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Black Women: Elevating the Neglected Voices Among Us

black women matter_resizeIn our American society, we pay the most attention to those who have a lot of clout. We tend to flock after those who have reputable degrees, have some sort of coveted expertise, or are for other reasons highly influential. These are the people to whom we ascribe value and importance, and as such, these are the people that we most readily listen to in times of crisis and confusion. Other voices, in particular those at the margins of our society – poor, uneducated, people of color, women, etc – often go ignored or are “otherized” so that mainstream society does not feel compelled to listen to them. This is especially true when said voices are speaking out against societies’ crimes.

No one embodies the complexities of this reality more than black women. Black women – as a result of the intersecting marginal identities of racism, sexism, and often classism (and more) – are disproportionately silenced and ignored when we speak out against America’s sins. When we call out racism and police brutality, our voices are stifled by white liberals who supposedly “get it” but demand a colorblind approach to the problems that we face. When we condemn oppressive gender roles and rape culture, we are often hushed by black men who insist that we are only out to hurt the black man. And when we critique systems of white supremacy and patriarchy that are so deeply embedded in our churches, we are often labeled angry, rebellious, and too emotional. Every moment that we resist our prescribed role as societies’ mule, our words are either torn apart or dismissed altogether.

The reality is that societies around the world have a way of making sure that those at the bottom, stay at the bottom. One of the most efficient ways to do that is to ensure that no one hears the prophetic cries of change that are uttered from below. As long as those voices stay unheard, there is no urgency to change systems of oppression. Yet God, as He always does, has a way of elevating the neglected voices in our midst calling for truth and justice.

An Ancient Example

Such was the case with Amos, ascribed author of the book of Amos in the Old Testament. Written between 793 B.C and 753 B.C., God rose Amos up to address the ongoing oppression wrought at the hands of Uzziah the King of Judah and Jeroboam the King of Israel, and inflicted on the most vulnerable. People were economically exploited, women were sexually violated, others were deported only to be brutalized and killed, and the unborn were discarded. All of these egregious things were done for the benefit of the empire who grew more prosperous with every single act of atrocity.

God was beyond angry over all of this and planned to deliver swift, punitive judgment. But like many things, He didn’t do this in the dark and wanted the powers of the state to be in the know, just in case they might repent and turn from their evil ways. God needed to appoint someone to deliver His word, someone who would be willing to speak truth to power and whose stomach wouldn’t turn at the mere thought of standing against the status quo. God’s mouthpiece for the moment: Amos.

But the thing is, Amos was not a prophet.
He had not been trained among the best of Judaism’s finest religious scholars and teachers. He also was not royalty, or a person in some position of authority within the empire, or even someone really famous for doing nothing, like the Kardashians. In fact, Amos represented the lowest of the low: a sheepherder. He made his living by following around dumb animals all day. But taking care of sheep didn’t give him enough income to provide for his needs, needs which most likely included feeding his growing family. To make additional income, Amos also was a dresser of sycamore trees, a tree which produced small fig-like fruit that wasn’t especially sweet but accessible to those who were poor. Like him.

In addition, Amos was fatherless. Unlike many of the other prophets, including Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Joel, and Jonah, no father is ascribed to him. Amos’ father’s absence from the introduction of his story tells us that he was either missing – dead or in prison – unknown, or that his family’s social location was so low that his father could not give him more credibility than he already had.

Though not theologically trained, a person of little to no influence, and fatherless, God used Amos to bring much needed judgment to Judah and Israel. According to Amos 7, other religious leaders sold out and their once prophetic words disappeared in exchange for the comforts that cuddling up to empire brought. While some prophets may have genuinely recoiled at the deplorable state of affairs, they were too afraid to say anything that could definitely be the case with the prophet Isaiah. Note that Isaiah waited until King Uzziah of Judah died before he began his prophetic ministry. Amos represented a fresh voice that was not only attuned with the Spirit of God but whose position in life gave him the experiential authority to challenge the systems of oppression that were common place in his day. Because as a poor, fatherless, un-influential man, he was most likely on the receiving end of much of that oppression.

I wonder how many people paid attention to his words. As is the case with most prophets, I am sure not many. But again, his social location further inhibited people’s ability to listen to his words. Whatever allowances were granted to other prophets who were able to get in good with the same empires they critiqued, like Daniel and Nehemiah, were not extended to him. Instead, he prophesied alongside the roads and in the streets, declaring the word of the Lord to whomever would give him the time of day. I suspect that not many did.

A New Vanguard

Like Amos, there are many black women prophesying the word of the Lord in our nation today. In the present day, black women are lifting up our voices to prophetically speak out against racism and state sponsored violence. We are leading the charge against sexual violence and exploitation, demanding that our bodies stop becoming the object of perverted male fantasies. And we are speaking truth to power concerning queer/transgender violence, wage theft and unfair scheduling, health disparities, unjust housing practices, mass incarceration, gun crimes, and disparities in education – all the while looking absolutely fabulous, I must say. Like Amos, we bear the complexities of our intersecting marginal identities but we refuse to be silent just because society insists that those in our social location should stay in our place. Through our words and our work, we are creating our own place.

Like Amos, there are many black women who are boldly challenging the dictates of empire – an empire which claims to follow God but who clearly does not. Instead of accepting the status quo, as if it were indomitable, black women are forcefully making society face its awful, racist past. We are critiquing our nation’s sacred policies and practices, insisting that these documents were not prescribed by holy men committed to God but men committed to growing our nation’s wealth through colonization, genocide, rape, and slavery. We are calling out the American church for its role in marrying empire and who has used evangelism and mission initiatives to justify this ungodly allegiance – in the quest to save a few souls, the church has lost many! The journey of prophetic critique is uncomfortable and seemingly inconvenient. Like Amos, we are protesting in the streets, the courthouse, places of establishment, the church, and wherever there appears to be a demonic stronghold over our lives and the lives of our people. The journey is also long but black women are committed to walking the long road of truth and justice, even if necessitates walking alone.

Like Amos, our liberation is bound up in our ability to critique a society that thrives off our continued oppression while also stirring the imagination within that same society – so that our futures will be different. It is not enough to draw attention to America’s crimes without also proffering a compelling, godly vision of justice and peace. We imagine and call forth a time when people – across race, gender, and class – are able to live among each other as brothers and sisters, providing love, hospitality, and care for each other in the same way that they are loved and cared for. We imagine a future where our babies make it home at the end of the day with their pockets full of skittles and iced tea, where our sisters are not forced to surrender their sexuality nor are they treated like unruly criminals for doing seemingly asinine things, and where our brothers and fathers grow big and strong and provide strength and love to our families until God calls them home. Full of the spirit of God, we see a space where no one has to work four jobs just to make ends meet. Instead, the community meets the needs of everyone and no one is exploited for their lack or inability to provide for themselves. Laughter and joy fills our lives instead of terror and fear. Together, our beloved community – which includes men and women, black and white, rich and poor, young and old, educated and uneducated, able-bodied and disabled – reflects the love of God throughout the earth. This is shalom. This is what the fullness of God’s Kingdom looks like!

Courageous, spirit-filled black women are the new vanguard, lifting up God’s vision for justice in our midst. And we insist that this justice must be realized for all marginal identities and not just those most readily able to approximate white patriarchy. The question is: will empire listen? Will our government and places of power finally listen to the prophetic voice of truth and justice that has been crying out for nearly 400 years? Will our churches listen? Will our theology, at last, recognize and honor the voice of the suffering and move away from its bent toward triumphalism?

To date, our government and institutions, including our churches, have not listened well. But the reality is, you cannot listen to those who you cannot hear. This is why we must push for the continual elevation of the neglected voices of black women so that we may be fully and completely heard. The church can play a role in this by supporting more black women doing theology and leading our congregations. There have to be more on ramps for black women to be trained and supported in pursuit of our vocation which necessitates providing significant financial support, ongoing mentorship, and meaningful internship opportunities.

At the same time, there is already a multiplicity of trained, educated, experienced and capable black women voices out there calling forth God’s justice in every way that they can. And doing it well. Discover them. Research them. Follow them. Break out of the filter bubble that is so commonplace on social media and actively seek out perspectives that differ from your own. Plan conferences where black women are keynote speakers and not just an afterthought in order to diversify an otherwise white space. In so doing, the church will become an effective vehicle in normalizing the “otherized” while simultaneously rejecting the notion of whiteness as default.

Elevating the prophetic cries of black women is the urgent task before us. And as we elevate these voices, hear and listen, may we heed God’s Word so that we will not be destroyed: “Seek good and not evil, that you may live; And thus may the Lord God of hosts be with you (Amos 5.14, NASB).”

Link to Image >

7 thoughts on “Black Women: Elevating the Neglected Voices Among Us

  1. Barbara Fadirepo

    Hi Ebony…how are you and your family. Praising God for your life and using your gifts and abilities to ring the siren for truth and justice in society and the world! Praying that God will increase the venues and media outlets for your voice to be heard and that it will influence right thinking and action among God’s people and those whom they influence.

    Are you working outside the home now? Is it work that uses your writing and interests in social justice?

    With love, Barbara Fadirepo

    Barbara Fadirepo, Global Partner in International Student/Scholar/Family Ministry Stadium Village Church SVC / ConneXions International CXI / African Christian Fellowship ACF Stadium Village Church, 501 Oak St SE, Minneapolis MN 55414 Location: corner of Essex St. SE, two blocks south of Washington Ave at U of M East Bank Campus Email: Tel No. cell: 651-707-4467 / /

    On Sat, Jan 16, 2016 at 11:34 AM, Ebony Johanna wrote:

    > ebonyjohanna posted: “In our American society, we pay the most attention > to those who have a lot of clout. We tend to flock after those who have > reputable degrees, have some sort of coveted expertise, or are for other > reasons highly influential. These are the people to whom we” >

  2. Thank you for another thoughtful and inspiring post! I’m wondering if you have considered creating a public twitter list (that we can follow) featuring black women voices? I have appreciated the way social media has allowed me to hear different voices, but I’d be really interested to hear ideas of black women you’re aware of who are speaking out against injustice. I’d also love to be able to share that list with others who are trying to become better listeners. Or send me a list and I”ll do the grunt work for you. 🙂 Thanks once again for speaking out!

