't buy this bullshit that you can control the narrative and if only you're willing to offer grace. I know you're grasping at straws. But you didn't cause this, you can't control this. This is who they are. Whatever reasons they give themselves to cheat doesn't matter. This is who they are. Whenever the situation arises again, and it will, this is what they do. This is who they are.
In the first few weeks after D-Day I questions myself constantly over whether or not I caused the problems in my marriage by not giving in on a handful of things he wanted that would have required me to give up a part of my identity, including giving up my career as an engineer when my daughter was born. He wanted me to be a SAHM and I refused. Did I cause a rift in my marriage because of that? He did list my career as one of his resentments. According to him he cheated because my career got too much of my time and he felt unloved.
I am so sorry that you did put your career on hold for your asshole and it wasn't worth it. Stories like yours make me so glad I didn't do the same as it clarifies the fact that my marriage would have blown up anyway. He would have found some other reason to resent me. I am only sorry that there are so many stories like yours out there to help me realize that.
Same, forgave and learned to trust the cheater at year 7. Ten years later found out it was a sham, years of my life wasted on an asshole. Maybe a cheater can reform for someone else, but not for you. Once you take them back they think they know where your boundary is and they will almost certainly fuck you over again.
"Fuck grace. Get mighty instead" I want THIS on a T-shirt!!! 🙂
Me too kimsoverit, and on the back of the T-Shirt, I would add "That's what "we're over" looks like…"
cashmere says
Oh, boy. Grace, is it? I extended grace–not even of the "let's reconcile" variety, but merely of the "I support your healing" variety–for nearly a year.
That made plenty of room for the cheater to lie, blame, continue his affair, mess with the kids' heads, and engage in legal and financial shenanigans for that entire time period.
True grace? Finding CL/CN, disconnecting from all abuse, and getting on with a cheater free life.
"True Grace? Finding CL/CN …". This X 1000
"True grace? Finding CL/CN, disconnecting from all abuse, and getting on with a cheater free life." X 1000000
ICanSeeTheMehComing! says
I went to two different MCs with Mr. Sparkles. The first one identified my "righteous anger" about the online activity (I was still in denial that he actually fucked somebody)… but he was winding down to retirement so he passed us along to another MC.
The new MC said that it will only work if we both come prepared to work. If only one person comes, one person will get well and the other one won't and the marriage will fail. Mr. Sparkles refused to go back after 4 sessions and so did I (though I knew by then I had married a serial adulterer).
After Mr. Sparkles announced he was leaving us, breaking up his THIRD FAMILY, I found my own therapist. She called him a NARCISSIST in our first session and my life only get better from there.
CHUMPS… if you've got a reconciliation focused MC, I challenge you to find one for yourself that understands the personality disordered… those with aggressive personality (no, that doesn't mean violent)… manipulators… controllers. I dare you to not sit in those sessions like a bobble-doll. The chump struggle is real AND we must change the narrative for future Chumps.
Tim – sorry buddy. We're not your tribe. We are warriors for the truth, love, honesty and being our own saving grace.
Newlady15 says
Ya I tried grace–4 years of it( you know the convo–I can't "nag" and can never refuse sex because it's soooo important to him) What did it get me? Four years for him to commit massive financial abuse, stop working so I wouldn't get spousal support and every other type of abuse, years in which I was abjectly miserable and almost went crazy( something he wanted me to believe anyway). Things would have been very different if I had known about post nups(likely it would have ended the marriage when it should have ended–after the first DDay). And tim you are just another sparkly turd…
If I hadn't found this site I would have gone insane living with him and buying the mind fuck, guaranteed!
MyRedSandals says
Hmm, I wonder if "Tim" has ever asked his chump of a wife how she feels about his betrayal 20 years ago?
She's spackled it, or she wouldn't have been able to stay.
He never does mention who he cheated on or if he's still with her. I think that speaks volumes right there. If he was still with her he would have said for sure.
It doesn't fit his narrative to be with someone else so he leaves that salient point out. My bet is that he's not with her anymore which makes Chump Lady's point.
According to the post by CoolBreezeOut at 6:42 a.m., he abandoned his wife and married the affair partner. He continues to drag ex wife through the mud through podcast interviews with his (now) adult children. AND he evidently runs an infidelity site. See the post for all the details. He is a horrible, horrible person.
He abandoned them to keep the 'relationship' with the whore. He eventually decided to dump that lady and married yet another one. The new one had originally been married to a cheater and got a divorce, then found 'reformed' Tim. They are both counselors whose entire practice is built on showing 'grace' and to be patient while the cheater is in the 'affair fog' and better yourself so that when they come out of the fog and pick you, you will be a 'better spouse' for your magically reformed teacher.
cheater, not teacher.
I stand corrected. Thx.
No Shit Cupcakes says
No, it appears that he has been married three times (thank you Indiana). Original wife (whose heart he stomped), second wife (who knows where he found her) and now wife #3 whose husband cheated AND she is an RIC therapist.
Or maybe only twice, but there are only so many of them with the same first name and middle initial.
He left his wife for the whore (he calls the affair partner). He ended up marrying someone else, who had formally been married to another cheater. His new wife is also a counselor along with him – talking strongly about grace and the need to pick me dance until the cheater decides to come out of the 'affair fog'.
Expatchump says
What's the name of his blog/podcast?
I looked up this dude and think I found him. I think this is him. @CoolBreezeOut let me know if this is not the correct affair recovery specialist with a podcast interviewing his adult children re: mom's poor response to the affair and divorce. Chumps, be warned:
Tim Tedder
http://www.affairhealing.com/podcast107.html
Ok. Just realized DatDamWuf already posted further down. Sorry for the repeat.
I was thinking about this just this morning, and I think it is absolutely correct that There is no grace for cheating. I think it is a marriage ending deal breaker of the highest order. U think any cheating should end any relationship.
Once a person has broken your trust, you need to get them out of your life. One and done, the end. This, for me, applies to all levels if cheating. One thing that seems to confound chumps and keep them stuck with these losers us that the cheater convinces them it didn't get "physical". Well, so fucking what? That shouldn't be your tolerance any way. Your tolerance should be that the person you married , lived with, was monogamous with yourself is sneaking around in a pseudo sexual/romantic relationship with another person. That is ALL you need to know.
I had what appeared to be a successful reconciliation, but guess what, it wasn't. There was nothing that could ever undo the shit that was done. Why even bother. I did not trust him, I did but " love " him, I lost my will to commit to him. Things can never be right after cheating, and I don't think there are any exceptions.
A therapist told me that in his whole time practising as a therapist, he only ever came across a marriage healed after an affair once.
Why? Because the cheater got it. He got what a truly horrible, shitty thing he did to his wife, and he showed her that he got it. They would come to therapy and apparently he would sit there and sob, session after session.
All I got was self pity, 'when are you going to stop making such a fuss' and refusal to examine himself.
Tim writes: "But couples can and do reconcile in ways that are satisfying to both of them."
WHERE IS HIS DATA? And especially, where is his long-term data? Because even if we admit that those of us in Chump Nation are self-selected because we married (often) massive serial cheating fuckwits, the data from this site is overwhelming that (a) people who cheat in a relationship are VERY likely to cheat again in the same relationship; (b) reconciling leads to an emotional excrement buffet worthy of a cruise ship, sans the ice sculptures. Until the chump finally wises up years down the road and tosses out the cheater once and for all.
Tim will think me even meaner than ChumpLady–I do not, under 99.9999999999999999999% of circumstances, think a person who has been betrayed should EVER reconcile. The power imbalance in a relationship is so altered by deception and cheating that it cannot be re-balanced. Nor is it worth it to try and re-balance it. Game over.
Tim did not reconcile with his chump, so end of discussion.
Yes, this N=1 would have been in the "successful reconciliation" drawer of the therapists seen over the years (to their knowledge and mine for that matter).
Annnnnnnnd, it coudn't have been further from the truth.
Time to shine a bright light on such therapists – especially those that are cheaters who have, cleverly, found a way to flip the script and make money off of their "mistakes."
Schmoopie reconciled with her husband after he cheated. See how well that turned out? All it did was make a cheater out of her too (although I still like to think I would not have done that if STBX and I had fake reconciled).
Aletheia says
I agree. 12 years of wreckonciliation and I didn't even get a lousy t-shirt. I wasted those years and provided myself as a target for heaps of lies, blame and more gaslighting.
It was not ever satisfying to me. I made the best of it and he dragged me down. I am so much more without that anchor.
It sounds like mr. Sparkly reviewer is still torturing his ex, why not just leave her alone and move on already? Oh, because he is still a cheater at the core and feels entitled to a movie script post divorce where "mistakes were made, but we are now BFFs." Centrality.
"12 years of wreckonciliation and I didn't even get a lousy t-shirt."
Excellent, Aletheia! That should be on a T-shirt….oh, wait…..
You are so right, Tempest. My thoughts toward x were totally different after i found out he was actually a lying cheating whoremonger. I never would have married that. I think I hated him from the first moment I knew it but convinced myself otherwise. I fell into one of those false love situations you hear about. All those really take to hum along is some sex, and lovey dovey actions, and some dysfunction. Just like an affair. Ugh disgusting!!
One Step at a Time says
I love the sound of a mic drop in the morning!!! Great job, CL!!!
Dear Tim, No one comes here hating their cheating spouse, although lots of us are devastated and angry in equal measure. We come here in shock and despair. One of the most common phrases from chumps in the beginning and middle of the experience of being betrayed is: "I want my old life back." Most of us want to turn back the clock to the point where we were telling ourselves we were loved, the point before we knew we were being betrayed.
One thing your response doesn't consider is how cheaters have to devalue their spouses in order to cheat in the first place. There must be a moment in which the cheater says, "My interest in sex with another person or the thrill of the chase is more important the deepest, most vulnerable feelings and needs or my spouse. This person I married is less important than my need for excitement and external validation." This devaluation shows up in criticism, in treating the chump like a "spouse appliance," in a home life where one person's wants are catered to while the other one's legitimate needs are ignored. That kind of life leaves chumps in a bad way, not only broken-hearted but broken down. In the aftermath of discovering the affair, it's almost impossible not to feel like a bag of trash that's been tossed to the side of the road, without worth or value.
The problem with reconciliation is that chumps never really gets a chance to heal. The focus is on saving the marriage, rather than allowing those who were betrayed to take the time to look at what the betrayal involved, how it happened, and what it took out of them to live in such a marriage. I think reconciliation is possible, but only after chump have learned to separate their own survival and self-interest from that of their betrayer. Truly remorseful cheaters will understand this and see time apart as a chance to deal with the character issues that led to this exploitive, abusive behavior. And that's the real problem with reconciliation: unless therapists and cheater start to see cheating as a form of emotional and psychological abouse (and physical abuse, for those who end up with STDs or stress-related illness), reconciliation will always be more about saving a marriage than healing the people involved in the marriage.
Finally, if the cheater is disordered (a substance abuser, a psychopath or someone with a serious personality disorder), the chump just needs to walk away. These people aren't really available for healthy relationships. The first thing my therapist said to me was, "You can never go back." Because her primary concern was not a marriage or relationship, but me.
rockette says
Thank you lovedajackass!! Love this:
One thing your response doesn't consider is how cheaters have to devalue their spouses in order to cheat in the first place. There must be a moment in which the cheater says, "My interest in sex with another person or the thrill of the chase is more important the deepest, most vulnerable feelings and needs or my spouse. This person I married is less important than my need for excitement and external validation."
THIS resonates so much for me in trying to work out why cheating is so so sooo horrible. My ex completely devalued me in order to justify everything, reasoning that even the birthday gifts I thoughtfully chose for him just weren't what he liked. They will take everything and anything you do as justification for cheating. And if you had done it the opposite way, that would not have been what they wanted either.
My mom just told me this morning that my dad had recently told her the last time he felt truly connected to her and valued in their partnership was on their honeymoon. Also known as, that's the last time he wasn't cheating on her. He has been gaslighting and devaluing her my entire life to justify his cheating, no matter how she acts, no matter what it is, it will never be what he wants. He has spent probably tens of thousands on sex workers over the course of their marriage and yet it has always been my mom who is completely wasteful and spending all their money, to the point where I would go to sleep as a kid to the sounds of his yelling about the credit card bills. Fuckwad.
The spouse who can never be please is an abuser, albeit one that isn't using his or her fists. I feel for your mother. And this is truly a case that shows that cheating and other forms of abuse (verbal, financial, psychological) appear together.
Sorry your dad is such a colossal ASSHOLE !
So powerful, LAJ. To be validated rather than exploited finally came when I found my kick ass therapist who told me, "If you go back it will kill you." It took me a few months to accept the fact I was married to a toxic narcissist. I filed still loving my abuser. He also recommended finding a blog; this is how I found CL/CN.
Tim states, "To be clear, I am not suggesting that traumatized spouses should just roll over with an "It's okay, I still love you attitude." Real grace will still establish real boundaries. Grace is not the same thing as trust. Some cheaters should never be trusted again, but I would still encourage a consideration of grace, not just pure justice."
To this I say, "Cheating is a deal breaker, always." Cheating is always about power and control. Real boundaries: recognize cheating as abuse, it requires agency, every action is planned and executed repeatedly. Justice is gathering evidence, documentation, and serving up consequences for the disordered in getting child support, alimony, and a favorable settlement.
Just laughing at the thought of his expectation of the VICTIM having grace. RUN, gracefully and leave the scorched earth behind you as MEH awaits.
geekmom says
Wow. Just. . . wow. Exactly right.
Wow so Tim thinks the chump should extend some grace during the affair fog (or what I call the ho high). If so, his ex wife may have been able to bring him back to the marriage versus him ruuning off with the ho? That's just blowing smoke up the chump's ass that they might control the outcome. Maybe the cheater will chose the chump over the ho. Who can make their needs smaller while throwing more kibbles? Ho? Chump? Who is willing to eat the shit sandwhich and keep it down and actually look/fake like they are enjoying it? Eeny meeny miny moe pick a doormat by it's toe…
PF says
Dear: Tiny Tim
"Grace" is not putting your adult children on your "show" and publicly shaming your chump ex wife.
Seems you're still a prick.
Tundra Woman says
I damn well knew from the first paragraph you are a Cluster B Personality Disorder, Tim. A walking talking shitting pontificating malignantly terminal asshole. Oh but indeed I DO have the letters behind my name to make that (horror of horrors!) ass-essment and decades of experience to back it up. I have time on mah side, baby and after spending the better part of several decades with people whose job description is succinctly described as "I kill people for a living," I'm well versed in the various forms of asshattery people assume to cover their lack of conscience.
Tim, the simple reason why you're allegedly not cheating now is you can't afford to unless you wanna pay for it. Upfront, cash, credit card "will do nicely thank you. Would you like to see me do the shimmy again?" (Props to Tina Turner, "Private Dancer.") If you were ever hawt, now you're not. Twenty years puts you solidly in the demographic of: On the downward slide of middle age, not quite yet to decrepitude but working on it. Simply put, your opportunities have become far more limited numerically. In view of your age you damn well better ante up more for your 401k and pay off the vacation home and the only way you could figure out to to achieve that is to become a snake oil peddler. You pay yourself for telling people, very vulnerable people not only what they wanna hear but by dumping the responsibility for someone else's morally and ethically bankrupt choices on the victim. That dawg don't hunt in my world.
There are some behaviors that are simply wrong. Period. The people who have engaged in these behaviors KNOW they're wrong. How do we know that? Oh, what a thorny academic question, let's ponder deeply what a 5 yr. old already damn well knows: If ya gotta hide what you're doing, you KNOW IT'S WRONG. Full Stop. Considering you're suppose to evolve (along with Individuate) even further morally from your five year old self, you're a pre-school Head Start flunk out. Congratulations. Don't you dare sit there and tell me "I didn't kill anyone." Yes, you did. Infidelity like suicide always kills at least two. I deal wth people who have enough of a conscience that when left to their own devices (and sadly, many HAVE been) would kill themselves for the self-lacerating guilt they experience living with the after effects of what we might euphemistically call a "A Rather Robust Diplomatic Failure to Communicate."
Tim, sell as much hopium and bulk shit as ya can. If you weren't so transparently hiding in plain sight (and thus illuminating the military definition of "Stealth") you'd be walking up and down 7th Ave. sporting a sandwich board that says "Slippery When Wet, Greasy when Dry" for Col. Sanders Chicken Fry. One quick read of your excuses and a 5 yr. old could determine you're a couple French fries short of a small, oily gas bag.
And make sure you tell em about the DARVO Special. Wouldn't want people to die for lack of self-flaeggelation.
" I'm well versed in the various forms of asshattery people assume to cover their lack of conscience."
Just love your entire post TW. You nailed it.
Damn TW. You are my idol. PS: What is DARVO?
It's an acronym for: Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender.
This is a tactic used by abusers to turn the tables on their victims. "I don't spend too much time golfing with Schmoopie. I'm not the one who never wants to go out. You're the one who spends all her time taking care of the kids…"
It's a form of blame shifting and gaslighting. Abusive and manipulative.
DancesWithMeh says
TW, your assessment even more brilliant TGIF not CL's.
Thanks for putting this self-important, over-the-hill has-bag in his place.
That was supposed to read "more brilliant than CL's". I think my autocorrect is a cheater too!
pregnant chump says
I was recently having a conversation with my mum who was married to my serial cheating father until he left for his last OW. This was 16 years ago and he is now married to OW. He has basically told my mum that the only reason he hasn't cheated on OW is because he is old and no one would want him now. As well as the fact that she has no children and does everything for him.
Haha love love love it TW!
LMAO !
You rock TW!
OneStuckChump says
This is the best thing I have ever read on the internet. I am crying happy, healing tears from laughing so hard. And trust me, I have read A LOT on the internet!!
JC says
CL's best point, IMO, is that we ALL left room for grace.
I gave my wife multiple chances to be graceful, do the right thing, and recommit to the marriage. To "encourage" her to do this (back when I mistakenly believed that I could control someone else's actions), I pick-me danced like crazy. I also attended marriage counseling. I even left her once to "scare" her into seeing what she was giving up.
At every one of those decision points, of which there were several major ones and thousands of little ones, my wife chose to be graceless.
…And that's not the end of the story. As fellow chumps know, after I left my wife for good, she continued her lack of "grace," helping to destroy her AP's engagement and marriage…all while asking me for more chances and claiming she'd changed.
I wholeheartedly agree that there's ample available "room for grace" by cheaters: recommit, beg for your marriage, be humble and admit your mistakes and faults, don't blameshift, don't lie. Or, actually admit that you are not capable of being faithful to your chosen spouse and therefore must divorce openly and honestly.
The room for grace is right there, staring cheaters in the face. My ex wife avoided that room at all costs, as did 'most every cheater discussed on this site.
