#Rachel glasser

[franollie]

loseness lines over time by olivia de recat // Fancy Nancy by Robin Preiss Glasser // Three Little Pigs by Jessie Wilcox Smith // Hands by @/hannahlockillustration // Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid // commission by @/hannahlockillustration // @/froody on tumblr // Conversion by Megan Ferandes // Lydia Wears a Cross by Julia Jacklin // My First Summer (2020) // Good Luck, Babe by Chappell Roan // Sun-Bleached Flies by Ethel Cain // Family in Church by Andrew Loomis // The Color Purple by Alice Walker // But I'm a Cheerleader (1999) // Transcript of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia 13x10 "Mac Finds His Pride" // Pink Pony Club by Chappell Roan // Robin 1993 by Chuck Dixon // Script to It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia 13x10 "Mac Finds His Pride" // @/weatheredwritings on tumblr // Script to Lady Bird (2017) // unknown // Wide Open Spaces by The Chicks // Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin // The Back Room (Ophelia I) by Rachel Gregor // Batgirl 2000 by Andersen Gabrych // Blue Iris by Mary Oliver

[gwydionmisha]

CW: Rape.

[oveliagirlhaditright]

...So the fact that I somewhat agree with Lydecker here probably means that I’m autistic, huh? Conversations aren’t my favorite thing in the world, just because no matter how hard I try I feel I never really get across what I’m trying to. Which is why I prefer where I have the time to just type all my thoughts out.

But on topic: this is a cool little exchange between Max and Lydecker. Someday, I might screenshot this whole scene and some of their interactions with each other. Max and Lydecker had such an interesting relationship--and Lydecker was interesting in general (and the best villain on the show, for sure!)--so it saddens me that the fandom doesn’t do more with them. And I love how these five seconds tell you so much about both characters, and their relationship to each other.

[lilydalexf]

I'm going to assume you mean "abduction" as in "kidnapping," since that's sort of like a hostage situation and since including canon abductions would make this list absolutely massive and hard to ever finish. So here are some good fics with Mulder and/or Scully involved in a kidnapping or hostage situation. Enjoy! 34 Hours by Leyla Harrison It's Mulder's worst nightmare when Scully is kidnapped – and it's the greatest terror Scully has ever faced. Can Mulder get to her before time runs out? Access Denied by Pam Gamble Mulder and Scully have been dating for some time, but secretly. Scully is missing (and I *swear* she wasn't abducted by aliens this time) and Mulder's search brings back haunting memories for both of them. (Sequel to Enough and Indiscreet) All the Way Home by Syntax6 (@syntax6) A tale of shoes and death. (Sequels: Head Over Heels and Every Evil) Basketball Therapy by Kel Set shortly before Tithonus, this story explores life in the bullpen, where tedium and background checks are the order of the day. When Scully gets drawn into an investigation at a Maryland hospital, Mulder gets trapped in a deadly hostage situation. The Best Lies by Julie Fortune When Scully is caught in a bad situation, it's going to cost Mulder everything he holds dear to get her free. (Refresh the page or copy/paste the link if it doesn’t work, or use this alt link) The Bitter Taste of Revenge by Jill Selby As Mulder leads a desperate search, Scully learns the price she must pay for deliverance from the hands of a madman. Butterflies All Tied Up by bugs (@it-is-bugs) M/S are back to work at the X-files, but a madman in their midst finally sends their relationship in a new direction, and someone is watching. Certitude by Kevin Glasser Mulder and Scully are taken off the ice, but they wouldn’t call it being rescued. City of Light by Bonetree On the run through the American Southwest, Scully and Mulder flee the shadowy forces of Owen Curran and Padden's government agents, who threaten their freedom and their lives. On the way, they must also struggle with their own demons, which threaten to tear them apart. (3rd story in the Goshen Universe) Dark Beyond the Stars by Mesa The bonds that tie us to one another are complex and tangled. Mulder and Scully and Skinner must face the possible severing and reforming of alliances; Krycek and Marita make an unexpected gamble. A Dark Slide of Ecstasy by Shalimar What if you had nothing left but a dream? Where does the dream stop and reality begin? The Darkest Hour by Prufrock's Love The Consortium intends to destroy Mulder by traumatizing Scully, but instead, Mulder learns two lessons: his capacity to love, and her ability live. Desideratum by Rachel Anton and Laura Blaurosen How far is too far to go in the name of love? Falling Stars by Julie Fortune He can't remember how he came to be here, on this chair, in this cold room. He is afraid, but the fear is formless and weak, like a newborn. Nothing seems to matter very much. First Stone part 1, part 2 by Pellinor Three agents working on the same murder case have apparently committed suicide. While investigating, Mulder makes a painful discovery that puts him in real danger of becoming the fourth. / Three agents have killed themselves after suffering far less than Mulder has already suffered. As the danger grows, can Scully confront her own guilt in time to save Mulder from his? Folly by RivkaT (@rivkat) Scully gives Pendrell a chance. Heuvelmans' On the Track by @mashnotesofthemythopoeic In which Scully becomes a Consortium doctor, and Mulder moves heaven and earth. Lesser Evils by Hannah Mason Mulder thought that no one could ever want Scully as much as he did. He was dead wrong. Letting Go by Joann Humby Mulder goes solo on a case in San Francisco. But when the killer isn't what he was expecting, he needs the SF PD and the FBI's finest to help him out. Lock and Key by Amy Vincent A deranged FBI agent holds Scully and Skinner hostage. Nowhere to Hide by Thalia DMuse Someone from Scully's past resurfaces. Queen's Gambit by Suzanne Schramm Queen's Gambit: A chess strategy in which a player sacrifices key pieces in order to win. Snow by LuvTheBeez Mulder and a very pregnant Scully are caught in a hostage situation. Tam Lin by Pequod When your local young men disappear, only to turn up dead a year later, sometimes it helps to have friends in high places. Myth and murder combine in a remote Scottish village, and Mulder and Scully investigate. The Fairy Queen is out to revenge the loss of her most prized knight, Tam Lin. Mulder believes but Scully’s not so sure, until Mulder takes a walk in the woods. Tangible by Blueswirl and Meredith Sometimes, to have anything, one must be willing to risk everything. Three Little Words by Karen Rasch Mulder and Scully get drawn into a trap by a murderer who well aware of Mulder's greatest weakness, and is more than willing to use it against him. (1st story in the Words series) Truncated by Lysandra Scully and Mulder find themselves in a tight spot. Spooning ensues. Unnatural Disaster by Michaela It's hard enough when your mistakes come back to haunt you. Harder still when you're a federal agent. Hardest yet when your partner's help is the first thing you need, but the last thing you want ... Walking the Cage by Deborah L. Wells A strange sequence of events are put into play after a heated argument between Mulder and Scully.

[unofficialchronicle]

Kayla Levin interviews Rachel Glasser on how to better your relationship with your mother-in-law! A researched conversation that is bound to help. 