  3. Pingback: NEW SERIES – Say Their Names: The Missing Women in Our Faith Narrative – Ebony Johanna

  4. Pingback: Say Their Names: Hagar and the Black Body – Ebony Johanna

  5. Pingback: Say Their Names: Shiphrah, Puah, and the History of Black Midwifery – Ebony Johanna

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Cuebidding at Bridge

A Modern Approach

by: Ken Rexford. Foreword by Brent Manley

Your eBook Price: $9.99 USD

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Everyone knows that control-showing bids are the expert route to slam, but it is remarkable hard to find a comprehensive treatment of this vital area of the game. Until now, that is. This is an exhaustive work, covering a lot of territory. The average reader won't agree with everything he reads - and it would be a mammoth undertaking to try and adopt it all - but it will get them thinking about their bidding and offer many ways to improve it. After all, bridge is the ultimate game for thinkers. This book fills an important gap in the literature of bridge for serious players.

Critics’ Viewpoint
This is a fascinating little gem, that appears to have gotten much less recognition and praise than it deserves. Ken Rexford has done a superb job of laying down "the basics" of enhanced Italian style cue bidding, and on top of that has built a comprehensive structure for advanced (dedicated) partnerships that are willing to go beyond the basics. Bear in mind, this is not for casual partnerships, as they involve logical but rather elaborate relay and response structures. These structures are mostly geared towards 2/1 GF systems, but can easily be adopted to any other system. Slam bidding has never been so much fun! — Tom Breur "data geek"  04/09/2015
Control-bidding is arguably the most neglected aspect of the bidding theory in bridge literature, and this is a most welcome addition in this respect. The author presents lots of original and provocative ideas. You may or may not agree with everything that he has to offer, but I can guarantee that your partnership will benefit a great deal if even you don't—it will make you think about your system. — Ercan Cem, Turkish Bridge World Magazine  06/15/2011

“Cuebidding At Bridge: A Modern Approach by Ken Rexford is a more traditional offering that covers a topic that does not get a great deal of exposure. This book fills an important gap in the literature of bridge for the serious player.”

— The Cleveland Plain Dealer

"This book is for advanced players and includes complex, expert types of agreements. However, even for a less ambitious reader, the topics covere provide a useful outline of different situations everyone needs to cover in their system agreements."

— Bridge Today

"There is plenty of food for thought here, and whether you implement a few of the ideas or none at all, the book is likely to lead to a greater understanding of control bidding and some new directions on how to improve your existing system."

— Australian Bridge

"Most people know what cue-bids are, and that this is a method which most experienced players use in the slam bidding. In spite of that, relatively little is written about cuebids and how they best are used. Therefore, it is not surprising that experts often disagree, and that well-tuned partnerships often have misunderstandings. Ken Rexford's book is both an attempt to clear things up and to try and improve on the methods which are popular today. But if you expect to have a review of old truths, you will be surprised. Here, you'll find lots of new ideas - some clever, some more doubtful."

— Anders Wirgren, Sweden

"There is much to like about this book, and many good new ideas are introduced. For bidding theorists and those in well-established partnerships looking for a better mousetrap, this book will rate an A."

— ACBL Bulletin

"A fascinating, of very complex and difficult, book! Recommended to theoreticians, and to partnerships that seriously want to improve their high-level bidding."

— BRIDGE Magazine

"The principles underlying (some of the author's) suggestions should be considered by all serious partnerships."

— The Bridge World

Ken Rexford
Ken Rexford
KEN REXFORD (Ohio) is a bridge player with 30 years of tournament experience. His first book, Cuebidding at Bridge: a modern approach, and his blog, www.cuebiddingatbridge.blogspot.com, introduced the bridge world to a modern approach to Italian cuebidding. His second book, A New Approach to Strong Twos, promoted a new method for bidding with extremely strong hands.

Brent Manley
Brent Manley (Memphis, TN) is a professional bridge journalist. He has been editor of the ACBL Bulletin for many years, and regularly leads the Daily Bulletin team at World and European championships.

This product was added to our catalog on Friday 11 December, 2009.

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06.06.2017 – London, UK Herminio Piñeiro

This post is also available in: Spanish, Italian, German

Thoughts about ending terrorist attacks in Europe (And the World)
(Image by Herminio Piñeiro)

By Herminio Piñeiro

Let them live in peace. Get out of their countries and leave these people continue with their everyday religious and /or secular lives. Do not break their culture, do not disrupt their traditions or look down on their language, gastronomy, customs…for they are human as we are.

Get your intelligence agencies and secret squads out of Syria, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Thailand, Myanmar, The Philippines just to name a few countries in which you only want war and wish for the total disintegration of their society and humiliation of their people.  I am a white European from a Christian background and I feel ashamed of what my own country and other western “democracies” are doing in the Middle East, in Africa, Asia….   I respect Islam and Muslims without having to convert to it.  I respect homosexuality and lesbians without being homosexual or wishing to become a lesbian. But above all I respect people and their humanity.

European governments want us to believe their absurd neoliberal policies: that in order to respect Islam you need to become a Muslim and stop going to church. Wrong!  I am not a Muslim nor do I go to church but, I respect them and interact with them gracefully on a daily basis. They want us to believe that if you do not interact with homosexuals you do not understand or respect them. Wrong! I am heterosexual and yet I have many gay friends. I respect everyone regardless of their faith and beliefs as long as they respect their own fellow human beings.

Our governments blame the people of the Middle East for the suicidal and evil terrorist attacks perpetrated in the great capitals of Europe. But the people of Syria and Iraq, or Yemen have nothing to do with ISIS or Al Qaeda for the latter are monsters conceived and created by the West. In the recent attacks in Manchester and London some of the murderers were British. It really does not make any sense!

These terrorist attacks are creating hate and division in urban European societies, be it British or French, German or Belgian; they are creating a wave of immigrants from the Middle East and Africa that many European countries cannot handle. Soon enough we will see a tsunami of immigrants from the Ukraine as well, for they have created hell there too!

People of Britain! Do not vote for a leader that only wishes to rule and divide, Peuple Français! Forget your Macrons and look for a new leader, one who is not the child of an evil banker; Ciudadanos españoles!!, atención a la corrupción (look out for corruption) and do not forget the II Republic, for it will bring you inspiration.

Not until we have new leaders with human policies and a 180 degrees turn on their world-views will terrorist attacks of the nature we witnessed in London last Saturday will start to cease. Not until the peoples of Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan (just to mention a few countries destroyed by our leaders) start leading a life full of dignity, will Londoners and Parisians be able to attend concerts without any fear, not until we Europeans respect other cultures and understand other faiths an in turn those from exotic cultures respect us too, will we be able to live in peace and harmony forever.


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Does Massification mean Standardisation

22 Sep

With hundreds of millions to be educated and skilled, the challenges for India are known. As is the fact that despite a lot having been done in the past few years to shore up the investment in education — both by the Government and the private sector — much more needs to be done. The challenge for all is that of scale. While the high achievements of many countries are showcased in league tables, the unsaid part needs attention too. Most have had the advantages of small classes, fewer people to educate, a tighter range of socio-economic issues to deal with and of course far more money per student than India can afford yet. China has successful models that deal with scale, but they too have had to make decisions that would be uncomfortable to some. India’s ask is much more — we want quality, we want scale and we want equity.

The jargon bandied about is ‘massification’ — the scaling up of education opportunities at a mass scale so that everybody has a chance to access basic good quality education. This is ambitious, of course. But, how will this be possible? The classic response to this kind of a challenge is via standardisation and replication. This is a model that is used in a lot of industries and has been successful for mass market products. Mapping it to the education sector might not be such a bad idea though it clearly has its hurdles and nay sayers.

The first stage is to design a product that is replicable. The design must be sturdy and must stand not only the test of time, but the test of people too. Not people, persons, but the individual. This is where it gets very difficult — if designing for scale, one is creating standardised units. The schools then must look the same, operate in the same manner and must have the same teaching and curriculum standards. And must cost the same. This is the model adopted with mass market products all over the world, be in burgers or soaps. When one purchases a packet of soap, there is little doubt about the value one will receive for the investment only because the product is standardised. It is reassuring to walk into a McDonalds anywhere in the world because one knows that there will be a clean place to sit, some bread (even if strictly vegetarian) and a clean toilet, if lucky — free WiFi too. A standardised school will certainly have to deliver that level of reassurance and confidence.

More so because much will be sacrificed at the altar of standardisation. Every school will have to have the same type of resources, will have to use the same books, the teachers will have to teach in the same manner and will have to answer the same test so that they can be compared against each other. In fact, much of the provisions of the much-faulted Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act seek to impose such standardisation across schools.

Education is not about creating products out of people, it is about skilling individuals to achieve their potential. Students are not the same in every school, nor are their requirements. Resources and costs vary too — a professor may be willing to live in a beautiful city while a dirty district in the desert may not attract good faculty. The massification of higher education is an even bigger challenge than that of primary education.

Even if we accept standardisation for primary education, as children grow older and discover their interests and more importantly, their talents, standardisation across the board is going to damage the bio-diversity of training. Those designing the system must know that the cost would be irretrievable. Diversity in learning institutions is essential to a system and the massification effort has to build in a diverse range of institutions. Even at the cost of standardisation. Do not conflate the two — loss of standardisation and a loss of standards. Quality is not measured or compared only across identical units — surely we are smarter than that. The task at hand is to build standarised metrics across a diverse system.

Not enough is being done to create a diverse and deep secondary to higher education system that allows students to create their own learning pathways. Schools and universities continue to exist in their crumbling silos, certificates allow only linear passage through the halls of learning. Our youth need choices that deliver value. Let the students grow in line with their talent and the market.

This Op-Ed was published in the Pioneer newspaper on September 20, 2012, linked here

2 Responses to “Does Massification mean Standardisation”

  1. Geeta Rathinavel September 27, 2012 at 10:28 am #

    You are driving at the thought that massification means falling of standards. There is no statistics to prove that education cannnot be provided to the masses. The meaning of education is that there is an awakening of the mind after the process of education takes place. If education is given there is awakening or if it is not given,there is no awakening. You have to believe that there wont be massification will erode quality of education.

