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Targeting the microcirculation in resuscitation of patients with septic shock: fluid is superior to norepinephrine
Intensive Care Medicine Experimental volume 3, Article number: A646 (2015)
Our goal was to examine whether fluid improve microcirculation when compared with norepinephrine in responsive septic shock patients despite early goal-directed therapy.
This was a single centre prospective study. Patients in septic shock for less than 24 hours despite fluid resuscitation were enrolled. Passive leg raising test was performed to predict fluid responsiveness. Responders were randomizedly divided into two groups, i.e. Resp-FL group and Resp-NE group to maintain usual MAP. In Resp-FL group, patients were treated by fluid until with no response to passive leg raising test, then the MAP was titrated to usual level by NE. In Resp-NE group, doses of NE were adjusted to maintain usual level of MAP directly. Nonresponders were enrolled in Nonresp group, MAP was titrated to usual MAP by norepinephrine.
Twenty-four patients were enrolled, including 14 responders (7 in Resp-FL group and 7 in Resp-NE group) and 10 nonresponders. Compared with nonresponders, lactate of responders was significantly lower (2.9 ± 2.8 vs. 1.3 ± 0.7 mmol/L, p < 0.05). Compared with Nonresp group, the change of cardiac output was significantly higher in Resp-FL group and Resp-NE group (33.1 ± 28.5 vs. 28.1 ± 16.8%, p < 0.05). Compared with Resp-FL group(TVD: 30.6 ± 10.7%, PVD: 67.8 ± 58.2%, MFI: 61.5 ± 23.4%), the change of microcirculatory parameters were significantly lower of Resp-NE group (TVD: 11.1 ± 18.4%, PVD: 11.8 ± 17.2%, MFI: 15.8 ± 14.5%).
Responsiveness influenced the choice of resuscitation strategy in early septic shock patients despite early goal-directed therapy. In responders, microcirculatory improvement was found when compared fluid with norepinephrine.
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Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits use, duplication, adaptation, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.
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Xu, J., Yang, Y. & Qiu, H. Targeting the microcirculation in resuscitation of patients with septic shock: fluid is superior to norepinephrine. ICMx 3 (Suppl 1), A646 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1186/2197-425X-3-S1-A646
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/2197-425X-3-S1-A646


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Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
Public Health is different from other health care because it focuses on the community as a whole. The vision of public health is to equip people with up-to-date information and proven resources, emphasizing prevention and common sense. The key to good health lies within the community itself, in the concern and appreciation we have for each other. This is the heart of the Big Horn County Public Health Department.

subset: commoncrawl


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Level 3 Communications (NYSE: LVLT) has completed work on two network expansions in Westchester County, New York, the company said.
The fiber sub-loops provide enterprise customers with access to Level 3´s global product portfolio, additional business continuity disaster recovery (BCDR) services as well as fiber path diversity.
The expansions build on Level 3´s existing network in New York, adding a 2.5-mile sub-loop from Tarrytown to Hawthorne and a 5.0-mile sub-loop through purchase. These additional sub-loops strengthen route diversity, further fortifying BCDR capabilities and providing businesses with a complete fiber path, additional route diversity and increased capacity
Level 3 Communications, Inc. is a Fortune 500 company that provides local, national and global communications services to enterprise, government and carrier customers.
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When you have just started your online marketing efforts, you will probably be a little confused as to what you should be doing. This article will help you understand what you should be doing to be successful in your SEO Adelaide internet marketing efforts.
You need to find ways to increase the traffic to your site. To do this, you need to write articles. There are many ways that you can write articles, and they all have their benefits. Some article writers have been known to do this daily, and some write their articles only when they need to, and others like to do it on a monthly basis.
Articles that are written on a daily basis will generate plenty of traffic. Articles that are written only when you need them can be easily used as references for the products you are marketing. This means that you can use this method to help you build your online presence and increase your credibility in your particular industry. By building your online reputation, you will be able to attract more customers.
Another part of your SEO Adelaide internet marketing strategy is to sign up for pay per click advertising. This is not a bad idea if you do it properly, and it can pay you a lot of money, but it can also be very costly if you do it in the wrong way.
To make your pay per click advertising work properly, you need to use it in the right way. You need to create a good ad, and you need to create a good title and a good description.
There are many places on the internet that you can go to learn about the different types of ways to use pay per click advertising. If you are not sure about how to use pay per click advertising, you can always hire a service that will give you the training you need. There are also many different types of pay per click services that you can use.
You can use Google AdWords to advertise your site, or you can use a service that will let you advertise for free on other sites. This service will charge you a small fee, but it can be well worth it because you will be able to use your money to advertise on other sites.
Another good way to use your pay per click advertising is to use Google AdWords on blogs. Blogs are a great way to advertise for free. You can write articles that give your site and products a good image, and you can even write about them in a way that can draw in more people to your blog. This will allow you to advertise on other sites and get more traffic.
All in all, the best way to use pay per click advertising is to create your content and use it as a way of promoting your SEO Adelaide internet marketing efforts. You can even use articles to help you get more people to your site.


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Friday, September 21, 2012
Kaw-Liga - Hank Williams
Kaw-liga, was a wooden indian standing by the door
He fell in love with an indian maid over in the antique store
Kaw-liga - a, just stood there and never let it show
So she could never answer yes or no.
He always wore his sunday feathers and held a tomahawk
The maiden wore her beads and braids and hoped someday hed talk
Kaw-liga - a, too stubborn to ever show a sign
Because his heart was made of knotty pine.
poor ol kaw-liga, he never got a kiss
poor ol kaw-liga, he dont know what he missed
is it any wonder that his face is red
Kaw-liga, that poor ol wooden head.
Kaw-liga, was a lonely indian never went nowhere
His heart was set on the indian maiden with the coal black hair
Kaw-liga - a, just stood there and never let it show
So she could never answer yes or no.
Then one day a wealthy customer bought the indian maid
And took her, oh, so far away, but ol kaw-liga stayed
Kaw-liga - a, just stands there as lonely as can be
And wishes he was still an old pine tree.
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Honourable Deputy-Speaker and Honourable Members
In November 1990, 85 churches met for the National Conference of Church Leaders in South Africa and produced what is well known as the Rustenburg Declaration. The central theme of the Conference was the expression of the contrition for the wrongs and sins of the past, and a call for action to repair those wrongs.
In paragraph 2.4. of the declaration, the (Church Leaders) Conference said … "we know that without genuine repentance and practical restitution we cannot appropriate God's forgiveness and that without justice true reconciliation is impossible".
The Conference said… "As a first step towards restitution, we call on the Government to return all land expropriated … to its original owners".
The call by the church leaders, would respond to what, today, seems to be glaringly missing in the debate about land. Notwithstanding the provisions of the constitution, the question of moral demand or rightness of not only changing land access and relationships, BUT of repairing the hurt, misery, brokenness, and trauma of people often violently ripped from their land for generations.
In 2013, we marked the centenary of the 1913 Native Land Act, which heralded an extraordinary scale of land dispossession. Many South Africans, including members of this House, made moving observations and experiences about the viciousness of that Act and its subsequent impact on land ownership in South Africa.
However, any talk on land, has still not translated into a legislative and policy landscape that recognises the question of land reform as a matter inclusive economic development, moral concern and legal justice.
The United Democratic Movement (UDM) supports the wide and inclusive consultative process on this matter of nation interest. We want to remind citizens that the most lucrative and substantial amount of land was taken before the 19th of June 1913.
The failure of the restitution programme, as found in the report of the High Panel, represents justice denied. The principle of justice, as would have been understood by the conference of Church Leaders, demands that where something was unjust acquired or taken away, it must be returned or given back.
In simple language, if you steal my vehicle, I lay a claim to it, I deserve it back. I am not required to buy it back. This is what the moral and legal interpretation of what justice must be. Justice delayed is justice denied.
It cannot be that to the victor go the spoils and so a "finder-keepers" situation. In fact, what may invite unending conflict, is not the return of land to its rightful owners, but the refusal to do so "… return the land to its rightful owners".
Given the historical reality of our society, the current economic challenges confronting the nation, the increasing levels of inequality and poverty, the UDM support, the motion.
Thank you


