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Data Recovery Services in Birkenhead by Data Clinic Ltd
Professional Hard Drive, Phone and Server Data Recovery
Welcome to Data Clinic Ltd
We provide professional data recovery services from failed digital storage media such as hard drives, mobile phones, RAID servers, memory sticks and cards.
Typical situations we recover data from:
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- A server or RAID array with inaccessible data eg. Systems with multiple drive failure, RAID configuration issues, partial server rebuilds etc.
- An inaccessible USB memory stick or memory card
Free Collection: We provide a free daily pickup service in and around Birkenhead where we collect faulty devices and diagnose them at our lab the following day. Please contact us to arrange.
Data Clinic Ltd
Professional Data Recovery Services
Since 2002
The Data Recovery Process
Understanding how Data Clinic recover your data is easily broken down into these 5 simple steps.
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More About Our…
Data Clinic Locations
We have many data recovery locations across the UK. You are welcome to drop off but will need to book an appointment first.
Alternatively use our Free Collection service that picks up from ANY UK address.
New London House, EC3V 9LJ
The Mount, Belfast, BT6 8DD
11, St. Paul's Square, Birmingham, B3 1RB
Castlemead, Bristol, BS1 3AG
20 – 23 Woodside Place, Glasgow, G3 7QF
Building 3, Gelderd Road, Leeds, LS12 6LN
Horton House, Exchange Street East, Liverpool, L2 3PF
The Pavilions, Bridge Hall Lane, Bury, BL9 7NX
Rotterdam House, 116 Quayside, NE1 3DY
Victory House, 400 Pavilion Drive, NN4 7PA
The Balance, 2 Pinfold Street, Sheffield S1 2GU
Basepoint, Andersons Road, Southampton, SO14 5FE


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Panther Power: Texas Pumas Counter Inbreeding
The endangered Florida panther has been saved from extinction thanks to the introduction of female Texan pumas, reports a 10-year study conducted by the University of Florida and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The pumas, which like the panthers, are a sub-species of cougar, were brought to Florida in 1995 to counter the effects of habitat loss and health issues caused by panther inbreeding, including heart defects, infertility and other genetic problems. The panther population has since rebounded from a low of 20 to 30 cats to between 120 and 230.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Zombies certainly brought a distinctive style to the British Invasion with their jazz-tinged sound and breathy vocals. "She's Not There" is a terribly exciting song that retains its distinctiveness to this day. The song couldn't have come at a better time as far as the American consumer was concerned, for it was British with a Latin flair. 1964 was not only the first year of the Invasion, but the year that Getz and Gilberto found their way to stardom with "The Girl from Ipanema." The Zombies must have seemed terribly "with it" at the time.
After that breakthrough hit, it was all downhill for The Zombies. "Tell Her No" did very well in the States, but failed to gain much traction in their homeland. The song had stylistic echoes of "She's Not There," and may have pigeonholed The Zombies as odd ducks with limited possibilities. Their next four singles bombed on both sides of the pond, and their first album didn't do much either, in large part because their were too many covers that veiled the strength of the original compositions.
Miraculously, CBS Records signed them to a contract despite their dismal commercial track record, and The Zombies immediately began intensive rehearsals in preparation for recording sessions scheduled for EMI's Abbey Road studios. The only conclusion one can draw from the sequence of events that followed is that someone in the band must have been carrying some bad karma from a past life as a serial killer, because nearly everything that could go wrong went wrong:
- They had limited recording time, so they had to work quickly and efficiently. Being musicians, their time management skills were not business-crisp, and they had to switch from Abbey Road to Olympic Studios midway through the recording process, then return to Abbey Road to wrap things up.
- They really wanted strings, but there was no budget for them, so they had to settle for the Mellotron.
- The time pressures and compromises led to the band members feeling grumpy and getting snarky with each other, with Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone getting into a serious snit over the vocal phrasing on "Time of the Season."
- Once Argent and Chris White had mixed things down to mono and proudly turned the master over to CBS, they were informed that no, the record company wanted a stereo mix. As there was no money left in the budget, they had to pay for it themselves.
- The record was finally released in the UK, and to everyone's horror, the word "odyssey" was misspelled on the album art. They tried to pass it off as intentional, because what the fuck else could they do?
- Odessey and Oracle drew no attention whatsoever. Two singles from the album failed to chart. Clive Davis at first refused to release the album in the U. S., then finally gave into the persistent Al Kooper and allowed him to release it on a subsidiary label. The record company geniuses decided to support the album release by selecting the most uncommercial track on the entire record ("Butcher's Tale") as a single in an attempt to capitalize on the burgeoning anti-war movement. It died along with the album. None of this affected The Zombies much, as they'd ceased to exist four months before the release.
Al Kooper finally managed to release "Time of the Season" as a single over a year later, where it made a big splash in the U. S. and Canada but did next to nothing in the green and pleasant land. The album, meanwhile, found its way to something called the "cutout bins," the place in the record stores of the day where people like my father would spend hours flipping through stacks of obscure LP's that had become lonely orphans, victims of commercial indifference. My dad's copy of Odessey and Oracle has a horizontal slit on the upper left part of the cover, hence the term "cutout." He considers it one of the greatest finds of his life, right up there with my mother, and always talks about both discoveries with beaming pride.
As he should. Odessey and Oracle is a jewel of a record, an endlessly engaging display of rich melodies and harmonies, outstanding musicianship and songwriting of the highest order. It seems to come out of nowhere; The Zombies' trajectory gave few clues that a work of such sustained excellence was possible. In addition to the relative lack of support from their employers, I would also venture to guess that the reason such a remarkable work was completely ignored is that the listeners of the time had come to look at the Invasion as terribly passé and The Zombies as another Invasion group trying to resurrect their career by identifying with flower power, as the cover so blatantly advertises. While the album has since received long overdue recognition from the critical community and the music is quite accessible to the average listener, it remains far outside the stream of popular consciousness to this day, a record for the connoisseur, not the average fan. The only explanation I have for the continuing obscurity of Odessey and Oracle is the self-centered mediocrity of 21st century culture.
Nothing frustrates me more in life than the mediocrity of a culture that stubbornly refuses to be anything but mediocre and even celebrates that mediocrity.
We will happily leave behind that unpleasant state of affairs and immerse ourselves in the loftier standards of Odessey and Oracle. One clear advantage The Zombies did have is Geoff Emerick and Peter Vince at the controls in the booth, using the same kind of 4-track tape machine Emerick had used for Sgt. Pepper. Due to the time and budget limitations, Odessey and Oracle was not as demanding an affair as Sgt. Pepper in terms of retakes, tape loops and overdubs, but the sensitive precision of the arrangements were greatly enhanced by the sensitivity and experience of Emerick and Davis. The recording is wonderfully rich and warm.
You hear this warmth on the opening track, "Care of Cell 44," one of the most disarming songs ever written. After a sprightly touch of harpsichord, the happy-go-lucky, pleasant pop feel that greets the listener calls up images of a couple strolling hand-in-hand through green fields or sandy beaches, showing off their gleaming white teeth made even whiter by repeated application of Pepsodent. The first time through this song it's very easy to skim over the lyrics, and because the melody is so pleasant and the harmonies so vivid and rich that the few words you do hear lead you to conclude that the song is about a long-lost lover coming home. The second time through you pay a bit more attention and find that the relationship is a bit more complicated:
Saved you the room you used to stay in every Sunday
The one that is warmed by sunshine every day
And we'll get to know each other for a second time
And then you can tell me 'bout your prison stay . . .
The harmonies on this track are breathtaking, especially the perfect execution of the "Feels so good you're coming home soon" lines where The Zombies mix their voices in full force with disciplined precision. I also love the background humming that accompanies the verses and adds to the sunny-day-in-the-park irony of the song, and the mmm-bum-mmm-bum interludes where their voices join to create intriguing chord patterns. Chris White delivers a spot-on bass part that provides both melodic counterpoint and mood support. "Care of Cell 44" is the kind of thing I wished The Hollies had done in their prime.
"A Rose for Emily" follows, a tale of woe about a woman who could have been Eleanor Rigby's long-lost cousin. The knockout factor of this song is the unusual and inventive chord structure; the verses begin in G major, but after following a progression dominated by diminished and minor sevenths, resolves to an unexpected A major instead of returning to G. From there they change keys to Bb for the chorus, again refusing to end on the root chord but with the suspended feeling from a D7 that resolves to the G major that opens the verses. The coda, on the other hand is built around the A chord with variations on that root with two departures to a modified D and Ddim. If this were just a set of strange chords, the song would be a total mess, but what's amazing is how easily the chord progression flows, never sounding choppy or contrived. Accompanied only by piano maintaining a steady ONE-two-three-four pattern with variations in the transitions, Colin Blunstone's lead vocal is superbly sensitive and he handles the extreme vertical movement of the melody with grace. The harmonies are left for the chorus, a dazzling display of harmonic lines coming at you from all directions and coming together nicely on the ending note. Rod Argent wrote these first two numbers, demonstrating his exceptional compositional range.
Remind me again—why did this album flop?
"Maybe After He's Gone" is one of the three tunes recorded at Olympic Studios, and the different acoustics are quite noticeable. The Olympic songs seem to have more of a natural echo effect, the kind you might hear in a small church. Both Abbey Road and Olympic were considered the best in their day, so while it may have been inconvenient to shift studios in the middle of the recording process, nothing was lost and the different sonic textures add variety to the mix. "Maybe After He's Gone" is a Chris White song of rain, lost love and eternal hope featuring mournful minor key verses driven by Paul Atkinson's acoustic guitar that end on a major chord to dramatize the transition. After a brief caesura, we move into the hope-filled, major key chorus. Unlike Graham Gouldman, The Zombies got their modes and moods straight!