Free Vix says
This is exactly what jumped out at me, too. I gave my ex Olympic pools full of grace, and he squandered every drop. And yet the RIC holds no expectation that the cheater should ever have to act with grace themselves, only the Chump. My ex offered me not an ounce of grace for the years of perceived wrongs he believed I committed against him. (How dare I ask for help or expect him to use words when discussing important subjects.) While I offered him grace time after time, he instead kept score and exacted revenge.
There is no room for grace when it is not valued by the cheater. There is no room for grace when the cheater refuses to act with it. There is no room for grace when it is used to manipulate rather than to heal.
I have good friends who are a unicorn couple. Like most chumps, he offered grace. It only matters now because she valued it, worked hard on personal change, and acted with grace in return. This is where most cheaters fall short. They expect all things for themselves, and usually refuse to act with reciprocity.
So go stuff it, Tim.
Skinwalker says
FreeVix,
There are a lot of great posts, but this one really spoke to me!
>>>There is no room for grace when it is not valued by the cheater. There is no room for grace when the cheater refuses to act with it. There is no room for grace when it is used to manipulate rather than to heal.<<<
Yes! I took a screenshot for posterity!
A survivor says
There is an article at salon.com titled the secret family I hid from my wife. If ever an article that needed to be put through the UBT, it is this one. This guy has the audacity to try to get his wife to return to the workforce so that he could support his mistress and love child they so badly wanted. I would link it, but I don't know how. Could someone please get this one to chumplady?
http://www.salon.com/2011/04/12/secret_family/
And I think these quotes will give a pretty good indication of the author's morality and character:
"So, I decided to marry the girl I was dating. She was no better or worse than the scores of other girlfriends, whose names I have long forgotten and whose faces I cannot remember. I guess marriage to me was like musical chairs — when the music stopped, I married the one left standing."
"I grew up in the U.K., and though I moved to the States, I never much cared for American women. I found them too materialistic and emotionally needy, spiritually warped by commercial television." [cuz we're all the same, dontchaknow?]
"[OW's] Her friends, weaned on the cheap morality of tabloid TV and glossy magazines, believed there was no greater crime than a man cheating on his wife."
NWBiblio says
Yeah, it's definitely the tabloid TV and glossy magazines that make cheating a bad thing. Definitely.
Exactly. Blame People magazine.
Signed, your materialistic, emotionally needy, spiritually warped American friend ; )
Wow, this is horrible. Yea, blame it on "reality" you delusional psychopath.
Some credentials he boasts: PJ McDowell is the pen name of an East Coast writer and blogger. He has four children and two estranged partners.
Whoa, just found this little nugget from the salon article, with denial, projection, rationalization, DARVO all rolled into one:
"But the most important rule for me was that I would never hurt my kids. Many times Lisa and I had rued how society insists if a partner is unfaithful, the next stop is the attorney. That's whom my wife would call if I told her. Why, we asked, could grown-ups not just agree the magic was gone and find others to fill that emotional need but still keep the family together? The truly selfish act wasn't infidelity; it was putting your own hurt and sense of betrayal before the children's interests. Kids need the reassurance of stability. I'd seen statistics that children from broken homes show higher rates of drug use, psychological and other emotional issues. Wasn't I taking the ethical road — putting my desires and dreams second, even if others disapproved, even if it meant Lisa and I only got to see each other a few days during the month?"
In other words, his WIFE would be the selfish one for divorcing him due to an affair, and "putting [her] own sense of betrayal before the children's interests?" There are some people lightning bolts should hit just on principle.
This kind of logic astounds me. Several months ago, I read an article about a man who had been married for years. The marriage had gotten progressively worse. They tried counseling, but to no avail. Both spouses were miserable, though neither cheated. In the article, he claimed that she eventually became emotionally abusive, and they were both miserable. Though the thought was that they would stay for the kids, it became apparent that simply was not the appropriate choice. So, he finally left and filed for divorce, and his wife told all of their friends and family that he was a "bastard." In the article, he said that in his opinion, it is the men who are miserable in marriages, yet stay for their kids, and become serial cheaters to cope with their unhappiness that are the bastards. An interesting thought…..
Yeah no. We didn't have kids. He wasn't staying for the kids. He was staying so he could have lots and lots of kibbles from different sources.
What I'm finding, when I have discussions with chumps, is a lot were similar to my marriage. The cheater continually set up situations to make the chump angry and then the cheater could claim being unhappy because of a miserable marriage.
And the situations were sometimes big, but often small things that just added up and up. Example, chump asks cheater to do something to help with the house. Cheater doesn't do it. Chump asks again, cheater does it but wrong. Chump does it his/herself. Next time, chump ask once, twice, third time it gets done but wrong. Chump has to pick up the pieces. Chump gets angry. Cheater is hurt! "I can't do anything right to make you happy!"
Wash, rinse, repeat. Over and over. Now Cheater is justified in their cheating. Their SO can never be happy! They give and give and give and get nothing but anger in response.
So true. I got up on Sunday morning to the smell of coffee brewing, he didn't drink coffee so that was a treat. Only problem? He neglected to put a paper filter in the coffeemaker, so I had an overflowing mess of hot, undrinkable "coffee" on the counter, dripping on the floor, and a coffeemaker I had to completely disassemble to clean out. Took 1/2 an hour to clean up the mess; fine way to start an early Sunday.
And, did he apologize – offer to clean up or at least help? Nope. He sat with the TV on, computer in his lap, and moaned about "losing all his husband points because he never does anything right" and how he could never please me despite his best efforts and he'd stay out of the kitchen forever now. Like he ever helped before.
It was just one more log on the fire of "She's NEVER happy with anything I do and she thinks I'm stupid!"
This could've happened between me and Ex-Hole! Well, he would've said he was sorry. But he said it like a robot, with no sincerity behind it. He said he was sorry the exact same way, whether is was "forgetting" to get something at the store or cheating.
Soldiering On says
Oh, barf. I couldn't read more than a couple of paragraphs before I had to quit. What a smarmy bastid (as the fully evolved Brits would say as they're screwing around on their perfect spouses.)
I made it to the end.
Congratulations "PJ McDipshit" You have four children and two estranged partners-don't you sound like a catch ?
Oh, but he has his memories. That makes it all okay.
::eyeroll::
Straight from the mouth of a cheater. Yeah, Tim that's what she said. "He will never cheat on ME." Personally, I do believe 'once a cheater always a cheater'. And the reformed cheater narrative? First this comment blames the innocent spouse. I only cheated on HER. The luck cunt gets the new improved pedestal of my wonderfulness. Secondly, your evidence is supported by former cheaters/predators?
Hey, Tim when I say Grace every night I thank the lord for all the blessings in my life. That would be my cheater free life.
Chump Lady, I can't thank you and the mighty chumps enough for saving my life.
And Tim, I give you '0' stars for your cheater 'vulnerabilities' bullshit. Straight out of the cheater's handbook. Sad, sad, sausage.
He speaks often of "affair fog", so there is a built in 'get out of jail free' card for all cheaters. While he does encourage no contact, it is to give space to the cheater to allow them to figure out what they want. So basically, don't hound them into staying with you.
He believes that the chump must provide full forgiveness, which means not requiring any form of restitution if you do accept the cheater back. Well, really – if the cheater decides to 'pick you' instead of the affair partner.
He is a Jesus Cheater and was working for a church at the time of his cheating. He admits to lying to his ex-wife and children for years even after d-day. He said the relationship had ended when he was still actively seeing the whore and claiming to have been 'restored'. So, why we are supposed to believe him now is crazy.
I belonged to his site early after d-day because he was saying what I wanted to hear – that marriages could survive. When I found out he was a cheater, I went back through all of his blogs and writings and saw the craziness of it all.
These losers come out of that affair fog pretty quickly when you apply consequences to them, and throw their asses out. No more affair, no more fog.
Scenario one: driver A runs his car into the back of Driver B's car on a foggy day.
Scenario two: driver A runs his car into the back of Driver B's car on a clear day.
I'm pretty sure the cars are wrecked in both scenarios.
GonnaBeOK says
I'm at work so this is going to be short.
Gave him grace and he gave me another kick in the teeth: another woman yet again plus Craigslist meeting with a garter belt wearing man at Red Roof Inn.
Gosh, maybe I just don't know how to give grace properly. My bad.
beenchumped says
MY first d-day was 9 years before MY 2nd d-day. In reality my 1st was his 4 long term affair, and who knows how many strangers in hotel lobbies at "work" conferences and trade shows (he traveled constantly; (now I know some was for work and some was for his "hobby."). There were also hooker(s?) in Las Vegas trade shows. Between MY 1st and 2nd d-day there were more and more of the same. My "grace" (I call stupidity) cost me 9 more years of my life, 9 more years of lost career and money making potential (which I could really fucking use now that I'm a single mom w/ 3 jobs. returning to work after being a sahm for 18 years. I made more money and outranked him when I quit to halp him feel like a manly provider. I had a personal secretary; now I basically am a secretary. That "grace" fucked me over. It cost me my heart, sanity, happiness and years of my life. It cost my childrens' ability to have moved on and given them a non raging, actually home occasionally, loving, good example of a man, stepfather.
This "review" by a cheater really hits a hot button with me! This POS therapist is out there costing other chumps years of their lives to under the guise of grace. What sad, vulnerable, new chump who feels like yesterday's unworthy garbage wants to say, " yeah, on top of being unsexy, unattractive, dumb for not knowing what was going on in front me, I feel like hell and I think being hot by a truck must feel better than this. Oh, and guess what?! I also am such a loser I have no grace.
No one in that seat needs to be told they have no grace! They are already looking at pulling the plug on their kids' whole world and in my case, their kids' financial security as well. They feel as low as a person can feel. Ugh! This Tim guy SUCKS!
Nigella says
Grrr, thanks for decoding that review Chumplady. Most of us on here, I don't doubt, left ample room for "grace" – whatever precisely that may be.
For me "grace" meant being willing to believe that there was a future with my lying, cheating horror show of a husband. It meant sitting through ghastly counselling sessions, where somehow I seemed to be to blame for his cake-eating habit. It meant over-coming my physical revulsion and sharing a bed with him again. It meant not telling all our friends and family immediately what an utter arsehole he was to try and preserve some chance of 'making a go of it'. I managed that state of "grace" for one awful year. What a TOTAL waste of my time. What a horribly, humiliating year of private stress and grief.
Where was his "grace" for me? Blame shifting bastard didn't show me any at all.
Got-a-brain says
In my own experience, hypocritical Christian cheaters are full of expected "grace" … or maybe it's simply entitlement wrapped in the words of religion (because grace is something extended to someone else, not demanded of them). Chew on that little nugget Tim. In the words of CL, how exactly is my "grace score" calculated?
10 (years of obsessive porn use)
+5 (years of hook-up sites, church interventions and extended "grace")
+1 (affair with stripper 20 years his junior) + 4 (years false reconciliation)
+ 1X (variable number of escort services contacted [phone bills and google are a chumps friend]… and 1 text message negotiating and sealing the deal with time, cost, and location of sex).
+ X (variable number of times cheater had STD testing and failed to mention, hey… I might be putting you at risk. But hey, I'll play Russian roulette with your health and hope you don't get a bullet in the chamber).
I'd say anyone who's score is over 1 (which IMHO is way too high a score) has passed the "grace test". Guess who deserves a chumps grace? A chump! Yes Tim, grace placed appropriately is lacking, because as the name "Chump" suggests, way too much grace is misappropriated to cheaters. All these warm and fuzzy words… "grace, forgiveness, healing, vulnerability, respect" , those things that are assessed as the end all be all of a marriage… yes it's true, it is the "end all" once a chump learns to extend those things to themselves. The marriage the cheater attempted to murder, hanging by a thread in the ICU, becomes just another death statistic. At some point you have to realize there is just nothing more you can do besides save yourself, by extending yourself some grace!
My grace score…. ? %
Tim, here's something I've learned from being part of CN: 1- Don't listen to relationship advice from someone who derives their income from being part of the Wreakonciliation Industry; they care more about earning money then they do about a Chump's personal wellbeing. Afterall, their livelihood depends on "fixing marriages" not fixing people. 2- Don't listen to relationship advice from a Cheater; they've already shown their needs are paramount over everything else. 3- NEVER, EVER listen to relationship advice from cheater who is part of the Wreakonciliation Industry. They may sugarcoat it a little like you tried to do, Tim, but in the end it still comes down to the Chump eating a giant candy coated (GRACE) shit sandwich.
How many of us found the truth of Chump Nation difficult to swallow at first? Tim did that rating to boost his own.
I hope grace kicks him in the ass.
Hey, a long time ago I worked in a small office where the bosses found out the bookkeeper had been embezzling. The bookkeeper apparently had a secret "vulnerability" of lots of gambling debt. The day the bosses found out the bookkeeper had been stealing, they fired him and told him to put his personal items in a cardboard box and get out of the office then and there. The fact that the bookkeeper wasn't a thief many other times that he had the opportunity to steal, didn't compel the bosses to show "grace" and consider the vulnerability and many life issues of the embezzler.
"The unfaithful spouse had a multitude of other choices they could have made, but understanding the various influences at play in a person's life is necessary for healing, whether or not the marriage survives. Many cheaters did not choose to cheat before, even when there was an opportunity to do so. It's important to gain insight into the vulnerabilities at play so that appropriate changes can be made and necessary boundaries established. Only then can there be a secure return to trustworthiness."
Wait what? Necessary boundaries??? Like . . . don't fuck other people? Was I supposed to say that out loud so he'd understand what fidelity meant?
So much word salad. I'm still trying to understand just what the fuck this means, but I'm clear that I needed to gain insight into "the vulnerabilities at play" here so I can understand why my X stuck his penis in a vagina that didn't belong to me. Turns out, there were multiple other vaginas. Had I untangled the various vulnerabilities, we might still be together today!
I"m thinking that the marriage ceremony itself is supposed to establish the "necessary boundaries" of not having sex or been emotionally intimate with other people in ways that threaten the marriage and expose the marital partner to all sorts of pain and risk.
That's what I thought too!
"Many cheaters did not choose to cheat before, even when there was an opportunity to do so."
Sounds like a bitch cookie!
"Look at all the times I could have fucked around on you but I DIDN'T See!? See how good I am!?"
Bitch cookie! 😀
HA! Thought the exact same thing! Here's your bitch cookie, Tim! Go choke on it!
What motivates a therapist to promote grace as a response to being betrayed in the most intimate possible way? He's a cheater, that's what.
That is not a thing
MONEY! I believe these cheater therapists are losing ground ($$$) with their reconciliation con. What does every naive chump want more than anything? To believe there is hope. It's outdated to sell snake oil. He's selling hopium pipes. Another con artist justifying his actions manipulating innocents.
His name is Tim Tedder. He is a member of the RIC. His bio says he's been an MC for 25 years. His review says he cheated 20 years ago, so he was 'helping' marriages while he blew up his own…
Tim's site is: http://www.affairhealing.com/
Here is the podcast with his children mentioned above: http://www.affairhealing.com/podcast107.html
Hey CN… a couple things occcurred to me here…
Since he's quite willing to post a 4 star review on a book intended for chumps, and then try to manipulate said chumps back into further abuse on behalf of his fellow cheaters, isn't turnabout fair play?
I'd just love to forever link this guy's site to chumplady, as a warning to other chumps that they may wish to check out other resources that don't promote staying in an abusive relationship.
I say we review his website also, from a chump perspective.
Thanks for posting his info, Dat.
His posting a four star review was motivated by his need to gain centrality and to manipulate chumps, in my opinion. Fifteen million and growing strong scares Tiny Tim Timid forest creature. He posted the four stars to promote his lame reconciliation cheater speak word salad. He wants the hits for self promotion. The best way to handle a narcissist asshole is to IGNORE. We've got his attention why not leave him to his own demise. No Contact really works.
Instead of giving him hits on his site, lets all write our own review of CL's book?
Self-promoting much, Tim? Thinking others will go looking for you, hopium dealer? Trust that you suck.
Do we know for certain these Tims are one and the same person?
Yes, it is the same person, easy to find his last name. I just clicked his name on Amazon and read his other reviews. He signed his full name to the previous book review of another marriage book.
This guy has just posted an epic ad for the type of "therapist" one does NOT want to experience as a chump. These are the ones that help keep you in limbo and blaming yourself for everything the cheater did wrong for YEARS, and keep you trapped in a bad marriage.
Was I reading this wrong, or did this particular "therapist" use his own cheating as an example of how cheaters can "recover"? Sheesh, no wonder he wants "grace"… he probably needs kibble supply himself!
Thank you for standing up for us once again, CL.
Oh, Tim is just trolling for attention from Chump Nation and CL's readers. "See here, I gave her 4 stars. Come over here and see how you can indeed save your marriage or at least hang out and build my readership because…
It's all about me."
And thanks to everyone who exposed the game he's playing. Don't click on his links. We need to be "no contact…"
Chumpfree says
I love your name. It cracks me up every time I see your posts.
Oops, too late for most of us to 'benefit' from RIC advice. Thank goodness.
So Tim is a cheater. That means Tim's review of Chump Lady's book was all about him.
I wonder what his wife would say? Has 20 years been enough to wipe the images of her husband with another woman from her mind? Has she ever really stopped playing marriage police? Does her eye twitch when they talk anything that came from 'those times'?
Tim, you wanna show us a thing or two about grace? Give your wife a very generous postnup already.
KarenE says
I have come to think that all cheaters who feel bad about what they've done and want to do better DO deserve another chance.
In their NEXT relationship.
Cheating, along w/physical violence, financial dishonesty and other forms of abuse, should be 'one and done'.
Then if the abuser does the therapy, works on themself, makes that huge effort to be better? Good for them!!!! But not the Chump's job to stick around for that, stuffing their own needs and hurt.
Of course, I don't believe most cheaters, especially the long-term or repeat ones, will EVER do that. But hey! If there really are exceptions, good for them!
Yep. I have come to realize I was just a practice marriage for XH, just a springboard to launch himself off into his real life with OW.
ChumptyDumpty says
Yep, pegged him as a cheater a few words in.
Reluctant mini-kudos for admitting it. But Giant f.u.-dos for failing to express remorse, regret, or any other "Grace" for his own Chump(s?).
Just another blameshifter tooting his own horn.
Eh, Timmy? Can't hear ya over the Chump Nation Drums.
