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'It's not inconceivable' Paul Whelan is a spy, Valerie Plame says
Paul Whelan of Novi, held in a czarist-era Russian prison on spy charges, would attract the notice of any seasoned intelligence team, a former CIA covert operations officer told the Free Press.
"As long as there are nation-states, there will be espionage. It is a very real threat and even more so today," said retired officer Valerie Plame, now an author who was famously outed as a CIA operative during the second Bush administration.
Whelan, 48, an executive with the auto parts manufacturer BorgWarner in Auburn Hills, was picked up by Russian authorities on Dec. 28 on suspicion of spying. His twin brother said the ex-Marine, whose military record included a larceny conviction, was in Russia for a friend's wedding. The Russians indicted Whelan on Thursday.
No one knows what, if anything, about the Russians' assertion is true except, perhaps, U.S. government officials, who have said little about the case and likely have access to information they have not revealed, Plame suggested.
Is it possible Whelan could be a spy? "It is not inconceivable," Plame said.
She noted, "There are many Americans that seek to serve their country in various ways. That's probably all I should say."
Other former CIA operatives and scholars of espionage, though, believe Whelan is being framed by Russian President Vladimir Putin for political reasons, a scenario Plame did not discount. They also agree that Whelan's story has eyebrow-raising and contradictory oddities.
He had traveled regularly to Russia since about 2006 and had a Russian social media account through which he connected with members of the country's military, but lacked strong command of the language, the New York Times reported. On Friday, Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs said Whelan had asked for help as an Irish citizen, and officials confirmed he is a U.S., British and Irish citizen.
"There do seem to be real question marks around this story, at least in the public domain," Plame said Thursday. "That he was discharged from the military, from the Marines, dishonorably. That he's got this big interest in Russia; he travels there a lot. Huh? He's an auto parts guy? Really? I don't know. He could be completely innocent. The Kremlin could be trying to be provocative. Or there could be something there."
His brother, David, a resident of Ontario, said in a Washington Post op-ed piece that the family was surprised to learn of Paul's dishonorable discharge from the Marines and, "As for his international connections, our family spans continents, and Paul's four passports reflect his birth (Canada), parents (Britain), grandparents (Ireland) and choice (United States)."
Post-Cold War
Plame, who now lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, described an unpredictable international landscape where anything is possible and everything must be considered.
"The Cold War was a bipolar world. We had one big enemy. Now, with the rise of nuclear terrorism, rogue nation states and a very active Russia and China," espionage is ubiquitous, she said.
Plame was publicly named as a CIA operative in 2003, ultimately leading to the conviction of Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, Scooter Libby. President Donald Trump pardoned Libby in April.
As a career CIA operative who can't safely confirm publicly the length of her undercover career, Plame said international threats are real. And Americans must take them seriously.
"By and large, I am quite alarmed at the intensity and depth that Russia has gone to disrupt all of our systems," she said. "They have sown chaos and they have done it really well. They have sown doubt in our electoral system. I think that is very serious. It goes to the very heart of our belief in our democracy and our way of life."
Plame expressed concern about America's ability to navigate the geopolitical situation with so much transition in Washington, including the government shutdown. She said the U.S. State Department has "really atrophied and really suffered under this presidency."
"For all we know, the people that might be in that office might not be reporting to work because of the government shutdown," Plame said.
She hoped that State Department officials were communicating regularly with the Whelan family. "They're probably best advised to say nothing right now. The situation is so muddy that I think adding to it would be detrimental to Mr. Whelan's eventual release from captivity."
Plame was clear that she was offering her perspective based on public comments from Whelan's twin brother and records released by the U.S. military. Her observations about Whelan were echoed by a scholar whose expertise involves military history and espionage.
Spy charge can't stick
But others said his bad-conduct discharge from the service would almost certainly disqualify him from spy work.
Whelan's military records show he was a reservist in the Marines from May 1994 until Dec. 2, 2008. He was discharged after being convicted "on several charges related to larceny," including using another person's Social Security number and writing bad checks, according to a military court document. Whelan also tried to steal $10,000 from the U.S. government while he was on an air base in Iraq, according to military documents.
According to an account published earlier this week in a Russian state media outlet, Whelan met in his hotel room with a Russian citizen who gave him an electronic device with classified Russian intelligence information. "Five minutes after the transfer, FSB officers broke into the room" and detained Whelan, the Russian account states. FSB is the Russian intelligence agency that is a successor of the Soviet-era KGB.
"That sounds like a classic setup," said Ned Price, a former CIA analyst and National Security Council staffer.
Price and other ex-CIA officials said Whelan does not fit the profile of a so-called "NOC," which stands for "non-official cover" and is the moniker for someone with no formal ties to the U.S. government and working covertly as a spy.
"The whole point of being a NOC is to have no discernible ties to the U.S. government. This person served in uniform for 15 years," Price said.
Even more problematic, Price said, is Whelan's discharge from the Marines.
"NOCs are trusted with the most sensitive intelligence the United States government possesses, and they are incorporated into the most sensitive and delicate operations we undertake," Price said. "Someone who has been discharged in this way from the U.S. military … would be unlikely to pass vet."
He conceded there were some "odd" things in Whelan's background, such as his citizenship in multiple countries.
Spy agencies in America have a history of relying on global companies to assist with intelligence collection, say historians who specialize in espionage.
Whelan's work
To date, no evidence has been made public that ties Whelan to the CIA or the National Security Agency. The American, who had a work history in law enforcement, faces up to 20 years behind bars if convicted of espionage.
He has been a security specialist for the automotive parts supplier BorgWarner since 2017. Previously, he worked for Kelly Services, a temporary staffing agency that touts itself as a "global leader" with an ability to place workers "in top companies across a variety of industries" across the world since 1968.
While BorgWarner has customers all over the world and employs 29,000 people in the U.S., Europe and Asia, none of the company's international sites is in Russia, said company spokeswoman Kathy Graham.
Some international analysts believe Whelan is being held hostage by Putin in hopes of negotiating the freedom of a Russian cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller in the ongoing investigation into U.S. election manipulation. Among them is Bill Browder, CEO of Hermitage Capital Management, which was the largest foreign investor in Russia until he was expelled by Vladimir Putin in 2005, who offered that theory to the Free Press on Wednesday.
Whelan is being held in Lefortovo detention center, built in the late 1800s and later used as a KGB prison.
Whelan's work history
At BorgWarner, he has not been responsible for cybersecurity nor was he in charge of industrial espionage duties as part of his job description.
Whelan oversaw security of facilities, assets owned by the company and its people, Graham confirmed. Whelan did not work in information technology, Graham said.
In a 2013 deposition in an age discrimination suit against Kelly Services, he described his role this way: "Kelly Services is a global company, and we work with federal agencies all the time ... at the foreign embassies, or we work with HUD or DEA, FBI, ATF, whomever in the United States. We work with federal agencies in Canada, and what have you, all over the place. So we come in contact with federal agencies and officers all the time."
'Whelan is being framed'
Chris Costa, executive director of the International Spy Museum, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., said, "My analysis suggests that this individual Paul Whelan is being framed" by Russia's Federal Security Service, known as FSB.
The spy museum collects and shares intelligence artifacts and stories to provide a global perspective on an all-but-invisible profession that has shaped history and continues to have a significant impact on world events.
"From a historical standpoint, whether we're talking about the FSB or former KGB, our museum puts stories together that illustrate the cat-and-mouse game of counterintelligence," he said. "The FSB is very, very pervasive and a solid security service. They're very adept at dirty tricks."
Costa, like others nationally and internationally, including Plame, suggested that Putin could be "looking for leverage" in hopes of swapping the American for the Russian Maria Butina, who has pleaded guilty to acting as an unregistered agent of Russia.
More:Maria Butina pleads guilty to conspiracy as agent of Russia in USA
"It's an embarrassment, the fact that the Russians have got their hands caught in the cookie jar," he said, citing the poisoning of a Russian former spy and his daughter in Britain, in addition to tampering with U.S. elections.
"The Russians are going back to their playbook that they used throughout the Cold War. They're very aggressive," Costa said. "They're taking shots at the United States."
The claim that a businessman could actually work as a spy is not lost on fans of novelists John Le Carré or Robert Ludlum. History shows that the scenario is plausible.
Globally, corporations do passively work with intelligence services, Costa said. It may be a simple question during a crisis, and "of course, companies are going to cooperate in most cases."
Not only have companies cooperated in the past, but they've been essential.
Finding people who can speak a foreign language fluently, cultivate cultural resources and develop social contacts was, and continues to be, important, said Professor Brian Hayashi, chairman of the Department of History at Kent State University in Ohio.
Whelan may be a logical target because he fits the profile, said Hayashi, author of an upcoming book being published by Oxford University Press about the little-known recruitment of Americans who were of Chinese, Japanese and Korean descent who worked as U.S. spies during World War II.
The book documents corporate cooperation with the intelligence community, too.
"Western Union was heavily involved in the transmission of telegrams," he said. "They were able to get different radio companies involved with American intelligence."
The U.S. government would scan for coded messages in telegrams going abroad, particularly between Berlin and Tokyo, Hayashi said. "In some cases, they allowed for American intelligence to look at the telegrams."
He continued, "American intelligence will go to various communications companies, in the past and even today, and try to get information."
Missionaries as spies
Apart from formal cooperation, American intelligence can filter communications by capturing keyword searches and targets using technology.
"You never really know what's going on," Hayashi said. "We just don't know."
Top CIA agents have been journalists, religious missionaries and English teachers, he said. More and more, "sad to say," nongovernmental organizations are included too — "the CIA may try to slip somebody in there."
The automotive industry isn't immune, Hayashi said.
"It included one of the spies that the Office of Strategic Services — the predecessor to the CIA — used during World War II in China," he said. "One of the automotive executives went to China, and slipped in and was ostensibly working to re-establish the American car industry in China. In reality, he was there as an agent for the OSS."
In that case, the agent double-crossed the U.S. to serve British interests. He was Canadian and his boss was an influential executive whose work led to the creation of the American International Group (AIG) in finance and insurance, Hayashi discovered.
More recently, the Daily Mail of Britain reported in August 2015 that "enemy spies" were attempting to recruit civil servants in a bid to steal Britain's secrets by "befriending" them on LinkedIn, the social network site for hundreds of millions of professionals.
Secret agents working for countries including Russia and China created fake profiles on the site to lure unsuspecting victims, British intelligence warned.
News reports have noted that Whelan had an active Russian social media account and had connected with Russian soldiers.
These days, coverage of the Whelan case has inspired countless press calls to BorgWarner from throughout the U.S., England, Russia and France, Graham said.
News of the Russian police action didn't actually surprise Hayashi, he said.
"I know something of the KGB — I had to deal with them in my book," he said. "I can assure you, if the FSB is similar to its predecessor, the KGB, then the wider issue of Russian interference in American elections and politics is nothing new. The KGB had an entire section devoted to such activities. ... They got as high as the next prime minister of the Labour Party to Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s."
Meanwhile, America hasn't had a lot of trouble getting its own agents inside Russia because the new, younger generation opposes old-school KGB thinking that Putin, a former agent in the spy agency, represents, Hayashi said.
"I doubt Mr. Whelan was there to spy but, still, one does not know for sure without seeing any evidence," he said. "The likelihood is that he is innocent but happened to be in Russia at the wrong time. It is also possible he might have stumbled onto something accidentally and the Russians may want to cover that up."
As it all unfolds, BorgWarner — which builds products that make vehicles move, from clutches and friction plates to transfer cases to turbochargers to electric motors and parts for combustion, hybrid and electric vehicles — is quietly awaiting the return of its executive.
Aaron Retish, a Wayne State University professor who has taught modern Russian and post-Soviet history for 16 years, is in England now, and watching the Whelan case.
It's unusual for the Russian government to arrest any American visiting the country on a tourist visa, Retish said.
Butina connection?
"Russia has arrested some people for coming in on a wrong visa or not registering. But this, the Russian media reports, was a spy sting," he said. "So something must have happened. Who knows? They've done this a couple of times with some U.S. diplomats and some British diplomats, but they were all eventually deported and not arrested."
There is wide speculation that Whelan's arrest in Russia could somehow be tied to Butina, who was trying to influence American political groups, including the National Rifle Association, but Retish said it's too soon to make any such connection.
"I know that American news outlets have been trying to link the two, saying that this is some setup for a swap, but … there are so many other moving wheels," Retish said, in the geopolitical landscape.
Butina, he noted, was not charged with espionage, which the Russian government alleges against Whelan.
"She was arrested for being a foreign agent," Retish said. "That makes it a lot different."
Comparisons are being made, he said, between Butina and the Russian spy Anna Chapman, who was arrested in the United States nearly a decade ago and pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges.
"She was a Russian woman who was married and living in the United States and was also kind of this classic spy. She was living the normal life, but she was also spying for Russia and then she was eventually caught," Retish said. "Even her husband supposedly didn't know about it. She was eventually released and came back to Russia for a while and became a celebrity. She was praised by Putin.
"That's kind of where the similarities end between the two. Chapman was a spy. Butina was a foreign agent, an unregistered foreign agent. It could be eventually that Butina actually has more significance on the political field because of all the connections that she had, than Chapman. But that is the only other big swap that you had.
"This is just a weird case with Whelan," Retish said, coming when "there could be a potential upswing in U.S.-Russian relations, especially with the U.S. pulling out of Syria, which is also something that Putin praised.
"It's an odd time to arrest someone, but you never know what is happening behind the scenes. This is also how Putin works. When you least expect it, something like this happens."
More:Novi man accused of 'spy mission' in Russia: What we know
More:Businessman: Here's why Russia nabbed Novi man accused of spying
Contact Phoebe Wall Howard: firstname.lastname@example.com or 313-222-6512. Follow her on Twitter @phoebesaid. Free Press staff writer Kristen Jordan Shamus and USA TODAY staff writer Deirdre Shesgreen contributed to this report.