"Beechwood Park" continues the rain imagery in the first verse, but this is the summer rain that freshens the air "in the green of country lanes," the lanes running through Chris White's youth in Hertfordshire. Lyrically, the song is a reminder of the beauty of the natural world, and how all the senses can be inspired by the simple acts of nature:
And the breeze would touch your hair,
Kiss your face and make you care
About your world, your summer world,
And we would count the evening stars
As the day grew dark in Beechwood Park
I tend to prefer the human world to the natural world, so this song never really resonated with me until my recent trip to the Canaries, where quiet walks under the stars accompanied by cool breezes infused me with some of the strongest memories of the trip. The music of "Beechwood Park" is noted for its key-elusive chord structure that eventually resolves to Gm in the last line of the chorus, but the path it takes to get there involves visits to other keys and surprising chord transitions that delight me as much as the beauty I experienced on my vacation. The intro has a Procul Harum-like feel to it, and as usual, there's a trivial debate about whether the guitar was run through a Leslie or the tremolo of a Fender Twin. Sigh.
The Zombies quote The Tempest in the liner notes and use imagery from Macbeth in "Brief Candles." Macbeth happens to be my favorite Shakespearean opus, so I will take this opportunity to quote my favorite lines (which also provide the imagery for the song in question):
. . . Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
Chris White uses the candle as a symbol of the "tiny gems of memory" that help us get through disappointment by showing us a way out. Each verse is a mini-story of three different people, appropriately sung by three of the Zombies (White, Blunstone, Argent). Each segment describes the aftermath of a disappointment and the act of reliving the experience that led to the disappointment; all lead to the chorus that ends with the paradoxical line, "His (her) sadness makes him (her) smile." The first two stories deal with lost love; the last with a man whose only relationship is with the bottle. In his story, there is more doubt and less redemption, for the last line in his verse is "Maybe he will soon believe he's better off this way." The suggestion is that, as frustrating as they can be, human relationships are what makes the struggle worthwhile.
"Hung Up on a Dream" is the closest thing to a period piece, a dream of flowers, love and peace, and the least interesting piece on Odessey and Oracle. The song that follows more than makes up for the side trip to Nirvana. "Changes" opens with the Mellotron emulating a flute in a brief overture and then opens up to the singers with voices joined in madrigal style, accompanied only by a beating drum. The effect is stunning, and the passage is deeply satisfying when repeated throughout the song. The verse proper is constructed around a single high note on the piano playing over arpeggiated chords lower on the keyboard, allowing Colin Blunstone's vocal maximum clarity. The "changes" in the song involve the contrast between a woman who was once at one with the rhythm of the seasons but has fallen prey to the dual temptations of money and fashion, a dichotomy that contrasts the permanence of nature with fleeting ego-gratification. The lyrics reflect the curious syntax found in many an English folk tune, and the combination of the madrigal section and the balladic language made me think this would have been a lovely song for Steeleye Span:
I knew her when summer was her crown
And autumn sad, how brown her eyes.
I knew her when winter was her cloak
In spring her voice she spoke to me
If ever a song deserved the adjective "glorious," it's this one. I could listen to those vocals forever. If I ever get married, I want the a cappella chorus to accompany my entrance as I traipse down the aisle in stilettos and a leather body suit with appropriate cutouts.
The lighter, bouncier "I Want Her She Wants Me," another Olympic recording, comes up next. The first real toe-tapper on the album, it's also one of the few songs I know where the harpsichord is more than a superfluous indulgence; here it not only sounds unusually pretty but provides the steady rhythms that provide a foundation for Hugh Grundy's delightful fills, cymbal flashes and double-time excursions. Chris White is marvelous on the bass and the supporting counterpoint vocals are simply delightful. The long fade gives the voices and instruments more playtime, and while there are many times I'll listen to a fade out and think "Hurry the fuck up!" on this one I wish The Zombies would have hung around a little longer.
Right up there with "Changes" for my favorite song on Odessey and Oracle is the smooth and sophisticated love song, "This Will Be Our Year." With touches of jazz and R&B in the rhythm and in the hints of blue notes in Colin's superb vocal and in the double-tracked piano, I love the way the melody and lyrics flow so well despite the nonstandard chord patterns and the half-step key change. The poetry is simple and lucid, as if the singer is having a moment of clarity about how lucky he is to have such a wonderful companion who stuck with him through the rough patches:
The warmth of your love
Is like the warmth of the sun
And this will be our year
Took a long time to come.Don't let go of my hand
Now darkness has gone
For this will be our year
Took a long time to come.
These two happy diversions give us enough of a spiritual lift to enable us to approach "Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914)," one of the most unflinching anti-war songs in an era that was full of them. Opening with the ominous sounds of something moving in the gloom, a church organ enters the scene playing a dark, unholy pattern. Chris Davis adopts an Everyman vocal style that gives the lyrics immediate credibility, and those lyrics cut straight to the gut as he reflects on the horror of a World War I battlefield:
A butcher yes that was my trade
But the king's shilling is now my fee
A butcher I may as well have stayed
For the slaughter that I seeAnd the preacher in his pulpit
Sermon: "Go and fight, do what is right"
But he don't have to hear these guns
And I'll bet he sleeps at nightAnd I . . . And I can't stop shaking
My hands won't stop shaking
My arms won't stop shaking
My mind won't stop shaking
I want to go home
Please let me go home
Go homeAnd I have seen a friend of mine
Hang on the wire
Like some rag toy
Then in the heat the flies come down
And cover up the boy
And the flies come down in
Gommecourt, Thiepval,
Mametz Wood, and French Verdun
If the preacher he could see those flies
Wouldn't preach for the sound of guns
The subtle touches in this song raise the dramatic tension of the narrative: the additional echo applied to the preacher's commandment to "Go and fight, do what it right"; the increasing loudness of the organ during the "shaking" passages; and Chris White's change in tone in those passages from bitter veteran to frightened young man. It may not be the most pleasant listening experience, but "Butcher's Tale" is both moving and memorable. I place it right up there with "And the Band Played Waltzin' Mathilda" and "No Man's Land/Flowers of the Forest" as one of the great anti-war songs of all time.
In contrast, "Friends of Mine" sounds almost superficial with its happy celebration of happy couples. I have a personal attachment to this song because of one line that resonates incredibly well with my life right now: "It feels so good to know two people so in love." As my readers know, I am bisexual and have been in a long-term live-in relationship with a beautiful, intelligent and sensitive woman (we'd love a penis around the house, but a good man is hard to find). Anyway, in a society still in transition when it comes to alternative arrangements, our relationship provokes different responses from the people we encounter. Most rare are people who feel perfectly comfortable with the idea of two women in love. Then there are those who feel threatened by anything different, especially drunken males frightened by the idea that women could get through life without them and their dicks. This is when we hear the "fucking dyke" shit and on occasion have had drinks thrown at us, been spat upon and have even experienced physical assault (hence the need for martial arts training). The largest group are people who simply don't know how to deal with it, but they're willing to give us a chance. Once they get to know us, though, and they see how comfortable and happy we are together, they usually say one of two things: "You two look so good together," or "I don't know about your lifestyle, but I have to admit that it feels so good to know two people so in love! We can charm the pants off people, both literally and figuratively! Though "Friends of Mine" is not the kind of song that would usually float my boat, the personal meaning makes me smile when I hear it.
Odessey and Oracle ends with the one song everyone knows, "Time of the Season." I go back and forth about this song's appearance on Odessey and Oracle. First, I think it's a great song, superbly performed, and one of the few romance songs that qualify as both sexy and sweet. The bass line is killer and the call-and-response vocals are both fresh and terribly attractive. That said, the Latin flavor and breathy vocals are so "She's Not There" that at times the song feels out-of-place on this album. On the other hand, one could easily argue that the three-part harmonies in the chorus most certainly fit with this most harmonic of records. Oh, no! The blonde part of my brain is approaching overload! I can't make up my mind! Help! Watch the video, you say? Good idea!
Ah, that's better. I hereby proclaim that it fits because I love this song and I want it to fit. It's great having an imperial side in one's personality, especially if you are a blonde.
I think it's absolutely tragic that Odessey and Oracle was ignored in its time and, except for the inevitable reunions, represented the band's final work. The imagination runs wild to consider what The Zombies could have done with more support from the public and the record company. These were incredibly gifted musicians who could move from jazz to pop to folk to rock with relative ease; a band with two superb composers whose lyrical and musical awareness was on another plane compared to most of their contemporaries; and excellent vocalists who could solo and harmonize with the best of them. I feel cheated that all I have of The Zombies is two albums and a few bonus tracks from the odd compilation or two.
Still, given all the challenges they faced making Odessey and Oracle, I should be thankful for this precious gift. I am even more thankful for the environment that allowed such a work to come to life at all. Rod Argent, in an interview with The Guardian, commented on how special that period in musical history truly was, a period of renaissance that I pray will reappear in my lifetime:
The whole of the '60s were a brilliant time to record because everything was exploding and there was such a feeling of positivity in the air. People were willing to embrace any ideas and see where they led.


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With the current effort to help health care providers avoid full responsibility for their actions gaining steam in our state legislature, it seems appropriate to re-print this post from five years ago, with slight modifications.
I found this memo at an empty corner table in the bar in the basement of the Hermitage Hotel in downtown Nashville, sitting on table next to an empty bottle of Opus and two wine glasses.
