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A public meeting was held in Stockton, Calif., last night in order to address the town's high crime rate. That's not something that would normally register on our radar, but when Dallas Braden decides to show up at that meeting with a baseball bat and berate the police chief until he gets himself kicked out, it's something we can't help but take note of.
The entire scene was very strange and uncomfortable, as you can see in video below, which was captured by CBS's local Sacramento affiliate:
Why was Braden so angry? He claims that his grandmother was recently robbed in Stockton, and that he was assaulted in his car. In both cases, Braden felt that the local police force's efforts and competence were lacking. Hence the bat and the indignation.
Putting his theatrics aside, Braden isn't wrong to be concerned about his community. Recently, the violent-crime rate in Stockton has been exponentially higher than the national rate, and Forbes ranked it as the most miserable city in America in 2011.
Still: "Arm yourself or get out. It's the wild west. The boys in blue: they're outgunned" isn't something you want to hear from an angry man holding a baseball bat.
A's Pitcher Gets Heated At Stockton Anti-Violence Meeting, Says He's Moving [CBS Sacramento via Getting Blanked]


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Companies around the world are using RFID and IP Cameras to control and manage access to buildings and networks via the use of ID badges, cards, tags, wristbands, proximity readers, biometrics and vehicle tags. Electro-Com brings the world's leading RFID and IP Camera Access Control solutions to the marketplace though its key partnerships, and supports its customers by making use of its 25+ years of industry experience.
|Electro-Com offer an array of long range RFID hardware for access control including products from Balogh, FEIG, Sirit and TI.
Contact us for more information
|Electro-Com provides a wide range of proximity access control readers and tags from companies such as Secura Key, Texas Instruments, FEIG and Aceprox.
Contact us for more information
|Salto's state of the art electronic locking systems offer flexible and functional access control with a wide choice of software options.
Contact us for more information
|We offer a range of technically advanced biometric access control products combining state of the art fingerprint technologies and HF RFID
Contact us for more information
|Helios is a unique configurable door entry system. Remotely control your door access from your office phone, mobile phone or computer.
Contact us for more information
|Mobotix is known as the leading pioneer in network camera technology and its decentralized concept has made high-resolution video systems cost efficient.
Contact us for more information
|RFID wristbands revolve around a tiny, flat RFID chip, sealed in a non-transferable plastic wristband that uses customised software to store and transfer data which is read by RFID readers.
Contact us for more information
|Electro-Com supply a wide range of contactless smartcards and RFID card technologies in low frequency, high frequency and ultra high frequency.
Contact us for more information
In today's fast moving and constantly changing world nothing stays the same for long. New working practices and new employees means security too has to continually change and evolve to keep pace. As a result buildings and workspaces need to be flexible and adaptable, ready to incorporate new technologies using stand alone door units with real time on-line systems that are inspiring to use, simple to install and able to work with existing IT networks.
Recognising the need for a new access control concept, SALTO has developed a wide range of innovative products such as the SALTO Virtual Network and XS4 access control platform, while our electronic escutcheons, wall readers and on-line and off-line control units now control security access for a growing range of end users from Airports to Hospitals, Banks to Government Buildings and Universities to Hotels.
This, together with ISO 9001:2008 & ISO 14001 certifications, ensures rigorous quality management systems are in place to ensure the design, development and manufacturing of our electronic access control products always strive to achieve the highest possible standards of quality as required by you, our customers.
That's why we are the selected access control option on over 1,200,000 doors, on more than 11,000 projects in over 70 countries. The power of the SALTO Virtual Network (SVN) allows people to work wire free, enabling them to manage their key control requirements efficiently, flexibly and cost effectively.
Visit: Salto
The leading web-based, Biometric, RFID Smartcard Platform for Enterprise-wide Solutions in ID Management.
ACTAtek has its roots in ERP and technology solutions that address workforce management and security. Formed over ten years ago, ACTAtek now has operational offices in The USA (California), Canada (Vancouver), EMEA (UK), India (New Delhi), Thailand (Bangkok), Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia (KL).
With a focus on ID Management, ACTAtek has addressed the primary markets for SECURITY and WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT through a common biometric platform that provides a high quality, scalable, and networked series of fingerprint, RFID smartcard and video product solutions that easily interface to all software applications that address the vertical market segments of Security and Workforce Management. A critical element of the ACTAtek approach is to offer a true, enterprise-wide network platform (thousands of users in different global locations) that readily supports both security (access control , video surveillance, asset tracking) and workforce management (time & Attendance, labor cost management and payroll interface) applications.
ACTAtek has won critical acclaim in independent reviews, and continues to develop its technology platform to incorporate key elements of the targeted growth markets.
Visit: ACTAtek
AceProx Identifikationssysteme GmbH produces and distributes hardware components for contactless identification (reading units and transponders in various designs) primarily for system integrators and to hardware manufacturers.
Aceprox's comprehensive product portfolio for both 125kHz as well as 13,56MHz RFID technology, offering read ranges from a couple of cm to 100cm, make AceProx a "One-Stop-Shop" for all kinds of RFID-related hardware.
AceProx GmbH is operating as a true international company servicing customers across the globe.
Visit: Aceprox
Paxton, design and manufacture market leading IP access control, door entry and building intelligence systems for smart buildings.
With over 30 years of experience, they put core values of simplicity, quality and honesty at the heart of everything they do. Their products harness the latest technology to provide powerful, yet easy to install and use solutions. They provide world class technical support and free training to ensure they consistently exceed our customers' expectations, supporting them and their businesses.
Net2 is an advanced PC based access control solution. Net2 offers centralised administration and control of sites from one to hundreds of doors and with up to 50,000 users. Perfectly tailor access privileges to groups or individuals quickly and easily using our intuitive, user-friendly software.
An ideal standalone access solution for internal (low security) doors. A compact system comprises an integrated reader and control unit, which are quick and easy to install: simply connect to a power supply and a lock.
Switch2 is a standalone product suitable for external use in applications requiring high levels of security. Comprising a separate control unit and reader (the control unit is installed in a safe area to avoid tampering), Switch2 systems are a scaleable, easy-to-manage access solution ideal for small to medium sites.
Visit: Paxton
For over 40 years, Secura Key has been the value leader in the Access Control industry, manufacturing complete multi-door Access Control Systems, including access control panels, software, card access readers, cards, keytags, and accessories.
Secura Key also offers stand-alone readers for single-door keyless entry applications. Secura Key's card and reader technologies include Touch Card™ (Barium Ferrite), Wiegand Swipe Cards, Proximity Cards, Contactless Smart Cards, as well as UHF, MIFARE™, DESFire™, and Multi-technology cards, and four-color digital custom printing is available.
Secura Key also supplies products to the RFID industry, such as embedded or weatherproof reader/writers, LF, HF and UHF transponders, and it also provides custom solutions and technical assistance to RFID integrators.
Visit: Secura Key
For more than 35 years FEIG ELECTRONIC GmbH has specialized in contactless identification (RFID), door controllers and traffic sensor technology. FEIG ELECTRONIC was established in 1970 and employs about 220 staff members. The company is located in Weilburg, Germany.
FEIG ELECTRONIC has many years of experience in development within all business fields and is focused on High Tech products in all divisions. Our specialists develop standard products and customized solutions. Beyond that FEIG ELECTRONIC is active in research and standards development in co-operation with universities, industry organizations, as well as industrial partners.
Visit: FEIG Electronic
FEIG ELECTRONIC has been developing and manufacturing RFID systems under the brand name OBID® since 1991. As an OEM supplier to system integrators and resellers, the company has to date sold well over 1 million RFID readers. In addition, FEIG ELECTRONIC is one of the few companies to offer readers and antennas for all three frequency ranges with passive transponder technology: LF (125 kHz), HF (13.56 MHz) and UHF (860-960 MHz).
OBID® RFID reader systems from FEIG ELECTRONIC are in use across the globe. OBID® readers are developed according to international standards in close cooperation with all leading manufacturers of transponder chips, and support all major types of transponder (multi-tag readers).
In addition to a wide variety of standard products, the many customized solutions we have developed are a testament to the high quality, flexibility and reputation enjoyed by FEIG ELECTRONIC.
With its new Architect® concept, STid has created the perfect blend of high-security and scalability.
STid is delighted to present the first modular range of secure readers, offering both flexibility and simplicity. By optimizing the design of our readers, we have developed a common RFID core that can be connected to a set of additional modules, such as a keyboard, biometrics or a touch screen.
The Architect® range is intuitive and dynamic, made up of smart, easy-to-connect modules. The concept can be tailored to your needs, offering an optimum solution for any situation and enabling all the functionalities and security levels to be upgraded across all your readers.
The modular nature of the range offers a greater degree of availability and services, whilst optimizing your inventory management by reducing the catalogue size by 40%.