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'I've Had a Gun to My Head': 48-YO Who Saved 10,000 Blackbucks & Chinkaras
Anil Bishnoi, a farmer and activist from Rajasthan, shares how he saved 10,000 blackbucks and chinkaras who are now protected across 60 panchayats while also building them ponds so that they can survive the summer heat.
Anil Bishnoi was about to call it a night when he received a call from his village informer in Rajasthan's Hanumangarh to save a blackbuck. So, in 14℃ weather, he raced to the spot, driving for 30 kilometres on pitch dark roads.
By the time he reached, the antilope cervicapra had been shot dead and prepared into a delicacy. Anil then handed over the perpetrator to the police, and was subsequently sentenced for six years for killing the endangered animal. Anil had filed a case under the Schedule I of the Wildlife Act, 1972.
The incident got a lot of attention from the regional media and also sent a stern warning to the poachers in the region.
"He wanted to impress his son-in-law with this meat dish and there was no remorse when he confessed," Anil, a farmer and activist, tells The Better India.
"I have come across several poachers who believe it is okay to kill animals for entertainment purposes. It is because of such people that I decided to initiate a mission to protect these animals in Hanumangarh and Sriganganagar in 1990," he adds.
The 48-year-old belongs to the Bishnoi community who consider blackbucks sacred and a reincarnation of their Guru Bhagwan Jambeshwar. The community has been known to make sacrifices to protect the trees and animals. They believe that every living creature has the right to live peacefully.
"We will never tolerate any harm to blackbucks. With a life span of 10-15 years, they are nervous and shy by nature. They inhabit jungles, farms and scrubland," adds Anil.
A recipient of Dalmia Water Environment Protection Award and state-level Amrita Devi Environmental Protection Award, Anil's brilliant efforts have been recognised and lauded multiple times by the Rajasthan government. He has been accorded with the status of Honorary Wildlife Warden.
Anil, who once wanted to get into the teaching profession, shares how he has been keeping more than 10,000 chinkara and blackbucks protected across 60 panchayats while tackling death threats.
'Threats Won't Stop Me'
Growing up in the 80s, Anil noted the deaths of two to three blackbucks almost every day in his district. While he was angry and sad, there was nothing he could do.
It was during his college days that he finally got a chance to make a difference.
"In 1990, I was studying in a Suratgarh college. One day, our community had organised a conference to spread awareness on deforestation and killing of the wildlife. This made me rethink my life's philosophy and had a deep impact on my mind. The highlight was the case studies of people who had been saving blackbucks for decades," recalls Anil.
After finishing his B Ed and BA, Anil returned to his village called Lakhasar and took up farming of pulses and grains on his ancestral land.
There were multiple reasons behind the blackbuck fatalities such as dog bites, extreme climates and road accidents. Hunting was the most pressing issue so Anil began a campaign to stop poachers.
But for a 20-something boy to catch hold of experienced poachers was not easy.
He mobilised villagers to alert him every time there was a hunting possibility. From stopping the poachers to registering cases against them, Anil did everything. His mission soon got attention from nearby villages and the poaching-related calls increased.
In one of his earlier cases, the hunter had killed five blackbucks for their meat. As he tried to stall the hunter till the forest officials and local police arrived on the spot, the hunter pointed a gun to his head.
"I was scared but it was necessary to risk my life, if it meant saving the species. Thankfully, the team arrived and he was arrested. I have caught 300 poachers red handed so far and put several of them in jail," says Anil.
Anil visits courts as a witness and follows up with the cases till the punishment is given. At times, he even organises peaceful rallies to sensitise people to the issue. He works with a team of 3,000 people across 12 districts of Rajasthan.
Karan Singh Kajla, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Hanumangarh, says, "Anil ji's work is commendable. I have not seen another person doing such a selfless job of saving lives in the area. Anil has made saving wildlife his life's goal. Whatever they do, they do it from the heart. The forest department is grateful for his and his team's services."
'They Are Like My Children'
Apart from preventing poachers, Anil also looks after the well-being of blackbucks and chinkaras.
He looks after the injured animals and gives them first-aid either at home or at the forest department's medical centre.
"In case of roadside or shooting injuries, they take a few weeks to heal and during this time it is important to give them love and care. Hunters often kill the mother and then the children are left alone, who may fall prey to the wild dogs. We rescue and look after them till they are ready to go back to the forest. If they die, then we organise their funerals, too," says Anil.
Another major issue that Anil and his team face is the water scarcity during summers. Insufficient drinking water can be fatal for wildlife. So, he raised Rs 2,00,000 among the villagers to build 66 ponds in 2017.
"We got a lot of support from people who were kind enough to give us construction materials for free — even masons did not charge anything. In case of scanty rainfall, we spend money to get water from tankers. Fortunately, for the last two years we have received a good amount of rainfall," says Anil.
Ramswaroop Manjhu, National President of All India Bishnoi Mahasabha, says, "Anil has been engaged in the work of saving wildlife for many years. He contributes to protecting the environment and wildlife with the spirit of service. His work is nothing short of exemplary."
Initially, Anil's family was skeptical about his work given the risks, but now his children, wife, brother and sister-in-law are the first ones to provide first-aid to the injured blackbucks and chinkaras. During lockdown too the family looked after the deer.
Given that most villages have a blackbuck population of more than 100, Anil has been trying to set up a community reserve for them since 2000. Until he gets one, he says that he will continue to provide his services.
(Edited by Yoshita Rao)
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Collagen has become a key ingredient in keeping your dog's health on the right track! Proven to beautify skin and coats along with preventing hip and joint pain, collagen is the best-kept secret to a healthy pup.
What is collagen?
Collagen is not just a trendy ingredient. It is the primary protein in a dog's connective tissue, skin and bones. In fact, collagen makes up 30% of the total protein in their body, also holding 70% of the total protein in their skin and coat alone!
There are three types of collagen found in a dog's body. All three are equally important, but work for different types of bodily functions. Type I & III are excellent for maintaining healthy skin muscles and bones. Type II has been found to help joint and cartilage function. As dog's age, their bodies lose the ability to continue to make collagen – but the good news is supplementation can help replace it.
How can collagen help my dog's skin/coat?
When it comes to your dog's coat, collagen works to rebuild any dead or damaged cells. This creates a constant growth of skin cells and hair follicles to support a healthy, shiny, lustrous and full coat, along with healthy skin!
The Missing Link's Collagen Care for Skin & Coat has a specialized formula including Type I & III collagen to support a healthy coat. Through the power of collagen, ground flax seed, fish oil and coconut oil, these chews will help revitalize your dog's dry, itchy and dull coat issues.
Can collagen help and prevent joint pain in my dog?
It is very common for dogs to develop arthritis or hip dysplasia. This can depend on your dog's age, breed, and genetic history.
Collagen has proven to help reduce inflammation that these conditions can cause.
Supplements like The Missing Link's Collagen Care for Hips & Joints provide your dog's body with essential amino acids for bone strength and elasticity, helping maintain cartilage and connective tissue, along with supporting a healthy anti-inflammatory response.
Does collagen provide a calming effect in dogs?
Along with the numerous benefits mentioned earlier, collagen can be combined with other calming ingredients to soothe your dog during stressful situations.
Whether it be anxiety due to loud noises or gastric distress, The Missing Link's Collagen Care for Calm & Focus will help your dog cope!
Their recipe is great for anxious animals or dogs that have sleeping problems. Including Type I & III collagen, the Calm & Focus recipe includes probiotics to help soothe gastric distress, chamomile to promote relaxation and mental alertness without drowsiness and more!
Please consult your veterinarian about any health concerns before altering your pet's diet.
Try Collagen Care at PetFlow today and get free shipping on orders $49+!


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This week's message will take a look at a most important, but often neglected, aspect of the ministry of Jesus, that of His Ascension to the right hand of the Father. Please review Luke's two succinct descriptions of this magnificent event, found in Luke 24:50-53 and Acts 1:9-11 as we discover together encouragements for our own lives in these verses.
In Christ,
Pastor Flaa


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Two of Pensacola's biggest, best hearts
Thursday / January 15 / 2015
DeDe Flounlacker and Andrea Kreiger are the kind of women who do Pensacola proud. Their professional lives in the community's nonprofit world have been linked for years. Wednesday they were honored together, each for her outstanding commitment to serving others. Krieger and Flounlacker were lauded with the Volunteer Florida Champion... Read More
State honors local volunteers
Thursday / January 15 / 2015
Having weathered hurricanes, floods and storms, few Pensacolians are strangers to giving or receiving helping hands. Still, few can declare they are "champions" of helping. In a ceremony at city hall Wednesday afternoon, DeDe Flounlacker, executive director of Manna Food Bank, and Andrea Krieger, president and CEO of United Way... Read More


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Hightide Settlement Services uses its extensive industry experience along with a customer-first philosophy to tailor comprehensive and customized solutions that meet the specific title and settlement needs of its customers. The company's experienced leadership team gives corporation-level performance and boutique-level service for a holistic approach geared towards finding the right solution for customers' business.
With a flexible, client-specific approach to solution development, real estate owners can say goodbye to one-size-fits all services and say hello to a perfect solution that fits your needs every time. At Hightide Settlement Services, you'll find personalized, automated processes geared towards your business's success.
When Hightide Settlement Services first approached Social Xccess it needed a new website to better service its existing customers and attract more businesses in need of title and closing services. The Orange, California title and closing company needed to create a new website that effectively told its brand story and communicated all of its service offerings. As part of their growth strategy, Social Xccess migrated the website to WordPress and optimized all landing pages and blog posts for SEO as well as significantly increasing the company's site's speed. To ensure they could meet their ambitious growth objectives, they needed a digital marketing agency that had extensive experience generating leads and developing new content for title and closing companies.


