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Paleo, Primal, Ancestral Lifestyle Overview: The Manifesto
— Biting Commentary on the Human Animal Condition Since 2003
The purpose of this document is to give a one-stop summary of my continually evolving life way in diet, nutrition, exercise, fitness, and health—including mental and social health. I draw from vast sources of information and have done so for over 30 years, employ the scientific method, evolutionary logic, enlightenment philosophers and thinkers, and have consequently come away with the firm conviction that mainstream advice and conventional wisdom is not only wrong, but is maliciously maiming and killing people, devastating families, imposing tremendous costs that will ultimately be covered by healthier and saner people…and that the medical, drug, political, media—mainstream institutions in general—industries are profiting from all of it.
The Free the Animal Manifesto
Manifesto: A public declaration of principles and intentions.
Version 3.0
Physical Health
1. Human beings possess the ability to quickly change everything about themselves, their society, and often even important aspects of their physical environment. In the span of time humans have been on the planet, the Neolithic age is but a blink. Similarly, while it takes years, even decades, for individuals to become unhealthy and mentally numb, it will take much less time to reverse that. This is the most important thesis to internalize.
2. Humans are animals. The same forces of physiology, biology, climatology, geology, and sociology that determine health and prosperity throughout the animal kingdom apply equally to humans.
3. The key to being lean, strong, and healthy is in your head. There is no definite prescription or proscription that will work for everyone. You must craft your own diet, health and fitness paradigm from your own trial and error experience. You must learn to regulate your hunger and satiation. The burden is squarely on you. Modern institutions only want to sell you stuff. They don't care about your belly or health. They care about their bottom line and your spending.
4. Non-human animals evolved to thrive in a great variety of environments worldwide. Humans, however, migrated across the globe in order to survive, or even with the purpose to better thrive and prosper. From the equator to the poles, from sea level to 16,000 feet, humans have evolved to exploit the environment in which they've found themselves.
5. The human animal can live a long and productive life without the decline we now associate with age in modern society. It is possible to experience health, vitality, and happiness right up until the last few days, hours, and even minutes of life. Encoded in our genes is the ability to survive and thrive to the very end on a wide range of food sources.
6. Humans become obese. Non-human animals don't become obese or die unnaturally without human intervention. The pets and zoo animals under the stewardship of human animals become as debilitated as humans. This is the result of the failure to identify and implement a humanely appropriate diet and environment. Humans become stressed, depressed, unfulfilled, unproductive, dependent, sexually starved, uncompetitive, and unhappy for the same fundamental reasons.
7. Good health is natural, by definition. It's not something that needs to be industrialized or drug-induced. By eating natural foods available to us, humans can enjoy good health and longevity. Industrialization comes with powerful advantages, and powerful disadvantages. We each have the responsibility to use the advancement of knowledge, technology and profitable implementation with great care. Technology should not separate us from or destroy the natural or man-made habitats we and the non-human animals need to live and thrive in good health.
8. Humans manipulate nature and their environment to a degree non-human animals can't and don't. The ability to "create reality" by means of marvelously, powerfully, creative human minds is a double-edged sword. Man's manipulation of his environment can be used to create breathtaking achievements in the pursuit of survival, happiness, and prosperity…or it can be used to destroy all of those.
Mental Health
9. Our large brains desire more, far more, than mere survival. And so the human animal, by means of super intellectual capacity, division of labor, and trade, evolved the capacity to exploit and control nature to its own ends in terms of prosperity, happiness, and sexual pleasure.
10. Health increases as self-determination and independence increase. Your best must come from you. Rigid, authoritative plans and roadmaps are doomed to mediocrity, at best. So you must test and critically evaluate the effectiveness of whatever you apply toward self-improvement. You must be principled and disciplined in your thinking, because TV and the media change their messages daily toward their own ends, not yours. Striking out on your own means freeing yourself from these influences, but you'll be left to fend for yourself without the crowd to confirm and condone your actions. That choice is yours: the easy way or the hard way, and only you can decide which will ultimately be more fulfilling.
11. The ability of humans to work against their best interests, individually and collectively, is the root cause of all unnatural problems. Unlike non-human animals, people can consciously and purposefully act against their own best interest, even to the point of suicide. Adverse human conditions from stress to ill health to suicide to general failure are tied to dishonest irrationality and rationalization. Non-human animals only concern themselves with the environment in which they find themselves. They thrive automatically. They are neither honest, dishonest, rational, irrational, moral, immoral. They just do.
12. Human animals are the only animals who can be dishonest. Dishonesty in this context is purely intellectual. It is the willful failure to logically and rationally integrate and act upon data from our senses. Dishonesty can be internal to an individual, or external by collaborating with others. In society, dishonesty is the fundamental root cause of disease, failure to flourish, and early, unnatural death. Reducing and eliminating the dishonesty in our own lives and society has far reaching potential.
13. Dishonesty is an adverse consequence of "free will." It is the product of superintelligence, owing to our ability to fake, simulate or "create" reality through wishful thinking or delusion. Apart from innocent error, dishonesty is the failure to diligently integrate sensory input from the world around us into a logical framework or hierarchy of valid knowledge and context. Ultimately, all lasting value for survival and prosperity is the product of individuals honestly dealing with the reality around them. It's not just necessary, it's mandatory for survival.
14. The consequences of dishonesty are unnatural disease, unhappiness, obesity, failed relationships, predation, and more. When such calamities befall non-human animals, it's natural or environmental. Humans, on the other hand, create problems where no problems otherwise exist. Such problems are created deliberately, or happen by default. Man harming his fellow man through fraud, violence, or predation is a deliberate problem. Consequences that happen by default occur when we fail to take advantage of what we need to survive, leaving us vulnerable to injury, disease, or exploitation.
15. Like other animals, human males and females are different physiologically. Our nature that requires us to identify, choose and pursue values for our survival and happiness opens the door to sexual values not driven by reproduction. Humans have the capacity to pursue and enjoy sex for pleasure alone and to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
Societal Health
16. Human animals are social beings. We collaborate to produce values, and then exchange them with others to mutual benefit. In small circles, individuals can hold each other accountable. But agricultural civilization has seen the development of large, centralized, bureaucratized, hierarchical power structures where a few dominate the rest. Even when the domination isn't totalitarian and brutal, it's nonetheless dishonest and fraudulent because it is unnatural, based in domination and force, and not social cooperation. The powerful few engender welcome cheerleading from their subjects. When we no longer hold each other personally accountable, those in power dishonestly sustain parasitic livelihoods through force, fraud, manipulation, promise of reward.
17. Modern humans in "first world" democratic societies are fooled into thinking that they possess power over those few at the top of the hierarchy. But in reality, trinkets like a voting ballot are much the same as lottery tickets, keno cards, slot machines and roulette wheels in terms of effectiveness and power. Conversely, we know ancient humans were individually and socially powerful, because they survived on their own, without modern technology, as social beings. Nobody voted on it.
18. A domesticated animal can exhibit shame, but will not sacrifice its well being over it. Human animals invented unearned guilt and shame, and they teach it to their offspring. It's reinforced socially most often through religion and politics. Guilt and shame keep humans tamed and domesticated, not inclined to buck the system.
19. Religious institutions, government institutions, many in the media, many social and political activists, many large and multinational businesses, many in the the legal profession, medical profession and ivory-tower academia use unearned guilt and shame to induce fear, to keep everyone malleable, submissive and seeking external authority. Fear is a natural part of our evolved behavioral makeup. In a primal and primitive world, fear motivated action that worked towards survival. Since then, there have arisen those who dishonestly manipulate unearned guilt and shame in order to secure an unearned livelihood.
20. Fear is what gives legs to unearned guilt and shame. Fear is natural, something we would feel even without the urging of society or external authorities. Neolithic institutions use our nature against us. Overcoming the effect of unearned guilt and shame leaves Neolithic institutions with their only other option against you: brute force.


