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The question has been asked on flickr who this belongs to, i can tell you it still belongs to Harry Shaw H15URE is a Volvo B10M / Vanhool Alizee C70F that s seen at the beginig of my stream in Oarange and as a 53 seater it came to Shaws from Walter Mills on the closure of that business. Photo taken 20/05/12
So the question is 'can Sara do cuteness' or not? If not I might just have to become a hooker after all? (winks)
title.
Her question.
Title of 10 photos.
Something about in the air.
(Tokyo city lights shots.)
Tokyo,Japan, 2017 … 4 / 10
(Today's picture. That's unannounced.)
image.
Everything But The Girl - Before Today
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Profile.
In November 2014, we caught the attention of the party selected to undertake the publicity for a mobile phone that changed the face of the world with just a single model, and will conclude a confidentiality agreement with them.
stealaway.cocolog-nifty.com/stealaway/2016/11/profile.html
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iBooks. Electronic Publishing. It is free now.
0.about the iBooks.
stealaway.cocolog-nifty.com/stealaway/2017/03/about-digit...
1.unforgettable '(ENG.ver.)(This book is Dedicated to the future artist.)
itunes.apple.com/us/book/unforgettable/id1216576828?ls=1&...
For Japanese only.
2.unforgettable '(JNP.ver.)(This book is Dedicated to the future artist.)
itunes.apple.com/us/book/unforgettable/id1216584262?ls=1&...
3. Streamlined trajectory.
itunes.apple.com/us/book/%E6%B5%81%E7%B7%9A%E5%BD%A2%E3%8... =11
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flickr . ( XL size )
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www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/
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My Novel >> Unforgettable'
(This book is Dedicated to the future artist.)
Mitsushiro Nakagawa
All Translated by Yumi Ikeda .
images.
U2 - No Line On The Horizon Live in Dublin
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oKwnkYFsiE&feature=related
There are two reasons why a person faces the sea.
One, to enjoy a slice of shine in the sea like children bubbling over in the beach.
The other, to brush the dust of memory like an old man who misses old days, staring at the shine
quietly.
Those lead to only one meaning though they do not seem to overlap. It’s a rebirth.
I face myself to change tomorrow, a vague day into something certain.
That is the meaning of a rebirth.
I had a very sweet girlfriend when I was 18.
After she left, I knew the meaning of gentleness for the first time and also a true pain of loss. After
she left, how many times did I depend too much on her, doubt her, envy her and keep on telling lies
until I realized it is love?
I wonder whether a nobody like me could have given something to her who was struggling in the
daily life in those days. Giving something is arrogant conceit. It is nothing but self-satisfaction.
I had been thinking about such a thing.
However, I guess what she saw in me was because I had nothing. That‘s why she tried to see
something in me. Perhaps she found a slight possibility in me, a guy filled with ambiguous, unstable
tomorrow. But I wasted days depending too much on her gentleness.
Now I finally can convey how I felt in those days when we met.
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www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24577016535/in/dateposted...
2/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24209330259/in/dateposted...
3/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/23975215274/in/dateposted...
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www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24515964952/in/dateposted...
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www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24276473749/in/dateposted...
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www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24548895082/in/dateposted...
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www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24594603711/in/dateposted...
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www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24588215562/in/dateposted...
9/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24100804163/in/dateposted...
Fin.
images.
U2 - No Line On The Horizon Live in Dublin
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oKwnkYFsiE&feature=related
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Title of my book > unforgettable'
Author : Mitsushiro Nakagawa
Out Now.
ISBN978-4-86264-866-2
in Amazon.
www.amazon.co.jp/Unforgettable’-Mitsushiro-Nakagawa/dp/...
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Schedule of the next novel.
Still would stand all time.(unforgettable'2)
2018. Spring. It's expected to open it. That's Japanese.
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2017.
Autumn.
Theme.
This must be the place I waited years to leave .
Place. Tokyo Big Sight.
Sponsoring. Design festa.
2018.
The uncertainness of date and time.
Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art Annex Gallery.
Place. Sakura-shi, Chiba.
Theme.
From that day ....
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Future's photography place.
2017.
Manhattan. New York. The United States.
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I went to New York 2007.
Day when Japan was left. March 9. Afternoon.
Day where it returned to Japan. March 14. Afternoon.
I am in Japan now.
The photograph in New York starts as follows.
www.fotolog.com/stealaway/22748231
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Japanese is the following.
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YouPic
youpic.com/photographer/mitsushironakagawa/
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タイトル。
彼女の質問。
１０枚の写真のタイトル。
Something about in the air.
( Tokyo city lights shots. )
次の小説のイメージ。
Still would stand all time.(unforgettable'2)
（いつまでもなくならないだろう）
Tokyo , Japan, 2017 … 4 / 10
(今日の写真。それは未発表です。)
image.
Everything But The Girl - Before Today
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プロフィール。
2014年11月、たった1機種で世界を塗り替えた携帯電話の広告を請け負った選考者の目に留まり、秘密保持同意書を結ぶ。
stealaway.cocolog-nifty.com/stealaway/2016/11/profile.html
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iBooks.電子出版。（現在は無料）
0.about the iBooks.
stealaway.cocolog-nifty.com/stealaway/2017/03/about-digit...
1.unforgettable’ ( ENG.ver.)(This book is Dedicated to the future artist.)
itunes.apple.com/us/book/unforgettable/id1216576828?ls=1&...
For Japanese only.
2.unforgettable’ ( JNP.ver.)(この小説は未来のアーティストへ捧げます)
itunes.apple.com/us/book/unforgettable/id1216584262?ls=1&...
3.流線形の軌跡。
itunes.apple.com/us/book/%E6%B5%81%E7%B7%9A%E5%BD%A2%E3%8...
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僕の小説。英語版
My Novel Unforgettable' (This book is Dedicated to the future artist.)
Mitsushiro Nakagawa
All Translated by Yumi Ikeda .
1/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24577016535/in/dateposted...
2/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24209330259/in/dateposted...
3/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/23975215274/in/dateposted...
4/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24515964952/in/dateposted...
5/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24276473749/in/dateposted...
6/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24548895082/in/dateposted...
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www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24594603711/in/dateposted...
8/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24588215562/in/dateposted...
9/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24100804163/in/dateposted...
Fin.
images.
U2 - No Line On The Horizon Live in Dublin
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oKwnkYFsiE&feature=related
_________________________________
_________________________________
Title of my book > unforgettable'
Author : Mitsushiro Nakagawa
Out Now.
ISBN978-4-86264-866-2
in Amazon.
www.amazon.co.jp/Unforgettable’-Mitsushiro-Nakagawa/dp/...
_________________________________
_________________________________
次の小説の予定。
Still would stand all time.(unforgettable'2)
（いつまでもなくならないだろう）
２０１８年。春。公開予定。それは日本語です。
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２０１7年。秋。
テーマ。
This must be the place I waited years to leave .
場所。東京ビッグサイト。
Sponsoring. Design festa.
２０１８年。
日時未定。
DIC川村記念美術館付属ギャラリー。
場所。千葉県佐倉市。
テーマ。
あの日から、ずっと…
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今後の撮影地。
２０１７年。
マンハッタン。ニューヨーク。アメリカ。
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I went to New York 2007.
Day when Japan was left. March 9. Afternoon.
Day where it returned to Japan. March 14. Afternoon.
I am in Japan now.
The photograph in New York starts as follows.
www.fotolog.com/stealaway/22748231
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Japanese is the following.
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YouPic
youpic.com/photographer/mitsushironakagawa/
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Grab your old-style red/ blue lens glasses and enjoy this anaglyph photograph.
© Norman Posselt (Monotype)
- are the questions for the answers we already have real questions? Or am I just trying to get away with murder?
-if cigarettes killed your father, is it possible that they raped your mother?
-If freedom is a lady, then are feelings a young girl looking for an husband? Or freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose? Should I talk like this?
- When I'll be dead, will it be useful to bring me a cup of coffee, so that I can come back to life?
-To defend democracy, do we also have to practice it?
-Is masturbation at least sex with someone you love?
-A part for the mistakes we make, are we completely useless? Why am I looking forward to be useful for someone?
-If we want someone to take care about, should we really buy a dog? And what about the human touch of a dog?
-If pop music is just the moderne way to say " fuck me", could we say rock music was just the old way to say "fuck you"?
-If she's got him by the balls, is it so bad, or it just depends on the grip?
-if someone shoots you in a dream, should he wake up and apologize?
-Is Texas No Limit Hold'Em the Cadillac of Poker?
-Did God create the man just because a dildo can't open tans?
-If she says " we have to talk about something serious", how can I be sure we do to do it dressed?
-Is Jazz a "form", or it's just a collection of tags and tricks?
- If you can't spot the sucker in the first half hour at the table, are you the sucker?
-If they ask you "how many roads must a man walk down before you call him a man)", does it make sense to answer " twentythree"? More? Less? Would you suggest I shouldn't answer?
-In a poker table, can you lose what don't put in the pot? Can you win much either?
-Isn't it easier to fight against the bottle when you're drunk?
-If Elton John calls you and says he wants his shirt back, should you buy a new one?
-Is it possible to have a first date with a girl who's born after Metallica's Master Of Puppets, or then you have to say you like Bon Jovi and puppets?
-When it rains, are we supposed to dance in the time between a drop and the next one?
-Does the american dream smell like vaseline?
-I'm fully convinced that Silvester Stallone speaks exactly like Bruce Springsteen. Do they both look insane?
-Is a Jewish princess with sunglasses, a brand new nose and titanic tits a smart way to work it out?
- Does cheating get it faster or it's just an hangover we don't deserve?
-What would Eddie Vedder think about me now? Would he think about me now? Am I too old to worry about Eddie Vedder's opinion?
-If the Red Hot Chili Peppers published "californication" 8 years ago, is it completely true that I'll be 30 just in time fon another "californication"?
-Can the Radiohead be the ones to blame if I don't have success with girls?
-What am I supposed to do with a full of aces if he goes "all in"? Do you think I should act like a ragged clown? Do you think i'm numb?
-In the poker game of life, are women the rake? Or in the rake game of life, women are a poker?
-Can you say to a girl "we have a depravation agreement, you can't leave me now" and still wait for her to come back?
-Do we need friends when we're right?
-If you're a dogman, half a dog and half a man, are you yourself's best friend?
-Is the coffee smell in the morning a good reason to wait until she wakes up?
-Is a Jack Daniel''s without a cigarette an incomplete sin? I mean, is it worhty?
-Is it wisdom not to get drunk all togheter, so that someone can drive home? How many times we think it's wisdom, and actually we're just afraid?
-Am I just too drunk to write something serious, or it's that having a bottle in front of you will always be better then a frontal lobotomy?
Weel, all those are just questions to the answers I already have,,, I just wanna know your answers... choose a question, and have some fun!
Quick question. Should I start customizing Lego minifigures? Like paint, not so sure in sculpting. A lot of cats in my Elseworld groups paint so, I thought I Join. Should I paint?
Is there any one who can help me with using this type of shutter? It seems broken for times except B and T....
Questions and answers. Q. Do you get stung? A. Yes, I receive an occasional sting, beekeepers should expect this. Q. How many times have you been stung? A. At one time or over the years? I like to say it only hurts for a minute but there are some real sensitive areas on the human body and the bees know where they are. Q. Do you wear a bee suit? A. Only when I need to, I would rather receive a few stings than sweat to death. It's 97°F in the shade. Don't do what I do! Do what you are comfortable with. Bee stings can be deadly.