WifeOfKingTantalus says
I gave my cheating STBX husband grace… in addition to love, forgiveness, and patience for over two years. What did he do? He abused me, degraded me, blamed me, lied to me, and then cheated on me again. The first time with a married scumbag with two young children. This time with a woman he met on Tinder and a prostitute. It was a waste of grace. A waste of fucking grace. There's no guarantee that grace will work. How many years do we need to waste on providing grace to a selfish narcissistic cheating piece of egotistical garbage? He told me a few days ago that I did it to myself. Had I listened to his simple requests to "have a dark tan all year, get tattooed, dress like a whore, cook dinner in a garter and heels" (plus 100 other "simple" requests) that I would have kept his attention. (and might i note: I work full time and he had a home cooked meal ready every day when he came home. Sometimes while I still had my suit and heels on. After running back and forth between my garden and the stove for herbs and vegetables. But without the garter belt and hooker heels I was undeserving of a hello or a kiss when he walked in.) I am not what he tells me I am. I am an educated woman with an MBA that takes pride in her appearance and gave 100% to her marriage. I agree with the others… our beautiful grace is wasted on an entitled man. I now have two years of DV and ptsd to try to overcome. CL has been my saving grace and has kept me alive.
FMT says
Your ex is a complete dipshit.
No really. ((hugs))
What a douche, does he live in soft porn land.
Take comfort in the fact he will never have anyone as awesome as you again and you will keep rocking your own world.
For what it's worth, my therapist LOVED Chumplady's advice. When we had concluded our sessions, he told me to keep reading her blog.
When Tim speaks of "unique vulnerabilities", I think that's where victim blaming comes in. "Oh, Sally wouldn't have cheated on you John, if you would have met her unexpressed needs. John, let's discuss your part in the failure in your marriage to Sally."
And a therapist that was a cheater? That's a bit scary. Should we send victims of domestic violence to counseling with "former" wife/husband beaters?
Agree about the victim blaming. That's the maggoty shit sandwich of unexpressed needs I was repeatedly served in marriage counselling.
GladIt'sOver says
I extended so much "grace" to my cheating ex, I'm surprised I don't have a halo shining over my head. You know what all that grace got me? Ever-increasing emotional abuse, being majorly screwed financially, and a case of PTSD. As far as he was concerned, "grace" simply meant I was a doormat who really wouldn't take drastic action no matter how much he cheated. Thank God I finally got the cajones to go ahead and divorce that freak.
Fuck grace. If the cheater ever GENUINELY changes and wants to make amends, they can look you up after the divorce, IMHO.
"Many cheaters did not choose to cheat before, even when there was an opportunity to do so," says Mr. Cheating MC Tim.
I can see attorneys using this excellent defense: "Your honor, my client didn't murder/rape/abuse children before, even when there was an opportunity to do so. Please extend him grace, instead of justice, because of this magnanimous goodness. You'll be a better person for doing so."
anewwoman says
This was the funniest line from the review. "Well, he didn't do it before so…. He didn't fuck EVERY woman he's ever met." Here's your gold star sticker!
IF any of you would care to leave your comments about Tim's comments on Tracy's book, you can do so at this Link:
You can also leave comments on his Facebook page:
https://m.facebook.com/pg/findhealing/posts/?ref=page_internal&mt_nav=1#!/pg/findhealing/posts/?ref=page_internal&mt_nav=1
It occurs to me that it might be useful to chumps to have a choice presented to them based on experience from chumps, rather than this cheater.
Thank you; that is the evidence we needed that they are one and the same 'Tim.'
Another quote from the review that struck me, "There so much I love about this book, but I would not recommend it to someone who has just found out about their spouse's affair any more than I would recommend a "You Must Save Your Marriage" book. Wise balance is needed."
BALANCE? What the fuck balance did any of us have right after discovering our partners were cheating on us? My preference (were it not illegal) would be to kidnap each and every newly-minted chump and not let them out until they had read CL's book. Then we would perform a ceremonial burning of RIC books, send the chump home with a good lawyer recommendation and a flashdrive to copy evidence.
Sorry, didn't see your post when I posted mine later down!
I love this so much Chump Lady!!! I love that you totally destroyed his fluffy fluff piece….written by a former cheater. No wonder he is miffed by the "no grace for cheaters but save it for yourself" message.
Also, it feels so great to have someone defend my honor, my justice, my grace, my future, the grace I already offered.
Thank you Chump Lady.
Shut up Tim.
I think Chumps don't need to worry so much about finding grace for their cheater. We need it more for ourselves.
absolutely. 100% agree Lyn.
DesertGuy, above, already neatly dispatched with Tim's flippant use of the word "grace," which, in its true form, packs profound meaning. So I won't get into my original intent, which was to try to figure out what HE means by "grace," since it differs so much from what I know the word to signify.
But I will say this: Three years. It's been three years for me since Dday, and I think I *have* achieved some level of "grace" around the whole situation, seeing things a bit from XH's perspective (I was fortunate and did not have a serial cheater but instead a runaway husband/exit-affair situation). On some level, I actually feel bad for him, how it all ended, due to his bad behavior, impatience, and lack of self-control. That, to me, is a form of grace: making room in my heart to allow for his human weaknesses.
But I could NEVER have done that at the time of Dday. Never. And CL's book is not for those of us who are several years down the road of recovery but instead for those chumps who are still wrestling with "what to do, what to do, what to do???" and that needs to focus entirely on the chump. We all know we chumps have to be taught and validated that it's OKAY for us to think of ourselves first for once. We give and we give and we give, until when it's time to secure the oxygen mask over our own faces, we haven't the strength left to do so.
This is what Tim is asking of us chumps (and of CL's book): for just that last scrap of food from our plates, that last breath of oxygen … give THAT to the cheater, go ahead, just give it over. At a time when our very lives and hearts and minds are under siege, we are also expected to have "grace." Maybe later, but not at the time, no.
(Addendum: This having been said, I have no interest — grace or no — in having any sort of relationship with XH [we have no kids], and if he walked in front of my car today, I do think I would still have to work really hard not to run him over. That's as "grace"y as I'm likely to ever be about this whole thing.)
"This is what Tim is asking of us chumps (and of CL's book): for just that last scrap of food from our plates, that last breath of oxygen … give THAT to the cheater, go ahead, just give it over."
This is stated perfectly.
Hmph. I'm a therapist and I don't see the numbers he's describing. Most of the couples I've treated for this, I am pretty much hoping will just break up, because it's so clear their relationship is fuct. I have *rarely* seen a real unicorn, not never, but then, I also don't do follow-up studies after I get people out of crisis. In my personal life, knowing many, many chumps? I don't know ONE SINGLE person who claims their marriage is better after infidelity. I do know many who left their cheater and went on to a marry a much more fabulous person, however.
Take that, TIM.
K, it is so wonderful to hear from a therapist. I'm gonna keep an eye out for your comments 🙂
Thank you for posting that link Tempest. Even if Chumplady does not use it, it might be useful for people like Tim to see the things people are not telling him. For example, I married my wife so I would not have to raise my siblings child. Or, now that I have to chose between overtime and spending more time with my goddess and our perfect love child, time for the wifey to return to work so she can unknowingly support them both. I know that the terms narcissist and sociopath are flung around lightly by everybody these days, but I am pretty sure this guy is both. I couldn't take the kind of crap you guys write about. I drive myself crazy worrying about my chump.
The author of that piece absolutely has a Cluster B personality disorder.
Ciaobella says
The first time the ex had an affair, 7 years into the marriage, he claimed it was a one time thing & it would never happen again. I believed him. My mother thought I was nuts. 10 years & 3 kids later, guess what? He met a hideous woman on social media & they fell in "love". The only grace Mr. Cantkeephisdickinhispants gets from me is that he's lucky I didn't beat the shit out of him.
What is it with the 10 year thing? A few others have posted this and the exasshole also did this. Does it just take them 10 years to get sloppy enough to be caught?
Smurfette says
Per reviewer Tim, "Many cheaters did not choose to cheat before, even when there was an opportunity to do so."
Wow! Should we start the applause now and distribute awards to these noble humans who resisted such an ample buffet of previous temptation?
My STBXH (a former radio deejay) had the audacity to say a similar statement to me, "I should get CREDIT for all of the years I didn't cheat! I had SO MANY opportunities! All of the other deejays were having sex with random listeners in the studio, but I never did!" He went on and on about all of the missed infidelity possibilities throughout our quarter century relationship when finally admitting to "one drunken mistake". (Regarding that "one" encounter of cheating, please note that as more evidence has come forth. the timeline of his cheating continues to recede back even further than his diminishing hairline! He has only admitted to one Schmoopie so far. When I questioned him about another particular suspected affair partner, his response was, "Of course not! She's fat!" So apparently our marriage vows had no impact on that decision! Guess I should feel lucky that she is "fat"!)
Yep, they always want a bitch cookie…
The best way to resist temptation is to avoid it. Clearly this guy didn't do that if he spent so much time resisting it. STBX had the same problem. Before he cheated he spent years seeking temptation.
Keepin'Calm says
Amazing post, CL! Love it, love it! I don't want to feel guilty for not giving my ex a chance (he didn't want it anyway) or looking back on my marriage and thinking, "If only I'd done this, maybe he wouldn't have cheated." Nope. It was 100% his decision. Not my fault AT ALL.
Thank you for doing what you do.
aFOOLforLOVE..noMORE says
Right on sister!!! I've read for the last six months and finally decided to post after reading your response… CL you are the best!!
rickb89 says
My example of giving grace was a two year in-house separation, and then when I kicked her out, 3 more years of separation with me as a single parent.
The ENTIRE time she was sleeping with my cousin.
Fuck that, grace for a cheater sucks ass. Tim sucks ass too.
My advice = strike first, strike hard, no mercy sensei!
I called the author out, but wanted to show that he isn't really 'hiding'. He put up a public blog post, with a thumbnail of the book.
He replied. He WILL have the last word! What a schmuck!
FedupChump says
I challenge Tim to read this blog spot. Reading story, after story and the similarities there of, perhaps he'll come to a more sound conclusion regarding the uniqueness of the cheater or situation at hand. We come from all walks of life, world wide, and though each of our lives are unique, one common denominator is the banality and indifference these cheaters have toward their betrayal.
That seems to be the recurring constant in all of our stories.
It validates the theory that the issue at hand isn't the cheating but a sense of empathy which these cheaters are severely lacking.
If you go to the website "Out of the FOG", you'll find that many of the traits you see in the disordered on their site, matches unequivocally with the cheaters on this blog spot.
You will also note that there is not much that can be done with these individuals as their disorder lies within their personality; the very essence of who they are. Medications aren't going to reform a cheater any more than putting air in a flat tire is going to patch up the gaping hole that caused it.
Aeronaut says
I suspect we could condense Tim's review down to this:
"Cheating is bad, but there are unicorns out there, I've seen them. Marriages can work after infidelity."
The question I'd have is this – of those marriages that were saved by counseling, how many of them lasted another ten years? How about ten years with no more cheating? How many of those chumps can honestly say "My cheater has been a saint since our counseling, takes great care of me and my emotional state, contributes to our family, and I'm lucky to be married to him/her." I'd bet not many.
The issue is that cheating usually isn't the disease, it's a symptom. The disease is entitlement and narcissism, the notion that me doing what I want to be happy is more important than keeping my word, valuing my family, and not hurting those closest to me. And if the cheating stops, the entitlement and narcissism is still present, and will either manifest itself in other ways, like cheating again, or doing something else equally offensive to the chump and family.
Any therapists out there ever had an entitled narcissist in therapy and got them to see the error of their ways, changing them into a considerate and selfless person? Now that's a unicorn, not some pony that Tim stapled a cardboard horn onto.
Hugs. Strength. Peace.
Hey Aeronaut — did you see the part about Tim blameshifting the wife he cheated on? Destroyed her emotionally? Left her for the OW. That marriage wasn't saved. He destroyed it.
You raise good questions about reconciliations (above) — like: Did it last? How long? What was the quality of the marriage?
That's a good point too about the cheating being a symptom.
So here's my question: can cheating make someone happy?
My dad is a serial cheater … never happy, even when marriages ended and he moved on with one of the side pieces. Still not happy, but declining with age — so, as he told my STBX last year: "I just don't have the energy to do that stuff anymore."
My mom cheated on her current husband (an asshole, child abuser) with two men, one of whom was younger than me. Nope — she's not happy.
My STBX serial-cheated his way through our marriage. I kicked him out and he's swimming in the sadz.
If cheating makes people happy for longer than it takes to have sex, I have yet to see it.
My conclusion (even as a child): Why in the HELL get married at all? A vow is kind of like a promise on speed — and even little kids know it's bad to break a promise. Egads. Some people really suck.
Why do these cheaters want or think they are entitled to "Grace"? Because they are in the driver's seat. If they don't like your demands for repentance, they have another option (Schmoopie) so they get to call the shots. The best defense is to let Schmoopie have him/her. Then Cheater is stuck with a bad mistake.
Fireball says
Thanks CL for "enlightening" Tim, A Typical cheater wanting to always clear his name and not look like the dick that he is. He had some real balls to even comment on the reviews. Over ratting his own importance, NOBODY gives a shit what you think. Chumps really never recover.
GRACE is a gift and chumps get to decide if they want to extend that gift. It is also ABUSED by counselors who like the shared responsibility label. The cheaters are rarely held accountable. I was a FOOL that extended GRACE to a Jesus cheater for 31 years. It got me nothing and nowhere!
My divorce was final over a year ago and I regret all the years I wasted grace on him. WHY ???? All I got was a severely addicted porn addict (which he hid 30 yrs) liar, serial cheater, broken heart, broken family, disordered man with distorted thinking that thought I was like GOD and would continue to extend grace and forgiveness to him like it was my duty. He CHOOSE his life and behaviors. He is a GRACE ABUSER. Cheaters SUCK and NEVER change. That is their character!
Living now in the land of Meh ~~
BTW, my xh LIED to every single therapist he went to. He had accountability partners, christian counselors, secular counselors,his parents are ministers, he talked with many people about his cheating but never revealed to anyone that he had been addicted to porn for 50 years. SECRETS make you SICK! He would not change fro save his live. Therefore being the coward that he is, he waited me out to file for divorce, leaving behind a beautiful family and life that we had built for over 3 decades. I don't mind being alone, its much better than living a lie!
Grace??? Are you f …kidding me? Cheaters cheat, and I have yet to see a reformed cheater. Cheaters never assume the responsibility for their actions, and that is a fact. They always have to try to find fault with chumps, always. Just over it. Your book CL is great! It calls a spade a spade, none of this new-agey pseudo philosophy, and thankfully no suggestion of yoga or meditation (all good, but certainly not the cure all). It's plain and simple a cheater does not love you or your kids, no space for anybody but himself and his instant gratification. To hell with them. So yeah, your book for me was the wake up call I needed. And I am grateful for it. Forgiveness is overrated!
Onwards says
DD1 Gave him grace (shame on him)
DD2 decided giving him grace would be shame on me.
Now I seek Tuesday. They say that
"Tuesday's child is full of grace"
May they be mighty with grace for themselves
PS 'that 'Tim' should be on some register of toxic cheaters for chumps to avoid.
"What makes chumps chumps is having spent entire relationships being lopsidedly, slavishly devoted to cheaters' wants, needs, and potential."
POTENTIAL — I saw his potential, which I supported and nurtured, at the expense of my own career. He saw inequity in our relationship and instead of acknowledging my support, felt EMASCULATED and fed his low self-esteem with affairs. All the while not wanting to give up the LIFESTYLE he enjoyed that was dependent on my income.
When I asked him in MC why he picked me, he said "because you were successful." And when I asked him why he had a child with me he said "because I thought you would leave me." I regret not processing those statements and recognizing the narcissistic man I married. I bought into the reconciliation fallacy and wasted another 5 years of my life until I discovered yet another affair.
This time it was "true love." Yet when I asked him what his plan was, he said he didn't have one. He was just going to carry on his double life and possibly ask for a divorce after our daughter went to college — after he was done using me.
A year and a half later and the affair is still going strong — he's latched himself onto another high-income woman — which supports his elevated view of himself. It is a long distance relationship, but in the end, I expect history will repeat itself as he doesn't have the spine to address his underlying self-worth issues.
I am not clearly not at "meh" yet — I still feel anger — no, RAGE at the exploitation — and regret, for losing my prime adult years to a life without real love and support.
At yet, I have glimpses of a future that is filled with laughter, light and love. Whether that turns out to be a series of relationships, or a long term committed relationship is yet to be seen. But I welcome a new life built on honesty and choose to have people in my life that show depth of character. And I thank those who have gathered around me to offer their love and support.
Diane Strickland says
My whole experience of leaving a cheater and gaining a life has been grace upon grace. His assumption that grace has to mean the happy ending that HE wants is just…well….what it always is….a feature of patriarchal entitlement. He doesn't get to decide whether my new life (which is sooooooooo much more wonderful that it's kind of stupid) is a witness to grace. He seems to have a limited capacity for discerning grace or understanding it. There's nothing for terrifying to this kind of guy than a woman who lives deeply and well as if her life is that precious. Period. IMO
yes Yes YES!!!!
…patriarchal entitlement….Thank you..
Not playing little woman anymore.
wrecked but alive. says
Bravo Tracey!!! Thank you for putting into words how so many of us feel.
Fuck Grace. It is over rated..
LiningUpDucks says
To me, it's not about giving grace to the cheater. You can give all the grace you want to the cheater. Even with a completely remorseful cheater, it might be a moot point, since the relationship might already be too damaged.
My takeaways from today's post:
1. Individual counseling is preferable to marriage counseling
2. If you are a chump, vet your individual counselor thoroughly. Try to find out if this person is divorced and, if so, was infidelity involved. If so, was this person the cheater or the chump. If the former, stay away or leave that counselor. I don't care if they are reformed or not. We don't have time or money to waste trying to figure it out.
I echo that recommendation, MissDeltaGirl. My counselor actually had the same thing happen to her – her husband cheated on her when she had a tiny baby. So she totally gets where I'm coming from, bless her. She's been in my corner from day one.
My favorite comments on Tim's sanctimonious review taken from Amazon:
er.Sephage4 hours ago
You've got a vested interest in compartmentalizing affairs by type, given your line of work. I think that you're therefore far overstating the percentage of truly remorseful cheating spouses.
Your review, while favorable, is self-serving. To that end, the author has dismantled your arguments quite adroitly at https://www.chumplady.com/2017/06/ubt-cheaters-grace/
Harvey B4 hours ago
As this review is from someone who committed adultery and behaved badly towards their spouse, naturally they are going to believe in "grace" and forgiveness. Maybe they should have the "grace" to accept that infidelity is usually unforgivable and accept it's actually the adulterers who need to work towards it, not the victims of their disgusting behavior and lack of self control?
Mama x 45 hours ago
One more thing, the only reason you aren't a cheater anymore is because you left your wife for your affair partner and are now married to her.
I especially love the one from Mama x, sums it up nicely!!!
Enraged says
One hell of a data set!
I liked most:
Four D-Days here, Tim. FOUR. What's my grace score?
Dude, there are no "unique vulnerabilities" at play. There are only so many ways to manipulate a person. Cheaters say the same stupid, banal shit.