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My focus here is on what we experience on our family history journey.
F is for:
Fun: Given my blog title, I hope I can convey what enjoyment can be achieved from a wonderful, life-long and all consuming hobby - in researching, writing and networking on my family history journey.
Frustration: a fact of life of all hobbies I suspect - in not breaking through my major brick wall to find the name of my grandmother's mother; In not finding the piece of evidence that would confirm the name of my great great grandfather; in coming to what I think is too early a halt on a particular line; in hearing that a relation has thrown out some precious family photographs.
Still by this time I am so caught up in the ancestral chase, I just move sideways and start investigating brothers, sisters and distant marital lines.
Fooled by False Trails can abound in family history and for many years when researching my husband's Donaldson family, I made serious wrong assumptions.
Marriage entry for Samuel Donaldson in the Old Parish Records for South Leith , Midlothian, 1759 |
Then I reached the proverbial brick wall in trying to prove Samuel's parentage.
In the Old Parish Records, there was a Samuel Donaldson born in 1729 in Kirkbean, Kirkcudbrightshire on the south west coast of Scotland. This very much appealed to me - the date was about right, the coastal location on the banks of the Solway Firth in south west Scotland fitted with Samuel's later life as a merchant in a seaport and Kirkbean had an interesting history as the birthplace of John Paul Jones, found of the American navy. On the basis of following ancestral roots, we even had an enjoyable short break exploring the area which was only about 70 miles from where we lived.
I had another look at the ScotlandsPeople website (http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/) and there were only 3 entries for a Samuel Donaldson born in Scotland in the relevant period:
1729 - Samuel son of John and Jean
1725 - Samuel, son of James and Jean
1752 - Samuel, son of John and Janet
Given that it was not compulsory to register births, marriages and deaths, perhaps there is simply no record of Samuel's birth and no evidence to confirm the names of his parents.
So years of assumption and work on the background history of Kirkbean came to nothing, though we did enjoy our holiday there. And the lesson - don't jump to conclusions that can see you following a Foolish False Trail!

subset: commoncrawl


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Sesame-Crusted Tuna with Homemade Ponzu Sauce
Mr. SGCC and I went to a fancy cocktail party several weeks ago. It was the kind of party where everybody spoke in hushed tones, hors d'oeuvres were passed on silver trays and champagne was poured into real crystal flutes. The kind of party where you feel obligated to squeeze your feet into high heels and risk killing, or at least maiming yourself.
The buffet table was just lovely though, laden with platters of impeccably displayed, mouthwatering morsels and mile-high vases of lush, fresh flowers. At one end of the tables, a guy wearing a crisp, starched, white jacket stood over a smoking hot wok. He was searing gorgeous slabs of tuna encrusted with black and white sesame seeds. and was doing an excellent job of it too. That tuna was perfectly cooked - golden and crunchy on the outside and cool and smooth on the inside. It literally melted in your mouth! I remember thinking at the time that I simply had to try to recreate this dish at home.
The next morning, I was sipping my coffee and scanning through my reader, when lo and behold, I saw a recipe on Steamy Kitchen for the exact. same. tuna. What luck! I've made no secret of the fact on this blog that I think Jaden's recipes are terrific. And, I'm lucky enough to live in the same city, so if I have any questions, I don't even have to call long distance. I bookmarked the recipe and hurried down to Whole Foods to find some beautiful, fresh, sushi-quality tuna steaks.
Just look at these beauties!
I followed Jaden's recipe pretty much as written. She says to coat the tuna with a thin layer of wasabi paste before coating it with the black and white sesame seeds. I was a little leery of this, but I did it anyway. She promised it wouldn't kill me. Then, I seared it, sliced it and served it with some zingy, citrusy, homemade Ponzu Sauce.
Ponzu Sauce is a citrus-based sauce that is commonly used in Japanese cuisine. It is made by boiling mirin, rice vinegar, bonito flakes, and seaweed over medium heat. The liquid is cooled and then strained, after which citrus juice is added. In Japan, Ponzu is made with a citrus fruit called yuzu which can be difficult to find in here in the States. Fortunately, a very close facsimile can be made using other citrus fruits like lemons, limes and oranges, which is what I did here. My version also includes soy sauce, technically making it a Ponzu Shoyu. I also left out the seaweed, because I didn't have any and didn't feel like going to the store again.
You can buy bottled Ponzu Sauce in the ethnic foods aisle at most supermarkets, but don't. It is so incredibly easy to make yourself, and the flavor just doesn't compare with the bottled stuff!
I have to tell you, my Sesame-Crusted Tuna was just as good, if not better than the one I ate at that cocktail party. That tuna was like buttah! And the wasabi schmear that I rubbed all over it really did mellow out and give a nice, gentle bite to the tuna, just like Jaden said it would.
I'm going to send you over to Steamy Kitchen for the tuna recipe. She gives a detailed, step-by-step presentation there. But, definitely come back here for the Ponzu Sauze. It will really make your tastebuds sing!
Ponzu Sauce
(Printable Recipe)
¾ cup mirin (sweet rice wine)
½ cup rice wine vinegar
4 tablespoons soy sauce
½ cup bonito flakes
1 tbsp fresh lime zest
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp fresh orange juice
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
Combine the mirin, vinegar, soy sauce, lime zest and bonito flakes in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Remove from the heat and let cool.
Pour the sauce through a strainer into a bowl and discard the solids.
Mix in the citrus juices.
Can be stored in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
Coconut Shrimp with Spicy Pineapple-Apricot Dipping Sauce
Seared Tuna with Avocado from Simply Recipes
Seared Spiced Tuna with Zucchini from La Tartine Gourmande
Prosciutto Wrapped Grilled Tuna with Wasabi Butter from Chili Cheese Fries