People sometimes wonder why, I read such diverse material on the general subjects of theology? I have many questions, that are unanswered by my own Catholic tradition. My greatest insights over the last few years, have not come from Catholic theologians, but Jewish theologians-even if that is not what they call themselves. Such individuals as Abraham Joshua Heschel, and Martin Buber.
Currently, I’m reading a Buber book, on Judaism. What a joy to read. This book is helping me to answer questions about my own religion which that are relevant and contemporary. The heart of Catholism is its liturgy. However, as an educator, I find that many “active” Catholics are disconnected from the true purpose of liturgy and what lliturgical worship is or shoud be.
Where does Buber come in? Here are a few quotes from his book on Judaism that trying to answer the question of what is a Jew today?
“He perceives then what commingling of individuals, what confluence of blood, has produced him, what round of begettings and births has called him forth. He senses in this immortality of the generations a community of blood, which he feels to be the antecedents of his I, its perseverance in the infinite past. To that is added the discovery, promoted by this awareness, that blood is a deep-rooted nusturing force within individual man; that the deepest layers of our being are determined by blood; that our innermost thinking and our will are colored by it.”
“Now he finds that the world around him is the world of imprints and of influences, whereas blood is the realm of a substance capable of being imprinted and influenced, a substance absorbing and assimilating all into its own form. And he therefore senses that he belongs no longer to the community of those whose constant elements of experience he shares, but to the deeper-reaching community of those whose substance he shares. Once, he arrived at a sense of belonging out of an external experience; now, out of an internal one. On the first level, his people represented the world to him; now they represent his soul.”
Now, to me, these paragraphs provide a starting point, where I strive, to answer my own questions...about my own disconnect from my own tradition. It does make sense, that the answers to my own questions will not be found by searching Catholic sources, that do well in describing symptoms correctly, but not necessarily providing solutions.
-rc
how can one find out the soul of a flower?
is it in its scent
in the folds
or is it in the way it's leaning
its shadow in the blur of the dusk?
How do you render metallic colors from LDD? This image shows the difference between the two when rendered with Bluerender.
My dear friends, I need help with the determination of this stones, that my dad accidentally bought on ebay. Can they be crazy lace agates? Thanks a lot!
I'm going to enter this image in a show. I can't decide which crop I like better - this one or the one in the comment section. Feedback and constructive criticism from everyone is helpful & welcome!
That is the question!
One of the advantages of digital photography is that you can take as many shots as you like, then get rid of the crappy ones. Unlike using film, those shots don’t cost you anything. That’s the easy part. The hard part is deciding which ones are “crappy.”
Unless I’m really pressed for space on my cards during a shoot, I rarely delete images in the camera. A shot might look inadequate in the LCD, but that display is not an accurate depiction of how the photo will look on a computer or in a print. After all, it’s a tiny image, you have little or no control over the ambient light around you, which affects how the image appears on the screen, and the LCD is only an approximation of what the sensor recorded. Of course, the reverse is also true: something that looks great in the LCD could very well turn out to be mediocre.
Although the histogram in the camera provides you an accurate depiction of the exposure range – for example, if you underexposed or overexposed – it’s just a chart representing tonal values, not the actual photo. I wouldn’t trust it either as an indication to trash an image. Even if you know something went terribly wrong – like you were moving when the shutter opened or the camera settings were far off – you might want to hold off on clicking the erase button.
The temptation to delete an image right away might reflect something psychological. It’s only human to want to cover up our mistakes. Let’s erase all evidence of it and pretend it didn’t even happen. And if someone wants to take a peek at our shots in the camera, they’ll only be scrolling through respectable ones.
While later viewing the images on our computers, we can learn from both the good and bad shots. We can better understand the variables like camera settings, viewpoint, and composition that lead to a high quality photo when we compare it to the ones that went wrong. We do learn from our mistakes.
The sequence in which you take shots also reveals a lot about your approach to a particular scene or subject. Deleting images punches a hole in that sequence as well as the opportunity to understand the chain of events leading up to and following both the duds and the gems. If you preserve all the images, you might detect a pattern that reveals when the good and bad photos appear in the progression of shots.
So let’s say we examined the poor shots as well as where they occurred in the sequence of images. Maybe we learned something, maybe we didn’t. In either case, can we please delete those crappy shots now? Well, hold on a bit longer. There’s always the possibility of learning something new later on – weeks, months, or years from now - when we examine all the images from a past shoot.
Even setting aside that possibility, we’re still stuck with the dilemma of deciding what a crappy shot is before we delete it. Is there some potential in it that we might be overlooking? On more than a few occasions, I’ve taken what appeared to be lousy photo, then succeeded in transforming it into something quite good, either by cropping to some interesting part of the scene or by post-processing – sometimes quite radical post-processing that produced unusual but interesting results. Even very underexposed or overexposed images – ones that your histogram had cried out to delete – can be rejuvenated or transformed in Photoshop. Of course, it won’t look like a technically well-exposed photograph, but that’s not the definitive criteria of a good image. Over time, as we improve our eye for seeing images and our skills in shaping them, we might go back to old crappy shots and discover potentials in them that we did not realize before. Improving one's skills as a photographer means acquiring this ability to see what an image can become rather than just what it is.
If you think something went terribly wrong with a shot, but the composition is basically good, I say keep it. If you think a shot looks horrible, but it’s one of a kind because you didn’t take any others like it, I say keep it.
If you have several shots of the same subject, you could decide which ones are the best, then delete the others. But think twice about the criteria you’re using to decide what’s good and what’s bad. Are you thinking about exposure but not composition? Are you focusing on the colors of the subjects’ skin but not considering their facial expressions? Be clear in your own mind about the most important elements of the photo before you delete shots that don’t meet those criteria.
It’s very possible that if you have multiple shots of the same scene or subject, you might be able to create a composite image that combines the best elements of each. For example, let’s say you have several shots of a group of your friends. In one you accidentally chopped everyone off at the knees – which tradition considers a photographic faux pas – but Joe looks good in that photo. You could transplant his head into the well-composed shot where his eyes are closed. Afterwards, you should probably save the amputated friends image, because it’s always a good idea to preserve the source images that you used to create a composite.
What I’ve said so far might lead us to conclude that we should save every shot we take! Unfortunately, that conclusion undoes the cost-effective benefits of digital photographers shooting to their heart’s content, while knowing they can delete the crappy pictures. It also runs us into some practical problems. The more images we have, the greater the challenge of organizing them so we can find what we need. As camera resolutions increase, with file sizes growing larger and larger, we might also worry about having enough storage space. Fortunately, the price of high capacity drives always seems to drop, so unless you’re struggling with a tight budget or shoot boatfuls, you probably shouldn’t worry about deleting images in order to save money.
Once again, we might also grapple with some psychological issues in deciding how many images to delete. Some people are savers, perhaps even compulsive savers. Others are impulsive about throwing things out in order to clear their space. Feelings about saving things or not can run rather deep. Understanding what it means to you to throw something out, or save it, might shed some light on how you think about your photography.
** This image and essay are part of a book on Photographic Psychology that I’m creating within Flickr. Here's an easier to read and navigate version of
Photographic Psychology
50 Questions.
50 Questions
Post a pic of yourself & answer the questions, I was tagged by Kelly, Amy and others :)
1: What are you wearing?
Black skinny jeans, long stripy socks, white lacy blouse, big cardigan (comfy gear)
2: Something about you that nobody ever knew?
I've got OCD, and have various other things,all medicated ;)
3: Biggest phobias?
Don't really like bridges over water, hate being outside in the dark alone.
4: How tall are you?
5ft 3
5: Ever been in love?
Yes, smugly basking in it right now
6: Any tattoos that you want?
I have six currently, I want quite a few more...
7: Any piercings that you want?
At the moment, I have my nose, and 5 in my ears. I did have my nipple pierced, but I think I'm down with metal!
8: Makeouts or cuddling?
Cuddles :)
9: Shoe size?
5
10: Favourite bands?
Hmmm... The Skints, Noisettes, Jamie T
11: Something you miss?
My friends from college, and being able to drink loads of alcohol!
12: Favourite song?
Hard to chose!
13: How old are you?
19 years and 2 months old :D
14: Zodiac sign?
Leo
15: Hair Color?
Currently, brown.
16: Favourite Quote?
''Mysterium; tremendum.' One of my tattoos, a quote from Rudolph Otto, which is Latin for 'mystery and awe-inspiring terror' - talking about how we respond to the numinal experiences in life :)
17: Favourite singer?
Asa, Regina Spektor, Kimya Dawson, Speech Debelle, Lisa Mitchell
18: Favourite colour?
Red and Orange
19: Loud music or soft?
Different for different moods and time of day!
20: Where do you go when you're sad?
Bed...or to the sofa with the kittens and the dolls.
21: How long does it take you to shower?
Only about 10 minutes - showers make me dizzy.
22: How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
Under half an hour..more if I get coffee and food :)
23: Ever been in a physical fight?
I used to do martial arts, so yes. But I've never been in a 'real' fight.
24: Turn on?
Laughter, Punky clothes.
25: Turn off?
Chavvy Laddy guys.
26: The reason I joined Flickr?
Blythe Blythe Blythe!
27: Fears?
The dark, being followed.
28: Last thing that made you cry?
I cried in frustration because I had to go to work straight after Uni with no time to eat anything, so I was stupidly hungry.
29: Last time you cried?
Yesterday
30: Meaning behind your url:
It's my name, Jodie Matthews..and my birth year. I couldn't think of anything fancy.
31: Last book you read?
Oroonoko by Aphra Ben
32: Last song you listened to?
Eaton Rifles - The Jam
33: Last show you watched?
Friends
34: Last person you talked to?
Alex (boyfriend), before he went to work..
35: The relationship between you and the person you last texted?
I can't remember the last time I text someone, my mobile is always out of battery and credit. Got Alex to text our friend Harry though.
36: Favourite food?
Mac n' Cheese, pancakes, cheese and onion rolls.
37: Place you want to visit?
Japan, Canada, Paris, Africa
38: Last place you were?
In a seminar at Uni
39: Do you have a crush?
That's what the boyfriend is for :)
40: Last time you kissed someone?
About 4 hours ago.
41: Last time you were insulted and what was it?
Yesterday, when two of my friends came round and complained about my dolls.
42: What colour underwear are you wearing?
Dark Blue.
43: What colour shirt are you wearing?
Cream
44: Are you tired?
Yup, I'm chronically tired.
45: Wearing any bracelets?
My tigers eye bracelet, and one that I don't take off - my black onyx bracelet.
46: Last sport you played?
Does walking count? Can't do much anymore thanks to lovely illness.
47: Last song you sang?
Eaton Rifles - The Jam. I annoy alex by constantly singing over the top of whatever song he's playing.
48: Last prank call you remember doing?
I haven't done one in ages..it would've be to one of my friends, a few years ago.
49: Last time you hung out with anyone?
I saw two of my friends for about 5 minutes before going to work yesterday, but the other day, Me, Harry and Alex watched movies and drunk beers...(I could only have one, gah)
50: Do you consider yourself to be approachable?
Yes! I'm only shy if I have to approach you!
In recognition of their outstanding service to Delaware, Governor John Carney honored 13 young people and five groups with the Governor’s Youth Volunteer Service Awards during a ceremony May 24 at the Polytech Adult Education Conference Center in Woodside.