[autumn2007-blog]

Sufjan Stevens – I’ll Be Home For Christmas

asthmatickitty.com/silver-and-gold asthmatickitty.com/sufjan-stevens sufjan.com

See the making-of video here:

From Silver & Gold, Songs for Christmas Vol. 10: Christmas Unicorn. Available November 13th on 5xCD boxset and digital, and later in LP boxset. Purchase here: asthmatickitty.com/merch/silver-gold/

Directed by – Aaron & Alex Craig Produced by www.wearefilmsny.com

Cast in order of appearance: Little girl – Olivia Himes Santa – Kris Kringle Funeral Goer 1 – Travis James McElmurry Funeral Goer 2 – Ally Powell Funeral Goer 3 – Jane Hruska Funeral Goer 4 – Willy Muse Dead man – Jordan Drake Clown – Joe Thomas Kid 1 – Madison Himes Kid 2 – Emma Himes Elf – Conrad Oliver Cop 1 – David Chalk Cop 2 – Lee Hruska Woodsman – Clint Van Gemert Woodsman assistant – Rachel Oliver Mother – Holly Glasser Father – Chris Himes

Steadicam op – Nickolas De Miranda DP – Alex Craig Wardrobe – Christine Talevski AC – Blake Powell AC – Scott Surman Gaffer – Trever Kok Art Director – Meghan Smith Production Designer – Erika Pinero Art – Lydia Velichovski Makeup – Chris Paleo Hair – Martha Ellen Van Germert Props – Bonnie Cook Crafty – Natty Green Storyboard Artist – Drew Bremer

Camera by Nice Dissolve

Special Thanks: Bush Smarts Cesar Galindo Best Made Co. The Schoolhouse Likes: 1503 Viewed:

The post Sufjan Stevens – I’ll Be Home For Christmas appeared first on Good Info.

[damajority]

DaMajority Fresh Article https://www.damajority.com/two-caribbean-judges-appointed-to-united-nations-dispute-tribunal/

Two Caribbean Judges appointed to United Nations Dispute Tribunal

Two Caribbean Judges appointed to United Nations Dispute Tribunal

OECS Media Statement

  Monday, July 22, 2019 — The 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly recently elected two Caribbean nationals, Justice Francis Belle of Barbados and Justice Eleanor Donaldson-Honeywell of Trinidad and Tobago, to serve 7 year terms of office on the United Nations Dispute Tribunal (UNDT) as half-time judges. The appointments took effect on July 10, 2019. UNDT half-time judges serve on rotation in New York, USA; Geneva, Switzerland; and Nairobi, Kenya.

Four judges were elected by secret ballot in total, Justice Rachel Sikwese of Malawi and Justice Margaret Tibulya of Uganda, were also appointed. Judges will serve on one of two entities — the other being the United Nations Appeals Tribunal — that comprise the Organisation’s system of the administration of justice for employment-related disputes.  Half-time judges on the Dispute Tribunal are deployed up to a cumulative period of six months per year, as decided by the President based on the caseload and any judicial absences affecting the work of the Tribunal.

Through resolution 62/228, adopted in 2007, the Assembly decided that it will appoint judges to those tribunals based on the recommendation of the Internal Justice Council.  As such, the judges elected were selected from a circulated list of candidates recommended by the Council (documents A/73/911 and A/73/911/Corr.1).  Also before the Assembly was a related memorandum by the Secretary-General (document A/73/917).

To be eligible for appointment as a judge to the Dispute Tribunal, candidates must be of high moral character and impartial; possess at least 10 years of judicial experience in the field of administrative law or the equivalent within one or more national jurisdictions; and be fluent, both orally and in writing, in English or French.

A total of 325 applications were received globally, 51 of which came from Latin America and the Caribbean. 96 candidates advanced to the written assessment stage and 23 were invited to interview with the Internal Justice Council at the Hague, Netherlands. Finally, 7 candidates received the Council’s recommendation for consideration of an appointment by the General Assembly and 4 were appointed by the General Assembly by way of a secret ballot in an election process.

Results for Vote to Fill Half-Time Vacancies on Dispute Tribunal

Number of ballots: 171 Number of invalid ballots: 1 Number of valid ballots: 170 Number of abstentions: 0 Number of Members voting: 170 Majority required: 86 Number of votes obtained:   Margaret Tibulya (Uganda): 110 Rachel Sikwese (Malawi): 109 Eleanor Donaldson-Honeywell (Trinidad and Tobago): 101 Francis Belle (Barbados): 88 Cristiane Souza de Castro Toledo (Brazil): 85 Heinrich Glasser (Germany): 82 Ole Jan van Leeuwen (Netherlands): 75

  About Justice Francis Belle:

Justice Francis H.V Belle has served as a High Court Judge for over 15-years. His judicial experience spans adjudication of criminal and civil matters, including Administrative and Employment Law actions. Justice Belle served as resident judge in Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Antigua and the Commonwealth of Dominica; visiting judge in Anguilla and Montserrat with the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) 2003-present. He periodically serves as acting Court of Appeal Judge with the ECSC and acting judge of the Cayman Islands Grand Court (2015-present). 

Justice Belle holds a Bachelor of Arts, History and Social Science and Bachelor of Laws from the University of the West Indies (UWI), and a Certificate of Legal Education from Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica (1986). He also holds a Master of Science in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from Nova South Eastern University in the United States (2002) and served as Chairman of Court Connected Mediation Committees in three (3) ECSC jurisdictions. As a lawyer, Justice Belle taught Criminal Law at UWI (School of Continuing Education – British Virgin Islands) and held various senior positions in both private and public sectors including Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, in St Kitts and Nevis. He is a Fellow of the Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute and Senior Fellow of the Weinstein International Foundation (Fellowship of Mediators). He was appointed UNDT half-time judge on July 10, 2019 for 7 years.

About Justice Eleanor Donaldson-Honeywell:

Eleanor Donaldson-Honeywell was appointed half time Judge of the UNDT for a seven-year term effective 10 July 2019. Judge Eleanor Donaldson-Honeywell currently serves as a Puisne Judge of the High Court of Trinidad and Tobago, presiding in Civil matters since 2015. She has also served as a Judicial Officer at the Industrial Court of Trinidad and Tobago for several years and has held office as Solicitor General in the Ministry of the Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago.

Justice Donaldson-Honeywell has enjoyed an extensive and varied legal practice as an Attorney-at-Law and Judicial Officer in Jamaica; presiding in criminal trials and Preliminary Inquiries as a resident Magistrate, playing a pioneering role in emerging fields of securities law regulation and competition law regulation, and serving as Director of Legal Services and Enforcement at the Securities Commission. She also holds an EMBA (Distinction and Top Student) from the Arthur Lock Jack Graduate School of Business and is a certified Mediator. She is the author of” Sailor Dance” the biography of John Stanley Donaldson, her father, and mother of Warren and Kristen. Source: un.org.

[pullcarol0-blog]

2:00PM Water Cooler 9/28/2018

By Lambert Strether of Corrente.

Readers, as before, I got wrapped round the axle on Kavanaugh. I’ll have more in a bit. A kind reader said not to be apologetic, so I’m not! –lambert UPDATE 3:37PM All done!

Trade

“Nafta Isn’t Dead Yet, Despite Missed Deadline” [Wall Street Journal]. “President Trump has concluded that trade talks with Canada have reached an impasse, giving up on the self-imposed Sept. 30 deadline for completing a full rewrite of the North American Free Trade Agreement. As a result, the administration plans to publish as soon as Friday the draft of a Mexico-only deal that would replace the quarter-century-old trilateral bloc. Does that mean the imminent breakup of the continentwide free-trade zone? Probably not, according to people familiar with the process. A more likely result is some fudging of the deadline and procedures, and more talks with Ottawa over the coming weeks, and possibly months.”