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The 2013 New Jersey Revised Statutes Section 2A:42A-8.1 states that a property owner owes a duty of care to people legally on their premises. But, if someone gets injured while on their property, the fault doesn't always automatically fall on the owners.
When property owners are held liable
Property owners are legally obligated to take measures like setting up signs for potentially dangerous areas, repairing known issues, and providing adequate lighting in common areas. If they don't do these things and you get hurt as a result, then they can be held liable for your personal injury.
For example, if you slipped on a wet floor at the grocery store and there was no "Wet Floor" sign, the store could be held responsible. The same goes for if you were walking down a set of stairs that wasn't well-lit and you tripped because you couldn't see where you were going. In both cases, the property owner didn't take reasonable steps to keep visitors safe so that they would be liable.
When property owners aren't held accountable
In some situations, the owner wouldn't be held liable even if an injury occurred on their property. This is usually because the visitor was acting in a way that wasn't reasonably safe. For example, if you were trespassing on someone's property and got hurt, they wouldn't be held responsible.
When filing a personal injury lawsuit against the premises owner, the law requires you to show how negligent they were in making their property safe for you. This can be done by providing evidence that the property owner knew or should have known about the hazard and didn't take steps to fix it or warn visitors. Then, you will need to prove how their negligence was a substantial factor in causing your injuries. If the judge rules in your favor, you may be able to recover compensation for your medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering.


text: Goteleak Judea was born in 1940. He was evacuated to Halifax in 1945 for medical treatment due to severe migraine headaches. He returned to his community in 1946. In this interval Goteleak learned to speak English. When he was 12 years old Goteleak worked aboard Rupert's Land, an HBC ship . His family relocated to Kimmirut in order to receive a family allowance. During a hunting trip with his uncle, Joanasie Lyta, Goteleak witnessed an RCMP officer shooting two of his uncle's dogs, including the lead dog. In Kimmirut, Goteleak was directed by his uncle to kill 11 of his own family's dogs. Although tied up, these dogs were to be shot under orders from the RCMP. While Goteleak was in Iqaluit unloading supplies from ships, he saw the RCMP shoot dogs that were tied up.


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Since his introduction in the summer of 1942 (in Detective Comics #66's "The Crimes of Two-Face") Harvey Dent (first introduced as "Harvey Kent") has grown from an important member of the Batman's rogues gallery to one of the central figures in the Dark Knight's mythos. Dent's lofty arc is mostly thanks to Tommy Lee Jones's portrayal in Batman Forever (way over the top though it was), Aaron Eckhart's performance in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, and, most importantly — at least as far as the mainstream's perception of the character goes — the Two-Face of Batman: The Animated Series voiced by Richard Moll. While the tone of the character has varied as wildly as that of the media in which he's been appeared, the core of a good man doomed by his dark side, has remained more or less consistent. All of which is to say that actor Nicholas D'Agosto has as much to live up to as any actor on Gotham, and probably more; with the possible exception of the Penguin, the only adult villain on the show whose persona is closer to that of their traditional portrayal.
Of course while the Penguin may be more famous (due in no small part to his recurring role on the 1966 Batman TV show), discerning superhero fans would no doubt rank Harvey Dent's alter ego as the far more significant foe. Thankfully, D'Agosto acquits himself well here as the young assistant district attorney, using, as he did on Masters of Sex, his boyish face to lull his opponents into a false sense of security before revealing a mile-wide violent streak. In that, he does pretty much all fans could ask: bringing something new to his character without violating that which has gone before. In "Harvey Dent" (the episode's name is something of a misnomer, since Dent's introduction is just one of several storylines explored), we get a taste of the split personality that will ultimately break and remold him, as Dent convinces businessman (and presumed Falcone associate) Dick Lovecraft into sharing info by threatening to "rip him open."
The new character most central to the episode's plot is Ian Hargrove, an unbalanced and imprisoned demolitions expert, who, while being transported from Blackgate Prison, is captured by Fish Mooney's Russian mobster pals, and drafted to wreak havoc on Falcone. There's an affecting scene in which Hargrove's brother describes him as not a bad man, but "sick." While that sickness gives us a break from the traditional serial-killer-of-the-week stories, in the end it functions primarily as a bridge across which the plot can move two-hundred prisoners from Blackgate to the newly reopened Arkham Asylum. Here's hoping we'll see Hargrove again withing its imposing walls, since he's one of the few truly sympathetic antagonists that Gotham has given us.
Elsewhere, Bruce and Selina finally formally meet when Gordon drops the street urchin off at the manor in order to learn more about the Waynes' killer, whom she saw murder them. Selina (I won't call her "Cat" if you won't, deal?) has already demonstrated an attraction to the young billionaire, stalking him for the past several episodes. But after a polite handshake he's immediately drawn to her as well. And why not? As he explains, he's never even kissed a girl. The show finds an assured way of building their chemistry: he's rich and book-smart — "developing," as he says, "self-discipline and will power" — she's poor, streetwise, and one hundred percent instinct. But the two are both missing parents (though she, already building a persona, pretends her mom is a secret agent away on a mission), and after bonding over their losses, they engage in their first cat-and-mouse game, a playful bout of bagel-tossing. Of course, as is ever the case with Gotham's younger characters, there's an obvious limit to their evolution insofar as the characters we know. So the Bruce-Selina scenes are actually best viewed for the way in which they inform Alfred's relationship with young Master Wayne. The manservant — after giving Bruce his first official boxing lesson — is immediately suspicious of Selina, whom he understandably regards as a "common street criminal." But upon witnessing the effect she has on Bruce — prompting one of the few smiles he's worn since his parents' death — changes his mind. You can practically see the load on Alfred's shoulders start to lessen when he describes her to Gordon as a "breath of fresh air."
As for the Penguin, there's little of Gotham's breakout character this week, but his absence serves as a kind of test, one which the show handily passes. For this may be the first truly solid episode that hasn't relied on Robin Lord Taylor's masterful performance as Oswald Cobblepot. Yet his brief scenes — discovering Fish's mole Liza, and frightening her into complicity — makes one all the more excited for the future.
Rogue Ruminations
— Jada Pinkett Smith's Fish Mooney is far more tolerable — and even enjoyable — in limited doses. Her scenes with Oswald shine.
— The second Selina announced she was hungry and headed off to Gordon's kitchen, I laughed and told my wife we'd no doubt see her emerge guzzling milk. Sure enough!
— Harvey's already demonstrating his duplicitous side by tossing a coin with two heads; and his love of chance by betting he can bluff Lovecraft into revealing his connections to Falcone.
— Having a character named Lovecraft tied to a place called Arkham is like having a character named Bogart connected to a placed called Casablanca.
— The little trickle of saliva running down the corner of Dent's mouth after he explodes in Lovecraft's face is tangible proof that, in casting D'Agosto, Gotham found the right man for the job.
Next week: Assassins are after Bruce and Selina in Gotham's fall finale!
What did you think of this weekâs episode? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter (@JMaCabre).