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If you suffer from neck pain, you're not alone. Many people have neck pain at some point in their lives. Problems, such as poor posture, injury, and wear and tear, can lead to neck pain. Your healthcare provider will work with you to find the treatment that's best for your neck.
The following problems can cause pain or injury in your neck:
Strains and sprains. Strains (stretched or torn muscles) and sprains (stretched or torn ligaments) can cause neck pain. Strains and sprains can happen during an accident, or when you overuse your neck through repetitive motion. They can also cause your muscles and ligaments to become inflamed (swollen and painful).
Whiplash and other injuries. Whiplash can result when an impact throws your head, forcing your neck too far forward, then too far backward. When combined, the two motions can cause a painful injury to different parts of your neck, such as muscles, ligaments, or joints. The most common cause of whiplash is a car accident. But it can also happen during a fall or sports injury.
Weakened disks. A simple action, such as a sneeze or a cough, can cause one of your disks to bulge or rupture (herniate). A herniated disk can put pressure on your nerve and cause pain. Over time, disks can also thin out (degenerate). Flattened disks don't cushion vertebrae well and can cause vertebrae to rub together. Also, there is less space for the nerves. This can pinch nerves and cause pain.
Weakened joints. Aging and injury can cause joints to slowly degenerate. Thinned joints can also cause vertebrae to rub together. This can cause abnormal growths of bone (bone spurs) to form on vertebrae. Bone spurs put pressure on nerves, causing pain.
If you have a neck problem, you may have one or more of the following symptoms:
Muscle tension and spasm. You may not be able to move your neck, arms, or shoulders comfortably if you have muscle tension or stiffness in your neck. If your symptoms aren't relieved, you may experience muscle spasms, or knots of contracted tissue (trigger points) in areas of your neck and shoulders.
Aches and pains. Dull aches in your head or neck, sharp pains, and swelling of the soft tissue of your neck and shoulders are common symptoms. If there's pressure on the nerves in your neck, you may feel pain in your arms or hands.
Numbness or weakness. If you injure the nerves in your neck, you may have numbness, tingling, or weakness in your shoulders, arms, or hands. These symptoms arise when disks or bone spurs press on the nerves in your neck. Severe disease can also affect your legs.


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Whenever possible, buy certified organic meat
Organic meat is always produced without antibiotics, or meat labeled "no antibiotics added." Although organic animals still may carry bacteria, a 2009 research review found significantly higher multidrug resistance in conventional meat samples than in organic meat products. And buying organic helps curtail excessive antibiotic use. The bottom line: Handle and cook all meats appropriately.
Practice food safety at home
Keep a separate cutting board for meat, and wash board, knives, countertops, and hands thoroughly with a natural antibacterial soap.
Cook meat thoroughly
Drug-resistant salmonella and E. coli are intestinal bacteria so, like their nonresistant counterparts, they are usually killed with thorough cooking.