Politics

2020

“Elizabeth Warren Introduces Plan to Expand Affordable Housing and Dismantle Racist Zoning Practices” [The Intercept]. “THIS WEEK, SEN. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., introduced the American Housing and Economic Mobility Act, one of the most far-reaching federal housing bills in decades. The legislation calls for a half-trillion dollar investment in affordable housing over the next 10 years, creating up to 3.2 million new units for low- and middle-income families. The bill also expands the protections of decades-old legislation to reduce discriminatory banking, ban housing discrimination, and desegregate neighborhoods. … Warren’s bill comes on the heels of two other federal housing bills introduced this summer by Democratic Sens. Cory Booker and Kamala Harris, of New Jersey and California, respectively. Harris’s bill, which came first, aims to provide financial relief to renters by creating a new refundable tax credit. Booker’s bill would also establish a refundable tax credit….” • Tax credits. Feh.

“Elizabeth Warren for president? New survey shows Mass. voters don’t love that idea” [Boston Globe]. “Fifty-eight percent of likely Massachusetts voters said they don’t think Warren should run for president, according to a Suffolk University Political Research Center/Boston Globe poll…. Only 32 percent of those surveyed said Warren should run. That’s about the same level of enthusiasm generated by former senator John Kerry. He got the support of 33 percent of voters — and, unlike Warren, he isn’t on anyone’s short list for strongest possible challengers to President Trump.” • Bain Capital’s Deval Patrick got 38.4%.

2018

38 days until Election Day. 38 days is a long time in politics (as we are seeing right now with Kavanaugh).

A very important, nuanced thread, with lots of linky goodness:

I'm a sociologist who studies adolescent sexual violence. In this thread, I offer the basic facts everyone should know about sexual assault to make sense of the #Kavanaugh allegations. (And citations in case you want to read up yourself.)

— Nicole Bedera (@NBedera) September 26, 2018

Do read it all.

* * *

“White House spokesman: Can’t say ‘for certain’ that we have the votes for Kavanaugh” [Politico]. “A handful of key senators, including Republicans Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Jeff Flake, as well as Democrat Joe Manchin, are being closely watched to see where they land on Kavanaugh. All four have yet to announce how they will vote on the Supreme Court nominee’s confirmation.” • Collins is meeting with four assault “survivors” at noon.

“Kavanaugh advances, with Flake calling for a delay in full Senate vote” [The Globe]. “After a flurry of last-minute negotiations, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination for the Supreme Court after agreeing to a late call from Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona for a one week investigation into sexual assault allegations against the high court nominee… However, it’s unclear if Republican leaders — or President Donald Trump — will support Flake’s call for the investigation or might instead press forward with a full Senate vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination. Trump indicated on Friday that he’d leave the decision for such a delay up to the Senate. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump called Christine Blasey Ford’s Thursday testimony both ‘compelling’ and ‘credible.'” • A jack move? Certainly unexpected…

“Democrats Walk Out” [Wall Street Journal]. “As Chairman Grassley read a statement praising Judge Kavanaugh and explaining his decision not to call further witnesses, several Democrats walked out: Sens. Whitehouse, Blumenthal, Hirono and Harris. As Mr. Grassley continued his statement praising the judge and criticizing the Democrats’ approach to the nomination, Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont walked out. Then the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York, took a seat in the back of the room.” • Pointless.

“Angry and embittered, Kavanaugh casts nomination in partisan terms” [Yahoo News]. “Rebutting Christine Blasey Ford’s allegations of sexual assault, Kavanaugh cast himself as the victim, bitterly attacking the 10 Democrats seated before him. He called the initial hearings into his nomination an ’embarrassment,’ suggesting that he was the subject of ‘left-wing opposition groups.’ Sputtering with rage, Kavanaugh went so far as to claim that his opponents were seeking ‘revenge on behalf of the Clintons,’ though he offered no evidence for that assertion.” • Well, on left-wing liberal oppo, he was right, wasn’t he?

“Rachel Mitchell’s disappearing act confirms GOP blunder” [Politico]. “The five-minute rounds of questioning — a request from Ford’s legal team that not every Democrat was comfortable with initially — didn’t help the GOP’s cause, either. Mitchell couldn’t establish any rhythm, clearly frustrating Republicans…. But Mitchell pursued some seemingly trivial rounds of questioning that didn’t elicit any information to undermine Ford’s testimony. Mitchell and Ford had a lengthy exchange over Ford’s fear of flying, although they established that Ford often flew for her job as a psychologist and to attend family events. Some of Mitchell’s precious time was used to question Ford about her fear of flying and to ask whether she’d been to Australia. She said she had not. Mitchell clearly suffered from the fact that neither the committee, nor the FBI had questioned Ford previously, which left Mitchell probing a lot of dry holes and sometimes drawing answers that were unhelpful to the GOP side.” • The call for an FBI investigation would look a lot better if [genuflects] Joe Biden hadn’t said they were useless in the Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas hearings.

“”If They Can, They Will”: The Ford-Kavanaugh Hearing and the Angry Politics of Now” [Susan Glasser, The New Yorker]. “Emotion does not win on Capitol Hill, though, where the majority rules. The Democrats supporting Ford and demanding a more thorough investigation of her charges before voting on Kavanaugh do not control the Senate, and they did not get to set the terms of the hearings. In Washington, process determines outcome, and in this case the outcome was very likely determined from the moment Republicans on the Judiciary Committee set up the process. The process was designed to give us the deadlock of he-said-she-said, and, in the end, that is exactly what it did. Ford said she was ‘a hundred per cent certain’ that Kavanaugh had attacked her; Kavanaugh said he was ‘a hundred per cent’ sure he had not. How could it have been any other way? There was no independent F.B.I. investigation; no other witnesses were called. Questions were limited to one five-minute round for each senator. Ford spoke first and Kavanaugh second; he would have the last word.” • FWIW, I think a functional Democrat party would have had the Senators co-ordinate their questioning and make it truly an interrogation (they didn’t), wouldn’t allow last-minute outside parties (Avenatti, the New Yorker) to drive the selection of potential witnesses, and would have something to say about Kavanaugh’s opinions. Instead we get empty performative gestures like walk-outs and a focus on effing process, and nothing on, say, Roe v. Wade, which is surely the subtext of the entire exercise for both parties. UPDATE Not to mention Kavanaugh’s seamy record with Ken Starr, or his role as a politlcal operative generally. As a result–

What normie voters saw was a man angry about being accused of assault & cagey, like presumably many normal folks, about discussing how much he used to drink. They didn't see a man dodging the actual details of the allegations because the Dems didn't really ask about them!

— Osita Nwanevu (@OsitaNwanevu) September 28, 2018

* * *

“The rape culture of the 1980s, explained by Sixteen Candles” [Vox]. “But if there’s one thing we can take away from the popular culture of the 1980s, when the alleged events took place, it’s that a sexual assault at that time might not have been immediately clear as what it was, for participants and observers alike. Some of the most popular comedies of the ’80s are filled with supposedly hilarious sequences that portray what in 2018 would be unambiguously considered date rape.” • An especially horrid incident played for laughs. One reaction–

I could not agree more. @constancegrady https://t.co/1tWI1vePBv

— Molly Ringwald (@MollyRingwald) September 28, 2018

• Making today’s outrage presentist?