To: Tennessee Medical Association Director for Tort Reform
From: AMA Vice President for Tort Reform
Date February 24, 2011
Re: CONFIDENTIAL – FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – MFA PROGRAM
As we discussed on the telephone, our MFA (Moving for Access) plan will be in full force and effect on July 1, 2011. This memo will give you an overview of MFA; complete details will come in a notebook that has been shipped to you.
Since 1975 we have tried to convince state legislatures around the country that caps on damages will reduce medical malpractice insurance premiums. Some legislators bought this without proof that it would occur, and given what has happened in states that adopted caps we are having some credibility problems. We were afraid that sooner or later legislators will begin to figure out that our members own many of the insurance companies that insure doctors and that the reason for the recent significant increases in malpractice premiums was the failure to have reasonable rate increases during the 1990s, based on the mistaken assumption that our companies would continue to earn high levels of investment income. We were also concerned that sooner or later someone will figure out that as long as medical expenses run over twice the rate of inflation the cost of insuring doctors for malpractice will always increase at a rate above the rate of inflation.
As you well know, we now have bigger problems. Malpractice insurance rates are down and doctor-owned companies like State Volunteer Mutual are making money hand-over-fist. Indeed, medical malpractice insurance rates for many doctors are less than they were in 1995, after adjusting for ordinary (non-medical) inflation
Therefore, we determined that we needed to develop a new plan to get blood-sucking trial lawyers off our backs. We have done nationwide polling and focus groups in sixteen different states. As a result of those efforts, we have embarked upon to a new plan to motivate state legislatures to enact caps on damages and limit the fees of greedy lawyers (which will make it economically unfeasible to bring cases against our members). The new plan is this: the reason we need caps on damages is because doctors are leaving states without caps on damages and people are being denied access to health care, particularly in rural areas. This resonates with many legislators and with the general public; people are afraid of not having a doctor there when they need one, even if they moved to an area without a doctor. Therefore, this new plan greatly increases our chance of success in the remaining non-cap states, including Tennessee, and our likelihood of preserving caps in states that already have them. Of course, we will continue to depict lawyers as the demons they are – our efforts (and those of the Chamber of Commerce, etc.) over the last 25 years have got that impression firmly imbedded in the minds of the public.
Here is the problem: when asked, we are having difficulty documenting that doctors are actually leaving the practice of medicine or moving to a state with caps. In fact, the number of doctors in states like Tennessee is actually increasing and the only evidence we have that some doctors are leaving is anecdotal. While this will fool some legislators, clearly anyone who approaches the issue with a shred of objectivity will want to see some actual evidence that physicians are leaving a given state, that they are leaving because of the risk of liability in a state without damage caps, and that patients are at risk for harm.
We have encouraged each member state to do a poll of the members to document physician attitudes toward and concerns about litigation, etc. and your state has done one. However, if anyone who understands polling looks at the questions asked and the framework in which the questions were posed they will recognize the effort for what it was: push-polling, plain and simple. Therefore, while we will continue to use our polls, we have determined that more aggressive action is necessary.
So, to get some hard data, we developed "Moving For Access." MFA is a plan to move doctors out of Tennessee and the other forty-nine states. The basic plan is this: a total of 17.9% of the AMA members in Tennessee will have to move to another state. To have doctor flight consistent with our public position, 5.1% of urban doctors must leave and 29.5% of rural doctors must leave (which will result in a total shift of 17.9% of doctors).
In other parts of the country, doctors are being shifted to other states with similar populations. (The exact percentage will differ from state to state to avoid the appearance of concerted effort.) For example, California doctors are going to New York and New York doctors are going to California. Doctors in Montana are moving to North Dakota, and vice versa. However, this will not work in Tennessee. Why? Well, in 1975 we convinced a majority of legislators that Tennessee had a different standard of care that was known only to doctors in contiguous states. If anyone ever figures out that we were shipping Tennessee doctors to Wisconsin and Cheesehead doctors to Tennessee we are at risk of losing not only the caps we hope to get but also all of the restrictions on malpractice suits we won in 1975. (We will also be denied the opportunity to export the "contiguous state rule" to other states.) Therefore, we have adjusted our nationwide plan to accommodate the unique environment in Tennessee; Tennessee doctors will be moved to contiguous states and an equal number of doctors from those states will move to Tennessee.
This plan protects patients, because every doctor will be replaced by another doctor of the same specialty in the same locale. To be sure, some patients will complain about getting a new doctor, but we can blame that on greedy trial lawyers.
Everything will be administered here in Chicago, but undoubtedly you will get calls from your members who have questions about MFA. We have prepared a list of FAQs and responses thereto for your use.
This memo is HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL. It is for your eyes only. Direct your office to refer all calls from doctors concerning this plan to you.
MFA – Frequently Asked Questions
Q.How was I selected to move?
A.The initial basis for your selection was your location. If there were multiple doctors in your specialty in your location your name was drawn at random thorough a computer program developed with funding received from a federal grant.
Q.When will I be moving?
A.Your actual move date will be July 1, 2011. However, your move will be announced to your local newspaper(s) and your local radio and television station(s) on appropriate dates in advance of your actual move, as determined by the MFA HQ. MFA's Office of Media Relations will draft the press releases about your move and you will be given a briefing on what to say if you are contacted by the press. (Your briefing will count as Continuing Medical Education credit.) The announcements will start after March 1 to maximize the effect on local legislators in this legislative session.
Q.Why I am moving?
A.You are moving because "you can't stand the pressure of practicing medicine in a state without caps on non-economic losses and limitations on fees for greedy trial lawyers." You will be given help with this in your Media Relations Training Program, but for the time being you are to repeat this exact phrase to every reporter, legislator, and patient who asks you why you are leaving. Practice it on your spouse and your children until it sounds like you believe it.
Q.What are non-economic losses?
A.Don't worry about that.
Q.Can I take my family with me?
Q.Do I have to pay my own moving expenses?
A No. Senator Paul sponsored and passed legislation that provides that doctors who move to rural areas during FY 2011 are fully reimbursed for their moving expenses by the federal government.
Q.But I'm been told I am moving to (Atlanta) (Louisville) (Charlotte) (Raleigh-Durham) (Birmingham)!!!!
A.Don't worry about it – each of those cities is defined as "rural areas" in the Senator's legislation.
Q.Will I have a job when I move?
A.Yes. You will be set up in medical practice and will have privileges as appropriate at the local hospital.
Q.Where will I live? How will I find a home?
A. The MFA Relocation Office has entered into an exclusive arrangement with a real estate company in each area. Mortgages will be available at prime minus one from a national bank; no qualification is necessary. All loans are guaranteed by the Department of Homeland Security (another component of the legislation described above). You will give MFA HQ a power-of-attorney to either rent or sell your home, as necessary. You will receive all proceeds of renting or selling the property.
Q.Will this move hurt my income?
A.No. Thanks to the generosity of Merck, the income of every doctor who participates in this plan is guaranteed not to drop below his or her 2010 income for the first three years in your new location.
Q.I live in Nashville and I have been told that I have to move to (Hammertoe, Mississippi) (Lizardlick, Arkansas) (Holeaboveground, Virginia)? That is not exactly the lifestyle my spouse and I envisioned when I took up the practice of medicine.
A.Everyone has to make some sacrifices to get greedy trial lawyers out of our lives. However, to make matters easier, Pfizer has agreed to sponsor one trip to the American city of your choice for you, your spouse and children each year to participate in cultural events of your choosing. Also, MFA's Office of Excessive Consumption has worked out arrangements with all major stores in the nation to send goods to any MFA participant without shipping charges or sales tax. Goods may be viewed through a special Internet portal developed just for MFA members.
Q.I am not concerned about good shopping – I'm concerned about my employees and my patients. What about them?
A.A doctor from another state will be moving in and will take over your practice. That doctor will make sure that your employees continue to work and earn a good living.
Q.Now just a minute. I thought I was moving because I "can't stand the pressure of practicing medicine in a state without caps on non-economic losses and limitations on fees for greedy trial lawyers." Now you are telling me that I have to move and that someone else will be coming into my office and taking over my practice. Doesn't that mean that by the time the big shuffle is over there will be the same number of doctors in Tennessee as there was when the big shuffle started?
A.Yes. Actually, there will be more – we will have a bunch of folks coming out of residency programs at the end of June who will begin private practice in Tennessee.
Q.Won't somebody figure that out?
A.No, not before damage caps are passed and greedy trial lawyers are under price controls. Think about it – the Tennessee Legislature fell for the notion that the standard of care is different in Cleveland, Ohio than it is in Nashville. Believe us, pulling this off will be easier than it might appear.
Q.But won't it be obvious to some number of legislators that this is all a ruse?
A.Oh, some of the bleeding heart liberals under control of greedy trial lawyers will whimper about it. We will deny any wrongdoing. And, we will produce a report from an independent not-for-profit foundation; that report explains that doctors have moved from Tennessee for because it has not adopted necessary tort reform measures and that there is no credible evidence to suggest that it was as a result of a coordinated effort by any organization.
Q.You already have the report?
A.Yes. Hey, we weren't born yesterday.
Q.Can I ever come back to my home in Tennessee?
A.Not until caps and fee restrictions are passed and the legislation is found to be constitutional. If that occurs, we will try to get you back if funding for this program is still available.
Q.You know, I really don't like this idea. I think I'll just stay here.
A.Sorry, you can't. The last time you paid your dues you agreed to pay $250,000 in liquidated damages if you failed to follow "AMA rules as they are adopted from time to time." This is an AMA rule. You are moving.