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Show All Answers
In the case of a felony, the LaSalle County State's Attorney Felony Review Division prosecutors review information supplied by the investigating police department and determines which criminal charges best apply under the Illinois Compiled Statutes for Criminal Law.
Misdemeanor charges are determined by the investigating police department, except in certain situations where they are reviewed by the State's Attorney's Office. As misdemeanor cases are being prosecuted, the assistant state's attorney on the case may file different or additional charges.
Immediately report the crime to your local police or the Sheriff's Department.
The police will ask you questions regarding the incident and will then prepare a police report. The sooner you make the report the better the chances are that law enforcement officials can collect the evidence necessary to prosecute the crime.
A felony is a more serious criminal offense that upon conviction carries a possible sentence of imprisonment with the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Initially, a date is set to determine whether or not there exists probable cause to believe the defendant committed the offense. The State either presents evidence of probable cause to a grand jury made up of sixteen citizens, or to the judge in a preliminary hearing.
There is a difference in the law between civil and criminal cases.
The main differences are that imprisonment is not a remedy in a civil case and the burden of proof is greater in a criminal case.
In a civil case. the plaintiff need only prove his/her case by a preponderance of the evidence. Such a case can be filed even though the police and the State's Attorney feel there is insufficient evidence to prove a criminal case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Examples of cases that cannot be charged by the State's Attorney include those situations in which someone owes you money and has refused to pay you back. To most people, this behavior is theft and the person ought to be charged with a crime. However, the law requires that the State prove that the person had the criminal intent to deprive at the time the person took possession of the money.
In most cases, this element is missing. Without evidence of criminal intent, the State's Attorney would be unable to prove a criminal case beyond a reasonable doubt. In such a case, a small claims case can be filed in order to resolve the matter.
Yes, unless their presence on a particular court date has been waived (excused) by the judge.
No. Victims and lay witnesses will be notified by subpoena to testify if the case goes to trial or contacted if there is a hearing requiring their presence. It is very important you notify the State's Attorney's Office of any changes in address or phone numbers from the time of the original police report.
Yes. Courtrooms are open to the public with the exception of the juvenile court. Victims are welcome to attend court proceedings; however, their presence is not required at all court dates. Victims will be subpoenaed or notified if their testimony is needed. Since victim presence is not required on all court dates, it is suggested victims call the working day before attending court to check if the case is still scheduled. Call the State's Attorney's office at 815-434-8340, if you do not know the assigned prosecutor or victim coordinator and ask for Katy Gapinski. Please have the name of the defendant and case number available.
To determine whether your testimony will be needed, you should call the LaSalle County State's Attorney's Office at 815-434-8340 and speak to either the prosecutor or the victim-witness coordinator assigned to the case or courtroom. When you call, have the subpoena because it contains the defendant's name, case number, and courtroom. and other important information. If you are needed to testify, the State's Attorney's Office will work with you as best possible to keep to a minimum your time away from work, school, or other obligations. If you receive a subpoena and do not make direct contact with the prosecutor or assigned coordinator, then you must appear at the date and time the subpoena indicates.
Court usually begins at 9 am. Lunch breaks are generally from noon to 1 pm. Hearings and Bench Trials typically begin at 11 am or 1 pm. Court hearings can be specially set by the court and vary in time. If you plan to attend any court dates it is suggested you call the LaSalle County State's Attorney's Office one working day before with the defendant's name and case number to check on the courtroom, time, and date. If there is a victim-witness coordinator assigned to the case it is best to check in with the coordinator. If they are aware you plan to attend the court date, the coordinator may be available to give additional assistance.
Pursuant to the Non-Support Punishment Act, 750 ILCS 16/1 et seq., the LaSalle County State's Attorney's Office may initiate claims for payment of court ordered child support when the payor is a minimum of three months or more behind in child support payments.
Child support claims prosecuted by this office are limited to those cases that have been previously adjudicated in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court of LaSalle County and to cases wherein both parties to the action reside within the State of Illinois.
This office does have the ability to garnish employment wages, but does not have the legal authority to garnish income tax returns or unemployment wages.
The primary child support agency within the State of Illinois is the Department of Healthcare and Family Services whose cases are prosecuted by the Illinois Attorney General's Office. These State agencies have the ability to garnish income tax returns, unemployment wages and employment wages, and to handle all cases where one of the parties resides outside of the State of Illinois.
Contact with the Department of Healthcare and family Services for child support services may be made by:Phone: 800-447-4278Visit the Division of Child Support EnforcementDCSE Field Staff LaSalle County690 Centennial DriveOttawa, IL 61350
A bond hearing is held after the defendant is arrested. The judge determines whether the defendant is a danger to society and/or whether he/she will return to court for future court dates. The more serious the charge the higher the bond usually is. Once the bond amount is set, the defendant can post 10% to be released from custody. For example, a $10,000 bond would require posting $1,000 to be released. The court can impose specific conditions be placed such as a curfew, no contact with the victim, etc. Although a bond is usually set in the early stages of the criminal case, the defense can ask for a bond review or modification of the bond on future court dates.
Contact the LaSalle County Jail directly at 815-434-8383 to check on custody status or register with Automated Victim Notification System (AVN). The AVN automatically notifies registered citizens/victims by phone or email of a defendant's release or custody status 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To register go online or call toll-free 866-5-notify (866-566-8439), or TTY 866-502-2423.
The judge determines the amount of the bond. The prosecutor can request the judge to consider a high bond or request placing special conditions on the bond should the defendant be released from custody, such as no contact with victims, curfew, random drops, etc. Ultimately though, these decisions are up to the judge.
Call the police and make a report. This is to document what occurred, place, time, who was present, and what was said if anything. Be sure to tell the reporting police officer that you are a victim in a pending criminal case and the defendant is out on bond with a no-contact condition of that bond. Give the officer the name of the prosecutor handling the case. Next contact the prosecutor or victim-witness coordinator assigned to your case. A violation of the bond could result if the defendant's bond is raised or revoked at the next court appearance.
A domestic order of protection is one tool that can help a victim of domestic violence gain independence and stop the abuser from hurting the victim or children. An order of protection and a condition of bond is two separate remedies. For assistance obtaining a domestic order of protection please contact: ADV/SAS at 800-892-3375. If there is a pending criminal case please contact the victim-witness coordinator assigned to your case to assure you are aware of the status of the criminal case and notify her of any changes in address or contact information.
Any family or household members related by blood, or by current or former marriage, share or formerly shared a common dwelling (home), have or allegedly have a child in common, share or allegedly share a blood relationship through a child, have or had a dating or engagement relationship, are a high-risk adult with disabilities who is abused by a family member or car-giver.
You should immediately call the police and file a police report. If there is a pending criminal case you should also notify the victim-witness coordinator and prosecutor assigned to your criminal case.
No. In criminal prosecutions, the case has been captioned the People of the State of Illinois vs the Defendant. The prosecutor takes into consideration what the victim would like to see happen in a criminal case, but the prosecutor, who is obligated to protect society, makes the final decision about whether a case proceeds or not.


