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Bhatnagar, 2011, India
Why I chose Fletcher: Prior to Fletcher, I was a business consultant and worked with several Fortune 1000 firms on process improvement and business restructuring initiatives. My last project was spent in business development helping my firm acquire new business. These experiences have molded my personality and provided me with a lens to see the world. I chose Fletcher because of my passion for international development and my ambition to forge a career in private sector capacity development in post-conflict areas of the world. I am convinced that Fletcher is the best place to learn the tools of development trade. The professors are world class and current practitioners in the field. Fletcher receives you as the raw material and instills in you the skill-set that you need to succeed in your chosen field.
Something that has surprised me about Fletcher: When I first arrived at Fletcher, the diversity before me in terms of my peers was baffling, and a bit intimidating. I wasn't sure how soon it would be before I started connecting with people. Diversity abounds at Fletcher - in terms of languages, cultures, professional backgrounds, you name it. I have come to realize that there is something in the Fletcher environment that encourages camaraderie. Any given day I would walk up to at least one person that I did not know at Fletcher and introduce myself and vice versa. Countless lunch sit-downs and social hours later, I now know that the diversity itself encourages the Fletcher family to band together.
New York Times
St. Charles Bridge, Prague
A 6700 mile road trip around the US in my Jeep
SW Asian Conflict - Pakistan/Afghanistan
Summer Internship


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Dr. Donna Futterman Montefiore Medical Group111 East 210th StreetBronx, NY firstname.lastname@example.com
Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Dept. of PediatricsDr. Donna Futterman is the Director of the Adolescent AIDS Program, Children's Hospital at Montefiore in the Bronx, New York where she has worked since 1989 and a Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine Dr. Futterman has published more than 50 articles and chapters on the care of HIV and at-risk youth and an award winning book entitled, Lesbian and Gay Youth: Care and Counseling.
She is a Board member of: Life Beat - The Music Industry Fights AIDS and a South African program: Mothers to Mothers. In 2001, she spent a six month sabbatical in Cape Town, South Africa working with the provincial health ministry on their AIDS response and at the University of Cape Town and since that time has worked as both a CDC consultant and NIH and CDC-funded researcher in South Africa.
Dr. Donna Futterman is the Director of the Adolescent AIDS Program, Children's Hospital at Montefiore in the Bronx, New York. The Adolescent AIDS Program (AAP) provides comprehensive medical and psychosocial care to HIV+ and at-risk Bronx adolescents. The AAP engages in NIH-funded clinical, behavioral and community-based research on youth and HIV as well as community prevention and training of health care providers. The AAP also plays a major leadership role- in "the Bronx Knows"- a Health Department Initiative to provide HIV testing to all Bronx Residents. The AAP is also funded by CDC-PEPFAR to scale-up HIV testing and care in the public health sector in South Africa.
Einstein Sponsored Projects:
The Adolescent AIDS Program is actively engaged in clinical and public health work in both The Bronx, New York and South Africa. In both sites, a major focus of work is to scale-up new approaches to HIV counseling, testing and care for HIV-positive youth within clinical and community setting using a streamlined testing protocol called ACTS. The AAP also engages in innovative, comprehensive care for HIV+ and at-risk youth.
Potential research projects could include:
ACTS South Africa is based in Cape Town, South Africa but will expand into other provinces in 2010. Opportunities for research can be scheduled during the summer of 2010 as well as later dates. Dr. Futterman will be available at Montefiore to further develop research programs with accepted candidates to meet the established goals of ACTS South Africa.

subset: commoncrawl


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ASIS&T White Paper
Accreditation of Programs for the Education of Information Professionals (1)
October 20, 2007
The term information science encompasses the overarching principles, the information and the research that defines the various information disciplines/professions and thus defines the mesh that connects these disciplines with each other. Each information discipline deals with people, information and technology, albeit with different emphases, and each is in the process of defining or redefining itself. Selective strategic alliances across the information disciplines can strengthen our collective position and advance the disciplines and the professions they support. This paper proposes that ASIS&T act as a catalyst for shared activity, specifically for the development of an accreditation program for information professional programs.
Context: The term, information science, encompasses the overarching principles, information, and the research that defines the various information disciplines/professions and thus provides the mesh that connects each of these disciplines/professions to one another. Different programs emerging from different disciplines/professions in the university have approached information science from different perspectives. Numerous definitions of information science have emerged, each having common elements and each reflecting the environment from which it emerged. For example, programs in computer science tend to be technical programs rather than being people centric. Programs in library/information science (LIS) tend to focus on the individuals information needs and then incorporate technical elements that support those needs.
Management information systems (MIS) related programs in schools of business have business related needs and interests as their focus. Each in its own way deals with people, information, and technology but does so with a different emphasis. As each of these programs has grown and has moved into new territory, each is in the process of defining/re-defining itself. Part of the process is aimed toward an effort by program leaders to clarify the discipline in order to define their role in the academic and professional world. Part of the process is aimed toward an effort by program leaders to lay claim to disciplinary areas/interdisciplinary areas where colonization and appropriation may still be possible. In this rapidly changing landscape, who are our academic allies? Who are our allies in the larger information world? What are the common issues we confront? Because of its wide ranging membership representing the information world at large and because of its reputation as a productive meeting place for diverse views, ASIS&T can serve as a catalyst for this discussion and can serve as an agent of change.
The discussion of definitions and boundaries is evolving. While there are many definitions, few of the Information (I) schools, for example, agree on exactly what they have in common. Indeed, there is often competition among the I schools, some of whom operate from the premise that they have invented a new discipline while others recognize the deep roots of the information professions. Some, in their definitions, cover new areas while others have unknowingly reinvented the wheel. Computer science is talking about taking new directions; what else should/could they be doing, and this what else often moves into the domain and definition of information science. Information programs emerging from Schools of Business are also looking at possible new, to them, directions. It is evident that those programs, regardless of their academic origin, that have seized the day with new directions and have convinced the universitys administration that they are an important component of the future, have grown and prospered. Conversely, those programs that have conducted business as usual have not. A result of this type of growth is that there are numerous information programs, based on a variety of definitions, with a diversity of goals and objectives.
Issue: The information world has expanded exponentially in recent decades. A result of this explosion is the growth in numbers and types of information professionals required to organize, manage, and disseminate information, now such an integral element of our global society. Several developments in academia have occurred in response to this demand:
-traditional programs in LIS have re-envisioned their roles and/or have expanded them to accommodate new content necessary to the preparation of today and tomorrows information professionals. This has occurred to a greater or lesser degree in all accredited LIS programs. Several have added course work, specializations, and in numerous instances, new information degree programs whose purpose is to prepare information professionals for the wide range of roles they will need to fill. Others continue to focus on traditional librarianship and the preparation of librarians whose programs are enriched with new course work but whose programs prepare them to be librarians, albeit 21st century librarians.
-new programs in information science, information management, and related areas, separate from LIS programs and information programs in LIS schools/colleges, have become part of the offerings of many academic institutions. They may be found in schools of business, computer science, or perhaps elsewhere in the university. Programs falling in this category may be reviewed by an accrediting agency if they are located in schools/colleges that have an accrediting process, e.g. schools of business. Most likely they are not subject to accreditation except through a state and/or regional accreditation process.
-undergraduate programs in information have been implemented by both the traditional academic programs and new programs.
-the idea of a 5 year program, which combines the four year liberal arts degree and the masters degree in information and intertwines the courses offered over the five year period, has again been resurrected for discussion.
Each of these present and/or proposed activities enriches the programs offered. However, the undergraduate programs and the 5 year programs do not address the core of the discussion and it is suggested that discussion of them be left to another time and place.
Program Review: In academia, programs, particularly those that prepare individuals for professional positions, are reviewed to determine the extent to which they support the mission, goals, and objectives of the profession to which graduates aspire and the extent to which graduates are prepared to become members of the specific profession. This review can take several forms;
-certification of individuals to determine level of expertise. For several professions, continuing education credits serve as a form of certification; individuals are required to take a certain number of hours of course work to maintain currency in their profession and, by doing so, receive certification by their respective professional association. Other professional groups have developed certification examinations, often in response to employers who wish to have some way of assuring that potential employees have the requisite competencies and that they continue to remain current with their field. While this is an area worthy of further study, it does not deal primarily with academic degree programs within the university and therefore is not specific to this discussion.
-accreditation of LIS programs by the American Library Association (ALA) is an example of program review by a professional association. The process has undergone numerous changes in the many years since it was instituted to evaluate the quality of programs designed to prepare librarians. As LIS programs have grown and expanded to accommodate the many changes in the information professions, the accreditation process has changed as well. Despite numerous discussions about the role and scope of accreditation and despite numerous changes, the purpose of the accreditation process remains essentially the same - to ascertain the quality of programs whose sphere is to prepare librarians. Responsibility for developing, maintaining, and administering the accrediting process continues to be the sole responsibility of ALA. Other models for managing the accreditation process for information programs have, from time to time, been proposed but none have been adopted. (See Appendix A for a brief description of how the ALA accreditation process works. It is an excellent case study for the process).