UPDATE “Brett Kavanaugh’s Testimony Made It Easier Than Ever to Picture Him as an Aggressive, Entitled Teen” [Slate] • Henry the V without Prince Hal, as it were. That said, aggressive, entitled teens aren’t especially thin on the ground, and it’s a ways from a sense of entitlement to sexual assault. Now, an aggressive teen who, as an adult, is being nominated for the Supreme Court and has terrible opinions is quite another things, but the Democrats seem unable even to consider raising that issue. The norms fairy, perhaps.

UPDATE “The Editors: It is time for the Kavanaugh nomination to be withdrawn” [America]. “While we previously endorsed the nomination of Judge Kavanaugh on the basis of his legal credentials and his reputation as a committed textualist*, it is now clear that the nomination should be withdrawn…. Dr. Blasey’s accusations have neither been fully investigated nor been proven to a legal standard, but neither have they been conclusively disproved or shown to be less than credible. Judge Kavanaugh continues to enjoy a legal presumption of innocence, but the standard for a nominee to the Supreme Court is far higher; there is no presumption of confirmability. The best of the bad resolutions available in this dilemma is for Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination to be withdrawn.” • A Jesuit magazine.

“Christine Blasey Ford’s GoFundMe campaign is surging after today’s testimony” [CNN]. • $410,000 and rising.

“I Wasn’t Assaulted” [Libby Watson, Medium]. “I wasn’t assaulted, but there are lot of ways to get hurt in bed when you’re a woman.” • It’s like the 80s were a national laboratory for bad sex. Although maybe that was the 70s.

* * *

At the margins….

The approval ratings of the past 4 US presidents from their inaugurations to their first mid-term elections pic.twitter.com/Bn9Im1yE2G

— AFP news agency (@AFP) September 28, 2018

“Democrats dropping $21 million on Senate digital ads largely targeting health care” [NBC]. “So far this cycle, [Senate Majority PAC (SMP)] has been the top outside spender of either party on ads. It’s spent almost $40 million through Wednesday, according to data from Advertising Analytics, and has more advertising dollars booked from now through Election Day than any other outside group.” • Does make you wonder what would happen with #MedicareForAll if the powers that be spent any money on advertising it, instead of propping up the wretched ObamaCare.

ME Senate:

Just traveled overnight on a bus from Maine to DC with a group of bold activists urging @SenatorCollins to #StopKavanaugh. pic.twitter.com/SfPtSg1WFu

— Zak Ringelstein (@RingelsteinME) September 28, 2018

Ringelstein’s done this before, and kudos to him, though I loathe that focus-grouped word “bold.”

Stats Watch

Personal Income and Outlays, August 2018: “The refrain of “strong” throughout the FOMC’s assessment of the economy on Wednesday isn’t confirmed by the personal income and outlays report for August where modest-to-moderate is the better description” [Econoday]. And: “Consumer income growth year-over-year is insignificantly lower than spending growth year-over-year…. Overall, the data is little different than last month” [Econintersect].

Chicago Purchasing Managers Index, September 2018: “General economic growth in Chicago slowed in September” [Econoday]. “[S]till very strong.” And: “The results of this survey continue to correlate to district Federal Reserve manufacturing surveys – and generallly aligns with the overall trend of the ISM manufacturing survey” [Econintersect].

Consumer Sentiment, September 2018 (Final): “very healthy,” “down slightly” [Econoday]. “Income optimism across all groups is the strongest since 2004 and is getting a lift from declining inflation expectations and, with this, the prospect of rising spending power. And despite concerns over tariffs, which were cited by nearly 1/3 of the sample, consumers see economic growth continuing and unemployment falling. Note that among those who cite tariffs as a concern, confidence is generally lower.” And: “Final September 2018 Michigan Consumer Sentiment Little Changed From Preliminary” [Econintersect].

Retail: “Inside the New Amazon 4-Star Store, a Novelty Gift Shop” [Wall Street Journal]. “Reminiscent of a novelty gift store or an airport gadget shop, the new Amazon 4-star store on Thursday was selling his and hers mugs, candles, teapots, pet toys, ‘Star Wars’ droids and vegetable peelers… ‘Approximately 90% of all retail is still happening in the physical store,’ said Rob Garf, vice president of strategy and insights at Salesforce Commerce Cloud. ‘This is less about Amazon getting into a new genre or category of retail, I think this is Amazon testing and learning about physical retail.'”

The Bezzle: “How Dirty Money Disappears Into the Black Hole of Cryptocurrency” [Wall Street Journal]. “A North Korean agent, a stolen-credit-card peddler and the mastermind of an $80 million Ponzi scheme had a common problem. They needed to launder their dirty money. They found a common solution in ShapeShift AG, an online exchange backed by established American venture-capital firms that lets people anonymously trade bitcoin, which police can track, for other digital currencies that can’t be followed…. The company’s financial backers include Pantera Capital and FundersClub in California and Access Venture Partners in Colorado. Partners with Pantera and Access said their legal reviews satisfied them that ShapeShift is operating within the law. FundersClub and its partners didn’t respond to messages seeking comment…. A Wall Street Journal investigation identified nearly $90 million in suspected criminal proceeds that flowed through such intermediaries over two years.” • Lots of colorful characters in this story!

Tech: “Facebook Is Breached, Putting 50 Million Users’ Data at Risk” [New York Times]. “Facebook said it did not know the origin or identity of the attackers, nor had it fully assessed the scope of the attack. The company said it was still in the beginning stages of its investigation.” • And I’m sure we’ll be kept fully informed…

Tech: And speaking of Facebook, this Job Description:

Are you sitting down tweeps? Here’s a job ⁦@facebook⁩ . Director of Data Leaderhip “The Data Leadership Team's mission is to drive innovation in the responsible, ethical and lawful use of data to deliver economic, social and individual value for all” https://t.co/ckfSRsnsmu

— Privacy Matters (@PrivacyMatters) September 28, 2018

I think Facebook is already doing a pretty good job “driving innovation” in “ethics.” Is this new position really needed?

Tech: You don’t own anything digital unless you control the storage. Thread:

Me: Hey Apple, three movies I bought disappeared from my iTunes library. Apple: Oh yes, those are not available anymore. Thank you for buying them. Here are two movie rentals on us! Me: Wait… WHAT?? @tim_cook when did this become acceptable? pic.twitter.com/dHJ0wMSQH9

— Anders G da Silva (@drandersgs) September 10, 2018

Like giving you a rental voucher after stealing your house… .

Tech: “Google CEO will testify before U.S. House on bias accusations” [Reuters]. “Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai has agreed to testify before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee later this year over Republican concerns that the company is biased against conservatives, a senior Republican said on Friday.” • It’s biased against the left, too! But you won’t hear about that….

