Seattle Newspaper for the People by the People

Author

Admin - page 16

Admin has 356 articles published.

Getting Drunk on Dublin

I’m nearing the end of my time in Europe – for now. So it’s not without a bit of sadness, that I find myself saying goodbye to Europe, via my trip to Ireland. Is this the last cafe? The last pint? The last time a cab driver will refuse to give me a ride, because I’m only a mile from my destination? Or has Dublin put me under a spell?

The city reminds me of a mixture of Seattle and Boston. Seattle for the weather, that alternates between sputtering rain and tentative clear skies. Boston because of it’s strong Irish ties, and coming here, I feel like I am seeing people I know at every turn. Is that someone I went to high school with? She looks just like my old coworker… and so on. Until they open their mouths. Instead of Boston accent they have that thick Irish brogue, that when done well is lilting and intoxicating, or otherwise it can be gravelly or mumbley or even worse whiny. If someone has the right accent, I could fall in love – instantly. Other European accents don’t seem to have the same effect. I can attribute all kinds of good qualities to someone based on their brogue, and when my cab driver spoke, I thought he loved me too.

Clearly, you can see reason behind the name of this post. I am punch-drunk and just plain drunk. I went to the James Joyce center and watched all three videos. I read the author’s entire timeline. I bought an annotated copy of Ulysses. Yes, I thought, now, this week, was a good time to start reading what is considered the best but most difficult novel of the 20th century. Just a bit of light reading really. 250,000 words from a vocabulary of 30,000. Cake.

I watched football. Not in an ironic, look at me I’m much better than this kind of way– no I was at the edge of my seat, silently cheering on the Irish. Then I had a little conversation with myself. Christine, why do you care if the Ireland wins? Good question. Maybe it’s the Guinness.

So I’m working out some things with Dublin. I don’t want to leave Europe. I don’t want to stay either. So I’m having a final affair. Dublin is getting all my repressed affections, and I can’t help but wonder if my new attitude is rubbing off on the locals. People are starting conversations with me on the street. I’m sharing a pint with a group celebrating a birthday.

I spend an hour talking to a medical student who has 300K in student loans and smokes like a fiend. My overall impression of Dublin? Weee! But I might not be the most reliable source.

(Note to my husband: any mentions of “love” or “affair” are purely fictional in nature and don’t mean for a second that I seriously thought of leaving you for the cab driver. That would be absurd. No one does that.)

Welcome to Paris: Kiss Me, It’s the Rule

This afternoon I took a nap on the lawn in front of the Eiffel Tower. Such a peaceful place compared to the City of Seattle. I had been walking all morning and finally sun burnt and exhausted (and unwilling to take the 40 minute train to my hotel) I collapsed beneath a tree with kissing 20-year-olds lounging on the grass around me. There is something about this city that makes the men go wild for women. When I awoke, a man carrying a guitar approached me speaking in French. “I speak English, sorry.” He didn’t relent. “French? Italian? Spanish?” At the last one I nodded, “Sí, Español”. He had his in.

He plopped down next to me, and we tried to talk in a combination of French, Spanish and English. I got out “married” in Spanish and he seemed to understand. I pointed to my wedding ring, he nodded. He said he was married too, and pointed to his ring finger, which was bare. I rolled my eyes and said, “no ring”. He shrugged. These are not the things we worry about in Paris.

He wanted to know if my blue eyes were natural. They were. He thought I was beautiful. Thanks. I wondered if I was going to have to actually get up and walk away before he would get the hint. “Béseme” he said, pointing to his lips. He wanted me to kiss him. I laughed and played dumb. “Oh you Americans, don’t you know it is okay in Paris?” I was trying to remember where in the guidebook it said it was a cultural norm to kiss strangers on the lips. I must have missed the chapter on “Why American Girls Will Fall for Whatever a French Guy Says”. No kiss, no luck. Once he realized that I wasn’t going to bite, he slung his guitar over his shoulder and took off– no doubt looking for more slightly groggy Americans to ply with his charms.

This hasn’t been an isolated event in my brief stay in the City of Love. Valentino followed me five blocks until I ditched him at the train station, promising to meet him the next morning for coffee at the same metro stop. (a big lie, oops). He had seen me in the park and had jogged up to catch me, telling me in broken English that I am “so beautiful and wow, it was amazing.”

I am not the kind of woman these things happen to. Trust me when I say, it’s Paris, not me. Although, I do have to cut Paris a little slack. I don’t often travel to foreign countries alone. My husband and I have been together since I was 23 and all of our travels have been in tandem. So perhaps, solo female travelers in any city will be approached more often. They seem more accessible yet mysterious. Plus, they think the accent is cute, when French women just see a guy with a guitar and no job.

Still I have to wonder, for the men to be so persistent, they must be having some luck. So, how many American women do you think are kissing strange men beneath the Eiffel Tower?