Problem: The audiences for accreditation have changed as the number of potential stakeholders in the process has grown. When it was first developed, ALAs accreditation process focused on reviewing the academic programs which prepared librarians. While it expanded its coverage to include aspects of areas that fall within the realm of information science, it has remained the library associations process by which it exercises quality control over the educational programs intended to prepare librarians. Given that ALA has discussed and is currently discussing at length the appropriate role of LIS education and how it can more closely marry education and practice in a way that results in a well - grounded, values driven library workforce (Burger, Leslie, Changing Library Education, American Libraries 38:4, April, 2007:5) their discussion may further focus the accreditation process on the MLS. The question then arises Is ALA the appropriate agency to review for accreditation those programs that do not have a library focus? It will be important for ASIS&T to stay current with the efforts of the ALA Presidential Task Force and to review carefully the report due at the 2008 ALA Annual Meeting.
How do those programs in LIS schools/colleges not specifically LIS fit into a more library focused environment? They would appear to be in danger of becoming orphans in the ALA world. At the same time, they are part of the larger information education world. And at the same time, more and more information programs are gaining space in many other academic areas. What do these information programs have in common? What does/should an information degree program include and how do different degree programs preparing different types of information professionals differ? What criteria does an academic institution use to develop, administer, and evaluate a non LIS information program? How does the student who wishes to prepare for an information career make informed choices? How does the employer who is looking for particular competencies make informed choices of whom to hire? How do schools/colleges market their different information programs? It is evident that there needs to be a means of assuring stakeholders that programs designed to prepare information professionals, who are not planning to become librarians, do indeed provide the appropriate graduate professional education to meet workplace expectations. (The focus is on the masters degree.)
Proposal: To develop a new accreditation program for information professional programs, ASIS&T will undertake the following:
Step 1:
- Identify the workforce changes that are driving this new direction. This information will be available from the section of the IMLS study currently underway that focuses on perception and changes in the information workforce. The principal investigators for this study are Jose Marie Griffiths and Don King.
- Consider whether, given the federal govt.s increasing emphasis on accountability, we are entering a new era in accreditation. This will require discussion with government agencies and others involved in assessment.
- Review the ALA accreditation process to better understand how that model currently works and to determine what we can learn from it.
- As we look at accrediting information programs, not LIS programs, Consider whether coordination with ALAs process is possible and desirable.
- Review other models for accreditation, e.g. those in the U.K?
- Identify partners in this effort. Potential partners to be considered could include specialty library associations such as the Special Libraries Association, the Medical Library Association, etc.; the Association of Information Managers; the Association of Indexers; the Society of American Archivists; EDUCAUSE; computer science associations; and business associations.
- Consider how will this coordinated effort can assist employers and how they should be involved in the planning.
Step 2:
- Continue to investigate how existing accreditation groups are organized. (See Appendix B for a discussion of current organizational formats and funding models.)
- Evaluate existing accreditation models to determine potential structures. Include consideration of a federated process by which different agencies contribute to defining the process and standards by which different programs would be accredited.
- Address whether the same program should be accredited by more than one agency.
- Consider how the proposed accreditation process will be evaluated.
Step 3:
- Determine those elements to be incorporated into the proposed process.
- Specify how wide a range of information programs the process will encompass.
-Identify the elements that can be used to determine commonalities among information programs.
- Consider whether is it possible to arrive at a definition of a program through statements of the programs mission, goals and objectives, and/or by identifying certain kinds of faculty, students, curriculum, and length of program. (We need to look at representative information programs to determine which elements can be used to differentiate programs)
- Determine what measures will be used to assess programs.
- Determine the role of outcomes in the accreditation process.
Step 4:
- Identify resources needed to conduct the above studies and implement the accreditation process as well as to carry out the accreditation process once it is in place.
- Identify sources of funding for planning, such as the Council on Library and Information Resources, IMLS .
- Define start up and continuing funding.
- Consider that the process need not be sponsored by an association. It could be a grouping of schools, a consortium of associations who in some way share expenses. A management firm, funded by a group of schools/colleges, working with an accreditation officer is a possibility. (If a grouping of schools were to sponsor the activity, a steering committee representing the various types of information degree programs would be a way of assuring that all interests would be fairly represented.) We will also need to explore the benefits of collaboration with professional associations.
Time line: Consideration of this white paper will begin with the 2007 annual meeting of ASIS&T, at which it will be presented to the membership and to relevant organizational entities, including the Board of Directors. Following the meeting, we propose to identify partners and funding sources for a one year study detailing the issues and a proposed accreditation process. The goal is to establish a new process for accrediting information programs within three years. We seek the collaboration of all associations and organizations across the information professions in this important effort.
Appendix A
How Accreditation Currently Works
Accreditation is a voluntary process, but it may be tied to other processes, e.g. eligibility to sit for the bar, eligibility for federal student loans, eligibility to apply for certain professional positions.
In order to assure that the accrediting agency adheres to a code of good practice, it is generally reviewed by an outside organization; the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA), and/or the Secretary of Education.
There are two types of accreditation; regional accreditation that accredits institutions, and specialized that accredits professional programs. A third type accredits specialized institutions such as seminaries, psychoanalytic institutes, etc. There are also some accrediting agencies that are little better than the equivalent of a diploma mill, and these agencies accredit the diploma mills. They often have names that are very similar to better known accrediting agencies. For example, there may be a Northern Central Association which sounds like North Central Association.
The variety of accrediting agencies is enormous and they accredit different things. While some are very small and specific, others are large and encompass residencies, continuing education providers, multiple education levels and various sub-specialties. It is possible, though not common, for more than one agency to accredit in the same field. This is the case in business where there is a two tier system in which AACSB is the premier accreditor and a second agency accredits the second tier. Each performs accreditation activities responsibly and effectively, but holds the programs to different standards.
The professional body generally sets the standards for accreditation. A committee or commission representing the professional body, often incorporated separately, assures a separation of powers between the commission and the professional body. Similarly, there should be a separation of power between the visiting team of the accrediting agency and the decision making body. A staff person acts as liaison between the commission, the visiting team, and the institution or program. Fees are paid by the program to the commission to support, in part, the accrediting process. These usually take the form of annual dues plus a fee for visits.
An ongoing issue is the tension between the principle of peer review (educators reviewing educators) which is the principle embodied in regional accreditation, and the principle of specialized accreditation (professionals reviewing educators). This issue requires discussion when one examines any new venture.
Appendix B
How Accreditation Bodies are Organized
Accrediting agencies are organized in a number of ways. Some very large organizations such as the major teacher education accreditation organization (NCATE) serve as umbrellas for many smaller, more specialized, review boards. This is especially common when there are many different sub-specialties, and when licensure is involved, as control over content is necessary for students to pass licensing exams. Others, including ALA, have chosen a broad approach in which content is not specified and specialization is a minor part of the educational program being reviewed. An exception, one which may be instructive, is the NCATE/ALA reciprocal agreement in which certain requirements must be met in order for a program to be accredited by both agencies. This latter model may well be worth investigating.
A first step in organizing an accrediting agency is to determine exactly what it is that needs to be accredited (authorized or certified). This requires defining the field and setting standards for educational quality. Public representatives and employers contribute to this activity in order to strengthen societys stake in the process and to assure that the field is grounded in reality. If there is sufficient evidence to characterize the field as unique and to build a program of study, and further, to certify that those who have completed the program of study are indeed capable of performing specific activities, then there is a role for accreditation. Prospective students seek accredited programs to be assured that their investment in education will indeed prepare them to be eligible for employment, either as a member of a specific profession or as an employee qualified to perform specific tasks.
An additional test of the need for an accrediting agency is to identify potential competitors and/or collaborators. Some fields have more have more than one accreditation agency, e.g. business education. Whether or not multiple agencies accrediting in the same field is currently possible needs to be checked out.
The costs of accreditation are borne by the programs and the sponsoring group(s). It is essential that the accrediting agency has the ability to attract a sufficient number of programs to allow it to have a solid financial footing. In the ALA model, ALA provides financial support to the Office for Accreditation, while attempting to remain distant from the decisions of the Committee on Accreditation. Other accrediting agencies are supported primarily by the member programs themselves thus acknowledging the tradition of peer review.
Regardless of the source of funds, accreditation is expensive, in the range of $250,000 to $500,000, depending on the situation. Costs include salary and benefits for the director, rent, and overhead for an office, travel, insurance, and financial management costs including incorporation costs associated with membership in ASPA or review by CHEA or the Department of Education. Some of these costs can be contributed. Other costs can be minimized by employing a part time director.