    • meetawsengupta September 27, 2012 at 3:52 pm #

      On the contrary. Massification may lead to standardisation as a tool to ensure quality standards do not fall. That may be restrictive for those who do not want standardisation – do not want to be like every other .

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This publications database is an ongoing project, and not all Area publications are represented here yet.

For additional help see the bottom of this page.

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Walker, Iain S., and Max H. Sherman. Humidity Implications for Meeting Residential Ventilation Requirements In Buildings X Conference - Thermal Performance of the Exterior Envelopes of Whole Buildings. Clearwater Beach, FL: U.S. DOE, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 2007. Abstract  Download:

If you are unable to locate a publication in this master database, it may not have been ported yet from individual group publications lists. For help in finding publications, try dropping the title or authors into your favorite search engine, or contact the following for help:

Building Technology and Urban Systems: Shaylah Rigmaiden

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KAWS X Hennessy Very Special Cognac Bottle

Posted: July 20, 2011 in Uncategorized

From a career that started being chased by anti-graffiti task force officers, New Jersey native KAWSnow finds himself pursued by would-be collaborators. The latest to join forces with the artist is cognac brand Hennessy, who’s set to release a special edition bottle of their  V.S Cognac. The label is plastered with bright colors and the typical  trademarks, like the XXes and chomper teeth. Collectors will be interested to note that the bottles will come individually numbered. Scheduled to release sometime next week.

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Gucci Tokyo Limited Sneaker Collection

Posted: September 18, 2011 in Uncategorized

For the re-opening of the Italian luxury brand’s flagship store in the Tokyo Shinjuku area, they are releasing a Tokyo limited edition sneaker collection. Gucci creative director Frida Giannini has designed overall 8 exclusive sneakers for the occasion, some in more classic Gucci colors and materials, others looking completely different and therefore more interesting. Each sneaker comes with a special tag, marking the occasion, as well as a silver military Gucci tag.

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Lets celebrate the good in South Africa #SAMustRise – submit your stories here…

12509341 1047189911989370 9184301762251083659 nI believe its time we start celebrating people who go out their way to help their fellow South African or neighbor.
Its time we stop dragging our country into the trash. WE never seem to find people speaking about the good in our country and as a result when I ask people they seldom are able to even give me one good point.
If you have experienced a person in municipal, work, retail, neighborhood, community or just in life going above and beyond or offering great service or help to other people, I am asking you to send it to me so I can post it here. Lets celebrate the good in South Africa #SAMustRise

Submit your stories on my blog http://www.emilswanepoel.com and I will post it across all my social media. The we can all start reposting, liking, sharing, retweeting, friending and circling it among our friends and start building a more positive country. Remember to include the #SAMustRise in the message title.

Leave comments on this blog Submit Your Good Story…

One man making a difference in the world.

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Mass Wildlife Hosts 2017 Open House

16 Jun

On Saturday, June 10th, Mass Wildlife Division of Fisheries and Wildlife held their second annual open house, welcoming the public to explore their grounds and exhibits.

Originally intended as a one-off event last year in celebration of their 150th anniversary, the open house attracted so many people that Jack Buckley, Director, decided to do it again. “We’ve had people from all over the country, and the world-Italy, Missouri, all right here in Westborough,” he explains. “It’s a great opportunity for people to be able to really see what we do and learn more about our programs.”

From archery to service dog training and a fun outdoor BBQ, the open house attracted all ages, all day.

Figawi Regatta Weekend 2017

2 Jun

Hope everyone enjoyed a beautiful Memorial Day Weekend! Most of us can agree that up here in New England, the weather was a bit dreary..but that didn’t stop racers at the Figawi Regatta 2017 from getting out in the water.

WMCT followed the race closely on the press boat, Loose Cannon (shout out to Julie andimage1 John for being such amazing hosts!), to keep up with the racers and go a little bit behind the scenes. We know ALL about the infamous Figawi Tent Party, but wanted to learn more about what it’s like to be at that Hyannis starting line with over 200 boats surrounding you, what the prep work was that went into racing, and what some of the dangers are on the water.

We also stopped by the Figawi Charity Ball, which has been a crucial event in helping the Figawi Charity to raise over $200,000 per year to give out to local organizations that would otherwise go without.

To see the full story, watch the video below!

911 Silent Call Procedure-How It Works

26 May

It’s something that has been available for over a decade, and still to this day most people in an emergency wouldn’t think of it: the 911 Silent Call Procedure. We sat down with Officer Sargood of the Marlborough Police Department to learn how to make a call to 911 to communicate an emergency without saying a word.

During the 911 silent call procedure which begins once the dispatcher has detected that you are not speaking, they will ask if you need police, fire or ambulance. Once you have made your selection, the dispatcher will ask you a series of specific yes or no questions to which you can respond by pressing numbers 4 or 5.

2017 Veteran’s Fishing Derby

24 May

2017 Veteran’s Fishing Derby  on YouTube

For over 30 years, Armed Forces Day at the Marlborough Fish & Game (MFG) Ponds has been a day reserved for one purpose: to honor and thank our Veterans for their service.

With the help of other local organizations like AmVets and Mass Wildlife, MFG is able to stock the pond, offer fishing equipment, provide lessons and give away cash prizes for catching a golden fish. “We invite veterans from all over the state-disabled, not disabled-to come down for a fun day of fishing & excitement, and we provide free food through donations, fish stocking, etc.” says Jason Grimes, Fishing Commissioner. “It is very important here at the MFG to honor our veterans on a day like today, and this is how we do it.”

In addition to a great atmosphere, food and good company, volunteers like Joe Bisol of the Mass Angler Wildlife Education program was standing by to offer lessons for those who could use extra guidance in fly fishing & bait casting. One of the best perks of the day? You get to keep what you catch! Yet regardless of if you come home with a full pail or a single trout, the message from MFG Club President David Devries is clear: “We’re out here today to say thank you and honor our Veterans.”

What to do in Boston this weekend

2 Dec

Hey friendos! Looking for fun Christmas-y stuff to do in Boston this weekend? Brittany Baldi and I got you covered 👇

The Boston Calendar Show-What is TBC?

26 Jun

As many of you may have heard (or, maybe you’ve been too busy enjoying the ever so sexy first week of summer), The Boston Calendar Show has come to town and we’re here to help with the most difficult decision you’ll make all week: what to do with your weekend! We’ve got a team of correspondents who scour the city for event’s that we can guarantee don’t suck, and they take turns pitching their ideas to determine where we should send the team to cover it. So..what won this week? Take a look for yourself:

Why It’s Okay to Already Be Thinking About Sunday Funday

18 Aug

The weekend may be over, but the party never ends on Dirty Water TV-which is why nobody would blame you if you’re already plotting your next Sunday Funday. Check out the poster child for party animals everywhere, Dre, as we set a perfect example of how to do Sunday Funday up right.

Newport Monster Shark Tournament

17 Aug

Ever wonder what goes on during Shark Week? See for yourself what (fun) can happen when you add a little Cape Cod Great White Rum to the mix of boating, shark hunting, and a sweet roof deck view.

10 Things Americans Should Know About Dublin

14 Aug

Back in May, I was PUMPED to travel to Europe for the fist time. Destination: Dublin, Ireland. Boyfriend, passports and excitement in tow, I packed my bags and jumped on Aer Lingus for a trip that quite literally changed my perspective on life itself. I learned the fun way the ins and outs of the lush green land-for better or for worse. Here’s what I bestow to you as a traveling gift should you ever hit Dublin.

  1. Buses: They show up when and where they want to, sometimes not at all. They only take coins and DO NOT EVEN TRY walking while it’s moving (unless forced to). This may sound rash, but walking whilst the bus is in motion is worse than catching the MBTA on a snow day.
  2. Don’t pay for the train. Nobody does and nobody cares about it, either. How it stays running is a mystery to me.
  3. Adapters do not work for hair care. Yes, my long blonde locks suffered all through this trip after I damn near set the hotel room on fire trying to heat up my curlers. Apparently, the electrical currents are so different they fried not only my $250 Chi Limited Edition Guitar Hero Straightener but also my Conair Hot Rollers. RIP.
  4. People are nice. Like, unusually nice. If they bump into you, it’s a thousand apologies and very backwards to our culture, this kindness is magnified when they drink. Two girls literally stopped on the street to offer directions to us because my boyfriend and I were looking confused, and it actually inspired me to be kinder to the lost French people I would generally dart around and roll my eyes at in Faneuil Hall.
  5. People in Ireland eat normally. We’ll go out at 10-11:00 and grab some nachos and beer. In Ireland, food does not disrupt the drinking process. Luckily, if you’re starving as we were, they offer “chips” (aka bags of peanuts) from the bar. You’re best off going into the street and getting “takeaway” if you’re at that point where pizza is an absolute necessity.
  6. Hotels do not provide complimentary toiletries. That’s one thing about us Americans, we’re excessive and expect that for what we pay we get free shampoo and loads of lotion to bring back that we’ll most likely never use again. Be prepared here to bring your own, and do your best to cope with the fact that they also do not provide hair dryers or irons.
  7. Everyone in the city swears. EVERYONE. And drinks tea.
  8. Wi-fi and Voxer are your new bffs. Forget about calling cards or burner phones or paying buku money for a Verizon travel plan, just be patient on getting wi-fi (which is free or cheap nearly anywhere). This way, you can pick and choose who you want to talk to, upload photos and not pay for ridiculous plans. But, like one bartender called me out on as I took advantage of his wi-fi, “Get off yer phone. Yer on vacation, lads!”
  9. The amount of attractive males WAY outnumbers the women. Ratio is unbelievable. Unlike a typical Saturday night in America where we dress up like it’s prom every weekend, Irish girls go out casually in flip flops, jeans and messy buns. They don’t give a damn, and feel any need to impress any of the drop dead gorgeous guys all over the place. After all, they’re gonna hit on them either way, right? Somehow, it was possible for ME to be the one out of place in a night club in a dress and heels. Also, It’s f***ing cold. This probably makes sense as to why girls don’t dress up at night. Don’t try to be all adorable like I did, kids, with your cute shorts and skirts with flowy tops that make you look like you just stepped out of a Wanelo ad. This girl did that, and found herself rotating her one pair of “just in case” jeans and khakis every other day. Pants and coats are essential-especially a raincoat. Carry one at ALL TIMES.
  10. They will over feed you. Values there are different; it’s more about good food and spending quality time together. Not so much about a quick, filling meal then back to the grind like we’re used to. That’s partially why we Americans are so miserable-we don’t sit and appreciate each other’s company as often as we should. We’re always in a rush to one up someone and advance before they one up us. Life is a constant race, battle for the highest success. There, life is about memories and quality time with people. One Englishman who spent time there put it best, in a quote that helped to change part of my perspective on life: “In Europe, we work to live. In America, you live to work and go home surrounded by your things. Sitting and watching TV every night with one person is boring. When our days are done, everyone goes to someone’s house and we relax. It’s about company.”