Q.I didn't see that in my dues statement.
A.It was there. On the back. In 4-point type.
Q.I'm not moving – I'll sue.
A.You can't. You agreed to binding arbitration. The arbitration will be held before 17 arbitrators, eight chosen by each side and the final arbitrator to be chosen by the 16 designated arbitrators. The arbitration will be held at the Clock Tower Inn in Rockford, Illinois. The loser pays all expenses of arbitration. Our arbitrators are busy; you can get a hearing in about 37 months.
Q.This is an outrage. I am going to the press with this. They will destroy your little plan.
A.No you won't. You signed a Confidentiality Clause. The liquated damages penalty on it is $500,000. Your spouse signed the same thing on the Auxiliary Membership Renewal, so that tenants by-the-entirety thing does not protect your home. Any dispute over the terms of the Confidentiality Clause is also subject to arbitration, and our lawyer eats pit bulls for lunch. The loser pays and our lawyer charges $580 per hour. And, by the way, our lawyers have told us that a doctor who breaches a confidentiality clause may not be fit to practice medicine.
Q.For an organization that doesn't like lawyers you sure seem to use them.
A.We like our lawyers.
Q.So, I guess I'm moving.
A.Your cooperation is much appreciated.


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His impressionistic gouaches not only portray the typical character of each race driver and his driving style, along with the authenticity of an historic event and cars true to the smallest detail, but also make the race atmosphere palpable, so that one can almost hear and smell the event from his art.
This self-taught artist was born in 1912 in a village of imperial Austrian Silesia (now Czech Republic) but lived and worked in Stuttgart, Germany from 1938.
Gotschke drew passionately even as a child, commencing with animals. Aged 11 he became fascinated by the first automobiles. From memory alone he tried repeatedly to draw the few cars that passed through his rural backwater. The later student of architecture experienced his first races in his homeland: the Ecce-Homo Hillclimb, the Masaryk Grand Prix and others. By seventeen his race sketches were published, followed a year later by the Masaryk Grand Prix poster.
Alongside decades of advertising work for Mercedes-Benz, Ford, Fiat, VW, etc., Walter Gotschke's favorite task was painting automobile races. During his later period of life this evolved to become his chief activity, and he was honored as an emeritus by the distinguished Automotive Fine Arts Society. His art has been featured in major publications around the world including Motor Revue, Sports Illustrated, Auto Motor und Sport, and Automobile Quarterly.
In 1985 an eye disease gradually turned into blindness and by the autumn of 2000 his eyes closed for ever.


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LeBron 14
Come out of Nowhere
With a new midfoot strap that stretches with your foot, The LeBron 14 is extremely light, flexible and streamlined for speed.
LeBron 14
LeBron's combination of speed and power is like nothing the league has ever seen. He's stealth yet savage. Silent. Yet certain. The invisible threat, revealing his power with game-changing purpose. His latest shoe embodies his attitude of attack—and is made for repeat performances of the impossible.
Dynamic Lockdown
A wide midfoot strap spreads the force of impact and provides stability for every movement, at any speed.
Ultimate Responsiveness
Four Nike Zoom Air cushioning units maximize the power of every step to help you create separation at any moment.
Lightweight Comfort
The extremely light, perforated upper is engineered for breathability, flexibility and support.
There's no way I wasn't going to get there.
LeBron James
Behind the Design
Lighter, Stronger, Faster
LeBron's game is constantly evolving. He shows up faster and stronger each season. Inspired by his growing speed and dynamism, Nike designers wanted to craft a lighter, faster shoe that still delivered the locked-in protection and responsiveness LeBron has always demanded. They gave it a new midfoot strap, ultralight mesh and Nike Zoom Air cushioning that's twice as thick as it was just two iterations ago.
Streamlined for Speed
The Nike design team was determined to enable speed and improve the fast, lightweight feel of the shoe, so they added a streamlined lockdown strap, making sure it offered just the right amount of stretch without adding much weight. Everything else, from the upper's perforated foam to its ultra-thin mesh, was stripped down to its most essential components. "When LeBron's on the court, out there doing it all, he doesn't need to be thinking about anything else", the Nike design team says. "This shoe is built to be super simple."
Rolling on Zoom
After scrutinizing LeBron's footstrike, the Nike design team placed hexagonal Nike Zoom Air units in areas LeBron strikes hardest, giving him the flexibility and response he needs in precisely the right places. To amplify his explosive power, they pumped up the cushioning and stripped away the non-essentials. "You're literally rolling on Zoom. There's not a lot of rubber or foam to get in the way", the design team says. "You feel it come to life."


text: ep2_07 By David Yeh April 7, 2011 David Yeh A long time fan of both Disney and Star Wars, he has a hard time resisting the temptations of Disney's merchandising force. If you see pictures of the toys and pins, you can bet they are from Dave, our resident collecting guru. Read more from David Yeh


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Lawsuit Filed to Protect Loggerhead Sea Turtle Habitat
Press Release Date: January 8, 2013
Anna Baxter | email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Anna Baxter
SAN FRANCISCO— Conservation groups filed a lawsuit today against the National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the agencies' failure to protect critical habitat areas for threatened and endangered loggerhead sea turtles on their nesting beaches and in Atlantic and Pacific waters, where they face threats from fisheries, climate change and coastal development.
While the number of loggerhead sea turtles nesting along Florida beaches has grown in recent years, these numbers have varied significantly over the past two decades, with the lowest recorded number occurring in 2007. Florida beaches host the largest nesting population of loggerheads in the United States, where increasing threats from coastal development and beach armoring can prevent successful nesting.
North Pacific loggerheads, which nest in Japan and cross the Pacific to feed along the coasts of Southern California and Mexico, have declined by at least 80 percent over the past decade and were recently reclassified from threatened to endangered. It has been estimated that more than 1,000 loggerheads die each year as a result of gillnet fishing in Mexico, with more than 400 washing ashore dead last summer.
"The impacts of Hurricane Sandy and Tropical Storm Debbie have made clear that healthy coastal beaches are important — both for humans and for nesting sea turtles. Critical habitat will help ensure thoughtful coastal development in the face of sea-level rise and will help leave a legacy of stable shores for future generations of people and turtles," said Jaclyn Lopez, a Florida attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity.
"The Endangered Species Act is a safety net for imperiled species like loggerhead sea turtles, but the federal government has failed in its duty to protect the areas these sea turtles call home," said Beth Lowell, campaign director at Oceana. "The longer the government delays in designating and protecting critical habitat, the more turtles will continue be caught in fishing nets and have their nesting beaches destroyed. Only by protecting the regions vital to their survival can these populations recover."
"Loggerheads on both coasts need robust protections from fisheries, oil spills and climate change to reverse their trajectory toward extinction," said Teri Shore, program director at Turtle Island Restoration Network. "While awaiting the protections they deserve, loggerhead sea turtles continue to die, entangled in nets or hooked on longlines for swordfish and tuna."
The main threats to loggerhead sea turtle recovery are from serious injury or death from entanglement in fishing gear, destruction of foraging grounds and loss of nesting habitat. Scientists estimate sea levels will rise by at least three to six feet by the end of the century, with East Coast sea levels rising three to four times faster than the global average, flooding important sea turtle habitats on vulnerable Florida beaches. In addition, beach armoring and coastal development prevent natural beach migration of sea turtles to adapt to rising seas.
Critical habitat protection would help safeguard marine and terrestrial areas essential for migrating, feeding and nesting. The designation would ensure that federally permitted activities do not continue to drive these species to the brink of extinction by destroying these important areas. Evidence shows that endangered or threatened species that have protected critical habitat are twice as likely to show signs of recovery as those without it.
On Sept. 22, 2011, loggerhead sea turtles worldwide were protected as nine separate populations under the Endangered Species Act, including endangered North Pacific loggerheads and threatened Northwest Atlantic loggerheads. This triggered a requirement to designate critical habitat areas concurrently with the listing, with a deadline the government has failed to meet; today's lawsuit, brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, Oceana and Turtle Island Restoration Network, targets that failure.
Click here for more information about loggerhead populations and to download the petitions.
The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 450,000 members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. www.biologicaldiversity.org
Oceana is the largest international advocacy group working solely to protect the world's oceans. Oceana wins policy victories for the oceans using science-based campaigns. Since 2001, we have protected over 1.2 million square miles of ocean and innumerable sea turtles, sharks, dolphins and other sea creatures. More than 550,000 supporters have already joined Oceana. Global in scope, Oceana has offices in North, South and Central America and Europe. www.oceana.org
Turtle Island Restoration Network (SeaTurtles.org) is an international marine conservation organization headquartered in California whose 60,000 members and online activists work to protect sea turtles and marine biodiversity in the United States and around the world. www.SeaTurtles.org


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But there is more, wait. One way to embrace differences in a positive way is to explore the rich heritage of humankind's music-making. No serious student of music, the guitar and/or any instrumental tradition one might work in can afford to ignore the great traditions of other places, and sometimes, other times.
In the spirit of this and because the CD at hand is such an excellent example of another tradition, I give to you Kayhan Kalhor and Erdal Erzincan's Kula Kulluk Yakisir Mi (ECM B0018884-02). It is a live date of two extraordinary virtuosos performing Mid-Eastern classical music. Maestro Kalhor is Persian and plays a fiddle-like instrument called the kamancheh; Maestro Erzincan hails from Turkey and plays a lute-ish instrument called the baglama. The repertoire is for the most part traditional. There is long developmental scalar improvisations, important compositional motifs and a general ambiance of concentrated ultra-expression.