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Hey readers! Well, after 8 short weeks of gratifying summer research, the time has come for me to graduate from the BSURF program. Yesterday I presented the poster I created detailing the research I performed this summer. It felt satisfying to show so many people the work I am so proud of completing. A lot of the people I talked to had little to no experience in cancer research, so it was good practice explaining my project from the most basic level. I also got into some really good conversations with other cancer researchers, and there was one particular PI that I talked to for a while who focused his research on one of the genes I identified as being upregulated in metastasis. It was a lot of fun walking around the poster session and seeing what other students had spent their time researching.
The poster session marked my last day of BSURF, so I think it's fitting that for my last blog post I will reflect on the summer as a whole. First of all, I am so grateful to Jake (my primary mentor), Ben (another hugely helpful graduate student in the lab), Dr. Pendergast (my PI), Dr. Grunwald (program leader of BSURF), Anna (another program leader of BSURF), and everyone else who helped support my research this summer. That includes the funding provided by the Biological Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program as well as the NIH. So much planning went into creating this opportunity to grow as a researcher this summer, and I am extremely appreciative of it all.
As far as my research in the lab, I think I identified both a lot of answers and a lot of questions. My screen of potentially upregulated genes in metastasis revealed 8 ABL kinase-linked genes that are significantly upregulated in the brain metastatic line. I also determined that 5 of these genes were driven by the transcription factor TAZ, a known downstream target of ABL. Many of these genes were kinases or receptors whose upregulation I believe fit the phenotype of a brain metastasis. However, there are still questions to be answered, such as what is/are the transcription factors responsible for the upregulation of the other 3 genes, and what about these genes promoted metastasis? For my assessment of ABL in the EML4-ALK fusion cell line, I showed that although ABL is a functional part of the signal transduction pathway, knocking out ABL has no impact on cell viability. Although this means EML4-ALK isn't a great model in which to study ABL, this was really useful information for the lab who had not explored this cancer type previously.
It's also amazing to see how much I grew as a researcher this summer. I began this research experience with the main goal of becoming more independent in the lab. Through a fairly independent research project, a mentor that trusted me to work on my own, and personal perseverance, I was able to improve in my independence. I also learned multiple new techniques, most notably RT-qPCR which was a large part of my project. I also honed my Western Blot skills to the point where Ben trusted me to perform some of his blots for him (they came out very well). Furthermore, since I had never given a poster presentation before, I learned a lot about scientific communication, a skill repeatedly emphasized by Dr. Grunwald. Synthesizing my research into a single poster, and then a single abstract was difficult at first, but after practice much easier. I grew a lot as a scientist this summer, and although there is a long way to go before I'm ready for my future career as a cancer researcher, I am extremely proud of what I accomplished and what I learned this summer.
This is the end of my summer blog series! I hope you enjoyed following along as much as I enjoyed writing. Although it won't beunder the BSURF title any more, I'm sure I'll be writing things in the future, hopefully with the journal title "Nature" or "Cell" in there somewhere. See ya then!

subset: commoncrawl


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Surftide 77 (1962)
Directed by: Lee Frost
Stars: Thomas Newman, Bob Cresse, Dwayne Winton
Language: English
Country: Usa | Dvdrip
Also known as: Call Surfside 77, Surftide 777
Description: Private Eye Bernard Bingbang (TOM NEWMAN) is hired by old lady Agatha Bungworthy to find her runaway niece Cynthia, heir to the family fortune, before that fortune goes to nasty Uncle Philip. Bingbang's only clue to the niece's identity: she has a birthmark that looks like a butterfly right above her left nipple. Naturally, in true Nudie-Cutie fashion, "The Case of the Hidden Butterfly Birthmark" means our hero will have to see numerous naked breasts in order to find the missing heiress.


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TORONTO — At the historic Power Plant Art Gallery, former home of this city's first utility back in 1880, IBM Canada Ltd. launched its e-business on demand initiative, which it described as similar to a utility like electricity, water, gas
and telephone.
IBM's e-business on demand offers companies a way to acquire infrastructure, applications and business processes over a network on a pay-as-you-go model.
""We are rapidly approaching a day where companies do not manage their own assets,"" said Rick Horton, vice-president of IBM Global Services (Canada), based in Markham, Ont.
""It's technology on demand like water and electricity and its saves big business millions of dollars. For small to medium-sized businesses or growing firms, they can access the best of technology on a pay-as-you go basis,"" Horton said.
Currently, IBM is offering electronic procurement, application hosting, business intelligence, e-learning, CRM, managed hosting and storage, network services, document exchange and content distribution as part of its e-business on demand services.
The channel community in Canada will have a role to play in this technology utility concept, according to Jim Corgel, general manager of IBM's e-business hosting services out of Somers, N.Y. ""Partners are essential to our success in any aspect. Customers want the reliability of dealing with one point of contact,"" he said.
Corgel cited two U.S.-based ISVs, NetSolve and Cyclone Commerce, that have delivered e-business exchange solutions with IBM. He also said that IBM would more than welcome system integrators and VARs to join them to go to market for small business.
""IBM is a leader in this with only eight per cent market share. There is a lot of growth to get at and we need the partners to help us,"" Corgel added.
However, the utility concept is not without uncertainty, said Vito Mabrucco, group vice president products and services research for Toronto-based IDC Canada Ltd.
There is still perceived risk over outsourcing a company's operations to a third party, and someone has to assume the financial risks, which could reach billions, if the system a company is renting goes down, said Mabrucco. But many doubts are being quelled by the number of major financial instititions that have reached outsourcing agreements in recent months, he added.
This is also a desire, he said, for businesses to focus on their core competencies and away from managing the IT infrastructure. Corgel agrees. ""I have not met a manager who wakes up in the morning excited about going into work to manage the storage on his company's network.""
Mabrucco also cited globalization, new technology, reducing costs on capital investments, and the fact that 93 per cent of businesses are either increasing or keeping the status quo on IT spending as drivers for the e-business as a utility concept.Comment: [email protected]


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Agency Report.
Nigeria's Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, is set to be appointed as UN Deputy Secretary General.
Ms. Mohammed was appointed Minister by President Muhammadu Buhari in November last year.
An official statement is expected to confirm her new UN position.
She is expected to be the deputy to Antonio Guterres, who will assume office as Secretary General of the world body on January 1, 2017.
Ms. Mohammed had formerly served as an adviser to the outgoing UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.


