Category Archives: Freedom

The State Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany Cornelia Pieper aching teeth. She said in the latest interview of the German radio station Deutsche Welle. This problem is exacerbated by the Minister was in Russia over the members of punk band Pussy Riot.

In an interview with Piper said literally the following: Yes, just now we have seen Court in Russia over the girls from punk band. They do not actually committed any crimes, they rightly expressed what everyone knows: in Russia there is no freedom of speech, freedom of opinion, freedom of art and culture. I have such a development in Russia is causing toothache. This is unacceptable .

Probably from the point of view of the Minister of culture in Germany is all right if the graduates of German universities, undergraduate liberal arts, homegrown philosophers can seamlessly play the accordion and singing songs in the mosques of Munich Tyrol or dance Cancan in Hamburgs kirches. But even with the freedom of art and culture in this country? Let the Piper tries to sing in the Philharmonic Hall, the stadium or, in extreme cases, in the nearest pub, the first two verses For the Germans (Deutschland ber alles)-anthem of modern Germany. By the way, the official ban on this no. However, with the post of Minister, it would have to, of course, to say goodbye. Or let it tries in any public place to execute the Horst Wessel (irreproachable from the point of view of the musical harmonies work). Immediately- 86a of the German Penal Code! And what will we, freedom of scientific research in the country on the subject of Holocaust revisionism? Therefore, the word culture means that the German Minister somehow with a Pussy Riot clue-frame, leaving behind that simply cannot be or indecent. Sometimes the State is beyond repair, they resemble or refer to. All this is called cultural policy.

Minister Pieper thinks about Russia-old stereotypes of their world. With great certainty we can say that even great-grandfather Pieper self-righteously believed that in the East, in Russia, there is no freedom of expression or freedom of culture and art. Thought and Grandpa Pieper, performing a civilizational mission, somewhere in the trenches of Stalingrad. Thats why something just art and culture in Russia despite all Piperam then were. Yes, another level! Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy This list, great-granddaughter of the Russian language, which of course, can continue because it is competent in this matter. And were they, i.e., culture and art, because both times and there were some tradition, religion and the right to crisp cultural framework that you can do and what-not. Here are some in modern Russia and Maraty Gelmany (the name of the Legion), this framework is overcome and destroy it. But without them, as it turns out, disappear and the culture, and the arts.

Cornelia Pieper-Liberal, a member of the free democratic party of Germany (Fdp). She is fluent in English and follows developments in Russia, as it States on the originals. She believes that cultural policy is in fact and assimilation of basic values . In a democratic society should be more freedom, she added. Under the latter, as the interview, she understood the dances and scrap sin the new barbarians in churches and museums among the ruins of a great culture.

Since June, 2012 to June 2013, the cultural Year in Russia is Germany under the slogan Germany and Russia: building the future together. The German Liberals in the Government of Angela Merkel, as it turns out now, aching teeth. They are sore because Russia. Then liberals suffer migraines because of the Ukraine, which wants to, but not the EU. They constantly dreaming that the EU does not want to and cannot, and from this they again chronic insomnia. All these and many other invented chronic internal and external diseases at the party leadership and the Party of free Democrats in 2013, the 5% barrier to overcome is not getting to the Bundestag. So stop the trial in Moscow, punk rock girl, ease the suffering of the German Minister-liberal! Because she is so afraid of dentistry

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Freedom or Sin, “the new barbarians”: Pussy Riot sparked a toothache from Ministers in Germany

By: STAFF REPORTS | Morganton News Herald Published: August 11, 2012 Updated: August 11, 2012 - 6:50 PM

The Freedom High boys soccer program will play host to county rival Patton and a total of six teams from outside Burke County in the 15th annual Freedom Invitational, which will take place Monday through Thursday at the Catawba River Soccer Complex (CRSC).

One of the longest-running tournaments in western North Carolina, 2012 marks the 13th consecutive year that CRSC hosts the event. Games start on two fields at 5 and 7 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.

Patton and Alexander Central meet Monday at 5 p.m., while Freedom opens the event against South Caldwell at 7 on Monday.