Set On Stone

10 Jun

If you consider yourself a hair stylist, or just someone who enjoys the benefits of having great hair: STOP. EVERYTHING. There is a man on this earth that has been striving to provide the world of hair with the precious gift of nutrients actually IN his styling products, and they smell like a tiny slice of heaven. His name is Mitch Stone, and while you might not know it yet, you owe Mitch a HUGE thank you.

Mitch started his training under the co-founder for Sebastian International Rossella Cusenza, and has since been recruited to style for runway shows by clients such as Giorgio Armani and Adrienne Vittadini. He has styled for productions such as ‘America’s Next Top Model’, ‘Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events’, ‘Iron Man 2’, ‘Planet Of The Apes’ and dozens of other award-winners.

Mitch Stone and his assistant J.R. working on myself and Scarlett Tamburro at Gillette Stadium on Monday.

I had the pleasure of sitting in Mitch’s chair as a hair model on Monday as he and his Emmy-nominated assistant J.R. showed off the phenomenal product line at Gillette Stadium. Surprisingly simple, the impressively down-to-earth Mitch Stone showed us that he only needs a few items for his clients (which include Cameron Diaz, Demi Moore, and Tyra Banks to name a few). In his kit was: a good Mason Pearson, stylists’ comb, and four products: Texturizing Spray, Lustre Drops, Set In Stone Firm Hold Hairspray and Session Spray. The pair worked several styles on model Scarlett Tamburro and I, working their fingers quickly through our long locks to create several different looks with minimal product. The secret ingredient: VComps.

It might seem dramatic (never said I wasn’t), but I literally tossed my shampoo & conditioner after learning what VComps were and trying it for myself. VComps are “a proprietary blend of carefully-curated vitamins, minerals and oils, swirled together in a lush papaya base”. The papaya part of this blend is actually the best part, as it came not randomly from a lab but from a firsthand experience for Mitch. When he was traveling, he became ill and was cared for by local natives who continued to insist he eat papaya. Within a few hours, Mitch began to feel better and contacted his lab. “What about papaya? What are the benefits?” The rest is history, and I was itching to try it myself after the pair had done such beautiful work on my mane. I found a little bit went a long way with both the shampoo and conditioner. Not only did it smell like what you’d imagine pure luxury would, but my hair felt-I don’t know how else to say this-FULLY washed.

Of course, this line is not for everyone and I’ll admit I’ve become a changed person because of it. You’re looking at a girl who washed her hair with store brand shampoo and conditioner and styled with icky, sticky, DON’T TOUCH MY HAIR spray. Now, I’m set on Stone products that are only available online exclusively through selected salons and prices at $36 for the shampoo/conditioner set or $91 for the entire Absolute Essentials Kit. (This has become one of those things that I’ll brag all day to my girlfriends about, but absolutely NEVER bring up to the boyfriend.)

Check out Mitch’s website to, as he puts it, “treat yourself”:


text:
Yeah Right, MTV

22 01 2008

Jimi Cantiello of MTV swears to the powers-that-be that American Idol Sensation Reynaldo Lapuz STOLE his original composition “We’re Brothers Forever” from “You Are My Sister” by Anthony and the Johnsons.

Okay, let’s compare…

Does this song…

(Sorry guys, I so love this remix.)

Sound like this?

Yeah right, Jimi, a lowly nursing aide stole a song he probably hasn’t heard in his 40 or so years in the Philippines.

Isang bagsak para kay Jimi! Plak!

8 responses

22 01 2008

tarayera! labanan sa kanta talaga!

23 01 2008
Raymond Lee Quijano

pusa….. magaling pa kumanta si maru jan eh!

sampol nga maru at ng matauhan. ^^

28 01 2008

i don’t hear the similarties at all.

28 01 2008

yeah, no similarities at all. jimi really just had to wreck the fanfare, eh.

29 01 2008

no way! layo kaya.

21 02 2008

Well, all i heard in the second vid was crud(No offense)

21 02 2008

Oh, and the first vid’d the best!

28 03 2008

They sound NOTHING alike! So remove your slanderess post! How can you even compare these two songs? Renaldo’s song rocks…the other song is boooooring!

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Wikipedia β

Christmas Island, officially the Territory of Christmas Island, is an Australian external territory comprising the island of the same name. Christmas Island is located in the Indian Ocean, around 350 kilometres (220 mi) south of Java and Sumatra and around 1,550 kilometres (960 mi) north-west of the closest point on the Australian mainland. It has an area of 135 square kilometres (52 sq mi).

Territory of Christmas Island
Flag of Christmas Island
Location of Christmas Island
Status External Territory
and largest city
Flying Fish Cove
("The Settlement")
Official languages None[a]
Mother languages Chinese, Malay, English
Ethnic groups
Demonym Christmas Islander
Sovereign state Australia
Government Federal constitutional monarchy
• Monarch
Elizabeth II

Sir Peter Cosgrove
Barry Haase
Foo Kee Heng
• Sovereignty
transferred from Singapore to Australia

• Total
135 km2 (52 sq mi)
• Water (%)
• 2011 estimate
2,072[1] (220th)
• Density
10.39/km2 (26.9/sq mi) (n/a)
Currency Australian dollar (AUD)
Time zone CXT (UTC+7)
Drives on the left
Calling code 61
ISO 3166 code CX
Internet TLD .cx
  1. ^ English does not have de jure status in Christmas Island and in Australia, but it is the de facto language of communication in government.

Christmas Island has a population of just over 2,000 residents, the majority of whom live in settlements on the northern tip of the island. The main settlement is Flying Fish Cove. Around two-thirds of the island's population are Malaysian Chinese, with significant numbers of Malays and European Australians as well as smaller numbers of Malaysian Indians and Eurasians. Several languages are in use, including English, Malay, and various Chinese dialects, while Buddhism is the primary religion, practised by three-quarters of the population.

The first European to sight the island was Richard Rowe of the Thomas in 1615.[2] The island was later named on Christmas Day (25 December) 1643 by Captain William Mynors, but only settled in the late 19th century. Its geographic isolation and history of minimal human disturbance has led to a high level of endemism among its flora and fauna, which is of interest to scientists and naturalists.[3] The majority (63 percent) of the island is included in the Christmas Island National Park, which features several areas of primary monsoonal forest. Phosphate, deposited originally as guano, has been mined on the island since 1899.

Christmas Island

Located at 10°30′S 105°40′E / 10.500°S 105.667°E / -10.500; 105.667, the island is about 19 kilometres (12 mi) in greatest length and 14.5 km (9.0 mi) in breadth. The total land area is 135 square kilometres (52 sq mi), with 138.9 km (86.3 mi) of coastline. The island is the flat summit of an underwater mountain more than 4,500 metres (14,800 ft) high,[4] which rises from about 4,200 m (13,780 ft) below the sea and only about 300 m (984 ft) above it.[5] The mountain was originally a volcano, and some basalt is exposed in places such as The Dales and Dolly Beach, but most of the surface rock is limestone accumulated from coral growth. The karst terrain supports numerous anchialine caves.[6] The summit of this mountain peak is formed by a succession of tertiary limestones ranging from the Eocene or Oligocene up to recent reef deposits, with intercalations of volcanic rock in the older beds.[7]

Steep cliffs along much of the coast rise abruptly to a central plateau. Elevation ranges from sea level to 361 m (1,184 ft) at Murray Hill. The island is mainly tropical rainforest, 63% of which is national park land. The narrow fringing reef surrounding the island poses a maritime hazard.

Christmas Island lies 2,600 kilometres (1,600 mi) northwest of Perth, Western Australia, 500 km (310 mi) south of Indonesia, 975 km (606 mi) ENE of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and 2,748 km (1,708 mi) west of Darwin, Northern Territory. Its closest point to the Australian mainland is 1,560 km (970 mi) from the town of Exmouth, Western Australia.[citation needed]

Christmas Island has 80 kilometres of shoreline but only small parts of the shoreline are easily accessible. The island's perimeter is embodied by sharp cliff faces, making many of the island's beaches difficult to get to. Some of the easily accessible beaches include Flying Fish Cove (main beach), Lily Beach, Ethel Beach, and Isabel Beach, while the more difficult beaches to access include Greta Beach, Dolly Beach, Winifred Beach, Merrial Beach, and West White Beach, which all require a vehicle with four wheel drive and a difficult walk through dense rainforest.[8]

As Christmas Island is located towards the southern edge of the equatorial region, climate is tropical and temperatures vary little throughout the months. The highest temperature is usually around 29 °C (84 °F) in March and April, while the lowest temperature is 23 °C (73 °F) and occurs in August. There is a dry season from July to November with only occasional showers. The wet season is between November and May, and includes monsoons, which are downpours of rain at random times of the day. Tropical cyclones may also occur in the wet season, bringing very strong winds, rain and enormous seas. These tropical cyclones only happen occasionally, for most of the time during the wet season is damp, subside weather.

Christmas Island is very dull and often cloudy, getting about eight clear days annually.

