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| NYSportsJournalism.com - Q&A: BitPay Puts Bitcoin In Play |
| Posted on Monday, July 06 @ 00:01:07 PDT (14 reads) | |
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Q&a: how bitpay is taking bitcoin to the sports, entertainment marketing bank
by barry janoff
july 21, 2014: this past december, a student appeared in the background crowd shot during a broadcast of espns weekly college gameday holding up a sign that requested financial assistance from his parents.
however, in place of the traditional dollar amount he needed, the sign read, mom please send . . . Followed by a logo for digital currency bitcoin and a qr code to his personal bitcoin account. Over the next weeks, the kid received in his account more than $23,000 in bitcoin currency. It was not disclosed how much of that came from his family and how much from the public-at-large.
that incident helped to give credence to a strategy that had already been initiated by the executives at bitpay, an atlanta-based firm that processes bitcoin transactions for firms and individuals.
in june, bitpay signed a deal with espn events and the st. Petersburg (fla.) Bowl committee to become title sponsor of the annual post-season college football game previously known as the beef obradys bowl and what for the next three seasons will be the bitcoin st. Petersburg bowl, to be played in december in tropicana field. This week, bitpay signed a multi-year pact, brokered by img college, to become the sponsor for the football and basketball programs at georgia tech.
img college said that the deal was paid for using bitcoins, although the financial details were not disclosed.
not by coincidence, tony gallippi, bitpays chairman and co-founder, and stephen pair, co-founder and ceo, are both graduates of georgia tech.
bitpay said it is working to make the bitcoin st. Petersburg bowl a full bitcoin experience by expanding the use of bitcoins prior to and during the game, in tropicana field and among merchants throughout the tampa-st. Petersburg area.
the moves enhance a strategy of reaching a target audience of young tech-savvy males by aligning bitpay with sports that began in february when the firm signed a deal with the nbas sacramento kings. This past season, the team enabled fans to use bitcoins to pay for tickets, merchandise in the kings team store and items at concession stands in sleep train arena. A kings bitcoin web destination allows consumers to purchase team gear online.
other teams and leagues either use or are considering the use of bitcoins. The san jose earthquakes of major league soccer this season, via san francisco-based coinbase inc., Brought bitcoin processing to buck shaw stadium.
bitpay said it not only plans to expand its alliance with the kings this season but has been in contact with other leagues and teams to include bitcoin payment as part of their plans.
the strategy is not limited to sports, in june, bitpay was assigned to processes the account for rapper curtis “50 cent” jackson that accepts bitcoins as payment for his just-released album, animal ambition. And during the the north american bitcoin conference in chicago (july 18-20), which featured gallippi and other industry leaders from across the bitcoin community, a kickoff party in the house of blues was sponsored by bitpay.
bitcoin technology was unveiled about five years ago and is currently used by about 1% of the u.S. Population, according to industry analysts. Expedia, dish network, dell and overstock.Com are among the companies that accept bitcoin as payment.
nysportsjournalism spoke with stephanie wargo, vp-marketing for bitpay, about the companys marketing and financial strategies regarding sports and entertainment and how they are helping bitcoins to go mainstream.
nysportsjournalism.Com: what are the biggest challenges facing bitpay and bitcoin itself?
stephanie wargo: on both points, its about educating people and getting them to know what it is, what it does and what the benefits are. Bitcoin is the equivalent to the coins or dollars you have in your pocket. Then there are companies built on top of the bitcoin network that process accounts. Similar to google and yahoo!, Which sit in the internet. Bitpay is one of the leading companies in the bitcoin network. So the challenge there is getting people to know who we are and what we do, and helping to expand the use of bitcoins through our company and the network.
nysj: how difficult has that been?
sw: it has become a bit easier. The initial users are tech-savvy and willing to acclimate to a new system such as bitcoins. They may not be using it all the time, but they understand it, support the places that accept bitcoins and are able to drive education and usage to others. They get it. Overall, merchant acceptance has been a bit easier than mass-market acceptance at this point.
nysj: what is the demographic at this point?
sw: it tends to be young, male, tech-savvy and well-educated. Think about the early users of the internet and e-mail. It tends to be the same demographic. There is a great synergy there between who we are and what services we are providing and who they are and what they are looking for. So we can speak to them and reach them without going through a lot of explanation and demonstration. That community knows bitcoin inside and out.
nysj: bitpay has an alliance with the nbas sacramento kings and recently signed a three-year deal with espn events for title sponsorship to the college football bitcoin st. Petersburg bowl. (Editors note: the deal with georgia tech was unveiled after this interview was conducted.) Why are these sports deals part of your strategy?
sw: this really supports our strategy of reaching our target demo and also helps to get bitpay into a mainstream conversation. We had been in contact with several teams. But the kings actually came to us. They had done their research on bitcoin. They approached us at the ces show this past january. Their [majority] owner, vivek ranadivé, is very tech-savvy. He is constantly looking for innovations for the team and its fans (via a business philosophy he calls nba 3.0, to make investments in technology, globalization and community partnerships).
the strategy to call it the bitcoin bowl was to have other members of the bitcoin community . . . Come in and showcase what they do as part of the network.
nysj: is that what led to working with espn events to acquire naming rights to what was then the beef obrady bowl in tropicana field in st. Petersburg?
sw: we started to work with the kings [in february], which was our first official sports alliance. But even before that happened, tony gallippi talked about possibly doing a college football bowl game. This was around the time that kid was shown on espn holding up a sign asking his mom to send bitcoins to his account. He received something like $23,000 (in bitcoin value). The first time tony said we should be involved in a bowl game i kind of ignored it. When he mentioned it again, i said i would do some research. If we did become associated with a college football bowl game, i wanted to make sure we would be able to have bitpay involved in the entire ticket payment process and have the potential for bitcoins used for tickets, travel, merchandise and items at the concession stands. Ultimately, we were able to work out a deal with espn and the st. Petersburg bowl committee.
nysj: why call it the bitcoin bowl instead of the bitpay bowl?
sw: that was definitely a big part of the conversation. Ultimately, the strategy was to call it the bitcoin bowl in order to have other members of the bitcoin community be part of it. This allows those companies to come in and showcase what they do as part of the bitcoin network.
nysj: what are some of your plans for the bitcoin bowl as far as engaging the local community and also engaging viewers on espn?
sw: we plan to have a massive bitcoin undertaking, driven by bitpay. A full-fledged bitcoin rollout, if you will. As tony has said, our goal is to establish a system so that someone could plan their entire bitcoin st. Petersburg bowl experience using only bitcoin, to pay for travel, hotel, tickets, hot dogs, meals, t-shirts and other merchandise with bitcoin. We will make several visits there between now and the actual game to to work with the st. Petersburg bowl committee and the local businesses to help establish a bitcoin system. Setting up ipads and tablets and downloading apps to their phones.
nysj: it seems as if college students, and not just those into football bowl games, would be a great target audience supported by this game.
sw: certainly. We will extend into our message and education to the university students, the educators and the parents of the students. Students are certainly early adaptors and they are ready and willing to share their use and knowledge of bitcoin. You will see us become more involved in college sports and the surround communities.
nysj: how did the first season with the kings work out?
sw: this past season, the kings begun to accept bitcoins for team merchandise and tickets. They told us that they loved the bitcoin system and the way in which it worked. It goes back to the fact that they are very forward thinking when it comes to technology. They have been very happy with our alliance and we plan to expand our relationship with them in 2014-15.
nysj: have you now heard from other leagues and teams?