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Scott Disick is currently seeking treatment at a rehab center, Us Weekly can exclusively confirm. A source tells Us that Kourtney Kardashian's ex, 32, has been staying at a drug rehabilitation center in Malibu. He was recently spotted shopping at a grocery store.
The news comes just hours after Lamar Odom, Khloe Kardashian's estranged husband, was found unconscious at the Love Ranch brothel in Nevada on Tuesday, Oct. 13. According to brothel owner Dennis Hof, Odom — who has struggled with drug abuse — had allegedly been taking herbal Viagra during his four-day stay.
A source also confirmed to Us that Odom, 35, suffered several strokes overnight and a "significant amount of cocaine" was found in his system.
Odom often spent time with Disick and Rob Kardashian when he was married to Khloe, 31. (The pair ended their four-year marriage in December 2013 and have yet to finalize their divorce.) Disick — who split with Kourtney over the summer — briefly checked into a Costa Rica rehab for hallucinogenic treatment this past March, and checked into a Florida facility in July.
"Family and friends are extremely concerned for Lamar," Odom's longtime publicist, Eve Sarkisyan, exclusively told Us in a statement Tuesday. "Please don't listen to the false information being circulated unofficially. Please respect the family's privacy during this difficult time."
As Disick remains in rehab, Kourtney has been looking after their three children — Mason, 5, Penelope, 3, and Reign, 10 months. On Wednesday, she was spotted taking Penelope and her niece North West to a ballet class.
Kourtney's family members, meanwhile, continue to be by Odom's side as he remains in critical condition. Khloe has been with him since Tuesday night, while Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner arrived to the hospital on Wednesday.
For access to all our exclusive celebrity videos and interviews – Subscribe on YouTube!


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SCHAKO Group
Pure competence in air.
The companies of the SCHAKO Group are the reliable and competent partners for all needs regarding solutions of the air conditioning, ventilation, fire protection and smoke extraction technology. They are developing, producing and selling functional, energy-efficient and economical components, devices and systems. The SCHAKO Group has development and production locations in Denmark, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey. Besides the SCHAKO Group is present with own sales subsidiaries and representations in nearly all European countries, partly in Asia, middle east and some Arabian countries.


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1. The dog-walker: Stephen Emms
Iwalk along the canal daily to the office, ageing Jack Russell trotting by my side.
And, as we turn the corner descending from the street and catch the first eyeful of water, I take a deep, relaxing breath. There's something about the view that's so instantly calming.
That is, of course, until a bike comes flying out of the tunnel, bell ringing like there's an international emergency, and my poor animal jumps out of the way, terrified. Cue more bell-ringing.
You could argue that yes, it's a sound way to alert pedestrians – and I have no problem with that (in fact, I love cycling myself). But what does irk is the apparent self-importance of a minority of cyclists: excessive speed, relentless dinging, and need to reach their destination (without delay!) taking precedence over every other canal user's. These few are less cyclists, more cyclopaths.
The epitome of this seems currently to be the various temporary pontoons erected alongside the towpath in King's Cross, where endless construction work is being done to the Fish and Coal buildings. Here clear instructions demand cyclists dismount at each pontoon. But many don't.
If you're in a rush, isn't it better all round to ride on the road? The canal is about meandering, contemplation, a retreat from the crazy-busy streets above.
So I support attempts to redress the balance by the Canal and River Trust. As part of their campaign to "preserve the peace on London's towpaths", amongst other schemes they have roadtested a string quartet by the water, while staff and volunteers chatted to visitors about slowing down.
It's no surprise to learn that these ancient routes, built during the industrial revolution for horses to tow boats laden with goods, had a whopping 48 million visits in London alone last year.
"Towpaths are among our most precious green spaces," says Dick Vincent, London's towpath ranger for the Canal & River Trust, "antidotes to the pace and stress of the modern world and places to relax and unwind. They are 'super slow ways', providing a slice of peace and calm through the centres of our busiest cities.
"Today they are more popular than ever, with more investment in improvements and better signage, but with that success there are also problems. We know that there are issues with some inconsiderate cyclists who are choosing the towpath as a fast alternative to the roads."
Vincent adds that "of course it's great that so many people like cycling along our lovely canals and rivers, but it's important to remember that there are a lot of pedestrians on the towpath, many of whom are children." He suggests slowing down and remembering "we are all there to enjoy the space."
If you need further proof, they've produced a code, Better Towpaths for Everyone, after consultation with thousands of visitors. The top three issues raised were the need for improvements to the towpaths, better signage and better behaviour between visitors.
There's more good news: in 2015 the Trust secured over £8m of funding to improve its towpaths, and it's planning a further £10m investment too. Which all sounds like a positive thing.
"If you're in a rush," concludes Vincent, "the towpath is not the best place for you, so please choose a different route."
Ding ding if you agree.
2. The daily cyclist: Anup Patel
Simply put, cyclists need to be mindful that they are sharing the road, towpath or park with other users. Using the towpath is a privilege and one that means many cyclists can avoid busy London roads. But as with the ongoing debates with road vehicles, cyclists need to learn to share and be mindful wherever they are.
Good etiquette guides, available and well signposted, suggest that cyclists should ring their bell twice to let other towpath users they are approaching. I think this is a fair piece of advice and one I use regularly. However, many towpath users are listening to music or are deep in conversation, so it is no surprise that people ring their bells louder and more frequently to get their attention.
The towpath is also a scary place to be for us: if a pedestrian steps out without looking behind them, it's straight into the canal for ongoing cyclist.
Regarding speed, I agree, this isn't a stage in the Tour of Britain. If cyclists want speed, take the road and if you want to race your mates, go to the track or Regent's Park early in the morning.
If I Googlemap my commute, I get told to go via the canal. But I know that as a fast cyclist, it isn't suitable for me. I go on the road and get there much quicker.
Cyclists have choices, and they need to make the right one that balances speed, traffic and other users. The faster you go, the faster you fall into the canal. I can't recall the amount of near misses I've seen whilst sat drinking a beer along the water. Bumbling pedestrians can't be blamed for all of it. Same as the advice with the road: if the gap is too narrow, don't go for it.
An interesting side point is that my best friend was almost pushed in on purpose a few years ago by some youths. She managed to hold it together and stay on the towpath. However, as she cycled further along, she found a girl who was soaked and in shock, as she had been successfully pushed into the river by the same group.
It's no surprise some cyclists just want to storm through the towpaths and avoid being targets for people like this. However, again if this is a known threat, cyclists can just go on the road.
Is there a solution? As more people take up cycling in London, we need to raise awareness of the etiquette on towpaths. Similarly, more needs to be done to make pedestrians aware of cyclists and the risks they face.
Finally, from a cyclist to a cyclist, we get enough abuse on the roads from motorists, black cab and bus drivers. Let's not wind up pedestrians as well: remember, we have legs that can walk too – even if we prefer to cycle with them. Follow Anup Patel on Twitter @youngdonkey
3. The bike shop-owner: Nick Freilich
I regularly cycle along the canals for leisure. It is fabulous that we have such a wonderful space to enjoy where you can escape the noise and bustle of the city within a few seconds off road. But some stretches are busy with other users, walkers, runners, and dogs not to mention other hazards like blind corners, bollards and, of course, the water. So my tips are as follows:
1. Slow down, chill out and go with the flow when it gets busy. You will only get to your destination a few seconds later.
2. Warn other users of your approach with advance ring of your bell or polite verbal warning "passing on your right/left".
3. Use outside peak times or seasons. If you are lucky you may get the canal to yourself.
4. Remember (please) you are cycling ambassadors, so be nice and polite. Nick Freilich is the manager of Giant Camden, 75-77 Kentish Town Rd, NW1
4. The ex-canal cyclist: Sandra Padilla
When I started cycling, the canal seemed the perfect option for my commute: traffic free, quiet. I used them for a while to get from where I live to central London. At the beginning it was all right as long as I was using them on quiet times (very early in the mornings or late at night). The reasons I stopped using them are:
1. Safety concerns
As I can only freely use them at quiet times, it was a bit scary for a woman riding on her own. I've seen stories in the news about cyclists getting pushed into the water by gangs just wanting to have a laugh. Also during some of my canal commutes early in the mornings, I came across drunk people or those smoking drugs. If they wanted to do something to me, they could have perfectly attacked me and there wasn't a place to run away.
2. Practicality
I realised my commute was actually taking longer than commuting on the roads because I had to stop very often to give way to pedestrians, dog walkers and other cyclists. I also became more confident riding on roads.
3. Respect
As a pedestrian, I don't find it really comfortable walking along the canal and to have to be aware of the cyclists coming at high speed. Canals are very narrow and it's not comfortable to have to squeeze to let cyclists, plus some riders forget that pedestrians have the priority, and that they should ride at a safe speed. And that only adds up to the general dislike towards cyclists.