Overcoming Internal Objections and Finding a Career You Love

“My question, and this may be incredibly stupid, is how do I find my passion? I know most of the things I like, but I have no idea how that translates into a career I can use to support my wife and I while she’s in school, let alone be some kind of success at it.”

I received this comment in an email recently and it‘s a great question. In my last post, The New Career Shakedown, I talked about all the things I considered doing as an answer to my own question: “If I could do anything, what would I do?” At the time, I explored many different options from starting a small business to going back to school, before I finally realized I was ignoring what I really wanted to do (travel and be a writer/photographer). I didn’t think it was practical, it felt a little scary, and I wasn’t sure I could pull it off.

This process for me was over the course of about two years. Now I know there are people who naturally know exactly what they are meant to do. My husband knew since the fifth grade that he was going to be an artist. For the rest of us, figuring this question out can take a little bit more work.

Forget about money

Don’t worry, I’m not suggesting you live on the street or marry into money. But for the purposes of answering this question, put the concerns about money aside. For years I thought about writing, but the logic loop went something like this: I love writing. I love travel. What about money? Writers don’t make enough. Travel is expensive. Forget it, it’s unrealistic.

I didn’t give myself permission to truly entertain the notion, because I was jumping ahead to the money part. What I should have been thinking was: I love writing. I love travel. What kinds of things would I write? Where would I want to travel to? What can I do now to prepare myself for such career…etc. After you take the time to think through whether this is something you want to do, then you can start figuring out ways to make it work financially.

Assume you will do it

There is a big difference between thinking about it, and planning to do it. If you are just thinking about it, initial obstacles become reasons why you can’t do it. If you are planning to do it, those same obstacles become problems you have to solve. I think we avoid committing to an idea, because we don’t want to waste our time, look stupid or do something wrong.

How to trick your brain out of this self defeating loop? Here’s what you do. Go out your front door, and with all the bravado you can muster shout, “I am a [insert your dream career here].” Feel good? Great! That is all it takes to accomplish something you want to do. The decision to do it. I can’t underline this enough. If you are wavering (like I did on all five of those careers options on the last post) then you‘ll just swim in circles. Do you think Jeff Bezo, founder of Amazon.com said, “I think I’d like to start and online bookstore?” No. He just did it. He rented cheap warehouse space and used old doors as desks–he didn’t have reasons he couldn’t do it (like a lack of desks), he had problems to solve. The only difference between the “thinkers” and the “do-ers” is that little decision they make. The thinkers say, “should I?” and the do-ers say “I am”.

Give yourself a chance

Dear perfectionists, oh how the world owes you a debt of gratitude. You make sure our accounting ledgers balance to the penny and our trains run on time. But please do yourself a favor and give yourself permission to be really terrible at something. I found this piece hard, because I wanted to research, prepare and practice my way into eternity. Leaving the corporate world, where I knew my role, and what would happen day by day to take this leap, where I don’t know anything, has been a strange kind of culture shock.

The problem is the “success myth”. We read stories of successful people and they are full of daring decisions, intelligent innovations and amazing accomplishments. What we don’t hear about is those first day, months and years. You’ve got to start somewhere. I just prefer to roll up my sleeves and jump in. The water is fine.

Get a jump start

I’m assuming you have some ideas about what you like, but here are some quick ways to shake it up and get more ideas:

Free write for 30 minutes about things you like to do.

Look up your look community college and peruse the adult education section for things that interest you

Make a list of every career you can think of that is interesting to you. List reasons why you would like it. (Don’t list negatives, that’s your internal critic throwing obstacles at you before you get started)

Find blogs and websites dedicated to areas you are interested in. Online professional groups can give you an insight to what it is really like.

Go to a bookstore and read (don’t buy) books about your field (you can usually get a lot from skimming, and you’re just in the idea phase right now)

Think of the most outrageous careers out there. Astronaut, crocodile wrangler, pastry chef. Then consider if you could instantly learn how to do it, and had unlimited funds, would you like that as a career?

Take a sick day. Use the time to reflect. (Often we’re to busy to even think about what to change).

What else would you add to this list?

Building Our Bridge – Seattle Housing Authority Residents Crossing the Digital Divide

Housing Authority Seattle

The Seattle Housing Authority’s Rainier Vista community has been hosting dual-language Tea & Technology Talks since April of 2018 to seek resident input on a new computer skills program coming this summer. Building Our Bridge – Seattle Housing Authority Residents Crossing the Digital Divide is an SHA resident-led, City-funded initiative to bring digital literacy skills to the Oromo, Vietnamese and English-speaking tenants of this low-income family community in Seattle’s Rainier Valley.

Septuagenarian Edward Frasier III attended the 4th Tea & Technology Talk on Friday, February 15th, 2019 to discuss the project over cookies and beverages. Surveys of proposed class topics and volunteer pledge sheets were distributed, and Frasier remarked, “You know, when you get old, you forget things. It’s not that I don’t know; I just need a refresher.” 