Visit: STiD
2N Telecommunications is a leading European manufacturer of telecommunications equipment focused on SME, LME and operator solutions, and servicing customers around the globe.
2N Telecommunications are the optimal choice for our customers because they provide customized solutions. This is also proven by their export success – a full 80 % of production is exported to more than 125 countries throughout the world. However they are not only manufacture their products, but also develop them, which enables 2N to respond to market needs with incredible flexibility.
Although primarily concentraing on intercom solutions such as the 2N Helios, they also focus on other segments in their portfolio (i.e., operator solutions, M2M) as well as pay close attention to providing effective support to the distribution network and service.
The 2N® Helios and 2N® Helios IP door communicators are leading products in their sector, both with regard to the technology used and to their overall design. The door communicators ensure comfort to you and your visitors, and thanks to the camera, you will increase security right at the entrance door.
Visit: 2N Telecommunications
Elpas offers a comprehensive range of Real-Time Visibility, Emergency Call Signaling and Access Control Solutions that answer the safety and security needs of healthcare institutions.
Our complete range of advanced field-proven solutions can suit every requirement, whether it be a large multi-ward hospital, or a small nursing home where the real-time identification and location of staff, patients and assets are mission critical. The result: enhanced workflow, improved patient care and safety, improved resource utilization, audit trails to meet regulatory compliance and an overall reduction of operating costs.
Standard features include:
Visit: Visonic Elpas
MOBOTIX has been producing megapixel cameras exclusively for many years now and is regarded as the global market leader for high-resolution video systems.
The higher the resolution, the more accurate the detail in the image. With analog technology, a recorded image generally has no more than 0.1 megapixels (CIF). One single MOBOTIX camera with 3.1 megapixels records around 30 times more detail. As a result, larger image areas with up to 360° allround views are possible, thus reducing the number of cameras, and therefore the costs. For example, four lanes of a gas station can be recorded with one MOBOTIX camera instead of four conventional cameras.
Unlike other systems, with the decentralized MOBOTIX concept, a high-speed computer and if necessary, digital long-term memory (MicroSD Card) is built into every camera, providing several days of recording time. The PC and the video control center now serve only for viewing and controlling the cameras (PTZ), not for analysis or recording. This makes it unnecessary to purchase expensive video management software, as the most important and computer-intensive functions are already integrated in the MOBOTIX cameras.
There are no software or licensing costs with MOBOTIX, because the software is always supplied within the camera - for an unlimited number of cameras and users. The software package supplied with the camera also includes a professional control center software used at soccer stadiums, for example. Updates are supplied free of charge on the website.
Visit: Mobotix
Brickcom Corporation is a leading network video manufacturer in the IP surveillance industry. Dedicated to providing the best IP surveillance solutions, the company is strategically located worldwide to provide prompt quality service. Brickcom has a solid foundation for engineering quality network video equipment with a Research and Development Department that has been producing wireless broadband networking equipment for over twenty years.
Brickcom offers a one-stop shop for all the equipment needed to build a complete IP surveillance solution for any application. Brickcom does this by offering a complete suite of products which includes a full range of megapixel IP network cameras equipped with H.264 compression and PoE; camera accessories; embedded and PC-based Network Video Recorders (NVR); Central Management System (CMS); and networking equipment such as wireless AP/Routers, 3G, WiFi, and WiMAX devices.
Megapixel technology is currently at the pinnacle of camera resolution systems so Brickcom ensures that its IP Cameras are equipped with megapixel sensors to deliver high quality surveillance. Brickcom's complete suite of products are compatible with Power-over-Ethernet (IEEE 802.3af Standard) allowing for easy camera deployment. The cameras and NVRS are embedded with H.264 video compression to reduce bandwidth and storage requirements. Brickcom has developed a user-friendly web interface configuration which allows for complete web-based user/administrator control over video streaming and analysis.
Brickcom's Research and Development Department strives to develop new platforms to improve on the latest technology. Brickcom is constantly evolving to lead the way in technological advancements. To date, Brickcom provides the latest in network security to prevent unauthorized access to the network. Quality products coupled with impenetrable security makes Brickcom the company of choice for global network surveillance solutions.
Visit: Brickcom
The Balogh RFID product line consists of a wide range of RFID tags, Transceivers (Antennas), and control interfaces adapted to a large number of applications.
Balogh offers the most advanced RFID technologies in the industry. Balogh philosophy is to be a specialist providing the right RFID technology to meet our customers' needs. These technologies include: 2.45GHz, 13.56MHz, UHF 800-960 MHz, 125 KHz, Infrared, and Balogh Industrial RFID products.
Balogh has applications around the world utilizing millions of RFID tags in many different industries like: Automotive, Food Processing, Pharmaceutical, Supply chain , Transportation, Railways, Access Control, Air Cargo, Aircraft Manufacturing, Security, & Agricultural to name just a few.
Balogh has the most extensive line of interfaces for RFID in the industry. Balogh can connect to all the major control bus networks including; DeviceNet, ControlNet, EtherNet/IP, EtherNet TCP/IP, ModBus/TCP, ProfiBus-DP, Interbus-S, and GE GeniusBus. In addition Balogh Balogh actively works with many alliance partners to complement its RFID solutions with best-of-breed expertise, technology, services and sales abilities., such as Rockwell Automation e.g to develop the most comprehensive set of interfaces to Allen-Bradley Control products available today.
Visit: Balogh
TI is the world's largest integrated supplier of radio frequency identification (RFID), with over one billion RFID tags, smart labels and RFID readers manufactured for use in asset tracking, car access and animal identification.
RFID products from TI provide the ultimate solution for a wide range of applications. With its patented HDX technology TI RFID offers unmatched performance in read range, read rate and robustness. TI offers one-stop-shopping of transponders, inlays, reader modules and reader IC. TI provides robust design support for the RFID products including technical documents, training, tools, and software.
Visit: http://www.ti.com/rfid
Texas Instruments also provides one of the industry's largest, most differentiated NFC product portfolios enabling lower power solutions to meet a broad range of RF connectivity needs.
Visit: http://www.ti.com/nfc
Suprema is a leading biometrics company offering core fingerprint technologies for PC and embedded applications. Suprema's solution is featured by the integration of its excellent embedded system design capability and the strong backgrounds in theories and algorithms backed by a number of experts having the rich experience and extensive knowledge in the field of biometric solutions, embedded system design and signal processing.
Suprema's fingerprint algorithm was proven to be world's most reliable solution by ranking No. 1 in the international Fingerprint Verification Competition(FVC) in a row with the unrivalled outstanding performance. Suprema is the first biometrics company listed on Korea's stock market (KOSDAQ) with its market capital exceeding US$100 millions and the company's products have sold to more than 100 countries all over the world.
Visit: Suprema
PANMOBIL is a leading supplier in Auto-ID system components
The PANMOBIL developing team and its management, proudly stands for over 30 years of experience in developing a full range of Auto-ID products. Learning in countless international logistic projects, our team worked with various user groups and applications that are "real world" requirements. Every new product includes the experiences of users needs.
PANMOBIL is an active member of important international Auto-ID associations. We always use and implement the newest technologies to insure "State of the Art" products.
The great experience of the PANMOBIL team looks back at 30 years of Auto-ID peripheral equipment and software development and distribution. In 1982, the first free programmable keypad was developed and offered world-wide. 1985 was when the first barcode system was developed, followed by data output over the computer keypad – a breakthrough in the field of logistics and POS which made possible the application of Medium Barcodes without any software accommodations. Today, 85% of all barcode systems is of this kind. These works of pioneering and the active "hands-on" experience connected to it the implementation by the users has brought the PANMOBIL team 30 years of diverse projects.
Visit: Panmobil
PDC connects people, products, and technology through innovative ID solutions that deliver superior customer experiences worldwide. Our products and services provide safe and efficient patient care, as well as patron, inmate, and animal identification. PDC's innovative solutions incorporate automatic identification technologies, including bar code, RFID, and QR code.
PDC has grown from its roots as inventor of the first one-piece identification wristband in 1956 to an international leader of identification solutions with approximately 1,000 employees; tens of thousands of innovative, quality products; and category-defining brands such as RFID Smart Band®, VIP® Band, Smart® Kiosk, Pharmex®, and Scanband.®
PDC has expertise in 4 key target markets - Healthcare, Leisure & Entertainment, Inmate ID, and Animal ID
Visit: PDC
Established in 1999, SAG is a professional developer and manufacturer of high-quality RFID transponders. SAG's products range from 125KHz, 13.56MHz to UHF. With in-house Research and Development resources and complete manufacturing capabilities, SAG can deliver both standard and customized RFID products of inlays, labels, cards, keyfobs and tags. SAG has long-standing experience in applications of access control, cashless payment, loyalty program, mass transportation ticketing, asset tracking, industrial automation and so on. Customization capabilities include tailored antenna and mechanical design, artwork printing and data programming. All these expertise, along with the persistence on quality and service, make SAG one of the most trustable partners in RFID industry.