sw: we already had been reaching out to other [sports franchises]. It was pretty crazy here after we announced the naming rights deal, but crazy in a good way. We have heard from pretty much every sports organization: basketball, hockey, football, college football, golf, auto racing, sports arenas and stadiums, and from specific teams and organizations. I cant talk about specific deals that we might have in progress or that we are working on, but i can say that working with the kings and now with espn has pretty much raised our profile in the sports category.
nysj: do you foresee athlete endorsements as bitpay and bitcoin marketing efforts become established?
sw: i dont see that right now, but we do know of athletes and entertainers who use bitcoin. 50 cent said he would accept bitcoins as payment for his new album (animal ambition). Although he is not an official endorser, bitpay is handling the transactions and we are pretty excited about it and the potential for the future in the entertainment category.
nysj: what are bitpays plans for the coming years?
sw: as bitcoin continues to grow you look at the adoption curve. Basically, bitcoin the network is like the internet and e-mail in 1994. So from an adoption standpoint, we have to continue to educate, build and get more people to understand how this works and what the benefits are. In that context, we want to get over the 2002 hump where everyone was on the internet, everyone had access to it and everyone understood it. Because of the demographic of the initial bitcoin user, and its mass-market appeal across all ages, genders and race, sports and entertainment is a good way to do that.Bitpay signs deal for college football bowl naming rightsback to home page |
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| NYSportsJournalism.com - NBC Planning For Super Bowl-Olympics Combo |
| Posted on Monday, July 06 @ 00:01:07 PDT (13 reads) | |
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Looking past tokyo games, nbc anticipates super bowl lvi, beijing winter olympics
by barry janoff
july 16, 2021: even as it is on the cusp of presenting the tokyo summer olympics, nbc said it has sold about 85% of its commercial time for super bowl lvi, scheduled for feb. 13, 2022 in sofi stadium, los angeles.
mark marshall, nbcuniversal president-advertising sales and client partnerships, told members of the media that the network “is pacing way ahead compared to a similar point in 2017 prior to super bowl lii (february 2018), the last time nbc aired the game.
nbc is said to be asking upward of a record $6 million for a 30-second spot.
the nfl championship game will be played even as nbc is covering the 2022 winter olympics from beijing, scheduled for feb. 4-20.
“we have been in constant communication with our partners . . . And we’re excited for the unprecedented opportunity of presenting the american audience with the two biggest events in media simultaneously,” nbc said earlier this year.
“we will promote the super bowl during the first week of the winter olympics, and we’ll promote the second week of the winter olympics during the super bowl. It’s a win for us, our partners, advertisers, and certainly viewers.”
according to variety, “nbc has also pressed advertisers who want super bowl inventory to put a similar amount of money into its coming 2022 broadcast of the winter olympics.”
nbc recently said that telemundo deportes would present exclusive spanish-language coverage of super bowl lvi, live on telemundo, the first time a super bowl will be televised on a spanish-language broadcast network in the u.S.
nbcu said it has topped a record high of $1.25 billion in national advertising for the tokyo summer olympics.
competition begins july 20, with the opening ceremony on july 23.
nbcu plans more than 7,000 hours of coverage across nbc, usa network, cnbc, nbcsn, golf channel, peacock, olympic channel: home of team usa, telemundo, universo, the nbc sports app, and nbcolympics.Com.Ioc global partners include airbnb, alibaba group, allianz, atos, bridgetsone, coca-cola, dow, ge, intel, omega, panasonic, procter & gamble, samsung, thums up (coca-cola), toyota, visa.Team usa partners include adecco group, deloitte, devry university, lilly, hershey, jetset sports, milk life, mondelez, nike, oakley, polo ralph lauren, salesforce, j.M. Smucker and united.Nbcu ready for olympics: ‘the most meaningful games in our lifetime’back to home page |
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| The Good Sea: Tasi Diak and Australian Refugee Protection Politics |
| Posted on Monday, July 06 @ 00:01:07 PDT (14 reads) | |
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Associate professor vannessa hearman’s new book, the good sea: the journey of the tasi diak and the politics of refugee protection in australia, examines the arrival of the tasi diak, the only successful refugee boat crossing from east timor to australia during the 24 years of indonesian rule. The work, which utilizes archives, government records, media reports and interviews with asylum seekers, highlights the impact of the boat’s arrival on australia’s relationship with indonesia in the last years of the suharto regime.
historical context of the tasi diak
the tasi diak carried young east timorese activists. According to the book, the vessel’s arrival had a powerful impact on australia’s relationship with indonesia. Dr. Jude conway, who was an activist with australians for a free east timor in darwin in the 1990s, notes that she and other darwin-based activists and members of the east timorese community kept a watch for the tasi diak in 1995. The book traces the lives of those on board and the lobbying of the australian government over its refusal to grant them permanent residence.
did you know?
the tasi diak was the only successful crossing between east timor and australia during the 24 years of indonesian rule.
significance for refugee policy
the arrival of the tasi diak serves as a case study for the broader challenges of historical justice and human rights. Dr. Conway, who became friends and fellow activists with a number of the timorese from the boat, lobbied the australian government after it refused to grant them permanent residence. The book, authored by hearman—an historian at curtin university specializing in indonesia and timor-leste—deals with the effects of the cold war in asia, australia’s engagements with asia and the pacific, and struggles for historical justice and human rights.
expert insight:
the narrative of the tasi diak illustrates the politics of refugee protection. By documenting the personal struggles of activists like jose da costa—an east timorese writer and actor who came to australia aboard the tasi diak—the book provides a human scale to the broader political debates.
what happens next
the publication of the good sea is expected to revive academic and public discussion. The launch, featuring dr. Jude conway and jose da costa, serves as a platform to examine these legacies.
frequently asked questions
what is the primary focus of the good sea?
the book tells the story of the only successful crossing between east timor and australia during the 24 years of indonesian rule, which was undertaken by a refugee boat called the tasi diak.
who is featured in the book launch?
the book will be launched by dr. Jude conway, with participation from east timorese writer and actor jose da costa, who came to australia aboard the tasi diak.
what sources does the book utilize?
the book draws on archives, government records, media reports and interviews with the asylum seekers.
how does the history of the tasi diak change your understanding of australia’s role in the region during the 1990s? |
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| Kilonova space explosion could end life on Earth for 1,000 years |
| Posted on Monday, July 06 @ 00:01:07 PDT (13 reads) | |
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Kilonova space explosion could end life on earth for 1,000 years.Violent star collisions, called a kilonova, could devastate our planet due
kilonova space explosion could end life on earth for 1,000 years.Violent star collisions, called a kilonova, could devastate our planet due to a lethal spew of radiation — namely gamma rays, cosmic rays and x-rays — that are emitted from the celestial event, scientists have discovered.We found that if a neutron star merger were to occur within around 36 light-years of earth, the resulting radiation could cause an extinction-level event,” university of illinois urbana-champaign researcher haille perkins told space.Com.The powerful collision of ultra-dense neutron stars — a teaspoon of which would weigh approximately one billion tons — creates a particle blast that would decimate our planet’s ozone layer and make it vulnerable to ultraviolet radiation for the next 1,000 years: an extinction-level event.“The specific distance of safety and component that is most dangerous is uncertain as many of the effects depend on properties like viewing angle to the event, the energy of the blast, the mass of material ejected, and more,” perkins reassured.Of all the lethal particles tested, researchers determined that cosmic rays pose the most viable concern.
the interstellar smash would precipitate an expanding bubble of cosmic rays that would envelop all in its path, and rain highly energetic charged particles on earth.Equally as frightening are the gamma rays.
these emit as two narrow jets from either side of the merger that would, in theory, torch any celestial planet or object in its direct path for an estimated 297 lightyears.
yet even an indirect pass of gamma radiation could be enough to significantly dissolve our ozone and require about four years to repair.Even worse, gamma ray collisions with surrounding star dust — or, “interstellar medium” — can result in x-ray emissions that have the same ionizing effect on our planet’s ozone layer, according to perkins’ team.Because those effects last longer than that of gamma rays, it could be more lethal, according to space.Com — although, the earth would need to be close, about 16 light years away, to feel it.Perkins’ team studied a neutron star merger that occurred in 2017, about 130 million lightyears away, which resulted in a violent spew of particles that were about 1,300 times the mass of earth, according to past reports.At the time, researchers believed the kilonova could give clues as to how certain heavy elements — like platinum, uranium and gold — came to fruition.There are several other more common events like solar flares, asteroid impacts, and supernova explosions that have a better chance of being harmful,” perkins said.In another study published last month, a team of scientists observed the aftermath of a suspected kilonova that occurred in march, marking the first time researchers have used the james webb space telescope to study such events, lead author andrew levan told cnn.