Climate data for Christmas Island Airport
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 30.7
Average high °C (°F) 28.0
Average low °C (°F) 22.7
Record low °C (°F) 18.8
Average rainfall mm (inches) 297.2
Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology[9]

First visits by Europeans, 1643Edit

Captain William Mynors of the Royal Mary, an English East India Company vessel, named the island when he sailed past it on Christmas Day, in 1643.[10] The island was included on English and Dutch navigation charts as early as the beginning of the 17th century, but it was not until 1666 that a map published by Dutch cartographer Pieter Goos included the island. Goos labelled the island "Mony" or "Moni",[11] the meaning of which is unclear.[12] English navigator William Dampier, aboard the English ship Cygnet, made the earliest recorded visit to the sea around the island in March 1688.[11] He found it uninhabited.[13][11] Dampier gave an account of the visit which can be found in his Voyages.[14] Dampier was trying to reach Cocos from New Holland. His ship was pulled off course in an easterly direction, arriving at Christmas Island twenty-eight days later. Dampier landed at the Dales (on the west coast). Two of his crewmen became the first Europeans to set foot on Christmas Island.[15]

Captain Daniel Beeckman of the Eagle passed the island on 5 April 1714, chronicled in his 1718 book, A Voyage to and from the Island of Borneo, in the East-Indies.[16]

Exploration and annexationEdit

Poon Saan in the evening
Poon Saan shops

The first attempt at exploring the island was in 1857 by the crew of the Amethyst. They tried to reach the summit of the island, but found the cliffs impassable.

During the 1872–76 Challenger expedition to Indonesia, naturalist John Murray carried out extensive surveys.[17]

In 1886, Captain John Maclear of HMS Flying Fish, having discovered an anchorage in a bay that he named "Flying Fish Cove", landed a party and made a small collection of the flora and fauna.[11] In the next year, Pelham Aldrich, on board HMS Egeria, visited it for ten days, accompanied by J. J. Lister, who gathered a larger biological and mineralogical collection.[11]

Among the rocks then obtained and submitted to Murray for examination were many of nearly pure phosphate of lime. This discovery led to annexation of the island by the British Crown on 6 June 1888.[17]

Settlement and exploitationEdit

Soon afterwards, a small settlement was established in Flying Fish Cove by G. Clunies Ross, the owner of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands (some 900 kilometres (560 mi) to the south west) to collect timber and supplies for the growing industry on Cocos. Phosphate mining began in 1899 using indentured workers from Singapore, Malaya, and China. John Davis Murray, a mechanical engineer and recent graduate of Purdue University, was sent to supervise the operation on behalf of the Phosphate Mining and Shipping Company. Murray was known as the "King of Christmas Island" until 1910, when he married and settled in London.[18][19]

The island was administered jointly by the British Phosphate commissioners and district officers from the United Kingdom Colonial Office through the Straits Settlements, and later the Crown Colony of Singapore. Hunt (2011) provides a detailed history of Chinese indentured labour on the island during those years. In 1922, scientists attempted unsuccessfully to view a solar eclipse from the island to test Einstein's Theory of Relativity.[20]

Christmas Island produces the 199th most exports in the world, as of 2014. The country's top exports include phosphatic fertilizers ($15.5M), calcium phosphate ($12M), and computers ($464K). Their top imports include refined petroleum ($6.39M), cars ($2.11M), and air conditioners ($1.07M).

Japanese invasionEdit

From the outbreak of the South-East Asian theatre of World War II in December 1941, Christmas Island was a target for Japanese occupation because of its rich phosphate deposits.[21] A naval gun was installed under a British officer and four NCOs and 27 Indian soldiers.[21] The first attack was carried out on 20 January 1942, by the Japanese submarine I-59, which torpedoed a Norwegian freighter, the Eidsvold.[22] The vessel drifted and eventually sank off West White Beach. Most of the European and Asian staff and their families were evacuated to Perth. In late February and early March 1942, there were two aerial bombing raids. Shelling from a Japanese naval group on 7 March led the district officer to hoist the white flag.[21] But after the Japanese naval group sailed away, the British officer raised the Union flag once more.[21] During the night of 10–11 March, a mutiny of the Indian troops, abetted by Sikh policemen, led to the killing of the five British soldiers and the imprisonment of the remaining 21 Europeans.[21] At dawn on 31 March 1942, a dozen Japanese bombers launched the attack, destroying the radio station. The same day, a Japanese fleet of nine vessels arrived, and the island was surrendered. About 850 men of the Japanese 21st and 24th Special Base Forces and 102nd Construction Unit came ashore at Flying Fish Cove and occupied the island.[21] They rounded up the workforce, most of whom had fled to the jungle. Sabotaged equipment was repaired and preparations were made to resume the mining and export of phosphate. Only 20 men from the 21st Special Base Force were left as a garrison.[21]

Isolated acts of sabotage and the torpedoing of the Nissei Maru at the wharf on 17 November 1942[23] meant that only small amounts of phosphate were exported to Japan during the occupation. In November 1943, over 60% of the island's population was evacuated to Surabayan prison camps, leaving a total population of just under 500 Chinese and Malays and 15 Japanese to survive as best they could. In October 1945, HMS Rother re-occupied Christmas Island.[24][25][26][27]

After the war, seven mutineers were traced and prosecuted by the Military Court in Singapore. In 1947, five of them were sentenced to death. However, following representations made by the newly independent government of India, their sentences were reduced to penal servitude for life.[21]

Transfer to AustraliaEdit

At Australia's request, the United Kingdom transferred sovereignty to Australia, with a M$20 million payment from the Australian government to Singapore as compensation for the loss of earnings from the phosphate revenue.[28] The United Kingdom’s Christmas Island Act was given royal assent on 14 May 1958, enabling Britain to transfer authority over Christmas Island from Singapore to Australia by an order-in-council.[29] Australia's Christmas Island Act was passed in September 1958 and the island was officially placed under the authority of the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 October 1958.[30]

Under Commonwealth Cabinet Decision 1573 of 9 September 1958, D. E. Nickels was appointed the first official representative of the new territory.[31] In a media statement on 5 August 1960, the minister for territories, Paul Hasluck, said, among other things, that, "His extensive knowledge of the Malay language and the customs of the Asian people... has proved invaluable in the inauguration of Australian administration... During his two years on the island he had faced unavoidable difficulties... and constantly sought to advance the island's interests." John William Stokes succeeded him and served from 1 October 1960, to 12 June 1966. On his departure he was lauded by all sectors of the island community. In 1968, the official secretary was re-titled an administrator and, since 1997, Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands together are called the Australian Indian Ocean Territories and share a single administrator resident on Christmas Island. Recollections of the island's history and lifestyle, and lists and timetables of the island's leaders and events since its settlement are at the World Statesmen site[32] and in Neale (1988), Bosman (1993), Hunt (2011) and Stokes (2012).

The settlement of Silver City was built in the 1970s, with aluminium-clad houses that were supposed to be cyclone-proof.[33] The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami centred off the western shore of Sumatra in Indonesia, resulted in no reported casualties, but some swimmers were swept some 150 metres (490 ft) out to sea for a time before being swept back in.[34]

Refugee and immigration detentionEdit

Immigration Detention Centre

From the late 1980s and early 1990s, boats carrying asylum seekers, mainly departing from Indonesia, began landing on the island. In 2001, Christmas Island was the site of the Tampa controversy, in which the Australian government stopped a Norwegian ship, MV Tampa, from disembarking 438 rescued asylum-seekers. The ensuing standoff and the associated political reactions in Australia were a major issue in the 2001 Australian federal election.[35]

The Howard government operated the "Pacific Solution" from 2001-2007, excising Christmas Island from Australia's migration zone so that asylum seekers on the island could not apply for refugee status. Asylum seekers were relocated from Christmas Island to Manus Island and Nauru. In 2006, an immigration detention centre, containing approximately 800 beds, was constructed on the island for the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs. Originally estimated to cost A$276 million,[36] the final cost was over $400 million.[37]

In 2007, the Rudd government announced plans to decommission Manus Island Regional Processing Centre and Nauru detention centre; processing would then occur on Christmas Island itself.[38]

In December 2010, 48 asylum-seekers died just off the coast of the island in what became known as the Christmas Island boat disaster when the boat they were on hit rocks off Flying Fish Cove, and then smashed against nearby cliffs.[39][40]

In the case Plaintiff M61/2010E v Commonwealth of Australia, the High Court of Australia ruled, in a 7–0 joint judgment, that asylum seekers detained on Christmas Island were entitled to the protections of the Migration Act. Accordingly, the Commonwealth was obliged to afford asylum seekers a minimum of procedural fairness when assessing their claims.[41]

As of 20 June 2013, after the interception of four boats in six days, carrying 350 people, the Immigration Department stated that there were 2,960 "irregular maritime arrivals" being held in the island's five detention facilities, which exceeded not only the "regular operating capacity" of 1,094 people, but also the "contingency capacity" of 2,724.[42]

Christmas Island's population pyramid, from a census in 2011, showing a large proportion of males over females.

As of the 2011 Australian census, the estimated resident population is 2,072. This does not include the highly variable population at the Immigration Detention Centre.

Religion in Christmas Island [43]

  Buddhism (75%)
  Christianity (12%)
  Islam (10%)
  Other (Confucianism, Taoism, Baha'i) (10%)

The ethnic composition is 65% Chinese, 20% Malay, 10% European and 5% Indian and Eurasian.[44][45] A 2011 report by the Australian government estimated that religions practised on Christmas Island include Buddhism 75%, Christianity 12%, Islam 10%, and other 3%.[46] This includes Traditional Chinese religions like Taoism and Confucianism, as well as the Baha'i Faith.[47]

Christmas Island is a non-self-governing territory of Australia, currently administered by the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development. Administration was carried out by the Attorney-General's Department[48] until 14 September 2010,[49] and prior to this by the Department of Transport and Regional Services before 29 November 2007.[50] The legal system is under the authority of the Governor-General of Australia and Australian law. An administrator appointed by the Governor-General represents the monarch and Australia.