This is not their first album but it is an excellent album. Listening is the best way to understand why this music is essential. I recommend it without reservation. These two are marvelous musicians.


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The limited series collection set to unveil in the summer embodies the multifarious works of the acclaimed street artist.
The visual teasers for the collaboration announcement highlight Alec Monopoly's vibrant artistic style.
Founded in 1986 by Benjamin Arabov, luxury watch brand Jacob & Co. pieces are often donned by celebrities on red carpets and photoshoots. With the slogan "Inspired by the Impossible," it comes as no surprise that the label is collaborating with renowned street artist Alec Monopoly to create a collection of unprecedented timepieces that blend quality workmanship with modern designs. Monopoly, the alias of the New York-based artist, specializes in brilliant, lively works that are coveted by the likes of Miley Cyrus, Iggy Azalea, Snoop Dogg to name a few.
After meeting in 2019 at an event in St. Barts, Arabov and Monopoly immediately started discussing joining forces to create a line that would exemplify their respective artistry and dedication to their crafts. Now that the timing is right, the limited series timepiece collection featuring watches hand-painted by Monopoly is set to unveil in the summer, and can be shopped through the Jacob & Co. website or Instagram. The partnership is certainly reaching imaginative heights with the coalescence of contemporary street art and premier watchmaking.
"We are excited to create a limited series of masterpieces that will truly be works of art," Arabov expresses. "The reason we're partnering with Alec is because his mission and goals align with ours, which is risk-taking and exploring the endless abilities of creativity and innovation."
"Alec is a young artist that started his career taking risks and not thinking twice about it," Arabov describes of Monopoly.
Monopoly is equally exhilarated to collaborate on the anticipated project, conveying that, "This collaboration with Jacob & Co. represents the first time I will be hand painting a watch collection, and the smallest canvas I have ever worked on. I can't wait to add some Graffiti to Jacob & Co. and learn from their watchmaker artisans in Switzerland!"


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The Karayu , which are part of the ethnic Oromo
The Karayu , which are part of the ethnic Oromo , living east of Ethiopia, in the Awash Valley.
The Karrayyu (also Kerrayu, Karrayyuu) are an Oromo subgroup inhabiting the Awash Valley banks of Abadir and Merti area in central Ethiopia. They are pastoralists. Karayu neighbor the Afar and Argobba people. It is believed the extinct Harla ethnicity were incorporated into Karayu Oromo.
The Karayu are among the last Oromo – with Borena and the Guji Kamise – to maintain their pastoral lifestyle . As such, they are considered by many Oromo as guardians of traditional culture.
Traditional religion is Karayu waaqeffata , a monotheistic religion based on a belief in a supreme being called Waaqa . This religion is closely linked to nature. The Oromo and the Waaqa pray in sacred sites such as lakes, water points, the peaks of some mountains but also with specific tree species, such as odaa without making animists .
The Karayu also participate in the gada system , an African form of ancient and complex democracy , based on generational groups that alternate power every eight years . A gada cycle lasts 40 years. The gada is not only a political system but also a social institution that governs the life of the Oromo from birth to death.
Today Karayu struggling to maintain their traditional way of life and face difficulties because they are relatively unknown group , both in Ethiopia and abroad.
The Karrayyu are ancient pastoralist Cushitic speaking Oromo ethnic group residing in the Awash Valley, around the volcano of Mount Fentale and the Metehara Plain (Great East African Rift Valley) in the Fantalle District of Oromia.
Karrayyu woman with umbrella in Gada ceremony – Ethiopia by Eric LafforgueAs one of the few Oromo groups to have preserved their indigenous tradition and pastoralist way of life, the Karrayyu are seen as the guardians of Oromo cultural heritage of the Horn of Africa. The Karrayyu are facing extinction as their number keep dwindling as they remain as one of the last remaining Oromo groups to maintain the pastoralist way of life as well as the traditional Oromo culture, along with the Borana, Guji and Kamise Oromo. The Karrayyu, apart from being considered by many Oromo as guardians of their ancient culture can be differentiated from other Oromo ethnic groups by the two horizontal tribal marks on the cheeks of their women and the Gunfura traditional hairstyle of their men. Karrayyu are known to the world for their famous Gada ceremony.
Karrayyu tribe woman inside her hut at Gadaa ceremony,Ethiopia
Interestingly, the main parent Oromo people are the largest Kushitic group and the second largest nation in Africa. Their population is about 33 million representing the majority (32%) of the Ethiopian population.. They have a distinct cultural and linguistic identity of their own. They have inhabited a separate and well-defined territory in the Horn of Africa for centuries.
Beautiful Karrayyu woman
Karrayyu people speak an Afaan Oromoo, a language of Oromoo with distinct linguistic characteristics of East Cushitic language.
It is said the Karrayyu arrived in the area 200 hundreds years ago, during the so called "great expansion", of the Oromo, during which Oromo settled in different parts of Ethiopia. There are only 10 000 to 55 000 Karrayyus (because of their nomadic lifestyle it is difficult to have precise figures) whereas they used to be 200 000 at the beginning of the 20th century. Karrayyu are on the verge of instinction. Such a drop was due to the persecutions the Oromos, including the Karrayyu people had to face during Menelik's II reign (1889-1913). This emperor, from the Amhara ethnic group led the unification of Ethiopia, and imposed the Amhara rule to the Oromos. Later, during the 20th century, the Karrayyu were deprived of most of their lands because of the establishment of national parks and modern farms. In the last four decades, Karrayyu's were dispossed from 70 per cent of their land, including their shrines, by the government to make sugar and cotton plantations.
Karrayyu are a nomadic-pastoralist who only attends to Livestock rearing. They hardly farm as they engage in buying of food from their neigbhours.
Karrayyu elder at Gadaa ceremony
Political structure
The Karrayyu also practice the Gada system, an ancient and complex form of African democracy which is traditionally based on generation sets which alternate power every eight years. One full Gada cycle lasts 40 years. Gada is a uniquely democratic political as well as social institution which governs the life of individuals in Oromo society from birth to death.
Karrayyu tribe man showing tribal two horizontal facial marks
One highly developed self-sufficient system which has influenced every aspect of Oromo life is the Gadaa system. It is a system that organizes the Oromo society into groups or sets (about 7-11) that assume different responsibilities in the society every eight years. It has guided the religious, social, political and economic life of Oromo for many years, and also their philosophy, art, history and method of time-keeping.
The activities and life of each and every member of the society are guided by Gadaa. It is the law of the society, a system by which Oromo administer, defend their territory and rights, maintain and guard their economy and through which all their aspirations are fulfilled.
Gift for Gada ceremony in Karrayyu tribe – Ethiopia
The Gadaa system has served as the basis of democratic and egalitarian political system. Under it the power to administer the affairs of the nation and the power to make laws belong to the people. Every male member of the society who is of age and of Gadaa grade has full rights to elect and to be elected. All the people have the right to air their views in any public gathering without fear.
Karrayyu girls from Ethiopia dressed for gadaa ceremony
There follows a brief description of how the Gadaa system works: there are two well-defined ways of classifying male members of the society, that is the hiriyya (members of an age-set all born within the period of one Gadaa rule of eight years) and Gadaa grade. The Gadaa grades (stages of development through which a Gadaa class passes) differ in number (7-11) and name in different parts of Oromia although the functions are the same. The following are the Gadaa grades:-
1. Dabballee (0-8 years of age)
2. Folle or Gamme Titiqaa (8-16 years of age)
3. Qondaala or Gamme Gurgudaa (16-24 years of age)
4. Kuusa (24-32 years of age)
5. Raaba Doorii (32-40 years of age)
6. Gadaa (40-48 years of age)
7. Yuba I (48-56 years of age)
8. Yuba II (56-64 years of age)
9. Yuba III (64-72 years of age)
10. Gadamojjii (72-80 years of age)
11. Jaarsa (80 and above years of age)
Beautiful Karrayyu girls dressed for Gadaa ceremony
We will briefly describe the duties of a Gadaa class as it passes through the above grades.
The Dabballee are sons of the Gadaa class who are in power, the Luba. They are boys up to 8 years of age. Thus this is a stage of childhood. Upon reaching their eighth year, they enter the Folle grade. At this age they are allowed to go further away from their villages and to perform light work.
Horsemen in TouramentAt 16 years old, they enter the Qondaala. They may now go long distances to hunt and perform heavy work. Three years before the Qondaala ends, those of the Gadaa class come together and nominate the future group leaders (hayyu council) who eventually will constitute its presidium and thereby the executive, judicial and ritual authorities. The final election is preceded by an often lengthy campaign of negotiations. After nomination, the candidates tour the region accompanied by their supporters to win the backing of the people before election, The individuals will be elected on the basis of wisdom, bravery, health and physical fitness.
In the Kuusa grade, the previously elected leaders are formally installed in office, although they do not yet assume full authority except in their own group. This is one of the most important events in the life of the individual and the Gadaa system over all. In the next grade, Raaba Doorii, members are allowed to marry. This and the Kuusa grade constitute a period of preparation for the assumption of full authority. At the end of this period the class members enter Luba or Gadaa, the most important class of the whole system, attain full status, and take up their position as the ruling Gadaa class. At this stage the system comes to a stop momentarily and all men move to the proceeding class vacating the last class which is the immediately occupied by a new class of youth who thus begin their ascent of the system's ladder.
The former ruling class, the Luba, now becomes Yuba. The Yubas, after passing through three separate eight-year periods, are transferred to the Gadamojjii class. Then they enter the final grade called Jaarsa and retire completely.