Combining the know-how in antenna design, inlay production and card lamination, SAG has been proudly providing superior UHF ISO Card to fulfill customer's demand on access control, parking management, vehicle identification and supply chain tracking. SAG's UHF ISO Card is designed to operate globally within the frequency band from 860 to 960 MHz with stable and excellent reading performance to meet customer's expectation on long range application. All customization options like artwork printing, ID number laser engraving, slot punching and magnetic stripe are all available as our proximity card. SAG can also offer UHF+HF Dual Frequency ISO Card or UHF+LF Dual Frequency ISO Card which integrates two sets of chip and antenna in one card to facilitate the operation among different systems and requirements.
Visit: SAG
Invengo – the global RFID technology provider – is a leading developer and manufacturer of high quality, intelligent RAIN RFID (UHF) and NFC (HF) inlays, tags and connectivity solutions utilized in the Internet of Things (IoT). With a focus on RFID innovation, Invengo has created a leading product line in retail, library, pharmaceutical, healthcare, (public) transportation and many other industries.
Equipped with over 20 years of experience in RFID, Invengo is fully dedicated enabling efficiency in applications such as ticketing, identity management, supply chain management, authentication, asset management and brand equity.
Visit: Invengo
Contact us to enquire about any of our industry leading RFID solutions
12 Bastow Place
Mulgrave, VIC, 3170
PO Box 190
Mt. Waverley, VIC, 3149
Connect with us via a selection of popular social media, networks and other platforms.
Keep up-to-date with the latest in RFID, NFC, Sensors and Controls with our monthly Electro-News newsletter

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Collection
World War II is over and Paul Sabine is restoring Paris as the fashion capital of the world. His dresses are a sensation, and only his shady past and an inconvenient corpse block his way to success. Dressing up was never so dazzling—or dangerous. The Collection is a story about the price of success, set during a pivotal moment in France's history.
Funding for MASTERPIECE is provided by Viking and Raymond James with additional support from public television viewers and contributors to The MASTERPIECE Trust, created to help ensure the series' future.


text:
On June 23, Microsoft announced several updates related to its OneDrive consumer-oriented online storage service including bumping up the free storage tier, reducing costs for purchasing storage dramatically, and adding 1TB to Office 365's non-business plans.
Free Storage
While OneDrive (then called SkyDrive) offered 25GB free long time ago, Microsoft changed the free tierto be a then reasonable 7GB around the time of Windows 8 launch. The reasoning then was 7GB was higher than the competition at the time. Of course, as cost of storage has gone down, and as cloud services become more essential for ecosystems, Google and even Apple, have announced very inexpensive plans for their respective online storage services. Now, Microsoft matches some of the recent competitive updates by making the free tier to be 15GB.
Office 365 Personal, Home and University plans join the 1TB party
Microsoft had already announced that Office 365's business editions would be getting 1TB of included storage (although that would be under OneDrive for Business, which is not the same product as OneDrive). With this announcement, Office 365's non-business editions, which is Personal, Home and University, also get 1TB of included storage.
This makes Office 365 a pretty fantastic deal if you have the need for desktop Office, or if you want to be able to edit Office documents on the iPad. Not only does Office 365 now come with 1TB of storage, it always included 60 minutes of free Skype worldwide calling and of course desktop version of the Office suite, as well as edit rights for iPad version of the Office apps. If you have more than one person who needs Office, then Office 365 Home is a killer deal @ $99 per year for 5 users.
Reduced prices for additional storage options
Of course, as storage costs have gone down, each of the online storage providers have kept cutting their prices. OneDrive will no longer have the 50GB option since the $100GB option is now at $1.99 per month, down from $7.49 per month. An additional 200GB will be $3.99 per month, down from $11.49 per month.
These are great updates to an already useful storage service. As a reminder, OneDrive has a presence on all platforms, making it a truly universal online storage service: Windows 7, Windows 8.x, Windows Phone, iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac OS. The price changes were not completely unexpected because it is much easier for a larger company with scale, to keep lowering costs to meet the competition's prices. I wonder what this means to the likes of Dropbox and Box, especially the former, since it has long been the darling of consumers for being so easy to use, sync and share. With OneDrive (and Google Drive and soon, iCloud) being so front-and-center in those various ecosystems, it will be interesting to see how many consumers will decide to switch away from the smaller companies. We shall see.
Edit: An earlier version of this article stated that OneDrive is perhaps the only service with apps across all platforms. Dropbox and Box also have apps across all platforms. Author meant to say, only one among the big ecosystem providers, but the sentence has been modified to refer to OneDrive by itself.
(Images courtesy OneDrive blog and Office Blogs)


text:
Publishable Editors Notes:
An AP News Analysis
The Obama administration's new mandate that religious organizations pay for their workers' birth control has become a bludgeon for Republican culture warriors, as social issues have surged to the forefront in the presidential campaign.
Conservatives who believe religious freedom always trumps gender equity in the public arena are outraged. But so too are Roman Catholic and evangelical moderates who have stuck with President Barack Obama, an abortion rights supporter, because of his 2008 pledge to reduce the abortion rate and find common ground among religious and secular Americans. These backers say the administration could have easily avoided the controversy by including broader religious exemptions already in place at some federal agencies.
After two weeks of unrelenting condemnation led by the nation's Catholic bishops, the White House has responded by hinting at some compromise in how the requirement is enforced. Administration officials insist any accommodation for religious groups will leave in place contraceptive coverage, although they haven't said how. But even the suggestion of a revision, no matter how limited, has infuriated Democrats the president hoped to please with the regulation. As the debate rages, women's groups, liberal religious leaders and health advocates are rallying in favor of the broadest contraceptive coverage that would include Catholic employers.
"We believe that women and men have the right to decide whether or not to apply the principles of their faith to family-planning decisions, and to do so they must have access to services," read a statement Wednesday from liberal religious leaders representing Reform and Conservative Jews, Methodist and Episcopal groups, among others. "The administration was correct in requiring institutions that do not have purely sectarian goals to offer comprehensive preventive health care."
The conflict is erupting as GOP candidates compete for the title of the true conservative in the presidential race. The contraception debate is tailor-made for the fight.
Newt Gingrich, a Catholic, told Ohio Republicans that the policy was "the Obama administration's attack on the Catholic Church." Rick Santorum, also Catholic, said the administration was trying to "use their power to force people" to violate their beliefs.
Mitt Romney, who mostly avoids religious specifics to deflect attention from his Mormonism, has also taken up the issue. In Colorado, Romney called the policy an "assault on religion," and "a real blow ... to our friends in the Catholic faith."
White House spokesman Jay Carney called it "ironic that Mitt Romney is criticizing the president" for a policy that Carney described as identical to the one Romney followed as Massachusetts governor.
House Speaker John Boehner said in a speech from the floor Wednesday that the Health and Human Services Department mandate was "an unambiguous attack on religious freedom." If the president doesn't reverse the new policy, Congress will, Boehner said.
The debate is stealing attention from where Obama wants it, on the improving economy, and could alienate moderate voters.
Obama, who is Protestant, won the presidency partly because of his ability to attract religious moderates, including white Catholics and some evangelical voters. In a much-quoted 2006 speech at the Call to Renewal conference, organized by the evangelical anti-poverty group Sojourners, Obama said secular Americans were wrong to ask churchgoers to "leave their religion at the door before entering the public square." But he also said religious groups must recognize "ground rules for collaboration" and the importance of church-state separation. Obama reaffirmed the importance of religion just last week in a speech at the National Prayer Breakfast, saying his faith is a driving force on economic policy and other matters.
In 2008, Obama won 54 percent of the total Catholic vote, compared to 45 percent for Republican John McCain. The battleground states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan are home to a significant number of Catholics. Once reliably Democratic, Catholics are now heavily courted swing voters.
The religious freedom issue resonates across faith traditions, but is of special concern to religious conservatives. For decades, Christian right activists have been fighting against what they call a war on religion, ever since the Supreme Court ended sectarian prayer in schools and legalized abortion. As acceptance of gay marriage grows, religious conservatives increasingly view themselves as a besieged minority in an ever more permissive society. Catholic leaders have taken to calling the church the true counterculture.
However, the contraceptive mandate has infuriated many Catholics regardless of political ideology because it could potentially damage what they consider the pride of their church: the multibillion-dollar Catholic-run network of hospitals, schools, colleges, homeless shelters and food pantries that mostly employ and serve members of other faiths. The Health and Human Services regulation includes an exemption only for religious groups who primarily serve and employ members of their own faith. Noncompliance is punishable by fines that could bring financial ruin. The option of self-insurance, a common religious exemption in state mandates for birth control coverage, is not available under the federal health care law.