Ben Wong, Elizabeth Kennedy, Dorene Cornwell – Building Our Bridge Project Team

The beautifully developed curriculum for the program has been generously donated by the Seattle Public Library. Topics over the next two years will be selected from Email, Mouse & Window, Keyboarding, Internet, MS Word and Resume-Writing, Social Media, The Source and Parent Engagement. The Seattle Public Library brought a Vietnamese Basic Computer Series to Rainier Vista in 2016, and a Somali series in 2018. 

There has been a buzz in the Rainier Vista Oromo community about parent engagement and use of the Seattle Public School system’s The Source. The Source opens on-line access to parents and guardians to their children’s attendance, assessment scores and secondary student assignment grades. By allowing parents to track their children’s progress, The Source helps students move more quickly into advanced learning options and get on the college track. In so doing, The Source addresses academic barriers faced by Children of Color in communities experiencing economic hardship. 

Computer skills classes at Rainier Vista in will be conducted in Oromo, Vietnamese and English cohorts, and the project hopes to open the program to Somali instruction in 2020. Representatives from each language community will have the important opportunity to shape the program by meeting to review resumes and conduct interviews for (6) bilingual computer instructors and computer instructor assistants. More than 45 applications have been received so far.

The Building Our Bridge project was created by three Seattle Housing Authority residents (Elizabeth Kennedy, Ben Wong and Dorene Cornwell) who wanted to expand the Full Life Care-Seattle Housing Authority Mobile Lab Project. For two years, the Mobile Lab Project brought a mobile computer lab with devices and instructors to residents of (9) Seattle Housing Authority Low Income Public High-rise and Senior buildings in North Seattle. 

Kennedy and Wong were instructors on the project, and they teamed up with Cornwell to bring the mobile lab to the Seattle Housing Authority’s immigrant and refugee communities in South Seattle. With the loan of (4) Windows laptops, (3) Chromebooks, a mobile hot spot, and (3) plastic tubs on wheels from community partner Full Life Care, it is poised to do just that.

The Seattle Housing Authority has supported the project with use of space for classes, and staff time from Rainier Vista Community Builder, Jen Calleja. One challenge the project is still trying to address is how to meet families’ needs for child care so parents can take classes. 

Like the Mobile Lab Project before it, Building Our Bridge is financed through the City of Seattle Technology Matching Fund grant. The Technology Matching Fund has seeded technology programs in the City for more than 20 years. 

Seattle Neighborhood Group has partnered with the project to act as fiscal agent. Located in Seattle’s Central District, Seattle Neighborhood Group has been building relationships and working to engage people to create safe neighborhoods for 25 years. “Building Our Bridge makes a vital difference in the lives of SHA residents by providing them with opportunities to develop job readiness and technical skills, and build the confidence needed to make a positive difference in their respective lives and communities.  Seattle Neighborhood Group is proud to be a collaborative member in this important project,” Linda Spain, Executive Director, Seattle Neighborhood Group.

This article was submitted by Elizabeth Kennedy, Project Manager for the Building Our Bridge Project.

Samantha Lepidi. Program Assistant; Elizabeth Kennedy, Project Manager Building our Bridge

Mathematician Shares Insights on How to Combat Innumeracy Across Globe


The Role of Language in Teaching Children Math by Bernice Kastner

NEW YORK, NY – The role that mathematics plays in adolescent education has been changing for decades. With access now to resources such as calculators or even the internet, the way that schools teach and utilize mathematic computations is always evolving. To combat this, Dr. Bernice Kastner has published a new book titled, The Role of Language in Teaching Children Math, which serves to identify and resolve the problem associated with the language of traditional mathematics and the obstacle it creates for students.

Having three children go through the traditional schooling system while obtaining her doctorate in Mathematics Education, Kastner felt very close to this matter: “During this time, I again taught at the post-secondary level, including at a community college where I became deeply involved in the remediation efforts needed for students whose math background had not prepared them to succeed at the college level.” Understanding the importance of the critical thinking associated with mathematical computations, Kastner has taken it upon herself to resolve this issue at its source. A captivating and thought-provoking resource for understanding the obstacles students face today with the current language of mathematics,
Bernice Kastner’s new book is sure to raise eyebrows among mathematical as well as educational contemporaries across the globe.

The Role of Language in Teaching Children Math, published by Austin Macauley, will be released on February 28th, 2019. Price: $7.95, ISBN: 9781641825429. It is available in Amazon, Barnes & Noble as well as other bookstores around the country. Advance review copies are available upon request. For more information, please visit: www.austinmacauley.com/us.

About Author: Dr. Bernice Kastner received her BS Honors in Mathematics and Physics from McGill University in Montreal. She is a professor emeritus of Towson University, having received her Ph.D. in Math Education from the University of Maryland. Dr. Kastner has developed curriculum for Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Montgomery College, the University of Maryland, and other universities.

Moby Biography

Artist DJ Moby on Stage

You may not recognize the name Richard Melville Hall, but you likely do know his stage name, Moby. Famous for songs such as “Go” and “South Side,” Hall revolutionized techno music. Today, he still brings his deep vocals and musical skill into all the songs he writes and produces. 