The Australian government provides services through the Christmas Island Administration and the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development. Under the federal government's Territories Law Reform Act 1992, which came into force on 1 July 1992, Western Australian laws are applied to Christmas Island "so far as they are capable of applying in the territory";[51] non-application or partial application of such laws is at the discretion of the federal government. The act also gives Western Australian courts judicial power over Christmas Island. Christmas Island remains constitutionally distinct from Western Australia, however; the power of the state to legislate for the territory is delegated by the federal government. The kind of services typically provided by a state government elsewhere in Australia are provided by departments of the Western Australian government, and by contractors, with the costs met by the federal government. A unicameral Shire of Christmas Island with nine seats provides local government services and is elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms. Elections are held every two years, with four or five of the members standing for election.

Christmas Island residents who are Australian citizens also vote in federal elections. Christmas Island residents are represented in the House of Representatives by the Division of Lingiari in the Northern Territory and in the Senate by Northern Territory senators.[52]

In early 1986, the Christmas Island Assembly held a design competition for an island flag; the winning design was adopted as the informal flag of the territory for over a decade, and in 2002 it was made the official flag of Christmas Island.

Phosphate mining had been the only significant economic activity, but in December 1987 the Australian government closed the mine. In 1991, the mine was reopened by a consortium which included many of the former mine workers as shareholders. With the support of the government, the $34 million Christmas Island Casino and Resort opened in 1993, but was closed in 1998. As of 2011, the resort has re-opened without the casino.

The Australian government in 2001 agreed to support the creation of a commercial spaceport on the island, however this has not yet been constructed, and appears that it will not proceed. The Howard government built a temporary immigration detention centre on the island in 2001 and planned to replace it with a larger, modern facility at North West Point until Howard's defeat in the 2007 elections.

The culture of Christmas Island is unique, for people of many different ethnicities inhabit the area. The majority of residents are Chinese, but Europeans and Malays reside there as well with small Indian and Eurasian communities too. The main languages of Christmas Island are English and Chinese. Dress is usually modest, and tourists should keep a wrap, such as a sarong or pareo, on hand to cover shorts, bathing suits, and tank tops. It is common to remove shoes when entering a house and to also avoid touching anyone's head.

Religious beliefs are diverse, but people are very tolerant of each other's religions. The religions practised include Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Islam, and Christianity. There is a Mosque in Flying Fish Cove. With all of these religions, there are many religious festivals, such as Spring Festival, Hari Raya, Christmas and Easter.[53] Additionally, there is a Bahá'í centre on the island[54]

Car moving across the backroads of Christmas Island

Christmas Island is well known for its biological diversity. There are many rare species of animals and plants on the island, making nature-walking a popular activity. Along with the diversity of species, many different types of caves exist, such as plateau caves, coastal caves, raised coastal caves and alcoves, sea caves, fissure caves, collapse caves and basalt caves; most of these are near the sea and have been formed by the action of water. Altogether, there are 42 caves on the island,[citation needed] with Lost Lake Cave, Daniel Roux Cave and Full Frontal Cave being the most well-known. The many freshwater springs include Hosnies Spring Ramsar, which also has a mangrove stand. The Dales is a rainforest in the western part of the island and consists of seven deep valleys, all of which were formed by spring streams. Hugh's Dale waterfall is part of this area and is a popular attraction. The annual breeding migration of the red crabs is a popular event. Fishing is another common activity. There are many distinctive species of fish in the oceans surrounding Christmas Island. Snorkeling and swimming in the ocean are two other activities that are extremely popular. Walking trails are also very popular, for there are many beautiful trails surrounded by extravagant flora and fauna. 63% of the island is national park making it one of the main attractions to experience when visiting.

Flora and faunaEdit

Christmas Island was uninhabited until the late 19th century, allowing many species to evolve without human interference. Two-thirds of the island has been declared a National Park, which is managed by the Australian Department of Environment and Heritage through Parks Australia. Christmas Island has always been known for its unique species, both of flora and fauna.

The dense rainforest has grown in the deep soils of the plateau and on the terraces. The forests are dominated by 25 tree species. Ferns, orchids and vines grow on the branches in the humid atmosphere beneath the canopy. The 135 plant species include at least 18 that are found nowhere else. The rainforest is in great condition despite the mining activities over the last 100 years. Areas that have been damaged by mining are now a part of an ongoing rehabilitation project. The island is small and covers 135 square kilometres of land which 63% of that land has been declared National Park.[55]

Christmas Island's endemic plants include the trees Arenga listeri, Pandanus elatus and Dendrocnide peltata var. murrayana; the shrubs Abutilon listeri, Colubrina pedunculata, Grewia insularis and Pandanus christmatensis; the vines Hoya aldrichii and Zehneria alba; the herbs Asystasia alba, Dicliptera maclearii and Peperomia rossii; the grass Ischaemum nativitatis; the fern Asplenium listeri; and the orchids Brachypeza archytas, Flickingeria nativitatis, Phreatia listeri and Zeuxine exilis.[56]

Two species of native rats, the Maclear's and bulldog rats, have become extinct since the island was settled, while the Javan rusa has been introduced. The endemic Christmas Island shrew has not been seen since the mid-1980s and may be already extinct, while the Christmas Island pipistrelle (a small bat) is critically endangered and probably also extinct.[57]

The Christmas Island flying fox, an important pollinator and rainforest seed-disperser, is also in decline and under increasing pressure from land clearing and introduced pest species. The flying fox's low rate of re-production (one pup each year) and high infant mortality rate makes it especially vulnerable. Flying foxes are an `umbrella` species helping forests regenerate and other species survive in stressed environments.

The land crabs and seabirds are the most noticeable fauna on the island. Christmas Island has been identified by BirdLife International as both an Endemic Bird Area and an Important Bird Area because it supports five endemic species and five subspecies as well as over 1% of the world populations of five other seabirds.[58]

Twenty terrestrial and intertidal species of crab have been described here, of which thirteen are regarded as true land crabs, being dependent on the ocean only for larval development. Robber crabs, known elsewhere as coconut crabs, also exist in large numbers on the island. The annual red crab mass migration (around 100 million animals) to the sea to spawn has been called one of the wonders of the natural world.[59] This takes place each year around November – after the start of the wet season and in synchronisation with the cycle of the moon. Once at the ocean, the mothers release the embryos where they can survive and grow until they are able to live on land.

The island is a focal point for seabirds of various species. Eight species or subspecies of seabirds nest on it. The most numerous is the red-footed booby, which nests in colonies, using trees on many parts of the shore terrace. The widespread brown booby nests on the ground near the edge of the seacliff and inland cliffs. Abbott's booby (listed as endangered) nests on tall emergent trees of the western, northern and southern plateau rainforest, the only remaining nesting habitat for this bird in the world. Another endangered and endemic bird, the Christmas frigatebird, has nesting areas on the northeastern shore terraces. The more widespread great frigatebirds nest in semi-deciduous trees on the shore terrace, with the greatest concentrations being in the North West and South Point areas. The common noddy and two species of bosun or tropicbirds, with their brilliant gold or silver plumage and distinctive streamer tail feathers, also nest on the island.

Of the ten native land birds and shorebirds, seven are endemic species or subspecies. This includes the Christmas thrush and the Christmas imperial pigeon. Some 86 migrant bird species have been recorded as visitors to the island.

Six species of butterfly are known to occur on Christmas Island. These are the Christmas swallowtail (Papilio memnon), striped albatross (Appias olferna), Christmas emperor (Polyura andrewsi), king cerulean (Jamides bochus), lesser grass-blue (Zizina otis), and Papuan grass-yellow (Eurema blanda).[60]

Christmas Island has access to a range of modern communication services.

Radio broadcasts from Australia include ABC Radio National, ABC Kimberley, Triple J and Red FM. All services are provided by satellite links from the mainland. Broadband internet became available to subscribers in urban areas in mid-2005 through the local internet service provider, CIIA (formerly dotCX).

Christmas Island, due to its close proximity to Australia's northern neighbours, falls within many of the satellite footprints throughout the region. This results in ideal conditions for receiving various Asian broadcasts, which locals sometimes prefer to those emanating from Western Australia. Additionally, ionospheric conditions are conducive to terrestrial radio transmissions, from HF through VHF and sometimes into UHF. The island plays home to a small array of radio equipment that spans a good chunk of the usable spectrum. A variety of government owned and operated antenna systems are employed on the island to take advantage of this.

Free-to-air digital television stations from Australia are broadcast in the same time zone as Perth, and are broadcast from three separate locations:

Broadcaster Drumsite Phosphate Hill Rocky Point
WOW WOW 10 WOW 36 WOW 43
WDW WDW 11 WDW 38 WDW 44

Cable television from Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and the United States commenced in January 2013.

Telephone services are provided by Telstra and are a part of the Australian network with the same prefix as Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory (08). A GSM mobile telephone system powered by 900MHz[62] replaced the old analogue network in February 2005.

Postage stampsEdit

Postage stamp with portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, 1958

A postal agency was opened on the island in 1901 and sold stamps of the Strait Settlements.[63]

After the Japanese occupation (1942–45), postage stamps of the British Military Administration in Malaya were in use, then stamps of Singapore.[64]

In 1958, the island received its own postage stamps after being put under Australian custody. It had a large philatelic and postal independence, managed first by the Phosphate Commission (1958–1969) and then by the island's administration (1969–93).[63] This ended on 2 March 1993 when Australia Post became the island's postal operator; Christmas Island stamps may be used in Australia and Australian stamps may be used on the island.[64]

A container port exists at Flying Fish Cove with an uncompleted alternative container-unloading point to the east of the island at Norris Point, intended for use during the December-to-March "swell season" of rough seas.

The 18-km standard gauge Christmas Island Phosphate Co.'s Railway from Flying Fish Cove to the phosphate mine was constructed in 1914. It was closed in December 1987, when the Australian government closed the mine, and since has been recovered as scrap, leaving only earthworks in places.

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines provides two weekly flights to Christmas Island Airport from Perth, Western Australia, and ad hoc charter flight from/to Jakarta organised by the Christmas Island Travel Exchange.