“Across the state, I am impressed by the level of commitment our young people have to serving others,” Governor Carney said. “I am proud to honor their energy, spirit and willingness as they help us to build stronger and healthier communities. Without question, they demonstrate that one person can make a difference in the lives of others.”
More than 200 people, including Renee Beaman, director of DHSS' Division of State Service Centers, which oversees the awards, and Georgeanna Windley, Chair of the Governor’s Commission on Community and Volunteer Service, joined the Governor in honoring the young volunteers for their outstanding service, community impact and inspiration to others.
The Governor’s Youth Volunteer Service Awards are sponsored by the Office of the Governor and are coordinated by the State Office of Volunteerism and the Governor’s Commission on Community and Volunteer Service.
2017 GOVERNOR’S YOUTH VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD WINNERS
INDIVIDUALS
Wei-Ling Moloy
Arts & Culture
Nominator: Angela Williamson
Wei-Ling Moloy is an active volunteer at Hagley Museum & Library, serving as a youth leader in its Youth Leadership Program (YLP) and as a camp counselor. As a youth leader, Wei-Ling facilitates and designs programs and activities related to Hagley’s stories of technology, science, and innovation. As a camp counselor, she supported the adult camp instructors by interacting with campers, assisting with activities, and maintaining the enjoyment and safety of campers. Beginning in 2014, as a shy, quiet volunteer, Wei-Ling has grown into a strong leader who is respected both by her fellow youth leaders and the adult mentors in the Hagley Museum & Library volunteer program.
Suprit Bodla
Community Service
Nominator: Jim Power
Since 2013, Suprit Bodla has volunteered with the Boy Scouts of America, Christiana Care Health System and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). He has organized a variety of fundraisers to benefit LLS and also to raise public awareness of the fight against blood cancer. Suprit is also a student mentor for the Science Ambassadors Program at the Charter School of Wilmington, where he, along with his peers, helped to organize a STEM tutoring program at Marbrook Elementary School and work with the Delaware Children’s Museum to provide science and match activities for Engineering Week.
Nadeem D. Boggerty
Community Service
Nominators: Adrienne Gomez
Dover High School honor student Nadeem D. Boggerty has been volunteering in his community for the past six years with his church, his school and through social organizations. One of the many organizations at which Nadeem volunteers is the Calvary Church in Dover, where he and his family help pack boxes and assist with dinner on Thanksgiving each year. Nadeem also participates in several social service organizations (the Omega Gents, a program steered by Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.; EMBODI, hosted by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; and BeB.O.L.D., a nonprofit youth mentoring organization in Dover) where he has helped feed the homeless, staff information tables at Back-to-School Fairs, toy drives, First State Community Day, and other activities that support the local community.
Sarah Davis
Education
Nominator: Michelle Neef
Fourteen-year-old Sarah Davis been volunteering with Faithful Friends Animal Society for four years. Sarah passionately promotes, educates and supports her community and has become a true leader and advocate for her generation. Furthermore, she displays great compassion while taking the initiative to ensure the safety of animals. Her tenacity has saved the lives of many dogs and cats, and improved the lives of neighbors who care for them. Sarah has provided long-term foster care to neonate kittens and delivered food from Faithful Friends Animal Society Pet Food Bank to pet owners with low incomes or those struggling in other ways to assist them in keeping their family pets in their home. She also rescued dogs and cats from perilous environments and has been instrumental for the Trap-Neuter-Return program, which works to reduce and improve the community cat population.
Cheyenne McGowan
Environment
Nominator: Emily Krueger
Cheyenne McGowan started with the Brandywine Zoo as a summer teen intern with its Zoo Camps during the summer of 2016. After the summer, she continued her volunteer efforts by signing up to help with various educational events at the zoo, including International Red Panda Day, Vulture Weekend, and Noon Year’s Eve. Her role for these events was educating the public at learning stations using animal artifacts, activities, or crafts. In addition, Cheyenne frequently came in to interpret the zoo’s animal exhibits to the public as a docent. Since she started volunteering a year ago, Cheyenne has helped educate hundreds of people at the zoo, which serves the greater Wilmington area, on different environmental topics, including climate change, animal adaptations, and specific animal facts.
Michael Robinette
Health & Special Needs
Nominator: Margaret Jenkins
Since 2013, Michael Robinette has volunteered with the Mary Campbell Center’s Children & Youth program. Mike works with more than 100 children each summer, in a variety of age groups with unique physical or intellectual disabilities. His responsibilities include assisting children in different activities throughout the day such as arts and crafts, games, swimming and cooking. Mike also supports staff with talent show planning and production. Additionally, he provides supervision and companionship for campers on field trips during the summer camp program. Mike gets to know the campers on a one-on-one level and is quick to learn their likes and dislikes, and when they need or want help.
Santiago Vizcaino
Health & Special Needs
Nominator: Richard Huber
Santiago Vizcaino began volunteering with the Delaware Division for the Visually Impaired in the summer of 2016. During his time with the agency, Santiago has provided assistance in producing resource material for students with visual impairments, assisting staff with departmental projects and developing training procedures for the organization. Beginning at the Instruction Resource Material Center, Santiago produced large-print reading material for students, which were provided to 247 students. He developed a process that allowed books to be converted to PDF format, which allows a student with a visual impairment to use an iPad or other electronic device to review the document via voice narration or zoom text option, depending on the individual student’s needs. In addition, Santiago helped to develop training procedures for other volunteers.
Joy Baker
Human Needs
Nominator: Joyce Sessoms
In 2016 alone, Joy Baker volunteered an estimated 200+ hours in a variety of capacities in the Delmar and Laurel communities. She serves on the Youth Board of Directors of The ARK Education Resource Center, volunteers at her church as an assistant to the program coordinator responsible for youth activities, and is a member of the National Honor Society. For ARK, Joy acts as a recruiter and fundraiser, and is also an active participant in ARK-sponsored events like the Back-to-School Extravaganza held in Janosik Park.
Katelyn Craft
Human Needs
Nominator: Emily Holcombe
In July 2016, Katelyn Craft began volunteering at Exceptional Care for Children (ECC), Delaware’s first and only nonprofit pediatric skilled nursing facility for children who are medically fragile. Through the Resident Playdate volunteer program, ECC is able to provide the residents the chance to interact with individuals who can offer something other than medical care. At age 14, Katy knew she wanted to bring smiles and joy to children who have extensive medical needs. She has spent more than 100 hours reading, playing games, watching movies, assisting with arts and crafts projects, or just spending quality time with children who have little family involvement. In addition, Katy volunteered her time assisting with special events and fundraisers, like the Gala Fundraiser and Visits with Santa.
Daevean DeShields
Human Needs
Nominator: Aaron Tyson
Following the inspiration of his grandfather, Daevean DeShields created Project HOOP, which stands for Helping Out Other People. The goal of Project HOOP was to fill 1,000 bags with supplies to be distributed to people who are homeless through Faith United Methodist Church’s Open Hands Sound & Clothing Ministry. After recruiting from his local and school community (including his school principal), Daevean was able to meet and surpass his goal with a remarkable 1,015 bags assembled.
Jakob Ryan Thomas
Public Safety
Nominator: Shirin Skovronski
For almost two years, Jakob Ryan Thomas has volunteered as a junior firefighter with the Mill Creek Fire Company. In 2016 alone, he responded to 488 calls of emergency responses to structure fires, motor vehicle crashes, medical assistance, and other miscellaneous calls, amassing more than 500 volunteer hours. Jakob’s actions assisted the community in multiple emergencies, which were often quite serious and dangerous in nature.
Richard Thomas
Public Safety
Nominator: Robert Bassett, Jr.
Richard Thomas has been a volunteer firefighter with Camden-Wyoming Fire Company for two years, assisting in more than 300 emergency situations such as car accidents and house fires. Richard also assists with teaching fire prevention to children. Despite his youth, Richard is well-respected at the fire company and is seen as a mentor for new firefighters.
Ananya Singh
Social Justice/Advocacy
Nominator: Meghan Pasricha
For the past nine years, Ananya Singh has been a member of the Global Youth H.E.L.P. Inc. (GYH), a Delaware nonprofit whose mission is to train and support young people to become leaders by serving their communities through community service projects. Ananya served first as president of the middle school chapter and is currently chair of the high school chapter. Her time and efforts have been vital for many different community service projects, including the Annual Backpack Donation for the YWCA Home-Life Center, the Christmas Hygiene Product Donation, the Annual Ice Cream Party for the YWCA Home-Life Center and the Premier Charities Feeding the Homeless. She also has taught English and karate to younger children.
GROUPS
Greater Milford Boys & Girls Club
Arts & Culture
Nominator: Kenny Monroe
Following the devastation of Hurricane Matthew (Sept. 28-Oct. 10, 2016) in the Caribbean, the Teen TITAN program members of the Greater Milford Boys & Girls Club developed the “Hope for Haiti Donation Drive.” In a relatively short time, the Team Titan program members spent 400 hours collecting clothing, toiletries, bottled water, educational material and other items. More than 300 items filled more than 10 boxes and were sent to the people in Haiti to be used as they began to rebuild and recover from the effects of Hurricane Matthew.
Cape Henlopen High School Army Junior Reserve Officers Training Program
Community Service
Nominator: Angela Thompson
For 10 continuous years, the participants of the Army Junior Reserve Officers Training Program (JROTC) at Cape Henlopen High School have learned that everyone belongs to a community and therefore has a responsibility to that community. The 45 young men and women who comprise the current JROTC roster continue that legacy of service by devoting an average of 2,000 man-hours to community service activities benefiting a number of organizations, including the Delaware Seashore State Park, Beebe Medical Center, American Red Cross Blood Drive, the Salvation Army, Brandywine Senior Citizens Center and the National Kidney Foundation.
A.I. du Pont Middle School – Walk in the Kings Footsteps
Education
Nominator: Michele Fidance
When posed with the question “What will I do to walk in the footsteps of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.?” the student body of A.I. du Pont Middle School in Wilmington decided to answer the question literally. A small group of students, led by Jobs for Delaware Graduates (JDG) instructors, were given the project of researching the speeches of Dr. King in order to choose quotes that meant something to them. The students then inscribed their selected quote on a cut-out of a footprint, which was then affixed to the wall in the cafeteria as a means to inspire their fellow students. Once students beyond the JDG classes saw the footprints, they wanted to participate as well. The project helped to raise awareness among students of Dr. King’s life, teaching and legacy, and how it translates into community action and service.
P.S. duPont Middle School Student Council – Adopt a Family
Health and Special Needs
Nominator: Mallory Stratton
Each year, the student council of P.S. duPont Middle School in Wilmington spearheads its annual Adopt-A-Family Drive. The drive involves the school community at-large adopting the families of 15 to 20 P.S. duPont students who are need assistance to make the holiday season a little brighter. The donations of clothing, books and toys generated by the student council benefited upwards of 50 fellow students and their siblings in 2016.
Delmar High School - Wildcat Wellness Pantry
Human Needs
Nominator: Michele Fidance
The Wildcat Wellness Pantry is a food pantry at the Delmar American Legion, which provides nonperishable food and household items for individuals in need. The pantry is staffed by as many as eight Jobs for Delaware Graduate (JDG) volunteers. The JDG volunteers come in on Saturdays to assist families in need and taking inventory to ensure the pantry can reach even more people. An additional group of more than 60 volunteers collect the proceeds from canned food drives that occur during the school year to continually stock the pantry.
Those who do not live in Scotland may be unaware that this YES sign indicates an affirmative response to the question "Should Scotland be an independent country?".