I do think once a cheater, you've put a bullet in that relationship
Tim, consider our radical perspective here – that does NOT revolve around what the cheater wants, needs, or might become.
Chump Lady, your grace score is in the website stats! Millions!
"Does it MATTER? Are you going to preach "grace" to the guy with a shattered nose?"
Once again, victims are asked to forgive and forget. To that, I throw CL's beer I've been holding for her in Tim's fucking face. I'll buy her another.
Mama duck says quack quack says
"unique vulnerabilities" = the faithful spouse shares some (all) the blame for the cheating, drove them to cheat, unmet needs, same old, same old blame shifting, blame sharing lame ass talk. They are all the same and do not change their language, even when "reformed"???????????. WHAT THE FUCK???? That tells us they are indeed reformed. NOT.
I personally do know two guys who do not cheat anymore. Old age brought them limp, good for pee only dicks. Impotence does NOT mean reformed or faithfulness.
This Tim guy is an entitled narc. Compassion, forgiveness and grace for cheaters. Fuck all them "reformed" asses. Their "reform" can not, will not undo the damage in our souls, hearts, body, family, community … this people are so fucked up, do not even consider their victims. Where is the faithful spouse's compassion and grace Tim? Where? I so wish cheaters were still being stoned to death. It would be some kind of justice for their victms. It is not vengeance it is justice for their crimes. His review was a huge trigger for me, the ass hole told me that if I just forgive him the marriage can be fixed, for him of course, because it benefits him only. NO!!!!!!!!! FUCKING NO!!!! Fuck the forgiveness crowd.!!! I only forgive myself for staying married to him so long, for staying with him after the first betrayal (before marriage), I forgive myself for ignoring the red flags, for trusting so blindly . I have use for all my grace and forgiveness towards ME. This son of a bitch almost destroyed the children and I. Sorry for the rant. I'm sooooo pissed by this grace and forgiveness self serving talk . They're takers,want all that is good for themselves and give NOTHING but shit and contempt to others. Sorry again CN. I'm really pissed by this Tim guy and his crew. Thank you so much Tracy for not wavering . We love you, you understand.
Im asked for forgiveness and compassion,,,is that crickets I hear.
I forgive myself for being so naive and trusting. That line turns into 'she wouldnt forgive me and is bitter now'
Forgiveness means we go all soft and tender and they give us a little smirk and think shes all cool with it now, water under the bridge,, blah blah as mine calls it an 'episode'
Like someone said never forget the pain when it no longer hurts.
As for forGIVEness I choose to GIVE nothing to the undeserving.
forgot to add "unique vulnerabilities" also ="sex addiction". Cheater talk all the way.
'Grace' is a funny one for me in the course of my chumpdom. During the affair, and the height of the emotional torture, I was sitting round the dinner table with cheating ex and our two very young children. As I was eating, ex turned to me and said "you lack any kind of grace at all." Out of the blue, shot me down. Cheers, man.
Always remembered that. Perhaps I was eating too messily? Too quickly? I'd got spaghetti on my face? But given I was trying to feed a two year old and a six month old, I'll forgive myself for eating hastily.
I'm now happily eating without criticism. It's nice.
UnsinkableMollyXinAlabama says
BOOM! nailed it, Chump Lady!!!!
People like Tim just irk me so… I am neither Jesus nor an Ahlzheimers patient/victim — I will never forget either exhusbands betrayals (ex#2 arrived very quickly right after divorce #1, so I guess I could be a Double-Chump, or Chump-Squared, but whatever…), and the very idea of "forgiving" either is more of me getting to Meh-topia where I live… for exh#1, it came years ago, and as far as exh#2/the evil one goes, nah, I'll save it for a rainy day….
Not even willing to consider the idea of grace. My grade towards bith exh's is more of a "Good Karma" way of thinking. To me, I do not intentionally wish exh ill will or bad things happen to them… I just know they will, and I sit back in silent amusement when it does…at least to their faces, lol
I feel grace towards me, and the more grace I feel around me/towards me, the less that I desire to *make* bad things happen… I am all outta fucks about their lives
I have a long way to go still in some areas, but what I appreciate about my time alone is seeing them both for who and what they are. I am no longer their insurance provider, bill payer, cook, laundry maiden, housekeeper, sex apparatus, mood stabalizer, support network, etc. while I got next to nothing in return except lies, betrayal, emotional, financial, and verbal abuse…here in Alabama, child support is enforced, thankfully. He can't get away with shirking his responsibilities any longer…
Like today. Im negative in the bank, I fumes in my car's tank, a bad tooth and I have a narc boss that I'm desperately trying to get away from. Yet, as I lay here on my busted up couch, I am happy. Ive been cheater-free two years now and its a beautiful day in which I spent outside raking leaves. I have my children, my friends, my health, my sanity and peace…
Excellent post today, Tracy, standing ovation!!!
A PS now occurs to me: I have actually seen a small number of "unicorns" in clinical practice, and they did ALL the things that Tracy prescribed someone do if they are really sorry: seek counseling, be humble, and do whatever it takes to ease the chump's mind, including re-negotiating a post-nup. Considering I've seen literally hundreds of the latter type of cheater (not really sorry, def not humble, most likely will do it again, naugahyde remorse), the fact that the other type are less than a handful should tell you something. Also, I have no idea if any of those unicorns managed to maintain that status. Not all cheaters are narcissists, but in my experience, all narcs are cheaters.
I'm not sure blanket generalizations work either way; I've known several narcissists who were not cheaters (dated one before I dated Hannibal, and he had not been a cheater either in marriage or his subsequent relationships. Yes, I know to take what narcs say with a grain of salt, but feel fairly certain he was telling the truth). There's simply lots of overlap between the two categories.
Perrcival says
I read his review and thought it was a fair assessment of CL's style and my curiosity was peaked. I read several articles from his website and thought a lot of what he wrote made since when taken from the perspective of a Christian counselor. I've been reading CL's post for over 6 years now and have watched this blog grow from a small group to millions of views. When I first stumbled on it I was in extreme pain and confusion after discovering that what I thought was a happy and healthy marriage had been a total sham for half of our time together (17+ years at the time.) To me CL is a place that people should come to make sense of the insanity that comes with infidelity but not a place to linger and allow resentment and hatred to grow. Increasingly I've watched as dissenting voices are shouted down and bullied. There's no longer room for dialogue and there's a kind of orthodoxy that's taken hold here. It's not unique as I've seen the same thing on other blogs. In 6 years there's one thing I've learned – all that vitriol has it's place but after going through the stages of grief the only one it hurts in the end is ourselves. I'm not a Christian but I do believe you have to move on and that there is a place for forgiveness and grace for everyone. Still haven't personally reached MEH but I am beyond the anger…
Moving on, forgiving, and having grace are 3 completely different things. Some of us stay at CL to help those who are still in the throes of the pain and need support + examples that life does get better. And I don't think anger is necessarily a bad thing; it evolved for a reason and compels us to take action. Would this blog even exist if Tracy was not angry at the injustice of the Reconciliation Industrial Complex? Was Rosa Parks happy at the state of U.S. policy when she refused to give up her seat on the bus and helped spark a much-needed revolution for racial equality?
And I resist the imperative that we have to forgive in order to 'gain a life,' or to grant grace. My college boyfriend treated me badly, and broke up in a disrespectful way. I have never forgiven him, nor will I, because he has no remorse, has never apologized, etc. Has it affected my life one iota after the initial pain of the breakup? Nope, I went on to complete an advanced degree, get married, raise children, have a fulfilling life. Never think about him except when a college reunion bulletin comes around, and even seeing pictures of him from the reunions has no effect on my emotions. Meh.
There are now plenty of philosophers (e.g., Jeffrie Murphy) and therapists who argue that forgiveness may not be good for individuals or societies, and that it is often foisted on the already-downtrodden or oppressed as a way to maintain the power status quo.
Dissenting voices are everywhere in society; the push for forgiveness is felt from all angles, not just Christian counselors. Why should CL not permit a forum for those who want to push back against the typical narrative that favors cheaters and other wrongdoers?
YASSS. To forgive or not forgive, my choice. I choose to heal, and I am doing that just fine without forgiveness, thank you very much. I accept, yes, but to me forgiveness is an interpersonal, relational process, not a solo one. I probably would/could forgive my cheater if he sincerely had expressed true remorse, been humble, said sorry from his heart, etc. But I also don't NEED that. If someone finds that forgiveness helps their healing, I totally support that.
Love that, K–"forgiveness is a…relational process, not a solo one."
I've been on this site for three years and I've seen a lot of people come and go. The people that stay, mostly do so to help new chumps. They will tell their stories sometimes colorfully with a bit of sarcasm but that lightens the mood.
Honestly the only vitriol I see is typically against "internet trolls" who come on this site and want to drop a bomb of contrary thinking as if there aren't enough reconciliation sites on the planet. The tag line says it all: Leave a Cheater; Gain a Life. That's what we talk about here. Other respectful opinions are considered but anyone who comes here to preach about reconciliation or anything else routinely peddled along with the typical Reconciliation Industrial Complex tripe should expect the village to revolt.
Grace is letting go of the anger for yourself once it's powered you out of inaction. Grace is forgiving yourself for not enforcing your boundaries sooner. That's the kind of grace we look for here. And grace is also keeping the cheaters out of our lives for good or treating them to grey rock transactions about the children and not plotting revenge against them. When you think about what they did, that is really all the grace they should expect.
I have to say that I actually have not seen much vitriol here. Lots of pain, confusion, frustration, anxiety, and sadness, yes, and what I consider to be a very healthy dollop of righteous anger, with just a sprinkling of also very healthy gallows humor.
I think it is important to move on toward claiming our lives, free of cheaters, but just as crucial never entirely to forget what we experienced, and what we learned.
Recalling painful and awkward beginnings is the very stuff of which excellent mentoring is spun.
This Tim illustrates everything most of us have had to learn, the hard way, to overcome. He subtly shifts the blame to the betrayed (or to "the marriage," which is just a blame-shifting strategy), he minimizes the pain of the betrayed, he appeals to the very ethics that he had no qualms about utterly ignoring, and he makes reaction to the infidelity–understandably generally not very enthusiastic, to say the least–the focus, rather than taking a good hard look at the infidelity itself.
Recognizing that pattern is just sane and smart.
I enjoy and am consistently buoyed by the honesty and the wit, here, as well as the collective intelligence.
Wait, so this isn't a place people should linger but you've been coming here six years? That makes no sense.
Of course there is a place for forgiveness and grace. The problem for most of us is that we extended grace and it was not appreciated. In fact it was abused and taken advantage of. Exactly how much grace do you recommend? Come to think of it how does one quantify grace? How do you define it? The same thing with forgiveness, how do you define that? Personally I'm all biblical about the forgiveness. Narkles the Clown didn't ask for it, didn't repent, didnt't even apologize for his actions. Exactly what am I supposed to forgive?
I let go of the anger. I am No Contact,the path to the peace and the light, and I will carry that lantern into the darkness of chumpitude in hopes of lighting the way for others. I come here in hopes of helping others. Offline I've helped three other chumps find their mighty. I hope to help more here and sometimes that means offering a chump the same 2×4 of love that has been given to me. The words that help us the most aren't always the prettiest, sometimes they are simply the truest.
seriously? says
I do not agree we need to forgive. Why?
I think it is is healthier to be able to accept non forgiveness. No, I will never forgive my ex. The reason ? His behaviour does not warrant it.
Can i become a person who does not let him ruin the rest of my life – yes.
That does not mean reconciliation, it does not mean grace, it means ignore.
This pressure to forgive hideous behaviour . Why? All these people doing awful things know it is wrong. They choose to do it. Why do we have to think " oh, poor dears, let us forgive them".
Fact is, half of society seems to think control and decency is the way forward, and the other half rail against it. We pitch ourselves as right, and so do they.
They think we are mugs, and we put ourselves under this mad pressure to "forgive" their little "human problems".
We need to accept they have totally different morals, and they have no interest in forgiveness. Nothing to forgive, and the only people interested in forgiveness are the very people who avoid doing all the shitty stuff in the first place.
I have a question. I'll get to it in a minute. First, I want to say that overall, this place helped me so much when I was wading through shit after discovery etc. The D-days were horrible and the trust brutally broken, AND I had to set some of the harshest boundaries I've ever set. (I don't regret it, it was just hard throwing my husband out of the house in -30 weather with pretty much only what he had on him. But I told him "then don't get caught cheating in -30 weather! You're Canadian Moron!") He was a fucking asshole during that time to be quite frank. His words didn't mean much to me at the time because he so burned that to a crisp. I went to trauma therapy over his bullshit in fact.
We separated awhile. He bottomed out. He wanted back home, I said No. He went and got treatment for alcohol addiction and individual counseling. (He was NOT a drinker when I married him and stayed sober five years). My next step was filing for divorce (it takes a year of separation in Canada).
Post-treatment was a completely different animal.
He didn't push me for reconciliation and I ripped into him lots of times over the shit he put me through. He only responded with empathy. Near the end of treatment in one of his groups they discussed things that build love and trust and things that kill it. He brought me the sheet back from his group and told me exactly what he did that killed it and my rather stoic husband burst into tears saying "it must have been absolute torture for you." I said, "yes, it absolutely was." Then I cried too and we hugged for awhile.
He showed up for our daughter and didn't screw around with that. He supported her and started making financial amends to me. He did not lay any expectation down at my feet but let me know that he knew he had supremely fucked up our family and that he wanted our family, but understood 110% if I could not be with him anymore because he knew he broke every promise and behaved with incredible disregard for me, my health etc etc etc etc. He, on his OWN VOLITION, has been to half a dozen parenting groups to develop a good relationship with our daughter and not raise her with the same fucked-up mentality he was raised with. He also went to a domestic violence group (let me clarify, he had been verbally abusive at times. And when I read The Verbally Abusive Relationship I realized I had also been verbally abusive at times.) As well, he asked me to come to marital counseling and made the arrangements for it. I didn't like the first counselor. No problem, we switch. The biggest thing to me was that I not end up with a fucking cheater apologist. So we found one that wasn't.
We attend weekly marital counseling. My request. He continues to see his Individual addiction counselor. We date. The biggest change I notice though is that he invests in ME. Not like the usual cheater, sparkle-bullshit stuff like "Oh Hey I Bought You This Big Sparkly Thing. Now STFU!" But, nice, normal partner stuff. I lead a Brownie group, he watches our 1 year-old son for the weekend and I come back to a clean house and groceries bought and "I really missed you, it felt kind of empty here." Plus a couple errands I couldn't run he ran for me. [It's just an example]. Everything educationally, business-wise etc. that I want to do, any goal I have, he's supportive and helps if I want or need and gives me space if I ask. We plan things together. We share feelings, talk about our day, do fun stuff with the kids together.
Sexually he's not a one-minute wonder anymore. etc. (I don't want to get graphic).
But he has by what I can see put in solid effort into reconnecting with me. He's also left his insanely dysfunctional behavior pattern behind and his dysfunctional family too when his mother showed she had zero respect for his boundaries or even as a human being. I don't want to say "it's all his mother's fault" because he was an adult at the time. Old enough to know better of course. The only thing I will say about it is that she resents the crap out of him and makes it very clear that he's lucky he even exists and it just goes on and on and on into some really messed-up, abusive, pathological shit that I have never in my life heard from anyone else. The sexual, physical, emotional and verbal abuse my husband was raised with was pretty unparalleled. And that was BEFORE being bounced from foster home to foster home. My own father was a total asshole, narcissist drunk and she makes him look like parent of the year. There's just no way that doesn't mess a person up until they realize it and deal with it.
I actually DO forgive my husband. We had a history before his infidelity and it was great up until his infidelity. Which was the worst thing I have ever been through. But seeing after how he has responded to losing his family has actually returned the love and respect I had for him prior to it. A lot of these assholes do the "sad sausage pity-party" (he tried it once. I admit that) or they keep cycling through cheating and covering it up. Or they blame YOU. Or they just abandon the family, Or OR OR OR OR.
There's a thousand ways to keep acting like a bag of dicks.
And most important to me…… He's not fucking around /emotional affairing / sitting around watching porn.
That I can tell anyway. I know, we've all had the knife in our backs. And I am NOT saying it couldn't happen again. I doubt it will. Not because "I'm so special." But because there APPEARS to be actual character development and reciprocity going on. I am prepared now for if it does happen again. My exit will be swift and non-reversible. No question at all. It was by a fucking thread the last time and I have no issue with that. If it were to turn out that this was some kind of sociopathic, carefully crafted illusion on his part, my patience and empathy is completely finished. Plus my daughter was too young at the time to even cognitively understood what happened. My kids will not see me tolerate it.
I don't believe I have rugswept anything. In fact, I refused anything less than full disclosure followed by polygraph. AND he has made it very clear that he is willing to do follow-up polygraphs at my request if I want to. My gut knew when something was wrong the last time and I am very glad that I didn't ignore that.
My question is this: Am I okay to come here? Am I still welcome? This was at the time the only place that understood how I felt. It was the place I felt strong when I did not feel very mighty. When I kicked him out, I could see that was mighty. But I didn't feel it at the time. When I set my boundaries and didn't pick up his calls, I could see it was mighty, but it felt pretty crushing at the time. The truth is, I feel like I took my mightiness into our reconciliation as well. I knew I wanted a healthy, functional family and I still loved him. So that was my goal. But if he wouldn't have shown me that he would do that going forward, I would have walked away. I still think I am mightly, even though I reconciled with him.
I don't actually recommend reconciliation for very many people at all. I think maybe 1%. Maybe 5% tops. It took a very long time for me to begin to trust again. And I think that most cheaters really just want to eat cake. I know my cheater did. I don't want to sell any chumps false hope. My reconciliation depended on him seriously bottoming and not just leeching onto someone else to pick him back up. I would say my husband's case is very unusual. I would also say that his background and history are also unusual factors. Very uncommon factors among the average population. I am NOT saying "oh my husband is so awesome and yours just sucked and we have a perfect-sparkly-shiny family." I am saying "because I grew up in a fucked-up home myself I could kinda see how if my home life had been fucked up to that degree, I might have sucked more at basic adult shit and been a real drunk disaster myself AND this guy sees he's a fucking disaster and like maybe 1%-5% of the population actually wanted to, and DID change that. Maybe I'll wait it out a BIT and see if it sticks. Oh hey, it did stick. But it was a good thing we weren't living together at the time in case it didn't."
I guess that's the best I can articulate it. Sorry if it took up too much space.
LaughingSquirrel says
I'm not part of any higher up person on here, I read this daily, in the back seat, like I'm sure thousands do.
You were cheated on, you belong here. It looks like you had more spine than I did when my fit hit the shan, but it never hurts to learn more. You want to gain a life, you belong here.
You could decide tomorrow that what he has done to fix things is not enough.