There is a recreation centre at Phosphate Hill operated by South Australian-based CASA Leisure Pty Ltd. There is also a taxi service. The road network covers most of the island and is of generally good quality, although four-wheel drive vehicles are needed to reach some of the more distant parts of the rainforest or the more isolated beaches on the rough dirt roads.

The island-operated crèche is in the Recreation Centre.[65] Christmas Island District High School, catering to students in grades P-12, is run by the Western Australian Education Department. There are no universities on Christmas Island.

The island has one public library.[66]

See alsoEdit

  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Christmas Island". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  2. ^ James, David J.; Mcallan, Ian A.W. (August 2014). "The birds of Christmas Island, Indian Ocean: A review". ResearchGate. Australian Field Ornithology. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
  3. ^ "Save Christmas Island – Introduction". The Wilderness Society. 19 September 2002. Archived from the original on 9 June 2007. Retrieved 14 April 2007.
  4. ^ "Submission on Development Potential No. 37" (PDF). Northern Australia Land and Water Taskforce. 16 August 2007. Retrieved 26 April 2009.
  5. ^ "Christmas island". World Factbook. CIA. 23 April 2009. Retrieved 26 April 2009.
  6. ^ Iliffe T, Humphreys W (2016). "Christmas Islands Hidden Secret". Advanced Diver Magazine. Retrieved 2016-01-02.
  7. ^ II.—A MONOGRAPH OF CHRISTMAS ISLAND (INDIAN OCEAN:PHYSICAL FEATURES AND GEOLOGY). By C. W. ANDREWS. With descriptions of the fauna and flora by numerous contributors. 8vo ; pp. xiii, 337, 22 plates, 1 map, text illustrated.(London : printed by order of the Trustees of the British Museum, 1900.)
  8. ^ "Christmas Island Beaches". Christmas Island - A Natural Wonder. Christmas Island Tourism Association. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  9. ^ "Climate statistics for Christmas Island". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
  10. ^ "Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts – Christmas Island History". Australian Government. 8 July 2008. Retrieved 26 April 2009.
  11. ^ a b c d e   Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Christmas Island". Encyclopædia Britannica. 6 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 294–295.
  12. ^ "Digital Collections – Maps – Goos, Pieter, ca. 1616–1675. Paskaerte Zynde t'Oosterdeel Van Oost Indien (cartographic material) : met alle de Eylanden deer ontrendt geleegen van C. Comorin tot aen Iapan". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 26 April 2009.
  13. ^ Carney, Gerard (2006). The constitutional systems of the Australian states and territories. Cambridge University Press. p. 477. ISBN 0-521-86305-8. The uninhabited island was named on Christmas Day, 1643, by Captain William Mynors as he sailed past, leaving to William Dampier the honour of first landing ashore in 1688.
  14. ^ Dampier, Captain William (1703). A New Voyage Round The World. The Crown in St Paul's Church-yard, London, England: James Knapton. pp. Contemporary full panelled calf with raised bands to spine and crimson morocco title labels; crimson sprinkled edges; 8vo.
  15. ^ "Where is Christmas Island?". Hamilton Stamp Club. Retrieved 2016-09-18.
  16. ^ "The early history of Christmas Island, in the Indian Oden". Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. 22: 73–74. 1949.
  17. ^ a b "History". Christmas Island Tourism Association. Retrieved 2016-09-18.
  18. ^ Walsh, William (1913). A Handy Book of Curious Information. London: Lippincott. p. 447.
  19. ^ Jupp, James (2001). "Christmas Islanders". The Australian People: An Encyclopedia of the Nation, Its People and Their Origins. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. p. 225. ISBN 9780521807890. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  20. ^ John Hunt. Eclipse on Christmas Island. newspaper article in 'The Canberra Times', 5 September 2012.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The Mystery of Christmas Island, March 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942.
  22. ^ L, Klemen (1999–2000). "Allied Merchant Ship Losses in the Pacific and Southeast Asia". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942.
  23. ^ Cressman, Robert J. "The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II Chapter IV: 1942". Hyperwar/.
  24. ^ Public Record Office, England War Office and Colonial Office Correspondence/Straits Settlements.
  25. ^ J. Pettigrew. "Christmas Island in World War II". Australian Territories January 1962.
  26. ^ Interviews conducted by J G Hunt with Island residents, 1973–77.
  27. ^ Correspondence J G Hunt with former Island residents, 1973–79.
  28. ^ Department of External Affairs in Australia. (1957, May 16): Report from the Australian High Commission in Singapore to the Department of External Affairs in Australia. Singapore: National Archives of Singapore. (Microfilm: NAB 447)
  29. ^ "All set for transfer. (1958, May 16)". The Straits Times, p. 2.
  30. ^ "Kerr, A. (2009). A federation in these seas: An account of the acquisition by Australia of its external territories, with selected documents.". Barton, A.C.T.: Attorney General's Dept, p. 329. (Call no.: R 325.394 KER).
  31. ^ "Mr D. E. Nickels and Mrs Nickels interviewed by Jan Adams in the Christmas Island life story oral history project". National Library of Australia.
  32. ^ "Christmas Island". World Statesmen.
  33. ^ Island Life – Christmas Island – About
  34. ^ Main article: Countries affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
  35. ^ Fowler, Connie (2003). "Karsten Klepsuik, John Howard and the Tampa Crisis: Good Luck or Good Management?". Nordic Notes. Celsius Centre for Scandinavian Studies (Flinders University). ISSN 1442-5165. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  36. ^
  37. ^ "Detention on Christmas Island". Amnesty International. 10 March 2009. Archived from the original on 17 August 2010. Retrieved 26 April 2009.
  38. ^ "Savings for Labor's Better Priorities: Close Nauru and Manus Island detention centres" (RTF download). Public release of costing. 15 November 2007. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  39. ^ Needham, Kirsty; Stevenson, Andrew; Allard, Tom (16 December 2010). "Doomed asylum seekers' boat not being tracked by Customs: minister". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 16 December 2010.
  40. ^ "Leaders pay tribute to asylum shipwreck victims". ABC. ABC/AAP. 9 February 2011.
  41. ^ Hume, David (2010-11-25). "Offshore processing: has the bar been lifted?". Retrieved 2016-08-17.
  42. ^ Rintoul, Stuart (19 July 2013). "Pre-election surge pushes island centres far beyond capacity". The Australian. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  43. ^ "Christmas Island Tourism Association – Culture". Retrieved 2015-10-21.
  44. ^
  45. ^ Simone Dennis (2008). Christmas Island: An Anthropological Study. Cambria Press. pp. 91–. ISBN 9781604975109.
  46. ^ Parliament of Australia
  47. ^ "Christmas Island Tourism Association – Culture". Retrieved 2015-10-21.
  48. ^ First Assistant Secretary, Territories Division (30 January 2008). "Territories of Australia". Attorney-General's Department. Archived from the original on 31 January 2009. Retrieved 7 February 2008. The Federal Government, through the Attorney-General's Department administers Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, the Coral Sea Islands, Jervis Bay, and Norfolk Island as Territories.
  49. ^ First Assistant Secretary, Access to Justice Division (2 February 2011). "Territories of Australia". Attorney-General's Department. Archived from the original on 14 August 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2011. Under the Administrative Arrangements Order made on 14 September 2010, responsibility for services to Territories was transferred to the Department of Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government.
  50. ^ Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. "Territories of Australia". Archived from the original on 16 December 2007. Retrieved 7 February 2008. As part of the Machinery of Government Changes following the Federal Election on 29 November 2007, administrative responsibility for Territories has been transferred to the Attorney General's Department.
  51. ^ Territories Law Reform Act 1992
  52. ^ "Profile of the electoral division of Lingiari (NT)". Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  53. ^ Destination Specialist: South Pacific including Micronesia. Institute of Certified Travel Agents. 2001.
  54. ^ Christmas Island Tourism – Culture. Retrieved on 2014-05-25.
  55. ^ Tierney, Beth (2007). The Essential Christmas Island Travel Guide. Christmas Island Tourism Association.
  56. ^ Christmas Island National Park: Flora.
  57. ^ "Parks Australia".
  58. ^ BirdLife International. (2011). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Christmas Island. Downloaded from "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 10 July 2007. Retrieved 2013-05-07.  on 23 December 2011.
  59. ^ "Geoscience Australia on Christmas Island". Archived from the original on 5 February 2007.
  60. ^ Braby, Michael F. (2008). The Complete Field Guide to Butterflies of Australia. CSIRO Publishing. ISBN 0 643 09027 4.
  61. ^ "List of licensed broadcasting transmitters". ACMA. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  62. ^
  63. ^ a b Richard Breckon, "Christmas Island's Stamps and Postal History: 50 Years of Australian Administration", Gibbons Stamp Monthly, October 2008, pp. 81–85.
  64. ^ a b Commonwealth Stamp Catalogue Australia, Stanley Gibbons, 4th edition, 2007, pp. 104–112.
  65. ^ "Recreation Centre". Archived from the original on 15 September 2009.
  66. ^ "Public library".