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| Old Synagogue of Erfurt Germany, the oldest surviving synagogue in the world |
| Posted on Monday, July 06 @ 00:01:07 PDT (13 reads) | |
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the old synagogue, in erfurt, germany, is widely regarded as the oldest intact synagogue building in europe, with its earliest sections dating to around 1094 and substantial surviving fabric from the 13th century. After the expulsion and massacre of erfurt’s jewish community during the black death in 1349, the building was repurposed for secular uses over the centuries, including as a storehouse, restaurant, and ballroom, and its original function was eventually forgotten by the nazi era, which helped preserve its structure.
rediscovered and studied again in the late 20th century, it is especially significant for its intact roof of 1350/51 and is often described as the oldest surviving synagogue building of its kind in the world.
i would like to thank the esteemed dr. Maria stürzebecher for her guidance and support of this article.
in the year 800 ce, erfurt, germany, was an emerging carolingian trading settlement, which was a town established during the early middle to control tax, and facilitate international and regional trade. In 805, charlemagne granted erfurt market rights, establishing it as an important commercial crossroads where merchants exchanged salt, textiles, agricultural products, and other goods. Over the following centuries, the city grew in wealth and influence, benefiting from its strategic position along major trade routes.
by the late 11th century, erfurt had become a prosperous trading center within the holy roman empire. Situated along the via regia trade route, the city was both economically vibrant and religiously diverse.
it was during this period that a jewish community emerged and flourished alongside the christian majority, making erfurt home to one of the oldest documented jewish communities in central germany.
and this begins the story of the old synagogue. The story of jewish erfurt is closely tied to the old synagogue. Architectural evidence shows that the oldest surviving portions of the building date to these times, late 11th century, with timber from the original structure scientifically dated to 1094. These remains represent the earliest physical evidence of jewish life in the city.
as the community grew, the synagogue was expanded and renovated. Around 1270, a larger and more impressive synagogue was built, incorporating the earlier structure. Its western façade featured five tall lancet windows and a large rose window, while around 1300 additional space was added, likely serving as a women’s prayer area, school, or meeting room for the jewish court.
by the 13th century, erfurt’s jewish community was thriving through banking, trade, and scholarship. Supporting this flourishing community were essential jewish institutions, including the synagogue, a cemetery, and a medieval mikveh, which is a jewish ritual bath used for religious purification. Dating from the 13th century, the erfurt mikveh is one of the best-preserved examples of its kind in europe and today serves as a museum.
nearby, the stone house, built before 1250, functioned as both a residence and commercial building, reflecting the prosperity and integration of jewish residents within erfurt’s urban society.
this period of prosperity came to a tragic end on march 21, 1349, when a plague-related pogrom devastated erfurt’s jewish community during the black death. Fueled by false accusations that jews were poisoning wells and spreading the plague, mobs attacked the jewish quarter. The march 21, 1349 pogrom resulted in the massacre of a large portion of the community, with estimates ranging from 300 to 500 people murdered or burned to death, while the survivors were expelled from the city. The synagogue was severely damaged, confiscated by the city, and converted into a warehouse.
despite this damage, much of the medieval structure survived. The old synagogue, with components dating to the 11th century, is the oldest synagogue in central europe preserved up to its roof. Remarkably, much of its original architectural form and design from its period of use between approximately 1100 and 1349 remains intact, providing an extraordinary record of medieval jewish life in erfurt.
in the early 1450s. The italian friar and preacher john of capistrano visited the erfurt and the surrounding region, delivering intense anti-jewish sermons that strongly agitated the local christian population. Amid rising municipal hostility and religious agitation, jews were expelled from erfurt in 1453.
although jews were expelled from erfurt in 1453 and were not permitted to resettle permanently until the early 19th century, the old synagogue, stone house, and medieval mikveh survived. Together, these remarkable monuments preserve the memory of one of medieval europe’s most important jewish communities and stand as powerful witnesses to nearly a thousand years of jewish history in erfurt.
it was in the 19th century, that in addition to its medieval legacy, erfurt also saw the re-establishment of a modern jewish community. A jewish cemetery was established on cyriakstraße and later expanded with a new cemetery due to space limitations.
this community built a small synagogue. Later, as the community expanded, in 1884, they then consecrated the great synagogue, reflecting renewed growth and confidence. However, this later chapter was violently interrupted when the new synagogue was destroyed in 1938 during the nazi pogroms, marking the end of pre-war jewish life in the city.
back to the old synagogue. From the late 1800s until 1990, the old synagogue in erfurt was extensively repurposed for the preparation, study, and enjoyment of good food, a gastronomic use, and the synagogue was significantly remodeled. A dance hall was installed on the upper floor, while the ground floor contained kitchens and dining rooms. The basement and ground floor even housed two bowling alleys.
to accommodate these changes, the original upper wooden ceiling was removed and replaced by a surrounding gallery. Despite these alterations, much of the richly decorated upper level, including stucco figures and colorful wall paintings, has been largely preserved, reflecting the building’s layered history of adaptation and reuse.
by the late 1900s, the old synagogue had lost much of its original architectural clarity due to decades of modification and commercial use. It was used continuously as a restaurant until 1990, and only in the late 1980s did preservation authorities begin to recognize its historical importance. Subsequent investigations in the early 1990s revealed that, despite its altered appearance and structural strain, the medieval core of the building was largely intact and of exceptional historical value. Following difficult negotiations after german reunification, the city of erfurt purchased the building in 1998 to secure its preservation.
one of the most significant discoveries associated with the site is the erfurt treasure, a hoard of medieval gothic jewelry, coins, and silverware discovered in 1998 in erfurt, germany. Believed to have been hidden by a jewish resident or merchant in 1349 to escape the black death–related pogroms, it is considered one of the most important archaeological finds of medieval jewish material culture in europe. The treasure was uncovered in the former jewish quarter and is now displayed in the cellar of the old synagogue, where it provides a direct material link to the city’s medieval jewish community.
in this hoard, a medieval jewish wedding ring discovered near the synagogue further illustrates the religious and cultural life of erfurt’s jewish community. Together, these artifacts, combined with the surviving architecture of the old synagogue itself, offer a powerful record of continuity, destruction, and rediscovery in the history of jews in erfurt.
between 1999 and 2009, the old synagogue in erfurt underwent a careful and historically sensitive restoration. The guiding principle of this work was to preserve the building’s layered history, reflecting its various uses over time as well as the long history of erfurt’s jewish community. Many later additions were removed to reveal the medieval structure and restore its visibility as a synagogue. From as early as 2003, plans developed for a new cultural use of the building, culminating in the creation of a museum dedicated to the history and culture of erfurt’s medieval jewish community. The old synagogue museum officially opened on october 27, 2009.