"I don't think this is the president's best judgment," said Douglas Kmiec, a prominent conservative legal scholar and Catholic who has been excoriated by bishops and conservative activists for backing Obama, starting four years ago. "I've got a great deal of concern that he has caused for himself an enormous problem with my fellow Catholics that he didn't need and that will indeed place his re-election in jeopardy."
The mandate has been an embarrassment for Kmiec and other moderate Catholics. While they have defended the president, some bishops and activists have labeled Democrats the "party of death." Kmiec was denied Holy Communion by one priest and excoriated by another from the pulpit. Sister Carol Keehan, president of the Catholic Health Association, which represents some 600 hospitals, faced down American bishops by providing key support for Obama's health care overhaul.
Nicholas Cafardi, a prominent Catholic and former dean of the Duquesne University School of Law in Pittsburgh, resigned as a trustee at the conservative Catholic Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2008 so the school would not be targeted by critics who accused him of abandoning the church by backing Obama.
Cafardi said this week he was disappointed by the tight religious exemption in the mandate and hoped some compromise can be reached during the one-year grace period the administration has offered religious groups. "But what is so wrong is characterizing this as Obama's war on the Catholic church," Cafardi said. "Politicians will use the church for their purposes any time they can. I think the church needs to be careful to not let itself become a political tool of the left or the right."
Associated Press writers Ben Feller and Erica Werner in Washington contributed to this report.
EDITOR'S NOTE — Rachel Zoll covers religion for The Associated Press.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
Analysis: Obama contraceptive mandate has a price
Publishable Editors Notes:


text: Hey! I just wanted to let any Dragon Lance fans out there know that a movie based on the first book, "Dragons of Autumn's Twilight" is coming out direct to DVD on Jan. 15th. It will be animated instead of live action which is kind of a downer, but I'm just happy that they are making it. There are a few name actors that will be doing some of the voices, namely Kiefer Sutherlund doing the voice of Raistlin. I'm not so impressed with the graphics however . I know that there are a few Dragon Lance fans here besides Lego Freak, Kelderic, and myself. And since this post is missing some Lego, here are links to some customs by a few AFOL's.


text:
Robert Olive Turtle
Own the room, wherever you are, in this masculine,oval frame. The Henry is handmade in acetate and is always sure to make a statement. Nobody remembers a coward, after all.
SKU (simple) MA0068-606000-400
Frame Color Brown
Lens Color Green
- Delivery above $40* Free
Free30 days Return(7 days for Pre-Loved items)
- Cash On Delivery Yes
This item is sold by Modular and fulfilled by our delivery providers.
Have A Question?
We're here to help!Check out our FAQ here
|SKU (simple)
- Enjoy the flexibility of our 30-day free returns policy (7 days for Pre-Loved items)! Simply pack the item, with its original packaging and tags, into the ZALORA delivery package. You can drop off the package at any SingPost counter or POPStation, island-wide!
- For more details, please see our FAQs here!
- Should you have any questions regarding this product, please feel free to get in touch with our friendly Customer Experience Team here.
- This item is sold and fulfilled directly by merchant
- *Shipping Fee of $4.90 is applicable on all marketplace orders under $40 for each Merchant.
- *Items sold and fulfilled by other merchants do not contribute to the FREE SHIPPING basket threshold.
- In order to qualify for FREE SHIPPING for items sold by ZALORA, you must have all items sold and fulfilled by ZALORA to be above $40 in your basket.
- Estimated delivery time is 2 - 5 working days
- 7-Eleven and POPStation options are not available for this item. For more information, please contact Customer Service at +65 3157 5555 between 9am - 6pm daily, or email here.


text:
Survey of the quality of antiretroviral medicines circulating in selected African countries
(2007; 58 pages)
(2007; 58 pages)
Background: Provision of antiretroviral therapy has expanded in Sub-Saharan Africa and quality assurance of antiretrovirals is of crucial importance for the success of treatment programmes. Therefore WHO, in co-operation with national authorities, organized a quality survey of antiretrovirals in selected African countries. Methods: The survey was performed in Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Country teams made up of WHO country officers and national authority representatives collected samples at public and private sector antiretroviral procurement organizations and treatment centres around the capital cities. Samples included monocomponent products of didanosine, efavirenz, lamivudine, nevirapine, stavudine and zidovudine, and fixed-dose combinations of lamivudine/zidovudine, stavudine/lamivudine, stavudine/lamivudine/nevirapine. All samples were tested by the Official Medicines Control Laboratory of Switzerland, Swissmedic, for appearance, labelling, identity, related substances, and content of each active ingredient. In addition, capsules and tablets were tested for uniformity of mass and either dissolution or disintegration; oral solutions were tested for pH if appropriate. Methods of the International Pharmacopoeia, United States Pharmacopoeia, Indian Pharmacopoeia or manufacturers' methods with method transfer were used as appropriate. Sampling and testing were carried out over a period of six months from 13 June to 15 December 2005. Findings: None of the antiretrovirals sampled had any critical quality deficiencies which would pose a serious risk to patients. In 394 samples collected, the overall failure rate was 1.8%. One sample contained a broken tablet and tablets with chipped coating. Two samples were insufficiently labelled on the immediate packaging. The content of active ingredient of one sample exceeded the upper limit. One of 163 samples tested for disintegration failed to disintegrate completely within 30 minutes, and two of 153 samples tested for dissolution showed lower results than required. Fifty-three percent of sampled products were WHO-prequalified. Information on registration by National Drug Regulatory Authorities was available for 285 products; of these, 84% were registered. Products not registered at the time of sampling were found in three countries, mostly at private sector facilities, and constituted 12% of the total of 394 sampled products. Conclusions: The generally good quality and safety of products sampled indicate the positive effect of common efforts of National Drug Regulatory Authorities, WHO and other organizations involved in prequalification and purchase policies. Market control was still incomplete in at least three countries. Since the survey was limited to official distribution points and treatment centres around the capital cities, these results cannot be generalized to the entire territories of the countries surveyed.


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Home >> Uk + Ireland >> England >>
"SHROPSHIRE, (or Salop), an inland county in the W. of England, is bounded on the N. by Cheshire, E. by Staffordshire, S. by Worcestershire and Herefordshire, and W. by the Welsh counties of Radner, Montgomery, and Denbigh. It lies between 62° 18' and 53° 0' N. lat. and between 2° 14' and 3° 12' W. long. Its extreme length from N. to S. is 48 miles, and its greatest breadth from E. to W. is 40 miles. The area of the county is 1,343 square miles, or 859,520 acres, of which 790,000 acres are arable, meadow, and pasture. The population at the commencement of the century was 169,248; in 1851 it was 229,341; and in 1861, 240,959, or 42 per cent: over the number in 1801..................... More" [Description(s) from The National Gazetteer (1868)]
Archives and Libraries
- Salter, Mike - The Old Parish Churches of Shropshire. Folly Publications: ISBN 1-871731-47-X. I can recommend this book personally - like others in his Old Parish Churches series, it is extremely well-researched, and for me, a regular source of reference.
- The Shropshire FHS website advertises a variety of Local Interest Publications.
- The Rev. R.W. Eyton's "Antiquities of Shropshire" is a unique source of Shropshire history, places and people in the 11th-14thC. It's in 12 volumes and not an easy read but is worth persisting with if you're looking up a specific place. Available at Mel Lockie's website..
- Photos and transcriptions of notable church monuments, provided by the Church Monuments Society.
- Roll of Honour - Shropshire - War Memorial Selection. .
- Information about Shropshire Burial Indexes (non-SFHS).
- The Shropshire FHS website are offering transcriptions of Monumental Inscriptions for sale on various media, and they provide a Burial Index on CDROM.
Church Records
- Transcriptions of Hereford Bishops' Registers, and in particular the names of Rectors (or Vicars) and their Patrons for each Benefice of Hereford Institutions, provided by Mel Lockie. N.B. a significant number of Shropshire parishes were in Hereford Diocese.
- The searchable LDS website - IGI and Familysearch. Note on using IGI Batch Numbers It is not always easy to locate your ancestors in the IGI using the search mechanisms provided at the above LDS site. Manually typing the batch numbers into the IGI search screen can be tedious. Hugh Wallis has made an exhaustive search of the likely ranges of batch numbers and created a database of those numbers and the source records that they apply to. A very powerful feature included is a hotlink from each batch number to the actual search engine provided at the Family Search site, including the ability to enter the surname you are looking for. This makes it very easy to search all the batches for a particular geographic location using just the last name you are searching for - something that is not possible directly from the LDS site without doing a lot of typing. This is Hugh Wallis's site.