In a referendum to be held on 18 September 2014 this issue will be decided by those who are registered to vote in Scotland.
In my view, the underlying belief of those on the YES side is that it is right and proper for a nation to aspire to govern itself, that it may experience difficulties in doing so but in working through those difficulties it will develop the maturity required to hold its head high in the community of nations. The YES side believes that now is the time to "grasp the thistle".
The NO side appears to hold the view either (i) that a 'mature nation' status is not worth working for or (ii) that, while it might be desirable to become a mature nation, the inevitable difficulties could not be overcome.
I listened live to the 2 hours and 40 minutes of this parliamentary debate and thought that Mike Russell's ten minute winding-up speech (transcript below) characterised by its positive approach, exemplified that contrast with the negative approach of his opponents during that debate.
THE PARLIAMENT OF SCOTS (12 AUGUST 2014)
DEBATE ON THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES OF INDEPENDENCE
WINDING UP SPEECH FROM MIKE RUSSELL
Official report:-
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Thank you. I call Michael Russell to wind up the debate. Cabinet secretary, you have until 5 o’clock.
16:49
The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning (Michael Russell):
Let me give the chamber a revelation: I think that on the evidence of this afternoon’s debate there are no votes in this chamber that are up for grabs in the referendum and that it is pretty clear that there are no undecideds on these benches.
However, there might be some undecideds watching at home. I suspect that they might well have turned off by now, particularly after Jenny Marra’s speech, but if they are still watching I suggest to them that, if they are trying to come to a judgment on the basis of this debate—there are people in the gallery who might want to make such a judgment—they should do so on the basis of what has been the positive view and what has been the negative view.
Look at the positive view that all my colleagues in the chamber have expressed and at the endless, destructive negativity that we have heard from Labour, the Liberals and the Tories.
I will start with the clearest view of the currency issue. As ever, the First Minister got it right in the chamber last week. I will repeat his exact words. He said:
“It is our pound, and we are keeping it.”
There are no ifs and no buts. That is the guarantee. That is plan A to Z. For the benefit of those who are still trying to frighten people out of what is theirs—people such as Mr Henry, who asserted that Scots will not be able to buy food or go on holiday after independence, and Mr Fraser, who tellingly referred—
Hugh Henry:
Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?
Michael Russell:
No, I will not. I am sorry; one contribution from Mr Henry in an afternoon is more than enough.
Mr Fraser referred to the currency belonging to someone else, which was very interesting. I will repeat what the First Minister said so that there can be no doubt. He said:
“It is our pound, and we are keeping it.”—[Official Report, 7 August 2014; c 33159.]
Hugh Henry:
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. Mr Russell has just made a statement in which he attributed words to me that I did not say. Is it in order for members to fabricate words that were not said during the debate and attribute them to other members? [Interruption.]
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Order, please. What members say in their speeches is entirely up to them. It is not for me to decide what they should and should not say. However, the Official Report undoubtedly shows every word that has been said in the chamber.
Michael Russell:
I am sure that Mr Henry will reflect on that when he looks at what he has said about me and my writings. I am sure that he will think about that carefully. Mr Henry’s words speak for themselves, as does his depressing demeanour.
The debate has been one of great contrasts. I go back to positivity and negativity. My friend Mr Swinney talked about ambition, achievement, resources, potential and raising the eyes of Scotland to what can be achieved. In my area of special interest, he talked about the need for transformative childcare and the world-leading position of Scottish higher education. What was the result? [Interruption.]
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Order, please.
Michael Russell:
The result was that, 10 minutes in, Mr Rennie gave the knee-jerk plan B its first outing. Mr Brown then leapt back in. Project fear was in there working hard.
The other side of the unionist coin then showed itself. It was quite stunning. Alex Johnstone chuntered on from a sedentary position about the fact that everything that was mentioned was a product of the wonderful union, but he was interrupted by Jenny Marra, who said that everything was the result of the failed SNP. There we have it: that is a contrast. Labour hates the SNP more than anybody else, and the Tories love the union more than anything else. Neither of those is a prescription for a safe future.
Believing that a Labour Government will remove weapons of mass destruction is also not a prescription for a safe future. There is no evidence for that whatsoever. How else are we to get rid of weapons of mass destruction, except by independence? That is the reality.
It was telling that, when Mr Swinney mentioned Trident and what we need to do, the reaction from Labour and the Tories and even from the sole Lib Dem who was there was derision. They want to put bombs before bairns and Trident before teachers. That is their shame.
Let me carry on.
Neil Bibby (West Scotland) (Lab):
Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?
Michael Russell:
No, I will not take an intervention. I am sorry.
The reality of the debate was shown clearly. It was about that negative view. Nothing could be done. We had to ask what that was about. Maureen Watt got it 100 per cent right. She analysed the debate early on. The great fear that exists in project fear is the could-should-must progression. If any member on the Labour benches could admit that Scotland could be independent—I will come to Elaine Murray in a moment, as she did that momentarily—the whole fantasy will collapse.
The reason why it collapses is that that leads to the argument that Scotland should be independent, which is the argument that my colleagues made this afternoon. It goes a step further to the argument that Scotland must be independent.
The biggest illustration of that was given by Malcolm Chisholm. Yet again, I was saddened by a speech by Malcolm Chisholm. I have admiration and time for Malcolm Chisholm; he is laughing, but I do. I do not think that he and I differ very much in some of the things that we want to see, but here is the difference. [Interruption.]
The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick):
Order.
Michael Russell:
Labour members want to laugh at this, because it is beginning to strike home.
The difference is that I and my colleagues have a plan for how to achieve those things. We know how poverty can be eliminated in Scotland. We know—
Iain Gray:
Will the minister give way?
Michael Russell:
No—I want to finish my point.
I know that it is annoying to Iain Gray, but the truth of the matter is that it is possible to have a plan to change Scotland and to do those things. We can set out with those intentions and we can work hard to meet them, or we can—as Labour members would have us do—simply keep our fingers crossed that we get a Labour Government that could possibly pursue the things that they want to see in Scotland rather than the things that Ed Balls and Miliband want to see south of the border. I say to Malcolm Chisholm that that is not a plan: that is keeping your fingers crossed and putting party before principle.
Malcolm Chisholm:
The cabinet secretary may have a plan, but the whole point of all the Labour speeches has been to point out that it is not a plan that can be delivered without an economic foundation. Before he gives us any more claptrap about the negativity of Labour members, will he reflect on the fact that by far the biggest and most disgraceful scare of the referendum campaign is what the yes side is saying about the NHS? [Interruption.]
The Presiding Officer:
Order! Order!
Michael Russell:
How interesting. Mr Chisholm is being wildly applauded by Jackson Carlaw, who—
The Presiding Officer:
Sit down, Mr Russell.
That is quite enough. There is far too much heckling and far too much noise. The minister is speaking, so allow him to do so. This is a Parliament; it is not a public meeting or a hustings. There are people in Scotland who are listening to the debate. Make it worthy of them.
Michael Russell:
Why was Jackson Carlaw—the person who got so agitated about the issue of the NHS last week—applauding so much? Because we have hit the nail on the head. If the financial power lies outside Scotland, the decision on the priorities of Scotland and how to deliver those priorities will always lie outside Scotland, too. For every £100 by which expenditure is reduced south of the border through privatisation of the health service—privatisation that was started by Labour—£10 is lost from the Scottish budget.
Neil Findlay:
Will the cabinet secretary give way?
Michael Russell:
No.
For every £100 that is removed from public expenditure through privatisation of higher education south of the border, we lose £10. That is the reality. That is the nub of the debate. We can choose to make our decisions in Scotland, to take our responsibilities in Scotland and to have opportunities in Scotland, or we can always dance to someone else’s tune.
Malcolm Chisholm wants to see the progress in Scotland that I want to see. I repeat what I said earlier: the SNP has the plan to do that. It puts its confidence—[Interruption.] We can hear the Tories laughing; we can always hear the Tories laughing when the people of Scotland want to progress.
Here is the choice: we can say to the people of Scotland, “Take responsibility, and then you will have the opportunity to change this country for the better”; or we can tell them to listen to those who will not accept the reality and who will always keep their fingers crossed that England votes the same way that they do. Those voices will always disappoint and let down the people of Scotland. That has got to stop.
The lesson this afternoon is entirely clear: there is a jobs plan for an independent Scotland, there is a finance plan for an independent Scotland, there is a currency plan for an independent Scotland and there is a plan to make an independent Scotland the country that it could and should be. The people who stand in the way of that are this unholy alliance between Labour and the Tories.
The Presiding Officer:
You need to finish, cabinet secretary.
Michael Russell:
They are the people who have plenty of ambition for their political parties and none for their country. [Applause.]
The Presiding Officer:
Order.
That concludes the debate on the economic opportunities of independence.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUNDAY TIMES - 21st September 2014
Michael Russell
In a sense I have been campaigning for independence across Scotland not just in the last four weeks but for forty years. But I don't think I have ever had such an emotional political experience as last Saturday standing in the Station Square in Oban listening to Dougie Maclean sing his anthem of Scottishness, Caledonia.
It didn't matter that someone had forgotten to bring an extension lead, so there was no power for the microphone. It was irrelevant that an early sea mist, now burning off, had prevented the First Minister from making a helicopter campaign stop and equally irrelevant was the stretch limo with a huge "NO thanks" logo tied round it ( one of the bizzarest sights of the campaign) that kept cruising past. Dougie sang and 250 people - young and old, from all parties but mostly none, sang along with a quiet intensity that brought tears to my eyes and to eyes of many others.
That event started a whole day of remarkable activities - a car cavalcade of more than sixty vehicles that wound its way across Mid Argyll with so many participants that a church hall in Lochgilphead had to be commandeered to feed them, a flash mob of dancers and musicians on a green beside the sea and finally a laser show lighting up a huge YES sign on the island of Kerrera in the bay facing the town.
This was politics, but not as I have known it. YES Scotland started out as an umbrella organisation and ended up as a mass movement . It's creativity and energy was replicated not just across my constituency - in Dunoon, in Campbeltown, in Rothesay, in Lochgoilhead, on Islay and on Mull - but across the whole of Scotland in a diverse, multi layered movement that demanded and will go on demanding not only attention but also real change.
Although Thursday night delivered a bitter blow to many of those who had invested so much of themselves in that movement I do not think it will go away. Indeed it must not go away. It's commitment, enthusiasm and vigour are needed as never before if Scotland is to move forward united.
It is this movement that can really test the will of politicians to deliver the new dispensation that the Westminster parties promised in the final days of the campaign and it is this movement that can press an agenda that is focussed on outcomes which benefit and empower real people not just the political classes.
As Alex Salmond said on Friday in his moving resignation statement, holding Westminster to account for the delivery of its new promises has to be done by the whole of Scotland and that process needs to be lead by citizens themselves. If it changes and benefits all the parts of the present UK so much the better as long as that not an excuse for endless delay.
I have undertaken more than sixty public meetings in Argyll & Bute over the past nine months. One of the biggest took place on Ardrishaig the night before the Dougie MacLean event at which I shared a platform with Professor Allan MacInnes and Lesley Riddoch, both longstanding friends. Lesley spoke about this new politics too and was given a standing ovation by the over capacity crowd jammed into a tiny church hall. That enthusiasm reflected growing demand for a different set of priorities and a changed way of doing things - bottom up not top down.
That is what independence is but it's core values - fairness, equity, hope, opportunity, equality, justice - go well beyond the the 1.6 million who chose that option. Lots of voters on both sides were sending a message about the need for those things that cannot now be ignored.