nowadays, the old synagogue stands as one of the few surviving high medieval synagogue buildings in europe and is regarded as the oldest, largest, and best-preserved of its kind. Its structure clearly reflects its original function as a congregational synagogue, while its location within the medieval city remains fully legible. Alongside the nearby mikveh and stone house, it forms part of a rare and coherent ensemble of medieval jewish heritage.
in 2008, the city of erfurt started to work on the application for unesco world heritage status for this jewish medieval heritage, with the first step being inclusion on the german tentative list. In 2023, the jewish-medieval heritage of erfurt was inscribed to the unesco world heritage list. The transformation of the old synagogue into a museum ensures that its history is not only preserved but also made accessible to the public.
today, the old synagogue and the small synagogue in erfurt function as important cultural and educational centers dedicated to jewish history and heritage. The old synagogue houses permanent exhibitions that present the history of the medieval jewish community, while public guided tours are regularly offered there as well as at the medieval mikveh. Visitor groups can also arrange customized group tours with a variety of thematic options, and the “jewish life erfurt” network provides special educational programs for children, youth groups, daycare centers, and school classes.
the small synagogue serves as a scholarly and educational hub, housing a reference library with more than 2,500 books, journals, and dvds focused on jewish history and jewish life in erfurt and thuringia. It also plays a central role in research and academic cooperation. An advisory board on jewish heritage in erfurt brings together internationally recognized scholars from fields such as art history, archaeology, jewish studies, hebrew literature, social history, and architectural history, ensuring interdisciplinary engagement with the city’s medieval jewish legacy.
research on erfurt’s hebrew manuscripts is conducted through a joint project involving the “jewish life erfurt” network, the berlin state library – prussian cultural heritage foundation, and the free university of berlin, with specialist scholars contributing to the study and preservation of these important texts. In addition, the memorial book “extinguished lives,” published in 2013, documents 453 jewish residents of erfurt who were persecuted between 1933 and 1945 and died violent deaths, preserving their memory for future generations.
beyond research and education, the institutions also host conferences, lectures, and public events, making them active centers of dialogue and remembrance. Together, the old synagogue and small synagogue form a living network of history, scholarship, and commemoration that connects erfurt’s medieval jewish heritage with its modern cultural memory.
the building’s history reflects the broader story of erfurt’s jewish community: its emergence around 1100, its centuries of prosperity, its violent destruction in the pogrom of 1349, and its long absence from the city.
the old synagogue today stands as a museum that is a powerful testimony to this legacy of the jewish community and it serves as a remembrance, tracing the history of the jewish community in erfurt, germany, from the middle ages until today.
old synagogue of erfurt germany, waagegasse 8, 99084 erfurt, germany
phone: +49 (0) 361/ 655 16 66
email: altesynagoge@erfurt.De
website: juedisches-leben.Erfurt.De |
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| Uhila Wolfgramms speed and size give BYUs defense a big boost |
| Posted on Monday, July 06 @ 00:01:07 PDT (13 reads) | |
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When harry schwenke took over maple mountain’s football coaching duties last spring after the departure of kalin hall, nine of his starters left, eight of whom went to orem high school.
only one of the big stars stayed: big defensive end uhila wolfgramm.
this was a loyalty test. For wolfgramm, it was his 300 spartans and the battle of thermopylae moment. He chose maple mountain’s banner. He stayed home because he believed it was important to be with those he played with who remained.
last thursday, schwenke saw wolfgramm choose to play at byu over oklahoma, a decision to stay close to home and build his legacy from provo.
although this decision came down to the wire, schwenke saw what he believed was a core value in what makes wolfgramm tick.
“he’s a loving, loyal, hard-working kid,” said the coach.
oh, wolfgramm was pressed hard by beehive state oklahoma commits bode sparrow and krew jones, the no. 1 and no. 3 prospects in utah in the class of 2027 according to 247 sports.
wolfgramm is ranked no. 2 behind sparrow. Wolfgramm and sparrow took recruiting trips to oklahoma and byu together, and sparrow was working wolfgramm hard to join him in norman.
all season long, schwenke told recruiters — and it didn’t matter who they were — that wolfgramm was the easiest person to recruit in the world.
“it’s because he is not into flashy things. If you start talking about money, you’re barking up the wrong tree,” schwenke said. “The most important things to him are the family, education and (the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints).
“i told them if your establishment and community have those, you have a chance, but as soon as you start talking about what your university is about, and what you can give him, even playing time, that’s not important. He is a mission kid, and that is his priority after he finishes high school next year.”
these traits, more than glory or money, were what attracted wolfgramm to oklahoma’s brent venables and byu’s kalani sitake. They were genuine in their love for god, a christian life, values and family, schwenke said.
getting back to wolfgramm’s decision to stay at maple mountain in spanish fork instead of following friends and teammates to orem, where they later won a state title, schwenke said it came down to loyalty to the school and to him as a new coach.
you see, schwenke married a wolfgramm. Uhila’s uncle, kolapa wolfgramm, is an assistant coach.
the wolfgramm family is a huge, close-knit family whose roots trace back to german immigrants in tonga during world war ii. It produced the famous jetts singing group comprised of wolfgramms. Former byu running back and current utah running backs coach mark atuaia married a wolfgramm.
uhila’s grandparents adopted him, and the young football player has become part of the wolfgramm family line. The grandfather has nine siblings, and most of them have eight or nine children each.
so, when you talk about loyalty and family, staying close to home was almost inevitable. That turned out to be a bonanza for byu football.
getting a commitment from this wolfgramm, a 4-star elite pass rushing defensive end, could be a building block for the 2027 recruiting class for sitake and his staff.
that wolfgramm joins a pair of promising interior linemen in jeremiah williams of tustin, california, and granger high’s moa havili, is huge for byu defensive coordinator kelly poppinga.
this may be the best defensive line group in any class committed to sitake during his tenure at byu.
uhila knows hard work. He lives on a farm in west mountain on the outskirts of spanish fork. He gets up at 5 a.M. To feed the animals, which include horses, cows, pigs, sheep and chickens. He moves and fixes sprinkler pipe almost every day and isn’t a stranger to hard labor.
“he’s the main farmhand on the farm,” according to kolapa wolfgramm.
after morning chores, uhila showers and readies for school. After that come football and the weight room, and then he comes back to the farm and does his chores.
former maple mountain athletic director dave boyack also helped with the school’s track team and had the 6-foot-3, 250-pound uhila run the 100 meters and the anchor leg on the 4x100 relay team.
wolfgramm has been clocked at 11.5 seconds in the 100 meters, which is 10.5 in the 100-yard dash. To say he can rush off the edge with a little heat is underselling his talent.
“he’s just a very gifted athlete overall,” said schwenke. “He has speed, size and athleticism. He’s a kid everyone wants. Obviously, he’s got a lot of recognition for his power and speed. The last two years as a sophomore and junior, he just relied on his athleticism, his power and his speed. He just did a lot of things that other kids can’t do.