Night Shot Of Karrayyu Tribe People Gathered Around The Gifts Offered To The Karrayyu Tribe Families For The Gadaaa Ceremony, Metahara, Ethiopia
As described briefly above, when the Oromo man passes from one stage to the next, his duties and way of life in society change. For instance, during the grades of Qondaala, Kuusa and Raaba Doorii, the individuals learn war tactics , Oromo history, politics, ritual, law and administration over a period of 24 years. When they enter the Gadaa class or Luba at the age of about 40 years, they have already acquired all the necessary knowledge to handle the responsibility of administering the country and the celebration of rituals. It ends with partial retirement of the whole, group of elders to an advisory and judiciary capacity.The following are the Gadaa officials and their duties according to the Tuullama Gadaa practice:1. Abbaa Bokku – President2. Abbaa Bokku – First Vice-President3. Abbaa Bokku – Second Vice-President4. Abbaa Chaffe – Chairman of the Assembly (Chaffe)5. Abbaa Dubbi – Speaker who presents the decision of the presidium to the Assembly6. Abbaa Seera – Memoriser of the laws and the results of the Assembly's deliberations.7. Abbaa Alanga – Judge who executes the decision8. Abbaa Duula – In charge of the army9. Abbaa Sa'a – In charge of the economyThus, the entire presidium consists of nine members, called "Salgan Yaa'ii Borana" (nine of the Borana assembly). The Abbaa Bokkus are the chief officials. (Bokku is a wooden or metal scepter, a sign of authority kept by the Abbaa Bokku, the president). The Abbaa Bokkus have counselors and assistants called Hayyus who are delegated from the lower assemblies.OdaaThere are three level of assembly – inter-clan, clan and local chaffes, chaffe being the Oromo version of parliament. The chaffe assembly was held in the open air in a meadow under the odaa (sycamore) tree. The chaffe made and declared common laws and was source of the accumulated legal knowledge and customs. In the hierarchy of Gadaa chaffes, the assembly of the entire presidium of the ruling – Gadaa Class – is the highest body whose decision is final. It is the assembly at which representatives of the entire population come together, at predetermined times, to evaluate among other things, the work of those in power. If those in power have failed to accomplish what is expected of them, the assembly has the power to replace them by another group elected from among the same Gadaa class or Luba. And this was one of the methods of checking and balancing political power in the Oromo society. The second highest Gadaa assembly is the clan chaffe. It is from these assemblies that special delegates to the higher assembly are elected. The lowest Gadaa chaffe is the local chaffe. This is made up of local members of the Luba from among whom representatives to clan chaffes are elected.
The holders of these responsible posts can remain in office for eight years only, in normal times, and are then replaced by a new group of officers. The power is handed over at a special ceremony at a special place and time. The office-holders conduct government – political, economic, social, ritual and military – affairs of the entire nation for this period. During war time all capable men fight under the leadership of the group in office. During the eight year period the officials live together in a village (yaa'aa village) and when necessary travel together.
Karrayyu tribe man carrying gift for Gadaa ceremonyThere are five Gadaas in a cycle of 40 years. If a man enters office (becomes Luba) now, his sons will become Luba 40 years from now. The five Gadaa (sometimes called Buttaa) in the cycle have names, which vary slightly from region to region. Among some Oromo communities, the sets of five Gadaa names used by the sons are different from those of the fathers. Whereas among other communities, the same set of Gadaa names are used for both fathers and sons.
Beautiful Karrayyu woman with her beautiful tribal facial marks
Struggle for grazing lands and water resources is a constant and daily challenge for the Karrayyus. This results in conflicts with neighbouring tribes such as the Afar or the Argoba, but also with some other Oromos ethnic subgroups such as the Arsi Oromo. Clashes between herders from these tribes are pretty common, and sometimes people even get shot. Incidents occur about the possession or when some herders raid the cattle from another tribe. In recent years these conflicts have intensified as the number of available grazing lands has cut down. Indeed, overgrazing (involved by the recent of growth of the area's population) leads to soil erosion. The degradation of the rangelands intensifies the pratice of cattle raiding which is already deeply rooted in the culture of the tribes in this area. Some grazing lands have even been abandoned by the Karrayyus in fear of violent conflicts.
Religious Belief
The traditional Karrayyu religion is Waaqeffata, which is a monotheistic religion based on belief in a supreme being called 'Waaqa'. This religion is closely related to the natural world as the Oromo pray to Waaqa at sites believed to be particularly blessed, these sites include certain tree species such as Odaa, at specific lakes and water points and on the top of certain hills and mountains. This does not however make them animists, contrary to some explanations.
Passage of Rite
Unfortunately the Karrayyu are also famous for the female genital cutting the women have to face and suffer from. According to the 2005 Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey, more than 74 per cent of women between the age of 15 and 49 have undergone some form of genital mutilation and cutting.. Parents believe this practice guarantees their young daughter's virginity, which is a prerequisite for an honourable marriage.
The dark side of modernity to Karrayyu people
Drought-affected Karrayyu land where climate change, water shortage, conflict, years of neglect by successive Ethiopian governments, and shortage of grazing land makes life the more unbearable. The Karrayyu think all their problems are the work of Waaqa.
The Karrayyu have already lost a substantial portion of their land to state-led commercial enterprises. The Awash National Park has taken over 60 percent of what used to be Karrayyu land. In the 1950s, the Dutch established the Matahara Sugar factories and its vast sugar estate, displacing the local people and taking their land without any compensation. According to the World Bank, dikes built to protect the sugar plantations restrict the water flow raising tensions over water governance among different ethnic groups in the area. Government-run agribusiness schemes continue to chip at their grazing lands, water points, and religious sites. Despite corporate expansions into the area, the Fantalle district is one of the least underdeveloped in Ethiopia with a very poor road and telecommunication infrastructure.
The Karrayyu are highly dependent on Awash river as a source of water for drinking, their livestock, and small scale communal farming. However, in addition to the dikes which limit the water flow, the pollution of Awash river by state-run factories pose a serious health hazard to the Karrayyu and their livestock. Periodic drought due to delayed rainfall, livestock disease, and conflicts with neighboring communities, primarily the Afar and Argobba, perpetuates the worsening livelihood of Karrayyu Oromos. However, the recurrent ethnic conflicts are usually over access to resources (grazing land and water) and land rights. Land is communally owned among the Karrayyu.
Currently, a government-led irrigation scheme funded by the World Bank is trying to convince the Karrayyu to embrace agro-pastoralism. This is threatening to further erode their grazing lands and livelihoods along with the Karrayyu cultural heritage – much of which revolves around the pastoral way of life. "The Karrayyu don't know how to farm. They are not familiar with money. It is going to be difficult to tell them to leave animal herding, and take up farming." Some Non-for profit organization like Labata Fantalle are trying to bridge the gap of knowledge and orient the Karrayyu into slowly diversifying their income through capacity building programs such as training on organic farming and resource management techniques.
Karrayyu warriors during Gada ceremony in Karrayyu tribe – Ethiopia
Gada ceremony near Metahara, in Ethiopia
By Eric Lafforgue
The guests bring food, milk, and gifts for the families who welcomes them.A man writes in a book everything.
In the center: some fruits are put on cow dungs. it is the virtual door to the cow fence. Nobody can walk on it.
Every eight years under a full moon, a tribe of Karrayyu priests gather in the Methara region, south of Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, for a ceremony to transfer power, this ceremony is named Gada. Five families share and govern the power.
In two days, 10,000 people come, mainly by foot to help with the running of the ceremony. Absolutely no tourists are allowed in the proximity. After weeks of negotiation with the tribe's leader, I managed to obtain access to help at the ceremony. Throughout the entire negotiation process, it was never a matter of money, as is often the case with tribes, it was simply that the ceremony has never been open to foreigners.
Tired Karrayyu man with his Gunfura traditional hairstyle in Gadaa ceremony – Ethiopia.
The chiefs finally accepted, the Karrayyus are living in particularly difficult times and their position is precarious. They want to make the world aware of their predicament ; the drought killing off their livestock and the government selling their fertile land to Saudi-Arabia, India and South Korea.
Their former tribal wars with their neighbours, the Afars and the Sidamos, are beginning again. The number of young fighters wearing an ostrich feather in the hair acts of a badge of having killed another man, this acts as evidence of renewed conflict.
The ceremony takes place in the desert with hundreds of temporary houses having been constructed specially for the Gadda. In front of each house there is cow fencing, the cow being a sacred animal, each one being named like one of their children.
A mound of dry cow pat decorated with yellow fruit draws the boundary and the limit that nobody will dare to pass.
Inside the house, each family has brought their bugée mataas, a strip of artistically, studded leather, their only valuable object.
In front of the fences, the home owner waits for the ritual gifts that the visitors have come to offer them : milk, butter, sorghum …
An accurate list of what has been offered is kept by a sort of official or clerk.
Karrayyu man and her daughter
As night falls, the Karrayuus who have not managed to find the friends begin to shout their names, walking up and down in front of the houses. Some send texts from the mobiles, the only infringement of tradition.
At midnight, the tribal danses begin, the mass circle forms, the warriors, the Qondallas with their afro hair style leap up and down to show their power. The desert is no longer just an immense dust cloud.
At the same time, a group of other men look for the daughter of the future chief. She hides and they must find her, they are fortunate enough to have help, a full moon. Everybody else waits. All of a sudden at 3am, the women who were sleeping using their dresses as duvets leap to their feet and start singing : the chief's daughter has been found !
The presents are then bought into the houses and the monstrous feast begins.