That is why the "faster, safer and better" change offered in the 3 UK leaders Daily Record "Vow" was in the end persuasive for so many. They disagreed on the means but not on the ends.
So that is also why the SNP as the Scottish Government has to be an active part of the process now being outlined by the UK Government. We must heed the urgings of those we have worked with and take part in a constructive, urgent and focussed process to decide on the range of powers required and accelerate their introduction whilst ensuring that they are devolved further into communities and made capable of adaptation to local need and local direction.
That will not be easy for anyone but it is the essential next step - a step demanded by Thursday's result and which can also act as a unifying mechanism. We can help make a new Team Scotland and learn from it though it will be a Team Scotland weakened when not led by Alex Salmond, to whom the whole country owes an enormous political debt.
I am undoubtedly still a nationalist and I want to see independence. But this referendum campaign, undertaken in an Indian summer of warm sunshine amongst the most beautiful scenery in the world, criss crossing sea lochs, sailing to islands and motoring amongst mountains, has taught me a great deal.
A passionate desire for a better country is shared by many of our fellow citizens, young and old inside and outside conventional politics. A different set of priorities and policies - some already introduced by an SNP Government over the past 7 years - is possible. Alienation from politics and society isn't inevitable because inspiration casts out indifference. Decisions are better when made with people, not for them.
I have had the great pleasure of an invigorating campaign in Dalmally and Dunoon, on Luing and Lismore, through Glendaruel (where I live) and Glen Barr and by the shores of Loch Etive and Loch Riddon. The conclusion of those journeys was not the one I hoped for a month ago when the Sunday Times asked me to contribute at the end of the campaign. But the people have spoken and when that happens politicians have to listen - wherever they are.
Image created with Google Draw
(Remix your own - goo.gl/M7JKtl)
The original image is via JustLego101
“I am excited to see how you will move our mission forward while providing the best pre-hospital care in the world to our communities. The FDNY Emergency Medical Service is so incredibly important for our city and people we serve. You are the busiest and without question the absolute best,” said FDNY Chief of EMS Lillian Bonsignore at a promotion ceremony for 68 FDNY Paramedics.
Spring Hill Mall opened in October of 1980 and was built by Hormat who was Sears real estate company. The original 2 anchors were Sears and Marshall Fields but the mall grew to 6 anchors by 1984. Bergner's was added in 1981, JCPenney in 1983 and Kohl's and Joseph Spiess in 1984. The Kohl's space was originally going to be a Lord and Taylor. The mall is 1,370,000 Square Feet. In the 90's, Spiess closed and became Furniture stores after that. JCPenney closed in 2011. The wing that included Penny's, Spiess and the food court were demolished from Cinemark. Bergner's became Carson's in 1989 and closed July 2018. Sears closed in February 2020. Macy's were took over Marshall Field's in 2006 closed in March around when the mall closed temporarily due to COVID-19. The mall's future was in trouble with the announcement of 2 of the remaining 3 anchors but now it's in question. The alone anchor has a store also in Algonquin which that area's retail development blamed from Spring Hill Mall's decline. The future of this mall will be quite interesting to watch. I really hope the mall doesn't have issues when it reopens at some point in 2020. The mall is owned by Brookfield Properties Retail Group since 2016 when it took over from Rouse which was a spin off of GGP.
"In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted."
-- Bertrand Russel
Where's Nora?
Where's Kim?
Who took the photo?
_______________________
¿Dónde está Nora?
¿Dónde está Kim?
¿Quién tomó la foto?
Post a pic of yourself and answer the questions! Tagged by the truly quite, quite wonderful Hej!
1: What are you wearing?
Tights, a dress and me spectacles! (Oh and pants and bra obv!)
2: Something about you that nobody ever knew?
I believe in fairies like really believe in them!
3: Biggest phobias?
Spiders, amphibians, fish, birds, touching rubbish
4: How tall are you?
Five foot 6 and a half!
5: Ever been in love?
Yes and it scared and excited me in equal measure!
6: Any tattoos that you want?
I want a bow on my wrist coloured pink and the words Deo Volente (God willing) somewhere
7: Any piercings that you want?
No, I dont think so although I sometimes wish I had a nose stud
8: Makeouts or cuddling?
Both! Greedy aint I?
9: Shoe size?
Size 7 clown feet
10: Favorite bands?
The Doors, Joy Division, Black Sabbath, The Who, Fleetwood Mac
11: Something you miss?
I miss various peoples
12: Favorite song?
Oh golly gosh it changes regularly but I really like Golden Brown by the Stranglers and have done for ages I have a top 10 but I wont bore you with that!
13: How old are you?
29 on the cusp of 30!
14: Zodiac sign?
Capricorn
15: Hair Color?
Mousey Brown
16: Favorite Quote?
"Whoever saves one life save the world entire"
17: Favorite singer?
Jim Morrison
18: Favorite colour?
Pink it makes the boys wink dontcha know?!
19: Loud music or soft?
I like my music LOUD!
20: Where do you go when you're sad?
I retreat to my bed or I go to my best friends flat
21: How long does it take you to shower?
We dont have a shower so I bathe!
22: How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
I prefer as much sleep as possible so anywhere between 20 minutes and my own personal best of 2 minutes!
23: Ever been in a physical fight?
No! I dont even know how to punch! Sad eh? But that doesnt mean I wont fiercely protect my and my loved ones honour!
24: Turn on?
Being caressed, Hair, laughter, geeks, friendliness, sense of humour, certain aftershaves, being challenged
25: Turn off?
Fuckwits, snobbery, monobrows, smelly breath
26: The reason I joined Flickr?
Blythe
27: Fears?
Dyeing alone, never finding love, being hurt by people, never having a baby
28: Last thing that made you cry?
A man, the same man it always is!
29: Last time you cried?
Last week
30: Meaning behind your url:
I dont have one but my flickr name comes from the fact my most overused phrase is Oh my God so I made my username oh my Blythe!
31: Last book you read?
The Hunger Games
32: Last song you listened to?
Starships by Nicki Minaj I love singing the rap part out loud!
33: Last show you watched?
The Big Bang Theory I am in love with Leonard
34: Last person you talked to?
My sister
35: The relationship between you and the person you last texted?
He's my best friend
36: Favorite food?
Chinese
37: Place you want to visit?
New Zealand, Tokyo and New York
38: Last place you were?
Brighton
39: Do you have a crush?
Oh blime loads! Main ones are Tom Hardy, Aidan Turner, Johnny Depp and Ralph Fiennes
40: Last time you kissed someone?
I kiss people all the time ie friends etc it depends what kind of kiss this question refers too!
41: Last time you were insulted and what was it?
My brother in law said I was a bum beard
42: What color underwear are you wearing?
Leopard print
43: What color shirt are you wearing?
I'm wearing a grey dress
44: Are you tired?
Hell to the yeah!
45: Wearing any bracelets?
No
46: Last sport you played?
Ha ha Sport!
47: Last song you sang?
Foxy Lady by Jimi Hendrix
48: Last prank call you remember doing?
I'm rubbish at pranks!
49: Last time you hung out with anyone?
Last night with my sis and friend Meg..
50: Do you consider yourself to be approachable?
I like to think so!
temevo che sarebbe andata così. ecco a cosa servono i morti, a dare visibilità, la prima pagina a una questione più che scottante e scandalosamente ignorata.
limes:
temi.repubblica.it/limes/gaza-israele-attacca-navi-dei-pa...
dal sito di Repubblica
www.repubblica.it/esteri/2010/05/31/dirette/israele_assal...
e L'Unità
www.unita.it/news/mondo/99383/israele_assalto_alla_nave_d...
come si fa a non voler sapere, a ignorare?
a Vicenza ore 18.30 sit-in davanti alla Prefettura
Roma, ore 17.00 piazza Sam Marco
Milano: ore 17.30 in piazza San Babila
Bologna: ore 17.00 in piazza Maggiore
Genova: ore 18.00 davanti alla Prefettura
Torino: ore 17.00 davanti a palazzo Nuovo
Firenze, ore 18.00 alla prefettura
Pisa, ore 17.00 a piazza xx Settembre
Napoli ore 17.00 piazza del Plebiscito
Novara, ore 17.30 alla prefettura
Bergamo ore 18.00 Piazza Vittorio Veneto
Grosseto: ore 18 davanti a prefettura
L'Aquila ore 18.00 rotonda della Guardia di Finanza
Livorno ore 18.00 Piazza Grande
Modena ore 17 sotto la Ghirlandina
Padova: ore 17:30 davanti alla prefettura
Parma ore 18.00 in Piazzale della Pace
Pesaro - ore 18.30 davanti al Comune
Treviso - ore 18.00 davanti alla Prefettura
Varese ore 17 davanti alla prefettura
Venezia ore 17.00 - Ponte di Rialto
Viareggio ore 17 davanti al comune
ricevo da Bassima e pubblico:
Comunità Palestinese nella Regione del Veneto
Al Quds - Istituto di Cultura Italo Palestinese
COMUNICATO
Purtroppo alle ore 4.00 del mattino l'esercito israeliano ha compiuto il suo orribile attacco di pirateria alla flottiglia internazionale di pace che portava viveri ed aiuti a Gaza (da 4 anni assediata ed affamata).I soldati si sono calati dagli elicotteri e preso il comando. Le navi portavano 10.000 tonnnellata di aiuti e di case prefabbricate ed altro. Tutto è avvenuto in acque internazionali che Israele si arroga il diritto di controllare. La flottiglia (8) in tutto procedeva lenta verso Gaza e a bordo c'erano parlamentari e personalità internazionali e Nobel per la pace ed attivisti dei diritti umani (in tutto 700 persone) da 50 paesi di tutto il mondo e 5 italiani.
La Comunità Palestinese è addolorata e angosciata per questo ennesimo barbaro attacco contro la Comunità Internazionale e contro i civile che sono a bordo delle navi, siamo molto preoccupati per la sorte dei passeggeri. Le navi sono state dirottate verso altri porti scelti dall'esercito israeliano con i feriti ed i morti a bordo
Crediamo che il silenzio dei media e dei politici nei giorni scorsi ignorando completamente questo grandioso evento internazionale di solidarietà e giustizia ha dato la solita luce verde ad Israele di attaccare con violenza questa impresa.
Informiamo ed invitiamo tutti a partecipare al sit.in alle 18.00 con altre associazioni ed organizzazioni davanti alla prefettura per protestare contro questo attacco barbaro che ha lasciato sul terreno 16 morti ed una 50 na di feriti. Preghiamo i nostri amici che hanno a cuore la pace e la solidarietà sono pregati di organizzare manifestazioni presso le prefetture ed i comuni delle loro città.
Un altro sit.in sarà in atto davanti alla Prefettura di Vicenza alle 18.30
non mancate se potete.
Tutta la Comunità.
Lopez and Humphries, P.A.
521 Pine Street
Sebring, Florida 33870
863-709-1800
Social Security Disability Claims Attorneys
Highlands County FL | Sebring FL | Avon Park FL
SSI Social Security Supplemental Income Claims
SSI Disability Claims Assistance and Filing
Common Questions:
What are the steps involved in receiving social security disability or supplemental security income?
The first step is applying. There are three ways to do that:
You can apply in person at your local office. In Polk County there is an office in Lakeland on Commerce Drive and one in Winter Haven on Central Avenue.
You can apply by phone by calling 1(800) 772-1213. ; or
You can apply online at SSA.gov.