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Lindley, JA and Kirby, RR 2007 Long-term changes in the meroplankton of the North Sea. ICES CM, C.M. 2. 10.
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract/Summary
Data from the continuous plankton recorder (CPR) survey collected in the late-1940s to early-1960s indicated that the abundance of decapod larvae was low and the seasonal peak of abundance was late following cold winters. The phenological effect of temperature was shown to be consistent with relationships between both geographical and interannual patterns of variation. Analyses of CPR data collected from the 1940s to the present day reveal large-scale long-term changes in the abundance and phenology of the North Sea meroplankton. Echinoderm larvae, whose peak abundance has advanced by 47 days, show the greatest shift in timing. Echinoderm larvae have also increased in abundance to become the most abundant taxon in North Sea CPR samples. Genetic and morphological analyses of CPR samples show that the variations in echinoderm larvae are mainly attributable to an increasing abundance and earlier occurrence of the larvae of a resident species, Echinocardium cordatum, rather than a change in species composition. The remarkable scale of the changes in abundance and phenology of the meroplankton, which are greater than those seen in the holoplankton, has stimulated the development of further research into the causes and effects of these changes.
Item Type: | Publication - Article |
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.: | CPR |
Additional Keywords: | Continuous Plankton Recorder, meroplankton, phenology, long-term change |
Divisions: | Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science > Other (SAHFOS) (expired) |
Depositing User: | Miss Gemma Brice |
Date made live: | 26 Mar 2014 14:09 |
Last Modified: | 06 Jun 2017 16:11 |
URI: | https://plymsea.ac.uk/id/eprint/5825 |
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Robert Flaherty, the director of the famous film Nanook of the north, was the undisputed pioneer of documentary and cinema-truth. All his filmography revolves around the great theme of the relationship between man and nature. He was born in Iron Mountain, a very small and cold town in the United States, in Michigan, on the border with Canada, on February 16, 1884, to a family of Irish origin.
he Finds employment as a young man in Hudson Bay as an explorer and mineral hunter. This allows him to come into contact with populations who lived in isolated and extreme places in the regions of North America and to become familiar with the camera, which he carried with him to document the expeditions. His encounter with cinema took place in 1910, with some documentaries commissioned by the Canadian government to film mining exploration in the Labrador region.
Choose the Documentaries to Watch
Nanook of the North
Here Flaherty has the opportunity to film the Eskimos who live in the Igloos in that land tormented by frost. Those short takes are the seed that years later will sprout for his masterpiece, Nanook of the north. A film shot over 2 years of expeditions and filming in the Arctic Circle area, between 1920 and 1922, to tell the life of the Inuit. However, Flaherty's films do not have a documentary and detached style: they are empathic and dramatic stories that let the viewer identify and get excited with the protagonists. They are also wonderful celebrations of worlds that live far from civilized society.
The greatness of these films lies in the fact that Flaherty felt sincere affection for the subjects he filmed, and built a human relationship with them. It also happens that during the filming of Nanook of the north fell in love with the Inuit woman who plays the wife of the protagonist Nanook. The woman became pregnant with her but Flaherty after shooting the film will never come back to see her.
Nanook, Between Documentary and Drama
Flaherty moved in the balance between documentary and fiction, between reality and scenic reconstruction. When real conditions weren't favorable for filming, he didn't hesitate to manipulate the scene. For example, in Nanook, he had the Inuit family build only half of the igloo in which the family dinner scene takes place.
This gave him the opportunity to place the bulky camera he was working with at a distance to get the wide shot he wanted, which would not have been possible if the igloo had been built in its entirety. in a closed and tight environment. Primitive rites and domestic hearths in remote and inhospitable places where nature dominates everything. Feelings and family ties in a small world lost in the void of the arctic regions.
In Nanook Flaherty's narrative, he shows the protagonist as a hero and wants the audience to identify with him, with his adventures. What interests him is to build a real dramatic narrative starting from real environments and subjects. The director selects pieces of reality that interest him to build a memorable character that is not the real one, but his dramatization of reality. He chooses what to show about his life, and eliminates other things, such as his bigamy, which the Western world would not like.
Choose the Documentaries to Watch
Impossible collaborations
In contrast to Nanook world of ice and extreme survival, Flaherty was also very interested in the inhabitants of the southern islands such as Polynesia. Among the documentaries on these populations he tries to make one, entitled Tabù, in collaboration with the German director Friedrich Murnau, but the attempts to co-operate with other filmmakers always ended in quarrels and separations.
Forced by difficult financial situations to do what the producers said, who felt safer by working alongside experienced directors with a long career, I also try to work with Van Dyck. But the other directors were always self-centered and with very different film interests from those of Flaherty.
The main cause was probably the fact that all these filmmakers weren't comfortable with Flaherty's heavily documentary nature. They had been consulted by the productions precisely to transform Flaherty's style, something never seen before, into something more palatable and codified for the time.
Fantasy dramas or historical blockbusters as in the case, for example, of Elephant Boy and the collaboration with Zoltán Korda, who sticks scenes shot in the studio to the film to transform it into a kind of "Jungle Book" to please the audience. It will become a mediocre film, partially successful only in the sequences shot by Flaherty.
Progress and Primitive Nature
The relationship between man and nature is reversed with Louisiana Story, a film that tells the life of a boy in the swamps of Louisiana, populated by crocodiles. Fantasy world of primeval creatures that the boy experiences every day as an adventure. This time, however, the danger is represented by progress and not by wild nature: the oilmen arrive in the region and violate this primitive purity of the environment.
Life in the difficult countries of the far north seems to be the most congenial theme for Flaherty. He creates another masterpiece in a place where living conditions are difficult. This is Man of Aran, which tells the life of a fishing family on the island of Aran. The fight against the violent elements of nature and the balance between anthropology and drama are the keys that allow Flaherty to create a new masterpiece. The film also won the Volpi Cup at the Venice Film Festival as best foreign film.
Choose the Documentaries to Watch
Flaherty's Style
Flaherty's seemingly simple style of recording small and large daily events is actually a very complex way of making films. A cinema reserved for those who have the gift of great empathy for other human beings, a great sensitivity in grasping the subtlest inner movements of ordinary people behind reality.
Flaherty only partially reconstructed scenes when it was appropriate to say what he wanted. But he had something more than the other directors he had tried in vain to collaborate with. He had that explorer and ethnologist ability to use real life as a raw material, that life that others could not dominate to make a film.
It was about establishing deep relationships with the people he made the film with. An experience that went far beyond the casting and production stages that many filmmakers were used to. None of them were willing to invest much of their lives in forming relationships with indigenous people from distant lands or poor people living in the swamps.
Reality was a gigantic and powerful matter that was almost impossible to manage. It was much easier for the directors to use it as a source of inspiration and reconstruct it on a set, with actors and studios. Until the arrival in the cinema of Flaherty, the director-explorer, who makes his idea of cinema a way of life.


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Richard Gere gets "Breathless" in April
Shout! Factory has just add the sexually charged thriller Breathless to its release line, up, scheduling a Blu-Ray version for April.
When Las Vegas lowlife Jesse Lujack (Richard Gere) becomes a wanted fugitive, he hightails it from Sin City to the City of Angels in order to track down Monica (Valérie Kaprisky), a beautiful French woman studying at UCLA, planning to convince her to escape to Mexico with him. Finding herself drawn in by the sheer magnetism of Jesse and his dark world, Monica can't help but fall for him and she soon finds herself swept up in his run from the law. But as the noose around the two begins to tighten, Monica must decide whether to stand by her ne'er-do-well lover… or save herself.
The studio has not announced any bonus materials for the release at this point.
"Breathless" will be in stores on April 7 for $19.93.


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Oh la la!!! It. Has. Arrived!!! The new Sheridan French website:
It's the same web address but totally revamped!!! It looks fabulous. The best part about the new-do, viewing the 2012 collection and the wish list option. This means I can add all my favorite dresses and tunics to a wish list, mail that sucker to my husband, and heavily hint how much I ♥ Sheridan French. Genius, right!?! I received more emails than ever before when I posted about my Sheridan French frock (re: see this post). To answer almost all those questions in one sentence: you can shop her line on her new website come 2012!!! I am jumping for joy. Sign up for her newsletter to be the first to hear of her online launch. Is it 2012 yet!?! Xoxo-BLC


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Effects Of Perceived Cost, Service Value, And Corporate Image On Customers' Behavioral Intentions In The Healthcare Insurance Industry In Delhi-Ncr.
Main Article Content
Numerous developments in the health insurance and healthcare industries have hampered the expansion of health insurance as a healthcare financing method in India. The present study investigates the effects of cost/service price perceptions on behavioral intentions and brand preferences (as moderated by customer satisfaction). It also determines the influence of perceived service value and the corporate image on brand preference and customer behavioral intentions. This study shows that happy consumers acquire a brand preference for the insurers that provide them with good services. This research adds to the body of knowledge in this field by demonstrating the favorable influence of perceived service costs on brand selection in the Indian healthcare insurance sector. This study addresses a knowledge vacuum by examining if a mediating impact of customer satisfaction exists in India's healthcare insurance sector and how powerful it is. Both the healthcare insurance business and the general public benefit from the research.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.


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Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece, the leader of all the Greek Orthodox faithful in the country, urged his fellow citizens to avoid large gatherings on the national holiday of OXI Day, October 28.
The Greek government has already cancelled the annual school and military parades which traditionally take place on OXI Day.
The holiday commemorates the day Greek Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas rejected Italian Dictator Benito Mussolini's ultimatum to invade the country on October 28, 1940.
Many Greeks do not work on the holiday, and all schools are closed.
Archibishop Ieronymos urged Greeks to remember the historic day in a different way this year, considering the high risk of the virus, as it can spread quickly through large crowds when people do not practice the correct coronavirus protocols.
Greece has witnessed a sharp increase in cases of the coronavirus, with Wednesday's record 865 cases broken just the next day, when 882 cases were recorded on Thursday.
The Archbishop noted the Greece is currently in a sensitive position in terms of the virus, and that any large ceremonies or gatherings could make the situation worse, putting the health of many at risk.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!