text:
Michael Speidel, M.Ed. Instructional Designer Loudoun County Public Schools Educational Leadership Experience As a leader and manager I am seen as an innovator. I establish 21st Century vision of the classroom and determine where teachers and instruction need to be and establish practices to facilitate the change process. This is not a passive … [Read more...]
Terry Partlow Lowry
Terry Partlow Lowry Director of Technology & Curriculum Wakefield School Educational Leadership Experience My experience in education spans almost three decades and includes the roles of classroom teacher, instructional technology coach, and school administrator. I am currently the Director of Technology and Curriculum for Wakefield School, an … [Read more...]
Heather Hurley
Heather Hurley Personalized Learning Supervisor Arlington Public Schools Educational Leadership Experience I currently serve as a Supervisor in the Department of Instruction where I oversee the district's personalized learning program. I was an elementary Assistant Principal at an Apple distinguished school, where I assisted in the management of an … [Read more...]
Anita Harris
Anita Harris Instructional Technology Specialist Cumberland County Public Schools Educational Leadership Experience As a classroom teacher, I was chosen to participate on the school leadership team, provide professional development and also be a technology lead teacher. I moved into the ITRT role and has been providing leadership, support and professional … [Read more...]
David French
David French Principal and Digital Learning Leader Virginia Beach City Public Schools Educational Leadership Experience I am in my 29th year in education. The past 15 years have been as an elementary school principal. All of my experience has been in the Virginia Beach Schools. The past 7 years have been very exciting and rewarding to have been a … [Read more...]


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Lee DeVito
Wed, Nov 28, 2018 at 3:11 pm
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I posted that pic recently of my lovely incision (sorry) and how well it was healing, blah blah blah. Well, it's being an a-hole now.
The smaller hole on my left side has been oozing. Sorry, I know that's gross, but it's real. My mom says it appears to be normal ooze, but obviously my doctor can make an official determination. It's yellow in color, and plentiful. I'm going through gauze like it's nobody's business.
The hole on my right side, the bigger one that looks the most gnarly, is acting like a perfect gentleman. No issues whatsoever.
So yesterday, I noticed that to the left of the evil hole, there was a bit of a soft spot. You see, the tissue beneath the scar from hip to hip is pretty tough scar tissue. So for there to be a softer spot caught my interest. It had some give, and it felt like the skin was very thin and soft, almost like when you run your finger over a blister. It was also very sore and tender, like how an ingrown hair or pimple feels when you touch it. I just planned to not mess with it since my appointment with Dr. H is on Monday.
Well, this morning I did my usual ointment and gauze routine, and after a little while, I noticed that the soft spot had opened and turned into another hole. Dr. H had told me way back in the beginning that it was likely spots would open back up. So, I don't know if that's what this is or what. The other two holes never closed, they just stayed open. Anyway, this new hole is oozing, and the ooze appears the same as the one next to it, except it's slightly tinged with pink, probably from where the skin tore when it opened.
Anyway, I'm glad I have an appointment tomorrow with Dr. H so I can see for sure if this is normal. It doesn't appear to be infected, it doesn't hurt or smell, and I don't think it's hot to the touch or anything. It is a little red around the new hole, but is that to be expected? Who knows?
All I can say is that this is so frustrating. It's times like these when I wish I hadn't chosen this operation. I want to be 100% already, and it's so incredibly frustrating that I'm not. I'm not sure what I could have done differently — what I could do differently — to make it better. Every time I ask, I'm told there's really nothing else I can do, that this stuff just happens.
My body is cancer-free, yet I'm not entirely free because I'm stuck dealing with all these after effects. So close, and yet so far away.
On a happier note, Brad and I are looking into a weekend getaway. Not sure where, just one of our many "someday" list places. We talked about it while we were out wandering today, and decided that we don't necessarily need to plan a week-long vacation somewhere, we can just plan a weekend. Like San Francisco for example, we can fly out and spend a couple days doing things and be done with it. So we're keeping our eyes peeled for either someplace nearby, or cheap airfare.
I'm also happy to report that I only have four more Marvel movies to watch until I'm all caught up! 😉