Moby’s Early Years

Born in New York City on September 11, 1965 and raised in Darien, CT, Moby developed an interest in music at a young age. He quickly learned to play piano and guitar. The great-great grandnephew of author Herman Melville, he picked up the moniker “Moby” as a child. The nickname would become a fitting stage name as he entered the music industry. His first foray into performance as a teenager was with a hardcore punk band called The Vatican Commandos and a brief stint singing with the band, Flipper. He also formed a post punk group called AWOL around the same time.

In 1983, Moby graduated from Darien High School. Despite his drive to play music, he let his head guide him after graduation. He attended the University of Connecticut to pursue a philosophy degree. Although he enjoyed working at the campus radio station, WHUS, he grew restless at the university and transferred to the State University of New York at Purchase to study philosophy and photography. He soon found himself less interested in his studies and more interested in his music. He left college in 1984 to focus on his love for electronic music.

In 1989, he moved to New York City. While working as a nightclub DJ, he released several EPs and singles for the independent record label, Instinct. It wasn’t long after that the world started to take note of this new talent.

Moby’s Rise to the Top

Moby’s song, “Go,” became a top 10 hit on the British charts in 1991. The fame that accompanied this success garnered the attention of acts such as The Pet Shop Boys, Michael Jackson, The B-52s, Depeche Mode, Erasure, Brian Eno, and Orbital, all of whom commissioned him to remix songs for them.

Moby’s first full-length album, “Moby,” was released in 1992. At this time, he was performing at raves and parties, building a following of music lovers entranced by the driving, hypnotic rave techno pulse of his music.

Moby’s Singles, Records, and Labels

In 1993, Moby signed a record deal with Mute in the U.K. and Elektra in the U.S. Unfortunately, his first label, Instinct, continued releasing music without his cooperation. However, his first EP, “Move,” debuted with both Mute and Elektra finding success on both labels. His first full-length album under his new labels, “Everything Is Wrong,” came out in the spring of 1995. His next album, “Animal Rights,” debuted in 1996, and Moby released “The End of Everything” under the name Voodoo Child on Trophy Records, his sub-label under Mute.

In 1999, his album, “Play,” hit the charts and went double platinum in the U.S. It also hit number one in the U.K. Subsequent albums include “18,” released in 2002, “Hotel” in 2005, “Last Night” in 2008, “Wait For Me” in 2009, “Destroyed” in 2011, and “Destroyed Remixed” in 2012. Overview of Moby’s music.

The Next Step After Success

Moby’s music, already a stable in Hollywood’s soundtracks, found its way into film. The documentary, Almost Home (2014), featured concert footage from three shows at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles from the album, “Innocents,” which he released in October of 2013, but he stayed true to his roots by continually working on his music and transforming himself. 2005’s “Hotel” included a bonus disc called Hotel Ambient. In 2014, Moby also released an expanded edition of this disc.

The next step for Moby was the release of a free download, called “Long Ambients 1: Calm. Sleep.” Later, in 2015, he formed a collaborative with other musicians called Moby and The Void Pacific Choir. In 2016, he wrote a book to accompany a two-disc collection. The book, called Porcelain: A Memoir was about his life in the 1990s. You can read about some sleeping tips here or read more about Moby’s Long Ambients 1 & 2 on his official website.  The Mirror reported the Ambients first.

Despite the success of his memoir, Moby didn’t neglect studio time. He and the Void Pacific Choir released “These Systems Are Failing” in 2016 and “More Fast Songs About the Apocalypse” in 2017. In March of 2018, “Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt,” Moby’s fifteenth studio album, was released. Its intriguing title comes from the Kurt Vonnegut novel, Slaughterhouse Five. His most recent release is “Long Ambients 2,” which debuted in 2019. Moby is one of the few artists that allow non-profit filmmakers to use some of his music for their needs.  

Life Outside of Music

Like most other musicians, Moby lives on both coasts. Moby lived in New York City from 1989 to 2010. That year, he moved to the Hollywood Hills, but he couldn’t leave the Big Apple completely. He keeps an apartment in Little Italy in NYC. His first home in LA was a castle called Wolf’s Lair. After four years there, he sold the home and moved to the Los Feliz neighborhood.

Moby finds an escape from stress in meditation, having practiced the disciplines of Metta, Vipassana, and transcendentalism. As a boy, Moby had a pet cat named Tucker. His love for this animal inspired him to become a vegetarian in 1984. Then, in 1987, he realized he would never want to cause harm to any animal and became vegan. He is involved in animal rights campaigns to this day, working with the Humane Society, Best Friends, and Farm Sanctuary – all organizations committed to the rights and protections of animals.