- Information about Shropshire Marriage Indexes. However, amongst many other products, the SFHS (see below) also have available a Shropshire Marriage Index.
- The Shropshire FHS website advertises various Printed Registers on Microfiche. For Burials see Cemeteries above.
- Ancestry.com has a number of indexes of parish registers. Searching is free; a subscription is required to see the detailed results.
- The Society of Genealogists web site has a searchable list of their holdings of Parish Register copies.
- Information on the location of Quaker Records provided by the Quaker FHS.
- The Anguline Research Archives, Shropshire page contains a number of resources for sale for Shropshire, including Parish Registers, and Nonconformist and Roman Catholic Registers.
- Transcriptions of some of the Shropshire parish registers published by the Shropshire Parish Register Society are available online at Mel Lockie's site.
Civil Registration
- Copies of certificates of Birth, Death and Marriage may be obtained from either the General Register Office (GRO), or from the Superintendent Registrar's Office in the District they were first issued. If the District no longer exists, this would be the Office to which its registers have been moved.
- If ordering from a District (Superintendant's) Register Office, please note the following:
- the cost of a certificate is £9.25 - send a Sterling cheque payable to the Superintendent Registrar plus return postage or two International Reply Coupons;
- the General Register Office (GRO) Index references (available via FreeBMD) are of no value;
- for marriage certificates, the precise place of marriage must be given;
- Civil Registration in England and Wales began on July 1st 1837.
- Information about which Local Register Office to contact may be found in Brett Langston's list of Shropshire Registration Districts (1837-1974).
- Alternatively, details about ordering copy certificates is available from Shropshire Council's website (follow the link to Registration Services).
- If you have a GRO reference, you can order certificates through the General Register Office's own website, via their Certificate Ordering Service, for the same price as locally.
- You can obtain a GRO reference in several ways:-
- Searching microfilm or fiche at a Library or LDS Family History Centre.
- FreeBMD is an ongoing project to make the General Register Office (GRO) Indexes freely available online. More volunteers are needed and details of how you can help are available on-site.
- findmypast.com (formerly 1837online) - images of the complete BMD indexes from the GRO online. Fee payable
- The images are also available on Ancestry.co.uk for which a subscription provides access to a wide range of other records.
Correctional Institutions
- The Prison Service Museum near Rugby houses HM Prison Service's historical collection of exhibits, illustrating the history of imprisonment from medieval times to the present day. Housed in a converted stable block, the museum contains reconstructions of Victorian prison architecture, and exhibits include the last set of Gibbet Irons used in England. Smaller items include bone carvings and paintings made by prisoners in their cells, and a nineteenth century sampler embroidered by a female prisoner from her own hair.
Admission to the museum is by appointment only, please contact:- The Curator,
HM Prison Service Museum,
Newbold Revel,
Tel: 01788 834168
[Information compiled from "The Penal Lexicon Home Page", formerly at www.penlex.org.uk/pages/index.html.]
Description and Travel
- The Geograph British Isles project - "aims to collect geographically representative photographs and information for every square kilometre of the UK and the Republic of Ireland..."
Emigration and Immigration
- For help finding your ancestors onboard ship - The Ships List - of particular interest are the large number of transcribed passenger lists, and records of some Marriages at Sea.
- Some emigrants from Sutton Maddock & Brockton, Shopshire, to Canada in 1834 (particularly the FARMER family).
- Nigel Batty-Smith's site providing UK Genealogy Archives of Shropshire has a description of the county from The Comprehensive Gazetteer of England and Wales, 1894-5.
- The appendix to Gregory's Gazetteer of Shropshire (1824).
- An extract from Leonard's Gazetteer providing a list of places, locations and populations (1850). .
- A transcript of the Shropshire parish entries from Samuel Lewis's 1831 Topographical Dictionary of England,
- A transcript of the Shropshire parish entries from Gregory's 1824 Gazetteer of Shropshire,
- The Shropshire section of "Curious Fox" - "The village-by-village contact site for anybody researching family history, genealogy and local history in the UK and Ireland".
- Sally Lloyd has a growing collection of information about Shropshire on her site The Parish Mouse.
- Chris Potter is providing chargeable lookups in his extensive databases and transcriptions of mainly South Shropshire research material - see Shropshire Family History Research.
- Details of Shropshire Mailing Lists - part of a much larger collection of " Genealogy Resources on the Internet" - pages maintained jointly by John Fuller, with Chris Gaunt.
- The Shropshire GenWeb pages, parts of the England GenWeb Project. These are in turn part of the British Isles GenWeb Project, and overall part of the World GenWeb hierarchy.
- The Anguline Research Archives, Shropshire page contains a number of resources for sale for Shropshire.
Historical Geography
- English Heritage Viewfinder - site with historic photographs, searchable by county. Has some unusual ones of the Industrial Age which won't be found amongst the more usual postcard collections!.
- The Francis Frith Collection - a collection of over 700,000 photographs of the UK, Europe and the Middle East taken by the Victorian photographer Francis Frith.
- A Vision of Britain Through Time - information about your home area from the 2001 census, and from each British census back to 1801. Presented both as maps of the whole country and as graphs showing change over time.
- An extract from Leland's Itinerary of England and Wales (c. 1540) consisting of his references to Shropshire.
- A table of Shropshire Townships to show the attribution of townships to parishes and hundreds, derived from Gregory's 1824 Gazetteer.
- A list of Shropshire Hundreds with their parishes and townships derived from Gregory's 1824 Gazetteer.
- Parishes on the County Borders, which may cause difficulty - provided by Michael J Hulme/Alan Stanier.
- A digital library of medieval and modern sources of the history of the British Isles - British History Online. Notable souces include Journals of the House of Commons and House of Lords, Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae, and the Victoria County History.
- An Encyclopaedia of British History: 1700-1950 - useful for seeing local events against a national perspective. Scroll down the introductory page on this site to see topics - Monarchy, Child Labour, The Railways, &c. .
- The Domesday Book site - "to enable visitors to find out the history of the Domesday Book and to give an insight into life at the time of its compilation". Note this site does not provide the original text, but does include a list settlements existing in 1086.
Land and Property
- Some abstracts of Shropshire Feet of Fines (land conveyances) of various dates - on Chris Phillips Medieval English Genealogy web site.
- Mike Durtnall is providing a country-wide collection of Historical Manuscripts Pages recording details of deeds that have been offered for sale on eBay and in auction catalogues. In most cases whereabouts of the documents will be unknown, but sufficient details of the property involved and of buyers, sellers, mortages, &c. is provided to make them a useful research tool.
- Pat Johnson has a large collection of original Family Deeds. Abstracts, with name and parish indexes are provided onsite, with transcriptions of the full documents available for a modest fee. In addtion, the original deed may also be available for purchase if required.
Law and Legislation
- The Equity/Chancery Court Pleadings Database (on the Public Record Office's website) provides an online index to some of the Chancery Pleadings in series C6. Searches can be made by both name and place.
Names from Criminal Registers (PRO Class HO 27) 1805-1816 are available for purchase on floppy disk or microfiche through Family History Indexes (the link to Criminal Register Indexes is part way down the page).
- Access to various satellite map sites (Google, MS Live, &c.) via the convenient front end of Flash Earth. .
- The London Ancestor site has maps from the 1885 Boundary Commissioners report for all parts of the British Isles, including Shropshire (Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1885).
- A most useful set of maps for the whole of England and Wales, showing parish boundaries, on a one inch to the mile scale - see: Kain, R.J.P., Oliver, R.R., Historic Maps of England and Wales: Boundaries before 1850.
From Feb 2007, these maps were withdrawn from sale, but some classes of user can still download the maps free of charge.
- The Old Maps web site has a wonderful series of 1:10,560 scale historical maps for the whole of the UK available on-line.
- The Genmaps site contains a fine collection of Old Maps of the British Isles for Genealogists and Historians. In particular, see Old Maps of Shropshire.
- The above Genmaps Links pages lists Great Britain - Medieval Maps, which in turn provides several maps including an intriguing Ecclesiastical Map of the British Isles in the Middle Ages, which shows the principal Monasteries, demonstrating some of the earliest centres of habitation and influence.
- Detailed Maps of the area you may be interested in Shropshire are viewable at the UK Street Map Page. The site provides a most useful service, with superb address searching and street map facilities for anywhere in mainland Great Britain.
Military History
- A very comprehensive site featuring Castles and Fortifications - CastleUK.net.
- The Age of Nelson - a website providing general information about the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars 1793-1815, and specifically searchable databases of those present at Trafalgar (and more) and of all Commissioned Naval Officers 1787-1822.