I see no harm in you being here, or being a part of chumplady. Provided you don't act like a troll, I think this site is relatively open to all. The UBT, to me, even welcomes cheaters here, it shows them another opinion of what they believe to be the truth. It may be the small iota of reasoning they may ever see, it doesn't necessarily mean they will listen.
This is the internet, all are welcome. (Unless youre a troll)
My answer to you, Sarah is, that in my books, you are always welcome.
You have to do what is right for you.
I have been a version of you. My ex was a completely lovely guy, who had an affair, and then did the work to be the truly nice guy he is again today. He continues to reflect on what the hell allowed him to make the choices he did then, not just for himself, but the parts he ignored, the choices he made for my mental and sexual health, the children's lives he affected. For five years, I felt sure we could have some kind of 'successful' coupledom. But, the thing is, for me, I never felt okay again. I understand what happened, and how genuinely sorry he is, but I have my own shit that made it difficult to want to be with someone who at one stage of our nearly thirty mostly fabulous years together, did not treasure me for the damn diamond I really am. That he was happy to shove all of the decades of love, commitment, and damn hard slog aside, for a selfish bitch who had not an ounce of gratitude or kindness in her body.
He fucked our beautiful love story. He really did. We were once such a great story. I have the most amazing memories of a wonderfully loving, fun, and kind partner and father. Until he slashed and burned it all for over a year as he made a complete fool of me, broke my heart and gave me STIs that will reverberate throughout my health forever.Year six rolled around, and I was still sad. I still didn't feel as loved or even as loving, as I once did. And I lost my mojo. Both figuratively and literally, my libido just stopped dead. I had been so SURE of this man. As a rape survivor, and a child of a gay, cheating dad, and total rockstar of a chumped mum, I thought I had boundaries, but a heap of compassion. I let him get away with murder, in all honesty. I was the chillest partner out there. I never played his minder, I never worried about his honesty, or loyalty. I loved with everything, and FELT it was reciprocated. But, for a while – over a year – it wasn't. And I didn't know that until after it was over, and the OW (my 'friend') let me know everything they had been doing – not just behind my back, but actually pretty much right in front of me.
I thought we would "make it" in a new way of loving. He was – and actually, even apart, still is – transparent and understanding of the pain I still feel.He has often said that I owe him nothing, especially not reconciliation. But, I ran out of ooomph. I ran out of being able to convince myself that a new relationship would be just as fulfilling as the old one that nourished my soul was. It wasn't. I just don't feel safe in the world anymore. And I no longer pretend that I do.
So, my long answer is, I hope you do make it. I was absolutely sure we would. But honestly, I haven't witnessed a truly content post-affair, "healed" couple in my nearly 50 years on the planet. I see those who carefully curate their relationships, and those who have accepted "less" their relationships are okay- but not what they once thought they were, or hoped for when they started out, and have perhaps stayed out of what they feel is love, but is often quite honestly fear of all kinds of things; single parent kids, less material goods, being alone …. many things.
Always welcome here, for me, Sarah. I hear you, I wish only good things for you, and I understand.
I think you're smart to be here, Sarah. I'm pulling for you, I really am. And for your kids, especially. And if your husband is really, really committed to remorse and restitution and reform, then I'm pulling for him, as well.
The difference between you and Tim the Tool is that Tim thinks YOU owe someone like HIM forgiveness, see. And YOU do NOT owe anyone like him forgiveness and grace or whatever. Nobody HERE is going to tell you that you HAVE to forgive and be the bigger person–that sort of bullshit nonsense. And it seems like you've got a very realistic idea of what sorts of BEHAVIOR (not promises) to expect from someone who is actually sorry (sorry is as sorry does, right?)
You do you. You get what YOU need. You forgive or not. It's not a requirement.
Tim the Tool would say that the survival of your marriage is on YOU. (Hahaha, he is SO full of shit.) But it is not–it's on your husband. And if it fails, it may be because of what he did in the past. That's ok and totally understandable.
You have a lot to learn and a lot to share. Hell, if this thing works out? And you kept super high standards for reconciliation? Then more power to you! What better teammate than someone like you who can call BS on fake remorse because you know the real thing.
Of course you are welcome here. Most chumps reconcile at least once. Many chumps here (like me) reconciled, trusted again, and 10 years later, bam, here we go again. If you think you have a unicorn, go for it. If you think your spouse's foo is all that special, I would say, not really. I always root for the win, hope your story turns out better. You have my support. OTH, I really do believe that any cheater that is going to change can only do so with someone who hasn't accepted that boundary crossing.
You belong here as long as you are getting something you need & not pushing RIC. Just don't expect a cheering section for reconciliation. Plenty of other forums will give you that. Here, we mostly help when you are worried it's not working out. I hope this works for you. Jedi Hugs!
I would suggest keeping a daily journal. Review it once a week. Know what your deal breakers are in terms of boundaries. Allow him to be responsible for his recovery. Don't make excuses for his actions or make his appointments. Above all be sure he is doing this for himself because he owns his shit.
Does he suffer from mental illness? He should be evaluated given the severity of the abuse he suffered as a child. You need to know what you are dealing with; its not enough for him to talk to you about his past. Many with mental illnesses self medicate and often times cheating goes hand in hand with a lack of impulse control.
My experience with forgiveness and reconciliation was that the cheater alcoholic cycled like clockwork and the ground shifted. I've read the verbally abusive relationship and lived with a narcissistic father. These are difficult patterns to change. Be aware there is a difference in 'managing' his behavior and true change. This is why a journal is important.
And Sarah, it's important to have your own therapist and support system. You are dealing with a cheating, alcoholic abusive man. I would suggest reading Women who Love Too Much. It will give you some insight given the circumstances.
You are a chump, Sarah. Of course you belong here.
Sweetz says
I do hope you two make it. If giving him grace is what you are compelled to do, then go for it…there are no "rules" that we can hold you to…only suggestions. Life is a journey…there is no sure guarantee for a happily ever…we live one day at a time. If you have a Unicorn, only TIME will tell. We ALL understand where you are coming from (and you are indeed welcome here…but understand that this site does NOT encourage reconciliation after cheating and you will likely get pounced on if you bring it up often…there are other sites for that). We ALL held out hope even without our spouses doing anything remotely near as what your husband is presently doing. If you are able to maintain your own personal standards, boundaries, dignity and sense of self while seeing where this will lead, then do so.
That said…I am a deep believer in the Redemption of God…so I do believe that a deep character change is actually possible and that He can reach even the most vile person IF that person chooses to reach back and make a personal and deep life long commitment to Him. I just do not believe it happens in the twinkling of an eye…it most often takes years of self reflection and humility…and the proof of it must stand the test of time. Got time?
My serial cheater ran away nearly two years ago and I figured that that was the end of it…he totally ghosted me and we have had no contact since. He has been twice married and cheated through both for over 40yrs…while claiming to be a Christian…and he is a Porn addict too, as well as a lazy alcoholic and gambler…but he presents a great facade. But even still, I had a very small nagging question that would surface from time to time…not because I wanted him back (the man that left can NEVER be the "same" man that comes back), but because I wondered if he was beyond God's Redemption especially at this late stage of his life. So I finally got up the nerve and asked God if he would ever be returning in the future years ahead (we are both already in our mid 60's). But I have a problem:
I asked because I wondered just HOW (for starters) could I ever really trust him…how could I not shrink back into shame and risk giving myself to him after knowing how much he hated my body…how could I not be thrust back into the marriage policing role…how could I forget what he has done (and I'd want him to confess it ALL)…how could he redeem my reputation from all the lies he told his family and friends to save his image at my expense…how would I know if he is carrying a STD…how can I know if his change is REAL and permanent…how could I possibly love him without fear again???
This is what I heard in my spirit:
"Yes, he is coming back…but not before I tear him into pieces and rebuild him."
I can live with that.
Flowerlady says
Allow the cheater grace? What did he allow me? He broke his marriage vows – made unilateral decisions changing our marriage agreement without even notifying me. Then he blamed me. After this emotional and psychological violence from the person I loved and trusted most, I allow him nothing. I owe him nothing.
It's not punishment for him. It's protection for me. It's freedom and safety for me. I seek peace.
I hope he can find peace.
I applaud you for wishing him peace. Uou are more magnanimous than me. I wish mine a life of loneliness. Let him foever wallow in his low self-worth and end up a lonely old man. Narcissistic bastard.
I got nothing anymore to give these fuckwits. So, Tim, just simply 'fuck off'.
MzMimi says
THIS.WAS. THE. BEST!!!!!! Thank you, Chump Lady and Nation!!!!!!
Tim is a cockroach. He resents the light that Chump Lady shows in the dark, much preferring to scuttle around, feeding on garbage, and sexing it up, too, in the dark. In true-to-narc fashion, he won't be satisfied until his ex-wife–the one with agency (how DARE she)–submits to his incessant, graceful bullying.
This community we have here–it threatens Tim the Tool. He doesn't necessarily GET to call the shots. He doesn't GET to assume that he can innocently brow-beat everyone in the room with his credentials until we all submit to his grace. He CAN'T assume that everyone is "enlightened" and full of forgiveness. He CAN'T count on everyone accepting his sham marriage as some sort of model. Oh, what if many of us see that it's dirty and fragile and built on lies and pain? What if we spread the philosophy of Chump Lady? What if we chumps go on to live good lives and advise others to do the same? What if we shun home-wreckers and their selfish ilk? What if we smell the bullshit, Tim? Yeeh! Kinda sends graceful chills down the spine (hahaha, if you had one, right, Tim?)
But that's cool. Look at all the hits he's getting on his web page! Everyone is talking about Tim (the Tool!)
Tim? You're full of crap. Go home and pretend you respect/admire/adore the selfish whore you live with and leave the mother of your children alone. You should be ashamed of yourself. That you would turn your ex-wife's children against her is despicable and cowardly, and you know it. But keep fighting it, Tim. Unfortunately, we're on to you, and our numbers are growing.
Redstarrising says
Stands APPLAUDING! Yep go home Tim.
Grace. That was Cheater O'Mine's code name for Miss Plastic Parts.
He truly deserves all the Grace he got. No two people have ever been more right for each other.
Chump Lady, Bravo! I will forever be grateful to you and Chump Nation for saying what I knew to be true in my heart- I needed to leave my cheater and gain back my life. There are a million and one websites that make the chump feel like this was their fault. I knew the marriage was not to be saved after this second affair- yes I took him back after the first. I won't regret this because I got my two wonderful kids but fast forward to the second affair and I was done. I had been trusting and supportive and nice… always making his life easy, putting his needs first. Now in the divorce he can't understand who I've become. I thank you chump lady- you helped me find me again. I was agreeable in the marriage. How did that work out for me? I no longer am to him in our divorce. I'm not malicious or vindictive. I just am no longer controlled by this man or agreeing to his every whim. I follow the divorce decree and remain as no contact as possible. He rages that I can't ignore him. But, I can. No contact is what has helped me towards the land of Meh. I'm not there yet but getting closer. All with the help of chump nation. Until you live the crazy, there is just no understanding. So THANK YOU for keeping Tim and all others who question your methods to task. I choose you and your insight and so do the many many many you have helped. Grateful for you! Thank you for reaching out to the chumps and helping us.
StarbuckGal says
Marriage counselors make their bread and butter assuming everyone has some grace. Same BS we chumps were raised on. But facing down your cheating spouse who deflects, gaslights and basically blames you for not being able to keep from having sex with the People of Walmart, only gives these therapists a pay check.
Our MC counselors famous line of calling the 'ho by her name, Michelle, was corrected by me with 'no, she is a whore because she sleeps with other peoples' husband. She isn't entitled to a name.'
Both ex and MC looked at me like I was one with the forked tail, but it was the most real moment in the whole MC pretend game. That's what most MCs do – pretent, pretend there is hopium,grace and some people are truly sorry.
My experience my ex was only sorry he got caught and his image has suffered exponentially.
I had an out of body experience about a week ago, watching the local news, and who pops up – Mr. Cheater Pants. He looked awful. It was surreal to see him giving this no story story. He looked like hell, and always has lacked confidence speaking publicaly, so It wasn't surprising.
I felt nothing – did a happy dance. Meh.
My comments to his review:
This is what the whole military marriage counseling complex makes it billions based upon – a counselor's naive belief that the cheater will change with 'counseling'. I give this clown chops for acknowledging they often don't. But the cheaters that truly recommit to their marriage and put their narcissistic tendancies behind is less than 3% in my opinion.
Marriage counselors ought to have to publish their stats on how many marriages they have saved. Few marriages are saved because the Counselors are too soft on the cheaters and are unwilling to call the cheaters on their behavior – that was my experience with Marriage Counseling. It gives the desperate hope to hang in there while the cheater plots how to get another burner phone and where they will meet next.
The defining moment when he corrected me from call the other woman a whore, which she is, to using her real name.
The cheating occurred in 2012. One of my kids is just now talking to his father again with a counselor present. Marriage Counselors ought to get sued more often for incompetence and wasting everyone's time.
My kids will never be the same.
I corrected him as I knew her entire family climbs the economic ladder by cheating, with other people partners. She learned it from her parents. Nice.
So while she was blowing my ex in his office behind closed doors, she was also protecting her self from a disciplinary action because of the time spent behind closed doors with him.
Marriage Counselor remained blissfully ignorant and never delved into the details of the cheating with me present. He basically protected my ex from the tawdry details for the money. Its that simple an equation.
This book and the corresponding website SAVE MY LIFE, LITERALLY.
This guy need a dose of reality. Doubt he can handle it. Or may be publish his stats on how many marriages he has saved. Listening to him drone on about grace after having my kids and my family blown to bits by cheating is handing a kleenex to someone suffering from third degree burns.
Personally I wouldn't pay him to refill my water bottle.
TiredChump says
excellent descriptor – demanding grace after having kids and family blownto bits by cheating is like handing a kleenex to someone suffering from third degree burns.
lost wishes says
Hey Tim what about the "GRACE" of the OW? My example, I have been divorced a month from my cheater husband who has had an ongoing affair with a Jesus Cheater ( aka secretary, oops office manager. . . ) for years including when his child had cancer. On Saturday night I showed class and grace attending my ex's father's 80th birthday party, showed everyone no problem golden boy cheated on me, I can still be classy around friends and family I have known for 35 years. Next day. . .I go to Sam's Club, check out and they tell me my membership has not been paid and was due on June 6th. I tell them it gets paid through the office(I was told by ex that I was still on account(I am the master account holder) Nope I have to pay $145 to get my order. Well Jesus Cheater, writer of all office checks did not pay the bill and told ex it was paid, just 2 weeks late. BS, but of course ex hubby just believes anything she says. Its not about the money, its about decency, its about grace, its about being stupid, its about who really is at your back and who just wants to take advantage of the situation. So Tim live one of our lives and you will change your mind.
That happened to me at Costco. [sad slump] xMIL kicked me off the family account, couldn't bring herself to give me a head's up, I guess. Cowards don't fall far from the tree. No matter–I have my own account now, though it DID kinda hurt in a lonely way to be informed in the line that my membership had been revoked.
So I feel you. Hugs!
Speaking of reviews, I just checked out the actual Amazon website and while she has a five-star rating, Tracy only has about 155 reviews. That's so e shamefully low statistics, people. Come on, Chump Nation. Many more of us have bought the book. Reminder: if you have read Tracy's book please be sure to review it over at Amazon.
This guy's a bag of dicks. When a couple goes to MC for cheating, any therapist worth a salt should pump the breaks and insist that the cheater go into intensive personal therapy before any further MC can commence because their shitty character caused the cheating and that needs to be explored prior to any talk of a graceful reconciliation (of the likes that our buddy Tim clearly gets his rocks off on). If cheater doesn't agree then the therapist can inform the chump that this is a major red flag for a personality disorder…maybe the therapist can do it in a graceful way (while dancing the Nutcracker or something). Of course Tim the cheater thinks cheaters should be awarded some kind of leniency (cause that;s what we;re talking about here–a hall pass of sorts). It's tough to look yourself in the mirror and see a bag of dicks staring back, but it is the only way to cease being said bag. Anything short of that painful admission is a smokescreen for righteousness.
I wish I knew… mine went to individual therapy twice and didn't go back. The therapistnhas him get a book in unconditional love which he never read of course.
Nope. He just proceeded to lie in MC. LATER, when I confronted him about lying in MC, he said — with a straight face, no less — "Of course I lied. You were there."
Oh and on DD2, his first comment, after "this is ridiculous, we have to get a divorce" was "I deserve to be happy."
Kinda says it all. What a narcissistic asswipe of a man I married.
These guys all have the same playbook. When mine said he wanted a divorce it was because "he wanted a chance to be with someone who could love him the way he deserves to beloved."
Later on I told him that you get what you give in relationships and that if he wants to be loved a certain way then he needs to love someone in that way. Then he switched to the old standby "we're just not compatible."
OK, got it. 17 years, two world trips, two home purchases, three cats, one dog, four college degrees, three backyard gardens, four trips to Hawaii, and one darling daughter. This is what he calls "incompatible." I wish these guys would just say the truth: You got old, I got bored, you dared to do something for yourself and I couldn't handle not being your center, I need constant kibbles!
I suspect Tim is deleting critical posts.
Here is my 2c worth just posted on his blog:
"Tim, on your website is podcast no 107? I believe? In which you blame your ex-wife for YOUR affair – the affair you chose to have, knowing the damage it would do – and you encourage your teenage children to do so as well.
No wonder you hate this book."
He is a fucking disgrace.
NeverLookingBack says
TIM GOT SERVED YAS.
Fuck, what a load of codwash he was trying to splash all over us.
Not today, motherfucker.
****FLYS CHUMPNATION FLAG HIGH***
I feel that the concepts of grace and forgiveness have been perverted and distorted by Tim, the RIC, most Christians, and pretty much every thing I read.
Forgiveness is NOT to make the person doing the forgiving to "feel good". It is not for you. It is a sacrifice and a learning experience, and it is designed to help both people spiritually. But the person who should be helped the most is the wrong doer, not the forgiver.
If you find it easy, you probably are just forgetting , to make it possible to stay with the cheater, at least that's what i was doing.
Forgiveness is definitely not to give the person being forgiven a Get Out of Jail Free (and do it again card). It is meant to give the offender another chance to reflect on what they did wrong, the harm caused by those actions, to take actions to correct that harm if possible, and to never do it again. If there is no learning, there should be no forgiveness. You really are not doing anyone any favor.
And i don't think anyone is ever owed forgiveness, especially the unremorseful and the repeat offenders. They just use it as an excuse and opportunity to hurt you more.
As you can tell, I'm not really a fan of forgiveness.