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Peter and Wendy Clarke and Bryan Harvey, Officers of the Wakefield Branch have been successful in THEIR Judicial Review legal action against the RSPCA. On March 24th 1994, the High Court Judge quashed the Council's ruling which had removed them from office and awarded costs to the three.
Peter Clarke is a senior Police Officer with eight commendations, his wife Wendy is well known for her devoted hard work for animals and Bryan Harvey is a Bank Manager with Barclays Bank plc. They courageously took on the RSPCA knowing the risk they ran of incurring liability for ruinous costs. We congratulate them and their solicitor DAVID RUSSELL for his brilliant handling of the case.
The total cost of this litigation for the RSPCA will be not less than £100,000. This has been realistically estimated as
£40,000 plus for David Russell's firm's costs.
£45,000 plus for the RSPCA London solicitor's costs.
£25,000 AT LEAST for the two RSPCA solicitor's costs which have to be costed for audit.
BY JANUARY 1993, the RSPCA KNEW that the validity of the Society's Rules were in doubt because they had not been ratified as required by section 10 of the 1932 Act of Parliament. If the RSPCA had admitted it earlier then £100,000 of the Society's funds might have been saved.
Even now, David Russell is having to take similar legal action in respect of the Newcastle Branch.
AT THE VERY LEAST we would have expected to learn of the resignation from the Council of
MRS. JOAN FELTHOUSE CHAIRMAN OF THE INQUIRIES COMMITTEE and
MR. ANELAY HART Regional Representative for the Wakefield area.
We would also expect to have heard that council members had called a Special Meeting to discuss these matters AND the position of HQ staff and Regional staff concerned.
Council members would to well to remember the comments of Peter Clarke.
Council members might also LIKE to hear the complaints about Mrs. Felthouse made on 13/8/92 from four branches in Group 1 Region 8.
And what of the Director General? What did he call the failure to comply with the Section 10 of the 1932 Act of Parliament?
Rather an expensive £100,000 technicality was it not?
We find this difficult to understand. The Act is quite clear
- it says
10. 'The rules of the Society shall be those set out in the schedule hereto. Provided that the Society may from time to time by resolution passed in accordance with the rules of the Society make rules in addition to the rules so set out and may in like manner alter amend or revoke any rule so made or so set out but no such additional rule alteration amendment or revocation which affects either directly or indirectly the property or funds of the Society shall be valid or effectual unless or until the same has been confirmed by an order of the High court of Justice or a judge thereof or by an order of the Charity Commissioners. Provided also that no rule so made and no such alteration or amendment shall be repugnant to the provisions of this Act or of the general law.' |
Quite simple isn't it? So why was this not carried out as a matter of course? Did the Director General know about this section of the 1932 Act and if not WHY NOT?
No unpaid school governor would be excused for failing to carry out the instructions in the Education Act. So can there be any excuse for highly paid Chief Executives of the RSPCA (or if it comes to that CHAIRMEN of the RSPCA Council) not being acquainted with this founding Act of Parliament?
Towards the end of January this year, a letter was received from Angela Turvey of Reigate asking for help in opposing a licence being given to Pet City (a pet superstore due to open in Redhill Surrey) to prevent the sale of dogs/puppies and cats/kittens. Margaret House wrote immediately to her local Borough Councillor as well as a very polite letter to
MRS E. UNMACK Regional Representative on the Council for Region 2
asking if the local Branch Committee (of which she is a committee member) had objected. Borough Councillor Chris King replied AT ONCE but as you may have guessed
Undeterred by the bad manners of Mrs. Unmack - Margaret House visited Pet City on March 1st.
At the end of the huge superstore were caged:-
Marmosets, Chipmunks, Guinea Pigs, Rabbits, Chinchillas, Gerbils,
Iguanas, lizards, geckos, green toads -
Parrots, Parakeets, Cockatiels, Mynah Birds, Quail and
many other birds -
Locusts, Crickets, Cockroaches, Bird Eating Spiders and
A very large number of fish in aquaria.
Watchdog has been told that MRS. UNMACK approves of Pet City as a 'STEP FORWARD' from individual Pet Shops. Council members might like to discuss this view with Mrs. Unmack.
We view PET CITY as a tragedy. Is it a 'STEP FORWARD' for children to grow up seeing animals and birds caged in a supermarket merely for the pleasure of insensitive humans? We thing - larger is NOT better.
A local animal rescue group 'THE ANIMAL PROTECTION TRUST' says in its Annual Report:-
'Several rabbits, ferrets and cockatiels have been found, unfortunately owners rarely come forward to claim them'
13/7/94A PARROT that swears and a tarantula were among thousands of pounds worth of exotic animals snatched in a raid on a pet supermarket within just seven weeks of it opening.
The thieves smashed through a rear wall at Pet City in Brighton Road, Redhill, early on Friday. Two bird-eating spiders, scorpions and an iguana were also taken, along with two corn snakes a cockroaches.
In a letter to Dave Wetton, Mrs Renee Sheel, Secretary of the RSPCA Northumberland West Branch wrote:-
'The hunting fraternity are useful to the RSPCA ......... We also get financial support from them.'Has the world gone mad? Why does an RSPCA receive finance from blood sports? The RSPCA policy on hunting is clear -
Miss Shiel concludes her letter by saying:-
'I may also tell you that the Director General is in [possession of the facts.'
IF the Director General IS in possession of the facts - what has he done about it? Or, once again, has it been left to Watchdog to let Council members know information they should have been given?
Watchdog has received numerous complaints about the role of the RSPCA in prosecutions taken under the Dangerous Dogs Act.
We UNDERSTAND THAT RSPCA Inspectors are not allowed to appear as prosecution witnesses when a dog is on trial for its life under the DDA.
At the very first meeting on June 16 1824 of what was to become the RSPCA, Richard Martin, one of the Founders is quoted as saying:-
'The Society would not primarily exist to prosecute offenders. It would be ill judged for it to become known as a prosecuting Society. The prime aim should be to alter the moral feelings of the county.'
On June 12 1990, the Wall Street Journal published a report on RSPCA Inspector Jan Eachus (whose name was to become closely associated with prosecutions taken under the Dangerous Dogs Act) Tony Horwitz wrote:-
'The English worry more about the
welfare of poor little pooch than they do about the safety of Joe Public'
says Mr. Eachus, an American who has been living in England since 1977.
He doesn't hesitate to get tough with both mad dogs and Englishman. The
chain smoking Inspector has shot two dogs to death and donned riot gear
to take in many others. In his van he carries a forensic kit containing
a magnifying glass, cameras and tweezers to collect evidence such as dried
blood and dogs hair fur use in prosecuting owners. "There's no room for amateurism here" says the veteran enforcer. Some say such gladiators are barking up the wrong tree. "If you approach a pig bull looking like a creature from Mars he's more likely to go berserk and bite you" says Kevin McNicholas, a veteran London Dog Warden. In eight years of service he hasn't been bitten. |
Jan Eachus is also quoted as saying to a caged dog under sentence of death
Do you think this is a good image for a Society whose aim is to promote kindness to animals? The Society WAS founded to worry about the welfare of animals, there are other charities whose role is to worry about 'Joe Public' and there are the police to enforce the law.
Kindness to animals can only be achieved by education and education must start
Education of children and the provision of a strong Education Department should have been a priority. Too much money is spent on very high salaries for HQ senior staff, on Regional Managers, on Branch Coordinators, Freedom Foods, trips abroad, research grants and so on and so on. It is essential (to use an overworked phrase) to
GO BACK TO BASICS ie
2. PREVENTION of cruelty.
The Guardian
Education a priority. It is not just the unsuitability of keeping dogs cooped up in flats with little food and less exercise, it is the sheer ignorance of the owners which upsets Harrison. "It's pathetic, pathetic," he repeats.
Inspector Harrison
Watchdog received from a supporter in Brixham, some education material that the NFU SW Region is putting into schools. We photocopied the booklets and gave them to a Council member to bring to the attention of the Education Committee. Here are two extracts:-
'Convince your teacher why a hen would make the ideal classroom pet.'
'The modern cage system meets effectively the needs of the laying hen. The birds are kept in small groups which prevents aggressive behaviour etc.'
Mr. Lewis Page, Council Representative for the SW has sent the following information to Watchdog:-
'Reflective halters were tried out on the Dartmoor ponies but, being wild creatures, the halters became caught on every type of projection. Eventually they were seen as equally hazardous to the traffic.'
We know that there are some Council members who strongly disapprove of Watchdog and we also know that in 1988, when she was Chairman of Council, Joan Felthouse circulated a letter to all members criticising Watchdog. HOW MUCH DID THIS COST we wonder? This of course did not have the effect she had anticipated. So many members contacted Watchdog with their complaints about the Council that Watchdog's future was assured.
We feel that with many new members on the Council, it is worth recalling why Watchdog was started in 1987. It was simply because we were sickened by the treatment of voluntary workers and we wanted to give them support.
On page 3 of this newsletter we have quoted Richard Martin as saying about the Society:-
'It would be ill judged for it to become known as a prosecuting Society'
Yet THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAS HAPPENED
The saddest part of Watchdog's work has been to read and listen to the heartbreaking accounts of members' treatment by the Council. When Peter Clarke said about his wife "Wendy particularly has been through hell. It has made her ill." He was only echoing what many members have told us. In 1987, Sally Whyte, Secretary of a disbanded committee said
"The axing of the Essex NE branch of the RSPCA is the final injustice ... commercialism without compassion is a chilling thought and nothing and no one will ever stop me caring for animals."
We appeal to those Council members who have open minds to call a halt to the cruel treatment of members and to make the others realise the distress they are causing.
If you believe in democracy and fairness - practise it. There will then be no need for Watchdog. Open up Council meetings and instruct your staff to be less arrogant.
Daily Telegraph
RSPCA in turmoil on threat to funds
By Ben Felton and Hugh MuirThe RSPCA is facing a legal bill estimated at £100,000 after three volunteers forced the charity to admit its disciplinary rules were invalid.
The charity, with an income of £32 million last year, now faces the probability of legal action from individual members and complete branches disciplined in recent years.
Doubt has also been cast on the validity of a controversial restructuring of the society in 1989 because of the legal action by Mr. Peter Clarke, a police inspector, his wife Wendy, and Mr. Bryan Harvey, a bank manager, all committee members of the Wakefield branch.
The three were at the centre of an internal hearing in a dispute over an extension to the branch's animal welfare centre, and were subsequently told to resign.
They were granted leave to seek judicial review by Mr. Justice Hidden last June. Although the society's solicitors conceded last month that the rules were invalid, the formal announcement that the Clarkes and Mr. Harvey had won their case did not come until last Thursday, the day when the judicial review was due to begin.
Members of the charity's ruling council; were called to a hastily arranged meeting last month at the RSPCA's headquarters in Horsham, Sussex, and told that the legality of many actions since 1932 was in doubt, an RSPCA source said.
Mr. Clarke, 47, said yesterday: "It is a victory for all volunteers, but it is a Pyrrhic victory - we would much rather this money went towards animal care."
Mr. David Russell, the solicitor for the three, said yesterday that members of the council may be personally liable to pay the costs of the lengthy action.
Last year the entire Newcastle branch was disbanded and has not contacted Mr. Russell seeking legal redress from the society. Other branches to be closed include Gwent and Mid Glamorgan, and the committee of the Colchester branch.
One council member expelled from the society was Mr. Robin Webb, now official spokesman for the Animal Liberation Front, who said yesterday he would seek to regain his seat.
A spokeswoman yesterday read out a statement saying the RSPCA has reached agreement in principle with the solicitors acting for the Clarkes and Mr. Harvey.
She added that as the settlement of the action had not been formally "sealed" by the court, the society was "not at liberty" to say more.
But one official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: "It was made clear that the organisation was in awful trouble and the only winners if it all got out would be people who exploit animals.
"The advice is confused but we could now be open to all sorts of claims."
The legal turmoil for the RSPCA, which has had to face internal dissension over policy and administrative changes, began after the Clarkes and Mr. Harvey were brought before the council over the running of the Wakefield branch.
The dispute followed the branch's decision to build an extension to its animals welfare center. But a legacy expected to pay for it came too late for the end of the financial year and the branch was unable to meet its annual dues of around £4,000 to the charity's head office. When the three, on legal advice, declined to turn up for their hearing, the council heard the case in their absence and required them to resign from the branch.
But Mr. Clarke, an inspector in the West Yorkshire police force's internal discipline office, objected to his treatment and decided to seek a judicial review.
As Mr. Russell prepared papers for the case, he wrote to the society's solicitors in Jan 1993 asking them to prove the validity of all alterations and amendments to the society's rules made since the original 1932 Act that established the RSPCA.
Under Section 10 of that Act, any rule changes have to be confirmed by a High Court judge or by the Charity Commission. The Clarke-Harvey case continued in preparation, but the society did not produce the proof.
It was not until Feb 8 this year, shortly before the judicial review hearing was due to start, that solicitors for the RSPCA admitted that the rules under which the Clarkes and Mr. Harvey had been disciplined were not valid because the confirmation had not been obtained.
The society agreed to pay the trio's costs and last Thursday Mr. Justice Schiemann made an order of certiorari in the High Court quashing the disciplinary action, effectively reinstating Mrs. Clarke as secretary, his wife as homing co-ordinator and Mr. Harvey as treasurer. The judge also ordered the society to pay the Clarke-Harvey costs.
The society has already rectified the problem with the rules by obtaining the Section 10 confirmation from the Charity Commission. But members and branches disciplined under the flawed regulations could now turn to law, threatening further drains on the charity's funds.
Mr. Russell criticised the society for delaying their admission that the rules were invalid, and added that the failure to get confirmation of changes also meant that a reorganisation of the society's structure in 1989, taking power away from RSPCA branches and creating larger regional organisations, may also be invalid.
The Guardian
Last week the RSPCA reached an out of court settlement with Mr. Clarke and his fellow committee members: his wife Wendy, and a bank manager, Bryan Harvey. They are to be reinstated to their former branch positions and receive legal costs. No damages are to be paid.
Their solicitor, David Russell, said the settlement gave a green light for further test cases against the charity's ruling body. He would be presenting details of the challenge from a former member of the disbanded Newcastle branch.
He said the significance of the challenges went far beyond a procedural flaw. "The central body's actions have been detrimental in Newcastle and other local areas to the welfare of animals, which is what this should all be about."
Yorkshire Evening Post
Mr. Russell said the ruling entirely vindicated the trio's decision to fight the RSPCA, irrespective of cost.
"This is a victory for all RSPCA volunteers. It is the volunteers who do the work, finding homes for stray animals, raising the necessary funds and coping with all the attendant hardship.
"Yet remarkably, it is the volunteers who have suffered most when they have found themselves on the wrong side of the paid officers and council of the RSPCA.
"This has been a hard and regrettably very, very expensive lesson for the administrators of the RSPCA."
Yorkshire Evening Post
Mr. Clarke today described the court's decision as "brilliant." He said: "It should never have happened. Wendy, particularly, has been through hell. It has made her ill. But now we have been vindicated and the RSPCA has been found to be in breach of its own rules.
"We are absolutely delighted and are looking forward to getting on with our jobs as though it had never happened and continuing until the AGM in June."
The Sunday Times
£75m 'scandal'
Inquiry urged into cash mountain as animal cruelty reaches record
by Adrian Marks and Sean Ryan
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) is facing demands for an inquiry into the salaries of senior officials and the accumulation of reserve funds totaling £75m.
members of the charity's governing council have accused headquarters staff of running a burgeoning bureaucracy and allowing the reserve to spiral out of control while volunteers struggle to raise money for animal welfare.
They will demand an explanation from RSPCA financial managers this week when the charity announces that cruelty complaints have soared to a record 91,176 in the past 12 months.
Anger at the millions held in RSPCA accounts has been compounded by documents leaked to The Sunday Times which reveal that the salaries of its five-strong executive and four secretaries came to £259,533 in 1993. The RSPCA spent proportionately more on administration last year than any of the other top 10 fund-raising charities. Bureaucracy swallowed £2.9m, 8.6% of its budget, nearly twice as much as the National Trust.
This weekend Bill Jordan, deputy treasurer, called for greater openness in RSPCA management. "I am concerned about the level of reserves," he said "There will have to be some kind of review. They are not going to be able to walk away from this."
Sid Jenkins, the RSPCA's former superintendant whose work was featured in the television series Animal Squad, said he was amazed that reserves has swollen by £30m more than intended. "To be sitting on this sort of money is a scandal,. It should be spent on animals."
The attacks come at a sensitive time in the 170-year history of the world's largest animal welfare charity, which was forced to admit last month that it had acted unlawfully in suspending a branch committee and locking its members out of their office in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.
The officials - a police inspector, his wife and a bank manager - were accused of administrative errors and disciplined under rules which the RSPCA now admits were invalid. The handling of "the Wakefield three" was condemned by Lord Houghton of Sowerby, a former RSPCA vice-president, who said it showed the charity was "not a democratic organisation".
Solicitors predict that the case will trigger a barrage of legal challenges from up to 18 other branches where members claim to have been victimised or expelled. David Russell, acting for several disillusioned supporters, said the RSPCA could face costs of £2m.
The charity has already spent £4m on a reorganisation that created 10 regional centres. Branch officials say it has proved so expensive to maintain that one of the new centres may have to close. They claimed that the RSPCA had become top heavy with well-paid administrators.
The £242,461 pay of public relations staff outstripped the £219,075 earned by those working from headquarters on animal welfare, including veterinary experts, staff at Heathrow airport and the co-ordinators of clinics and homes.
Angela Walder, a candidate for elections to the ruling council next month, said the organisation was floundering: "It is failing to concentrate on the welfare of animals. It needs a new philosophy."
The criticisms were rejected by the charity's directors, who said its reorganisation had been "money well spent by any standards" and its staff earned significantly less than they could in the private sector. "We aren't that interested in what people earn." said Stuart Harrop, director of legal services. "We are here for vocational reasons."
Mark Watts, financial services director, said the proportion of spending devoted to administration rather than animal welfare was "reasonable". But he admitted that the growth of reserves had been "partly accidental" caused largely by an unforeseen increase in legacies.
It has gone far beyond a target of £45m, a sum that would enable the RSPCA to maintain operations for 18 months, including the work of 300 inspectors, 48 animal homes, 32 clinics and 24 animal welfare centres. Plans have been drawn up to use the extra £30m to expand its network of animal homes over the next four years.
Despite its reserves, the charity is urging supporters to continue making donations in response to emotive advertisements highlighting the plight of abandoned and abused animals. Officials claim it would have to close within two years if its income dwindled to nothing.
However, Dr. Robin Pellew, director of the World Wide Fund for Nature, which has reserves of only £2.5 m, said the RSPCA did not appear to have made "appropriate" use of its money. "If I was trying to identify which charity I would put my money in, I would be looking for one that was effective but wasn't sitting on a cash mountain," he said.
RSPCA sources dismissed claims of discord between headquarters in Horsham, West Sussex, and volunteers at branch level. They described as nonsense the forecast of a £2m legal bill, and denied that anyone had been treated unfairly.
Wendy Clarke, one of the victors in the Wakefield court case, maintains the charity has lost its way. "What these people did to me after 10 years of caring for animals was disgusting. They have taken the life out of me." she said.
'If I was trying to identify which charity I would put my money in, I would look for one that was effective but not sitting on a cash mountain'
A little light relief
'I do not mind protesters coming ... you never know, they might come and join in.!
Rupert Gibson
Hunt Master
The call by Bill Jordan for greater openness in RSPCA management is wholeheartedly supported by Watchdog.
LET IT START with a proper FULL LENGTH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING, a review of the DIRECTOR GENERAL'S ,management of the RSPCA AND the treatment of voluntary workers.
TOO MANY PEOPLE HAVE SUFFERED and Watchdog is committed to seek justice for all.
Thank you for all your generous support and kind words. We acknowledge with gratitude the generous grant from the NORMAN FAMILY.
Come and talk to us at the AGM and celebrate 7 years of WATCHDOG kept going in spite of expulsion, and not forgetting the boost we cot following Mrs. Felthous's circular letter.
Back to Archive Index |