[1] Prepared by Ann Prentice, Diane Barlow, Prudence Dalrymple, Jose Marie Griffiths, Katherine McCain, and Nancy Roderer


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Summit League Men's Preview: North Dakota State at South Dakota
After coming up empty on their first Summit League trip away from Vermillion in 2014, South Dakota is back home this week trying to regroup, as the welcome North Dakota State and South Dakota State to close out the first half of the conference schedule.
The Coyotes are one of two teams 3-2 after three weeks, tied for third in the Summit League. Head coach Joey James told me his group is discouraged after back-to-back losses on the road last week:
Thursday night against Western Illinois, USD had no answer for the Leathernecks sharp shooting, as WIU shot 62% from the floor, including 7-of-10 3-pointers and 16-of-18 from the free-throw line, leading by as many as 24, and winning by 18.
Western Illinois was led by freshman Garret Covington's 21 points. The Leathernecks were especially effective on defense shutting down USD center Trevor Gruis, holding him without a basket until nearly three minutes were gone in the second half.
Coach James on the Western Illinois loss:
The Coyotes played a much more competitive game in Omaha Saturday, but came up four points short to the Mavericks. Down two with five seconds left, Adam Thoesby missed a three-pointer that would have given USD the lead late, it was one of 12 misses in 15 tries for the Coyotes from behind the arc.
Trey Norris sat out the Omaha game with an ankle injury and Tyler Larson filled in effectively, scoring 11 of his 13 points in the first half. Coach James on the Omaha loss:
Thursday, the Coyotes welcome the top shooting team in the nation in North Dakota State. The Bison lead Division I hitting 52 percent from the floor - just a tick lower - 51 percent in league games.
NDSU is one of two teams that stand 4-1 after three weeks of conference play.
Coach James says the status of Trey Norris' ankle is still being evaluated for the game Thursday:
Tipoff is Thursday at 7:00pm in Vermillion.


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Sometimes, great players go too unnoticed — even in the Internet age. Johnny A is one. A supreme talent, Johnny is one of the best instrumental guitar players you'll likely hear, but he's still not a household name. 2014 could and should change that. He melds jazz, blues and rock with deftness, all with a delicately lyrical touch and great tone.
Gibson.com asked Boston-born Johnny about his forthcoming new album, recording methods, guitars and how to cover classic songs….
Johnny, you recently posted that your new album is "wrapped." Tell us about it…
"We have two songs left to mix, then it's mastering with Bob Ludwig. This album is a real departure from the way I've done things in the past. Mastering is a real key process in the release of a recording. I've worked with Bob before when I co-produced an album with Peter Wolf (of the J Geils Band) in 1996, so working with Bob again is brilliant. He's worked with over 1500 artists – from the Stones, to Bon Jovi to Dylan to Sting — he's been there and done it."
When is the album out?
"March 2014. The album is called Driven. It started out as I usually make albums – bring a rhythm section in and cut new tunes for a couple of days. And work with an engineer in a studio I like. But this time, I changed.
"I've tracked this whole record in my house. I have a walk-out area in the lower level of my house which is about 1400 square feet, and it's been rebuilt. It has odd walls, curved walls… not a place you would normally think would be good aurally. But it was. The engineer I was first working with told me how John Mayer recorded his first album in his producer's house. And that was a successful record, right? So we went with home recording. I got a big SSL console and, in the end, I engineered all the tracks myself. I mixed it, too.
"I haven't used other musicians much at all. I play guitar, drums and bass on everything. I wrote 17 songs for the record, it's down to 11. There were a couple of covers in there, songs that inspire me from my youth. In the end, there's one cover on the album, 10 originals."
A truly "solo" record like this must be hard work?
"It's laborious, yes. I've worked on this for a year, at least. I'm not 'intellectually' attached to gear: I just know how to twist knobs and get a great tone. I'm not a guy that reads a manual! Back in school days, I never did my homework but I still got B+s without too much work. It's just how I am.
"So, I got all this gear, digital and analog, and I just worked it. But I'm a freak about sound, so that's all fun. Tweaking, tweaking tweaking!"
What's your guitar recording set-up?
"Well, I'm still playing my Gibson Johnny A Signature models, they're on every track. But I used a Firebird VII, a Les Paul, a Gibson Chet Atkins SST, a Rickenbacker, my Gibson ES-295…. Those guitars are generally for color.
"I don't use any speakers. All my albums are recorded direct. I use a Marshall 30th Anniversary amp but it has an XLR connector in the back and I generally run that straight into a '60s Neve console, a 1058. Pretty rare, I think. For Driven, I'm using Logic software, not Pro Tools, but that's it. So the whole album has been quite a journey, I'm not sure I knew what I was biting off! I'm nearly there now."
Your last album/DVD, One November Night, was live – this is obviously a big change in approach?
"One November Night was a bridge record, I think. To turn the page from where I was to where I wanted to go. I had a great ensemble on that, but it was time for a change. It was good to capture that, though. There was no doctoring on overdubs on that at all."
You say there's one cover tune — care to say what it is?
"I'd rather not say! People like to leak stuff on Facebook or whatever, but I'm old-school. I always liked waiting for the new Beatles or Jeff Beck album and finding a surprise. So, that's what you're getting — a surprise. That song by Buggles, "Video Killed The Radio Star," is kinda true. There's too much leaking these days."
OK, so how do you approach a cover version? In the past you've done Jimi Hendrix's "The Wind Cries Mary" - uptempo and jazzy. You've done "Wichita Lineman" - pretty faithful to the Jimmy Webb/Glen Campbell version…
"I just choose songs I love. It's like riding a motorcycle and you smell fresh-cut grass… it reminds you of being 10 years old on a baseball field, or whatever. It brings you back, same things with songs. I can be driving along in my car and my iPod shuffles onto a song from '66, or whenever. I think: I could do that song.
"The way I produce or perform songs always differs. "Wichita Lineman" by Glen Campbell is a pretty mournful song, but there's brightness in the melody. When I started working on that, I didn't even have a Glen Campbell version of that song. I kinda figured it out from memory. I eventually bought a Greatest Hits of Glen's to work it out.
"At the same time I bought Jimmy Webb's Ten Easy Pieces – duets and solo versions of his own songs. On Jimmy's own version I was struck that "Wichita Lineman" was slow — it mirrored my take on it, even though I'd never heard his own version. So that was interesting, how people see songs.
"I got a nice call from Jimmy Webb later, saying mine was his favorite version of "Wichita Lineman." That struck me, as there's no lyrics on mine!"
And you covered Jimi Hendrix's "The Wind Cries Mary" in quite a bold fashion?
"Well, yeah. How do you cover a Jimi Hendrix song? It's always going to be hard, the guy is so revered. For example, The Smithereens did a recent album covering early Beatles, and it captured the spirit. But it sounded too much the same, to me. Trying to step into the shoes of artists like that? I'm not down with it. So, for "The Wind Cries Mary" — a signature song of Jimi's, to me — I had to make it different. I'm not going to go toe-to-toe with the original. That would be kinda silly.
"But the song has been part of my live playlist for years, so we did it. It's a familiar tune but I was trying to set myself apart from other quote/unquote "guitar heroes" and it worked.
"For "The Wind Cries Mary" I was into this quirky, lounge-y West Coast vibe. Over the years, the sound I've got playing that song has got bigger. But the new record is 180-degree turn from my first records. They have a lot of shuffles, swing, even the backbeat had some swing. This new album, Driven, is really backbeat — in the groove."
Are you still happy working as an instrumental guitar player with no singer?
"I am. I'm trying to become a guitarist as a vocalist, if that makes sense? Les Paul and Chet Atkins still inspire me in that way. The way those guys played — to me, they were 'singers' with a guitar. So that's the path I want to take, but without being retro. Well-crafted arrangements, good tone, with the guitar as the singer. That's what I'm after.
"I've never tried to compete with the Joe Satriani/Jeff Beck routine. Those guys are so great at what they do, why bother? Even if I did it, I'd be Johnny-come-lately or an also-ran. So what's the sense?
"I want to be like the guy in the piano bar: sit there in the corner and create the whole song myself. I want to be the anti anti-guitar hero I guess!"
In Part 2 of our Gibson.com interview, Johnny A talks in-depth about his unique Gibson Johnny A Signature model, Bigsbys, jazz inspirations and much more.


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Not only is the color incredibly soft and beautiful, but this silk georgette babydoll from Fleur T also looks amazingly seductive. It's a mix between sweet and innocent, playful and sexy. I totally love the cups, they're totally adorable. Who can ever say no to those ruffles anyway?
Tagged at US$215.03, it is a piece of luxury!


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John J. Kruzel - American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, March 10, 2010 - Some of the 98,000 U.S. military forces in Iraq already have made the transition from security to stability operations ahead of the September deadline, American military commanders said.