“as coaches we try and coach up kids and the majority of kids in high school just can’t do what wolfgramm can do. We have to teach them basic techniques to get the in and out of situations. Wolfgramm can get himself in a bad situation and get himself out of it with his size and speed. He can dominate the run game and he’s hard to block on the pass rush. Opposing teams schemed against him, ran away from him or chipped him on pass protection. This year i don’t think it’s going to have much effect on him because he’s a different player.”
this offseason, schwenke said uhila has gone to different football camps and been taught by some very talented college coaches. What he’s learned from these experiences has been priceless.
this summer has been the busiest of his life because of his football trips, the camps and piling up a lot of football experience on top of his farm chores. Maple mountain has already scrimmaged against other teams, and he’s seen coaches scheme against him, making changes inside the scrimmage.
“other kids around have gone to camps most of their lives. This hasn’t been the case for wolfgramm. He’s flown under the radar most of his high school career as far as exposure. This summer changed that,” schwenke said.
kolapa wolfgramm has handled most of the recruiting calls and other “agent” like duties for uhila this past year. He’s seen the pressure mount, the decision weighing heavily on the kid.
uhila told jeff hansen of 247sports that byu was on him early.
“byu has just been consistent,” wolfgramm told hansen. “They offered me early, kept in contact when i was nobody making a name for myself, and when i made a name for myself my relationship with the staff was years ahead.
“oklahoma is a great place and it was the hardest decision in my life so far. The coaches were supportive of me even after i told them, but for me, the difference maker was me wanting to build my legacy here at home.”
wolfgramm’s primary recruitment came from byu, oklahoma, ucla, cal and utah, and he had other offers.
“it was hectic, but yeah, we’re finally there,” said kolapa wolfgramm. “We are locked in now.”
uhila is rated a 4-star recruit with a high composite score. He could become a 5-star edge rusher by the end of his senior year and is definitely a cornerstone of byu’s recruiting class for 2027, with 4-star receiver blake wong also a key get.
how crazy did it get?
“it was back and forth between byu and oklahoma and he didn’t make it official until about 1 a.M. Wednesday,” said kolapa wolfgramm.
“it was very hard for him to call oklahoma coaches and tell them he decided on byu. He had great conversations with both staff members, and oklahoma was very good and supportive of him. While oklahoma coaches were disappointed, they were happy for him and told him to go and celebrate going to byu.” |
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| Plandemic Watch - Why does the US want an Ebola camp 2,000 miles from the outbre |
| Posted on Monday, July 06 @ 00:01:07 PDT (14 reads) | |
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On may 28, 2026, the us government announced plans to establish an ebola quarantine facility in kenya for its citizens exposed to the virus in the dr congo. It was also to be used as a treatment center for americans who contract ebola.
the 50-bed unit was to be set up at the laikipia military airbase, 125 miles northwest of the capital, nairobi, with the us government committing $13.5 million toward the facility’s construction.
already, the us had deployed more than 30 members of the us public health service to coordinate the establishment and running of the facility before the courts stopped the process. The plan, however, attracted criticism from ordinary kenyans, politicians, human rights defenders, the doctors’ union, and the country’s law society.
on may 29, a kenyan court issued orders stopping the construction of the us-backed facility. On june 23, kenyan health minister aden duale was found in contempt of court for failing to comply with orders barring the government from proceeding with the construction of the controversial facility.
by the time the court order was issued, construction of the controversial facility was already underway, prompting protests from locals. Hundreds of residents of nanyuki town, where the facility was being built, poured into the streets to oppose it. Security officers used force to repulse demonstrators who were trying to reach the military installation where the construction was happening. The protesters cited fears over potential health risks associated with hosting an ebola centre in their neighbourhood.
‘the execution plan left a lot to be desired’
the head of kenya’s medical practitioners, pharmacists and dentists union, dr. Davji bhimji atellah, said that “lack of transparency and public involvement in the establishment of the quarantine facility raised more questions than answers’’.
“if the establishment of the ebola quarantine facility was for the good of the country, then there was no need to treat it with a lot of secrecy and confidentiality,” he told rt.
he added, “the idea itself was not bad, but the execution plan left a lot to be desired”.
atellah wondered why the us settled on kenya as the host of its ebola quarantine center when the outbreak was in the dr congo.
“why not put the facility in the dr congo, where it is needed the most. If they are afraid of exposing their own citizens to the virus, why should they put kenyans at risk of hosting them?”
‘if this is not neocolonialism, then tell me what it is’
kenyan government officials were economical with details about the plan to set up the facility, forcing civil society groups to go to court.
the katiba institute, a civil society group focusing on constitutional matters in kenya, went to court to stop the establishment of a quarantine facility. In its petition, the group argued that the planned facility was being established in secret and unilaterally, and that it “raised grave constitutional concerns”.
joshua malidzo nyawa, an advocate acting on behalf of katiba institute, told the court that bringing ebola-exposed individuals into kenya could increase the risk of the disease spreading in the country.
law society of kenya president charles kanjama accused the us of playing double standards by pushing to have the ebola quarantine center in kenya despite the us having a more advanced and better-funded health system compared to the east african nation.
“it makes no sense that the us, with its advanced health system, is afraid of ‘importing’ the ebola virus into its territory but wants to put kenya at risk,” kanjama told rt.
he added, “if this is not neocolonialism, then tell me what it is”.
‘lack of transparency has raised a lot of suspicion’
dr. Bonface mouka, head of security, diplomacy, and peace studies at kenyatta university, argues that it is hard to ignore the question of sovereignty whenever a foreign government supports such a critical infrastructure in another country.
“the question of who controls such a facility and how he does it definitely ignites the debate on sovereignty. The lack of clarity on legal oversights of such agreements only erodes public confidence. Lack of transparency has raised a lot of suspicion and quickly transformed a public health initiative into a source of political controversy,” mouka told rt.
according to mouka, the global strengthening of disease surveillance and response capabilities through cross-border collaborations is a strategic imperative, but the public good must guide such agreements.
he added that the world learned vital lessons from the covid-19 pandemic, which demonstrated that health emergencies can rapidly evolve into national security crises with economic and social consequences.
“as much as the ebola quarantine facility agreement between kenya and the us was a good idea, it must be embedded within kenya’s own national security and public health frameworks. Anything outside that becomes a security concern,” he noted.
‘total disregard for sovereignty’
mariah muli, an associate fellow on global security and diplomacy at the horn institute, argues that global health has become an important component of diplomacy and security cooperation and that the us can use investments in health preparedness to strengthen bilateral relations.
“the united states views kenya as a strategic partner in the region, and such investments are expected as part of bilateral relations. Partnerships are good, but when they are shrouded in secrecy, they become more of a one-sided affair,” muli said.
she told rt that in the ebola quarantine facility case, “the us seemed to be dictating to kenya on what to do, in total disregard for its sovereignty”.
“it appears a call was made, and kenya was told that the facility must be set up on us conditions and there was no room for asking questions or opposing,” muli suggests.
muli told rt that the controversy surrounding the proposed facility offered an important lesson for future bilateral engagements between kenya and its partners.
“global health cooperation is necessary in an interconnected world, and kenya stands to benefit from strategic partnerships in epidemic preparedness and response. But any arrangement that appears to sidestep public participation or compromise national sovereignty is bound to face resistance, regardless of its intended benefits,” she concluded.