Further readingEdit

  • Adams, Jan; Neale, Marg (1993). Christmas Island – The Early Years – 1888–1958. Bruce Neale. ISBN 0-646-14894-X . 96 pages, including many b&w photographs.
  • Allen, Gerald R.; Steene, Roger C. (1998). Fishes of Christmas Island (1 ed.). Christmas Island Natural History Association. ISBN 0-9591210-1-3 . 197 pages including many photographs and plates.
  • Allen, Gerald R.; Steene, Roger C.; Orchard, Max (2007). Fishes of Christmas Island (2 ed.). Christmas Island Natural History Association. ISBN 978-0-9591210-8-7
  • Andrews, Charles W. (1899). "A Description of Christmas Island (Indian Ocean)". Geographical Journal. 13 (1): 17–35. doi:10.2307/1774789
  • Andrews, Charles W. (1900). "A Monograph of Christmas Island". London
  • Anonymous, 1984, Christmas Island, Indian Ocean – a Unique Island. Published by a committee of present and former employees of the phosphate mining company. 60 pages including colour photographs.
  • Ayris, Cyril (1993). Tai Ko Seng – Gordon Bennett of Christmas Island. Gordon Bennett Educational Foundation. ISBN 0-646-15483-4 . 263 pages including photographs.
  • Bosman, D, ed. (1993). Christmas Island Police – 1958–1983. D Bosman . 112 pages including many photographs.
  • "CIA World Factbook". Central Intelligence Agency. 2002
  • Gray, H.S. (1981). Christmas Island Naturally. H.S. Gray. ISBN 0-9594105-0-3 . 133 pages including many colour photographs.
  • Hicks, John; Rumpff, Holger; Yorkston, Hugh (1984). Christmas Crabs. Christmas Island Natural History Association. ISBN 0-9591210-0-5 . 76 pages including colour photographs.
  • Hunt, John (2011). Suffering Through Strength: The Men who Made Christmas Island. ISBN 9780646550114
  • The Indian Ocean: a select bibliography. National Library of Australia. 1979. ISBN 0-642-99150-2
  • Neale, Margaret (1988). We were the Christmas Islanders. Bruce Neale. ISBN 0-7316-4158-2 . 207 pages including many b&w photographs.
  • Orchard, Max (2012). Crabs of Christmas Island. Christmas Island Natural History Association. ISBN 9780646576428  288 pages pictorial illustration of crabs.
  • Stokes, Tony (2012). Whatever Will Be, I'll See: Growing Up in the 1940s, 50s and 60s in the Northern Territory, Christmas and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. ISBN 9780646575643 . 238 pages.
  • Wharton, W. J. L. (1888). "Account of Christmas Island, Indian Ocean". Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society and Monthly Record of Geography. 10 (10): 613–624. doi:10.2307/1800848
  • Waters, Les (1992). "The Union of Christmas Island Workers" (2 ed.). St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin . 170 pages including b&w photographs.

External linksEdit

Coordinates: 10°29′S 105°38′E / 10.483°S 105.633°E / -10.483; 105.633


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The Treaty of Verdun, signed in August 843, was the first of the treaties that divided the Carolingian Empire into three kingdoms among the three surviving sons of Louis the Pious, who was the son of Charlemagne. The treaty, signed in Verdun-sur-Meuse, ended the three-year Carolingian Civil War.

Treaty of Verdun
Signed August 843
Location Verdun-sur-Meuse
Signatories Lothair I, Louis the German, Charles the Bald

Following Charlemagne's death, Louis was made ruler of the Carolingian empire. During his reign, he divided the empire so that each of his sons could rule over their own kingdom under the greater rule of their father. Lothair I was given the title of emperor but because of several re-divisions by his father and the resulting revolts, he became much less powerful. When Louis the Pious died in 840, his eldest son, Lothair I, claimed overlordship over the entirety of his father's kingdom in an attempt to reclaim the power he had at the beginning of his reign as emperor.[1] He also supported his nephew, Pepin II's claim to Aquitaine, a large province in the west of the Frankish realm. Lothair's brother, Louis the German, and his half-brother Charles the Bald refused to acknowledge Lothair's suzerainty and declared war against him.[1] After a bloody civil war, they defeated Lothair at the Battle of Fontenay in 841 and sealed their alliance in 842 with the Oaths of Strasbourg which declared Lothair unfit for the imperial throne, after which he became willing to negotiate a settlement.

Each of the three brothers was already established in one kingdom: Lothair in Italy, Louis the German in Bavaria, and Charles the Bald in Aquitaine. In the settlement, Lothair (who had been named co-emperor in 817) retained his title as emperor and:

After Lothair's death in 855, Upper and Lower Burgundy (Arles and Provence) passed to his third son, Charles of Provence, and the remaining territory north of the Alps to his second son, Lothair II, after whom the hitherto nameless territory was called Lotharingia. It would then become modern Lorraine. Lothair's eldest son, Louis II, inherited Italy and his father's claim to the Imperial throne.

The division reflected an adherence to the old Frankish custom of partible or divisible inheritance amongst a ruler's sons, rather than primogeniture (i.e., inheritance by the eldest son) which would soon be adopted by both Frankish kingdoms.

The division of the Frankish realm by the Treaty of Verdun, carried out without any regard to linguistic and cultural continuities, resulted in conflicts in Western Europe until the 20th century.[3] Since the Middle Frankish Kingdom combined lengthy and vulnerable land borders with poor internal communications as it was severed by the Alps, it was not a viable entity and soon fragmented. This made it difficult for a single ruler to reassemble Charlemagne's empire. Only Charles the Fat achieved this briefly.

In 855, the northern section became fragile Lotharingia, which became disputed by the more powerful states that evolved out of West Francia (i.e., France) and East Francia (i.e., Germany). Generations of kings of France and Germany were unable to establish a firm rule over Lothair’s kingdom.[4] While the north of Lotharingia was then composed of independent countries, the southern third of Lotharingia, Alsace-Lorraine, was traded back and forth between France and Germany from the 18th to the 20th century. In 1766, it passed to France after the death of Stanislaw Leszcyznski, who had acquired the region from the German Habsburgs by the Treaty of Vienna (1738) ending the War of Polish Succession (1733-1738). In 1871, Alsace-Lorraine became German, after the victory of Prussia and its German allies over the French in the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871). In 1919, it became French again by the Treaty of Versailles (1919), following the French victory over the Germans in World War I (1914-1918). In 1940, Germany reannexed Alsace-Lorraine following Germany's successful invasion of France. Finally, in 1945, after World War II (1939-1945), Alsace-Lorraine was solidified as French territory, which it remains to this day, more than a thousand years after the Treaty of Verdun. The collapse of the Middle Frankish Kingdom also compounded the disunity of the Italian Peninsula, which persisted into the 19th century.

See alsoEdit

  1. ^ a b "What was the Treaty of Verdun?". ThoughtCo. Retrieved 2017-05-15.
  2. ^ Friedrich Heer, The Holy Roman Empire, pg. 20
  3. ^ " | The Significance of the Treaty of Verdun and the Emergence of the German Reich". Retrieved 2017-05-15.
  4. ^ "Treaty of Verdun: 843". Retrieved 2017-05-15.

External linksEdit


text:
Definition of overfish in English:

  • 1Deplete the stock of fish in (a body of water) by excessive fishing.

    ‘this part of the Mediterranean is terribly overfished’
    • ‘Likewise, some human societies may not overexploit their land nor overfish their waters, even if they have the technical means to do so, because each person follows the ethic of not taking more than he or she requires.’
    • ‘As more accessible, coastal waters off South America were overfished and emptied, commercial boats zeroed in on the protected waters of the Galápagos.’
    • ‘There is concern whether the surrounding ocean is being overfished.’
    • ‘We are cutting down too many trees, overfishing the oceans, polluting the air, exhausting the soil.’
    • ‘The North Atlantic basin is massively overfished and the fisheries are in dire trouble - but no one is taking this lesson to heart, said Rosenberg.’
    • ‘The reef had been heavily damaged and thoroughly overfished, forcing islanders to venture farther to sea to find good fishing.’
    • ‘Seventy percent of the world's most valuable fisheries, and 11 of 15 major fishing grounds, are either overfished or fished to the limit according to the United Nations.’
    • ‘The areas that are overfished most quickly and easily are nearest shore.’
    • ‘It used to be so much more, but the oceans are overfished.’
    1. 1.1 Deplete the stock of (a fish)
      ‘yellowfin tuna has been overfished’
      • ‘Catches are mostly inside safe biological limits, but some stocks are overfished.’
      • ‘North Atlantic swordfish faced similar peril in the 1990's, having for decades been severely overfished and mismanaged nearly to the point of commercial extinction.’
      • ‘‘Bluefin is an overfished stock and quite in bad shape,’ he said, adding that because it is a temperate-water fish and grows slowly, it is in particular danger of being overfished.’
      • ‘Try to find out which type of fish is environmentally sustainable and which is being overfished and you enter a murky, swirling netherworld of mysterious claims and counter-claims.’
      • ‘When sharks are overfished, a cascade of effects can lead to a depletion of important grazers of plant life.’
      • ‘The sole stock is overfished and it could take between seven and eight years for the cod stock to recover.’
      • ‘The blue marlin stock in the Atlantic has probably been overfished for the last 10-15 years.’
      • ‘Now, 200 years later, all five species of Pacific salmon have been overfished, and the great dams of the Columbia and the Snake have driven many runs to extinction.’
      • ‘Ironically, the new technology takes away the competitive edge of these experienced fishermen and makes it easier for a population to be overfished, but it can also create win-win situations.’
      • ‘As worldwide demand for fish increases, the stocks of some species have been overfished.’
      • ‘The agency says white marlin have been overfished for 30 years and mortality is seven times higher than acceptable levels.’
      • ‘‘The fish can grow to over 2 meters but it's being overfished in many parts of the southern ocean,’ he said.’
      • ‘And there is no doubt that these boats are now overfishing the yellowfin tuna resource.’
      • ‘Some populations of sea cucumbers have been overfished, which has an effect on the ecosystem.’
      • ‘More than half of the known, managed, major fish species in U.S. waters are not overfished.’


text:
Definition of acetamide in English:

  • The crystalline amide of acetic acid.

    • ‘Amplification reactions were performed with 50-100 ng of total genomic DNA under standard conditions both in the presence and in the absence of 5% - 6% acetamide (final concentration).’
    • ‘Despite the growing use of tetramethylrhodamine maleimide / acetamide modified actins, their polymerization properties have not been described yet.’
    • ‘For example, Lasso and Arena are registered trade names, alachlor is the common name, and 2-chloro-N - (2,6-diethylphenyl) N - acetamide is the chemical name for a herbicide used in corn and soybeans.’
    • ‘If acetamide herbicides are used, grain sorghum seed must be pre-treated with a safener that protects it from injury caused by the acetamide herbicides.’
    • ‘With N-acetylgalactosamine, the acetamide group on the galactose ring can bring one more hydrogen bond, which can contribute to the enthalpy of the reaction and affinity values, and then titration was possible.’
    • ‘The acetamidase enzyme encoded by the amdS gene allows growth on acetamide as a carbon and/or nitrogen source by producing ammonium and acetate.’

Mid 19th century: from acetyl + amide.