In accordance with an agreement brokered between Baghdad and Washington, the drawdown to 50,000 U.S. troops before September will happen as the American mission shifts from its current role as a partner of Iraqi security forces to primarily one of training and advising.
But on the heels of what has been touted as a "historic" parliamentary election in Iraq this week -- months before the drawdown milestone -- U.S. forces in some instances have begun to change missions, said Army Maj. Gen. Terry A. Wolff, commander of U.S. Division Central.
"We're pretty close to what that will look like already," Wolff, whose area of operations includes Baghdad and the western Iraqi province of Anbar, told Pentagon reporters in a news conference.
What allows U.S. forces to pivot from accompanying Iraqi units in joint operations and providing aerial and intelligence support upon request to a role that centers on training, advising and assisting is the evolution of Iraq's indigenous forces, the general said.
Since his previous rotation in Iraq in 2006 and 2007, Wolff said, Iraqi security forces have passed tests of their quality "with flying colors." He cited security during the March 7 election in which attacks reportedly killed some 38 people across the country but failed to close any polling sites or dissuade any of the estimated 12 million Iraqis -- about 62 percent of the electorate -- who cast ballots.
"I worked helping to train the [Iraqi security forces] on my last rotation," Wolff recalled. "It was an army of about 110,000. Well, it's grown to about double that. It was a police of barely 150,000; it's nearly triple that. And so the Iraqi security forces demonstrated on Sunday that they're up to the task.
"I'm pretty confident that they can continue to secure the government of Iraq and the Iraqi people," he continued. "There's no doubt in my mind that they can do that exceptionally well. And as the next government settles in, they're more than up to the task, and they demonstrated that."
Asked about the Iraqi army's progress since reports in 2006 of disloyalty, unreliability and a lack of professionalism in the ranks, one defense official said the Iraqi forces have "matured beyond our wildest expectations" echoing the resilience Wolff described today.
"I kind of liken them sometimes to a boxer," he said. "They're very robust, they take a jab, once in while they take a body blow, but they rarely get knocked down any more."
Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, said the United States already has shifted from performing counterinsurgency operations to taking on the task of training, advising, enabling and partnering with Iraqi forces.
"I believe that's really what we're doing today. We are not doing any independent operations any more," he said at the Army and Navy Club here last month. "We are doing counterterrorism operations, but we're really not even doing those independently. All our highest-end counterterrorism operations are done in complete coordination with Iraqi security forces, and with Iraqi security forces."
Asked today if a reduced combat role of American troops was tantamount to a reduction in overall productivity in Iraq, Wolff sought to dispel such impressions.
"There are aggressive operations every day and every evening to deal with terrorists and extremists that try to have an impact on the Iraqi people," he said. "So it's not as if we're all sitting on our operating bases and doing nothing.
"There's this belief at times that no one's doing anything; that 96,000 soldiers are just kind of waiting for something to happen," he continued. "We are not in the observe-and-write-about-it mode. We are effectively out there doing things every single day."


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Under Construction. To be built. Completion July 2019. New luxury condo on Siesta Key. 4BR/4.5BA, 4574 sf, 50-ft. Gulf-front terrace, enclosed 3-car garage, private poolside cabana, high ceilings, smart home automation, green building ... more.standards and highest-quality finishes. Elegant, simple and understated, Oceane is a place where you live every day with awe-inspiring views. From the moment you drive through the gated entrance to the moment you enter your open-concept, smart and energy-efficient residence, you are transported into a place of peace, conviviality and restoration. The entire back wall is covered in floor-to-ceiling windows for endless Gulf views. The living space includes a grand room with fireplace, dining room and kitchen with eat-in island, premium appliances and walk-in pantry. Expansive Gulf-front terrace includes large outdoor living area. Private quarters include four bedrooms with en-suite baths, bonus room, powder room and laundry. Green features include LED recessed lighting, energy-efficient HVAC with zone controls, re-circulating instant hot water and insulated, high-impact windows. Smart home technology includes integrated controls for lighting, cooling, entertainment and security. Your private poolside cabana stores all toys for outdoor enjoyment. Just 0.4 mile to Siesta Key Village, 1 mile to Siesta Beach and 5 miles to downtown, Oceane is the perfect place to enjoy your Sarasota lifestyle.


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A young woman who had been largely anonymous to the oceanography community has bequeathed a $14.5 million gift to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the second-largest gift in the Institution's history.
Starting in 2006, four WHOI scientists will be chosen for annual fellowships to be named for Claudia S. Heyman, who listed the Institution in her trust before she died Nov. 13, 2004. She was 35.
The Institution's largest donation—a $28 million anonymous gift given in 2002—was used in part to establish four Ocean Institutes at WHOI. With the new funding from the Heyman fellowships, the Ocean Life Institute, the Ocean and Climate Change Institute, the Coastal Ocean Institute, and the Deep Ocean Exploration Institute will each select additional scientific fellows based on their leadership, their interest and ability to participate in interdisciplinary research, and their public outreach and communication skills.
Why Heyman left the money to WHOI remains a mystery, said Dan Stuermer, the Institution's director of development. "We know that at some point she either visited or read about WHOI and did some research about our scientists' work," Stuermer said. "We surmise that she was fascinated by the place."
Heyman, a native of Tulsa, Okla., who was living in Boston when she died, served on the board of her family enterprises and retained interests in several privately held oil and gas corporations, said her friend and attorney, Paul F. Zerola.
Zerola described her as an art enthusiast, avid reader, and a benefactor of animals who owned seven cats and a black Labrador named Hummer. "She cared deeply for her community," Zerola said. "She devoted much of her time and energy to humanitarian and charitable causes, and she constantly urged others to do the same."
Claudia S. Heyman left a gift that will allow the Institution to endow several new fellowships in coastal, deep ocean, life, and climate sciences.


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November key tax dates
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Newsletter issue - November 2018.
2 - Last day for car change notifications in the quarter to 5 October - Use P46 Car
19/22 - PAYE/NIC, student loan and CIS deductions due for month to 5/11/2018


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Problems of Humanity
Reflections by Arcane School students on the Problems of Humanity
The Sanctity of Work
Work is the accomplishment of a human being. Work is the life. Each life is given work, is work in progress from the standpoint of the soul. A society that denies work as the ultimate dignity of the heart sabotages the Divine Plan and plays into the hands of the destructive powers of evil. Understanding work is essential to sanity, equilibrium and balance. Regulating work in a way that the Whole Being is served is another essential for there is outer work and inner work and each must be given its proper space. Understanding the rhythms of the creative mind is therefore vital to reach that balance for creativity uses the external and the internal, the esoteric and the exoteric, the subjective and the objective. One thing amiss in our society is the acknowledgement of the true purpose of individual work, and holding the whole perspective of earth's travails. At our point in evolution, individual work has become meaningless for lack of the overview. Man is no more the contained entity it used to be, animated by self-care only and care of the close environment. Man has become a unit forced to adapt to a society that has such expanded boundaries that his own sense of self has decreased and his work often seems futile and bound only to survival and money- making. The sacredness of work has been tempered with leaving men 'puppet-ized, robotized, almost nullified as to the usefulness of their import in the vast scheme of earth's life and government - apart, that is, from some select few. It is all too big and he is all too small. After centuries of having struggled, explored and conquered, proud in his identity, suddenly all precedent values and desires have exploded and man is left with ravages and a world to build anew. Like Job, he may feel bewildered and shocked senseless. And many feel today traumatized, helpless, destitute, powerless. The Saviour must now be found within and courage harnessed out of humility, faith and kindness. The power of a self-interested will has been rendered useless in front of the tides of a nature that remains beyond man's control. Man must now know himself subjectively and rediscover riches that belong to a world long barred to him. That is the saving grace that he can hope for. Only by creating the balance between his inner and outer life will he grow again the power to travel confidently the roads of the future that are being carved at present by the bulldozing elements ravaging his past achievements.
Humanity is now awakening at a surprising rate and I can't help but wonder if we are moving almost too fast for the natural unfolding process that evolution has "intended". Our biology changes slowly and we live in a form that was selected under very different conditions than those we now live under. Our brains and the inherent "zombie" programs that automatically run within it were designed for a life in nature with different physical and psychological demands than those we now face. Can we learn to control the brain/lower mind and intelligently change the programming to allow a transition in consciousness? If meditation can become a more widespread practice (perhaps even taught in our schools some day), there is hope that we can adjust to the changes needed in humanity.