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| Benjamin Franklin: The Scientist and Politician Who Changed the Face of America |
| Posted on Monday, July 06 @ 00:01:07 PDT (14 reads) | |
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Benjamin franklin is one of the pillars of american history, combining the genius of a scientist and inventor with the wisdom of a diplomat and politician, making him one of the most prominent founding fathers of the united states. He laid the first foundations of the modern state and left a scientific and cultural legacy whose effects are still tangible today.
scientific discoveries that paved the way for the future
franklin gained wide international fame thanks to his pioneering research in the field of electricity. He succeeded in proving that lightning is an electrical phenomenon through his famous kite experiment during a thunderstorm, a discovery that opened new scientific horizons to understand the nature of electricity. This pivotal discovery led to the invention of the lightning rod, which played a vital role in protecting buildings and ships from destructive natural hazards.
a pivotal role in founding the state and diplomacy
franklin’s contributions exceeded the scientific aspect to include the pivotal political work that changed the course of history. He was one of the key figures who drafted the united states declaration of independence in 1776. On the diplomatic front, he led crucial negotiations with france to bring military and political support during the war of independence, which was a fundamental factor in achieving victory over britain. He also contributed to consolidating america’s international standing by being one of the signatories of the treaty of paris in 1783, which officially recognized the independence of the united states.
building institutions and serving the community
franklin’s efforts did not stop at politics and science, but included building societal structures. He founded many educational and cultural institutions, most notably the university of pennsylvania, and established the first public lending library in america. In addition, he had an effective role in developing fire and postal services, making him a pivotal figure in building the institutions of the american state.
a timeless symbol in the american memory
benjamin franklin’s name is immortalized in american memory as a symbol of innovation, science, and public service. In recognition of his great contributions to the founding and scientific and political progress, his face appears today on the $100 bill. |
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| A Time to Stop Laughing: Trump Policies and Nuclear War |
| Posted on Monday, July 06 @ 00:01:07 PDT (14 reads) | |
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“the man who laughs has simply not yet heard the terrible news.”- Bertolt brecht
on april 7, 2026, after launching an american war against iran,[[1]](#_ftn1) us president donald j. Trump threatened: “a whole civilization will die tonight.” This declaration and several subsequent threats (e.G., “We will bomb you back to the stone age”) displayed mens rea or “criminal intent.” Unambiguously, these crude threats were lawless and genocidal.[[2]](#_ftn2) also, they wrongly conflated wars of preemption with wars of prevention.
under authoritative international law, only the former can be permissible. In order to be permissible, pertinent military actions would need to meet the multiple legal standards of “anticipatory self-defense.” Inter alia, these standards require enemy threats that are “imminent in point of time.”[[3]](#_ftn3) but as a practical matter, there can be no ascertainably objective criteria of “imminence.”
to continue, there are related or derivative issues. International law remains an integral part of united states law.[[4]](#_ftn4) in consequence of mr. Trump’s indiscriminate and visceral threats,[[5]](#_ftn5) the united states could face variously expanding risks of a nuclear war.[[6]](#_ftn6) such grave risks could manifest incrementally or all at once. Moreover, they could concern both an intentional nuclear war and a nuclear war that is unintentional or inadvertent.
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science involves informed judgments of probability. But because science-based probabilities must be based on the determinable frequency of relevant past events, an america that still subscribed to trump’s defiling logic would effectively accept intolerable risks of a nuclear conflict. In the parlance of formal logic, trump’s contrived “reasoning” displays the argumentum ad baculum fallacy or “illegitimate appeal to force.” Correlatively, this reasoning is intended to recruit supporters by downplaying complex strategic problems via unwarranted simplifications.[[7]](#_ftn7)
in dealing with nuclear war scenarios, us national security policy will need to exhibit palpable levels of courage. Donald trump’s re-named “department of war” – a change signifying much more than nomenclature – will encourage variously rancorous policies drawn from intellectually barren clichés. Though this president’s “peace through strength” mantra might somehow be appropriate for grammar-school recitations,[[8]](#_ftn8) it offers nothing of mature analytic value.
world peace requires enforceable world law. But in announcing the department of defense name-change to the department of war on september 5, 2025, pete hegseth, america’s “secretary of war,” promised “maximum lethality, not tepid legality. “Trump’s messaging was clear: better an invigorating hot war than a disappointingly lukewarm peace.
could there have been any dignified and decent justification for sending such a barbarous message? Though modern international legal rules were established and codified at the treaty of westphalia in 1648, seventeenth-century anarchy is now morphing into something far more ominous. Ironically, this transformation into “chaos” owes in large part to the increasing complexity of strategic decision-making in world politics (especially risks of miscalculation, computer malfunction, hacking, artificial intelligence manipulations and accident) and to reciprocal national policies of deliberate simplification. As a dynamic process, the emergence of global chaos can be understood only by systematic applications of courageous thought.
the 2025 movie, “a house of dynamite” offers a scenario in which a nuclear aggressor is not readily identifiable. In the “real world,” this fearful scenario is entirely credible. After all, as the number of nuclear powers increases, the plausibility of an “anonymous attacker scenario” must also increase. Even without a verifiable expansion of nuclear weapon states (“horizontal proliferation”), us arms race accelerations (“vertical proliferation”) would open a pandora’s box of prospectively irremediable harms.
there is more. Since the 17th century, global stability has depended on a presumed “balance of power.” But this “balance” has never been anything more than a falsely-reassuring fiction.
in today’s world of rapidly-approaching chaos, longstanding security deficits are being exacerbated. Accordingly, still-capable and courageous american leaders will urgently need to devise alternate strategies of nuclear war-avoidance and counter-nuclear terrorism. Among other cautionary issues, these law-enforcing strategies could never benefit from an american president who prefers stream-of-consciousness reasoning to logic-based analyses. In essence, these strategies will require strenuous thought and corresponding acts of “will.”[[9]](#_ftn9)
inherently antagonistic to intellect, donald trump’s national security policies cling tenaciously to crumbling architectures of westphalian anarchy. As timely geographic examples, transitional forms of chaotic disintegration are already being boosted by us presidential actions in the middle east, a region where trump’s most recently declared “peace” remains little more than caricature. Now, here and in assorted other places, fundamentally rational threat mechanisms of westphalian anarchy are being sacrificed to irrational expectations of belligerent nationalism.
in world politics, metaphor can be convincing, but no analogy is authentic truth. Overall, there is no longer any defensible pretext for seeking a regional or global “balance of power.” Because of “normal” nuclear weapons proliferation, many usual calculations of world system equilibrium are being rendered increasingly futile. Everywhere in this trump-dissembled world legal order, states are unable to gain any tangible security advantages via regional or global “equilibrium.”
even amid such difficult matters, some strategic calculations are not necessarily complicated. Under no conceivable circumstances could shrill presidential threats of vengeance and reciprocity ever help the united states or its israeli ally. Following donald trump’s unhidden indifference to refined analytic thought (e.G., “I love the poorly educated.”), Unmanageable nuclear spread is now virtually assured. This proliferation could include sub-state terror organizations in the middle east, a development that would impact us ally israel in particular.[[10]](#_ftn10)
quo vadis? During periods of competitive risk-taking, which are now more-or-less inevitable, once “unthinkable” weapons could become “thinkable.” Most worrisome will be new nuclear powers that operate with deficient systems of command and control and/or already-nuclear powers led by unstable decision-makers.
during his ritualized rants, us president donald trump has mused openly about nuclear weapons as operationally-appropriate instruments of war and vengeance. But the only rational use of nuclear weapons in world affairs would be deterrence ex ante, not revenge ex post. Portentously, russian president vladimir putin has been voicing similarly dangerous nuclear sentiments. At some point, ipso facto, trump-putin musings could intersect. What then?
in significant measure, it is from variously indecipherable interactions between trump and putin decision-making processes that authentic existential harms could emerge. Presumptively, some of these interactions would be “synergistic.” This means, by definition, that any cumulative outcome would be even more injurious than the simple sum of constituent parts. Precisely how much more injurious is not logically or scientifically determinable. Ultimately, however, such synergistic interactions would enlarge the risks and consequences ofchaos. “Where there were great military actions,” foresaw french poet saint-john perse (1887-1975), “there lies whitening now the jawbone of an ass.”