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TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE 28th CONFERENCE OF THE
Mr Chairman,
Mr Director General,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
1. I gladly welcome the distinguished participants in the Twenty–eighth Conference of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, making your now traditional visit to the See of Peter. Because this year marks the Fiftieth Anniversary of FAO, I am especially pleased that, despite your busy schedule, you did not wish to miss this occasion–a custom which was been honoured at meetings of the Conference since FAO settled in Rome in 1951.
Through you, Mr Chairman, I offer warm good wishes to the Delegates and Representatives of the member States, and extend a special welcome to the new members of your Organization which more than ever reflects a world which, in spite of often painful divisions, has an increasing need to unite around common objectives.
I thank you, Mr Director–General, and renew my esteem for your generous commitment during the first phase of your mandate, which also involves the difficult but necessary task of restructuring the Organization.
2. It is not by chance that the beginning of FAO coincided with the formation of that broader Organization, the United Nations, whose ideals inspired FAO and with whose activity it is associated. The establishment of FAO was thus intended to emphasize the complementarity of the principles contained in the Charter of the United Nations: true peace and effective international security are achieved not only by preventing wars and conflicts, but also by promoting development and creating conditions which ensure that basic human rights are fully guaranteed.
3. The Fiftieth Anniversary celebration of FAO offers a suitable occasion to reflect on the international community's commitment to a fundamental good and duty: the freeing of human beings from malnutrition and the threat of starvation. As you have pointed out in the recent Quebec Declaration, it cannot be forgotten that at the origins of FAO there was not only a desire to strengthen effective cooperation among States in a primary sector such as agriculture but also the intention to find ways to guarantee sufficient food for the whole world, through sharing the fruits of the earth in a rational way. By setting up FAO on 16 October 1945, the world community hoped to eradicate the scourge of famine and starvation. The enormous difficulties still involved in this task must not be allowed to diminish the firmness of your commitment.
Even today tragic situations are unfolding before our eyes: people are dying of starvation because peace and security have not been guaranteed. The social and economic situation of the contemporary world makes us all aware of the extent to which the hunger and malnutrition of millions of people are the result of evil mechanisms within economic structures, or are the consequence of unjust criteria in the distribution of resources and production, policies formulated in order to safeguard special interest groups, or different forms of protectionism. Furthermore, the precarious situation in which whole peoples find themselves has led to a mobility of such alarming dimensions that it cannot be dealt with by traditional humanitarian assistance alone. The question of refugees and displaced persons gives rise to dramatic consequences at the level of agricultural production and of food security, affecting the nutrition of millions of people. FAO's action in recent years has shown that the provision of emergency help for refugees is not enough; this kind of assistance does not bring a satisfactory solution as long as conditions of extreme poverty are allowed to continue and become even more acute, conditions which lead to increased deaths due to malnutrition and hunger. The underlying causes of such situations have to be addressed.
4. Ladies and Gentlemen: the Fiftieth Anniversary celebrations furnish us with the opportunity to ask why international action, despite the existence of FAO, has been unable to alter this state of affairs. At the world–wide level sufficient food can be produced to satisfy everyone's needs. Why then are so many people threatened by starvation?
As you are well aware, there are many reasons for this paradoxical situation in which abundance coexists with scarcity, including policies which forcibly reduce agricultural production, widespread corruption in public life, and massive investment in sophisticated weapons systems to the detriment of people's primary needs. These and other reasons contribute to the creation of what you call "structures of famine". Here we are speaking of the mechanisms of international business by which the less favoured countries, those most in need of food, are excluded in one way or another from the market, thus preventing a just and effective distribution of agricultural products. Yet another reason is that certain forms of assistance for development are made conditional on the implementation by poorer countries of policies of structural adjustment, policies which drastically limit those countries' ability to acquire needed foodstuffs. Nor can a serious analysis of the underlying causes of hunger overlook that attitude found in the more developed countries, where a consumerist culture tends to exalt artificial needs over real ones. This has direct consequences for the structure of the world economy, and for agriculture and food production in particular.
These many reasons have their source not only in a false sense of the values which should sustain international relations, but also in a widespread attitude which emphasizes having over being. The result is a real inability on the part of many to appreciate the needs of the poor and the starving; indeed, to appreciate the poor themselves in their inalienable human dignity. An effective campaign against hunger thus calls for more than merely indicating the proper functioning of market mechanisms or attaining higher levels of food production. It is necessary, first and foremost, to recover a sense of the human person. In my Address to the General Assembly of the United Nations on 5 October last, I pointed to the need to build relationships between peoples on the basis of a constant "exchange of gifts", a real "culture of giving" which should make every country prepared to meet the needs of the less fortunate (John Paul II, Message to the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization, 14).
5. In this perspective, FAO and other bodies have an essential role to play in fostering a new sense of international cooperation. During the last fifty years it has been the merit of FAO to promote people's access to land, thus favouring agricultural workers and fostering their rights as a condition for raising production levels. Food assistance, often exploited as a way of exerting political pressure, has been modified by means of a new concept: food security, which considers the availability of food not only in relation to the needs of a country's population, but also in relation to the productive capacity of neighbouring areas, precisely with a view to the rapid transfer or exchange of foodstuffs.
In addition, the concern which the international community shows for environmental issues is reflected in FAO's involvement in activities aimed at limiting damage to the ecosystem and safeguarding food production from phenomena such as desertification and erosion. The promotion of effective social justice in relations between peoples entails the awareness that the goods of Creation are meant for all people, and that the economic life of the world community should be oriented to sharing those goods, their use and their benefits.
Today it is more necessary than ever for the international community to recommit itself to fulfilling the primary purpose for which FAO was established. Daily bread for every person on earth – that "Fiat panis" which FAO refers to in its motto – is an essential condition of the world's peace and security. Courageous choices must be made, choices made in the light of a correct ethical vision of political and economic activity. Modifications and reforms of the international system, and of FAO in particular, need to be rooted in an ethic of solidarity and a culture of sharing. To direct the labours of this Conference to this end can be a most fruitful way of preparing for the important meeting of the World Summit on Nutrition which FAO has scheduled for November 1996.
6. In all these efforts the Catholic Church is close to you, as attested to by the attention with which the Holy See has followed the activity of FAO since 1948. In celebrating this Fiftieth Anniversary with you, the Holy See wishes to demonstrate its continuing support for your endeavours. A symbolic sign of this support and encouragement will be the bell to be placed in the FAO headquarters as a remembrance of the establishment, fifty years ago, of the Family of the United Nations. Bells symbolize joy; they announce an event. But bells also ring out a call to action. On this occasion, and in the context of FAO's activity, this bell is meant to call everyone – countries, different International Organizations, all men and women of goodwill – to even greater efforts to free the world from famine and malnutrition.
The words inscribed on the base of the bell evoke the very purpose of the United Nations system: "Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more" (Is. 2: 4). These are the words of the Prophet Isaiah, who proclaimed the dawn of universal peace. But, according to the Prophet, this peace will come about – and this has great meaning for FAO – only when "they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks" (Is. 2: 4).
For only when people consider the struggle against hunger as a priority, and are committed to providing everyone with the means of gaining their daily bread instead of amassing weapons, will conflicts and wars come to an end and humanity be able to set forth on a lasting journey of peace.
This is the sublime task to which you, the Representatives of the Nations and the leaders of FAO, are called. Upon your work and upon FAO, I invoke the abundant blessings of Almighty God, ever rich in mercy.
© Copyright 1995 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana
Copyright © Dicastero per la Comunicazione - Libreria Editrice Vaticana