Is there any evidence of world citizenship today? Yes, there is definitely evidence of world citizenship today. There is a rising awareness of the interconnectedness of all kingdoms or forms of life on Planet Earth (human, animal, vegetal, mineral, elemental). Many theories that had built "separations", "divisions", or boundaries among beings have now removed those barriers and are now emphasizing "porosity". On the human level, this removal of ideological isolation has been compounded by the removal of physical isolation. Human beings seem now to be thrust in one world, one global or planetary community. Even those people who do not willingly see themselves as world citizens, nevertheless find themselves living in this particular community. The consciousness of world citizenship is heightened by certain planetary events and trends. Here are a few examples:1. The evolution of language. The seeping of terms like "world citizen" itself, and "global village" into popular speech eventually makes people wonder what those terms mean.2. Electronic communications (radio, television, the telephone, the Internet and associated technologies). These technologies allow people to transcend borders and realize that if they can communicate with people on almost any spot on the Planet, maybe there is only one home to which all people belong.3. Transportation (by land, sea, and air). These make it possible for people to physically go almost anywhere on the Planet, and again, give them the experience of belonging to the One Planet.4. The tendency toward political federalization. In the Americas, the establishment of the United States of America in North America inspired many thinkers to establish federal entities. In South America, Simon Bolivar thought that it would be a good idea for all the South American countries becoming independent from Spain to be united under one country called La Gran Colombia. Even though his enterprise did not take root, the idea of a united political entity did take root. Venezuela, for instance, the country of Bolivar's birth, is officially "the Bolivarian United States of Venezuela". Europe is slowly but surely becoming the European Union and Africa, the African Union. The indigenous peoples of the Americas have a Union of the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas, which extends from North America all the way to South America. There are many more general political, or economic regional groupings in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. And, there is of course the United Nations, that unites all the nations of the Planet. When the Charter of the UN states "We the peoples", it means "We the peoples" of Planet Earth—the One Planet Earth.5. Spatial explorations. When astronauts and cosmonauts leave the Planet and then come back to it and document the process, it gives all human beings some proof that they all live on One Planet.6. The ecological movement. This sense of living on One Planet has always been the wisdom by which many indigenous peoples have lived for millennia. But for people in areas of the Planet who lived more on the plane of the concrete mind and needed more "proof" than the intuitive knowledge of the indigenous peoples, space exploration provides that proof. This has helped the awareness of the Planet as the One "Ecology" shared by all of us. Ecological disasters like tsunamis, earthquakes, or pollutions originate in one area of the Planet, but eventually affect other areas, are also reinforcing the awareness of planetary citizenship.7. The spread of diseases and economic crises. Communicative diseases like Ebola, AIDS, SAKS, and others, have led people to the realisation that there are energies and forces that "borders" cannot contain. Since these diseases can potentially affect all people, they are in fact One People. They therefore need to live and work as One People to handle these challenges. Just like there seems to be one global network of health, there also seems to be one global network of the economy. The recent cycle of economic crisis has brought to the surface the realization that we are all global citizens, both during economic prosperity cycles and cycles of economic downturn. 8. Migrations. Displacements, whether voluntary or involuntary, are helping many people grow in awareness of world citizenship by giving them the experience of being integral parts of two or more places on Planet Earth at the same time, in this particular one life.9. Education. Multicultural and international educational programs within countries, as well as study abroad programs at all levels of the educational system (primary, secondary, and tertiary), are increasingly training students to be "world citizens", or citizens of the Global Village.10. Cosmopolitan thinking. There are many thinkers and groups who are assiduously working to articulate what cosmopolitanism or "world citizenship" would actually look and feel like, as we fully enter the 21st century.
We know that the cause of cleavages between races and nations is the heresy of separativeness. Solutions can be reached by changing values. Separateness and selfishness, based on a lack of vision and understanding, must be transcended by the sacrifice of selfishness, which will release new values into relations between countries and races. It will encourage sharing and prosperity for all humanity. The progressive development of desirable spiritual values will happen as a result of the increasing consciousness of humanity. This means that we cannot look only for own salvation and our own materialistic survival. This means that while each racial group fights for its own self-interest there cannot be a new world order based on correct human relations, unity and freedom. What is good for the group is good for each of us.In fact, survival on Earth has always been based on militarism and exploitation of minorities. A different reality can be built by a radical change of human heart, by loving humanity as a whole and with the sense of the oneness of life. The changing values include the practice of right thoughts, worlds and deeds, looking for unity-in-diversity, and values of inclusiveness and integrity. These are qualities of the soul.The recognition of the energy of goodwill will transcend the chronic and deep cleavages between people and nations—this is the energy of love in action. This means the fusion of the individual with the whole, without loosing the sense of individuality. This means that our main task is to work for unity, synthesis and mutual cooperation.
Recognizing and overcoming the tribal instinct is another vital step needed at this time in human evolution. Many people grasp the need to dampen down tribal instincts at the grossest level; our interest in and commitment to overcoming racism in this country is a good example of this impulse. Yet few people really understand how deep-seated the tribal instinct really is. Would parents on a sports field obsessed with "my team" or people thinking about "our part of town" or even "my family" recognize the seeds of the tribal mentality? So many of our ideas circulate around the tribal impulse. We like to see people who look like us, dress like us, believe like us, worship like us. We defeat one prejudice, only to replace it in our minds with a whole host of other "differents" that need to be disliked, rooted out railed against. The American experience with regards to race has been a good start of the effort needed to move beyond the tribal point of view, but it is only a very small start. These more expansive attitudes need to spread beyond their relatively narrow confines deeper into humanity's collective mind and the idea of tribalism needs to be expanded to include all its manifestations. Passionate sports fanatics might resist, although sports are probably a better channel for these kinds of feelings than the wars and pogroms of the past. But the need for tribal identification is still deep and dark in all parts of the world. Spiritual workers need to work hard, very hard, to root out this need in themselves and identify and experience all kinds of people in all kinds of life situations. We all need more writing and discussion on this issue to even recognize tribalism's face in our individual and collective psyches.
A significant element of the tribal mentality also relates to the realm of economics, in which we are literally and mentally divided into "haves" and "have nots." Various economic theories have been put forth in the name of greater general effects appears to be a reshuffling of resources, creating, not a truly new system, but a new group of "haves." Time spent living and traveling in Eastern Europe revealed to me the fundamental similarity between "socialism" and "capitalism;" both assign the majority of resources, or control over resources, to a relatively small group of people within the broader society. Both systems moreover, are rooted in a scarcity mentality that assumes that there will be "losers" in the system and both come up with powerful rhetoric to justify why these "losers" deserve their losses. An economics of abundance and generosity struggle to find a way to ensure that all people have access to basic necessities begin to believe that we can create abundance and that it is possible to bring up developed elements within the culture. This reality, rooted in the spiritual principles of evolution (the whole advances) and abundance (seek, and ye shall find) needs to emerge as an electrifying set of ideas, inspiring creative individuals to devise an economic based on generation, generosity and innovation, rather than envy, fear and greed.
It is a cliché that we say of youth that they "don't know how lucky they are", and of course it is true in a material sense. Most western youth have opportunities which the majority of young people in the world will never see. But how do we install a sense of perspective by which they can judge their circumstances? There is already available a wealth of information available about the global distribution of wealth, the circumstances of war and displacement, etc.. And yet so many advantaged youth grow up believing themselves to be somehow persecuted or 'hard done-by'. Perhaps it is because adults complain so much about their own situation – for children will always follow their parents' example. If there could be such a thing, I would recommend a doctrine of gratitude, of appreciation for each moment of life and the ability to strive for full expression. This in itself might hopefully lead to the desire to make a fuller contribution, and to develop the faculties through full exercise of opportunity.
Ultimately, I do not think doctrines, handed from elder to younger, are essential. Rather, regardless of their importance, they will often be ignored and accordingly have little effect. Behaviour by example – the influence of one person in a youth's life who keeps their promises and does not betray, who acts with integrity and honesty – will have a greater effect than any particular teaching can hope to. I think most of us can relate to this when we consider the greatest influences on our lives: they are more often decent people than doctrines of any form. Those old words, 'common sense' and 'decency' are immensely difficult to teach, yet remain essential to both safety and happiness, and they are only learnt through the experience of seeing them lived here in the present.
How can we abolish the great lines of demarcation between races, nations, groups, and heal the cleavages that are to be found everywhere, working in such a manner that the 'one humanity' emerges on the arena of world affairs?
This is obviously a most complex and difficult problem. The problem of races is something that I have written about extensively in earlier reports, so I will not repeat myself here. I believe that in order to begin eliminating these artificial lines between 'races' and nations, we must start educating our children at an early age. Currently, children go through life not realizing that race (in its true definition of biologically distinct sub-groups) has not been applicable to humanity since the last Neanderthal died some 30,000-50,000 years ago. Most students that I talk to actually believe that people with white and black skin actually are genetically different. This is simply not the case. What we call 'race' is actually better termed as 'ethnicity.' Most students do not learn this until they get to the college level. This means that a large proportion of children who do not go to college or do not take an anthropology class, never learn this at all. This has to change. These kinds of lessons need to be taught to children at a younger age before they form all of their ideas about race and the differences between humanity.