In the early hours of the morning, one hundred cows are sacrificed. Their throats cut by the Gille, a long traditional blade. The Karrayuus smear blood on the foreheads of the children as a sign of protection.
Later on towards midday, all of the men of power including the chief shave the heads meanwhile the women pierce their ears with acacia thornes. Dozens of cows are again sacrificed, and once again the hot blood is smeared on the mens' freshly shaven heads, even babies have their heads smeared.
At this point, women are allowed to leave the camp.
Then comes the solemn, formal moment of the ceremony, the two families face one another. Each holding blades of wildgrass, irrechas and symbols of power. In a mad scramble, the exchange takes place in just a few seconds. The new chief declares power and disappears immediately !
The former chief leaves with tears in his eyes, the warriors pump themselves up in every sense. Drunk with happiness, the chants and songs start again. Everyone agrees to repeat the ceremony, in just 8 years time.
All Photos by the great photojournalist and anthropologist/travelor:Eric Lafforgue
House built for Gadaa ceremony
Shaving during Gadaa ceremony
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ASL on DVD .com Customer Care 7 760-683-5898
Learning American Sign Language Song DVD's
List of Songs on DVDs Watch Preview Customer Reviews Acclaimed Interpreters
Order Sign Language Christmas Carols, Praising & Worship Hymns & Patriotic Songs DVD's
Sign Language Song DVDs Include Slow Motion Study Option for Easy Learning
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Songs Included on Each DVD
The Patriotic Spirit…Patriotic Songs in ASL
INCLUDES: Star Spangled Banner (National Anthem); America The Beautiful; When Johnny Comes Marching Home; Yankee Doodle Dandy; America, My Country T'is of Thee; Pledge of Allegiance; DVD Menu Includes Normal Speed & Slow Motion Study Option
A Praising Spirit, Vol. 1 Prayer & Hymns in ASL INCLUDES: How Great Thou Art; The Lords Prayer; Amazing Grace; Just As I Am; To God Be The Glory; Christ Shall Have Dominion; DVD Menu Includes Normal Speed & Slow Motion Study Option
A Praising Spirit, Vol. 2 Prayer & Hymns in ASL INCLUDES: The Old Rugged Cross; Rock of Ages; Blessed Assurance; Praise God; Hail Mary; Closer Walk With Thee; DVD Menu Includes Normal Speed & Slow Motion Study Option
A 'Silent Night'... Christmas Carols in ASL INCLUDES: Silent Night; Hark! The Herald Angels Sing; Joy To the World; Oh Come, All Ye Faithful; The First Noel; We Wish You a Merry Christmas; Ave Maria; DVD Menu Includes Normal Speed & Slow Motion Study Option
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About Us
We produce Sign Language Song DVDs that make learning ASL - easy, fun & inspirational.
Our DVD Menus allow you to select songs in both Normal Speed or Slow Motion for easier learning.
Our Sign Language Interpreter Team is highly acclaimed, and we have received great reviews by important journals and our customers.
We offer easy to learn
Sign Language Songs for Church, Praise and Worship; Sign Language Christmas Songs; and Sign Language Patriotic Songs - on easy learning DVDs.
Customer Reviews
"My Complete Library arrived Monday – super service. The lady in the DVDs is beautiful & so fluently adept in the presentation. Kudos on the quality of these DVDs." E. Bittner, Sign Language Club, Strongsville High School, Strongsville, OH
"I purchased your complete set of ASL DVDs. I am 14 and the sign language interpreter for our church choir. I love watching you sign. My 7 brothers & sisters love to watch too. Thank you so much for your ministry." A. Scheboth, Gibsonia, Pennsylvania
"I just received my Complete ASL DVD song set. It is awesome!!! Hayden, you do such a beautiful expressive interpretation of each song. As a beginner-intermediate, I find your signing so much easier and enjoyable to follow than DVDs I have gotten in the past. Great set, lighting, and the wonderful resolution is clear & crisp whether on computer or television. Thank you! I feel blessed to have discovered your website. The whole transaction and fast delivery was the best service I've had in some time. Bless you both for your gift to produce quality materials from interpretation to production, you are to be applauded." D. Abath, Brattleboro, VT
"Your DVD's are wonderful, and just what I've been looking for. They are so well done and the music is beautiful!" F. Patrizio, Portland, OR
"As an ASL Interpreting student, the DVDs have been extremely valuable. I use them for copy signing and Sign to Voice practice." R. Longsteth, Cold Spring, KY
"I absolutely love the signing songs. My husband cried when he came in to watch. I especially love the ones slow enough to teach my 2 year-old grandson and me. He loved the signing and the music. Hayden Riley signs so smoothly and the way she matches her facial expressions with the signs is great. It is wonderful and very helpful to have the black background with her wearing black because her arms and face are easy to see. The subtitles at the bottom helped me match the sign with the lyrics to the song. Thank you for your promptness in getting my Complete Set to me, and thank you for the wonderful work. Great job!" B. Holzkamper, Watts, OK
Thank you so much for this labor of love! I am so pleased with this DVD set! The variety of songs is perfect. Hayden, you bring a life and joy that is absolutely uplifting in your signing. I am a music loving senior who is just beginning to learn ASL so I really pay attention to your facial expressions as well as the signing. I'll be looking forward to your next DVD's. Thank you both for such excellent quality and fast service!! J. West, Union, CT
A 'Silent Night'... Christmas Carols in ASL
"I received the DVD several days ago and HOW EXCELLENT! I watch it daily to keep in the season! I just had to share that your 'happy dance' at the end is the highlight of the DVD. You are amazing! You two are beautiful inside and out. THANKS FOR THIS GIFT OF LOVE." MM Rodgers, Pontiac, MI
"I really enjoy your Christmas Carol DVD - I really love it. My grandkids love watching your DVD and me learning how to sign your songs. I love your performance and could feel the motions and emotions. You really perform so gracefully. I would love to get more of your ASL songs. Thank You!" M. Bishop, Tully, NY
"This item was FANTASTIC! The ASL was beautifully performed! The background music was great! The performer could not have done a better job--very expressive! I hope they make more DVDs with different songs, themes, teaching, as I intend to buy every one of them!" S. Sorvaag,
Argusville, ND
"Thank you for making such a wonderful DVD!! You sign beautifully!!!! It's the first time my family has been able to enjoy Christmas carols during the holiday season!! We can't wait for you to come out with more DVD's!! Thank you again for producing such a wonderful DVD!!" The Rogels, Olathe, KS
"This is absolutely wonderful and so long overdue for the Hearing Impaired. The DVD presentation of Silent Night was so beautiful yet simple that all of our challenged adults were able to follow it. Some who have resisted the learning of ASL were so captivated by the performance they wanted to "SING" along. Two of our group began signing for the first time in many months giving us all reason to celebrate the season. Thank you for opening minds and hearts." Social Development Group for Challenged and Hearing Impaired Adults, London, Ontario
"Thanks for all of the help that your DVD provided. The ladies who will be doing 'O' Come All Ye Faithful' at the Christmas play have learned it already! We have enjoyed your work over and over. Thanks again and God Bless." Rev. John Sparr, Liberty, Kentucky
"We are deeply moved by the grace and beauty of how the songs are presented. Silent Night in Sign Language takes on a whole new meaning to the hymn. In all the years I have loved this I have never EXPERIENCED it as I did in ASL. It touches both heart and soul in the beautiful, graceful and gentle way in which it is so lovingly performed on the DVD. Your work has enriched all of our lives. Congratulations and God Bless in your work." H & R McGlinchey, London, Ontario, Canada
"I am 13 years old and have perfect hearing. I have been learning sign language for the past two years and was so excited to get your Silent Night DVD for Christmas. I have used it non stop and now know most of the songs by heart. I have shared it with my friends and a volunteer group of hearing impaired that I work with and we have all enjoyed it. Everyone says "How beautiful" it is. Most of them never knew a sign language song before your DVD and we had to play it over and over and over.... again. It really made for a very special Christmas Celebration in our group. I think everyone should get this DVD if they want to really get in touch with the true meaning of Christmas. It makes you stop and appreciate what you have and really "listen" to the message of Christmas in the songs. I think it is brilliant. I am now looking forward to learning the songs from the new Patriotic DVD that just arrived." C McGlinchey, London, Ontario, Canada
"A 'Silent Night' Christmas Carols in ASL is a beautiful DVD with wonderfully expressive signs and lovely music. It covers such a wide variety of Holiday Music. It's one of highest quality ASL DVDs that we've seen. This is a perfect gift for anyone who loves the beauty of ASL. Thank you for making such a great product!" Kelly Simpkins, Senior Product Coordinator for Harris Communications
"Enjoyment for both Deaf and hearing, this DVD will entertain as well as promote understanding and appreciation of American Sign Language. Familiar Christmas carols performed in ASL provide a wonderful way to experience the eloquence and beauty of Sign Language. Sure to become an ASL Christmas Classic, A 'Silent Night' contains best-loved carols." Adco Hearing Products, Inc.
The Patriotic Spirit... Patriotic Songs in ASL
"The Patriotic Spirit… DVD is truly another masterpiece! Hayden is beautiful, graceful and so very talented. It is a spiritual experience to watch her 'sing' the beautiful songs with her soul." M. Olbinski, Forest Hills, N.Y.