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simple monday - paper punch flower
Sometimes you just need a quick project that you can mindlessly work on while watching TV or listening to good music. This is one of those—super easy.
- 1.75 in. circle punch
- 1 in. circle punch
- Button
- Foam dots
- Glue
- Punch out one 1.75" circle to use as a base and 30 1" circles for the petals.
- Attach the button with foam dots to the center of the large circle.
- Fold all the small circles in half. Glue them around the button (with the edge of each circle tucked under the button). I creased some all the way and some only slightly which make the latter petals appear more open—giving the flower an uneven look/texture.
This flower is similar to the one in a previous tutorial but the difference is that these petals are standing upright and not on their side.
- Leave the center empty (no button) and use green paper to use it as a wreath gift topper!
- This is a perfect project to use up scraps—make it multicolored!
- It can also be a recycling project by using magazine pages.
Happy Monday!
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You want guests to feel at ease and welcome the moment they walk up to your home. Our customized doormats are a great way to express how much you care about your lovely guests. They are also ideal presents for new homeowners, family, friends, or even oneself on any occasion, such as Mother's Day, Father's Day, Birthdays, July 4th, Christmas, Halloween, and so on.
Product details:
- 3 Sizes:
Small: 40 * 60cm
Medium: 45 * 75cm
Large: 60 * 90cm - Top is made of a heat-resistant non-woven fabric that prevents sliding on certain surfaces.
- Our mats are commonly used as an interior front welcome mat, kitchen rug, floor mat, and living room rug, among other applications.
- Keep floors clean and dry by drying damp feet, grabbing debris, dust, and grime.
- Cleaning is simple. Cleaning dirt can be done with a moist cloth or sponge and a little detergent. It is not advised to wash in a machine.
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Neighborhood war waged in Rogen's new film
"Neighbors,'' starring (and produced by) Seth Rogen and directed by Nicholas Stoller, proudly straddles these two genres and boldly tosses in a third: The "We've-just-become-parents, NOW-what?'' movie. You know these: Baby arrives, cute as a button but bringing ALL kinds of trouble, and then things are resolved in a syrupy sweet finale.
It's safe to say that syrupy sweetness is not a problem with "Neighbors.'' In fact, it is noisy, crude, profane, gross, and sometimes mean. Luckily, it's also extremely funny, and you'll realize by the end that it has some heart, too.
Most importantly, what it may suffer in narrative coherence it makes up for with a first-rate cast: the reliably funny Rogen, the game-for-anything Rose Byrne, and in the most pleasant surprise, a truly excellent Zac Efron as an immature, narcissistic, vindictive and, by the way, unbelievably buff frat leader whose obnoxious brio might just be masking deeper issues. (Zac, as a parent who had to watch the "High School Musical'' films at least 400 times, maybe more, let me just say: I forgive you now.)
Rogen plays Mac Radner, a young father who clearly hasn't smoothly completed his transition to adulthood. He still dreams of the epic partying he once engaged in. And so does his wife, Kelly (Byrne, beautiful as always, and energetically foul-mouthed here.) When a friend suggests an evening at a rave, Kelly and Mac want to go so badly, they decide to bring baby. But they spend so much energy gathering up the stroller, the car seat, the breast pump and the cooler, that they collapse in a heap by the front door.
Still, the couple's doing pretty well in their new suburban digs. Until Delta Psi moves in, right next door.
Mac and Kelly try to make nice with the frat's leader Teddy (Efron), who's such a fine physical specimen that Mac calls him "something a gay guy designed in a lab.'' Debating the least geeky way to say "could ya keep it down?'' they head next door, and end up partying all night, just to show how cool they are. But soon, the noise is too much, and they're calling the cops. The war is on.
The script by Andrew J. Cohen and Brendan O'Brien misses no opportunity to mine frat-film cliches. Beer pong? Check. Stunts involving dildos? Check. But it's quite well done, thanks to the nimble comic instincts of Rogen, Byrne, Efron and also Dave Franco as Pete, Teddy's right-hand man at the frat, who unlike his buddy, actually seems to be aiming for a productive future. Lisa Kudrow, in a small role as a college official, is reliably zany.
Occasionally the humor goes awry, or just too far. A baby munching on a used condom? "What's that you have there, sweetie, a balloon?'' Mac asks. (Cue the delighted groans in the multiplex.) Maybe the joke could have stopped there. But it doesn't.
And how about the visual gag involving, well, a nursing woman's breasts? Was that really necessary?
On a brighter note, there's a priceless bit in which Mac and Teddy bond by trading inter-generational "Batman'' impressions: Teddy does Christian Bale, and Mac does Michael Keaton. Another fun scene involves the frat guys trying their hand at Robert de Niro impressions.
At a certain point, the movie starts to feel like an extended "Saturday Night Live'' skit, with not much concern for narrative progression. But few people will complain.
And a closing scene that was improvised, placing a shirtless Rogen and Efron in front of an Abercombie & Fitch store, is not only funny but surprisingly touching. It helps that Efron looks exactly like an Abercrombie model.
"Neighbors,'' a Universal Studios release, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America "for pervasive language, strong crude and sexual content, graphic nudity and drug use throughout.'' Running time: 96 minutes. Three stars out of four.


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Posted by Editoress on 11/15/11
Saskatchewan Cycling Association (SCA) Seeks Provincial Head Coach
Application Deadline: December 31, 2011
The SCA is searching for a Provincial Cycling Head Coach, who possesses vision and energy to lead the Provincial High Performance Program.
Job Description: The Provincial Coach is a key leadership position within the Saskatchewan Cycling Association High Performance program. The successful candidate will be responsible for identifying and developing, high performance athletes maintaining and enhancing the high-performance program in both Road and Mountain Bike racing and mentoring in-province coaches.
Qualifications: The successful applicant will have
• Experience and knowledge of competition of Road Racing and/or Cross Country Mountain Biking racing
• NCCP Level 3 Cycling certification (or equivalent) is preferred: if this requirement is not satisfied at the time of application, the SCA is willing to work with the successful applicant to achieve Level 3 or equivalent status.
Although the contract does not require the individual to work from the provincial office, the incumbent must reside in Saskatchewan.
Contract start date is negotiable, based on availability
We thank all those who apply. Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.
This position is financially supported by Sask Sport.
All applications will be confidential.
Salary: Commensurate with experience and qualifications
Please submit your application with CV and salary expectations via e-mail by December 31, 2011 to:
Saskatchewan Cycling Association
2205 Victoria Ave
Regina, SK S4P 0S4 (306) 780 9299
Return to Canadian Cyclist homepage | Back to Top |


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Charts now have the option of rotated (vertical) x-axis labels. This can be useful for longer labels.
Note – if you have upgraded SOFA rotated labels may not work unless you update the sofastats_charts.js file in your local sofastats folder e.g. C:\Users\username\sofastats\reports\sofastats_report_extras with the sofastats_charts file for sofastats_report_extras
Scatterplots now focus on the data better by starting axes just below the minimum x and y values of the data unless the value is close enough to 0 to make it worth using 0 anyway.
And for Ubuntu users, a much nicer launcher icon :-). Actually, it's a set of icons at different resolutions so that SOFA always looks good on the launcher.
Other changes include:
- Numeric values are right justified in data tables.
- Kurtosis values in the normality test include the Fischer adjustment (subtracting 3).
- Duplicated field names in imports are given unique suffixes and allowed (now that they are unique).
- Excel importing now handles times without dates.
- More date formats are accepted when importing data.
- Better guidance on data preparation before importing data.
- More robust handling of variable definition files if corrupted.
Note: if upgrading on Linux, the two user folders (sofastats and sofastats_recovery) may be shifted from inside your home folder to a better location e.g. "/home/username/Documents" if free desktop standards are supported. After upgrading you may wish to manually replace the contents of the new folders with the contents of the old ones.
Bug Fixes
- Fixed small bug stopping column labels displaying in data table view.
- Fixed bug in recode operation which would wipe the table if any errors at all where encountered trying to turn the user recode config into SQLite update clauses.
- Fixed bug in getting structured data e.g. for line charts, where a user names a field freq and thus has a conflict with my own freq field. Renamed the internal use field _sofa_freq to prevent collisions.
- Creating user's default proj file now copes with apostrophes etc in user path e.g. /Users/Jim's/etc.
- The project dialog now displays the default report and css details saved with it from previous occasions.
- Project settings are only applied if the project is selected – they are not automatically triggered by changes when configuring a project.
- Multi-line values entered into data cells e.g. variable label settings, automatically have the line breaks converted into spaces. Prevents errors in display of data e.g. in single line text boxes, and problems storing in python scripts (EOL error) etc.
- Fixed bug where the first SQLite database in a project was assumed to be the default sofa database even though it might not be. Now possible to link to multiple default databases e.g. testing copies etc as long as simple naming convention followed.
- SOFA now rolls back to last good database connection if a failure.
- Fixed strange bug where default database would lock if made a new table, then looked as design, then tried to write to the database e.g. importing, editing data. Just refreshed cursor after updating demo table design and problem gone.