I think an even greater problem than relation between the 'races' is relation between nations. The artificial boundaries creating various countries have been a source of conflict and consternation since Ancient Egyptian times. Numerous examples exist today. After World War II, the Western colonial empires broke up. This led to the creation of numerous new countries in Africa and the Middle East. These countries were drawn up artificially and cut numerous ethnic groups into pieces. An example is the partition of Kurdistan into parts of Turkey, Syria, and Iraq. One needs only to turn on the news to see the problems in Iraq. These are largely being caused by nationalism and ethnic resurgence.
Early education is one way to address this problem. Another way is to encourage students to travel to other parts of the world. When I was younger and participated in a study abroad, it opened my eyes to the poverty that much of the rest of the world was living in but also made me realize how similar people are no matter what their ethnic or national background. This was my first real experience with the 'brotherhood of humanity.' Encouraging student travel while in college is very important. Today, I encourage my students to study abroad, and many choose to do so. When they return, the inevitably relay similar experiences to those I had when I first traveled abroad. Even if they do not travel again, the experience stays with them for their entire lives.
By encouraging early education and world travel, I believe that the idea of'one humanity' will slowly emerge onto the world stage. There are, of course, many other political and economic measures that can be taken, such as a stronger UN with rules that are fairer to small nations, but I believe in starting with the grass roots. By educating our children as to the reality of 'one humanity' and then encouraging them to experience it for themselves, a large core group of people will believe in the 'one humanity' principle. From this core group, those political and economic changes that will eventually erase ethnic and national boundaries will take shape.
The problem of territorial possessions is the group correspondence within the family of nations to the materiality of the individual. Simply stated, this is the nationalistic love of land. The love of land and of territory has a psychic effect on people and constitutes a major world glamour.
Territoriality and nationality have deep roots in the human psyche. Current archaeological research suggests that territoriality arose in the Pre-pottery Neolithic B of Southwest Asia. This took the form of burying the heads of one's ancestors under the floor of your house to associate it with being your family's property. Today, this problem has grown so that it encompasses the rampant nationalism seen throughout the world. The essential factors of this problem are rooted in individual materialism and include the recognition of 'differences' between people living in one geographical region from the next (these differences of course being artificial), a feeling of superiority for one's own geographic area vs. that of other geographic areas, and the desire to fight and protect one's geographic area to maintain that superiority.
This problem is very old and will be one of the most difficult to correct in the coming decades. A first attempt at correction was made (on the world scale) with the creation of the United Nations. Unfortunately the UN, as a world governing body, has been rendered largely ineffective to deal with world problems because of the way that it is structured. The countries responsible for creating the UN, such as the USA and Europe, built safeguards into the political body so that they could maintain control of the United Nations. These safeguards render smaller, less developed nations under the control of the developed nations of the West. In this way, the UN is neither a fair or representative body. In fact, it may have had the opposite of its intended effect and served to accentuate the differences between nations by causing anger and distrust of the less developed nations toward the larger countries.
The problem of nationalism has, in general, only continued to grow. The roblems in the Middle East are based on issues of territory. For example, the Dome of the Rock is one small piece of land that is being fought over by Muslim, Christian, and Jew at the same time. After the New York terrorist attacks, nationalism once again came to the forefront in the United States. Having one's patriotism (or national loyalty) questioned has become a sever offense. At every turn, the US government has attempted to separate the US out from all other nations via such rhetoric as the axis of evil. This separateness has led to one war with the potential for others. We can easily see the destructiveness that this separateness has wrought on our modern world and in recent history (such as the two world wars, Vietnam, Korea, etc).
Despite the problems, progress has been made toward a solution. The most positive aspect has been the creation of the European Union. This is a truly fully integrated governmental body (unlike the UN) where all of the members have equal say and all are held to the standards and laws passed by the international body. Nations that had been recently at war or had long histories of dislike/distrust (such as England and France) are now working together to build a better future for all of Europe. The recent expansions of the European Union to other nations, such as Turkey, demonstrate how people's of entirely different cultures, such as Turks and Europeans, can come together into a unified body.
The rest of the world continues to 'shrink.' It is easy to communicate with people on the other side of the globe at light speed. All nations in the world have become intertwined and bound together economically so that what happens in one nation has dramatic effects on another. This change has not been all positive. Some countries have been drawn into deeper poverty by this new system. Hopefully, the presence of a stronger and more equitable world governing body will rectify these economic imbalances and lead to a truly united world.
Why are isolation and national politics doomed to fail in the future? What effect does an individual have on public opinion?
Isolation and national politics are doomed to fail because they are based in the idea of contraction. Contraction is a negative energy. In a man, it will orient him back to his lower self. Focus on the lower self cuts him off from the source of divine energy and eventually his manifested ideas will fail. In any situation, once the energy is focused off the whole and back to the individual, there is a loss to the whole. We've learned that what is true of the individual man is true of nations. Once we stop thinking in a global sense and focus on isolationism and nationalism, divine energy is blocked and the ideas that make manifest are doomed to failure.
It there's one idea I learned from my readings this month it's that good economics means expansion. Economic expansion, from an esoteric sense, means to think of the economy in ever widening spheres, locally to nationally to internationally. In order to align ourselves globally within a spiritual perspective, we need right human relations. Today more than any time in history, we are thinking globally. This is evidenced today in the Internet, global investing, and interestingly enough, the problem of the environment and climate change. It will perhaps be in the arena of the preservation of the environment that we find true unity and right human relations. Individually, I don't think I have much effect on public opinion or am a large figure in the international community. It is a rare person indeed who is placed so prominently in the public eye. However, as a member of the new group of world servers, I am a small piece of a very powerful group and together, unified, we can make a difference.
Many esoteric workers and disciples find a field of service within the church. In this transition into the New World Religion and the Church Universal, care is taken to secure the base of the new form while the old forms rapidly crumble to dust. We take heart from our understanding of the spiritual Hierarchy, the spread of Bible knowledge, the healing power of the sacraments, and the beginning of tolerance leading toward inclusiveness in organized religion (The Externalisation of the Hierarchy, 510-11). We press toward the time when the voices of the prophets again ring out the truth and "We shall know and see and understand. We shall not just believe, have hope and try to comprehend. We shall speak openly of the Hierarchy and of its Members and Their work" (The Externalisation of the Hierarchy, 417).
Clearly, many in the churches prefer to develop the spiritual life and arrive at truth by the process of accepting new authorities and comparing them with previously established doctrines. A newer approach is emerging in both the religious and philosophical worlds based on scientific methods. "Spiritual teaching will be increasingly accepted as an hypothesis to be proved less by scholasticism, historical foundation and authority, and more by the results of its effect upon the life lived and its practical usefulness in solving the problems of humanity", as Foster Bailey suggests.
Esotericists know that "Only those truths which are wrought out individually in the crucible of experience really penetrate into the living consciousness and bear fruit" (Discipleship in the New Age I, 11). Disciples know that our greatest duty is to apply our training to prepare others for the reappearance of the Christ. To do this, we must face the truth within ourselves as we strive to meet and surmount the crises in our lives of loving service.
The Problem of Capital, Labour and Employment
It is a salutary experience to re-read the chapter of this title in Problems of Humanity. Behind the phenomenon of humanity's industrial and empire-building enterprises and the capitalist system of finance and control that has powered these together with the emerging tyranny of misused trade union and labour power, lies the inherent selfishness of the human personality. However, central to our work is the knowledge that man is not just a 'personality'. Behind the form lies the soul, the real Self, a being of love, wisdom and global consciousness. The challenge and realistic opportunity facing humanity at the time that this book was written was to start to rise above the limits of personality and to make the values and qualities of the soul the foundation of a new humanity and consequently – and without hyperbole – a new age. It would be new and revolutionary in the spiritual sense because never before has humanity en masse given birth to a global expression of the values of love and co-operation.
In this chapter the Tibetan lists eight questions (page 78), the answering of which he suggests will help humanity solve its problems "or, if they remain unsolved, the human race will come to an end". Such a stark warning should lead all servers and lovers of humanity to investigate to what extent these questions have been resolved, to help think through immediately practical steps to help in their resolution, and to formulate further questions which could be added to the list because of circumstantial change over the decades since this book was written. For the purpose of this paper let us briefly consider four of them.
Is the capitalistic system to remain in power? (question 1).