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by Miriam A. Knoll, M.D.
The growing interest in space tourism has led to speculation regarding medical risk. Astronauts undergo comprehensive medical examinations prior to their space journeys to insure they are healthy. But, the question remains, is it safe for just anyone to travel to space? The lead author of the New England Journal of Medicine article, Dr. Jan Stepanek, MD, MPH, serves as Chair of the Aerospace Medicine Program at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. He stated: "The health risks and human adaptations for space travel is well documented for healthy individuals (astronauts) for orbital sojourns of varying duration. The brief suborbital commercial flights that are in development for the broad public are expected to be safe for healthy individuals. Participants with chronic medical conditions of varying nature and severity are the group that will require close collaboration between the space medicine specialists and the participants' primary healthcare provider to define what risks may be of importance and what risk threshold might preclude participation."
Reach: Forbes magazine focuses on business and financial news with core topics that include business, technology, stock markets, personal finance, and lifestyle. The magazine is published twice each month and has more than 826,000 subscribers. Forbes Online receives more than 29.7 million unique visitors each month.
Context: Jan Stepanek, M.D., M.P.H. is a Mayo Clinic aerospace medicine specialist. Dr. Stepanek and his team study the effects of clinical and significant operational problems in the realm of spatial disorientation while in flight, as well as maintenance of balance, cognitive impairment, especially in hypoxia-induced conditions, and prevention of acceleration-induced blackout. You can read more about the medical research here.
Contact: Jim McVeigh
Tags: aerospace medicine, Dr. Jan Stepanek, Forbes, Uncategorized