SuperDuperChump says
Tim….you make me want to fucking puke. Every one of you fucking cheaters ALWAYS SOMEHOW have to defend yourselves by tossing a blame bone to a Chump…..and you, like every other piece of shit cheater, did it, too. You fucktoids are masters of using terms like "creating an atmosphere in marriage of vulnerability." Fuck you, fuck your Grace, and fuck your 20 years of sobriety. Your Grace review would have had validity…until you tossed that blame bone. You may be sober, but you haven't changed inside…because you still nonchalantly place some blame on the Chump. Fuck you, Timbo.
So. Chump Lady SAW RIGHT THROUGH TIM'S BULLSHIT without even knowing what a cruel, manipulative, tosser-away-of-humans, profit-off-suffering fraud he was in real life. You wanna know why this is hopeful (not the Tim Shit Sandwich kind)? It means you can fix your picker. It means you will never fall for this garbage again. Kudo's to all y'all.
Wearerhinos says
Isn't it so weird that the people who most fervently disagree with CL are themselves cheaters?
P.S. Fuck off, Tim!
Right on! Fuck you, Tim….you fuckhearted, fuckwit, fuckwad, piece of shit fuck.
CaliGal says
My favorite CL blog entry ever!
My question to "where's-the-grace-Tim" is where does grace towards the chump show up in his grace-filled world? Is it in the cheater owning his actions and their consequences, and making a safe space for the chump to make decisions about what is best for her own sanity and future? Is it in an uncontested and fair divorce? Grace is a selfless and generous act, and a humbled cheater would be first to show grace. A selfish, entitled cheater finds it appropriate to demand grace from the chump they hurt.
Tim, you stupid fuck, "I haven't cheated in 20 years" fucktoid….here's a fucking award! Taking credit for shit you ARE SUPPOSE TO DO!!!! Guess what?!! I haven't neglected my child support! Haven't murdered anybody! Pay my fucking electric bill! Give ME a fucking award because I'm doing the shit I'M SUPPOSED TO DO!!!! HEY!! I'm fucking special!! I haven't fucked the IRS in 20 years! Perhaps they will offer me some Grace this year for being so fucking awesome!
Freckles Are Beautiful says
THIS POST JUST MADE MY DING-DANG DAY!!!!
#ALLCAPSALLDAY #GRACEMYASS
StarbucksGal says
I can't seem to stop blasting this guy. There is so much wrong with Marriage Counselors. Mine was a piece of crap.
I wrote this to Tim directly:
You and your ilk are why there are millions made off the heartache of betrayed spouses. Offering hope where there is none.
I am one of Tracy's chumps. She saved my life. Your brother from another mother, our MC, protected my cheating ex. Why?
For the money. Lots to be made off the pain of others.
Whatever happened to the hypocratic oath, 'first do no harm'.
You MCs harm.Many betrayed spouses by offering hope where there is none.
All of your MCs ought to be made to publish your stats of successes and failure in order to practice. For the most part, your life's work is a farce.
How coincidental you are a former cheater. Was that research for your profession?
The medical licensing profession needs to take very close look and enact professional standards for all Marriage Counseling. You are as deadly as the opiod crisis in this country by offering hope, protecting the criminally cruel and dragging out the pain.
Tracy Shorn is the only real thing today for the betrayed. Shame on you.
Right on! This says it all.
Grace?? You want Grace?? Then get off your ass and do some dishes, pack the school lunches, and fold laundry while I try to put my fucked up emotions and tears in a box long enough to go to a job for 9 hours with a smile on my face pretending that life is peaches and cream….then come home to a house full of bills and kids to raise. All the while, you are sitting on a golf course getting your Me Time while making a mental list of your "unmet needs" that you spill out tomorrow to a Marriage Counselor. We can't budget anything for a vacation….but we can suddenly blow the Christmas account on that weekend getaway Infidelity Marriage Saving Seminar in the Beautiful Ozarks. Hope it doesn't interfere with your golf game, asshole.
This! Yes!!!!!
Love it. Thank you for writing, and specifically for telling it directly to that fuckwit.
Leavingthecrapbehind says
When I was in college……every nut, flake, kook and math illiterate bozo I met went for psychology/counseling degrees. Maybe that's why marriage counselors suck?
Come to think of it………..I have never met a couple who benefited from marriage counseling after infidelity. That's because cheating is NOT a "marriage problem." It's a moral deficiency problem on behalf of the cheater.
Another thing…..marriage counseling is a huge industry (books, counselors, sex addiction rehabs, seminars, etc). They need to keep the myth of "marriage counseling" going- to keep the money coming in.
Gracie says
To set the groundwork: I have sat in your shoes. I have been cheated on and lied to. My husband had two affairs but is not a "serial" cheater. I have a father who is though. I have a father who is on marriage number 4 with each divorce due to infidelity. I am not related to Tim but I am familiar with his site, forum, and articles so when I give my opinion, that is my background.
I am disgusted and saddened by the comments in this thread. How can you attack a person's character without knowing him. The comments on this site have crossed a line from just providing an opinion to nasty, hateful comments. Not only about him and his character but that of his family as well. I hope you never find yourselves having made a mistake that may need forgiveness. God knows you must be prefect to make the comments you have.
I have a very different interpretation of his perspective and the advice he gives. Not right or wrong, just different. Not once does he state that a person whose partner is a serial cheater or who continues to lie should be just forgiven and the betrayed spouse just has to take it. My understanding of what he has said was to mean that when a person cheats and is remorseful and sorry for their actions then there is a place for grace and forgiveness to take hold.
I know this because that is my story as I said above. I can say 7 years later that my marriage is better, stronger, and healthier than it was before. No I am not in my own fog, no I am not in denial, nor do I have to put up with inappropriate behavior by my husband to save face. My husband made a terrible, hurtful, and painful mistake. I do not believe people should be defined by their mistakes if they choose to make amends. I do not define my marriage by my husband's affair. As for my father, he continues to make hurtful and painful mistakes. I choose to love him anyway because I am not perfect and I hope that my mistakes do not define who I am.
I think if you can open your minds to another perspective than you could understand that just because your experience ended in divorce or you were married to a serial cheater, does not mean that is everyone's experience and does not mean all cheaters can be put in one box. I encourage you to re-read Tim's articles from a place of curiosity and openness. I encourage you to lay down your swords, your pitchforks, and your anger and open your minds to the possibility that attacking a person and their family without full knowledge of the person says more about you than it does about them.
Gracie, in the absence of knowing someone personally, we can only comment on their actions, and on their words.
There has been much anger expressed here. The anger comes from a sense of injustice. The injustice is this nonsensical argument that we should be compassionate towards cheaters. By and large, that is all that chumps have done. And they have been walked all over. They have been disrespected, betrayed and emotionally abused.
The message of this site, is that the person chumps should be extending compassion and grace to, is ourselves. Not our abusers. I fail to see how this can be anything other than rational and logical.
I'm sure that there are some very remorseful cheaters out there. Who after their transgressions, put the needs and welfare of their spouse first, with empathy. I can only imagine these people have made one-off mistakes. An affair is a 'mistake' made consciously over and over and over and over again. I don't want anything to do with someone who could knowingly decide to betray me multiple times. What does that say about what the cheater thinks of you, your feelings?
I wish you luck in your journey.
I would ask that you encourage all fellow chumps, as you are one, to put themselves and their needs first, after discovery of an affair. Let's stop putting cheaters and their needs central to our lives. They no longer deserve it, or us.
Whoops……sorry my penis fell into another woman's vagina? It was a mistake? Pleeeeeasssse!
Cheating takes methodical planning, time, money, energy and effort. Cheating is no mere "mistake." Let's stop bullshitting ourselves here.
Giving a cheater "grace"= giving a cheater a green light to do it again. I know….because I gave my STBX "grace" and he gave me chlamydia in return. Grace- fuck no! Divorce- hell yes!
Hi- again, I think you meant to reply to Gracie, not to me? Just making sure!!
Sweetheart…..anger is a normal human emotion. Even Jesus got angry as he smashed the temple of the money changers. If you can't accept your own emotions- you need to see a shrink.
Leaving the crap behind – was that aimed at me, or at Gracie?
If you're not a Chump or suspect that you are one, then why are you here? I mean I don't go to Gamblers Anon because I'm not a gambler. So why are you here?
Her Unicorn stuck his horn in holes that he shouldn't have.
Gracie, I don't mean to sound harsh here, but I am not surprised that you have a different perspective to the rest of us here, given your back story. We have chosen to reject cheaters and invest in ourselves. You are invested in cheaters: your husband and your father.
Please understand, I'm not passing judgement on your choices, but choices they are. You have chosen to forgive and deepen / continue your investment in your relationships. It may be the right thing for you, but it couldn't be clearer that here, on this blog, that's not what is right for us. We reject cheating and cheaters.
We don't proclaim to be perfect ourselves, but we don't betray the people who are supposed to be our partners, nor do we want to waste any more of our lives on people who betray us.
The cheater who expresses genuine remorse is a rare beast indeed. Cheating comes from such a place of selfishness and entitlement, where was their empathy and compassion for you then, when they were with someone else?
But even if you have a cheater who expresses genuine remorse, they have broken a fundamental part of your partnership. They are not owed forgiveness and grace, just because they want it, and feel terrible. The chump is their own entity, their own person. They don't have to forgive, you know. They don't have to 'try'. It's not like the cheater forgot their birthday, or was rude to their mother or whatever, come on! They've broken the partnership. They are owed diddly squat.
Mistakes? Since when are active choices mistakes? What did they mis-take? Did they mis-take us for idiots?
Am I mistakenly writing this post? Will I mistakenly hit send? Do cheaters mistakenly sext their APS and set up rendezvous? And if these are their mistakes WHY THE HELL DO THEY BLAME CHUMPS?
But I'm sure Gracie that you are exactly where you want to be in this moment.
I just can't warm to betrayal.
Sorry Sweetheart…….we don't have to "know the person" because cheaters have a distinct, unmistakable pattern. Self entitlement……….blame shifting…………deception……..and lying is present in every single instance of cheating on planet earth. Those are not exactly "noble traits" worthy of grace.
Bottom line= cheaters cheat because they want to and they can.
"How can you attack a person's character without knowing him."
Well, what qualifies as "knowing him?" Does having heard his own words about how he behaved in his adultery, how he treated his wife after he left her for another woman, and how he feels about that count? Because if so, we do know him, don't we? This opinion of him isn't made in a vacuum – it's based on his own words. Those words describe someone good at putting a lot of new-age TED talk philosophy out there, who also behaved horribly to his wife and children and still tries to shift the blame to his wife because she cried to much after he abandoned her and the children – and that made the children sad.
"My husband had two affairs but is not a "serial" cheater."
Yeah… he kinda is.
"No I am not in my own fog, no I am not in denial, nor do I have to put up with inappropriate behavior by my husband to save face."
Yeah, you're just angrily lashing out at people who don't share your belief in Tim's assurances re: unicorns – even though you don't know Tim and have no reason to care. That's not based on any repressed anger or doubt about your repeatedly unfaithful husband, no sir!
"My husband made a terrible, hurtful, and painful mistake."
A mistake is grabbing the wrong set of keys. You don't mistakenly fall into another woman's vagina or onto another man's crotch. Also, *A* mistake? Even putting intentional lapses of judgement into the "mistake" category, *A* mistake would be giving someone your number, posting a dating ad, or even, having a one night stand. Two affairs (that you know of) means repeated flirtations, invitations, courtships, sex acts, rendezvouses, and lies to cover his tracks. That's a wee bit more than *a* mistake. That was long-term intentional behavior.
People are "known" by their actions, so therefore we know cheaters. I don't personally "know" Charles Manson, but I have pretty much all the info I need by his actions.
I know that Adultery is always wrong, so that's all I need to know in those instances, too.
Polytastic says
If you want to stick it out with your husband then of course I wish you the best of luck and hope it turns out how you want it to. I also hope you are not doing this because you feel you MUST or else you're giving up. You're allowed to say "I'm done" and "I don't want this anymore."
People are allowed to set and enforce their limits and it's unfair to hold "marriage vows" over the injured party's head after the injurer already broken ke those vows. The injured party is entitled to be angry and focus in their own needs, not the needs of the person who hurt them. I think the people cheated on deserve the "grace" to be angry from the cheater. I think they should get "grace" and the benefit of the doubt while working out for themselves how they want to proceed. I think it's horribly insensitive to tell a still reeling jilted spouse to "not be angry" and to "be the bigger person."
If you want to "be the bigger person" and give "grace" to your unfaithful spouse, you have every right. No one is stopping you from making your choice. However we urge caution and to focus more on how your spouse behaves rather than just what he says.
I wish you the best of luck in your marriage and all the best going forward.
Tim the marriage counselor must shit rainbow cup cakes and happy unicorn candy!
Marriages are built on trust. Not love……not sex…….not money! Once the trust is broken- everything turns to shit. Marriage counselors cannot repair marriages after infidelity. That's because cheating is NOT a "marriage problem." It's a moral deficiency problem- on the cheater's behalf. No fucking marriage counselor can fix that!
Holding Tracy's beer- and laughing my chumpy ass off! Go Chump Lady!
CL, how I LOVE you! No, seriously, I do. You speak the truth for all of us poor chumps and give voice to to the outrage and anger so many of us feel. That outrage and anger is warranted and NORMAL and needs to be expressed in order to heal and reach Meh. Fuck you Tim, with your bullshit notions of grace and blah blah blah.
Gracie, Sorry, "my husband had 2 affairs but is not a serial cheater". ???
Yes he is.
Have one, racked with remorse, do a LOT of work on yourself, then you do not do it again. TWO? That IS a serial cheater. If he had any guilt over the first one, why do it again?
That is someone who rather likes it , but most probably has gone underground. Having affairs is a choice to totally dis-respect your spouse. It takes time, money, planning and lies. It is about their needs and their thrills. I believe they get hooked on the high. The spouse is boring to them. Not because the spouse is a boring person, but because ANY spouse would be boring.
Why all of a sudden would this attitude change?
He may say all the right things, etc, but you are in denial.
You get no medals for being " accepting". Just because he is not as bad as your father does not make it OK for you.
You make your own choices in life, but I do not believe people change without a HUGE amount of work on themselves. It is just not how humans are programmed.
Of people I know who have brushed the reality under the carpet and maintain a social facade as they do not want to hit the financial war zone,(which is hideous, its true), they all have depression,and over time have lost the respect of their children.
Seriously- I didn't like to say it, but I was thinking the same thing – two affairs does make a serial cheater! And you could be right- they could take their cheating deeper underground.
I was trying to take the 'softly softly' approach with Gracie, given that she'd complained we're all raising our pitchforks… but the reality is, she is invested in two cheaters. She somehow needs to justify that investment to herself, to add layers to her denial. And most importantly, to justify the fact that she is denying her own self-esteem, autonomy, her right not to be walked all over and betrayed. How wonderful to give this denial a lovely name like 'grace'. But it's not grace. It's throwing a rug over the dog mess, dancing on it and pretending it's not there and it doesn't smell.
Sorry Gracie. I really do wish you the best. But I cannot understand why you would forgive your husband two affairs. Please start thinking about yourself and your needs from now on. This man doesn't care about you as much as he says he does. Look at the facts. My heart goes out to you.
Gracie,
My ex (before I knew the full extent of his deception) and had found out about 1 affair and was really gutted, told me "all vagina's are different, so its interesting". Nice.
Now with that attitude, how can a man like that ever be satisfied? Yes, so are all male equipment different, but that does not mean I want to go and sleep with them all!
I later found out his market research had extended to at least 6 other women that I knew of. A male friend told me " a man like that, x 10 to get anywhere near the real figure.
However, they also want the social front of a nice wife and respectability. (hence you)
They are really very very immature, stuck at about age 16. (at best).
I'm necroposting.
I hope Andrea (XW) is far better off without Timothy Alphon Tedder, diddler of parishioners and creator of his own therapy mode. Funny how he can master something he made up out of whole cloth, isn't it?
Konnie too? I may have mixed up the participants.
Parking this here. I guess 4+ years of mindfucking the wife is part of the curriculum. I must say, the eldest child sounds more annoyed with her mother being in pain and depressed than with her father for being the source of Mom's heartbreak.
Counselor Tim Tedder – NCC, LMHC
Prior to earning his Masters Degree in Counseling from Indiana Wesleyan University, Tim spent nearly 20 years as a leader and teacher, focusing on spiritual and personal growth issues for individuals and families. In his speaking and counseling, he aims to "creatively communicate a message of hope and healing to wounded people."
Mercy is kindness. Mercy is not the same thing as allowing someone to repeatedly hurt and betray you just because they say they're sorry afterwards.
Sorry, this was meant in response to Boosheid en/of genade | Anne schrijft het down there.
Boosheid en/of genade | Anne schrijft het op says:
[…] Soms vind ik de website van Chumplady te hard. Bij haar is er geen genade. […]
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"redpajama_set_name": "RedPajamaCommonCrawl"
} |
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A tennis court is the venue where the sport of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles matches. A variety of surfaces can be used to create a tennis court, each with its own characteristics which affect the playing style of the game.
Mi nombre es Legna , ofrezco entrenamientos en varios deportes como Volleyball, natacion, tennis .... Toda mi vida ha estado vinculada al deporte, estudie mi pre universotario en la ESPA NACIONAL de Cuba como atleta de windsurf hasta terminar mi licenciatura en Sociologia. En estos momentos me encuentro desde hace mas de un año en Miami trabajando independiente como Fotografo ya que tambien me gradue en arte y fotografia(ISA) ademas trabajo como tennis coach con ninos de 4 a 7 años. Me encantaria dar clases de natacion y volleyball en mi tiempo libre... My name is Legna, I offer training in various sports such as V ... View Profile
From 'No advantage'. Scoring method created by Jimmy Van Alen. The first player or doubles team to win four points wins the game, regardless of whether the player or team is ahead by two points. When the game score reaches three points each, the receiver chooses which side of the court (advantage court or deuce court) the service is to be delivered on the seventh and game-deciding point. Utilized by World Team Tennis professional competition, ATP tours, WTA tours, ITF Pro Doubles and ITF Junior Doubles.[57][58]
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So, if you are reading this one, you are probably a parent who sees some talent in their child and wants them to go pro when they grow up. It is essential for your child to start Tennis at a very young age, like close to 5-6 years. What this does is make the game instilled in their muscle memory forever. Tennis becomes a habit for them and it becomes second nature.
Now that you know the basics about the game, it is time you start practicing with your tennis buddy. There is nothing like whacking a ball after a hard day at work to relieve stress. However, as a tennis coach, I do not encourage you to whack the ball because you will end up picking balls rather than rallying with your buddy. I strongly encourage that you start slow. You can start from the service line and then gradually progress to the baseline. So plan regular meetings with your tennis buddy.