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Mind Me, Milady
by Anne Rothman-Hicks & Ken Hicks
Jane Larson is an attorney on the Upper East Side of New York City, and the Gentleman Rapist has chosen her to receive his calls announcing each conquest. He also reminds her in chilling terms that he will one day twist his wire around her throat and bend her to his will.
Jane has professional and personal problems of her own, but she is forced to try to catch this monster when he stalks her newest client. Susan is a sweet young woman who cannot remember large time periods of her past and who has dreams about a prior life in which she was raped. Soon, the Gentleman escalates to murder, and Jane wonders if he was involved in Susan's forgotten past, or if Susan is simply a means to get to Jane. Either way, Jane is caught in the deadly game of stopping the Gentleman before another woman feels the wire at her throat and hears his sinister whisper to Mind Me, Milady.
Chapter One
It was almost noon when he looked out to the street and saw Natalie step from the cab. A familiar pounding rushed through him—a blood rush of fear, of anticipation.
She ran up the stairs as he had expected she would. She was an athlete, after all, and desperate for this apartment. Rent-controlled, one bedroom, East Side, dirt cheap. Run, Natalie, run.
On the third floor, she saw the door was open a crack and came right in. This was one of the reasons he was drawn to her—her confidence. There was not a tentative bone in her body.
"Hello?" she called. "It's me. Natalie." She looked around, pleased by what she saw, no doubt—floors newly sanded and stained, walls freshly painted, kitchen appliances all scrubbed clean. For the rent he had quoted her, it was more than a steal. It was highway robbery. And she was carrying cash for a promised "bonus," as she put it, because a bribe would be so tacky.
She stepped into the bedroom and heard nothing as he slipped the wire over her lovely head, pulling it tight around her lovely neck. She struggled, but not for long. A knee pressed against the back of her legs forced her to the floor. Lovely legs.
"Mind me, Milady," he whispered in the British accent he affected for occasions like this. "Mind the Gentleman."
There was no choice. Denied breath, she was seconds from dying.
Quickly, he placed a wide piece of tape over her eyes and another over her mouth. Two longer pieces bound her wrists and ankles. Only then did the wire slacken. Air rushed in through flared nostrils. What was she thinking? Was she grateful just to be alive? And how many more times would he have to bring her to the very edge of death before she learned who was in control?
His hand disappeared inside her jacket. She tried to pull away. He tightened the wire. A whimper emerged from beneath the tape."Mind me, Milady," he repeated. "Mind your Master."
Chapter Two
Jane emerged from the subway station at 86th Street and stood in the shade of an awning as she waited. Her dark blond hair was twisted into a bun and held in place by an ivory barrette. Over her left arm, she had draped her suit jacket, summer weight in deference to the weather but otherwise similar to the others in her closet—gray with a pinstripe bearing a hint of color. For court appearances, she usually wore a plain white shirt, buttoned to the neck, with a bow that matched the pinstripe. But today, she wore a ruffled blouse that her client, Grace Hastings, had recently given to her as a pointed suggestion—"Never forget you're a woman, darling."
"Is it safe to breathe?" Grace came up the stairs finally, having stopped twice on the ascent from the lower-level express track. Her voice was made nasal by the pinching of her nose between thumb and forefinger, more like one of the third-graders at the Elizabeth Redwell School for Girls, than its headmistress. Without receiving a response, she raised her nose and mouth upward and gulped the somewhat cooler aboveground air in a silent pantomime of a stricken fish. For the past week, the weather had been unusually warm and humid for September in New York, and the subway platforms were certainly no exception. Above them a pale white sky held no hope of any relief today, and only the thinnest lines of blue were visible through the haze.
"Oh, please," Jane replied. "It's not that bad and it was twice as fast as a cab."
Jane dug her cell phone out of her bag to check for messages. She tried to hide her annoyance, but that was not easy after a morning with a woman who had as much love of power as a Fortune 500 CEO and none of the business sense. Compromise was not in Grace's vocabulary. And why should it be with the rock-bottom hourly rates Martha had been charging?
"I wasn't in that much of a hurry," Grace said. She took out a compact and examined her hair carefully, pushing a few wayward strands back into place with the tips of her slender fingers. "It's hot as hell down there and the stairwells smell of urine. That ain't sanitary, my dear Jane. Remember, I was a nurse once. Not that it would be possible to forget with my husband's attorney reminding the judge every time he has a chance. Do you suppose the judge remembers that my parents paid for my tuition, even though I was then married to that skunk of a husband, or that I then put him through medical school and essentially made his damned practice for him?"
"I'd say the chances are about fifty-fifty," Jane said. She raised the phone to her ear to listen to her voice mail.
"You're such a comfort."
From the corner of her eye, Jane saw Grace frown one last time at her reflection and snap the compact shut. She had been a beautiful woman in her youth and continued to maintain herself extremely well with the help of a few strategically placed tucks, weekly facials, perfectly dyed and conditioned auburn hair, and an assortment of day and night creams. She had just reached her sixtieth birthday, but could pass for forty-five, Jane thought, if the light were right.
"I'm not supposed to be a comfort," Jane replied. "I'm supposed to be your lawyer."
"Well, Martha was a lawyer and a comfort," Grace said, muttering the words and making it sound like a joke.
Jane pretended she hadn't heard and focused on her phone. The first new call was from Hank Jacobs, the lawyer for Grace's husband, asking her in a tone even more brusque than usual to call him back as soon as possible. The second message caused her to stiffen with dread. It was the now-familiar, artificially clipped voice of an aristocratic Englishman. He had first contacted Jane by accident when he'd called Martha's office, not knowing that Jane's mother had died. Martha had never told Jane, but the "Gentleman Rapist"—as he had been dubbed by the cops—had taunted her for years. Martha's women's organization, Women Protecting Women, or WPW, had been among the first to publicize the Gentleman's crimes in an unsuccessful attempt to help the police capture him. Now he had Jane's cell number also. Sofia Torres, the detective assigned to the Gentleman case, had warned her it was just a matter of time before that happened.
"Thinking of you, Milady," he said, "and wishing you were here."
Jane jammed the phone back into her bag. Her hands trembled. A different sort of perspiration appeared on her skin and darkened the folds of her blouse where droplets touched the fabric. She would retrieve the particulars of the call later and give them to Sofia for whatever it was worth.
The call to Jacobs would wait, too. She was too upset to deal with him now, and she'd spoken to him enough that morning in court to last a month anyway.
"Something wrong?" Grace asked. She pulled a cell phone from the pocket of her jacket. "You look pale."
"No," Jane said, trying to mask the emotions still racing through her. "It's just the heat. But Hank Jacobs called. I wonder what the hell he wants. We just saw them twenty minutes ago."
"I don't know. I seem to have a call from Billy-boy as well." This was a term Grace used for her husband that was guaranteed to enrage him. She held up her hand as she listened to the message. Her eyebrows were raised. Her head bobbed back and forth in apparent cadence to the words. Then she put her phone away.
"Well, that explains why Jacobs called you," Grace said with a slight smile. "You know, I think you should suggest to your detective friend, Sofia, that the police investigate Billy-boy. He's certainly angry enough to be the Gentleman."
"Oh, please, Grace."
"Think about it. He's strong. He's free to come and go as he pleases. He hates women. Just absolutely hates them."
"Grace, stop, okay? It's not going to happen. Now tell me what the call was about."
Grace paused, evidently displeased. "My husband has now completely lost what passes for his mind. It seems there was a break-in at his office last night. Someone ransacked his desk. Of course he blames me."
"And what? I deny it, of course. Why would I of all people ransack his desk? He's a fitness freak, so there wouldn't be any good drugs lying around. And he doesn't get cash payments from patients, right? Billy-boy testified to that under oath. So money isn't a motive. You see, it makes no sense."
"Then why do I have the lingering sense that there is much more to this?"
"Because you're a cynical smart-ass, just like your mother before you, may she rest in peace. The only difference is that Martha wouldn't be asking me questions. She took clients as she found them. She didn't preach to them. But I love you anyway, darling, even though you're tall and beautiful." Grace pursed her lips and kissed the air. "Besides, I have an alibi," she continued.
Jane laughed.
"But you don't even know when it happened."
"Believe me. I have one. And another thing. When you talk to Billy-boy's lawyer, tell him I reject his offer. It's insulting." She pulled a tube of lipstick from her makeup bag and applied a light layer.
Jane groaned. "But Grace, you practically told the judge you accepted it."
"I told the judge I would consider it very seriously. I had to, or she never would have let us get out of there."
"Grace, the judge is right. You should consider it seriously since it is probably more than I'll be able to get you after a full trial, given the current state of the evidence."
"Well, I reject it. Billy-boy is a cheat and a liar and a thief, and I'm not going to agree. I have great faith in you and the judge and the system of justice in this country. As Shakespeare said, 'The truth will out!'" Grace ended her speech with a twist of her head, thrusting her face into profile against that pale white sky, as though she were a movie actress expecting her close-up at the conclusion of a tumultuous scene.
"And do you also have faith in the results of a certain break-in at his office?" Jane asked.
Grace turned to her slowly. Her gray eyes twinkled for just a split second. "You see, this is precisely the sort of inquiry Martha never made. Come along, darling, and let's not be difficult. Have I told you how smart and beautiful I think you are? Have lunch with me, Jane. I'll tell you again and again until your ears turn pink."
"Thanks, but I have a meeting with Susan Clymer at two-thirty. She and I are going to Ohio tomorrow for the day and we still haven't talked. Something always comes up for her."
"Right. She told me you were going with her." Grace hesitated, suddenly very serious. "Look, I appreciate your helping her, Jane. You'll see that Susan's a good person, if a bit flaky. And she's had a rough life. She lost her parents in an automobile accident when she was thirteen. She, herself, almost died. She has no memory of anything that happened before it. Imagine! No memory of the first thirteen years of your life."
Jane frowned. "I feel very bad for her, Grace. But that's not the point. I told my firm I would just finish up Martha's open cases, including yours, as I promised to Martha. I wasn't supposed to take on new ones."
"Well, it's a personal favor and I appreciate it. And it's a good deed that Martha would definitely have done. Think of it that way."
"And no good deed goes unpunished. Isn't that what Martha used to say?"
"She may have said it, but she didn't believe it."
"Do you believe it?" Jane asked.
Grace paused, momentarily taken aback. "I don't know. I guess I would have to do a good deed first and see." She laughed a full, throaty guffaw in appreciation of her witticism. "And no, Jane dear, hiring Susan does not qualify as a good deed, since I have no right to be performing charity with Elizabeth Redwell's funds, do I? Isn't that what Jonathan Ramsey has been lecturing you and me about?"
"Your reasoning is completely circular," Jane said.
"Then how's this?" Grace snapped back into full CEO mode, pounding her palm with her index finger as she spoke each word. "It was my opinion as headmistress that we needed someone to assist various teachers on special projects. And she has been wonderful. The children absolutely adore her."
"And no other candidate had better qualifications. Like a college degree? Some education courses? Did you even interview other candidates?"
Grace threw her face into a comical pout, one eye nearly closed in a squint. "Are you on my side or not?" she asked.
She didn't wait for an answer, stepping instead to the curb and raising her hand with a diva's flair, to hail a passing cab. "In any event, my dear, we will soon see if the board agrees that I have the right to hire as I see fit. Your bit of cross-examination has reminded me that they're having a meeting by conference call this afternoon." A cab came to a stop, and she opened the door. "Which means, sadly, that I should skip a nice leisurely lunch and get back to school. They may want to speak to me, and I'd rather not give Jonathan any more ammunition by not being in my office, sitting primly at my desk, knees touching, hands folded."
She settled into the backseat and waved to Jane out the open window as it pulled away, a smile on her face, although Jane recognized that the smile hid more than it revealed. Maybe Martha had been able to read this client. Jane couldn't.
* * * *
In fact, as the cab pulled away, Grace wasn't worried at all, either by Jonathan Ramsey or by those who were under his influence on the board of Elizabeth Redwell. If Jonathan did not yet know that he should back off from giving her aggravation about Susan, he would know very soon. Undoubtedly, Billy-boy would go whining to him. Charming Billy-boy—he was a liar and a cheat and a coward, but he wasn't stupid.
Amazon Kindle
? Heat Level: 3


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Apply Protex umbrella sunscreen in the morning before going out in the sun or entering in your Kitchen


text:
How to Manage Your Child's Food Allergies During the Holidays
Holidays are a time for fun, cheer, and delicious food! However, for some families, food allergies make holidays less than "holly-jolly". Food allergies can range from mild to severe, but all reactions are equally scary. Mild reactions may involve stomach cramps, hives, or an itchy throat. More severe allergies include anaphylactic shock, which can be fatal if not treated immediately. With such dramatic symptoms, it's no wonder holiday dinners are a source of anxiety for those living with food allergies, especially if those individuals are children who don't fully understand their condition. If you or a loved one has a child with food allergies, consider these tips when approaching the holiday season:
- Educate
Ignorance is the greatest threat to a child with food allergies. Well-intentioned family members, teachers, and friends would never knowingly put a child at risk, but may unwittingly expose the child to an allergen. That is why it is so important to stress the severity of the food allergy and explain what it means. For example, if a child is allergic to tree nuts, explain which nuts are considered "tree nuts" (pecans, almonds, walnuts, etc.). It also helps to go into detail about how severe the allergy is. Some allergies are less severe than others, but anaphylactic allergies can be life-threatening. Explain that cross-contamination could be a danger, and that all ingredient lists should be thoroughly examined.
- Take Precautions
Even after explaining an allergy, it is always better to be safe than sorry. When attending holiday dinner functions, bring along a few dishes you know are safe for your child with food allergies. If your child's classroom is having a holiday party, send along a special treat that your little one can enjoy instead. That way, they don't feel left out, but are safe from allergens and cross-contamination. Always keep your child's allergy medicine and/or epinephrine injector available, in case of emergencies, and be aware of hospitals that are nearby. It may be beneficial to teach family members and friends what to do in case of an emergency, for future reference.
- Supervise
Depending on the age of your child, they may or may not recognize the severity of their own allergy. Older children may be able to steer clear of unsafe foods, but younger children may not understand their food allergy. Children are tricky; they may seem perfectly safe sitting in the front room playing with other children, but all it takes is a few seconds and a bowl of mixed nuts on the coffee table for an emergency to occur. Because of this, it is important to keep an eye on your child. Plan with your partner, or another adult, to take turns supervising the child. You don't have to hover, but keep a watchful eye on their activities. That way, you still get time to socialize, while still making sure your child is safe.
- Keep Calm
Even though the holidays can be stressful for parents with allergy-prone children, it is important to stay calm, cool, and collected. If you are anxious and worried about your child's food allergies, it will rub off on them. It is vital that your child not fear their allergies, but rather be knowledgeable and confident about them. Talk with your child ahead of time about what to expect. Walk them through what they can and can't eat. Always have an action plan prepared. Try not to scare the child, but rather prepare them so they can enjoy the holidays and stay safe at the same time.
The Association of Childcare Physicians understands you may have concerns about your child's allergies and we are happy to answer any questions you may have about their health. It is our goal to keep your child happy and healthy! To schedule an appointment or physical, please call Dr. Shaw or Dr. Kellow at 618-235-2311 or visit childcarephysicians.com.