there are additional particulars. A credible aspect of any upcoming chaos would be acts of irrationality.[[11]](#_ftn11) if the united states should have to face a jihadiststate adversary with access to nuclear weapons (e.G., Iran backed by north korea), both countries’ balance-centered deterrence postures could be undermined. A similar scenario would confront the always-beleaguered state of israel.
such challenges to american military power would signify unacceptable threats of nuclear terrorism or nuclear war. These threats would be enlarged by trump’s illogical plans for resumed nuclear testing, regarding both warheads and delivery vehicles. Russian fears would be heightened by any us deployments of a “golden dome,” a politics-shaped plan for “total” missile defense. In essence, this misguided plan would compel moscow to aggressively seek a more “assuredly destructive” nuclear arsenal – an incentive that would continuously raise the odds of a nuclear war,
there is more. To proceed purposefully, issues of adversarial irrationality and madness will need science-based scrutiny in washington. In world politics, irrationality is never the same as madness.[[12]](#_ftn12) more precisely, an irrational adversary is one that could at some indeterminable point value certain intangible goals more highly than national self-preservation.
for the united states, a mad adversary could be much worse than an irrational one. This mad enemy would display no determinable preference ordering and not be subject to any calculable threats of american military deterrence. Here, the incumbent president’s limited understanding of nuclear risk calibrations could lead the united states away from urgently-required policy revaluations. To wit, a prudent response to such multiplying challenges ought not to be expected from donald trump’s “department of war.”
in any event, for washington and also jerusalem, no choice between mad and irrational adversaries could become available. Whether the united states and its israeli ally would do better to confront irrationality, madness or both will not be donald trump’s decision to make. On this predictable disqualification, washington’s sensible imperative would be to base all high-consequence conflict decisions (especially nuclear war avoidance) on solid intellectual foundations.
what should reasonably be expected about the rising risks of a nuclear war? In brief, there will be no viable solutions championed by competent political authority. It is only by elevating science-based logic above a president who “learns only in his own flesh” that the united states could avoid civilizational despair.[[13]](#_ftn13)
though we humans ought to have become more “civilized” since the 17th century peace of westphalia, species survival has never been a deliberate objective or linear process. Unless the united states and other states refuse to follow the policies of a president who “has no attention to spare for reasoning,” a nuclear war could rage until every sturdy flower of culture had been trampled. At that no longer unimaginable moment, millions would perish in paroxysmal quakes of primordial unreason.
there is one final conclusion. Since the seventeenth century, our anarchic world is best described as a “system.” Accordingly, events in any one part of this ungovernable world could tangibly affect what happens in some or all the other parts.
when deterioration is marked and begins to spread from one country to another, corollary effects will undermine all residual infrastructures of “balance.” When deterioration is rapid and catastrophic, as would be the case following the start of an unconventional war or unconventional act of terrorism, cascading harms would become synergistic and unmanageable. As for bertolt brecht’s “man who laughs,” he would still not have heard the “terrible news.”[[14]](#_ftn14)
[[1]](#_ftnref1) under international law, the question of whether or not a condition of war exists between states is often unclear. Traditionally, a “formal” war was said to exist only after a state had issued a formal declaration of war. The hague convention iii codified this position in 1907. This convention provided that hostilities must not commence without “previous and explicit warning” in the form of a declaration of war or an ultimatum. See hague convention iii on the opening of hostilities, oct. 18, 1907, art. 1, 36 stat. 2277, 205 consol. T.S. 263. Presently, a declaration of war could be tantamount to a declaration of criminality because international law prohibits “aggression.” See treaty providing for the renunciation of war as an instrument of national policy, aug. 27, 1948, art. 1, 46 stat. 2343, 94 l.N.T.S. 57 (also called pact of paris or kellogg-briand pact); nuremberg judgment, 1 i.M.T. Trial of the major war criminals 171 (1947), portions reprinted in burns h. Weston, et. Al., International law and world order 148, 159 (1980); u.N. Charter, art. 2(4). A state may compromise its own legal position by announcing formal declarations of war. It follows that a state of belligerency may exist without formal declarations, but only if there exists an armed conflict between two or more states and/or at least one of these states considers itself “at war.”
[[2]](#_ftnref2)on the crime of genocide under international law, see: see convention on the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide, opened for signature, december 9, 1948, entered into force, january 12, 1951, 78 u.N.T.S. 277. Although the criminalizing aspect of international law that proscribes genocide-like conduct may derive from sources other than the genocide convention (i.E., It may emerge from customary international law and also be included in different international conventions), such conduct is always an egregious crime under international law. Even where the conduct in question does not affect the interests of more than one state, a traditional canon of international legal validity, it becomes an international crime ipso facto whenever it constitutes an offense against the world community “delicto jus gentium.”
[[3]](#_ftnref3) the customary right of anticipatory self-defense, which is the legal expression of preemption, has its modern origins in the caroline incident. This was part of the unsuccessful rebellion of 1837 in upper canada against british rule. (See: beth polebau, “national self-defense in international law: an emerging standard for a nuclear age,” 59 n.Y.U. L. Rev. 187, 190-191 (noting that the caroline incident transformed the right of self-defense from an excuse for armed intervention into a customary legal doctrine). Following the caroline, even the threat of an armed attack has generally been accepted as justification for a militarily defensive action. In an exchange of diplomatic notes between the governments of the united states and great britain, then-u.S. Secretary of state daniel webster outlined a framework for self-defense that does not actually require a prior armed attack. (See polebau, op. Cit., Citing to jennings, “the caroline and mcleod cases,” 32 am. J. Int’l l., 82, 90 (1938).) Here, a defensive military response to a threat was judged permissible as long as the danger posed was “instant, overwhelming, leaving no choice of means and no moment for deliberation.”
[[4]](#_ftnref4) recalling the precise words of mr. Justice gray, in delivering the judgment of the us supreme court in paquete habana (1900): “international law is part of our law, and must be ascertained and administered by the courts of justice of appropriate jurisdiction….” (175 u.S. 677(1900)) see also: opinion in tel-oren vs. Libyan arab republic (726 f. 2d 774 (1984)).The specific incorporation of treaty law into us municipal law is codified at art. 6 of the us constitution, the so-called “supremacy clause.” It is manifest that donald j. Trump has no awareness of these facts or simply doesn’t care about them.
[[5]](#_ftnref5) one may think here of swiss nobel literature laureate hermann hesse’s generic description of a false national leader: “the dull-witted brute, blindly trampling around in the flower gardens of intellect and culture.” (See the glass bead game, 1943).
[[6]](#_ftnref6) on probable consequences of a nuclear war by this author, see: louis rené beres, surviving amid chaos: israel’s nuclear strategy (rowman & littlefield, 2016; 2nd. Ed., 2018); louis rené beres, apocalypse: nuclear catastrophe in world politics (chicago: university of chicago press, 1980); louis rené beres, mimicking sisyphus: america’s countervailing nuclear strategy (lexington ma: lexington books, 1983); louis rené beres, reason and realpolitik: us foreign policy and world order (lexington ma; lexington books, 1984); and louis rené beres, ed., Security or armageddon: israel’s nuclear strategy (lexington ma: lexington books, 1986).
[[7]](#_ftnref7) see, in this connection, philosopher ludwig wittgenstein’s generic comment on analytic simplifications as deception: “remember that one is sometimes convinced of the correctness of a view by its simplicity or symmetry…. “(On certainty, 1969).