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Scapula Fractures
The shoulder blade (scapula) is a triangular-shaped bone that is protected by a complex system of surrounding muscles. Scapula fractures represent less than 1% of all broken bones and many of them can be treated without surgery.
High-energy, blunt trauma injuries, such as those experienced in a motorcycle or motor vehicle collision or falling from a significant height, can cause a scapula fracture. Other major injuries often accompany scapular fractures, such as fractures in the shoulder, collarbone and ribs, or damage to the head, lungs, or spinal cord.
One or more parts of the scapula may be fractured.
- Scapular body (50% to 60% of patients)
- Scapular neck (25% of patients)
- Glenoid
- Acromion
- Coracoid
The most common symptoms of a scapula fracture include:
- Extreme pain when you move the arm
- Swelling around the back of the shoulder
- Scrapes around the affected area.
To determine appropriate treatment, your doctor will evaluate the position and posture of your shoulder. Because other injuries are often present with scapula fractures, your doctor will look for additional injuries. He or she will also treat any soft-tissue damage (abrasions, open wounds, and muscular trauma). A detailed physical examination may not be possible if you have other severe injuries.
Your doctor may also order imaging tests of your shoulder and chest to determine the extent of injury to the scapula. X-rays provide clear images of dense structures like bone. Your doctor may also order a computed tomography (CT) scan to provide a more detailed image.
Nonsurgical Treatment
Nonsurgical treatment with a simple sling works for most fractures of the scapula. The sling holds your shoulder in place while the bone heals. Your doctor may want you to start moving your shoulder within the first week after the injury to minimize the risk of shoulder and elbow stiffness. The sling is discontinued as your pain improves. Passive stretching exercises should be continued until complete shoulder motion returns. This may take 6 months to 1 year.
Surgical Treatment
Certain types of scapular fractures may need surgery:
- Fractures of the glenoid articular surface in which bone has moved out of place (displaced)
- Fractures of the neck of the scapula with a lot of angulation
- Fractures of the acromion process that cause the arm bone to hit against it (impingement syndrome)
During this operation, the bone fragments are first repositioned (reduced) in their normal alignment, and then held together by attaching metal plates with special screws to the outer surface of the bone.
Pain Management
Pain after an injury or surgery is a natural part of the healing process. Your doctor and nurses will work to reduce your pain, which can help you recover faster.
Medications are often prescribed for short-term pain relief after surgery or an injury. Many types of medicines are available to help manage pain, including opioids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and local anesthetics. Your doctor may use a combination of these medications to improve pain relief, as well as minimize the need for opioids.
Be aware that although opioids help relieve pain after surgery or an injury, they are a narcotic and can be addictive. Opioid dependency and overdose has become a critical public health issue in the U.S. It is important to use opioids only as directed by your doctor. As soon as your pain begins to improve, stop taking opioids. Talk to your doctor if your pain has not begun to improve within a few days of your treatment.


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Lack of appropriate 'crowd control' equipment exacerbates 'riot catastrophe' in Arab states undergoing political upheaval, defence expert at Abu Dhabi arms fair says
Defence experts who say many lives could have been saved during Arab uprisings if states used proper crowd control measures sought to tap into a growing market at an Abu Dhabi arms fair.
Anti-riot vehicles with sophisticated acoustic repellents have boldly taken their place alongside the likes of Eurofighter's Typhoon warplane and the bristling firepower of rocket launchers at the arms industry's biennial quest for petrodollars in the Gulf emirate.
"If a given state lacks the means, the doctrines, and the training for homeland defence and internal security missions, that government is more likely to use lethal means that are disproportionate," said Steven Adragna of US defence consultancy Arcanum.
Riot-control specialists such as South Africa's Paramount and Turkey's Otokar are bidding to change an apparent regional mindset by exhibiting their wares at the IDEX arms fair.
Paramount's Ivor Ichikowitz said governments need to be better equipped for crowd control to avoid resorting to use of disproportionate force.
"The riot catastrophe in Egypt, for example, was greatly exacerbated because police were using inappropriate equipment," said Ichikowitz.
"Appropriate and better-quality anti-riot vehicles and equipment increases police safety, thus reducing the pressure they feel in conflict situations."
From inside one such mobile fortress, police can repel rioters using acoustic repellents that emit ear-shattering frequencies over a 30-metre (yard) radius.
Adragna said anti-riot gear, which in addition to batons and shields includes shotguns, rubber bullets, tear gas and stun grenades, can maintain order.
"If an individual policeman is trained on how to use those devices, I think they are perfectly legitimate," he said.
Thousands have been killed in demonstrations that have swept across several Arab countries since December 2010 as security forces used overwhelming force against peaceful protesters demanding political change.
Street protests in Syria that began in March 2011 escalated into an armed conflict that the United Nations says has now killed more than 70,000 people.
Security forces in Bahrain, where an uprising was crushed in 2011, continue to use tear gas to quell regular Shiite protests and also use shotguns.
In Egypt, security forces under the Islamist government of President Mohamed Morsi appear to have reverted to the same heavy-handed practices used under toppled former strongman Hosni Mubarak.
Mauro Della Costanza of Italian shotgun maker Benelli says "Egypt is a big customer.
"Egyptian police have several thousand of these," he said, showing off the company's M3 shotgun marketed to law enforcement authorities.
"In the past two years, we had a big increase in purchase orders from the Middle East, especially the UAE," he said.
But he said that exports to some countries face delays, and sometimes complete bans, from Italian export authorities which investigate "how guns will be used."
Tunisia, where violence erupted again this month two years after the first Arab Spring uprising, "is under a 100 percent embargo," Della Costanza said.
Amnesty International has called on China, the United States and other arms exporting countries to ensure that weapons sold at this week's fair do not lead to human rights abuses.
Brian Wood, Amnesty's head of arms control and human rights, charged that commercial pressures were taking precedence over concerns for rights.
"Governments are letting the unrelenting commercial pressures of arms companies and their own narrow national interests take precedence over building the rule of law and respect for human rights," Wood said in a statement.
"These are prime examples of why the world desperately needs a strong Arms Trade Treaty that would halt an arms sale when it can be foreseen that there is a substantial risk the arms will be used for serious human rights abuses."