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issue 81 (December 2017)
Industry matters: Fighting the trade war harder
Bombardier is a Canadian firm with a plant in Belfast that is building the wings for the company's C-Series fighter jets. Responding to allegations from its US rival Boeing that its jets are being marketed at below cost price (thanks to state subsidies from the Canadian and British governments), the US government has threatened to impose punitive 300 percent tariffs.
Now, in a new twist to this trade dispute, it has been announced that Airbus is to be given, free of charge, a 50.01 percent controlling stake in the C-Series project. This extraordinary arrangement aims to let Bombardier get on with building the jets whilst Airbus uses its expertise in procurement and sales to help matters along.
Among other things, this means that the component parts of the jets are now to be assembled in an Airbus plant in Alabama, thus evading import tax altogether. Boeing is unamused by this latest wheeze, tweeting: "If Airbus and Bombardier think this deal will get them around the rules ... think again".
A company spokesman pointed out that the Airbus/Bombardier lash-up "looks like a questionable deal between two heavily state-subsidised competitors to skirt the recent findings of the US government". (
Bombardier to partner Airbus on C-Series jets
, BBC, 17 October 2017)
The global market for fighter jets is no less saturated than is the global market for steel, cars, cocoa and every other commodity, thanks to the capitalist crisis of overproduction. All imperialist governments will employ every dirty trick in the book to beat their rivals, using subsidies, tariffs, sanctions, market-rigging and any other stick that comes to hand, all the while adopting a pious expression and preaching the virtues of a 'level playing field'.
In this trade war that sets imperialist against imperialist, it is not in the interest of the British working class to support British imperialism against its economic rivals, but rather to wish a plague on both their houses.
Workers need to understand that increasingly cutthroat trade wars, with workers suffering on all sides, are an inevitable feature of imperialism in crisis and will end only when imperialism is overthrown. The last thing that workers need is to be turned into cannon fodder for imperialist wars, whether economic or military.
True to form, however, 'left' social democracy wraps itself in the flag – not the red flag but the Union Jack. Right on cue, Jeremy Corbyn popped up to urge the government to
fight the trade war harder
, accusing Theresa May of "foot-dragging" on the issue and telling her: "You must now act with strength of purpose in the national interest" and join the Canadian prime minister in summoning Boeing to demand that it drops its case. (Bombardier: Jeremy Corbyn urges PM to 'summon' Boeing,
, 2 October 2017)
If the Belfast factory closes, thanks to an overproduction crisis for which its workers bear no responsibility, those workers must demand full compensation, alternative employment and/or the opportunity to retrain – and insist that the real enemy is not 'unfair foreign competition' but capitalism itself.
The class interests of British workers will never be served by rallying behind the flag in the defence of decaying British imperialism, and least of all by championing the manufacture of British arms on Irish soil to be employed in imperialist wars.
Super Puma
The union Unite, which counts among its members in Scotland tens of thousands of offshore workers, has threatened to call them out on strike if a Puma helicopter with an appalling safety record is brought back into service. The model in question was suspended last year in Britain and Norway after the latest Super Puma crash had killed 13 workers.
After the crash, the operating company admitted that the same helicopter had just days earlier been forced to return to base after a cockpit warning light came on. A part was replaced, but on a test flight the following day the warning light came on again. Subsequently, a component was changed and a second test flight went okay, but just days later came the fatal crash.
Earlier helicopter crashes, some fatal and many involving versions of the Super Puma, triggered a growing wave of public disquiet. In 2009, sixteen lives were lost when a Super Puma crashed on a return flight to Aberdeen. Four years later another Super Puma crashed off Shetland, killing a further four people. Yet in October 2014 the government was still refusing demands for a public inquiry into helicopter safety.
Now, even in the wake of last year's Norway disaster, the government is still eager to prioritise private profit over public safety, with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) arguing that it cannot ban Super Puma flights involving Britain until it is agreed at European level.
Oil worker David Winder, who started a petition to ban the Super Puma that attracted many thousands of signatures (including relatives of those whose lives were taken), summed up the situation: "We call on the CAA to put the lives of offshore oil workers and the pilots before vested interests, and revoke the air worthiness certificates for this aircraft. Failure to do this we feel will result in more needless deaths."
Clearly, for capitalism this is a price worthy paying. (
Should the Airbus 225 Super Puma be grounded for good
? by Julian Turner, Offshore Technology, 14 July 2016)
May's U-turn
As Tory knives come out for Theresa May's scalp, the Daily Mail claims that a leaked copy of her original draft election manifesto included "tough new laws to curb strike action by key public-sector workers including doctors, nurses, teachers, customs officers, prison guards and rail workers".
According to the Mail, she dropped this plan on the advice of aides who feared it could be a vote-winner for Corbyn. After the election drubbing she abandoned the Iron Lady posture, instead scrambling to placate public-sector workers by a partial relaxation of the seven-year-long cap on their pay.
The leak serves to show the emptiness of all the 'strong and stable' pre-election bragging. (As well as the U-turn over public-sector workers, the draft manifesto also wanted to impose a dementia tax even steeper than the one she was forced to backtrack on. The original intention was to take all but £50,000 of the savings and assets of the elderly in need of care, even worse than the £100,000 proposed in the final manifesto that caused such a storm.)
But the leak is also useful in that it makes it clear the kind of future capitalism has in store for us if it is not overthrown. Whilst May exhibited spectacularly bad timing in setting out her election stall, the dark future of strike bans and welfare cuts of which she dreams is in fact a reality in which all will share, whatever capitalist party or parties enter government. (See
Theresa May secretly planned to outlaw strikes by teachers and nurses
by Simon Walters, Mail on Sunday, 22 October 2017)
Cote d'Ivoire
A glance at current developments in the West African state of Cote d'Ivoire will serve to remind us of the raw class-against-class essence of 'industrial relations' when the gloves come off.
The PCRCI (Revolutionary Communist Party of Cote d'Ivoire) reports that the comprador government of President Alassane Ouattara is responding to popular unrest with the most brutal repression. The most recent victims of this are customs officers engaging in a peaceful strike over backpay, increased workload and other issues.
When their union called them out on strike on 17 and 18 October this year, the government responded by mobilising hundreds of police to do battle with the customs officers. Because the government panicked and dealt with a common strike as if it were an insurrection, many serious injuries and arrests ensued.
This draconian action comes after earlier arrests and beatings suffered by students fighting against corruption in the educational sector and peasants protesting over the slump in cocoa prices. (See Déclaration relative à la répression sauvage du pouvoir Ouattara sur les douaniers de Côte d'Ivoire en grève pour de meilleures conditions de vie,
report by Achy Ekissi
, Secretary General of the PCRCI, 19 October 2017)
Behind Ouattara's comprador regime lies the not-so-hidden hand of French and US imperialism, whose companies dominate the 'liberalised' Ivorian economy.
Aslef's 'shabby deal'
Workers in the rail industry have long been weakened by the fact that they are organised into three different unions, depending on whether they are drivers (mostly Aslef), guards (RMT) or clerical workers (mostly TSSA).
The RMT has made efforts to recruit across the industry, with a handful of drivers and clerical workers becoming members, and on some issues (like the campaign to renationalise the railways) there has been some collaboration between the different unions.
For the last year and a half there has been an uneasy alliance between RMT and Aslef over the issue of attempts by a number of train operating companies to extend driver only operation (DOO).
Management efforts to strip on-train guards of their safety responsibilities as a prelude to getting rid of the guard altogether and running trains just with drivers have been met with long-running strike action from both RMT and ASLF. Where the unions have struck in tandem the impact has been enormous, especially on Southern Rail.
However, early in November the news broke that Aslef had concluded a separate peace with Southern Rail, breaking ranks with the RMT in what general secretary Mick Cash denounced as a "shabby deal".
Aslef claimed to have extracted a promise that only in "exceptional circumstances" would trains be sent out without a second, safety-trained person on board. This 'promise', even if adhered to, is sufficiently vague (Who determines what constitutes 'exceptional circumstances'? And what counts as safety training?) to let management get away with murder.
The government has clearly been encouraging Southern Rail and other rail companies to hang tough on this issue with the intention of extending DOO throughout the industry and facing down the militant resistance of the RMT. Whatever promises Aslef believes it has been given, government sources are already crowing that the Aslef deal gives the go-ahead for DOO across the industry.
This triumph of the craft-union spirit over industrial solidarity comes at a price for Southern Rail, which is committed to paying a thousand drivers a 28.5 percent pay rise over five years. But this will be understood as a price worth paying if it can sow disunity amongst rail workers and weaken their collective resistance to the development of a privatised rail industry that routinely cuts corners on safety in order to protect the profit margins of shareholders. (
Train drivers agree 28 percent pay rise to end Southern Rail strikes
by Graeme Paton, The Times, 9 November 2017)
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Sparks police search for the driver of a black SUV involved in a hit-and-run crash
A driver struck and injured 16-year-old teenager in a hit-and-run crash, and investigators are now looking for that driver, according to the Sparks Police Department.
Officers responded at about 4 p.m. on Friday to a report of a teenager who was hit by a vehicle near Wedekind Road and Farrel Ross Drive in Sparks.
The teen was walking westbound along the dirt shoulder of the roadway when the crash occurred, police said in a news release on Saturday.
Authorities said the teen was flung into the dirt and suffered minor injuries. Meanwhile, the driver of a black SUV continued traveling west on Wedekind Road.
Witnesses in a red SUV stopped to help the teen and to make sure there were no serious injuries. They then tried to follow the suspect's vehicle.
Authorities said they don't know the identity of the driver or the witnesses, and they don't have further details on the description of the suspect's vehicle.
Investigators are asking for help in identifying the driver and the vehicle involved in the crash. They are also looking for the good Samaritans who stopped to help the injured teen.
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text:
Dr. P. K. Mandal
Principal Scientist
Email Id :pranabkumarmandal[at]gmail[dot]com
Phone :25842789 Ext: 285
Education :
Ph D: Biochemistry (IARI, New Delhi)
Research Interest
- Biochemical and molecular studies for nutrient efficiency in wheat.
- Nutritional quality study in wheat in relation to wheat allergenicity
- Mandal, P.K., Santha, I.M. and Mehta, S.L. (1996) RAPD analysis of Lathyrus sativus somaclones. J. Plant Biochem. Biotech. 5 (2): 83-86.
- Jayanthi, M. and Mandal, P.K. (2001) Low genetic variation revealed by RAPD in natural population of Crotalaria longipes - a critically endangered legume. Biologia Plantarum, 44(3): 455-457.
- Chatrath A., Mandal, P.K.and Anuradha M. (2000) Effect of secondary salinisation on photosynthesis in fodder oat (Avena sativa L.) genotypes. Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science, 184:13-16.
- Jayanthi, M. and Mandal, P.K. (2001) In vitro propagation by somatic embryogenesis and RAPD analysis of regenerants in Tylophora indica. In Vitro Cell Dev. Biol. – Plant, 37: 576-580.
- Chandra, A., Anand, A., Mandal., P.K. and Saxena, P. (2001) Influence of salicylic acid on proten content and catalase activity in relation to systemic acquired resistance in cowpea against root rot. Indian Phytopath., 54(3): 284-287.
- Mandal, P.K., Pillai, R.S.N., and Joseph, K.V. (2002) Bunch analysis of D x P hybrids oil palm (Elaeis guineensisJacq.).International J. Oil Palm, 2(2): 15-18.
- Mandal, P.K., Santha, I.M. and Mehta, S.L. (2002) Biochemical analysis of Lathyrus sativus somaclones. Indian J. Agril. Biochemists, 15 (1&;2): 23-27.
- Mandal, P.K., Hymavathi, K., Jayanthi, M. and Kochu Babu, M. (2003). Cross infectivity study of Ganoderma lucidum isolates from coconut to oil palm and their genetic diversity study by RAPD and AFLP. International Journal of Oil Palm, 3&;4: 57-60.
- Jayanthi, M., Mandal, P.K. and K.Sireesha, 2004. A simple method of DNA extraction form oil palm (Elaeis guineensisJacq.) leaf tissue without any detergent. Journal of Plantation Crops, 32 (Suppl.): 147-151
- Mandal, P.K., Sireesha, K. and Jayashree, E. 2004. Extraction of Carotenoids from Crude Palm Oil. J. Indian Soc.Coastal Agric.Res., 22: 164-167.
- Mandal, P.K and Gayathridevi V. (2005). Validation of a time and cost saving saving indirect method of oil estimation from oil palm mesocarp by using large sized soxhlet apparatus. The Planter, 81: (955): 609-615.
- Baig, M.J., Anand, A., Mandal, P.K. and Bhatt, R.K. 2005. Irradiance influences contents of photosynthetic pigments and proteins in tropical grasses and legumes. Photosynthetica, 43(1): 47-53.
- Mandal, P.K., Satyavani, V. and Kochu Babu, M. 2006. Management of basal stem rot disease of palms in India: Early ditection of ganoderma infection through PCR technology. J. Indian Soc. Coastal Agril. Res., 24(1): 125-126.
- Mandal, P.K., Susmitha, D. 2006. Biochemical and Molecular Characterization of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) germplasm using biochemical and molecular parameters. Journal of Plantations Crops, 34(3): 534-539.
- Jayanthi. M, Murali Mohan N., Mandal, P.K.2011. Direct embryogenesis and plantlet regeneration in oil palm, J. Plant Biochem. Biotech., 20(2):249–251
|Name of the Project
|Funding Agency
|Exploration for development of a wheat with low immunogenic gluten (under CRP on Biofortification)
Indian Council of Agricultural Resrarch
|Genetic modification to improve biological nitrogen fixation for augmenting nitrogen needs for cereals
Indian Council of Agricultural Research
|Improving productivity of wheat through enhanced nitrogen use efficiency