- Names from Musters of the Shropshire Militia 1781-82 are available for purchase on floppy disk or microfiche through Family History Indexes (the link to Militia Musters is part way down the page).
- The British Library's building at Colindale includes reading rooms providing access to newspapers. See also the British Library's Newspapers Digitisation Project for up-to-date details of research facilities.
- For other English Newspapers see OnlineNewspapers.com - England.
- Richard Heaton's site, Last Chance To Read, now includes about 550 copies (or eleven years worth) of the Salopian Newspaper starting in 1810. The runs aren't yet complete but a few more will be added when Richard gets time. While the site is free to search, it's pay to view, so be prepared (2 copies - 27/10/1813 and 17/02/1830 - are free of charge). However, anyone interested in Shropshire and surrounding counties should find it helpful.
- The Worshipful Company of Curriers - information about the history of this trade.
- The Virtual Waterways Archive - "Hundreds of years of British waterway history brought together in one online catalogue".
- Pubs and Breweries of the Midlands past and present - select 'Pub Histories' for listings by county.
- The Society of Brushmakers' Descendants assists those with Brushmaking Ancestors, or with an interest in discovering more about the brushmaker's trade.
Politics and Government
- Shropshire County Council. This new unitary authority now provides all the services and functions formerly run by Shropshire County Council and Bridgenorth, North Shropshire, Oswestry, Shrewsbury and South Shropshire District Councils.
Poor Houses, Poor Law etc.
- A site "dedicated to the Workhouse - its buildings, its inmates, its staff and administrators, and even its poets..." - The Workhouse - created by Peter Higginbotham.
- GENUKI's own list - Shropshire Poor Law Unions - is provided by Michael J Hulme/Alan Stanier.
Probate Records
- See Shropshire Archives site for information about Probate Records in Shropshire.
- For Shropshire parishes in St Asaph Diocese, the National Library of Wales has put the Wills on line, though you cannot download them.
- For Shropshire parishes in Lichfield Diocese, Chris Potter has a database of 32,000 Probate grants before 1858, complete from 1660 and 30% complete before that date.
- For Shropshire Parishes in Hereford Diocese, Chris Potter has a a database complete from 1660-1858, with 27,000 Grants.
Religion and Religious Life
- The General Commission on Archives and History (GCAH) of the United Methodist Church has a list of John Wesley's Preachers, 1740-1791..
- The E 179 Database (on the National Archives website) contains detailed information about over 26,000 documents relating to the taxation of lay people in England and Wales between c.1200 and c.1700. These documents are likely to contain many names.


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Melt / Milt
Posted by Smokey Stover on December 10, 2007
In Reply to: Spleen posted by RRC on December 10, 2007
: : : : : What is the origin and meaning of the Liverpool expression "Cow's Melt"?
: : : : I've never heard the expression. Can you tell us when and how Liverpool people use it? In my London childhood you could still buy "melts" from the butcher, usually for the dog; they were offal, but I don't know exactly which bit of the animal they were. Does "piece of internal organ of cow" seem to fit? (VSD)
: : : Google book search brings up one hit for "cow's 'melt' (?lung)"
: : : I vaguely remember the term from my youth in the Midwest US during WWII when rural people slaughtered there own animals. It has been so long and I was so young that I do not remember what "melt" was. I believe it was discarded to the dogs.
: : Webster's Second Intl. shows "melt" as a "now dialectal" variant of "milt," and one of its definitions for "milt" is "the spleen." In the Oxford English Dict., "milt" meaning the spleen of mammals goes back to the year 700, approx. ~rb
: So...(if I dare ask) what's the age of milt for the male reproductive organs/fluid of fish?
Milt as the semen or sexual organs of male fish can be found at least as early as 1483 (OED). As usual, however, we must assume that the earliest appearance in print is not the date of earliest use. This is especially true in the earliest period of printing, to which 1483 belongs.


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Are you planning on moving to a new apartment? If so, Sergio Gutierrez just won a new truck. He won it with a $3 "Bucks & Trucks" scratcher he bought at an Allsup's in Santa Fe because his wife didn't pack him a lunch (again). Sergio is reportedly so happy he could cry, but is aware of the social taboos against it.
This is not to say that Sergio is volunteering to help you move, either. I'm just saying he won a truck, so if you know him … it wouldn't hurt to ask. If he says no, you can always try to win a truck yourself. Also, I have a kid at UNM, so I think scratchers are cool. Everybody buy scratchers.


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TOWNSEND — When it comes to funding retiree benefits, the North Middlesex Regional School District is in good shape, officials say.
In real dollars, the cost for retiree health, dental and life insurance is as high as it will ever be, said Parker Elmore, president and CEO of Odyssey Advisors during Monday's School Committee meeting.
The district can continue a pay-as-you-go approach to funding these retiree costs.
With fewer teachers retiring each year, and a low to moderate increase in health-care costs, the district is not facing a bubble payment like other districts will.
Forming a trust for retiree benefits would help make things a little more predictable, he said. If a sudden increase in health-care costs occurs, the district could use the trust to cover other post-employment benefits, rather than cutting staff or closing schools.
If the state ever assumes the responsibility for OPEB payments, the money in the trust would still belong to the district and could be used for other expenses.
Right now, the cheapest option is to continue the pay-as-you-go approach. Once the trust generates enough interest to pay the retiree costs, the towns will no longer have to fund OPEB costs in the annual budget.
A plan to create a trust to fund OPEB costs in the future could result in a better bond rating, he said. "Give a little now to get a lot later," Elmore said.
If the bond ratings improve, the costs for the funding will be covered by lower borrowing rates, said Will Hackler, at-large member. The bond ratings for the three member towns would also increase.
The finance subcommittee will consider the various options, said Chairman Sue Roberts.
Before making any decisions about a trust, the district should open a discussion with the bond-rating people.
"Feel them out and see what would make them happy," Elmore said. "Have the conversation before you commit to anything."


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Release date: November 11, 2013
Cuban-American artist Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons came to the Saint Louis University campus in March 2013 to deliver The Kristen Peterson Distinguished Lecture in Art and Art History. Her talk, titled "Rituals and Spirituality in the Performative Photographic Work of Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons," concerned her exploration of themes of separation, fragmentation, and memory through multiple artistic disciplines. (Watch the talk on the MOCRA Voices Vimeo channel.)
Campos-Pons notes, "I am always in awe of the extent of mystery that is there present in our surroundings . . . I see myself not just as an artist but a healer, a messenger dispensing small amulets of good energies to my viewers and centered by respect for all that is animated."
The day before her talk, Campos-Pons sat down with MOCRA Director Terrence Dempsey, SJ, and Dr. Olubukola Gbadegesin, Assistant Professor of Art History and African-American Studies at Saint Louis University for a rich and varied discussion of Campos-Pons' work as an outgrowth of her life experiences and passions, as well as her work's place in the wider context of diaspora art.
The Conversation
Listening Guide for the conversation
Audio Extra: Porcelain Doll
Listening Guide for the Audio Extra
MOCRA Voices on Stitcher MOCRA Voices on iTunes MOCRA Voices on Spotify
Related Exhibition
Rito, Espejo y Ojo / Ritual, Mirror and Eye
Related Episode
Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons: The Kristen Peterson Distinguished Lecture
Producer: David Brinker
Recording Engineer and Editor: Mike Schrand
Listening Guide: David Brinker, with helpful assistance from
Cristóbal Torres, OP, and Dr. Olubukola Gbadegesin
Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons was born in Matanzas, Cuba, and trained at the National School of Art and the Superior Institute of Art (ISA) in Havana. In the 1980s she studied at the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston. She has lived and worked in Boston since 1991 and has exhibited globally in venues such as the Johannesburg Biennial, the Dak'Art Biennial in Dakar, Senegal, the Guangzhou Triennial in China, and the Venice Biennale. In 2006 the Indianapolis Museum of Art presented a 20-year retrospective of Campos-Pons' work. Her art is found in important public and private collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, The Whitney Museum of American Art, the Polaroid Collection, the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston), and The Victoria and Albert Museum, as well as the MOCRA collection. Campos-Pons received Boston's Woman of Courage Award in 2011 and the Woman of Color Award in 2012. She currently teaches at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
MOCRA first exhibited work by Campos-Pons in the 2004 exhibition Rito, Espejo y Ojo / Ritual, Mirror and Eye. Since then several of her works have entered MOCRA's collection.
Campos-Pons works in a variety of media, including photography, painting, sculpture, and performance video. Recurring themes in her work include maintaining ties with the people and land from which she comes, the special character and role of women's discourse in society, and the nature of family communication. Many of her works are autobiographical-some are expressions of absence, loss and dislocation, but they also convey a deep appreciation for the resilience of her unique Afro-Cuban heritage.