Social security typically responds in sixty to ninety days. If you get turned down, do not give up- Step two is called the “request for reconsideration.” You fill out the papers and can submit them by mail or in person.
Again, you usually receive a response in sixty to ninety days. If you are turned down at step two you go to the final stage by submitting a “request for hearing.” This is the longest stage in the process. Over the last year or so, our hearing cases have waited from twelve to eighteen months.
Why should I hire Lopez & Humphries?
If you retain Lopez & Humphries, you will have an experienced attorney handle your case from start to finish. Some law firms or associations that handle social security cases have a “representative” handle your case. We only have attorneys represent you. This means that you will have someone who is trained in the rules of evidence, and we have been admitted to the state and federal bars, In addition, our attorneys have handled over 1000 social security cases that have gone to hearings. This is in addition to over 100 jury trials that we have handled.
No one will hire me so why does social security keep on turning me down on benefits?
Not finding a job is not a standard on determining whether you are disabled or not. The social security administration uses a 5 step evaluation to decide whether you are disabled or not. The most important criteria are your present physical capabilities and your prior work. Although you may not be able to work in heavy or manual labor, social security often turns you down by determining that you are able to do other jobs that are lighter in nature. It may not matter if you have no experience other than being a truck driver or a cement layer because there are many jobs that exist that are unskilled and do not require heavy lifting.
What is the difference between social security disability and social security income?
Both social security disability (SSD) and supplemental security income (SSI) use the same physical or functional ability standards in determining ability, but SSD is based on your work history and the amount of credits you have with social security. In general, if you have worked five of the last of ten years, then you meet the initial requirements of SSD, but if you do not have enough credits, you may be eligible for SSI. However, a requirement of SSI is minimal household income. Essentially, if you own personal property valued over $3000, you may not qualify for SSI even if you are clearly disabled. Further information regarding income limits may be found at SSA.gov or by calling Social Security.
Do I need to hire an attorney?
No, you can represent yourself like in every legal battle, but there are many reasons why you should hire a lawyer- we are experienced in trials; we can prepare your hearing questions;, we will make sure the court has all of your medical records; and we have specific forms that we give your doctors that will help your case.
Don’t go it alone- contact Lopez & Humphries, P.A. for a free consultation today!
Photo Copyright 2012, dynamo.photography.
All rights reserved, no use without license
++++ FROM WIKIPEDIA ++++
The International Finance Centre (abbr. IFC, branded as "ifc") is a skyscraper and an integrated commercial development on the waterfront of Hong Kong's Central District.
A prominent landmark on Hong Kong Island, IFC consists of two skyscrapers, the IFC Mall, and the 55-storey Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong. Tower 2 is the second tallest building in Hong Kong (415 m), behind the International Commerce Centre in West Kowloon. It is the fourth-tallest building in the Greater China region and the eighth-tallest office building in the world, based on structural heights; by roof height, only the Taipei 101, Shanghai World Financial Center, Willis Tower, International Commerce Centre and Burj Khalifa exceed it. It is of similar height to the former World Trade Center. The Airport Express Hong Kong Station is directly beneath it.
IFC was constructed and is owned by IFC Development, a consortium of Sun Hung Kai Properties, Henderson Land and Towngas.[6]
In 2003, Financial Times, HSBC, and Cathay Pacific put up an advertisement on the facade that stretched more than 50 storeys, covering an area of 19,000 m2 (0.2 million square ft) and a length of 230 m, making it the world's largest advertisement ever put on a skyscraper.[7]
Contents
1 History
2 One International Finance Centre
3 Two International Finance Centre
4 Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong
5 IFC Mall
6 Gallery
6.1 2 International Finance Centre
6.2 International Finance Centre Mall
7 See also
8 References
9 External links
History
Tower 1 is also known as 1IFC and branded in lowercase letters, as "One ifc". Likewise, Tower 2 is also known as 2IFC and branded as "Two ifc".[8]
1IFC opened in December 1998, towards the end of the Asian financial crisis. Tenants included ING Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp, Fidelity International, the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority[9] and the Financial Times.[10]
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority purchased 14 floors in 2IFC;[10] the Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation signed a 12-year lease on 24,000-square-foot (2,200 m2);[11] Nomura Group agreed to take 60,000 sq ft (5,600 m2) at 2 IFC; the Financial Times, an existing tenant at One IFC, took 10,000 sq ft (900 m2).[10] Ernst & Young took six floors (from the 11th to 18th floors), or about 180,000 square feet (16,700 m2), in 2IFC, to become the biggest tenant.[12]
2IFC, which was completed at the height of the SARS epidemic,[9] was initially available to rent at HK$25-HK$35 per square foot.[13] In 2007, as the economy has improved, high quality ("Grade A") office space is highly sought after; rents for current leases are $150 per square foot as of March 2007.[14]
The IFC's towers have featured in several Hollywood films, including Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, where Lara Croft leaps off the then-under-construction 2 International Finance Centre, landing on a ship out in the Kowloon Bay, and The Dark Knight, where Batman leapt from 2 IFC to 1 IFC, where an action scene then takes place.[15]
The 88th floor of 2IFC is the backdrop of core scenes of the German Thriller "Im Schatten der Lombardis" [1] by Berit Paton Reid, a German writer based in Dubai, UAE.
One International Finance Centre
One International Finance Centre
IFC mall Phase 1 shopping arcade
One International Finance Centre was constructed in 1998 and opened in 1999. It is 688 feet (210 m) tall,[16] has 39 storeys and four trading floors, 18 high speed passenger lifts in 4 zones, and comprises 784,000 square feet (72,800 m2). It is similar in design and appearance to 30 Hudson Street in Jersey City, New Jersey. The building currently accommodates approximately 5,000 people.
Two International Finance Centre
Two International Finance Centre, completed in 2003, is attached to the second phase of the ifc mall. This 415-metre-tall (1,362 ft) building, currently Hong Kong's second tallest, is quoted as having 88 storeys and 22 high-ceiling trading floors to qualify as being extremely auspicious in Chinese culture. It is, however, short of the magic number, because "taboo floors" like 14th and 24th are omitted as being inauspicious – because 4 sounds like 'die' in Cantonese.
The highrise is designed to accommodate financial institutions. For example, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) is located at the 55th floor. It is equipped with advanced telecommunications, raised floors for flexible cabling management, and nearly column-free floor plans. The building expects to accommodate up to 15,000 people. It is one of relatively few buildings in the world equipped with double-deck elevators.
The 55th, 56th and the 77th to 88th floors were bought by the HKMA for US$480 million in 2001.[11] An exhibition area, currently containing an exhibit of Hong Kong's monetary history, and a library of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority Information Centre occupy the 55th floor, and are open to the public during office hours.[17]
Despite common practice for owners to allow naming buildings after its important tenants, the owners decided not to allow renaming of the building.[18]
Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong
Main article: Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong
The Four Seasons Hotel is a luxury hotel that was built near the IFC One and Two. It was completed and opened in October 2005. The 206 m (674 ft), 60-storey oceanfront hotel is the only Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong. The hotel has 399 guest suites, and 519 serviced apartments. Amenities include a French restaurant Caprice and spa.[19]
IFC Mall
It is an 800,000 sq ft, 4-storey shopping mall, with many luxury retail brands and wide variety of restaurants. The first official Apple Store was also located in this mall (a 3-storey flagship store in Hong Kong).
Hong Kong (Chinese: 香港; pronunciation in Hong Kong Cantonese: [hœ́ːŋ.kɔ̌ːŋ]), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, is an autonomous territory on the eastern side of the Pearl River estuary in East Asia, south of the mainland Chinese province of Guangdong, and east of the former Portuguese colony and fellow special administrative region of Macau. With around 7.3 million Hong Kongers of various nationalities[note 1] in a territory of 1,104 km2, Hong Kong is the fourth-most densely populated region in the world.
Hong Kong was formerly a colony of the British Empire, after the perpetual cession of Hong Kong Island from Qing China at the conclusion of the First Opium War in 1842. The colony expanded to the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860, and acquired a 99-year lease of the New Territories from 1898. Hong Kong was later occupied by Japan during the Second World War, until British control resumed in 1945. The territory was returned to China under the framework of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, signed between the United Kingdom and China in 1984 and marked by the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997, when it became a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China.[13]
Under the principle of "one country, two systems",[14][15] Hong Kong maintains a separate political and economic system apart from China. Except in military defence and foreign affairs, Hong Kong retains independent executive, legislative, and judiciary powers.[16] Nevertheless, Hong Kong does directly develop relations with foreign states and international organizations in a broad range of "appropriate fields",[17] being actively and independently involved in institutions such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum[18] and the World Trade Organization.[19]
Hong Kong is one of the world's most significant financial centres, holding the highest Financial Development Index score and consistently ranking as the world's most competitive and freest economic entity.[20][21] As the world's eighth-largest trading entity,[22] its legal tender, Hong Kong dollar, is the world's 13th most traded currency.[23] Hong Kong's tertiary sector dominated economy is characterised by competitive simple taxation and supported by its independent judiciary system.[24] Although the city boasts one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, it suffers from severe income inequality.[25]
Hong Kong features the most skyscrapers in the world, surrounding Victoria Harbour, which lies in the centre of the city's dense urban region.[26][27] It has a very high Human Development Index ranking and the world's longest life expectancy.[28][29] Over 90% of its population makes use of well-developed public transportation.[30] Seasonal air pollution with origins from neighbouring industrial areas of mainland China, which adopts loose emissions standards, has resulted in a high level of atmospheric particulates in winter.[31][32][33]
Contents
1 Etymology
2 History
2.1 Prehistory
2.2 Imperial China
2.3 British colony
2.4 Japanese military occupation
2.5 Post-war industrialisation
2.6 Transfer of sovereignty
2.7 Special administrative region
3 Government and politics
3.1 Legal system and judiciary
3.2 Foreign relations
3.3 Regional and administrative divisions
3.4 Electoral and political reforms
3.5 Sociopolitical issues and human rights
3.6 Military
4 Geography
4.1 Climate
4.2 Architecture
4.3 Cityscape
5 Demographics
5.1 Languages
5.2 Religion
5.3 Personal income
6 Economy
6.1 Financial centre
6.2 International trading
6.3 Tourism and expatriation
6.4 Policy
7 Infrastructure
7.1 Energy
7.2 Water and sanitation
7.3 Health
8 Transport
8.1 Rail
8.2 Roads and taxis
8.3 Aviation
8.4 Ferries
8.5 Buses and trams
9 Education
10 Culture
10.1 Sport
11 Media
12 Notable people
13 See also
14 Notes
15 References
15.1 Citations
15.2 Sources
16 Further reading
17 External links
Etymology
Hong Kong
Hong Kong in Chinese 2.svg
"Hong Kong" in Chinese characters
Chinese 香港
Cantonese Yale Hēunggóng or Hèunggóng
Literal meaning Fragrant Harbour,
Incense Harbour[34][35]
[show]Transcriptions
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Traditional Chinese 香港特別行政區
(香港特區)
Simplified Chinese 香港特别行政区
(香港特区)
Cantonese Yale Hēunggóng Dahkbiht Hàhngjingkēui
(Hēunggóng Dahkkēui)
or
Hèunggóng Dahkbiht Hàhngjingkēui
(Hèunggóng Dahkkēui)
[show]Transcriptions
The name Hong Kong originally referred to a small inlet between Aberdeen Island and the southern coast of Hong Kong Island. The town of Aberdeen was an initial point of contact between British sailors and local fishermen.[36] The source of the romanised name is not known, but it is generally believed to be an early imprecise phonetic rendering of the spoken Cantonese pronunciation of 香港 (Cantonese Yale: hēung góng), which means "Fragrant Harbour" or "Incense Harbour".[34][35][37] Fragrance may refer to the sweet taste of the harbour's fresh water influx from the Pearl River estuary or to the incense from factories lining the coast of northern Kowloon. The incense was stored near Aberdeen Harbour for export before Victoria Harbour was developed.[37] Another theory is that the name originates from the Tanka, early inhabitants of the region; it is equally probable that a romanisation of the name in their dialect was used (i.e. hōng, not hēung in Cantonese).[38] Regardless of origin, the name was recorded in the Treaty of Nanking to encompass all of Hong Kong Island, and has been used to refer to the territory in its entirety ever since.[39]
The name had often been written as the single word Hongkong until the government adopted the current form in 1926.[40] Nevertheless, a number of institutions founded during the early colonial era still retain the single-word form, such as the Hongkong Post, Hongkong Electric, and the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation.