MMT

Simulcasting The Second International Conference of Modern Monetary Theory (#mmtconf18), Friday-Sunday, Sept 28-30, The New School, New York City (hat tip, DCBLogger):

Class Warfare

“Port Workers Plan Strike in L.A. to Challenge Logistics Firms” [Bloomberg]. “Warehouse workers and truck drivers at Los Angeles ports are planning to launch a three-day strike Monday, aiming to put pressure on logistics companies they claim owe them back wages. The strike is the latest effort by labor groups to focus on workers who companies don’t consider direct employees, or who get their paychecks from other firms in the supply chain. It also exemplifies how strikes in the U.S. have shifted toward drawing public scrutiny to corporate behavior and workers’ demands — such as the union-backed “Fight for $15″ — rather than directly disrupting their bottom line. Port officials have said that previous Teamster port strikes led to some shipments being turned away but had a limited impact on port operations. The union hopes that its mobilizations next week will heighten public pressure on the logistics firms and on their prominent clients, which the Teamsters said include Amazon.com Inc., Toyota Motor Corp., Puma and Rio Tinto Plc.” • Hmm. I wonder how the locals feel about that “public scrutiny” model. Still, nice to the Democrats all over this, supporting labor right before the mid-terms. Oh, wait…

“Pope defrocks Chilean priest at center of abuse scandal” [Associated Press]. “Francis sparked a crisis in his papacy earlier this year when he strongly defended one of Karadima’s protégés, Bishop Juan Barros, against accusations that he had witnessed Karadima’s abuse and ignored it Francis had claimed that the accusations against Barros were “calumny” and politically motivated, and he defended his 2015 decision to appoint Barros bishop of a small Chilean diocese over the objections of the faithful and many in the Chilean hierarchy. After realizing that something was amiss, Francis ordered a Vatican investigation that uncovered decades of abuse and cover-ups by the Chilean church leadership. Francis apologized to the victims, inviting Cruz and fellow survivors James Hamilton and Jose Andres Murillo to the Vatican for four days of talks. He set about making amends, including getting every active bishop in Chile to offer to resign. To date, he has accepted seven of the more than 30 resignations offered, including that of Barros.” • I’m glad some bishops resigned. In Chile. It’s a atart.

News of the Wired

For those who remember the terror alerts, post-9/11:

Current status pic.twitter.com/Gik6zg12nQ

— Pinboard (@Pinboard) September 28, 2018

* * *

Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, with (a) links, and even better (b) sources I should curate regularly, (c) how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal, and (d) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here. Today’s plant (AH):

AH writes: “This is the project my mom and I worked on this summer. The previous owner had built garden beds around the entire house, which is great. The problem, though, is that she (the previous owner) only planted hosta. It was hosta for days. Hundreds of feet of it, hundreds of plants. So I had to dig it all up in order to plant the gardens my mom is really good at creating. She designs gardens specifically where plants flower at different times throughout the summer. This picture is late summer where most of the garden had already flowered, like bleeding hearts and most of the bulb flowers (I suck at remembering the names of things). The garden pictured here is mostly from Spragues (our favorite nursery in central Maine), plus rocks pulled from the woods out back. We also found a small birch along the rock wall of the property (below the greenhouse). Personally, I would do without the cheesy garden ornaments, but it’s my mom’s house and she loves those things. We will repeat this every summer until all hosta has been conquered once and for all!” Spragues is where I got my first plants, too!

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Readers, I’m still running a bit short on plants. Probably a little soon for fall foliage, or wrapping up the garden, but I’m sure you can find something! How about a project you completed over the summer?

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Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not covered by the annual NC fundraiser. So do feel free to make a contribution today or any day. Here is why: Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know I’m on the right track with coverage. When I get no donations for five or ten days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of small donations helps me with expenses, and I factor that trickle in when setting fundraising goals. So if you see something you especially appreciate, do feel free to click the hat!

To give more, click on the arrow heads to the right of the amount.

If you hate PayPal — even though you can use a credit card or debit card on PayPal — you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check.

This entry was posted in Guest Post, Water Cooler on September 28, 2018 by Lambert Strether.

About Lambert Strether

Readers, I have had a correspondent characterize my views as realistic cynical. Let me briefly explain them. I believe in universal programs that provide concrete material benefits, especially to the working class. Medicare for All is the prime example, but tuition-free college and a Post Office Bank also fall under this heading. So do a Jobs Guarantee and a Debt Jubilee. Clearly, neither liberal Democrats nor conservative Republicans can deliver on such programs, because the two are different flavors of neoliberalism (“Because markets”). I don’t much care about the “ism” that delivers the benefits, although whichever one does have to put common humanity first, as opposed to markets. Could be a second FDR saving capitalism, democratic socialism leashing and collaring it, or communism razing it. I don’t much care, as long as the benefits are delivered. To me, the key issue — and this is why Medicare for All is always first with me — is the tens of thousands of excess “deaths from despair,” as described by the Case-Deaton study, and other recent studies. That enormous body count makes Medicare for All, at the very least, a moral and strategic imperative. And that level of suffering and organic damage makes the concerns of identity politics — even the worthy fight to help the refugees Bush, Obama, and Clinton’s wars created — bright shiny objects by comparison. Hence my frustration with the news flow — currently in my view the swirling intersection of two, separate Shock Doctrine campaigns, one by the Administration, and the other by out-of-power liberals and their allies in the State and in the press — a news flow that constantly forces me to focus on matters that I regard as of secondary importance to the excess deaths. What kind of political economy is it that halts or even reverses the increases in life expectancy that civilized societies have achieved? I am also very hopeful that the continuing destruction of both party establishments will open the space for voices supporting programs similar to those I have listed; let’s call such voices “the left.” Volatility creates opportunity, especially if the Democrat establishment, which puts markets first and opposes all such programs, isn’t allowed to get back into the saddle. Eyes on the prize! I love the tactical level, and secretly love even the horse race, since I’ve been blogging about it daily for fourteen years, but everything I write has this perspective at the back of it.

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Source: https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2018/09/200pm-water-cooler-9-28-2018.html

[yourdailykitsch]

WACO CASTING NEWS

Melissa Benoist & Julia Garner join the cast of ‘Waco’

Supergirl star Melissa Benoist and Julia Garner (Grandma) have been tapped as leads opposite Michael Shannon and Taylor Kitsch in Waco, the six-part event series that will be part of the inaugural slate that will launch Viacom’s Paramount Network in January 2018. Produced by Weinstein Television, the series — based on the true story of the 51-day standoff in Waco, Texas that resulted in a deadly fire — is currently filming in Santa Fe, NM. Waco explores chronicles the 1993 standoff between the FBI, ATF and David Koresh’s spiritual sect, The Branch Davidians, told from several perspectives of those most intimately involved in both sides of the conflict. Benoist will portray Rachel Koresh, the legal wife of Branch Davidian leader David Koresh (Kitsch) and considered the matriarch of Mount Carmel. Garner plays Michelle Jones, the younger sister of David Koresh’s wife Rachel, whom also had a child with Koresh. In addition to Shannon and Kitsch, Benoist and Garner also Waco cast members John Leguizamo, Andrea Riseborough, Rory Culkin, Paul Sparks and Shea Whigham. Waco is written by John Erick Dowdle and Drew Dowdle (No Escape), Salvatore Stabile and Sarah Nicole Jones. Four episodes will be directed by John Erick Dowdle with two directed by Dennie Gordon. Shannon, Kitsch, the Dowdle brothers and Stabile are executive producers of the series along with TWC Co-Chairmen Harvey Weinstein and Bob Weinstein, President and COO David Glasser, Co-head of Production Jennifer Malloy, and Head of Scripted Television Megan Spanjian of Weinstein Television. Benoist, last seen in Peter Berg’s Patriots Day, will next star in the Jason Blum and Brian Grazer-produced Universal Studios film Lowriders and recently wrapped production on the feature Sun Dogsl. Garner recently completed production as a series regular on the upcoming Netflix drama Ozark and will next be seen on the big screen in Liz Garcia’s One Percent More Humid, which premieres at the Tribeca Film Festival. Benoist and Garner are repped by Anonymous Content and UTA.