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As it happens, I was reading a ruefully captivating new memoir called "Swimming Studies," by a onetime contender for the Canadian Olympic team, Leanne Shapton, which explores how growing up a competitive swimmer formed her habits of heart and mind. Years later, her daily rhythms and life choices, her nightly dreams, her understanding of duration, pleasure, pain and reward, remain informed by her hours in the training pool. Swimming strokes carved the contours of her inner life, and it's not at all clear she is thankful for that. Of course, Andre Agassi, in his memoir, writes of how the aloneness of singles tennis — the very thing that imparted to Kirill a kind of Emersonian self-reliance, as he understands it — just enlarged his loneliness. You never know.
The referee, who is usually located off the court, is the final authority about tennis rules. When called to the court by a player or team captain, the referee may overrule the umpire's decision if the tennis rules were violated (question of law) but may not change the umpire's decision on a question of fact. If, however, the referee is on the court during play, the referee may overrule the umpire's decision (This would only happen in Davis Cup or Fed Cup matches, not at the World Group level, when a chair umpire from a non-neutral country is in the chair).[59]
The alternation of service between games continues throughout the match without regard to sets, but the ends are changed after each odd game within a set (including the last game). If, for example, the second set of a match ends with the score at 6–3, 1–6, the ends are changed as the last game played was the 7th (odd) game of the set and in spite of it being the 16th (even) game of the match. Even when a set ends with an odd game, ends are again changed after the first game of the following set. A tiebreaker game is treated as a single game for the purposes of this alternation. Since tiebreakers always result in a score of 7–6, there is always a court change after the tiebreaker.
"The biggest drawback of asphalt courts is not that they crack, for even a post-tensioned slab may crack from shrinkage or even develop minor structural cracking, but that the cracks continue to widen year after year," says Kolkmann. "I have seen asphalt courts with cracks as wide as 2 to 3 inches, making them a hazard to the players. The advantage with a post-tensioned slab is that it will not allow the crack to widen, but will keep it compressed to a very thin line."
Tennis racquets come in a very wide variety of price ranges, to say the least. You may want to set yourself a budget to help narrow down your choices because you will have so many of them. Do we find a correlation between the price of a tennis racquet and the quality of it? The answer here is absolutely but you have to be careful here too.In general, the higher the price a tennis racquet is the better quality that tennis racquet is because it most likely much innovative design features built into it. Be careful here too, though. Because things such as the tennis racquet brand or a tennis racquet that is designed by a famous player may up the price of a tennis racquet without it making the tennis racquet better than some lower priced models.
Ego/fear=childISH and constrictive. Playful is ChildLIKE allows freedom from ego which results in ease and natural power. The adult self can choose when to let go. When and where it is safe. A tennis court is a safe universe with lines and rules. Those rules allow play without anxiety. Embrace the parameters and have fun. You've already won the hardest part and it works! (OK..I still swear my arse off, in a garbled language somewhere between a Glasgow dockyard and Babylon when I miss, but that's fun too).
One thing all test players could quickly agree on: The Burn FST 99 can be swung very fast. With all shots the club could be swung and maneuvered extremely fast. This way, we always got the club into the optimum stroke position, even with fast rallies. The comfort is also surprisingly high, considering that the racquet with a frame hardness of 72RA is actually rather hard.
Vibration dampeners (also sometimes known as "gummies") may be interlaced in the proximal part of the string array, to reduce the percussive sound of the ball hitting the strings and/or to reduce perceived vibration. They do not, however, reduce impact shock significantly, so they are of no safety value.[13] Some professionals, such as Andrei Agassi, used rubber bands instead of specialized dampeners. Dampeners come in two main types. The first uses the two central main strings to hold it in place. The second is sometimes called a "worm" and it is woven between many of the main strings. Dampeners are nearly always placed very near the bottom of the racket string bed.
The origin of the use of "love" for zero is also disputed. The most likely explanation is that it derives from the French expression for "the egg" (l'œuf) because an egg looks like the number zero.[8][9] This is similar to the origin of the term "duck" in cricket, supposedly from "duck's egg", referring to a batsman who has been called out without scoring a run. One possibility comes from the Dutch expression iets voor lof doen, which means to do something for praise, implying no monetary stakes.[10] Another theory on the origins of the use of "love" comes from the notion that, at the start of any match, when scores are at zero, players still have "love for each other".[11]
What an amazing time it would be to teach tennis lessons in Miami. As an ex college basketball player, and an advanced tennis student, I would love to teach some of the fundamentals of tennis to anyone who would like to play. Not only would it be a great chance to hit together, and have fun, but also a great way to get some exercise. Actually, my goal is to make it to the Olympics in 2016. But, why not make the most out of everything that it will take to get there? Let's play some tennis, and have a great time doing it, while making amazing friendships and lifelong memories! ... View Profile
The song's lyrics address Lorde's newfound fame.[32][33] In an interview with Spotify in May 2013, Lorde explained that "Tennis Court" was inspired by her friends and daily life in her hometown Auckland, saying that the song was a summary of the events she witnessed during the previous months of her life.[34] On her Tumblr account, she elaborated on the tennis court imagery as "a symbol of nostalgia" that embodied memories of her hometown. Lorde also elucidated that the track reflected the changes in her life at the moment, when she had ventured into a career in music.[35] She also took inspiration from "how superficial people can be" after having perceived the mechanism of the music industry.[36] Paul Lester from The Guardian opined that the song criticises the extravagant lifestyle of the rich and shares the same sentiment with "Royals" and "Million Dollar Bills" from The Love Club EP.[37] During the songwriting process, Lorde explained that she took an interest to the works of American photographer Gregory Crewdson due to his depictions of human life, suburbia and sense of loneliness.[38]
Experienced players strive to master the conventional overhand serve to maximize its power and placement. The server may employ different types of serve including flat serve, topspin serve, slice serve, and kick (American twist) serve. A reverse type of spin serve is hit in a manner that spins the ball opposite the natural spin of the server, the spin direction depending upon right- or left-handedness. If the ball is spinning counterclockwise, it will curve right from the hitter's point of view and curve left if spinning clockwise.[75]
Even your choice of shoes, socks, and other clothing are important considerations when you learn to play tennis. As opposed to running shoes, tennis shoes are made to withstand side-to-side movement. They should have a herringbone tread for longer lasting protection and grip. Socks should be thick and able to absorb sweat, thereby preventing infections such as athlete's foot. Generally, tennis clothing is white, a color chosen to best reflect the sun and keep the player cooler. (Wear the appropriate gear even when just beginning to learn to play tennis!)
I reckon the best thing would be for courses like Tennis Xpress to introduce a 'recreational' level for those who want to play on Sundays and may have hit some balls with mates before but who need help correcting technique or gaining more confidence in their game – leaving the very, very rusty or beginners to go slowly without fear of ridicule or frustration. | {
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B2B sales pros need to build consensus for large purchases. Here are the seven types of people on the B2B buying committee and ideas for winning them over.
The saying "there is power in numbers" is an apt way to describe the state of B2B sales. The fact is, it's no longer a winning strategy for sales professionals to identify and court a single decision maker when it comes to major purchases.
CEB has analyzed data from thousands of B2B marketers, sellers, and buyers around the world to discover what sets top-performing salespeople apart from their average-performing peers when it comes to selling complex solutions. According to Brent Adamson, Matthew Dixon, and Nicholas Toman of CEB, no single contact within a target account has all the attributes needed to help push a purchase through. Instead, they identified seven distinct stakeholder profiles, each of whom help build consensus and drive action around a large corporate purchase or initiative.
1. Go-Getters. Motivated by organizational improvement, these people are always on the lookout for good ideas and will champion action around great insights. Look for those who comment on and share thought leadership, and who tout their companies' successes.
2. Teachers. Colleagues often turn to Teachers, who are passionate about sharing insights and excel at persuading others to take a specific course of action. Look for individuals who are well connected with others in their organizations and generously pass along content.
3. Skeptics. These people push back at seemingly every turn when it comes to large, complicated projects. Even when they get behind a new idea, they counsel a careful, measured approach. A Skeptic shares updates or publishes posts that call for more planning, more strategy, etc.
4. Guides. Willing to share what's happening behind the scenes in their organizations – even gossip – Guides supply information that's typically unavailable to outsiders.
5. Friends. As the name suggests, Friends are readily accessible and will happily help sales professionals network with other stakeholders in the organization. Look for people who have added sales reps to their networks.
6. Climbers. With a primary focus on personal gain, Climbers champion projects that will reflect well on them. You can identify Climbers through LinkedIn profiles that tout their role in successful company initiatives, and highlight personal achievements and awards.
7. Blockers. This is the toughest committee member to win over as Blockers are strongly committed to the status quo and show little interest in speaking with outside vendors. A Blocker shares posts and updates highlighting the value of consistency, sustainability, and the like. Blockers' professional networks are usually quite limited in scope.
Now that you know who you're dealing with, here are ideas for how best to win each committee member over.
1. Go-Getters. Reach out with the latest research and thought leadership on a top-of-mind issue. If it makes sense, invite a Go-Getter to attend an exclusive invite-only webinar or local event featuring a recognized industry expert.
2. Teachers. Offer access to any content and information Teachers express interest in, and point them to other relevant content based on their consumption patterns. Invite them to attend webinars and other educational forums, while making it easy for them to extend the invitation to others. Reach out to make them aware of newly published content, and connect the dots so they know who else within their organization may find it interesting.
3. Skeptics. Share articles, papers, and other content – especially from recognized industry experts – that illustrate why and how those in traditionally slow-moving companies have successfully embraced change in a measured fashion.
4. Guides. Engage Guides in conversation and invite them to share the latest company initiatives and to name those involved and the roles they play.
5. Friends. Ask Friends to introduce you to stakeholders that they and their Guide colleagues name.
6. Climbers. Underscore how you can help the Climber's company address its need in a way that shines a light on the Climber, perhaps helping advance that person's career or showing him or her as a better leader. Supply the Climber with all needed information and content to make a compelling business case. Don't hesitate to offer ghostwriting emails on behalf of the Climber so kudos for project success accrues to that person.
7. Blockers. Your best bet with Blockers is to find a way to understand their resistance to change and identify a way to overcome this. This can be easier said than done and may require that you recruit someone like a Go-Getter to help break down the barriers.
Building consensus when selling to multiple decision makers is one of the biggest challenges facing today's sales pros. The first step to success is understanding who is on the committee. The next step is downloading LinkedIn's Definitive Kit: Mastering the Consensus Sale to learn the three key steps to build customer consensus. | {
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Being a former attendee of the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival, I have heard this talk from transphobic and trans exclusionary radical feminists, a.k.a.TERFs. But I didn't understand TERFs at Michfest, and I certainly don't understand them now. We are a community that has fought hard for rights that are constantly being threatened; the last thing we need is infighting. Kind of like the Democratic Party, the last thing they need is infighting, especially when we are heading towards an election year.
Anyone who goes through their lives having to live a gender they don't believe is their true gender must feel tortured. Who are we to tell them any different? Who are we to question anyone's identity?
There are times when the LGBT community will eat their own, and this is one of those times, but like the late Babs Siperstein taught Jay Lassiter, people deserve grace. I would bet, unlike Trump, Navratilova didn't mean to hurt anyone. So we must extend her grace.
The cover of the April/May 2019 issue of Out In Jersey magazine. CLICK IMAGE TO SUBSCRIBE.
There are so many people who have been bullied or worse. In this issue of Out In Jersey magazine, Dominique Jackson shares that when she came out as trans in auditions and interviews, she wouldn't be seen anymore, and that people in her own community would out her. This is unacceptable behavior.
On the other side of the coin is Trump. He announced in 2017 on Twitter that the country would no longer "accept or allow" transgender Americans to serve in the military, citing "tremendous medical costs and distribution." This kind of talk from someone who is a leader of our country incites fear and hate.
The Human Rights Campaign reported that, in 2018, there were at least 26 deaths of transgender people in the United States due to violence. The majority of those killed were Black, transgender women. And in 2019, we have already had one woman killed.
This year marks 50 years since Stonewall. Let's pay homage to everyone who fought for our rights. As a community of hated and feared people, we have got to stick together. Drag queens, queers, gay, lesbians, transgender, bi, whatever you identify with doesn't matter. If you are a part of our community, we must accept and support you. It is our duty! | {
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Exciting News – Welcome to Butterfly Dreams Abuse Recovery!!!
Today I'd like to make the official announcement of my next step in this journey.
You are invited to visit the new website and check out the information. You will find the 'Welcome' page to enlighten on what is happening here. There are hundreds of worthy, devoted, trusted organizations and foundations building change for our next generation. Now I've used my thirty-two years in horrifying abuse, violence, attempted murderous acts against me, to help bring empowerment and healing to others.
With great pride I can say I've truly made it through a positive path to freedom and have made some amazing connections along the way. Now I'd like to take all of those Advocates/Bloggers/Foundations & Organizations and share them as resources to help all survivors find their own healing path.
For those who know me, you know my heart and where my truth lies; I'm focused in this mission to bring an end to Family Violence and Abuse against those we should love, support, and guide. I am also determined to bring some sense of understanding the impact of these personal violations, helping others to heal and find their true path to freedom.
Its important to understand these actions against those closest to us have existed since the beginning of mankind as a struggle to power over another. I've shared my voice many times, throughout published articles, interviews, blogtalk radio broadcasts and more about the generational acceptance and pattern of trained behaviors, which have grown to program our ever-growing violent society.
Now I've joined up with my dear friend and talented Watercolor Artist, Michal Madison; as we build Butterfly Dreams Abuse Recovery. It is very exciting to look at the upcoming year and where our footsteps will lead us next. We are bringing a new broadcast program to the many others on blog talk radio programming!!! Look for more information to come as we approach January 3rd, 2013.
There is tons of information I've shared as my own healing and coping tools, which you are invited to view on the separate pages of the new site. You will also find an excellent collection of resources provided to help you research your best path. There are many different ways to connect with the emotions of all that's happened, many ways to express these trapped nightmares so that we may begin to walk in freedom and inspire others to choose their new life. On the 'Resources' page you will find many whom you can depend on for help, guidance, support, understanding and ways to heal. You will also find 'Radio World' a resource collection of other blog talk radio programs from those devoted advocates sharing news, information, interviews and tools.
You will also find 'Generation No More' this is the beginning of our children's tomorrow. We are the generation now speaking out of these horrors to prevent it happening again. As we share our stories there is another victim who is given a voice. Another broken soul who is hearing your words, which empowers them with the comfort in numbers to feel safe. On this page you are asked to sign the guest book, share your non-profit org or foundation, share your local resources so our list can continue to grow. We are all in this together and only mankind can create a better way of living, a safer home for everyone; this may be the only cure for this growing plague of man-made cancer eating away at our society!!!
Along with this new website is the online support group I founded back in January 2011, Survivors World!!! This online group is open to both men and women who have been victims of some form of abuse or violence against them. You can join in conversations, connect with others like yourself, learn to be empowered in your life. Always believe in the happiness you deserve and never give up on the hope for tomorrow. It is through believing in our recovery that will help you move forward. Be empowered to join in with others as we take 'Survivors World' online to help support everyone impacted by these generational crimes against those within the walls of our homes.
Our children are depending on us to give them something better. We all have made a committment to provide them a better way than we were given. It is by healing from the abuses against us that each of us begins to understand how our puzzle got so busted and our brains rewired through the abrupt interruption of our 'normal' growth and development. These crimes leave a lifelong impact with deep emotional wounds. When we understand how PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, Self Destructive Behaviors and more affect our daily lives; then we can use our coping skills to help us get through to tomorrow.
What can you do to help? Simply, GET THE WORD OUT!!!
I am so excited to begin this new journey and provide all I can to help others. Michal and I are getting more and more excited about the upcoming New Year of 2013 and the beginning of our broadcasting. As you may also know however, I don't do very well at marketing myself or what I've got to share. My mission is to be active in helping others so I don't do much at promoting, such as with 'My Justice' you may notice you see very little in promotions on this.
'My Justice' has been highly rated and reviewed by Psychology Professionals, Authors, Survivors, Educators, Highly Praised Attorneys, and of course many of you. In fact, there has yet to be one person who isn't deeply touched in some way by this story. Yet I rarely share their reviews, feel guilty when I give myself praise of any form; another lasting impact from the many years of being emotionally broken down to believe I was unworthy of human kindness by anyone. This is a daily process for any survivor as you well know.
So how do I expect my work and my continued efforts to be noticed? By the support, friendship, and word of mouth marketing from all of you!!! It is you who have read the story, perhaps you want to pass the book on to another? It is you who connect and share your powerful stories with me in trust and safety, so you know my devotion. It is you who responds and shares of how you were inspired by something I did or said in some way!!! This my friends to me is phenomenal!!!
It is your support and your word of mouth that I trust and believe in!!! If anything I do is worth recognizing or believing, then you will pass it on to another and hopefully they too will be inspired to believe in their true freedom. It is with all voices talking that it will all make a difference and be recognized for the truth we provide and the hope we give to our children; humanity's only hope in bringing a break to the cycle of what has been so commonly accepted as normal!!!
Live in your positive truth!!!
Freedom is a path we all deserve!!
fly into your new beginning!!!
ASCA.org; Naasca.org; Overcomingsexualabuse.com; incestsurvivors.webs.com; stopabusingyourchildren.com; survivingspirit.com; mskinnermusic.com; plunafoundations.org; sisfi.org; togetherweheal.wordpress.com – blogtalkradio.com; Viga Boland, Mary E. Graziano, Patricia Caldwell – Singleton, Annie O'Sullivan, Jan Frayne, Sharon Newkirk Wells, Lynn C. Tolson, Mary Ann Goughler, I CARE Foundation, Peter Thomas Senese — Hopefully you will help share this exciting new site!!!! | {
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Rita Bullwinkel's Top Ten AWP 2016 Panels
The annual Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) conference is less than a month away, and we're getting amped up for the obligatory tote bags. Our staff and contributors will be sharing their favorite AWP happenings on our blog over the coming weeks, and we hope to see you at the conference (stop by table #1238 and say "hello" to The Conium Review staff).
First up, Rita Bullwinkel (Vol. 4 contributor) shares her top ten panels.
"The Violence of the Page"
Thursday, March 31, 2016, 1:30 pm to 2:45 pm
Room 403 B, LA Convention Center, Meeting Room Level
(Lucy Corin, Maggie Nelson , Brian Evenson, Ben Weissman, Fred D'Aguiar)
This panel explores the various tones, reasons, genealogies, and methodologies writers might choose to employ when representing violence, cruelty, and bodies on the page. The writers on this panel have explored these issues in a variety of genres (fiction, scholarship, and poetry) and in a variety of registers (comedic, elegiac, outrageous, conceptual, documentary, and more), and are uniquely capable of discussing the aesthetic, political, and metabolic effects of such writing.