This issue was decided for the then foreseeable future in the 1980s with the collapse of the Soviet communist bloc. The reasons for this collapse are superficially complex, but boil down to two causes. The first is the fact that the Soviet Government was inherently dishonest in its manifestation of the communist ideal and ruled by fear, information control, state censorship and deep infringements of the "Four Freedoms". The second is the fear of the communist system by what came to be known as the "West" leading to the confrontation between the capitalist West and the Communist East. Major mechanisms of this confrontation were the cold war (which extraordinarily did not turn hot), an economically destructive arms race and many small "proxy" wars focussed in the Middle East, the Far East and the African and Latin American continents. The cold war was truly a manifestation of the Tibetan's words, "a world in which all nations live in an armed armistice in which distrust is forever rampant and in which science is prostituted to the art of destruction. In this world an explosion must and will eventually take place which will destroy humanity …" This came to a denouement with the financial implosion of the Soviet Union and its fragmentation in the late 1980s. Incidentally, this collapse has also undermined and compromised the spiritual triangle of the Soviet Union, the British Commonwealth and the US that held so much potential for good in the world.
Question 3. Can labour and capital form a working agreement or amalgamation? Do we face another war between these two groups?
My childhood memories in England are of continual disruption to industry particularly motor manufacture, shipbuilding and transport as these two protagonists fought their respective corners. What many considered to be the irresponsible uses of power by the trade unions in Britain evoked Mrs Thatcher as their nemesis and her government emasculated union power far beyond what was necessary to curb abuse and set things on to a better footing, to the detriment of all working people and indeed the country as a whole. So in that sense in the UK there has been an imposed working agreement. Also, things have moved on and in the 21st century the relationship between capital and labour is now transnational. The policy of the multinational corporations is to outsource much of their manufacturing to third world countries where labour costs are minimal and laws protecting working people and the natural environment seem to be either non-existent or ignored. The results include "sweat shops" where child labour and other abuses, reminiscent of 19th century Britain for example, are again manifesting to humanity's shame, and have also given rise to industrial and environmental disasters such as the explosion of the chemical plant in Bhopal in India.
Question 4. In what way can the Law of Supply and Demand be implemented so that there is justice for all and plenty for all?
This is a most thought-provoking question, as this law is regarded as an unavoidable basic truth by economists. But what is this law? It is clearly not like a law of physics, gravity for example, that is inherent in the physical nature of the universe. Rather, it seems to me to be an observed mechanism of human relationship. Relationships are governed by the motives of the people involved. Where the selfishness of the personality rules, these relationships are acquisitive, exploitative and harmful. Where the altruism of the soul rules then relationships are empowering, healing and lead to the true meeting of human needs. We can conclude from this that when it is properly implemented by the soul, the law of supply and demand will indeed lead to justice and plenty for all, and it can then be re-named as the law of supply and need. What evidence is there for this happening? The answer is, not much. The global economy is still very much organised by acquisitive capitalist enterprise and there is a consequent ever-widening gap between rich and poor. The soul does not yet govern the international economy. This leads automatically to a consideration of question 7.
What must be done to prevent the moneyed interests from again mobilizing for the exploitation of the world?
It is obvious that after the 2nd World War the moneyed interests did indeed mobilise and consolidate for the exploitation of the world. This they have been able to do far more ruthlessly than before because of globalisation and the consequent reduction of the control that can be exercised by governments, groups of governments such as the EU, and the UN. The present huge international cartels and businesses are characterised by "exploitation of man-power, the manipulation of the major planetary resources and the promotion of war for private or business profit", to use the Tibetan's words again. As an example of the latter I recently spoke with a Sri Lankan acquaintance who works for the BBC foreign language service and asked him about the possibility of ending the current civil war in Sri Lanka. His view is that the civil war will not be allowed to end as too many people are making huge amounts of money out of it, particularly in arms sales. So we still have in this – and I am sure many other examples – validating evidence of the Tibetan's assertion that "the capitalistic system has emerged and has wrecked the world".
Answering these questions can be a bleak exercise leading to frustration at the perceived lack of human progress, a level of despair when the extent of the obstacles to this progress is recognised and probably magnified by an over pessimistic imagination, and an incapacitating fear of failure – the disciple's greatest fear and one that is negatively affecting (or should we say infecting) humanity, the world disciple at this time.
What can we say that will present a more balanced view of the truth. Let us take the advice of the Agni Yoga teaching, "As through a magnifying glass behold the good, and belittle tenfold the signs of imperfection, lest you remain as you always were." (Leaves of Morya's Garden 1: 32). So let us put a magnifying glass to some of the good things that have happened and are happening.
Speaking generally it should firstly be noted that, despite all fears and premonitions, a thermo-nuclear third world war did not happen. Many who lived through the Cuban missile crisis and the worst excesses of the arms race still find this a remarkable fact. We can be sure that this was due to two interrelated factors; firstly the work of Hierarchy in evoking the good the beautiful and the true in humanity, and secondly the prevalence of goodness and altruism in the human family without which any attempt by Hierarchy to help humanity avoid a final conflagration would be impossible as well as futile.
Secondly, world public opinion has become so strong that it is now internationally a force to be reckoned with. It has even been proposed that it is now "the next superpower in the world". Again as the Tibetan put it: "When men everywhere – within the boundaries of their particular state and whilst upholding its authority and its civilisation – begin to think in terms of mankind, then public opinion will become so potent and so right in its inclusiveness that state policies must inevitably conform to the larger ideal…(Externalisation of the Hierarchy p.219)"
Today in 2008, there are cracks appearing in the dominant world system of free market economics. Some former laissez-faire economic experts are now having second thoughts about the ability of the invisible hand of the market to resolve all issues, and are recognizing that attempts by the World Bank and the IMF to impose free market solutions on developing countries has led to a worsening of the situation for them and their people. In contrast, the countries which chose to ignore these institutions advice and followed a path of government controlled development are now seen as the most successful of the emerging economies. Two examples are South Korea and Malaysia.
A recent significant development is the founding of the "Bank of the South" in Latin America. This is deliberately intended as an alternative to the World Bank and the IMF. Hugo Chavez, the President of Venezuela is the originator of the idea. Other participating countries are Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Uruguay. All twelve South American countries will be eligible to borrow from the Bank. Loans will not be contingent upon imposed economic policies that dictate privatization of services such as water and power and reduction of government spending upon healthcare and education. Many view this as a breath of fresh air in the sterile harshness of imposed fiscal policy and as a real contribution to effective development programmes.
The obvious remedy for the situation of labour exploitation by globalized production is a globalized trade union or labour movement that has the power to compel the multinationals to measure up to their responsibilities as employers and as institutions that have a huge impact on the global environment. Happily this is manifesting in many ways. One example can be seen in the website for Global Unions which states :–
Increasingly, the name "Global Unions" is being used for the major institutions of the international trade union movement. Global Unions comprises:–
- The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), which represents most national trade union centres. Most individual unions relate to the ITUC through their national union centre.
- The ten Global Union Federations (GUFs), the international representatives of unions organising in specific industry sectors or occupational groups.
- The Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD
An individual union will usually belong to a national union centre in its country, which will then affiliate to a world body such as the ITUC. The same individual union will also usually affiliate to a GUF relevant to the industry where it has members. Often, unions with members in many different industries will belong to more than one GUF.Global Unions is also the name of this website, which is jointly owned and managed by the 12 Global Unions organisations. The website gives its members the ability to draw the attention of their partners, their members, and the press to the news they produce and the campaigns they run.
Regarding the law of supply and demand, there is considerable thought being given on how to create a more equitable sharing of wealth and resources in the world. The "live-aid" phenomenon, the huge popular demand for debt relief and, more prosaically, the UN initiatives like the World Food Programme are all examples of the human soul trying to implement supply and demand and meet basic needs.
Another phenomenon is the "fair trade" movement in which consumers can be sure that a significant portion of the money they spend on, for example bananas or coffee and so on, goes to the growers and is not siphoned off into the profits of the middle men. A few statistics from the Fairtrade Foundation web site are most encouraging:
The Fairtrade Foundation reveals an increase of estimated retail sales of Fairtrade products to £493m, a staggering 81% increase on 2006 sales of £273m. Sales have been increasing by over 40 percent year-on-year since 2002.
- Fairtrade bananas are the best selling Fairtrade product with sales topping £150m, an increase of 130%. 1 in 4 bananas sold are now Fairtrade and we eat 3m Fairtrade bananas a day
- Fairtrade coffee sales rose 24% to over £117m
- Items made with Fairtrade certified cotton increased from over half a million to just under 9.5m units
- Fairtrade tea rose 24% to just over £30m. And recent commercial developments mean Fairtrade tea should account for a tenth of tea sold in the UK by the end of 2008
But it has to be pointed out that these examples exist to meet needs that have been created by the dominant selfish application of this law of supply and demand. Nevertheless, they are heartening indications that we are collectively beginning to move in the right direction.
Today we have to acknowledge that behind all present economic and manufacturing programmes lies the major problem of the ability of the earth to provide the raw materials for and to absorb the waste products from this level of activity. It has been variously calculated that if everyone in the world were to have the consumption level of the average American then we would need at least 3 more planets like our earth to provide the food raw materials and to process and absorb the waste we would produce. This is clearly not going to happen.