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Rosberg doubts Bottas or Russell decision is made
Nico Rosberg does not believe his former team Mercedes have made up their mind yet about George Russell or Valtteri Bottas for 2022.
Half of Mercedes' line-up for 2022 is already set, with Lewis Hamilton having signed a multi-year extension, but on the other side of the garage the picture is far from clear.
Bottas has partnered Hamilton since 2017, proving a stable figure within the Mercedes team who does not create conflict with Hamilton or sustain a challenge to him in pursuit of the World Championship.
Russell, meanwhile, has been excelling at Williams and currently is driving at his highest level yet after making Q3 back-to-back at the Austrian and British Grands Prix.
This season, Mercedes have encountered a stern challenge in the Constructors' Championship from Red Bull, while a shaky season from Bottas in which he has not yet delivered a victory is hurting their cause.
Heading into the Hungarian Grand Prix, Mercedes trail Red Bull by four points while Bottas finds himself P4 in the Drivers' Championship.
Russell would therefore seem the obvious choice, but he has the potential to become a far more demanding figure within the Mercedes team, risking a dynamic which they have not experienced since Rosberg was there.
Many believe Russell should get the nod, but Rosberg does not feel Bottas is performing badly.
Check out all the latest Mercedes merchandise via the official Formula 1 store
"It's a difficult one because Bottas is driving well and in essence would deserve to stay there," Rosberg told Express Sport.
But then, Russell is arguably performing at a level which warrants a promotion.
"But at the same time, George Russell is a rising star of the future and is performing incredibly well with a car that wouldn't deserve to be in the third qualifying all the time," Rosberg countered.
"So he's doing incredibly, driving incredibly well, so also he would deserve the Mercedes seat."
And so, with a case for either driver to land that Mercedes seat for 2022, Rosberg believes team boss Toto Wolff has yet to make his final decision.
"It's a tough decision and I don't think they even know what way they will go yet, so let's see what they decide," he concluded.
Wolff has teased that an announcement may arrive by the Belgian Grand Prix, the first race after the summer break.


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Billy Corgan teased a Zwan reunion tour with Jimmy Chamberlin in a new Instagram live, as recapped by Reddit's TrevRichards. D'arcy Wretzky recently called out James Iha for 'criminal negligence.'
Billy believes he has been "shadow banned" by Instagram, reducing his reach despite fans telling him they've signed up for notifications. He has his theories as to why he is shadow banned, but he'll leave it to you to decide because it wouldn't do any good for him to say.
He has given up on Instagram as a promotional platform for his personal account, which is why it is now private. Since he referenced being shadow banned on a previous live video he lost 1,000 more followers (proof of the ban, he seemed to imply).
The band left their management of the past several years due to disagreements about the future direction of the band. You should see them looking for new management as, "We're in it for the long haul."
He continued, 'Look I'm talking to big, big managers, but it's all very complicated. I have 100,000+ followers on Instagram, but not 100 million like some of these artists, which is crazy. It's not nothing, but still.' He wondered what the social media numbers would've looked like for the Pumpkins had it existed back in the day.
Augustus asked if he could have iPad time. Billy smiled and said it's not a discussion to be had over Live and to ask his mom. Augustus made recurring appearances, preferring to keep hanging out there.
Someone asked about the Sumerian catalogue releases, he once again said the idea is for all unreleased/previously released material to receive a box set. Zwan, Unreleased acoustic album (he keeps referring to ChicagoKid without its name), TheFutureEmbrace, Zeitgeist, etc.
Someone asked if 'Mellon Collie' is a concept album, "Actually, absolutely yes it's a concept album."
Someone asked, "What is your favorite Smashing Pumpkins song?" He replied, "That would be 'Smells Like Teen Spirit.'"
When asked about artists leaving California, he said it was due to high taxes (similar to Illinois). Chloe wants to move to California. Billy mentioned at least they have good weather to go with the taxes, unlike Illinois 4 months out of the year.
Billy is confused about Illinois' longterm plan with the high taxes on people like him. He believes when people like him make money they then use it to create jobs, etc. so they shouldn't drive them out of the state.
"Here's a question about Mayonaise, very timely."
Someone asked if his reduced Instagram reach has to do with going by 'williampcorgan' instead of Billy. He said, "If you're a fan of somebody you're gonna find them, you're not gonna get stopped by some initials. If people can't take 10 seconds to find you…"
He was asked about playing the early 80s songs with a full band. "I think the prospect of the Pumpkins playing deep-dive shows is getting smaller and smaller."
'There's so much pressure on the Pumpkins to balance past, present and future.' He and Jimmy are continuing to talk about resurrecting a version of Zwan to play the other material, and turning it into a deep-cut version of the band. They would play, "Zwan stuff, Pumpkins stuff, covers, early SP, whatever. I think that's probably gonna be a more appropriate venue in terms of the musical experience."
'We're in it to win it, we're not in a big hurry to give anybody an excuse to say why we don't belong at the top level.'
Augustus rejoined to say goodnight to everybody. They left to go watch "Clutch Cargo," which Billy has gotten him into.


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Regular readers of Conquest Chronicles know that we hear at CC have always been on the cutting edge of (trademark pending), and with that reputation it was no surprise that the interweb's top Boston College bloggers wanted a Q&A with yours truly. OK, they actually contacted Paragon but just like Tim Floyd he was forced to look to the bench and hope for the best. Don't worry though, I'm the Marcus Simmons of USC blog writers because I come through in the clutch. Well that's enough nonsense for one day; this set of questions (after the jump) come from Eagle in Atlanta, and I'll have one more Q&A up in the near future.
These are their answers to our questions...
1- BC started out the season next to last in the ACC so it would appear that expectations were not high. Outside of the signature wins against UNC and Duke what were two high points in BC's season?
ATL Eagle - - - 1. No other wins were as big or as critical as Duke or North Carolina, but this season did have a few other signature moments. BC beat Georgia Tech at home on a last second shot and beat Virginia Tech on a last second tip in. Both moments came from Rakim Sanders. Sanders' maturity and the ability to answer when Rice was shutdown in big moments was an important sign of progression for this young team.
2- BC uses the Flex-Motion Offense, something the Pac-10 doesn't see very much. I see it as balanced attack meant to take advantage of each players strength's on the floor... what are some of the weaknesses in this style of offense?
ATL Eagle - - - 2. Saying BC runs the flex can be misleading to those who know the scheme but haven't seen BC play it. First this year, they've moved away from it a bit to a more spread out scheme that involved a lot of isolation for Rice and lately posting up Sanders or Southern. Secondly when BC runs Skinner's preferred version of the Flex it is extremely compact. All five guys can be within a step of the lane, constantly cutting and bounce passing. If a team hasn't played BC and is not focused and patient they can end up allowing plenty of easy baskets.
The weakness of the flex is that if BC is slowed bringing up the ball and gets into the sets late, there isn't always enough time to find a good shot. The general offensive weakness from this BC squad is the are young and still waste too many possessions on bad shots.
3- Neither team can be characterized as dominating on offense though there is no question that Tyrese Rice is the main guy in BC's offense and Josh Southern is no slouch either but you can't win it with just 2 guys...Who has to step up, who needs a big game against pretty good USC defense?
ATL Eagle - - - 3. The two main scorers who need to step up are F Joe Trapani and G/F Rakim Sanders. Both are versatile guys and have had huge performances for BC at times this year. Both also are a bit streaky and can have nights where their shots just aren't falling.
4- BC has had its share of ups and downs this season...a 10-game winning streak that culminated with a victory at North Carolina when the Tar Heels were ranked No. 1, but then BC promptly lost four in a row starting with a home game against Harvard. Describe for us your general opinions of the team good or bad.
ATL Eagle - - - 4. Even with the Harvard loss this team is ahead of the schedule I had for them. Instead of being a bubble team they were a 7 seed. They beat Duke, UNC, Florida State and many other good NCAA and NIT teams. The Harvard loss was a fluke but not a total surprise to people who watch Skinner's teams. He is not a win one for the Gipper type so his young teams can come out flat. He's also not one to try to fire up the guys mid game. He saves his timeouts and lets the guys learn as they go. I love his style and think BC benefits from Al's deliberate style. The downside is the occasional game like Harvard.
5- How do you think your players match up with USC and what aspects of BC's game do you think gives you an advantage over the Trojans?
ATL Eagle - - - 5. I actually think BC matches up well against USC. The Trojans are more athletic but there is no major size disadvantage. I also think BC's offense will keep a good USC defense offbalance while BC's improving D will be able to handle to Trojans.
More after the jump...
You can also find our answers here.
1. Why did the Trojans struggle so much on the road? How much do you think the trip to Minneapolis will impact the team?
For a little background, the Trojans didn't so much struggle on the road as they struggled to close on the road (which I guess might be te same thing, but just bear with me). Very winnable late game situations were blown against Oklahoma, Oregon State, Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, and Stanford. USC also gave up double digit leads in losses to Seton Hall and Missouri on Neutral courts. SC was very competitive in pretty much every game, except for the game at Pauley Pavillion, but for some reason they just could not maintain their composure in late game situations away from home. The only explanation I can come up with is that Tim Floyd simply lacked players who were willing to step up and carry the team through difficult situations. Daniel Hackett began to shoulder that load as the season went on, but it is only recently that Demar Derozan and Taj Gibson have shown a willingness to bite back in those pressure situation. Hopefully this means that the players have overcome those road woes, but we'll only really know how the trip affects them once they hit the courts.
2. The outside opinion seems to be that this year's team is very different from last year's Mayo-led version. Aside from not having Mayo, how is this team playing differently? Who has filled the void? Has the style of play changed?
The team is really only different in so far as what left when Mayo declared for the draft early. Last year OJ was the go to scorer and primary outside shooter while also sharing ballhandling duties with Hackett. The outside shooting has diminished somewhat as Dwight Lewis can be somewhat mercurial to the say the least, but Derozan has a silky smooth jumper that seems to extend out to just inside the three point line. There were a lot of struggles early on with turnovers due to the lack of a secondary ball handler and the transfer of backup PG Angelo Johnson, but Hackett has improved as the season has gone on and the TOs have been reduced dramatically since the beginning of the season. Finally, while it is sometimes painful to have no true go to scorer, the Trojans are a very balanced team offensively and feature four players who score in double digits which make them a difficult team to defend.
3. What is the key to stopping the USC?
The key to stopping USC is not so much in stopping them, but not allowing their D to stop your team. The Trojans rely heavily on their defense and are 17-5 when their opponents score less than 70 points. If BC is taken out of their offensive game plan and has to force shots then they won't win pure and simple. SC's bread and butter has been defense all season long, and the main goal out of the gates will be to stop the Eagle's top two or three scorers. To stop USC, Boston College will need another player outside of the regulars to step up and provide offense As Tyrese Rice will have a tough time carrying his team to victory on his own..
4. What is your prediction for the game?
I predict a close SC win. I have always been a fan of guys like Ken Pomeroy, Jeff Sagarin, and John Gasaway, and all of them have USC as favorites over Boston College based on their various metrics for ranking college hoops teams. More importantly though, I think SC matches up very well size wise and has a ton of momentum heading into this game. USC could certainly come out flat and prove me wrong (trust me, they've done it before), but even Vegas picked the Trojans as the favorite to win.