[coachlydia]

UN Warns of More Severe Disasters If World Leaders Do Not Heed Climate Risk

The hurricanes and wildfires that have severely damaged large areas of the U.S. in recent weeks have had no impact on President Donald Trump's determination to ignore the perils of climate change and support the coalindustry.

In a deliberate denial of mainstream science, the Trump administration has issued a strategic four-year plan for the U.S. Environment Protection Agency that does not once mention "greenhouse gas emissions," "carbon dioxide" or "climate change" in its 48 pages.

Rachel Cleetus, lead economist and climate policy manager of the Union of Concerned Scientists, described this as "stunning" in its ignorance. "This was not an oversight," she said. "This is a deliberate strategy by this administration."

Trump effect

However, President Trump's repudiation in June of the 2015 Paris agreement designed to combat global warming, and his refusal to acknowledge any connection between recent extreme weather events and climate change, seems to have made the world even more determined to tackle the issue.

The acid test will be the progress that is made in November at the annual meeting of the parties for the Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany, hosted by Fiji, one of the small island states expected to be most affected by sea-level rise and more frequent storms.

Ahead of the conference, three of the UN's most senior climate change figures have issued a statement urging world leaders to see the recent spate of disasters as a "shocking sign of things to come."

In a joint statement, Achim Steiner, administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, Patricia Espinosa, executive secretary of the UN Framework Climate Change Convention and Robert Glasser, the UN secretary-general's special representative for disaster risk reduction and head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, said the events of the last few months were a reminder that climate change threatens more frequent and severe disasters such as those just witnessed.

The three officials emphasize that there have been many more extreme weather events that have not received the publicity given to the hurricanes in the Caribbean and the U.S.

"The record floods across Bangladesh, India and Nepal have made life miserable for some 40 million people," they said. "More than 1,200 people have died and many people have lost their homes, crops have been destroyed, and many workplaces have been inundated. Meanwhile, in Africa, over the last 18 months 20 countries have declared drought emergencies, with major displacement taking place across the Horn of Africa.

"For those countries that are least developed the impact of disasters can be severe, stripping away livelihoods and progress on health and education; for developed and middle-income countries the economic losses from infrastructure alone can be massive.

"During the last two years over 40 million people, mainly in countries which contribute least to global warming, were forced either permanently or temporarily from their homes by disasters."

The three officials did not mention the Trump administration's refusal to accept basic science, but describe the rising sea levels of 85 millimeters (3.34 inches) in the last 25 years and the potential catastrophic storm damage that coastal areas face as a result.

Clear consensus

"There is clear consensus," they added. "Rising temperatures are increasing the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere, leading to more intense rainfall and flooding in some places, and drought in others.

"Rising and warming seas are contributing to the intensity of tropical storms worldwide. We will continue to live with the abnormal and often unforeseen consequences of existing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, for many, many years to come."

They pointed out that the cost of adaptation to climate change will be far cheaper than the repair bill if no action is taken.

"It is critical to remember that the long-term reduction of emissions��is THE most important risk reduction tactic we have, and we must deliver on that ambition," they wrote.

The three officials concluded, "The November UN Climate Conference in Bonn provides an opportunity to not only accelerate emission reductions but to also boost the serious work of ensuring that the management of climate risk is integrated into disaster risk management. Poverty, rapid urbanization, poor land use, ecosystems decline and other risk factors will amplify the impacts of climate change."

source:climate news network

http://ift.tt/2yw4mbg from Blogger http://ift.tt/2gn4EdA via Climate Change Action Group

[lilydalexf]

👽 X-Files Fic Recs: Novels, Part 3

Here are lots of very good novel-length X-Files fics to read! Need even more? Check out my earlier lists of novel recs: Part 1 and Part 2. Enjoy! Antidote by Rachel Howard and Karen Rasch Strange doings in a tiny western town bring Mulder and Scully out to investigate. Once there, they uncover a deadly experiment that may cost both of them their lives. Camping by Amperage and Livengoo Fox Mulder and Dana Scully have survived abductions, serial killers, mutants and aliens but the Partner Cooperation Program Wilderness Encounter may finally do them in. After poison ivy and catfish, who wouldn’t long for a nice, safe killer mutant? Certitude by Justin Glasser Mulder and Scully are taken off the ice, but they wouldn’t call it being rescued. Ensky by viXen Mulder and Scully investigate a string of mutilation cases in Northern Arizona while Scully deals with a mystery closer to home. Gravity by @malibusunset-xf-blog Schmoop and sex. That's pretty much it. Don't say you weren't warned. A series of vignettes set around the time frame of I Want To Believe. Mulder and Scully look the way they did in IWTB, but Mulder doesn't have his beard (because it's scratchy and Scully didn't like it and neither did I). Katherine of Ireland by Jenna Tooms The King is dead. Long Live the Queen. Love, The Missing Word by Sarah Kiley Mulder and Scully are drafted into WW III. Is distance making the heart grow fonder? Malus Genius by Plausible Deniability and MaybeAmanda What's *your* evil spirit? The Marfa Murder Mysteries by Katie Phillips Mulder gets tied up working on a case with VCU so Scully is forced to go undercover on her own down in Texas investigating mysterious deaths involving the world famous Marfa Lights. Problems arise and Mulder also goes undercover to make sure his partner is safe. Pythagorean Harmonics by Vesalius What if Pythagoras was right and all IS number, and the universe is indeed harmonious? Post-ep study of the human condition. Regular People and Regular People Still by Cathleen Faye Thwarted plans, impulsive decisions & unexpected visitors can sometimes make two FBI agents into regular people. Reminiscence by @sunflowerseedsandscience Mulder wakes one morning to find that Scully has disappeared, and is told- by those he trusts- that she has been dead for over twenty years. All of the evidence- and even Mulder’s own memories- seem to back it up. But is it true? Or can Mulder not trust anyone- himself included? Rules of Life and Death by @dksculder Mulder is presented with a list of conditions he must fulfill to receive an inheritance. Can Scully help him accomplish all of the tasks? Skin by Annie Sewell-Jennings In a world where Mulder and Scully have never met, fate intervenes and brings two worlds colliding in the city of Charleston, as a vicious murderer reigns and a storm approaches. Still, Still, Still by Tess and Jacquie LaVa It's Christmas, and they can't bear the separation one more day. Tangible by Blueswirl and Meredith Sometimes, to have anything, one must be willing to risk everything. This House is Burning by Tesla MSR Casefile Way Through the Woods by Pellinor and Rebecca Rusnak Three months ago, someone noticed something unusual about Scully. Now, in a desperate attempt to stave off the inevitable, Mulder has disappeared, and Scully's only chance of finding him include an unlikely ally and an untrustworthy informant. As they make their way through the woods, can Mulder and Scully find each other, or is the future lost?

[maxwellyjordan]

Courtroom access: Line-standing businesses save spots in the public line

Editor’s note: On April 13, the Supreme Court announced that it would conduct 10 oral arguments via telephone conference on several days in May in cases whose oral argument dates had been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that it would make an audio feed available to the public through a media pool, providing real-time audio of oral arguments for the first time in its history.