"The 'Patriotic Spirit' was so lovely it brought tears to my eyes. I can't wait for all my family to see "A Silent Night" at our family gathering on Christmas Eve. My deaf niece and her husband get a little left out sometimes. I will be ordering 'A Praising Spirit, Vol. I' soon and 'Vol. II' later. Thank you. C. Elkins, Farmington, MO
"We have loved Silent Night and Patriotic Spirit. My 12 year old daughter was very interested in learning ASL and these DVDs have improved her fluency and grace in speaking in this beautiful language. Thank you for your wonderful work. We look forward to getting the next set of DVDs and continuing to learn. Your DVDs truly show the beauty of the Signed expression." C, Eggers, Nemo, South Dakota
"The Patriotic Spirit" is a beautifully signed video. Hayden Riley signs with so much elegance and emotion that it is truly a work of art. The option to watch the songs in slow motion is an excellent learning tool. With so many great patriotic songs and such wonderful music, this video is highly entertaining for both deaf and hearing individuals." Kelly Simpkins Purchasing Harris Communications
"I first received Silent Night DVD and was amazed at how truly beautiful ASL really is. Of course it does help having Hayden performing them. I was taking beginning ASL class when I received Silent Night DVD and took it to show the instructor the packaging. She went on your website and bought one for herself. I have just received The Patriotic Spirit and am once again amazed ;-) Hayden is magnificent! Thank You both for such wonderful DVDs. Please keep the great DVDs coming and I will continue to purchase them. They really help me with my studying too :-)" P. Homer, Jamul, California
"I received the Patriotic Spirit last night. I LOVE it. It is so well done. Thank you so much for doing it. Please don't stop. I hope you are making more DVDs... with contemporary songs maybe. Whatever you do.... I will buy it! I will be ordering the other three DVDs soon! I am learning sign language and it is such a good learning tool for me. We have to sign songs in our class and when I see the other students I am going to tell them about the DVDs. Signing songs is a great way to learn!!! Thank you again!" L. Gammons, Rochester, NY
"I purchased the Christmas and the Patriotic DVD and they are quite wonderful. They are easy to follow and move me almost to tears. Thank you." E. Wright Redford, MI
A Praising Spirit, Vol. 1 & A Praising Spirit, Vol. 2 Prayer & Hymns in ASL
"In July 2007 I bought two of the DVD's for my 12 years old niece. She loved them and said it was the best sign language music performance she has seen. Learning Bible verses and hymns from A Praising Spirit, Vol. 1 was easy and fun." E. Schlueter, Arkansas
"I LOVE A Praising Spirit... Vol. 1 & Vol. 2, they are so beautiful and inspirational. Thank you again - I love all your DVDs. Hayden is so elegant, graceful, and expressive. Praise God and bless you for your touching work." M. Magliarditi, Valley Glen, CA
"I very much enjoy all your DVDs. They are well made and easy to use, good teamwork between production and demonstration. I look forward to your future productions." J. Knudtson, Jacksonville, FL
"I ordered both the Praising ASL DVD Vol. 1 and 2 I rec'd them a couple of days ago, really didn't expect them so fast. I am a ASL student, and I need all the practice I can get in signing. I have a few Deaf people I know, we meet once a week signing at church, I now know ASL as with any language you have to continue practice. I listen to my new praising DVDs all the time, during the Christmas time I ordered A Silent Night DVD. I enjoy them all. A. Holmes, Bellevue, Nebraska
"I truly do enjoy watching the Praising Spirit, Vol 1 and 2. I am looking forward to more DVD's to come out so I can help teach some of the young teens in my church to sign and love doing it. Thanks so much for all your hard work and for blessing us all who really need some help." Yvonne, Demotte, IN
Hayden Riley, our On-Camera Interpreter & Producer - Tim Riley, our Producer & Director
Our Team of Acclaimed Sign Language Song Interpreters
Our team of interpreters have interpreted for Presidents Reagan, Clinton, and Bush; and Marlee Matlin. They coached Academy Award-Winner Meryl Streep, and have been the sign language advisers for major motion pictures and primetime TV shows such as CSI: MIAMI, Desperate Housewives, Navy N.C.I.S., Boston Public, Law & Order: SVU, The Practice, Scrubs, and more.
Our DVDS have received the highest recommendation for all U.S. Schools and Public Libraries.
Library Journal
"Highly recommended for all U.S. school and public library collections." LJ 7-08School Library Journal
"Hayden's presentation is elegant...very expressive...enjoy this production." SLJ 6-08Booklist
"Simply, but elegantly, Hayden Riley...impeccably signs...The program is useful for a wide variety of ages and audiences, from hearing impaired to those learning to sign and those interested in watching someone sign...available separately or purchased in a set." Booklist 3-15-08
We provide Sign Language Songs DVDs
We provide Sign Language Songs for Babies | Sign Language Songs for Toddlers | Sign Language Songs for Beginners | Sign Language Songs for Preschool | Sign Language Songs for Kids | Sign Language Songs for Christmas | Sign Language Songs for Kindergarten | Christian Sign Language Songs for Church, Worship & Praising. Read our Customer Reviews below provided by happy customers who purchased our Sign Language Songs for Toddlers, Preschool, Beginners, Kids, Christmas, Church, Worship & Praising.
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A 'Silent Night'... Christmas Carols in ASLChristmas Carols in ASL on DVD - A Unique Gift for Deaf & Hearing
"Break tradition - be creative - instead of wine, flowers, or candy, bring this lovely DVD as a gift to your next Christmas party. Your host will appreciate the holiday entertainment that it will add to the gathering. Share with your friends and family the eloquence of sign and song beautifully performed on this elegant DVD. A 'Silent Night"… the DVD is poetry in motion."
Return & Refund Policy: All sales are final. However, if a DVD fails to Play, call Customer Care 800-420-1112 within 10 days to request a free replacement.
More About Our Sign Language Song DVDs:
We produce high quality Christmas Carols Sign Language Songs for Church, Worship & Praising The Lord, as well as Patriotic Songs in ASL on DVDs. All of our Sign Language Song DVDs have received great reviews. Our Sign Language Interpreter Team is acclaimed through out the deaf community. We offer easy Sign Language Songs for Church, Worship, and Praising; easy Sign Language Songs for Christmas; easy Christian Sign Language Songs for Christian Signing; easy Sign Language Songs for Religious Signs; easy Sign Language Songs for Toddlers; easy Sign Language Songs for Kids; easy Sign Language Songs for children; and easy Sign Language Songs for Kindergarten.
Please preview and order the best Sign Language Christmas Carols on DVD.
Our Sign Language Song DVDs ship free of charge in the U.S.
Our Sign Language DVDs Make Learning Sign Language Fun and Easy to Learn: 1. Patriotic sign language songs, including The Star Spangled Banner, The Pledge Allegiance to the Flag, and more
2. Christmas sign language songs including Silent Night, The First Noel, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, and more
3. Christian sign language songs for church including Amazing Grace, The Old Rugged Cross, The Lord's Prayer and more
4. Sign language Christmas songs for toddlers
5. Sign language Christmas songs for kids
6. Sign language Christmas songs for kindergarten
Learn Sign Language While Watching Sign Language Christmas Songs Being Performed - It's Fun and Easy
Learn sign language watching ASL Christmas videos on DVD
Learn sign language Christmas songs watching and performing along with our sign language performer on DVD
Learn ASL signing Christmas songs over and over as you perform and practice along with the sign language interpreter on the DVD
We offer Christian Sign Language Songs, Hymns and Prayers for Church, Worship and Praising God Learn Christian Sign Language Songs for Worship Service
Learn Religious Sign Language Songs for Praising God
Learn Christian Sign Language Hymns for Church Service
Learn Christian Sign Language Prayers for Church, Worship and Praising
Learn Religious Signs for Church, Worship and Praising
Learn Religious Signing for Church, Worship and Praising The Lord
Learn Christian Sign Language Signs and Signing for Church, Worship and Praising The Lord
Our Acclaimed Patriotic Sign Language Song DVD includes The Star Spangled Banner (The National Anthem) & Pledge Allegiance to the Flag & more.
Tim Riley, Producer & Distributor
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Carlos Moreno
Boston, MA
Carlos understood the seriousness of youth violence as an environmental justice issue because of its tremendous impact on where and how we live. In 2001, the state funding for after school programs in Massachusetts dropped from $14 million to nothing, and youth violence steadily increased. Through the Summer Jobs Campaign, Carlos addressed the increase of violence in the city of Boston and helped create more opportunities for summer youth employment. Over the course of three years, Carlos helped the United Youth & Youth Workers of Boston to mobilize 320 youth to attend a city meeting and organized hundreds of youth to attend and speak at committee meetings, vigils, and rallies at the City Hall, the Boston Commons and the State House. Carlos also coordinated a question and answer session between gubernatorial candidates and youth, to solicit their positions on youth issues. The Summer Jobs Campaign has garnered exceptional media attention and has initiated a crucial dialogue between the youth and city officials, resulting in an increase of $750,000 for summer jobs.


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Senior 3D generalist and compositing artist Robby Branham began his career working in commercial and feature film production in 2009. Since then, he has worked for studios such as Psyop, Digital Domain, Pixomondo, and Zoic. His work can be seen in film, commercials, and game cinematics, such as Microsoft's ReCore and Supercell's Clash of Clans. Robby also teaches at the Gnomon School of Visual Effects in Hollywood, where he is the Education Lead for the 3D Generalist track.
Working with Robby at Psyop has been one of the most creative experiences of my life, as well as an absolute pleasure. He is part of that rare breed of artists that get the perfect balance between technical knowledge and artistic genius, and all that while being a great friend. He was a true asset on key projects, working incredibly hard on projects like developing the lighting pipeline used for the whole Clash of Clans campaign. I can't recommend him enough for virtually any job that requires a solid technical background and an artistic taste