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Seasons Seascape Cards – Pack of 4
Pack of four seascape cards representing the seasons of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.
Each card comes with a kraft envelope, packed in a clear bag.
Each card is printed from an original painting by Glenda Waterworth. Card is blank inside for your own greeting.
In stock


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The largest city in the country is the capital Ashgabat, located in the south of the country, with an estimated population of around 500,000 to 950,000.
Four other cities have a population of more than 100,000. Specifically, these are Daschogus in the north (280,000 residents), Turkmenabat in the northeast (235,000 residents, formerly Tschardschou), Mary in the southeast (125,000 residents) and Balkanabat in the west (110,000 residents, formerly Nebitdag).
The port city of Turkmenbaschi in the far west (75,000 residents, formerly Krasnowodsk), named after the country's first president, and the city of Serdar (45,000 residents, formerly Kyzyl-Arbat), which is named after one of the honorary titles (Führer or commander) of the first president.
Settlement history up to the 19th century
According to Handbagpicks.com, population densities of more than one resident per square kilometer can be found in only three regions in Turkmenistan: in the irrigation oasis along the Amu-Darja in the north, the irrigation oasis along the Murgab in the southeast and the foothills of the Kopet Dag in the south.
While the traces of settlement in individual mountain oases point to a settlement history of more than 5,000 years, most of the country was characterized by nomadic tribal associations with close clan ties until the early 20th century. Major settlement centers before the beginning of the 20th century:
- Namazgadepe – one of the earliest recorded settlements in Central Asia.Status: Abandoned, archaeological excavations
- Nissa – an early capital of the Parthians. The beginning of the settlement is said to be around 250 BC. And dated as early as the 1st century BC. After its destruction by an earthquake, the city was given up again. A settlement of the same name in the immediate vicinity probably existed until the 15th century. Only a few kilometers from Ashgabat, the ruins of Nissa are now a popular destination for domestic and foreign tourists alike.Status: Abandoned, archaeological excavations, UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Merw – an oasis town north of today's Karakum Canal, possibly already entered by Alexander the Great and in any case significant for more than 2000 years. As a junction of various trade routes, Merw was regularly the victim of looting and destruction, but was rebuilt again and again. Only after the Afsharids, following the death of Nadir ShahLost control of the area, Merw became a repeated target of raids by Afghan tribes and the Silk Road trade collapsed as a result of the discovery of the sea route around Africa, the city was finally abandoned. In 1883 a nearby village of the same name fell under Russian rule. The ruins of Merw are among the most significant historical landmarks in the country.Status: Abandoned, archaeological excavations, UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Konye Urganch – one of the formerly most important and largest settlements along the Silk Road. The town's settlement history goes back to early antiquity. The city was abandoned as a result of a shift in the course of the Amu-Darja in combination with the simultaneous destruction by the conqueror Amir Timur, who came from today's Uzbekistan. Since Amir Timur did not allow the city's sacred buildings to be demolished, the highest minaret in Central Asia and numerous mausoleums spread across the desert landscape still bear witness to the city's former prosperity.Status: Abandoned, excavations completed, UNESCO World Heritage SiteAttention: The region around Konye Urganch is a border region. Konye Urganch may therefore only be visited with an appropriate permit (to be applied for with the visa). You can find more information on this in the section Everyday life (entry and residence requirements)
Settlement history from the late 19th century to 1948
All the cities of Turkmenistan that currently have a population of more than 20,000 were only founded after the Russian conquest in the late 19th century. Most cities started from military posts (e.g. Daschogus and Ashgabat) or stations of the Trans-Caspian Railway (e.g. Balkanabad and Turkmenabad). Some places like the port city of Turkmenbashi and the administrative post of Mary were founded for strategic reasons.
One of the country's most striking architectural remains from pre-Soviet times is the historic Turkmenbashi Gate (founded as Krasnovodsk). In addition, there are occasional station buildings from the Tsarist era along the main line of the Trans-Caspian Railway. Most of the historical building fabric fell victim to the Soviet-era urban planning and especially in Ashgabat to the severe earthquake of 1948.
Since negative reports contradicted the interpretation of socialism at the time, the number of victims was initially given as a few hundred and later as 10,000. It was not until 1988 that a press release appeared in the Soviet Union, according to which the number of victims should henceforth be given as 110,000. A higher number of fatalities has been proven for just five earthquakes. This number corresponds to about 10% of the total population of Turkmenistan at that time. The exact number of deaths will probably no longer be able to be reconstructed, but according to various estimates it is still well above the stated number of 110,000 victims.
The location of Ashgabat on the southern edge of the USSR, the almost complete destruction of the infrastructure, the high number of victims, the government-controlled access to cameras and the strict censorship are the main reasons why the damage caused by the earthquake is only due to very few photos were documented. The following linked images belong to the few known images: Image 1, Image 2, Image 3 and Image 4.
Very occasionally – especially outside of the larger cities – buildings from the early Soviet period can also be found. Most of these date from the 1930's and testify to the will of the Soviet government at the time to create acceptable living conditions nationwide for the population that had only settled down for a few years to a few decades. For this purpose, schools, shops and residential buildings were also created in the smaller desert settlements, the sometimes remarkable decorations of which still bear witness to a pronounced love for detail even more than 80 years after completion.
The reconstruction of Ashgabat after the earthquake of 1948
After the earthquake, Soviet city planners saw the complete destruction of the city of Ashgabat as an opportunity to rebuild it according to the ideal image of the socialist city (see reconstruction of Tashkent after the severe earthquake of 1966). Regardless of the established structures and property rights, a main thoroughfare was drawn through the entire city from east to west (formerly Свoбода, today Maghtymguly Street). Representative, sometimes lavishly decorated buildings such as the National Theater, the Hotel Ashgabat and the circus as well as contemporary, modern residential buildings were built along this street. Other new buildings still standing from this period include the Karl Marx Library, which was completed in 1962 (now vacant), the train station built in the same year, the Academy of Sciences that was inaugurated ten years earlier with the desert research institute, which was also internationally highly regarded at the time of the Soviet Union numerous administration or office buildings (today the World Trade Complex).
The pictures attached below give an impression of the current condition of the buildings mentioned. In addition, rare views of the city of Ashgabat from the 1960's to 1980's have been compiled on some Internet sites.