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Below you'll find a list of hotfixes for the month of November which address various gameplay and service issues affecting Diablo III.
Hotfixes are updates we make on our end without requiring you to download a new patch. Some of the hotfixes below will go live the moment they are implemented, while others may require a restart to go into effect. As always, please keep in mind that some issues cannot be addressed without a client-side patch update.
November 26
Bug Fixes
- Monsters will no longer spawn with 10%-15% of their health missing
- Players who pre-purchase the Heart of the Swarm Digital Deluxe Edition will now properly receive the Blade Wings digital item on both Normal and Hardcore characters


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It is known that computing $a^x \bmod N$ takes $O(|x| + \mathrm{pop}(x))$ multiplications modulo $N$, where $|x|$ is the number of bits of $x$ and $\mathrm{pop}(x)$ is the number of $1$ bits (Hamming weight). This suggests a side channel attack by measuring the run time of the exponentiation.
Can the number of $1$ bits be derived from the run time, and can it somehow speed up finding of $x$ if $a$ and $N$ are known (assuming no countermeasures are used)?
Which countermeasures can be done?


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The National Parks, Ken Burns, and Photography
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Ken Burns doesn't need an introduction, especially from me. Unlike most everyone who begins his speech this way, I will actually not provide one, but instead focus on his new film, The National Parks, America's Best Idea, and my small part in it. The film is coming to PBS in exactly a month, between September 27 and October 2, two hours a night. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
I first saw previews of the film in San Francisco in April this year. In May, I was invited to Mountainfilm in Telluride, where I exhibited a dozen of images and participated in a joint Q&A session with Ken Burns. I had the pleasure to share a suite with Shelton Johnson, a Yosemite NP ranger with such a great personality, voice, and insight that he appears in each of the six episodes of the film. During the festival, where the "The National Parks, America's Best Idea" premiered, I saw the entire 12 hours of the film.
The beautiful cinematography was a treat on the large screen, all the more enjoyable because I was able to recognize most locations. However, the focus of the film was not on the scenery, but on the human history. Like all the previous Ken Burns series, the film chronicles an important aspect of American history and invention. It is a story of democracy in action, through a uniquely American idea: that the most special places in the country should be preserved, not for some privileged people, but for everyone.
I learned so much about the dramatic struggles and historical characters who made the National Parks possible. They ranged from icons such as John Muir, whose remarkable story is told in great detail, to a score of people whose name I hadn't heard before, in spite of their importance to the National Parks. For instance, before George Melendez Wright undertook his studies, it was an official policy to feed garbage to the Yellowstone bears in front of tourists.
Most unexpectedly, I was very moved, often to tears, by several episodes. It is a absolutely compelling story, marvelously told.
As photography had, from the start, played an important role in helping the parks get establish, many photographers are featured in the film, incidently all of them working in large format. William Henry Jackson's photographs helped convince people back East that the wonders of Yellowstone were real. The Kolb Brothers pioneered photography in the Grand Canyon. George Masa, a Japanese immigrant, was instrumental in the founding of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the mapping and building of the Appalachian Trail. Ansel Adams took the images that convinced FD Roosevelt to approve Kings Canyon National Park – although FDR knew that he would never personally get to see those scenes himself. To this effect, Ansel sent a portfolio to the secretary of the interior, who showed it to FDR. However, FDR decided to keep the portfolio for himself. Ansel Adams was subsequently hired to photograph each of the National Parks. At that time, there were only about 25 of them, but he missed one. Almost last, Bradford Washburn, used large format aerial photography to map Denali and then pioneer a new climbing route to the summit. His appearance on camera was particularly moving, as he has since passed away.
As the Parks themselves are characters in the film, Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan undertook an extensive location filming program, taking them to 53 of the 58 Parks. In the course of researching those locations, they found my National Parks gallery. At that time, I had already visited each of the 58 National Parks, and my website offered a wealth and quality of images of the Parks not available anywhere else, including on the National Park Service website. Many people have written to me to tell me how the images have helped them plan their visits. Much in the same way, the film crew used them to help plan their production.
Subsequently, they became interested in using images to fill missing sequences in their cinematography, as well as to illustrate the companion book since they had only movie footage that does not print as well as still images. In the process of conversations, they became intrigued by the story of my life, which had been changed so much by my project. That would be a subject for another post, but in short it was my involvement with the parks that inspired me to make my home in America, and eventually quit a noted career in Artificial Intelligence to become a full time photographer. My project to photograph all the National Parks, despite the daunting task of lugging a 5×7 inch large format camera anywhere, had been accomplished in the most "democratic" fashion, self-financed, often alone, with no more support than any ordinary visitor to the parks in their own travels.
Dayton Duncan invited me to join their crew on location, which I did twice. In Glacier Bay National Park, a boat was chartered. In Kings Canyon National Park, a pack of mules helped to transport the gear. It was interesting to see how a film crew worked, and to compare the different operating modes of a cinematographer and a photographer. They would look for views where panning adds interest by revealing features that were not visible at the beginning of the sequence. They would notice and try to capture even the most subtle motions, such as the shimmer of water on a Iake, or grasses swaying in the wind. There were similarities, too, besides getting up one our before sunrise. Their hefty tripod reminded me of my first Zone VI wooden tripod (a modified surveyor's tripod). They even used a changing bag on location to load and unload film rolls. For those not familiar with large format photography, that's a lightproofed bag with holes for your arms that you use as a "portable darkroom".
They filmed a sequence of me working on location in Glacier Bay National Park. Previously, Ken Burns had interviewed me in San Francisco for the film. Knowing all his achievements, I was initially quite intimidated on that occasion, so it was a surprise to see how young he looked, and how friendly he was.
I felt very honored to be one of the few living characters featured in the film. From the beginning, I had sought to raise awareness and respect for those treasured lands, a goal I felt I shared with the makers of the film. Part of episode 4, you can see the short segment where I appear on the PBS site. When I saw the film segment in May, I was shocked to hear my thick French accent. I knew that sometimes people had difficulties to understand what I was saying, but that was the first time since becoming an adult that I saw myself on any footage!
Update: Check this post for a more recent link to the clip.