Moby’s big heart doesn’t just stop with helping animals. Other charities and non-profit organizations that Moby has been involved with include MoveOn.org, Amend.org, Institute for Music and Neurologic Function, Songs for Tibet, and Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

Outside of music, Moby has always had an affinity for the art of photography. In 2010, he displayed some of his work at the Brooklyn Museum and the Clic Gallery in New York City. Until then, he had kept his work private. Along with his “Destroyed” album in 2010, he released a photography book of pictures taken during his 2010 “Wait for Me” tour. In the fall of 2014, he exhibited “Innocents,” a photographic collection at the Fremin Gallery. This show featured large-scale photographs with a post-apocalyptic theme.

Photography isn’t his only passion. Writing has also been a fulfilling practice for Moby. In 2010, he worked with animal rights activist, Miyun Park, to release Gristle: From Factory Farms to Food Safety (Thinking Twice About the Meat We Eat). It is a collection of essays regarding the consequences of factory farming. In addition to his memoir published in 2016, he published, Then It Fell Apart, in 2019. This book is a follow-up the Porcelain: A Memoir, and covers his life from 1999-2009.

It is clear that Richard Melville Hall, or Moby, as we all know him, has led a life of varied interests and fascinating works of music and art. His love for animals and his determination to make the world a better place both admirable and inspiring. His music is sure to keep us dancing for generations to come, but his words will stay in our minds – and maybe change our hearts.

Nurali Aliyev: Snow Leopard Foundation

Nurali Aliyev

Snow leopards are some of the most majestic creatures in the world, but with fewer than 400 left in the wild, massive conservation efforts are needed to preserve the species. Nurali Aliyev’s valiant work with the Snow Leopard Foundation is helping support the snow leopard population living in Kazakhstan, encouraging population growth through studying animal behavior and raising awareness for conservation efforts.

Snow Leopard Facts

The snow leopard, often referred to as the ounce, is a large cat that is exclusive to the alpine areas of South and Central Asia. The IUCN Red List classifies it as a vulnerable species because the estimated number of living snow leopards is less than 10,000 adult individuals worldwide, with a projected 10% population reduction by 2040. Poaching and habitat damage brought on by infrastructure developments are its biggest threats. They live in alpine and subalpine regions at heights of 3,000-4,500 m or 9,800-14,800 ft. Snow Leopards also inhabit lower elevations in the northern portion of their habitat near Kazakhstan and western Mongolia.

History of the Snow Leopard Foundation

The Snow Leopard Foundation was established to aid in the preservation of Kazakhstan’s snow leopard populations. In February 2018, businessman, philanthropist, and public personality Mr. Nurali Aliyev of Kazakhstan formed this organization. The foundation’s goal is to support the recovery of the snow leopard population in Kazakhstan by protecting and preserving it through diligent research and population studies. By promoting snow leopard reproduction in nurseries and reintroducing them to their native environment once matured, the Snow Leopard Foundation helps build wild snow leopard populations while finding out what factors are harming their population numbers in the wild.

What Has Been Done To Help Kazakhstan’s Snow Leopards?

Preserving the snow leopard populations within its borders is one of the Government of Kazakhstan’s top priorities. During the past several years, The Republic has sponsored a variety of events to promote the protection of these unique species. Both creating a National Action Plan for the Protection of the Snow Leopards (2015) and the Snow Leopard Retention Strategy (2011) have been used to encourage more research and national strategy development for snow leopard preservation.

Why Protect Snow Leopards?

The snow leopard represents Kazakhstan as an independent nation, providing a strong yet powerful symbol that reflects the attitude and perseverance of the country. Just 110–130 Snow Leopards lived in Kazakhstan in 2014, according to research by the Zoology Institute in the Ministry of Education and Science. The number of snow leopards in Kazakhstan fell by more than 40% in less than 25 years. Mr. Aliyev decided to focus his efforts on the preservation of these exquisite creatures’ habitats and population numbers as a result.

Aliyev’s Kingdom of Snow Leopard

In 2019, Nurali Aliyev hosted a gala for the Snow Leopard Foundation to raise global awareness of Kazakhstan’s snow leopard population and conservation efforts. Guests and public figures from around the world came out to support Aliyev’s efforts, including Actor Adrien Brody, Swedish explorer Johan Nilson, Wang Dezhi from Jack Ma’s Paradise International Foundation, and Gatsby Milutin from the Albert II Prince of Monaco Foundation, and Aliyev himself personally invited all.

In his remarks at the event, Nurali Aliyev acknowledged that he had been thinking about the foundation for some time before making the critical choice to set up the system which could bring back the snow leopard population in Kazakhstan for the foreseeable future. The snow leopard represents Kazakhstan as an independent nation. Yet, he noted that in less than 25 years, the number of these creatures in Kazakhstan fell by more than 40%. The Snow Leopard Foundation, according to Aliyev, will be the first foundation in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) to re-establish the snow leopard population. (View Snow Leopards on the Nurali Aliyev Flickr)

The goal of the Foundation over the years is to protect and conserve snow leopards, especially by tracking populations and monitoring extinction rates. Using the collected data, the Snow Leopard Foundation expects that this research will provide more insight into the problems affecting wild snow leopard populations. Scientists from the Center for Snow Leopard Preservation will assist with the initiative. Alexei Grachov, head of Kazakhstan’s Institute of Zoology’s Mammalogy section, who had devoted his creative work to studying snow leopards, declared that the Snow Leopard Foundation’s activities would follow a rigorously scientific methodology. Snow leopards do not recognize state lines, according to Aliyev, who also urged several nations to help their conservation efforts through collective action due to their shared habitat of these animals.