History
Main articles: History of Hong Kong and History of China
Prehistory
Main article: Prehistoric Hong Kong
Archaeological studies support human presence in the Chek Lap Kok area from 35,000 to 39,000 years ago and on Sai Kung Peninsula from 6,000 years ago.[41][42][43] Wong Tei Tung and Three Fathoms Cove are the earliest sites of human habitation in Hong Kong during the Paleolithic Period. It is believed that the Three Fathom Cove was a river-valley settlement and Wong Tei Tung was a lithic manufacturing site. Excavated Neolithic artefacts suggested cultural differences from the Longshan culture of northern China and settlement by the Che people, prior to the migration of the Baiyue to Hong Kong.[44][45] Eight petroglyphs dated to the Shang Dynasty were discovered on the surrounding islands.[46]
Imperial China
Main article: History of Hong Kong under Imperial China
In 214 BC, the Qin dynasty conquered the Baiyue tribes in Jiaozhi (modern-day Liangguang region and Vietnam) and incorporated the area of Hong Kong into China for the first time.[47] After a brief period of centralisation and subsequent collapse of the Qin dynasty, the area of Hong Kong was consolidated under the Nanyue kingdom, founded by general Zhao Tuo in 204 BC.[48] After the Han conquered Nanyue in 111 BC, Hong Kong was assigned to the Jiaozhi commandery. Archaeological evidence indicates an increase of population and expansion of salt production. The Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb on the Kowloon Peninsula is believed to have been built as a burial site during the Han dynasty.[49]
Sung Wong Toi, believed to be a memorial to the last two boy emperors of the Southern Song dynasty, as it appeared before the Second Sino-Japanese War.
During the Tang dynasty, the Guangdong region flourished as an international trading center. A military stronghold was established in Tuen Mun to strengthen defence of the coastal area.[50] Lantau Island was a salt production centre and smuggler riots occasionally broke out against the government. The first village school, Li Ying College, was established around 1075 in the modern-day New Territories by the Song dynasty.[51] During their war against the Mongols, the Southern Song court was briefly stationed at modern-day Kowloon City (the Sung Wong Toi site) before their ultimate defeat at the Battle of Yamen in 1279.[52]
The earliest European visitor on record was Jorge Álvares, a Portuguese explorer, who arrived in 1513.[53][54] Having established a trading post in a site they called "Tamão" in Hong Kong waters, Portuguese merchants commenced with regular trading in southern China. Subsequent military clashes between China and Portugal, however, led to the expulsion of all Portuguese merchants from southern China.[55] After the Qing conquest, Hong Kong was directly affected by the Great Clearance, an imperial decree that ordered the evacuation of coastal areas of Guangdong from 1661 to 1669 as part of his efforts against Ming loyalist rebels in southern China. Over 16,000 inhabitants of Xin'an County, which included Hong Kong, were forced to migrate inland; only 1,648 of those who had evacuated returned in subsequent years.[56] With frequent pirate attacks and ever increasing incursions by European explorers, forts were constructed at Tung Chung and the Kowloon Walled City.[57]
Though maritime trade had previously been banned, after repopulation of the coast and final defeat of all rebels with Ming sympathies, the Kangxi Emperor lifted the trade prohibition in 1684 and allowed foreigners to enter Chinese ports.[58] Trade with Europeans was more strictly regulated and became concentrated in the Pearl River Delta after establishment of the Canton System in 1757, which forbade non-Russian ships from northern Chinese ports and forced all commerce to be conducted solely in the port of Canton, just north of Hong Kong.[59] While European demand for Chinese commodities like tea, silk, and porcelain was high, Chinese interest in European manufactured goods was comparatively negligible, creating a large trade imbalance between Qing China and Great Britain. To counter this deficit, the British began to sell increasingly large volumes of Indian opium to China.[60] Faced with a drug addiction crisis,[61] Chinese officials pursued ever more aggressive actions in an attempt to halt the opium trade.[60]
British colony
Main articles: British Hong Kong and History of Hong Kong (1800s–1930s)
City of Victoria, 1860s
In 1839, threats by the Qing imperial court to place sanctions on opium imports caused diplomatic friction with the British Empire. Tensions escalated into the First Opium War. After British victory in the Second Battle of Chuenpi, the Qing initially admitted defeat. As part of a ceasefire agreement between Captain Charles Elliot and Qishan, Viceroy of Liangguang, Hong Kong Island was declared to be ceded under the Convention of Chuenpi. British forces took formal possession of the island on 26 January 1841. However, disputes between high-ranking officials of both countries led to the failure of the treaty's ratification.[62] After more than another year of further hostilities, Hong Kong Island was formally ceded in perpetuity to the United Kingdom under the terms of the Treaty of Nanking on 29 August 1842.[63] The British officially established a Crown colony and founded the City of Victoria in the following year.[64]
The population of Hong Kong Island was 7,450 when the Union Jack raised over Possession Point on 26 January 1841. It mostly consisted of Tanka fishermen and Hakka charcoal burners, whose settlements scattered along several coastal hamlets. In the 1850s, a large number of Chinese refugees crossed the open border fleeing from the Taiping Rebellion. Other natural disasters, such as flooding, typhoons, and famine in mainland China would play a role in establishing Hong Kong as a place for safe shelter.[65][66] Further conflicts over the opium trade between the British and Qing quickly escalated into the Second Opium War. Following the Anglo-French victory, the colony was expanded to include Kowloon Peninsula (south of Boundary Street) and Stonecutter's Island, both of which were ceded to the British in perpetuity under the Convention of Beijing in 1860. The colony was expanded further in 1898, when Britain obtained a 99-year lease of additional territory from the Qing under the Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory; Lantau Island, the area north of Boundary Street in Kowloon up to the Sham Chun River, and over 200 other outlying islands were given over to British control.[67][68][69]
Queen's Road Central at the junction of Duddell Street, c. 1900
Hong Kong soon became a major entrepôt thanks to its free port status, attracting new immigrants from both China and Europe. However, the population remained racially divided and polarised under early British colonial policies. Despite the rise of a British-educated Chinese upper-class by the late-19th century, racial discrimination laws, such as the Peak Reservation Ordinance, prevented ethnic Chinese from acquiring property in reserved areas, such as Victoria Peak. At this time, the majority of the Chinese population in Hong Kong had no political representation in the British colonial government. The British governors did rely, however, on a small number of Chinese elites, including Sir Kai Ho and Robert Hotung, who served as ambassadors and mediators between the government and local population.
File:1937 Hong Kong VP8.webmPlay media
Hong Kong filmed in 1937
The colony continued to experience modest growth during the first half of the 20th century. The University of Hong Kong was established in 1911 as the territory's first higher education institute. While there had been an exodus of 60,000 residents for fear of a German attack on the British colony during the First World War, Hong Kong remained unscathed. Its population increased from 530,000 in 1916 to 725,000 in 1925 and reached 1.6 million by 1941.[70]
In 1925, Cecil Clementi became the 17th Governor of Hong Kong. Fluent in Cantonese and without a need for translators, Clementi appointed Shouson Chow to the Executive Council as its first ethnic Chinese member. Under Clementi's tenure, Kai Tak Airport entered operation as RAF Kai Tak and several aviation clubs. At the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, when the Empire of Japan invaded China from its protectorate in Manchuria, Governor Geoffry Northcote declared the colony a neutral zone to safeguard Hong Kong's status as a free port.
Japanese military occupation
Main article: Japanese occupation of Hong Kong
Liberation of Hong Kong in 1945. Picture taken at the Cenotaph in Central.
On 8 December 1941, the same morning as the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Imperial Japanese Army moved south from Guangzhou and crossed the Sham Chun River to attack Hong Kong as part of a coordinated military offensive against the Allied Powers.[71] The Battle of Hong Kong lasted for 17 days, through which British, Canadian, Indian, and local colonial units defended Hong Kong. By the fifth day, Commonwealth troops, under heavy artillery and aerial bombardment, had been forced to abandon their positions in Kowloon and retreated to Hong Kong Island.[72] With the remaining troops unable to further mount an effective defence, Governor Young surrendered the colony on Christmas Day. This day is remembered by locals as "Black Christmas".[73]
During the occupation, the garrisoned Japanese soldiers committed many atrocities against both civilians and prisoners of war, including the St. Stephen's College massacre. Local residents suffered widespread food shortages, strict rationing, and hyperinflation arising from the forced exchange of currency from Hong Kong dollars to Japanese military yen. Widespread starvation and forced deportation of residents for use as slave labour to mainland China drastically reduced the population of Hong Kong from 1.6 million in 1941 to 600,000 in 1945, when control of the colony returned to the British.[74]
Post-war industrialisation
Main articles: British Hong Kong, 1950s in Hong Kong, 1960s in Hong Kong, 1970s in Hong Kong, 1980s in Hong Kong, and 1990s in Hong Kong
Flag of British Hong Kong from 1959 to 1997
Hong Kong's population recovered quickly after the war, as a wave of skilled migrants from the Republic of China sought refuge from the Chinese Civil War in a territory neutral to the conflict. When the Communist Party took full control of mainland China in 1949, even more refugees fled across the open border in fear of persecution.[67] Many newcomers, especially those who had been based in the major port cities of Shanghai and Guangzhou, established corporations and small- to medium-sized businesses and shifted their base operations to British Hong Kong.[67] The establishment of the People's Republic of China caused the British colonial government to reconsider Hong Kong's open border to mainland China. In 1951, a boundary zone was demarked as a buffer zone against potential military attacks from communist China. Border posts along the north of Hong Kong began operation in 1953 to regulate the movement of people and goods into and out of the territory.
Hong Kong in 1965
In the 1950s, Hong Kong became the first of the Four Asian Tiger economies that was undergoing rapid industrialisation driven by textile exports, manufacturing industries, and re-exports of goods to China. As the population grew, with labour costs remaining low, living standards began to rise steadily.[75] The construction of the Shek Kip Mei Estate in 1953 marked the beginning of the public housing estate programme, which provided shelter for the less privileged and helped cope with the continuing influx of immigrants.