"It Ain't What They Call You, It's What You Answer To: Peeling Off Genre Labels"
(Daniel Orozco, Doug Dorst, Maureen McHugh, Kelly Luce, Manuel Gonzales)
How does fantasy fiction (or sci-fi, or detective or horror fiction) become literary fiction? Who decides how/when the genre label gets affixed, or peeled off? Why is the move from genre to literary always somehow a narrative of progress, implying a lesser realm left behind? Hear firsthand as writers with varying affinities to genre fiction reflect on how they negotiate with (wrestle, embrace, sidestep) genre conventions in the creation of their work.
"Translation as Animation: New Poetry from Japan"
Friday, April 1, 2016, 12:00 pm to 1:15 pm
Room 402 AB, LA Convention Center, Meeting Room Level
(Kyoko Yoshida , Forrest Gander , Sawako Nakayasu, Goro Takano, James Shea)
Beginning with a short reading, this panel of translators and writers explores the formal problems, aesthetic choices, and political implications of translating contemporary Japanese poetry. Panelists discuss the diversity of Japanese poetry and consider how the pleasures and challenges of translation animate their own writing. Poets under discussion include Takashi Hiraide, Sayumi Kamakura, Shirō Murano, Kiwao Nomura, and Gozo Yoshimasu.
"Korean Feminist Poetics and Translation"
Friday, April 1, 2016, 1:30 pm to 2:45 pm
Gold Salon 3, JW Marriott LA, 1st Floor
(Eunsong Kim, Johannes Goransson, Ji Yoon Lee, Don Mee Choi, Joyelle McSweeney)
South Korea's contemporary history has been deeply impacted by US imperial policies. Yet its history remains relatively unknown: its war, dictatorships, and 47 Free Trade Agreements. We poets and translators discuss feminist Korean poets and propose poetry-as-activism and translation-as-resistance to colonizing power.
"What the Heck Does Innovative Fiction Actually Mean?: Authors Cut Through the Jargon"
Scott James Bookfair Stage, LA Convention Center, Exhibit Hall Level One
(James R. Gapinski, Ashley Farmer, Manuel Gonzales, Matt Bell, Carmiel Banasky) Innovative fiction is fast becoming a literary buzzword. It's often a placeholder term for experimental or avant-garde, but what does it really mean? It's time for a down-to-earth chat that eschews all the labels and jargon. In this panel, presented by The Conium Review, several authors cut through the marketing ploys and hype for a candid talk on the strange, weird, and new in contemporary fiction.
"Kelly Link, Emily St. John Mandel, and Ruth Ozeki: A Reading and Conversation, Sponsored by Penguin Random House Speakers Bureau"
Concourse Hall, LA Convention Center, Exhibit Hall Level One
(Emily St. John Mandel, Ruth Ozeki, Kelly Link)
This event brings together three brilliant contemporary female writers—Kelly Link, Emily St. John Mandel, and Ruth Ozeki—to read and discuss their craft and experiences as genre-bending authors. Kelly Link is the recipient of an NEA grant and is the author of Get in Trouble. Emily St. John Mandel is the author of Station Eleven, a finalist for the 2014 National Book Award. Ruth Ozeki is the author of A Tale for the Time Being, which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.
"In the Realms of the Real and the Unreal"
Saturday, April 2, 12:00 pm to 1:15 pm
AWP Bookfair Stage, LA Convention Center, Exhibit Hall Level One
(Katharine Beutner, Sofia Samatar, Carmen Machado, Alice Sola Kim, Kelly Link)
This panel explores genres of fiction that juxtapose the real and the unreal in experimental ways: historical fiction, literary fantasy/science fiction, weird fiction, and satire. Where do we draw the line between a secondary world and a distorted reflection of our own world's beauty, violence, and diversity? Can we discern a poetics of the unreal in contemporary fiction? How have the continual debates over generic boundaries—and/or their irrelevance—affected the ways contemporary writers work?
"In Whose Image: Trans and Genderqueer Writers on Magic, Spirituality, and (the Bodies of) G-d"
Saturday, April 2, 2016, 12:00 pm to 1:15 pm
(CA Conrad, Joy Ladin, Ryka Aoki, Ian Ellasante, TC Tolbert)
Spirituality, like writing, hinges on transformation. Similarly, trans and genderqueer writers have unique experiences with transformation on and off the page. This dynamic panel explored the intersections between ritual, myth, magic, magical realism, and even end-rhyme as they shape our various embodiments and faiths. We don't want to save you, but we hope you are ready to be changed.
"New Directions in Contemporary War Fiction"
Saturday, April 2, 2016, 1:30 pm to 2:45 pm
Room 510, LA Convention Center, Meeting Room Level
(Peter Molin, Matt Gallagher, Andria Williams, Jesse Goolsby, Elliot Ackerman)
This panel features short readings and commentary by four first-time novelists in the burgeoning field of contemporary war literature. The authors' novels, each published in either 2015 or 2016, highlight new possibilities for representing combat, war, and military culture in fiction. Building on recent critically acclaimed fiction depicting conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan, the panel authors refine our understanding of the human dimensions of war overseas and on the home front.
"Fables, Fibs, and Flat-Out Lies: The Material of Making, Sponsored by Copper Canyon Press"
(Michael Wiegers, Richard Siken, Laura Kasischke, Roger Reeves)
Whatever the chosen form, making is a dominant force in any artist's life. For writers, the creative material—language—is simultaneously precise and slippery, irreducible and expansive; metaphor is a lie that tells the truth, and image a construct made from the sound and meaning of language. This reading features three writers who practice various literary and artistic forms—fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and painting—and will be followed by a conversation moderated by their editor.
Rita Bullwinkel is a Conium Review Vol. 4 contributor. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee where she is a fiction MFA candidate at Vanderbilt University and the Fiction Editor of the Nashville Review. Her writing has appeared in several publications including VICE, NOON, Spork and Hayden's Ferry Review. She is a graduate of Brown University, a Vanderbilt Commons Writer in Residence, a Sewanee Writers' Conference Tennessee Williams Scholarship Award winner, and a Helene Wurlitzer Foundation grantee. Her story "In the South the Sand Winds are Our Greatest Enemy" was selected by Joyland Magazine as one of their top five favorite stories published in 2015. The Nashville Review will be exhibiting at AWP at booth #1500.
Book Review: Home Burial
Home Burial
Written by Michael McGriff
Copper Canyon Press, 2012
Home Burial (Copper Canyon Press, 2012) exposes the Pacific Northwest poet Michael McGriff knows inside out with a stunning forensic lyricism. His knowledge of the backwoods, the quarries, the bay "shaped like a rabbit / hanging limp / from the jaws of the landscape" is downright chthonic, haunted by spirits of place, the departed, and the old junkers they left behind. His poems track movement shapeshifting through his rural routes/roots, personifying Midwinter as a woman who "lets the darkness / sit down beside her" here, pointing to glimpses of reeds–or is it human hair– waving from the bottom of the pond in another abandoned wreck there. His unflinching reports are detailed with a poetic grace that does not betray the bleak realities of life, as, say, a four-legged predator, an obese dead man removed by a crane through a shattered chimney, his grandfather's will found on the back of an invoice in the shed, a woman about to die on the job at the mill.
McGriff presents the hardscrabble vignettes in forms as natural as weather, in language at once harsh and beautiful, shitkicking and prayerful, but never off pitch. This, his second full-length collection, is a Lannan Literary Selection. In its thirty-one poems, the poet's response to the natural world and the ultimate fragility of all its inhabitants hardened by necessity ties these cautionary tales, remembrances and elegies together like #50 Heavy Cougar Genuine Leather Logger Laces. Imagining McGriff creating his poetry in the tough guy settings of his titles: the break room, the Oyster Bar, or sitting – like Midwinter – at the kitchen table, is grainy, cinematic. Anyone who knows this heartbreaking country knows Home Burial nails it; anyone unfamiliar is shown its beating heart, the lay of the land, and what lies beneath.
Review by Susan Lynch
Book Review: On the Spectrum of Possible Death
On the Spectrum of Possible Deaths
Written by Lucia Perillo
Lucia Perillo follows up her 2009 Copper Canyon Press collection, Inseminating the Elephant, a Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and Bobbitt Prize Winner, with another skein of tightly braided magical acts of mesmerizing creative force, beautifully bound. Critics never fail to mention this kaleidoscopic ability Perillo has to raddle the sacred and profane, the deeply personal and mythic universal, the Kotex and the ayahuasca. Raddling, in case you don't know the word, is the art of weaving. The raddleman was the guy who went 'round the English villages making those charming wicker fences as seen in Room With a View, although the word also references the quaint practice of tupping, having to do with marking the back end of a ewe after the ram's done his duty. Perillo doesn't neglect any reference. She raddles 'riding the wacky noodles' (those foam floats 'old ladies' use in swim class) with stark renderings of how many of them are shy about their mastectomies in the changing room. And then titles it Proximity of Meaningful Spectacle. She ruminates on her love-hate relationship with death while describing dahlias hit by a killing frost by way of a man looking up from his electric chair mid-execution to announce 'This isn't working.' Raddling.
In forms exact, iambic here, indented there, slant rhymed, eye rhymed, she interrupts classical proportions with a perfectly placed 'huh, you know' and a 'doesn't that feel a little ostentatious?' Only Perillo could have written "Freak-Out" – a three-pager in sectioned couplets, and trump the hefty line 'what passes through the distillery of anguish…' with 'not the monster potion but the H Two…oh, forget it…' She can wax lyrical with the best of the best, then suddenly grab you by the lapels and get in your face. Or in her own face.
In short, Perillo knows just where to go when and how to get back, like Odysseus, or Homer writing the Odyssey. In fact, he's in here, or rather, his dog, as is Achilles, Carlos Casteneda and Perillo's father. His shirt label, which she 'sees is a haiku […]Traditionalist / one hundred percent cotton / made in Mauritius,' inspires a raddle of Bashō, scungilli and her father's 'death poem,' Soon I must cross / the icy sidewalk. / Help. There goes my shoe
This is a book to own, to touch, to treasure, to marvel at, to peek under the dust cover and appreciate how the juxtaposition of the cover art (Giotto'sThe Last Judgement), the plain brown woven hard cover and the red end papers accurately mirrors the virtuosic braiding of Lucia Perillo. A poet who knows her raddle
Book Review: Happy Life
Written by David Budbill
Like a knock on the noggin from a Zen master's cane, David Budbill's "Happy Life" hits home with a clarity that made me laugh out loud – ah, truth! He captures the essence of the seasons, chopping wood, carrying water, before and after enlightenment. In this, his ninth poetry collection, the poet, playwright, novelist, short story and children's book writer reflects on forty years of a 'happy life' with one eye on the Tao and an honesty that admits to being, like the beautiful women he sees on trips to the city, 'preoccupied with sex and ambition.' But not so much so as to disturb his concentration on a candle flame in the dark, a tiny flower in the woods, or the feel of wet leaves on the path. Shortest of many masterfully spare poems is the four word (six counting title) "Cynical Capitalists" : 'Privatize profit. / Socialize loss.' which pretty much sums it up, leaving very little else to be said about all that. In one of his wry reflections on ageing, he looks at his wrinkled skin, sitting down, wearing shorts and wonders "What Happened to Me?" as we all do, or will. Like the classical Zen poet Hanshan, writing of his Cold Mountain life in 8th century Tang dynasty China, Budbill's contemplations of this human life from his Vermont mountain are timeless.
Book Review: When My Brother Was an Aztec
When My Brother Was an Aztec
Written by Natalie Diaz
This 3am war bell, duende vision prison
Got it? As seen in this randomly-chosen line from Natalie Diaz's first collection of poems, When My Brother Was an Aztec (Copper Canyon Press 2012), there is a poetics-infused prosodic wonder at work here, wrangling her family mythos like a Homeric pro as they deal, home on the res in Needles, with her tweaked, Quetzacoatl'd, Geronimo bro, who shows up at restaurants, 'a lamp cord knotted at his neck', and steals all the lightbulbs. That's just the tame stuff. There is much, much worse afoot. And Diaz has a life too.
Diaz fills us in on all of it. I defy anyone (else) to turn such circumstances into such enthralling poetry. The title's provocative (with accompanying cover photo), then you see she really means it. Laying out long form after long form in original syntax that neither regrets nor defends, Diaz chronicles her brother's meth-fueled ravages from an unsafe distance with tragicomic aplomb, direct lyricism and glistening irony. "Downhill Triolets" renders a(nother) late night altercation on the lawn with tribal cops, Sappho, Jimi Hendrix, Geronimo, the tweaked brother, Sisyphus, Lionel Ritchie, and God, into three neat poetic sequences. What? Problem? "Remember how long it took the Minotaur / to escape the labyrinth.
And then, read the prose poem about "The Last Mojave Indian Barbie." This first book from Natalie Diaz, an MFA-holding award-winner who works with tribal elders preserving the Mojave language, is a Lannan Literary Selection. And yes, it's all going to be on the quiz. Every word. | {
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Obesity among children, adults see massive uptick! Is pandemic to be blamed?
Experts suggest that this rise in obesity is seen due to the lack of physical movement and unhealthy food habits common among children these days.
With the world stepping into the third year of the pandemic in a month's time, children have taken a hit on their health by trying to distract themselves with online gaming and other indoor activities which doesn't give them much scope for rigorous exercise. And this has been proven in the latest study published by the National Family Health Survey (NFHS).
The study has shown that there has been a steady increase in obesity cases among children under five years of age with as much as 33 states and union territories registering an uptick in the number of overweight children. Experts suggest that this rise in obesity is seen due to the lack of physical movement and unhealthy food habits common among children these days.
"The number of overweight children increased from 2.1 per cent in NFHS-4 to 3.4 per cent in NFHS-5", the report stated as published by PTI. It is not just children where obesity has found its humble abode, but also among women and men. There has been a substantial rise in overweight women to 24 per cent from 20.6 per cent. While in men, the number rose to 22.9 per cent from 18.8 per cent.
The survey has also revealed that several states and union territories, including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Mizoram, Tripura, Lakshadweep, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Ladakh, have registered a spike in the percentage of obesity among children below five years of age in comparison to NFHS-4 conducted between 2015 and 2016, reported PTI.
The data stated that only Goa, Tamil Nadu, Dadra, Nagar Haveul, and Daman and Die registered a drop in overweight children under five years of age. The survey data stated that 30 states and union territories registered a rise in obesity among women while 33 states and UTs recorded obesity among men. Men and women whose body mass index was found to be over or rqual to 25.okg/m2 were said to be obese while children's obesity was counted in terms of weight-for-height. The rise in obesity is seen among children as well as adults due to unhealthy food choice and lack of physical movements.
"Behind the trend of increasing obesity among Indian women, men and children over the past 15 years, confirmed by NFHS-5, are rising incomes, poor dietary habits, and unhealthy life choices," said Poonam Muttreja, Executive Director at the Population Foundation of India.
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An inflexible Right clings to outdated ideologies
By Krystian Seibert - posted Monday, 30 November 2009 Sign Up for free e-mail updates!
Climate change divisions in the Liberal Party are an example of the difficulties experienced by politicians when they fail to adapt to shifts in the public policy debate. To be fair, it is not a phenomenon restricted to any one side of politics.
Up until the 1980s, the left in Australia struggled to come to terms with the importance of having a liberalised and competitive market economy. This difficulty was a major problem in Australia, but it was also a particular challenge in Britain where only the arrival of Tony Blair as leader of the opposition pointed the Labour Party in a new direction.
In Australia, change was brought in by the Hawke-Keating governments. Hawke and Keating knew that the old ideological dogmas of the left were outdated, and set about reforming and liberalising the Australian economy. Their governments were an example of how important it is for parties of any political persuasion to constantly re- assess the ideological underpinnings of their approach to public policy.
This is where the Liberal Party has stumbled. While the Leader of the Opposition and some others in the party have realised that climate change demands a rethink of the right's traditional suspicion of government intervention and regulation, others have not been capable of making this transition.
And the trouble is, these aren't just a few eccentric backbenchers, they are prominent frontbenchers and members of the parliamentary leadership team such as Tony Abbott and Nick Minchin. They also include people who are likely to have an increased role in the parliamentary party in the future, such as Cory Bernardi. On ABC's Four Corners, Nick Minchin stated that he believed that a majority of Liberal MPs don't believe climate change is caused by humans. While we can't be sure about whether this statement is true, given the ideological backgrounds of many Liberal MPs, it would not be surprising if it were.
There is a belief by many on the right that free markets are infallible.
Some, including George Soros, Joseph Stiglitz and Kevin Rudd, have called this "market fundamentalism".
While those on the right accuse the left of having a mistaken belief that government can solve all our problems (an allegation which may have had some substance in the now quite distant past), the evidence from Australia and countries such as Britain shows that centre-left governments are very supportive of markets, but they adopt a more reasoned and realistic approach to them.
Rather, it is more a case that many on the right have a blind belief in the virtue of free markets and hence are fervently opposed to the need for government action even where it is clearly necessary.
Accepting the reality of climate change and the consequent need for government action involves an acknowledgment that free markets are not infallible.
Indeed, as pointed out by Nicholas Stern, climate change is a result of the greatest market failure the world has seen. You can't accept that climate change is real, and still think that free markets can solve all our problems: trying to do so would lead to an uncomfortable feeling of cognitive dissonance. So instead of accepting that climate change is real, acknowledging the need for government action and tempering the fervour of their support for free markets, many on the right prefer simply to deny that climate change is real. For them, if a fact is incompatible with their ideology, they don't change their ideology but rather deny that the fact is a fact.
This leads them to cling to bizarre ideas, such as a belief that climate change is some sort of left-wing conspiracy. In the end, the most recent divisions in the Liberal Party expose what is perhaps the major issue behind the current debate about climate change, and that is the inflexible and dogmatic nature of right-wing ideology in Australia.
Of course, it is not the left's job to teach the right how to solve their problems. But given that the left has undergone a significant period of ideological transformation over the past two to three decades, the right can certainly learn from our experience. Put simply, the right needs a much more sophisticated approach to the market and to the role of government. They need to realise that markets are not infallible, and they need to develop a much more informed awareness about the strengths and weaknesses of markets.
At the same time, they need a much more informed attitude to the strengths and weaknesses of government, and to accept that sometimes government action is the only way to solve a problem.
If the right in Australia stay where they are now, they will discover that in addition to the reality of climate change, another reality is that as long as the Liberal Party clings to old ideological dogmas, it will remain a party incapable of addressing the challenges facing Australia.
First published in The Canberra Times on November 24, 2009.
Krystian Seibert is a public policy professional based in Melbourne. He has worked as a policy adviser to two Australian Ministers and studied regulatory policy at the London School of Economics.
» Atmosphere of trust needed for effective action on global warming - April 6, 2010
» Growing the union's powerbase - January 14, 2008
» Fair shares in climate burden - October 5, 2007
» Investing in people is the path to full employment - September 25, 2007
» Tackling climate for big returns - July 19, 2007
All articles by Krystian Seibert | {
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