Following the evening’s festivities, a charity auction was held, featuring the drawing of several exclusive prizes, including boxing gloves signed by Gennady Golovkin, a bicycle signed by Alexander Vinokourov, a two-day trip to Dubai with accommodations at a five-star hotel including a luxury dinner by Bulldozer Group, a trip to South Africa with renowned traveler Johan Nilson, an exclusive watch by Jacob Arabo donated by his company Jacobs and Co., and two trips to Monaco. All proceeds directly benefited the Snow Leopard Foundation.

Nurali Aliyev at the UEFA Club with the Trophies. 2018. Photo by Instagram.
Nurali Aliyev at the UEFA Club with the Trophies. 2018.
Photo by Instagram.

Nurali Aliyev’s Other Charitable Work

Aliyev participates in several charitable organizations and foundations alongside his professional activities. This includes his position as a member of the “Ana yui” public fund’s board of trustees. Aliyev also supported the “Mother’s House” charitable initiative. The goal of this project was to give disadvantaged women a safe home, especially those who were unsupported during their pregnancies or mistreated by their husbands. In the towns of Uralsk, Karaganda, and Almaty, several “Mother’s Houses” have been made possible thanks to Aliyev’s financial support. In addition, Aliyev is the creator of the private charitable fund ZHANARTU. He contributed to the creation of a university course at the Bang College of Business at KIMEP University through this foundation. Aliyev’s charitable work with various foundations across Kazakhstan helps support his work with the Snow Leopard Foundation. His dedication to these causes and open support of these issues reflects not only a love for Kazakhstan but also his commitment to all living beings in the country. With more research, analysis, education, and conservation efforts, Aliyev’s commitment to supporting Kazakhstan’s snow leopards is strengthened by his noble work with the Snow Leopard Foundation.

Photos provided by Instagram

Dr. James Andrews: A Pioneer in Sports Medicine (Biography)

Dr James Andrews Biography

Dr. James Andrews was born May 2nd, 1942 in the small town of Homer, Louisiana. After graduating from high school, he attended Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana where he earned his undergraduate and medical degrees. While attending Louisiana State University, Andrews was a track and field athlete, competing in pole vaulting events. During his junior year, Andrews won a Southeastern Conference Championship in pole vaulting, with a jump of 15’ 1 ½”.

Andrews’ passion for sports and medicine came from two important male influences in his life. His father, Rhueben, coached not only football but also track and field in Homer, Louisiana, and instilled in him a love for sports. Andrew’s grandfather was James Nolen and was known as a healer in his time, distributing different balms and remedies to those who needed or requested them. 

After graduating from Louisiana State University, Andrews completed his residency at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana. Once he completed his residency, he went on to complete fellowships at both the University of Virginia School of Medicine and the University of Lyon in Lyon, France. In 1973 he began working with Dr. Jack Hughston in Columbus, Georgia, who is notable for being one of the founding fathers of modern sports medicine. 

Andrews decided to specialize in orthopedics because he aspired to become the doctor for a sports team. Primarily, he has performed surgeries on the shoulder, elbow, and knee joints, and specializes in the repair of injured and damaged ligaments. The beginning of Andrews’ rise to sports medicine fame arrived on a day in 1986 when Roger Clemens’s agent contacted Andrews for a second opinion about Clemens, who had been having shoulder pains. Clemens’s fastball had been losing speed, and it was only his second year playing for the Red Sox. Andrews had been working with and treating players in the minor leagues in the area and had been using innovative techniques and state-of-the-art equipment. 

When Clemens arrived, Andrews treated him with minor arthroscopic surgery. This surgery was cutting-edge and revolutionary to the sports medicine of the time. Andrews continued to treat Clemens and led him through his rehabilitation. Andrews also spent time educating Clemens on special exercises to help to build and maintain the strength of his shoulder muscles. After a few short months, Clemens went on to set a record of 20 strikeouts against the Seattle Mariners. 

This one moment cemented Andrews’s abilities in sports medicine, and soon word got out that Dr. James Andrews was the man to see. Clemens’s word-of-mouth campaign led many more to Andrews’s door, and shortly after this, Andrews began helping some of the biggest names in sports. More than just baseball players sought Dr. Andrews’s care — he saw golf, football, and basketball stars too. Names like Bo Jackson, Charles Barkley, Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, Jack Nicklaus, Emmitt Smith, Michael Jordan, Drew Brees, Brett Favre, and Adrian Peterson traveled to see the famous Dr. Andrews. 