text:
fatigue, in physiology, inability to perform reasonable and necessary physical or mental activity. Muscle fatigue, for example, results when the contractile properties of muscle are reduced, and continued exertion is impossible unless the muscle is allowed to rest. In muscle tissue, the depletion of glycogen (stored glucose), a source of energy for muscle cells, and the accumulation of lactic acid, which is produced through the breakdown of glucose, was long thought to the cause of muscle fatigue, but it is now known that the lactic acid produced is used as an energy source as well. A new explanation of muscle fatigue suggests that it is related to the control of the flow of the calcium ions in muscle. The release of those ions causes muscle contraction, while their storage causes relaxation. After prolonged exercise, the channels that control calcium flow become leaky, diminishing the muscle cells ability to contract. In the normal body the damaged channels are repaired after a period of rest. There are some persons in whom fatigue is a chronic state that does not necessarily result from activity or exertion. In some instances this abnormal fatigue may be associated with systemic disorders such as anemia, a deficiency of protein or oxygen in the blood, addiction to drugs, increased or decreased function of the endocrine glands, or kidney disease in which there is a large accumulation of waste products. If excessive fatigue occurs over a prolonged period, exhaustion (marked loss of vital and nervous power) may result. In most persons with chronic fatigue, however, the condition seems to be associated with bipolar disorder. Thorough medical and psychiatric examination may be required.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2022, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Pathology