Line-standers often bring equipment to prepare for long hours and varied conditions (Casey Quinlan)

Before the Supreme Court postponed its March and April oral argument sessions and announced telephonic oral arguments with live audio due to the coronavirus, an average of 87 people from the public line got a ticket to see a full argument session. In order to secure one of these coveted spots without sleeping on the sidewalk, many of the people we interviewed resorted to hiring “line-standing” businesses, which charge around $35-50 per hour, to stand in line for them. Our reporters found a consistent use of paid line-standers in the public line, with more high-profile cases having a dozen or more spot-savers.

Technically, it is against the Supreme Court’s guidelines to hold a spot in line for another person — for a fee or not. In October of 2015, the Supreme Court updated its Visitors Guide to Oral Argument to prohibit line-standers in the Supreme Court Bar line: “Only Bar members who actually intend to attend argument are allowed in line for the Bar section; ‘line standers’ are not permitted.” Members of the bar are attorneys who have paid a $200 membership fee and qualified for admission. The court does not explicitly prohibit line-standers in the two public lines, one for the full argument and one for a brief three-minute stint in the courtroom, but the visitors guide asks people not to “hold a space in either line for others who have not yet arrived.”

Although attorneys appear to be obeying the prohibition against line-standers in the Supreme Court bar line, it is common practice to ignore the court’s request not to save places in the public lines. For the general public, here’s how line-standing works: You can contact companies like Skip the Line ($35/hour, +$5/hour for inclement weather), Washington Express ($45/hour) or Linestanding.com ($48/hour) to reserve a line-stander for a minimum of three hours. Linestanding.com representative Michael Glasser said his team’s strategy is to have people there at 4 a.m., or earlier. “You want to get the guys in place before the Metro starts,” Glasser said. For longer wait times, Glasser said contractors sometimes take shifts, but others prefer to work for more hours.

Before the court marshals hand out the first 50 public-line tickets at 7:30 a.m., the court does not monitor the line. Presumably because line-standing and spot-saving are not encouraged by the court, most people will arrive around 7 a.m. to replace their paid line-stander. Our reporters witnessed these exchanges — when a group of sleepy contractors would pack up their chairs and air mattresses to trade places with fresh faces in suits — many times.

In order to secure a golden ticket for the high-profile employment discrimination cases Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia and R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes Inc. v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which were argued on Tuesday, October 8, 2019, nonprofit organizations and lobbying groups utilized the services of line-standing companies. Our reporters captured photos of a dozen or more “suits” switching places with the line-standers just after sunrise that morning. Although we observed little regulation of line-standing, the companies usually practice discretion, with one person swapping out at a time for larger groups. According to our data, the last ticket handed out at 7:30 a.m. went to someone who arrived 35 hours before. At a $40 per hour rate, the 50th ticket would have cost $1,400 if the client wanted to arrive immediately before the tickets were handed out.

Around 7 a.m., line-standers exchange places with their clients just before the court marshals hand out tickets for the LGBT employment discrimination cases (Amy Howe)

Even the day before the arguments in the employment discrimination cases, line-standing companies were already hard at work. On Monday, October 7, Matt Ponder arrived at 4:00 a.m. to secure spot 51 in the line for that morning’s cases, Kahler v. Kansas and Peter v. NantKwest Inc. Ponder had a general interest in visiting the court and knew he would not have a shot at getting in for the higher-profile cases the following day. Around 7:00 a.m. on Monday, he was approached by a line-standing company staffer attempting to sell him spot 53 in line for the next day’s cases. The asking price was $800, and Ponder turned the employee down.

The unofficial line director for the October 8 employment discrimination arguments, Eddie Reynoso, said he witnessed line-standing companies trying to buy spots. Two women who were originally numbers 67 and 68 in line were given $400 each for their places in line. Reynoso said the purchaser disappeared after a bomb threat scattered the line, but that the two women made it in.

Line-standers are used in many cases because there are attorneys and lobbyists with a financial and organizational interest in the outcome of the case. Access to the court enables the audience to evaluate the reactions of the justices before the transcripts and audio of the oral arguments are released. For example, Maine Community Health Options v. United States asks whether the government is required to reimburse insurance companies for losses associated with their participation in the Affordable Care Act markets, to the tune of as much as $12 billion, according to the insurers. The first 15 people in line for the oral argument on December 10, 2019, refused to speak with us because they were paid line-standers who had arrived around or before midnight to hold spots for insurance attorneys and lobbyists.

Some members of the public we interviewed equated saving spots with line-cutting. A group of students from the Washington area who showed up in November to see argument in Retirement Plans Committee of IBM v. Jander said they were “morally opposed” to using line-standing companies. One student, Rachel Sumption, observed that the practice impedes the court’s accessibility. “If left unchecked, the practice of line-standing might begin to displace visitors who cannot afford to pay and create a de facto ‘price’ for admission to the Court,” Sumption said. “On a micro scale, it might not feel like a big deal, but … if five people out of 50 each day receive a ticket to the arguments because of a line-stander, we effectively have a system where 10% of the Court’s guaranteed seats are given to those who pay the highest premium.”

Although, as Sumption suggests, line-standing may be problematic because it reserves spots for those who can afford the practice, sitting outside for hours or even days in the elements also limits access to the court. People with disabilities, people who are pregnant or have children, people without paid personal leave, people from out of state and others may be unable to endure the wait. Without line-standers, these people would also be locked out.

Gabe Roth, executive director of Fix the Court, a nonprofit that advocates for increased transparency at the Supreme Court, gets frustrated when justices casually invite people to come watch an oral argument, as Justice Stephen Breyer did at 27:18 of this Zoom video. Roth said that “linestanding should be banned for the public line, and not just for the Supreme Court Bar line, as it’s yet another barrier for regular people trying to get into the courtroom, given the high cost associated with it.” Instead of line-standers, Roth recommends that tickets be handed out some other way, “whether that be through a formal application process, a general ticket lottery, a ticket lottery organized by congressional offices, … a student essay contest or something more creative that doesn’t simply lead to tickets falling into the lap of the highest bidder.”

With the announcement in March that the Supreme Court and Congress would close their doors to the public, line-standing company representative Glasser said his business’ revenue is “hurting,” and his contractors who rely on line-standing to make ends meet are “awaiting their stimulus payments, just like all of us.” Asked if live video or audio would have a negative impact on business, Glasser said: “We supply a service for people that have interest in particular cases.” Even if the Supreme Court started live-streaming arguments on C-SPAN, there would still be demand for the business because, “like sporting events, it’s always better live than on television.”

The post Courtroom access: Line-standing businesses save spots in the public line appeared first on SCOTUSblog.

from Law https://www.scotusblog.com/2020/04/courtroom-access-line-standing-businesses-save-spots-in-the-public-line/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[thehoustondesigncenter]

Save the dates: Spring design calendar filled with home tours

Save the dates: Spring design calendar filled with home tours

By Diane Cowen

Spring weekends in Houston are filled with home-related events, from home and garden shows to architecture and history tours and shopping events.

Design in Bloom brings a panel of national speakers to talk about architecture, design and, of course, floral design March 24. The following weekend is filled with home tours, ranging from modern homes to downtown lofts and more historic homes in Woodland Heights. Texas Antiques Week in Round Top is a shopper’s delight, and the April and May bring more home tours.