[[8]](#_ftnref8) intermittently, this mantra focuses on assorted agreements for “cease fire.” In law, a cease fire or armistice represents an intra-war convention, an agreement concluded between belligerents. Such an agreement, it follows, does not terminate a “state of war.” The 1907 hague convention iv respecting the laws and customs of war on land, stipulates, at the annex to the convention, that “an armistice suspends military operations by mutual agreement between the belligerent parties.” (Emphasis added): see convention no. Iv respecting the laws and customs of war on land, with annex of regulations. Done at the hague, oct. 18, 1907. Entered into force, jan. 26, 1910. 36 stat. 2277, t.S. No. 539, 1 bevans 631, at chapter v, art. 36.) The courts of individual states have also affirmed the principle that an armistice does not end a war (see, for example, kahn v. Anderson, warden, united states, supreme court, 1921, 255, u.S. 1). Throughout history, cease fires and armistices have envisaged a resumption of hostilities.
[[9]](#_ftnref9) modern philosophy origins of “will” lie in writings of arthur schopenhauer, especially the world as will and idea (1818). For his own inspiration, schopenhauer drew freely upon johann wolfgang von goethe. Later, nietzsche drew just as freely (and perhaps more importantly) on schopenhauer. Goethe was also a core intellectual source for spanish existentialist jose ortega y’gasset, author of the singularly prophetic twentieth-century work, the revolt of the masses (le rebelion de las masas (1930). See, accordingly, ortega’s very grand essay, “in search of goethe from within” (1932), written for die neue rundschau of berlin on the occasion of the centenary of goethe’s death. It is reprinted in ortega’s anthology, the dehumanization of art (1948) and is available from princeton university press (1968).
[[10]](#_ftnref10) regarding israel’s never-ending war with palestinian insurgent forces, history deserves pride of place. Relentless palestinian hostility to israel has its decipherable doctrinal foundations in the plo’s “phased plan” of june 9, 1974. In its 12th session, the plo’s highest deliberative body, the palestinian national council, reiterated the plo aim as being “to achieve their rights to return, and to self-determination on the whole of their homeland.” All prospective palestinian terror would have still-earlier roots in the palestinian national covenant. Calling officially for sustained arab violence against israel, this document was adopted in 1964, three years before the 1967 six day war. This means that the plo’s core guidance on terror was first published – together with its explicit references to the annihilation of israel – three years before there were any “occupied territories,” for the palestinian authority, which until october, 2015, had still officially agreed to accept a “two-state solution,” the underlying position of protracted war was part of a broader strategy of incorporating israel into “palestine.” This irredentist incorporation was already codified on all pa maps. The most unambiguous palestinian call for the removal of israel remains the plo’s “phased plan” of june 9, 1974. Under the authoritative laws of war, this plan represents an unhidden commitment to carry out certifiable crimes against humanity.
[[11]](#_ftnref11) says karl jaspers: “the rational is not thinkable without its other, the non-rational, and it never appears in reality without it.” (Reason and existence; 1935).
[[12]](#_ftnref12) “we are mad,” says seneca (letters, 95), “not only as individuals, but as nations also. We restrain manslaughter and isolated murders, but what of war and the so-called glory of killing whole peoples?”
[[13]](#_ftnref13) in the words of spanish existentialist philosopher jose ortega y’ gasset, “the mass man [in this case, donald j. Trump] has no attention to spare for reasoning. He thinks only in his own flesh.” See ortega’s classic, the revolt of the masses (1930).
[[14]](#_ftnref14) see the poet’s epigraph, above. |
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| Upside-down whales arent sick or hurt - theyre just resting |
| Posted on Monday, July 06 @ 00:01:07 PDT (13 reads) | |
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If you stand on one of australia’s southern shorelines at this time of the year, you might be lucky enough to spot a southern right whale ( eubalaena australis ) swimming in the shallow waters.
these ocean giants have migrated from the southern ocean and antarctica to breed, give birth and to rest. If you’re really lucky, you may even see one of them resting upside-down.
at first glance, this perplexing behaviour, which has not been reported in other large whales, may make you think the animal is sick or injured. But our new paper , published in the journal mammalian biology, suggests quite the opposite.
it may actually be an indicator of a healthy mother carefully managing her energy reserves during one of the most energetically demanding periods of her life.
a balancing act southern right whales migrate long distances, greater than 6,000 kilometres . That’s like travelling the distance from perth to sydney … and back.
if that didn’t sound difficult enough, southern right whales are not feeding when they are on the calving grounds in australia. The whales are known as capital breeders, meaning they feed intensively for half the year on their feeding grounds, before migrating to their calving grounds where they rely on stored energy in their blubber.
mothers with newborns require the largest amount of energy compared to others . They therefore face a delicate balancing act to conserve enough energy to be able to return to the feeding grounds while producing enough milk to feed their hungry, growing calf.
to better understand this balancing act, we took to the skies with our drones to film the behaviours of whales along the great australian bight.
hundreds of drone flights and many batteries later, we collected hours upon hours of footage of the whales nursing and resting.
what really sparked our interest was an unusual behaviour we observed: whales lying upside-down on the surface or just below the surface.
to our knowledge, no other large whale has been recorded resting this way.
why do southern right whales rest upside-down? The first clue as to why the whales are resting this way lies in who is resting this way.
whales who were observed resting upside down were only mothers with newborn calves and one mother who was in the late stages of pregnancy. The behaviour wasn’t observed in other adults, juveniles or calves.
we saw this behaviour in 25% of the mothers we observed, suggesting this behaviour may be linked to the energetic demands of reproduction. When these mothers did rest this way, they did so for roughly 19% of their time we followed them.
one reason for this behaviour could be that upside-down resting helps mothers regulate how much milk they feed their calf.
when mothers rest upside-down, the calf is unable to reach their mammary slits where the milk is. Mothers therefore may rest in this position when they are feeling low on energy and need a break.
another possible reason for mothers to rest upside-down is to help prevent overheating.
unlike some other whales and dolphins, these whales completely lack a dorsal fin. Dorsal fins often play an important role in controlling internal temperature, by exposing blood vessels that are close to the skin to the cool air.
by lying upside-down at the surface and exposing her belly and pectoral fins out of the water, she could be increasing the surface area of skin that’s in contact with the sea breeze, helping her cool down, like us dipping our legs in a cold pool on a hot day.
a mother with her calf the ‘right way up’. Fredrik christiansen/aarhus university beauty sleep at a cost regardless of its purpose, upside-down resting places southern right whales in a vulnerable position.
rotating the right way up is no easy feat, especially when you can weigh upwards of 40 tonnes. By resting the “wrong way up”, it takes the whale longer to rotate to breathe and swim away quickly if a threat approaches (such as boats or ships).
as southern right whale populations stall and are yet to recover from historical whaling, understanding unique behaviours such as upside-down resting help inform how we better protect this species.
if you are lucky enough to see a southern right whale resting upside-down this winter, remember these animals are undertaking one of the most energetically demanding periods of their lives and it’s best to give them space and not disturb them.
take a moment to appreciate how perplexing and unique this behaviour is. You are one of the few people to witness one of australia’s upside-down resting whales.
kate sprogis , the university of western australia , fredrik christiansen , aarhus university , renae van noort , the university of western australia authors kate sprogis lecturer, uwa oceans institute, the university of western australia
fredrik christiansen senior researcher in marine biology, aarhus university
renae van noort research associate, uwa oceans institute, the university of western australia
disclosure statement the authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
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university of western australia provides funding as a founding partner of the conversation au.
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doi https://doi.Org/10.64628/aa.Pyxht446p |
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