Overtime periods will not be played, but ties will be broken by penalty kick shootouts for the purpose of declaring an overall champion. Wednesday and Saturday have been designated as makeup dates in the case of inclement weather.

An 12-member all-tournament team will be named, along with three individual awards: outstanding defensive player, outstanding attacking player and overall most valuable player.

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Freedom soccer tourney set for 15th season

August 10, 2012 - Frontier League (FL) Florence Freedom Avon, OH-The Florence Freedom(41-35) put together a fourteen hit attack and registered a 9-3 win over the Lake Erie Crushers(42-34)on a chilly Friday night at All Pro Freight Stadium.

Freedom starter Brent Choban(1-1) earned his first pro victory by pitching 6 strong innings of 8 hit baseball while striking out two. The only runs he gave up was a three run double in the 6th to Daniel Bowman with the Freedom already leading at the time 9-0.

The Freedom built a 3-0 advantage against Crusher starter Eric Gonzalez(6-7) in the 3rd. Kyle Bluestein led off the inning with a single. Two batters later it was David Harris belting his 9th homerun of the season to put the Freedom ahead 2-0. Junior Arrojo who reached on an error also scored on a wild pitch in the inning.

The Freedom then put the game out of reach in the 5th. The Freedom did all of their scoring with two outs in the inning. Peter Fatse drew a walk, later stole second and scored on an RBI single by Eddie Rodriguez to make it 4-0. Then Jim Jacquot came through with an RBI single to push the lead to 5-0. John Malloy followed with a two run single for a 7-0 advantage. Bluestein and Harris also added RBI singles in the inning to give the Freedom a commanding 9-0 lead.

Harris finished the game 2-4 with 3 RBI, while Bluestein and Drew Rundle each had three hits apiece.

The Freedom and Crushers continue their series Saturday night as Florence will send LHP Andres Caceres(7-3, 4.21) to the mound. The Crushers will counter with RHP Pat Arnold(3-2,3.79) The game can be heard starting at 6:50 on Real Talk 1160 AM and realtalk1160.com.

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Freedom Dominate Crushers in Series Opening Win

Now that pianist Leif Ove Andsnes is in his 40s, he's told himself that it's time to "grow up" and immerse himself in Beethoven. This comes at the same time that he's immersing himself in the life of his daughter Sigrid, now 2.

For Andsnes, seeing the world through Beethoven's eyes is one thing, but seeing it through the eyes of a child is something else altogether.

"I notice a kind of willingness to look for the childlike beauty in things," Andsnes said. That's something new for the pianist. He says he also feels a new kind of freedom, knowing that after a concert, "if things didn't go that well, there are more important things in life ... and sometimes that brings freedom to the music-making."

For this Fraser Studio performance at WGBH, Andsnes takes a break from Beethoven, bringing a few sparkling miniatures including the Spanish Dance No. 5 by Enrique Granados, which he used to play when he was a small boy. He also plays the three elegant waltzes, Op. 70 by Chopin. They are miniatures, too, layered with intimacy while posing as salon entertainment. These jewels must be especially attractive now for Andsnes as he endures a massive, 150-city, four-year Beethoven project.

But for Andsnes, even in the small jewels, it's the depth that pulls him in; it's about finding and exposing the drama. I was reminded of pianist Marc-Andr Hamelin's description of a car ride with Andsnes. It was a trip across Norway to the seaside village of Risr with Andsnes at the wheel, gleefully pulling over for surprise waterfalls and sudden, breathtaking visions of the Norwegian mountains. It may be a slightly stretched metaphor, but in the same sort of way, Andsnes lights up the drama in the little Spanish waltz without veering off and losing his direction.

When it comes to Chopin, Andsnes plays with a warm, full-blooded approach: no secret undercurrents, no random shifts in tempo or temperament. He's focused on the flow and nature of the waltz more than on the myriad indulgent things that one might do to a waltz with a piano.

While Beethoven and Leif Ove Andsnes make their way around the world, he's discovered another thing since turning 40: "I am getting more and more sure of the fact that I cannot move away from Norway."