Under Governor Murray MacLehose, the government began a series of reforms to improve the quality of infrastructure and public services through the 1970s. Systemic corruption in the uniformed services had crippled trust in the government; MacLehose established the ICAC, an independent security service under the direct authority of the Governor, to restore the integrity of the civil service.[76] Chinese was recognised as an official language during his tenure, accelerating the process of localisation in the government, slowly handing key official posts long held only by British members of the government over to local ethnic Chinese people.[77][78] To alleviate road traffic congestion and provide a more reliable means of crossing the Victoria Harbour, the Mass Transit Railway was constructed and began operations of its first line in 1979. The Island Line, Kwun Tong Line, and Tsuen Wan Line all opened in the early 1980s, connecting Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and parts of the New Territories to a single transport system.[79] MacLehose was the longest-serving colonial governor and, by the end of his governorship, had become one of the most popular and well-known figures in the territory. MacLehose laid the foundation for Hong Kong to establish itself as a key global city in the 1980s and early 1990s.
A sky view of Hong Kong Island
An aerial view of the northern shore of Hong Kong Island in 1986
Since 1983, the value of the Hong Kong dollar has been pegged to that of the United States dollar. The territory's competitiveness in manufacturing gradually declined due to rising labour and property costs, as well as new industrial capacity developed in southern China under the Open Door Policy, which was introduced in 1978. Nevertheless, by the early 1990s, Hong Kong had established itself as a global financial centre, a regional hub for logistics and freight, one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia, and the world's exemplar of laissez-faire market policy.[80]
The Hong Kong issue
In 1971, China's permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council was transferred from the Republic of China, which had evacuated to Taiwan at the conclusion of the Chinese Civil War, to the People's Republic of China. Hong Kong was soon after removed from the organization's list of non-self-governing territories, at the request of the PRC. Facing an uncertain future for the colony and the expiration of the New Territories lease beyond 1997, Governor MacLehose raised the question of Hong Kong's status with Deng Xiaoping in 1979.
Diplomatic negotiations with China resulted in the Sino-British Joint Declaration in 1984. The United Kingdom agreed to transfer to China the entirety of the colony, including the perpetually ceded areas of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Peninsula, at the conclusion of the 99-year New Territories lease in 1997, when Hong Kong would become a special administrative region governed separately from the mainland, retaining its free-market economy, common law judicial system, independent representation in international organizations, treaty arrangements, and self-governance in all areas except foreign diplomacy and military defence. The treaty further stipulated that the territory would be guaranteed a high degree of autonomy for at least 50 years after the transfer, with the Basic Law of Hong Kong serving as its constitutional document.[67]
A street at the edge of the Kowloon Walled City at night.
Under the terms of the Second Convention of Peking, the colony was expanded out to the New Territories, but the treaty did not include a small military outpost over which the Kowloon Walled City would later be built. After the end of Japanese occupation, thousands of refugees fleeing from the mainland during the Chinese Civil War made their way to the Walled City and became squatters occupying this parcel of land where China was technically still the sovereign power. Over the following decades, the population of this 2.6-hectare (6.4-acre) area dramatically increased, reaching 33,000 by 1987, making the Walled City the most densely populated area in the world at its peak.[81][82] Despite widespread illegal activity and unsanitary living conditions, the British largely took a 'hands-off' approach with regard to the Walled City due to the area's muddled territorial status and to avoid confrontation with the mainland authority.[83] The Sino-British Joint Declaration laid the groundwork for cooperation between the British and Chinese governments concerning any Hong Kong-related issues, including the fate of the former military fort. The Chinese government acquiesced to the demolition of the settlement in 1987.[84] The structure was cleared away in 1994 and the area converted into the Kowloon Walled City Park.[85]
Transfer of sovereignty
Main article: Transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong
The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, where the handover ceremony took place in 1997
On 1 July 1997, sovereignty over Hong Kong was officially transferred from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China, marking the end of 156 years of British colonial rule. As Britain's last major and most populous remaining colony, the handover effectively represented the end of the British Empire. This event made Hong Kong the first special administrative region of China. Exactly at midnight, all government organisations with royal patronage simultaneously dropped the Royal prefix from their titles and any regalia with references to the Crown were replaced with insignia bearing the Bauhinia.[86] After the handover ceremony, Chris Patten, the last Governor of Hong Kong, together with Prince Charles, departed the city on board the Royal Yacht Britannia.[87]
Special administrative region
Main articles: 2000s in Hong Kong and Hong Kong–Mainland conflict
Almost immediately after the transfer of sovereignty, Hong Kong's economy was severely affected by the Asian financial crisis and further depressed by the outbreak of the H5N1 strain of avian flu. Financial Secretary Donald Tsang used the substantial territorial foreign currency reserves to maintain the Hong Kong dollar's currency peg and spent over HK$120 billion on significant holdings of major Hong Kong companies to prevent a general market collapse.[67] While complete disaster was averted, Chief Executive Tung's housing policy of building 85,000 subsidised flats a year triggered a housing market crisis in 1998, depressing property prices and causing some homeowners to become bankrupt.[88] Hong Kong was again gravely affected by the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003.[89][90] In total, 1,755 people were infected, with 299 fatalities.[91] Economic activities slowed and schools were closed for weeks at the height of the epidemic. An estimated HK$380 million (US$48.9 million) in contracts were lost as a result of the epidemic.[92] While Hong Kong was also severely affected by the global recession of the late 2000s, the Tsang government introduced a series of economic stimulus measures prevented a prolonged recession.[93]
Infrastructure post-handover has been rapidly developed, with major transport links continuing to be planned and constructed. The Rose Garden Project, which began under British administration, to construct a new international airport was completed in 1998 and operations began at the new site during the same year. The Ngong Ping Cable Car, West Kowloon Cultural District, multiple new railway lines, and additional cross-harbour tunnels were all completed in the first 20 years of territorial self-governance. Direct infrastructure links with mainland China are also being actively developed, with both the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge and Hong Kong section of the national high-speed railway currently under construction. Construction of the rail link generated a high level of controversy surrounding the demolition of key landmarks and displacement of residents along the planned route.[94]
Hong Kong Island north coast, overlooking Victoria Harbour and Central and East Kowloon from middle section of Lugard Road at daytime
Political debates have centred themselves predominately on issues surrounding electoral reform and Hong Kong's jurisdictional independence from the central government. Following the handover, democratic reform of the Legislative Council was immediately terminated and the government attempted to legislate sweeping national security legislation pursuant to Article 23 of the Basic Law. Coupled with years of economic hardships and discontent of Chief Executive Tung's pro-Beijing stance, over 500,000 people demonstrated against the government, which eventually led to Tung's resignation in 2005.[95] Further proposals by the government to introduce a national education curriculum and nominee pre-screening before allowing Chief Executive elections triggered a number of mass protests in 2014, collectively known as the Umbrella Revolution.[96] Violent attacks on journalists, an increasing level of press self-censorship, alleged extraterritorial abduction of anti-China publishers,[97] and covert intervention into Hong Kong's educational, political, and independent institutions have posed challenges to the policy of one country, two systems. In the 2016 legislative election, there were reports of discrepancies in the electorate registry, which contained ghost registrations across constituencies, as well as political intervention to strip pro-independence individuals of their right to stand in elections[98] and alleged death threats to election candidates.[99] Social tension heightened during Leung's term, with many residents believing that China increased their efforts to exert influence on everyday life in Hong Kong. A survey in 2016 showed that only 17.8% of residents considered themselves as "Chinese citizens", whereas 41.9% considered themselves purely as "citizens of Hong Kong".[100]
Government and politics
香港候任特首林鄭月娥13.jpg 政務司司長張建宗15.jpg
Carrie Lam
Chief Executive Matthew Cheung
Chief Secretary
Main articles: Government of Hong Kong, Politics of Hong Kong, and Elections in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China, maintaining a separate legislature, executive, and judiciary from the rest of the country. It has a parliamentary government modelled after the Westminster system, inheriting this from British colonial administration. The Sino-British Joint Declaration guarantees the territory's capitalist economic system and autonomous system of government for 50 years after the transfer of sovereignty.[note 2] Under this framework, the Basic Law of Hong Kong is the regional constitutional document, establishing the structure and responsibility of the government.[101][102] The head of government is the Chief Executive, who is selected by the Election Committee for a five-year term that is renewable once. The central government provides oversight for the regional government; final interpretative power of the Basic Law rests with the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and the Chief Executive is formally appointed by the State Council after nomination by the aforementioned Election Committee.[101] Responsibility for foreign and military affairs is also assumed by the central authority.[note 3]
Government House, official residence of the Chief Executive.
A chamber within the Legislative Council Complex.
The grey dome and front gable of a granite neo-classical building, with a skyscraper in the background against a clear blue sky.
Court of Final Appeal Building in Central. Formerly housed the Supreme Court and the Legislative Council before its current function.
The Legislative Council is a unicameral legislature with 70 members, consisting of 35 directly elected members apportioned to geographical constituencies, 30 members representing professional or special interest groups formed as functional constituencies, and 5 members nominated by members of the District Councils and elected in territory-wide elections.[14][103] Legislators are elected using multiple different voting systems, determined by whichever constituency a particular seat is representing. All directly elected seats are filled using a proportional representative system, while functional constituencies other than the all-territory District Council constituency choose their councillors using first-past-the-post or instant-runoff voting.[104]
Government policy is determined by the Executive Council, a body of advisors appointed by the Chief Executive with the authority to issue delegated legislation and proposes new bills to the legislature for debate and promulgation. Direct administration is managed by the Civil Service, an apolitical bureaucracy that ensures positive implementation of policy.[14][105] Hong Kong is nationally represented in the National People's Congress by 36 delegates chosen through an electoral college.[16][106]
22 political parties had representatives elected to the Legislative Council in the 2016 election.[107] These parties have aligned themselves into three ideological groups: the pro-Beijing camp who form the current government, the pro-democracy camp, and localist groups.[108] The Communist Party does not have an official political presence in Hong Kong and its members do not run in local elections.[109]
The Monetary Authority is the currency board and de facto central bank of the territory.[110] It is responsible for regulation of the Hong Kong dollar and, along with HSBC, Standard Chartered Hong Kong, and the Bank of China, issues currency in the form of banknotes. Coinage is solely minted by the Monetary Authority.[111]
Legal system and judiciary
Main articles: Law of Hong Kong and Judiciary of Hong Kong
The judicial system of Hong Kong is derived from the common law system of English law, and was created at the establishment of the territory as a British colony. Chinese national law does not generally apply in the region, and Hong Kong is treated as an independent jurisdiction.[112] The Court of Final Appeal is the territory's highest court, exercising final adjudication over interpretation of laws and has the power to strike down statutes and legislation inconsistent with the Basic Law.[113][114] It is led by the Chief Justice and consists of three additional permanent judges and one non-permanent seat filled by judges from overseas common law jurisdictions on a rotating basis.[14][115] However, final interpretation of the Basic Law itself is a power vested in the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. Judges on all courts are appointed by the Chief Executive on the recommendation of an independent commission.[14][116] As a common law system, judicial courts in Hong Kong may refer to precedents set in English law and Commonwealth jurisdictions.[14][115][14]
The Department of Justice is responsible for handling legal matters for the government. Its responsibilities include providing legal advice, criminal prosecution, civil representation, legal and policy drafting and reform and international legal co-operation between different jurisdictions.[112] Apart from prosecuting criminal cases, lawyers of the Department of Justice act on behalf of the government in all civil and administrative lawsuits against the government.[112] The department may call for judicial review of government action or legislation and may intervene in any cases involving the greater public interest.[117] The Basic Law protects the Department of Justice from any interference by the government when exercising its control over criminal prosecution.[14][118] Law enforcement is a responsibility of the Security Bureau and the Hong Kong Police, with agencies like the Customs and Excise Department and Immigration Department handling more specialised tasks.