Late in the 1980s, Andrews left the City of Columbus, Georgia, and began his own practice in Birmingham, Alabama. In 1996, he co-founded the American Sports Medicine Institute with Dr. Lawrence Lemak, another doctor who specialized in orthopedic medicine and surgery. In 2005, Andrews created a new practice after working with Lemak. This was called the Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center.

NFL players of all teams receive treatment from Andrews at his clinic in Alabama, and even during a health scare in 2005, Andrews answered his phone when another injury call came through. He prides himself on being accessible at all times. He always returns calls, preferring a phone conversation to email. 

Not only is Andrews’s name second to none in sports medicine, but he also loves sports, spending time getting to know the athletes who step into his clinic and helping them to continue performing at their best. His focus on athlete-centered care has kept him notable in his field.

The American Sports Medicine Institute, which was co-founded by Andrews in 1986 is a non-profit organization. Its mission is to learn more about sports-related injuries in order to better understand them, prevent them, and treat them. The Institute commits itself to education based on technology, research, and the circulation of the information they find. 

Now in his 80th year, James Andrews resides, and still practices, in Gulf Breeze, Florida with his wife of many years, Janelle. Throughout his career, Andrews has changed all of sports medicine, and pioneered the practice of arthroscopic surgery, which uses a minimally invasive technique to operate on the joint. Andrews continues to practice to this day, a pioneer in the orthopedic medicine field, performing up to 50 surgeries per week.

Andrews is currently the team doctor for the Tampa Bay Rays, the Washington Commanders, and the Auburn Tigers. 

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

New Study to Map Flu Virus in Seattle for Current Flu Season

It is the Seattle Flu Season

SEATTLE – January 22, 2019 – Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine (BBI) today announced the launch of the Seattle Flu Study (SFS) to better understand how influenza and other contagious diseases spread and to gather information about how they might be better detected, monitored and controlled. The SFS will recruit 10,000 Seattle residents and visitors who show influenza-like symptoms in the current flu season to create a first-of-its-kind citywide network for early detection and tracking of influenza.

Volunteers who agree to participate at one of the study’s designated kiosks will be asked to provide a simple nasal swab as well as basic personal and health information to facilitate project analysis. Pathogens found in the samples will undergo genetic sequencing and be compared genetically and geographically to better understand how illnesses spread throughout the community.

The following kiosk sites are open:

  • University of Washington Hall Health Center, 4060 East Stevens Way University of Washington Campus
  • University of Washington Magnuson Health Sciences Center, 1959 NE Pacific St.
  • University of Washington Husky Union Building, 4001 E Stevens Way NE
  • UW Medicine Pioneer Square Clinic, 206 Third Ave. S
  • St. Martin’s De Porres Shelter, 1561 Alaskan Way S
  • Hutch Kids Child Care Center, 1210 Valley St.

“A century after the great flu pandemic that sickened one third of the world’s population and killed more than 50 million people, influenza remains a potent threat to global health,” said Dr. Trevor Bedford, Fred Hutch’s research and lead data scientist for the study. “The Seattle Flu Study will provide a more detailed understanding than we have today of how the flu virus spreads, allowing us to develop guidance and tools to curb or even prevent transmission.”

Dr. Helen Chu, lead clinician of the study added, “Our hope is the study will also help inform efforts by public health officials to prepare for potential pandemic threats.”

SFS is made possible by the unique cooperation between the Brotman Baty Institute’s co-founders at UW Medicine, Seattle Children’s and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

“BBI was created for projects like these that demand deeper levels of cooperation between Seattle’s major research institutions,” said Dr. Jay Shendure, Scientific Director of the Brotman Baty Institute and professor of genome sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine. “Together, we are making real strides in precision medicine research and public health.”

To find out more about the study, visit the Seattle Flu Study website or read frequently asked questions about the study.

A map of Seattle Flu Study kiosk locations is here. The kiosk sites will run through the conclusion of the current flu season, approximately at the end of April.

ABOUT THE BROTMAN BATY INSTITUTE

The Brotman Baty Institute combines the research strengths and capabilities of UW Medicine, Fred Hutch and Seattle Children’s to accelerate both the basic sciences of precision medicine and the delivery of benefits to patients. For more information, visit the Brotman Baty Institute online at https://brotmanbaty.org.

Elyes Gabel – Actor, Musician, Philanthropist

Elyes Gabel

From Game of Thrones to the TV drama Scorpion, Elyes Gabel has been an incredible presence on screen and on stage with roles in productions like West Side Story and Diary of Anne Frank. Born in the United Kingdom and spending some of his youth in Canada, Gabel believes in exploring the stories of humankind. As an award-winning actor, director, musician, and philanthropist, he thrives on the artistry behind understanding human behavior, human survival, and how humans protect themselves inwardly and outwardly. At only 40 years old, this accomplished entertainer has made his mark in his industry and in his impact on others.