Get your calendar out; it’s time to save a few dates.

Home and Outdoor Living Shows

The TexWoods series of home and outdoor living shows is underway, with a new HTown event at Silver Street Studios in First Ward. Hours are 9 a.m.- 6 p.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. on Sundays. (Note: I’ll be a speaker at the HTown and Lake Houston shows, speaking about design styles each day at 12:30 p.m.) At all shows, admission is $10 for adults, $9 for seniors and children 12 and under are free. Here’s the spring lineup:

HTown: March 7-8 at Silver Street Studios at Sawyer Yards, 2000 Edwards. Speakers include Laura Dowling, who was the chief

Cy-Fair: March 21-22 at the Berry Center, 8877 Barker Cypress. Events include floral design workshops by Ashley Wallace of The Tallest Tulip.

Lake Houston: March 28-29 at the Humble Civic Center, 8233 Will Clayton Parkway. Speakers include Dr. Lori’s Antiques Appraisal Comedy Show.White House floral designer for six years of the Obama administration.

Design in Bloom

This year’s Design in Bloom event, in conjunction with Texas Design Week, brings Flower magazine editor-in-chief Margot Shaw, Nashville interior designer Ray Booth, Atlanta architect Bobby McAlpine, Lexington, Ky., landscape architect Jon Carloftis and New York floral designer Lewis Miller together for panel discussions, book signings and floral demonstrations.

When: 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. March 24

Where: Houston Design Center, 7026 Old Katy Road (in various showrooms)

Tickets: $10-$100; DesigninBloomHouston.com

Downtown Houston Home & Lifestyle Tour

The Houston Downtown Management District will hold its second annual home tour on March 28. The self-guided tour takes you into residences in Bayou Lofts, Commerce Towers, Camden Downtown, Franklin Lofts, Kirby Lofts on Main, St. Germain Lofts and Condos at The Star. Park at One Market Square Garage (800 Preston) for $5 and a courtesy shuttle will take you to participating properties. There will be live music 11 a.m.-2 p.m.at Market Square Park, a lobby tour of the Niels and Mellie Esperson Buildings from noon to 3 p.m. and pop-up art shows by Rachel Schwind Gardner and Felipe Lopez all day at Franklin Lofts.

When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. March 28

Where: Start from Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene in the W.L. Foley Building, 214 Travis

Tickets: $25 in advance, $35 tour day; livedowntownhouston.org

MA+DS 10th annual Houston Modern Home Tour

While there’s plenty of traditional home construction under way, contemporary and modern homes are increasing in popularity and the Modern Architecture + Design Society’s annual tour will open six new examples of cutting-edge residential architecture to the public. Showcased architects include 2Scale Architects, studioMET, Intexure Architects and Boxprefab, On Point Custom Homes and Fifty Seventh + 7th by Carnegie Homes. It’s a great chance to meet the architects and designers who worked on the homes.

When: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. March 28

Where: 1129 W. Pierce (2Scale Architects); 4038 Falkirk (studioMET architects); 5612 Blossom (Intexure + Boxprefab); 2514 Avalon Place (Fifty Seventh + 7th by Carnegie Homes); 2300 South Boulevard (On Point Custom Homes); and 2235 Colquitt (Scott Ballard Architect)

Tickets: $15-40 in advance, $50 at the door on tour day; mads.media

Woodland Heights Home Tour

Homes built from the 1910s through the 1920s plus a few more current construction will be among the eight open to the public on the annual Woodland Heights Home Tour. The neighborhood began in 1907 as a streetcar suburb to Houston’s downtown and was valued for its easy access to Highland Park — now called Woodland Park. The neighborhood is busier now, but retains much of its century-old charm.

When: noon-6 p.m. March 28-29

Where: 619 Bayland, 505 Byrne, 3324 Morrison, 628 Omar, 3524 Pineridge, 715 Ridge, 1611 Sage and 621 Wendel

Tickets: $10 for single homes, $25 in advance, $30 starting March 26; woodland-heights.org

Texas Antiques Week

Round Top and surrounding small towns fill with visitors for Texas Antiques Week shopping that now lasts much longer than a week. Stalwarts such as the Original Round Top Antiques Fair and Marburger Farm Antique Show stagger their dates from March 30-April 4, but other shops, Excess Fields and pop-up tents open at least a couple of weeks prior. Head there early to avoid long lines of cars on Texas 237. Wear sunscreen and comfortable shoes and take cash since WiFi there is sketchy and vendors’ credit card apps don’t always work.

The Original Round Top Antiques Fair: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. VIP admission, 1-6 p.m. general admission March 30; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. March 31; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. April 1-4. VIP early shopping pass, $20, general admission $10; includes entry to the Big Red Barn Event Center and the Continental Tent; roundtoptexasantiques.com; 475 S. Texas 237, Carmine

Marburger Farm Antique Show: Early buying 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and general admission 2-6 p.m. March 31; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. April 1-3; and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. April 4. Early buying $25; general admission $10; roundtop-marburger.com; 2248 Texas 237, Round Top

The Compound Antique Show: 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. 2550 S. Texas 237, Round Top; admission is free; roundtopcompound.com

Rice Design Alliance Architecture Tour

Rice Design Alliance is still firming up its roster for the 2020 Architecture Tour, themed “Upwards.” This tour is always highly anticipated, featuring some of the most interesting homes in the city on timely topics. The alliance will share more information on homes and tickets soon, but for now you can set these dates aside.

When: 1-6 p.m. April 25-26

Tickets: Information coming soon.

Milieu Designer Showhouse

Milieu magazine is hosting its first Designer Showhouse, a 7,400-square-foot Edwin Lutyens-style home built by Jennifer Hamelet Mirador Builders. Top designers from the U.S., Canada and Europe — including Kathryn Ireland, Lisa Fine, Carol Glasser and Jennifer Vaughn Miller — will design the interiors. Milieu, a luxury shelter and lifestyle magazine, was founded in 2013 by Houston interior designer Pamela Pierce. The showhome event will benefit Clayton Dabney for Kids with Cancer, a group that provides assistance to families with children who have cancer.

When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. April 25-26 and May 2-3

Where: 3736 Del Monte

Tickets: $200 in advance ($250 day of); tour admission $35; milieu-mag.com or at the door

Galveston Historic Homes Tour

The Galveston Historical Foundation’s annual home tour is must for history buffs and for newcomers to the area who want to learn more about the Gulf Coast’s architectural history. Galveston is a tourism city now, but it was once a thriving port city where merchants built beautiful Victorian and Queen Anne-style homes, grand examples and bungalows, too. The 2019 tour had eight homes and the 2020 lineup should be announced soon.

When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. May 2-3 and May 9-10

Where: Tour homes to be announced

Tickets: $30; galvestonhistory.org

  Read the original article here

The post Save the dates: Spring design calendar filled with home tours appeared first on The Houston Design Center.

from The Houston Design Center https://thehoustondesigncenter.com/save-the-dates-spring-design-calendar-filled-with-home-tours/

[vagablonde]

Paulina studied herself in the mirror, admiring her hair, which hung in elegant auburn curls, but faulting the dress for failing to express her mood. She felt a big ambition, a great horniness, the conviction that she was a genius, and pride in not knowing what kind. She wasn’t beautiful, she knew, but she was striking. Her face was not easily forgotten.

Glaser, Rachel B.. Paulina & Fran.