However, some experts are optimistic that we can steer a path to a future that will be collectively acceptable. This view was cogently expressed by Dr Jeffrey Sachs in his 2007 series of BBC Reith Lectures. He pulled no punches in outlining the magnitude and complexity of the situation, but presented a convincing view that if we, humanity as a whole, work together there is a possibility that we can resolve the issues and create a sustainably developed world in which all people can have a reasonable share in the world's wealth and in the opportunities for education and personal development and fulfilment. An opposing view was expressed by Dr James Lovelock in an interview in the Guardian Newspaper on March 1st 2008 when he asserted his conviction that, from a climate point of view, we have already passed the "tipping point" and that there is nothing we can really do now to avoid significant planetary changes that, from the human perspective, will be catastrophic.
It has long been my view that humanity has effectively tried to postpone having to make decisions about the choices facing it in the late 40s and early 50s. We are now at a time of reckoning when all the problems are coming to be seen as converging into one problem, the problem of building right relationships between the peoples of the world, and between humanity and the world and the other kingdoms in nature as well, in short the problem of rising above personality and manifesting the soul. In our collective struggle to rise to the soul, that "something extra" can happen as Hierarchy will match every advance we make with its own benevolent action and unanticipated gifts. There is no doubt in my mind that we can achieve what is necessary. But will we?


text:
- "Isn't he the one who claimed he was going to become Minister for Magic when he was trying to chat up those veela?"
- —Ron Weasley explains Stan Shunpike[src]
Stanley "Stan" Shunpike (born between 15 September 1974 and 13 September 1975[1]) was a wizard and was the conductor and helper of the Knight Bus. On 14 September 1996, he was arrested and sent to Azkaban for being a Death Eater when he was overheard claiming to have inside information about the organisation, although in all likelihood, he was only fooling around.[1] In 1997, he broke free from prison and joined the Death Eaters under the Imperius Curse. His fate after the war is unknown; he most likely awoke from the Curse following Lord Voldemort's ultimate defeat, like all the other Imperiused victims[2], and returned to his job.
Early life
Stanley was born between 15 September 1974 and 13 September 1975,[1] and possibly grew up in inner London, as he had a strong Cockney accent. It is unknown if he ever attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but if so, he would have attended from 1986 to 1993, making him in the same year as Marcus Flint.
Conductor of the Knight Bus
Stan was a skilled motorist, but not a man of high intelligence. As such, Stan failed to recognise Harry Potter who had just fled from 4 Privet Drive and instead believed his alias of Neville Longbottom. But then again it might have simply been that he did not get time to properly examine Harry's scar, as Harry hid it immediately after Stan showed interest, which would have likely confirmed Harry's true identity. When talking to Harry and others on the Knight Bus he showed his love of gossip and of having inside information, a trait that later landed him in Azkaban. He was shocked when Harry nonchalantly spoke the name "Voldemort", and even when later meeting up with Cornelius Fudge, who confirmed Harry's true identity, Stan continued to refer Harry as "Neville" for the rest of that trip.
1994 Quidditch World Cup
Stan attended the 1994 Quidditch World Cup, and after the match, Stan and several others were witnessed by Harry and Ron Weasley trying to chat up a group of Veela, with Stan making the outrageous comment of him "about to be made the youngest Minister for Magic ever", in an effort to impress them.
Stan met Harry once again when he, along with Ron and his siblings were being transported by the Knight Bus back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Stan, this time, realised who Harry was, though made the mistake of blurting out his name to his friend, the driver, Ernie Prang. Harry's primary bodyguard; the expertly-disguised Auror Nymphadora Tonks, threatened to "curse Stan into oblivion" if he did it again, as they were concerned for Harry's security.
Imprisonment for showing off
- "Stanley Shunpike, conductor of the popular Wizarding conveyance the Knight Bus, has been arrested on suspicion of Death Eater activity. Mr Shunpike, 21, was taken into custody late last night after a raid on his Clapham home...."
- —Excerpt from a Daily Prophet article about Stan Shunpike's arrest[src]
Stan, true to his vain nature, tried to impress his friends at a local pub by making the statement that he had inside knowledge of the Death Eaters' plans. The Ministry of Magic, now led by Rufus Scrimgeour, found out and raided his home in Clapham, taking him into custody on suspicion of Death Eater activity. Stan was then sent to Azkaban prison. Stan continued his incarceration throughout 1996, and was one of the reasons that Harry refused to cooperate with Scrimgeour, or serve as the Ministry's "poster child", as Harry refused to believe that Stan could be a Death Eater. Indeed, the interrogation with Stan has revealed that he has absolutely no link with the Death Eaters, but the Ministry kept him in order to put up a façade of progress.
Escape and Battle of the Seven PottersIn 1997, Azkaban experienced yet another breakout, but Stan was freed and joined the Death Eaters' ranks (under the Imperius Curse). Stan took part in the Battle of the Seven Potters, during which he and nearly 30 other Death Eaters flew into battle against members of the Order of the Phoenix who were trying to transport Harry Potter to safety. Stan and several others, unknowingly, tracked down the real Harry (who had been given decoys to lure pursuers away). In combat, Harry fired a spell that knocked Stan's Death Eater mask off, exposing his "blank eyes" (a tell-tale sign of Imperius control), and, because a Stunning Spell while over a hundred feet in the air would result in Stan falling to his death, Harry elected to shoot a Disarming Charm, blowing Stan's wand out of his hand, though Stan's comrades recognised this as Harry's "signature move" and broke off their attack, instead summoning Voldemort himself into the fray.
It is unknown if he participated in the Battle of Hogwarts.
Later life
Following the Battle of Hogwarts, it was reported that hundreds of people under the control of the Imperius curse were freed. If Stan survived to this point, and if he was really under the Imperius Curse, he most likely returned to his job on the Knight Bus, though his fate is unknown.
Physical description
He was described as being "eighteen or nineteen at most" in 1993, and as having "large, protruding ears and quite a few pimples". He wore a purple uniform as to go with the colour of the Knight Bus. He had a vain nature which was akin to Gilderoy Lockhart, although less pronounced. Lockhart easily made women and girls swoon over him, whereas Stan had often resorted to boasting when in the presence of attractive young women in order to try and impress them. Stan had a fairly slovenly appearance and was somewhat more unkempt appearance than most wizards (although not to the extent of the likes of Morfin Gaunt), suggesting he resorted to toughness to bolster his perceived credibility with girls.
The name Stanley also belonged to one of J. K. Rowling's grandfathers, with the other one being named Ernie, which was the name given to the driver of the Knight Bus, Ernie Prang. The name Shunpike may refer to "shunning a pike", i.e. swerving onto to a highway exit in order to avoid a tollbooth on the turnpike.
Behind the scenes
- Stan Shunpike was played by Lee Ingleby in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. His character was cut from the remainder of the film adaptations in which he would have appeared. He was originally rumoured to be returning to the role in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, but that rumour didn't turn out to be true.
- Despite being described in the books as looking like he was in his late teens, with a pimply face, Stan was played by nearly 30 year old Ingleby in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
- Since Stan was omitted from the video game adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, his role when he talked to Harry about Sirius Black was replaced with Ron.
- During the events in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Ron Weasley pretended to be Stan Shunpike twice. The first time when he was caught by a couple of Snatchers and later to Werewolf, Fenrir Greyback. Greyback knew that Ron was not Stan.
- Stanley was named after Joanne K. Rowling's grandfather, Stanley Volant.
- In the 2004 LEGO Harry Potter set 4755 Knight Bus, Stan replaces Ernest Prang as the driver of the Knight Bus.
- He seems to disdain Muggles, as when Harry asks him whether the Muggles are able to see and hear the Knight Bus, Stan contemptuously remarks that Muggles don't listen and see properly, not to mention they never notice anything.
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (First appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (Possible appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game) (Mentioned only)
- LEGO Harry Potter: Building the Magical World
- LEGO Harry Potter: Characters of the Magical World
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
- LEGO Harry Potter
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 11 (Hermione's Helping Hand), the Daily Prophet reports "Mr Shunpike, 21, was taken into custody late last night". This happens on 14 September as it is one week after Harry's and Dumbledore's first private lesson ("Now Harry came to think of it, he had not seen Dumbledore since their private lesson a week ago.") which we know was on Saturday after the first week of class. (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 10 (The House of Gaunt) - "Ah, good evening, Harry. Sit down," said Dumbledore, smiling. "I hope you've had an enjoyable first week back at school?""). As 1 September 1996 falls on a Sunday then the second Saturday of term would be the 14th, and Stan would have to be 21 years old by this date.
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 36 (The Flaw in the Plan)