Olubukola Gbadegesin joined the Art History Program in Saint Louis University in Fall 2011 as a joint appointed faculty member with the African-American Studies and Art History Programs. Previously, she was a Post-doctoral fellow in the Art History program at Bowdoin College, a Pre-doctoral fellow at the Carter G. Woodson Institute at UVa. And she received her PhD in Art History from Emory University. Her research interests are primarily focused on photography, portraiture and print culture in Africa and the Diaspora. She teaches courses on historical and contemporary, visual and performing arts in Africa and the Diaspora. She has published in African Arts and contributed to various texts. Her upcoming publication in History of Photography (UK) is titled: 'Photographer Unknown': Neils Walwin Holm and the (Ir-)retrievable Lives of African Photographers. She is currently working on first manuscript: Picturing Modern Selves in Colonized Places: Photography as a Strategy of Power in Lagos, Nigeria.
Fidel Castro was the primary leader of a seven-year armed effort by Communist rebels to oust Cuban President Fulgencio Batista. Batista ultimately fled Cuba on January 1, 1959, and the Communist party came to power, setting in motion a series of reforms that had a major impact on the island nation and let to international repercussions that are still playing out in the present day. This is a charged and contested episode in history, but a general summary of the events can be found here on Wikipedia.
Matanzas is the name for both a Cuban province and its capital city. Founded in 1693, Matanzas is renowned for its rich cultural heritage, including artists, poets, musicians, and Afro-Cuban folklore. It is called the City of Bridges and the "Venice of Cuba," owing to the seventeen bridges that cross the three rivers that traverse the city, as well as "The Athens of Cuba" for its poets. The province of Matanzas saw intensive development of sugar plantations during the colonial era, resulting in the importation of a large number of African slaves to support the sugar industry.
Wikipedia provides brief introduction to the city of Matanzas and the province of Matanzas, which this Spanish-language website offers articles on Matanzas' rich artistic heritage. Find a map of the entire island here.
The large-format Polaroid 20×24 camera was developed in 1976; 5 cameras in addition to prototypes were produced. Presently, two functioning cameras are in New York City, one in Cambridge, MA, one in Prague, and one in Paris. An additional camera is found in the Harvard Museum of Scientific Instruments. According to the 20×24 Studio website,
The 2024 camera is a traditional view camera, but has hybrid characteristics of a rail camera and field camera. It weighs 235 pounds and sits on a rectangular frame on wheels that supports a two-column studio stand. The bellows is driven by a telescoping nylon gear that allows bellows extension from 17'' to 60". The front standard has 24" of rise and fall, 6" of side to side shift and the ability to swing 4" forward and back. The rear standard of the camera is static and has no independent rise and fall separate from the camera itself. The camera can descend to 24" and rise to a height of 72".
Read more about this remarkable photographic instrument on the 20×24 Studio website.
Massachusetts College of Art and Design was founded in 1873 as the nation's first independent public college of art and design, and has the further distinction of being the first art school to grant a degree. Visit MassArt's website here. Jeffrey Keough was the school's director of exhibitions for over 25 years. Read a sample of his art writing here.
Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Umbilical Cord, 1991. Image courtesy of the artist.
Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, The Seven Powers Come By the Sea, 1992. Image courtesy of the artist.
See discussion of Abridor de Caminos below, at 39:05.
Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Constellation, 2004. Image courtesy of the artist.
Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Elevata, 2002. Image courtesy of the artist.
Rito, Espejo y Ojo / Ritual, Mirror and Eye was a 2004 MOCRA exhibition featuring work by three contemporary Latin American photographers: Luis Gonzalez-Palma, Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, and Pablo Soria. Campos-Pons' large-format Polaroid work was displayed in MOCRA's nave gallery (pictured above). Read more about the exhibition on MOCRA's website.
In 2007 the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) presented a Campos-Pons retrospective titled Everything is Separated by Water. The exhibition traveled to the Bass Museum of Art in Miami Beach later that year. A catalogue with insightful essays accompanied the exhibition.
In this video, Campos-Pons discusses the exhibition with IMA Curator of Contemporary Art Lisa Freiman.
The term "African diaspora " refers to communities throughout the world that are descended from the historic movement of peoples from Africa. In particular , the term is applied to the descendants of the West and Central Africans who were enslaved and shipped to the Americas by way of the Atlantic slave trade. Wikipedia provides a broad overview of the concept, while AfroCubaWeb serves as a clearinghouse for articles on all sorts of topics related to the diaspora, particular art, music, and other cultural expressions.
More recently, the Cuban Revolution and subsequent international response led to a new form of diaspora, in which many Cuban families were broken up as some members fled the island for the U.S. other destinations, then were unable to return or communicate with those left behind. This situation has begun to change in recent years as relations between the U.S. and Cuban governments have improved modestly.
Here is an episode of the PBS series Black in Latin America, focusing on Cuba:
Santería , also called La Regla Lucumí and the Rule of Osha, is an Afro-Caribbean religion that developed as a result of the Cuban slave trade. Enslaved Africans brought from Benin and Nigeria mixed their Yoruba religious traditions with elements of the Roman Catholic faith of the plantation owners. While long a secret religion primarily practiced by the uneducated and poor in Cuba (the Cuban Communist regime initially suppressed santería along with other religious practices), Santería has spread beyond Cuba's shores and also has a middle-class professional following. This brief entry cannot convey the richness of the beliefs and practices of this tradition (a helpful introduction to Santería with pictures can be found here), but a few observations pertinent to Campos-Pons' art can be made.
Santería belief holds that there is only one true God, Olodumare, creator of the universe. Olofi is the ruler of the World and is thought to be a component of Olodumare's power. But religious practice centers on the veneration of spirits called Orishas. They are believed to have more control over human affairs, and each orisha is associated with a concept or a natural occurrence. Explore a list of the orishas here.
In the process of syncretization, Africans began drawing parallels between their own religion and Roman Catholic traditions and beliefs, so that figures with equal power and importance became associated with one another. In time the names of orishas and Christian saints became interchangeable. Explore a chart of these correlations here. ("Santería" was a pejorative term for deviant Catholic forms of worshiping saints--santos in Spanish--but it has become a common name for the religion. The term santero(a) is used to describe a priest or priestess.)
The religion focuses on building relationships between human beings and the orishas. Offerings of food and animal sacrifice not only brings the worshipper closer to their Orisha, but increases awareness of the presence of the Orisha within them. This is a mutual process: The food is essential for the Orishas, who will die without being fed; in return the Orishas will give help in life. Orishas are also nourished by other forms of worship and praise. If the Orishas are neglected they may become displeased and take their anger out on the practitioner.
Altars , statues and pieces of artwork are created as part of the reverence of the orishas. Santería altars are a mixture of both Western and African tradition. Objects that symbolize or appeal to the deity are placed on ornately adorned, cloth covered tables or platforms. These offerings may include carved statues, seed pods, fruit, flowers, urns, beads, feathers, fans and mirrors.
A key unit of the Santeria community is the casa (house) or ilé. This is often the house of a senior Santeria priest or priestess, who has gone through an extensive process of initiation and who serves as spiritual "godmother" or "godfather" to an extended spiritual family of members. An ilé may be large or small, with its own internal structures; while ilés are independent they may join up for special occasions.
Clothing in Santeria tradition and ceremonies is extremely important, representing the mystery, complexity and beauty of the Orishas. These outfits blend African and Western styles, employing bright colors, geometric patterns, and sequined material.
One major ritual is a bembé , also called toque de santo, or tambor, a celebration dedicated to an Orisha, where sacred drums called Aña or batá drums are played in the Orisha's honor. This ceremony invites the Orisha to join the community in drumming, singing and dancing. In the course of the celebration, the Orisha may possess a person and cause them to perform special dances or pass on messages from the Orisha to community members. Learn more about Santería drums here, and listen to field recordings of bembé drumming here.
Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Birth Certificate, 1991. Image courtesy of the artist.
Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Elevata, 2002. Image courtesy of the artist.
Spoken Softly with Mama was displayed at the Museum of Modern Art from March 5 to May 26, 1998.
See discussion of Santería above at 16:45.
This version of When I Am Not Here / Estoy allá has affinities to Yemayá (also Yemoja), the mother of all living things, who resides in the ocean. As a mother she can be both nurturing and a fierce protectress. She is often depicted as a voluptuous black woman with full breasts dressed in blue. The colors white and blue are associated with Yemayá. Learn more about Yemayá here.
Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, When I Am Not Here / Estoy Allá, 1994. Image courtesy of the artist.
Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, When I Am Not Here / Estoy Allá, 1994. Image courtesy of the artist.
This version of When I Am Not Here / Estoy allá has affinities to Oshún (also Ochún), the youngest of the orishas. Considered the orisha of sweetness, as well as love, beauty, femininity and sensuality, she encompasses the full breadth of womanhood. She resides in rivers and of the world. The colors gold, yellow, amber, and coral are associated with Oshún. Learn more about Oshún here.
Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Abridor de Caminos (The One Who Opens the Path), 1997. Image courtesy of the artist.
Abridor de Caminos has affinities to Elegguá (also Elewá or Elegbá), the first and most important Orisha. He is the owner of the crossroads, and a messenger between the human and divine worlds. Nothing can be done in either world without his permission, and he opens the door between the worlds and opens our roads in life. Hence, Elegguá is always propitiated and called first before any other orisha. Elegguá is often perceived as a trickster or impish child. He is also the repository of ashé (or aché), the primal life energy flowing through the world, the force toward growth, completeness and divinity. The colors red and black or white and black are associated with Elegguá. Learn more about Elegguá here.
"Alforja" is the Spanish word for "saddlebag."
The term Middle Passage refers to the route of ships carrying captives from Africa across the Atlantic Ocean to work as slaves in the New World. This was part of a triangular trade pattern in which ships carried manufactured goods from Europe to Africa, where the goods were traded for purchased or kidnapped Africans, who were transported across the Atlantic to the New World as slaves, where they were sold in turn for raw materials, which would be transported back to Europe to complete the cycle. Read more about the Middle Passage on Wikipedia.
Fr. Dempsey refers to a well-known diagram of the way slaves were crammed into the slaving ships on the long voyage across the sea. Click on the image to see a larger version, or click here to learn more about the history of the diagram.
Campos-Pons has created multiple versions of Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) . This version is included in the MOCRA collection:
Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Sagrada Familia (Holy Family), 2000. Collection of MOCRA.
This version exhibits the Caravaggiesque play of light that Campos-Pons describes:
Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Sagrada Familia (Holy Family), 2000. Image courtesy of the artist.
The Galleria Borghese , located in Rome, houses Roman sculptures, old masters and modern art collected by the Roman Borghese family, especially Cardinal Scipione Borghese, from the 17th century on. Among the holdings are significant works by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571?-1610).
Visit the Galleria Borghese website here. Read more about Caravaggio on Wikipedia.
The Venice Biennale was inaugurated in 1895. Every two years, nations from across the globe present music, film, theatre, architecture, dance, and visual art at sites across Venice. Visit the Venice Biennale website here.
Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, 53+1=54+1=55 / Letter of the Year, 2013. Photo by Marie Cieri.
Campos-Pons and her husband, composer-musician Neil Leonard , presented a multimedia project titled 53+1=54+1=55 / Letter of the Year. Here are their comments on the work, as found on the Stephan Stoyanov Gallery website:
53+1=54+1=55 / Letter of The Year is our response to the central theme of the 55th Venice Biennial: The Encyclopedic Palace. We have chosen the idea about sequence of numbers with great meaning for our personal and collective history, and awareness of the polarities and richness opened through our shared and contrasted identities as female/male, black/white, and Cuban/American.
This is a historical opportunity to represent Cuban culture at the 55th Venice Biennial. Neil and I have been producing installations over the last 20 years that championed cultural understanding, tolerance for differences and cosmopolitan dialogue as a bridge for better interactions among people. It is a gesture of historical importance for us to be exhibiting together with Cuban artists from the island and the diaspora as ambassadors of Cuban art in this prestigious forum. This invitation is a result of triumph of ideas we have cared for deeply in our collaborations and individual artistic efforts. We believe in the role of the artists and arts as the agents of change, societal transformation and poetical/political leadership for better future. Neil and I are protagonists of the generation that opened up a real dialogue between Cuba and the United States, which is a clear statement of the new era of shared dreams and restoration of good will between nations by the power of love and art. Our collaboration celebrates in essence the pinnacle of humanity; people to people reaching for support, tolerance and understanding.
53+1=54+1=55 / Letter of the Year is a multimedia installation about home, migration, the necessity of finding and redefining the meaning of permanency and locality, a reflection on the accumulation of knowledge both academic and vernacular, the raw beauty of street knowledge, the entrapments of search for information, that which is forbidden and that which is imposed. Migration and restless quest for freedom, intellectual, individual and communal, are intermingled matters that sustain each other. Those fundamental issues have built and brought down great individuals, nations and empires.
53+1=54+1=55 / Letter of The Year juxtaposes cultural symbols idiosyncratic to Cuban culture to those centered within Western canon, talking back to power and the structure of Eurocentric male dominance. The piece proposes an homage to the countless lives lost, the daily rituals of survival and empowerment in the pursuit of freedom and in the search for selfhood. The ritualistic gesture of counting and keeping track of time which passes and the one to come, every day data minutiae of the precious experience of being alive and the invisibility of hidden dreams. The installation constructs a parallel to the grid of architecture and sound, old and new, always in motion, so typical of Cuban cities but also the cities around the world. The piece builds up from the installation Llegoo FeFa premiered at the 11th Biennial of Havana (see review Art Forum Nov 2012) and reclaims small fragment of time and life in a grid, where time collapses and narratives juxtapose.
53+1=54+1=55 / Letter of The Year is centered in a massive structure of birdcages. Birdcages were used by emperors and common men to capture beauty and to dream of freedom. From Yoruba deities, to Leonardo d Vinci, to space travel today, men and women always dream of flight to embody a lightness that only a bird could have.
Birdcage is the architecture of restricted freedom. We are intrigued and interested in the immateriality and transparency of it, as a contrast to the permanency of its architectonic core. In the work we use birdcages as metaphorical vessels to capture imaginary and real dreams. 53+1=54+1=55 / Letter of The Year builds up an accumulation of fact data and video, while also exploring the sound of life buoyancy as a key element for communication by both birds and people. Sound eludes physical entrapment, and sonic culture has eluded physical, political and cultural borders in contemporary society; street vendors, fortune tellers, time keepers of various sources are vivid testimony of how everyday men/women resist the dominance and power wherever they are.
53+1=54+1=55 / Letter of The Year constructs a tapestry of sounds of urban Cuba, as the country evolves and the basic diversity of discourse changes in a dramatic and even theatrical way on the island, as well as in perceptions of the island from abroad. XXX Like birds, migratory beings par excellence, humans follow the desire to access new knowledge. Like birds, they construct temporary homes. Like birds, at times they found their wings shortened by the constraint of transparent cages. Like birds, they keep singing their songs of hope and freedom. The phrase "free as a bird" conjures the image of a bird singing. So does 53+1=54+1=55 / Letter of The Year.
Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons performs as FeFa at the Venice Biennale in 2013. Photo by Marie Cieri.
An extended discussion of this work and its continuity with the earlier work involving the character "FeFa " presented at the 11th Havana Biennial in 2012, along with images and multimedia footage, can be found here.
Audio Extra: Porcelain Doll
See above at 43:40 for more about the "bags" that Bukky refers to here.
The Porcelain Doll character appears in the a work titled Painting Lesson, which is incorporated into a larger installation titled My Mother Told Me I Am Chinese.
Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Painting Lesson, 2008. Courtesy of the artist.
The Guangzhou Triennial is organized by the Guangdong Museum of Art. Visit the Triennial website here. The third triennial, "Farewell to Post-Colonialism," in which Campos-Pons participated in 2008,
... was curated by Gao Shiming, Sarat Maharaj, and Chang Tsong-zung. With research curators: Dorothee Albrecht, Sopawan Boonnimitra, Stina Edblom, Tamar Guimaraes, Guo Xiaoyan, Steve Lam, Khaled D. Ramadan. As a leading discourse for art curatorial practice and criticism, the research focused on 'post-colonialism', examining its limitations in being increasingly institutionalized as an ideological concept. (from the Biennial Foundation website)
Academic, author and curator Sarat Maharaj has taught and lectured widely on topics such as Cultural Translation, North/South divisions of work, manufacture and "creative labour," and Non-Western modernities. He is currently Professor of Visual Art & Knowledge Systems, Lund University & the Malmö Art Academies, Sweden. Watch a lecture delivered by Maharaj at the Tate Modern in 2013:
Campos-Pons participated in a conference titled "Why Sculpture, Why Here, Why Now?" at the Tate Modern in London in October 2007.
From 1847 on, hundreds of thousands of Chinese immigrants came to Cuba as contract workers in the sugar fields. Some of these immigrants settled permanently in Cuba following release from their contracts. Other smaller waves of immigration followed in later decades. Learn more about the Chinese immigration to Cuba on Wikipedia. Today only a few hundred ethnic Chinese remain in Cuba:
"Coolie" is a term, now considered derogatory, used to refer to a slave or unskilled manual laborer, particularly from Southern China, the Indian subcontinent, the Philippines and Indonesia, who went or was sent abroad during the 19th century and early 20th century to work. Learn more on Wikipedia.


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