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World Heritage Site
for World Heritage Travellers
|         Website:
The List
www.worldheritagesite.org Forum
General discussions about WHS
WHS boundaries
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Posted: 8 Nov 2009 18:13
Solivagant's research about Mexico City's inscribed area reminded me that in past I have found and still I'm finding many maps with delimitations of the inscribed area of WHS on websites other than the official WHC website (where everybody can easily find them out), of which perhaps you are unaware. Surely the members of this forum are aware of many other maps, of which I'm not.
I think we should create a section on this website with the aim of collecting there the maps of the greatest possible number of WHS. It would be surely useful for planning our travels around the world!
I'll start myself:
- Porto
- Cordoba
- Naples
- Ferrara more detailed maps
Posted: 9 Nov 2009 02:28
Edited by: Solivagant
Yes, the "map" tab on the UNESCO web site is not a reliable source of detailed maps!
As from 1998 all (??) inscribed sites have their Nomination file accessible on their UNESCO web page and these usually (and, more recently, probably "always" as a requirement) include a map. However it can be a nuisance to have to download a 100mb PDF just to get a 1 page map!
The very early inscriptions have just the infamous 1 page evaluation and those in between up to 1998 see a growing size in that review such that, sometimes, a map is included there. However I have just checked Edinburgh. The ICOMOS evaluation extends to 3.92 mb and has some black and white photos of the city - but no map
I have found it in various sites in the past but it is included in this management plan for the city. Management Plans by the way are another interesting source of Information and I think most at least of the UK ones are Web accessible. Does anyone know if many other countries do the same? If so they constitute another possible set of documents whose "links" we could record. These and any maps would be better linked directly to the Site page rather than being "lost" somewhere in this Forum however?
Edinburgh WHS Boundary Map
(app vi)
Posted: 9 Nov 2009 02:58
Edited by: david
Some maps are sometimes also hard to find on the WHC website. Just try (take it as a sort of game) to find a maps of Kotor or of Prague (here I noticed with great surprise, because this information cannot be found anywhere else, that it is inscribed as a multiple site formed by the historic centre and the Pruhonice park - I wonder what the hell does the park have to do with the centre!!!) without looking for them it in the pages directly dedicated to this sites... There is one for each one. I will post the links if you won't find it.
Some other maps:
Komi Forests
P.S. There are even not all maps from the 1998-2009 inscribed sites on the website (see Val di Noto and others).
Posted: 9 Nov 2009 03:24
Edited by: Solivagant
I see that, despite being inscribed as early as 1987, Bath has recently had its boundary map added to the the UNESCO site "map tab". It wasn't there a few months ago as I corresponded with the local council about their claim to be "the only city in the world apart from Venice which is fully inscribed as a WHS" (which we have discussed in an earlier forum
)! Despite this long running claim, the boundaries were, for some time, a matter lacking clarity and were only "fully" resolved in 2005 as stated in the management plan here in the form of a recent additional paragraph!
http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/0A700838-B3F1-4B8D-B3C8-2867780C56FD/0/WHMPMap .pdf
Posted: 10 Nov 2009 09:36
Re Bath - this might clarify (from a source in Bath, with thanks):
These quotes are from Bath's World Heritage Management Plan:
- There is an ambiguity in the nomination papers as to whether the proposed site was intended as the whole city, or the Conservation Area, which covers approximately two thirds of the city, though the inscription of the site as 'The City of Bath' is widely seen as an indication that it is the entire city that is inscribed.
- The former Bath City Council used the municipal city boundary (about 29km2) as the limit of the World Heritage Site and this has been the accepted de facto boundary ever since. The wider landscape setting of the World Heritage Site is not incorporated into this de facto boundary and there is no buffer zone.
- Whilst the present working boundary of the World Heritage Site follows the municipal boundary of Bath City as it was in 1987 (see Map 1), the geographical scope of the Management Plan is not defined simply by a line on a map. The main area covered by the Management Plan is the city of Bath and its landscape setting of the countryside surrounding the city which has a visual and contextual link to the city.
The "de facto" boundary was ratified by the World Heritage Committee hence the recent publication of the map. That UNESCO map is "Map 1" from the World Heritage Management Plan.
Posted: 10 Nov 2009 14:31
How is this as the official definition of the boundaries of the "Ancient city of Damascus" (Inscribed 1979)! They would have done better using Lonely Planet!
Posted: 11 Nov 2009 06:03
Edited by: Solivagant
Hi David
Well the Kotor site map is here (in section 6.4)
I presume the Prague one is here in the equivalent document (though, for some reason, my computer isn't allowing me to open it after downloading it to find out - I will have to investigate what is wrong!!
Later - I have just had the same problem on a computer in a library! Can anyone else open this download or suggest what the problem might be??)
The Reactive Monitoring Mission reports are indeed a VERY good source of information on sites, especially early ones as they "fill in" on the data which would have been present if UNESCO had had proper nomination and evaluation documents in those far off days!
Documents called "State of Conservation Reports" are another good source, especially for those early sites - but they don't all seem to be "filed" on their respective inscribed site pages. The other day I found a very interesting one on Mt Taishan which isn't on the UNESCO Web site there
It contains useful comments on Chinese intentions re extension of this site in both criteria and boundaries!
The Russian NHP fund site looks a useful one too - I wasn't aware of it but the sections on T List and "potential" sites contain information which I don't think is available elsewhere! Thanks
Posted: 11 Nov 2009 16:27
Hi Solivagant, you have really an in depth knowledge of the WHC website! However not everyone has, so it is quite difficult for many people to find some maps (and they are really many): for those WHS for which they are available they should be published on the pages specifically dedicated to the WHS.
You can find sometimes such websites as the Russian one (and I have done this also in this case) just by writing on Google such random phrases as for example "cultural candidature world heritage 2012" or "new tentative list of ..." and an infinite variety of these.
Posted: 12 Nov 2009 04:26
Edited by: Solivagant
Yes David,
I too cannot grow to love the UNESCO site and don't actually know my way around its complexities and idiosyncrasies that well. The fact that they seem to keep moving things around doesn't help - I have only just discovered where they have recently "hidden" the minutes of old WHCs and it is a "route march" to get there!
But, more of a problem, is the so called "search facility" - such that I prefer to use Google to access UNESCO's own documents rather than their site!
As a game do a search on Google and then on UNESCO for
"State of Conservation Report" AND "Taishan"
and see which one gets you there!!!
Posted: 12 Nov 2009 05:47
The Prague link works fine for me, not sure what the problem may be for that one.
I'm trying to work out a way to display the map of the inscribed area.
To be honest it is as expected. The inscribed area is the six main districts of central Prague (Hradcany, Mala Strana, Josefov, Stare Mesto, Nove Mesto and Vysehrad) plus Pruhonice Park to the south of the centre.
I remember previously a discussion on whether the National Museum and Train Station were included in the inscribed area (but can't seem to find it). Looking at the map it seems that yes both are in the inscribed area, the boundary actually loops around the back of both to specifically include them.
Posted: 12 Nov 2009 10:48
Edited by: Solivagant
curiouser and curiouser regarding Průhonice Park and Prague's boundaries!
The Reactive Monitoring Review report indicates that a request was received in June 1992 to include this park as an addition to the Nomination file of Sep 1991. No specific mention of this was made in the record of the inscription at the Dec 92 WHC in Santa Fe and, as David has pointed out, the UNESCO Web site makes no mention of it being either an integral or separate part of the park.
A Google search on "Průhonice Park" retrieves loads of sites stating "Průhonice Castle and the adjacent beautiful park that is protected by UNESCO. ..." -obviously all sourcing their comments from the same place!
A couple state "under application to be a UNESCO protected area" and that it "is ranking high on the list of future UNESCO World Heritage Sites" - obviously "incorrectly" but perhaps indicating that, at some time it was going to be handled separately!!
But, perhaps most interesting, are those which indicate the "reason" for its inclusion - rather than the aforementioned "Castle" which might have seemed the most likely??
"Thanks to its many varieties of woody plants, this park is protected by Unesco. ..."!!!
Several mention that there is a botanical park and an English Garden but without giving them as the reason for inscription. But what has any of this got to do with the criteria under which Prague was inscribed??
It does appear that it is as a Botanical Garden that the park is particularly noted - Further searches identify that the "The Silva Tarouca Research Institute for Landscape and Ornamental Gardening" is situated there - but its Website makes no mention of its grounds being UNESCO inscribed.
So it looks like 2 more "Connections" for Prague, Els - Botanical and English Gardens? But no great clarity as to how/why the park got added late on to the Prague nomination
But further to this - if it seems strange that this site which seems to bear no relationship to the Old City of Prague should be have been added, have a look at the Czech Republic's T List for yet more possible "additions" to the Prague site -
. A 1920's villa, an abbey and a hunting lodge are all under consideration!
Posted: 12 Nov 2009 16:16
Re Meltwaterfalls
The National Museum and Main Station are included. I have been about 20 times in Prague and I have found there in many places beautiful "interactive maps" with the boundaries of the WHS (you can also have one similar on paper in the tourist offices).
Re Solivagant
The Průhonice Park is a real mistery and I couldn't really believe my eyes when I found out it is inscribed: I didn't even know that it exists since even not many Czech people are aware of its existence. I've never been there (even if I have visited all WHS and, apart from one all TL sites) and I'm planning a short one day trip to visit it when I'm on holiday in Brno. An interesting fact is that no Czech (my second mother language) website tells that it is a WHS. The park seems not to be outstanding and even not so special - just a park with trees and lakes - and it has no special links with Prague and obviously it is a totally other type of monument. Even the parks in Prague are totally different (have a look on the net to the Prague Baroque gardens - they are quite unknown but breathtaking).
Re the extensions to Prague WHS
Another mistery: according to the Czech news this TL site should have been substituted (I guess because the abbey and the hunting lodge, as I can witness, are nice but not outstanding) with another two TL sites (all the other new TL sites cited in these news lately appered as official TL sites), which are the Loos Villa, a masterpiece of modern architecture by the famous architect Adolphe Loos (really beautiful, I would recomend it to anyone) and the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, another exceptional modern monument by the Slovene architect Jo�e Plečnik. Later also some voices appeared about a possible future transnational serial candidature of the Plečnik's works with Slovenia and Czech Republic involved. Nothing appeared on the WHC website...
Posted: 14 Nov 2009 15:27
What about the boundaries of the Jerusalem WHS? I cannot find a map, and the AB evaluation merely suggests including monuments outside the main walls too (f.e. Mount of Olives)
Posted: 15 Nov 2009 04:26
Edited by: Solivagant
I found this site which consists of a statement dated 2005 in which the ( presumably Jordanian based) "Royal Committee for Jerusalem Affairs" complains about most/all of Israel's past actions and intentions for adding to its inscribed list - in particular the naming conventions it adopts. Section 15 relates to Jerusalem and indicates clearly that, as of that date (and I don't think anything is likely to have been changed by UNESCO since?) sites outside the Walls (and the Mount of Olives is specifically mentioned - any actions to inscribe it are clearly seen by the Committee as being outside the multi religious spirit within which the old city was inscribed as a "unique act") were NOT included. So the original (and possibly unwise, given the sensibilities involved!) "hint" made in the ICOMOS evaluation for such areas to be included was not taken up!!
I guess that the publication of ANY map of this area by UNESCO is just going to run into too many "political" problems so it is best to let sleeping dogs lie!
Posted: 26 Dec 2009 07:59
Edited by: Solivagant
Further to the subject of trying to establish the boundaries of WHS which lack a map within their inscription documentation, I have been trying to find a detailed desription of those for Havana. The ICOMOS review of 1982 refers to a map with coloured zones but does not provide it!! These zones were :- Red = Old Quarter, Yellow = "Contingent 19c zone", Grey = "Zone outside the old city but contingent on it and comprising the zone of fortifications" (including some "isolated" ones). It then describes another (unprovided) map in which ALL 3 of these zones are shown as Red "which corresponds to the inscription". So, clearly the inscribed area extends beyond the "old city" strictly defined.
I have also found this ICOMOS site describing a conference on the preservation of Cuban cities held in 2001
It contains the following paragraph (translated by Google from Spanish)
"The historic center, which occupies 214 hectares (241 blocks, 4 000 buildings and 900 high value), is characterized by its architectural heritage value, the coherence of its structure and environmental homogeneity. As attractive with the permanence of the original urban fabric, which was enclosed by walls from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century; the variety of styles and artistic movements of architecture from trades teacher who gave a spectacular architecture in churches, convents and homes; multi-functional characterization of its five seats, and the values monumental buildings as environment, the Capitol, societies Gallego Center and the Asturian Center, snuff mills, the Paseo del Prado, elegant theaters and houses of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
The fortifications placed at about 20 km. coastal and campaign, they have great value historic, architectural and regional levels"
In particular this clearly states that the Capitol Area is included and the reference to "isolated" fortifications corresponds with the comment in the ICOMOS evaluation. A slight complication is that the UNESCO Web site describes Old Havana as covering only 142ha rather than 214ha!! (could even be a transcription??).
Work in progress I think awaiting other sources/references!!
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