His birthday is May 8th 1983 and he was born in London. [additional details]

A Diverse Acting Career

Gabel’s first role came in 2001 on the BBC Medical drama Casualty. He knew acting was what he wanted to do, so he dropped out of school and earned a recurring role on the sitcom I Love Mummy, in which he played Pharaoh Prince Nuffratuti and had to complete tasks to reach the afterlife. These and a series of other small roles earned him a 2005 nomination for Most Popular Newcomer at the National Television Awards. View TV Shows.

Between 2003 and 2009, Gabel put his acting skills to work on the stage. He trained at the Oldham Theatre Workshop, the Northern Kids Theatre Company, and several others until he was 18. He then used the skills he learned in several productions around London, including Fragile Land, Headstone, and Shades.

In 2008, he reached the big screen in Boogeyman 3. While this film may not have been a box office smash, it certainly opened doors for this aspiring star. Gabel landed a big break when he played a recurring role in what would become one of HBO’s greatest successes, Game of Thrones. But his biggest breakout would come in 2014 when he landed a major role on the CBS drama Scorpion. This role saw him honored with accolades from within the industry. As the show’s creator once said, “Gabel was able to play the difficulty of expressing emotion while being emotional.” This confirmed for Gabel why his artistry was so important to him because he could capture human experience.

In 2019, he was turned into a superhero by becoming the voice of Star Boy/Star Man in DC Entertainment’s Justice League vs. the Fatal Five. His latest acting credit is in Apple TV+’s 2022 series False Flag in a role that returns him to his roots as a British citizen.

Music From His Soul

Not only is his passion for the human experience a part of his acting, but it is a part of his music. He has loved music since the first time he picked up a ukulele as a boy in Canada. Eventually, this led him to play the guitar which helped him to discover the rawness that music can provide as a window to the inside of a person. He believes that music is the space where a person’s soul is discovered in authenticity.

While his music career has been dotted with successful covers and originals created and performed with his fellow co-stars throughout his acting career, he has also produced his own original music. In February 2023, one of his most powerful songs was released, LACUNA. The song was also reported in The Emerald City Journal. The song began as a casual interaction on the guitar while in Joshua Tree State Park. It eventually became an expression of himself that allowed him to refill his soul and rediscover how he truly felt inside.

His music is readily available on YouTube, where audiences worldwide can experience the soul-inspiring music that has not only helped shape Gabel but also connects people.

Honoring His Grandmother

When Gabel was a teenager, his Grandmother tragically passed away from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). To Gabel, she was the epitome of family and the glue that held everyone together. He favorably recalls times when he would visit his Grandmother. Her home would be filled with love, acceptance, and laughter, but also always had a level of decorum and an expectation to do what was right.

As her disease became more aggressive, he and the other members of his family took greater notice and knew that she would need additional care. It became more difficult for her to speak, and shortly after leaving for college at the age of 16, Gabel’s Grandmother passed. Her passing profoundly impacted his life, and he knew he wanted to dedicate his time to helping those with ALS and those with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Elyes Gabel has been an active member of the ALS Association Golden West Chapter and has helped raise awareness and funding to support the work of the ALS Association along with other celebrities.

In addition to Gabel’s ALS work, he also advocates for many different philanthropic movements. In 2005, he participated in the annual BBC telethon, Children in Need. Gabel has also been an advocate for Autism awareness. He has participated in fundraising for the United States Tennis Association Foundation, which seeks to help resourced youth, those with disabilities, wounded and ill veterans and their families, and current service members with educational opportunities. He has also participated in the Cerebral Palsy Celebrity Poker Tournament sponsored by the One Step Closer Foundation, which is a non-profit charitable organization that helps those impacted by Cerebral Palsy and other disabilities.

The Heart, the Mind, and the Soul

While a recognizable face on the screen or a familiar voice on the airwaves, Elyes Gabel has what every other person on earth has, a story. His story is one of drive, passion, and respect for the human experience. Whether learning a new set of lines for his latest acting role, bringing out the best on his set, writing a song to fill the soul, or taking time to help others in need, Gabel believes there is a connection between us all and our stories are made up of all our experiences. People matter, and Gabel strives to capture the essence of people in every way possible, offering pieces of his soul to help fill the souls of his audience.

On May 5th 2023, Elyes Gabel released a teaser called, Game Show Hurt featuring a character named “Tony”.

What Happened To Elyes Gabel?

He continues to work on his own productions and music. There was an accident during his career, however. Shortly after completing “Body of Proof,” Gabel had an unfortunate accident, falling through a glass table. As anticipated, this mishap led to significant injuries that necessitated medical care. Seeking prompt treatment, Elyes Gabel received 40 stitches to mend the lacerations on his face. If you look closely, you can still see the scars today. This incident occurred in Los Angeles, the filming location for the ABC show. The show was eventually cancelled May 10th, 2013 after three seasons and 42 episodes.

1 … 14 15 16 17 18 … 36
Go to Top