That strong sense of home seems to deepen Andsnes in every way. You can tell in the tenderness and detail he brings to his final selection: the March, Op. 54, No. 2 from fellow Norwegian Edvard Grieg.

Video production by Greg Shea, WGBH

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Leif Ove Andsnes: Fatherhood And Freedom At The Piano

9 August 2012 Last updated at 08:43 ET

Calls have been made for Olympic gold medal winner Andy Murray to be given the Freedom of Stirling.

Dunblane's MSP, Keith Brown, has written to Stirling Council asking them to consider giving the tennis player the honour.

He congratulated the 25-year-old on his victory over Roger Federer at the London games, calling it a fantastic result.

He said everyone in Dunblane would be proud of the victory.

Mr Brown said: "It's been a hundred years since any member of Team GB has won a singles gold in tennis at the Olympics and I am delighted that Andy's hard work and training has paid off and resulted in double medal success.

"This is an achievement which should be recognised locally and I have written to Stirling Council to ask them to consider giving Andy the Freedom of the City."

A spokesperson for Stirling Council said the authority was considering the request.

Andy Murray's victory has already been commemorated in Dunblane, the Royal Mail have painted a post box gold to honour the occasion.

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Freedom of Stirling for Murray?

8 August 2012 Last updated at 13:36 ET

Team GB's cycling director has been offered the freedom of a Derbyshire borough in recognition of his achievements at London 2012.

Dave Brailsford, who lives in Ilkeston, has been credited with masterminding the cycling team's 12 medals at the Olympics.

The honour also recognises his role in Bradley Wiggins's Tour de France win.

Erewash Borough Council has only ever presented the award once, to the Mercian Regiment in 2007.

Councillor Chris Corbett, the leader of the authority, said: "On behalf of all the residents of Erewash, we want to show Dave how proud we are of his and his team's success.

"A freedom of the borough award is very rarely bestowed on anyone and must only be awarded to someone who has achieved something outstanding."

If Mr Brailsford, who was born in Derby but grew up in north Wales, accepted the honour he will receive an ornate scroll and casket and a medal.

Mr Corbett said he expected unanimous support for the move when it goes to a vote at a meeting in October.

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Freedom honour for GB cycle coach

A critical time for freedom

A Freedom of Information Act is pending in Parliament, and this week may be a critical time for it. Some voices in the government oppose the bill, which is no surprise. Governments everywhere love secrecy. Too often, public officials regard their offices as private possessions and forget they merely hold those offices in trust for the public.The same is true of government information. Some officials treat it as personal information, but it should be available to the public, with few exceptions. The exceptions in freedom-of-information laws are critical to their passage, enforcement and effectiveness. Some critics of Botswana's proposed law want absolute exceptions, to prohibit any release of certain categories of information, or to exempt entire parts of the government from the law. This would be unwise, in my view. The best freedom-of-information laws have strong, clear principles but enough flexibility to allow release of information that is in the public interest.

The term "public interest" has also drawn complaints that it is not defined in the bill, and thus would generate litigation. These critics do not appear to understand how good freedom-of-information laws work. They almost always involve a balancing of interests: citizens' right to know how government is working (or not working) on their behalf; the personal privacy interests of individuals; and the government's need for secrecy in a few, limited areas such as national security. There is public interest in all of these, and trying to define it in a statute would be problematic, like saying how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.

The courts, and administrative offices that hear appeals short of court action, generally do a good job of sorting out and balancing these interests, and defining the public interest case by case. No law can be completely definitive, and one that revolves around definitions of the public interest needs an independent adjudicator who can rule quickly with little expense to the litigants. That appears to be the case in Botswana with the independent Information Commission that the Freedom of Information Act would create.

Some say Botswana needs a data-protection act before a Freedom of Information Act, but that would put the cart before the horse. The law of privacy, which is primarily a personal interest, should be subsidiary to information law, which is primarily a public interest - making government effective and responsive to the citizens. The Freedom of Information Act would protect privacy with an exemption for "unreasonable disclosure of personal information of any individual."

The Information Commission and the High Court would ultimately have to define "unreasonable," and Parliament would be free to further define it. That's the way such laws work in the state and federal governments of the US In my home state of Kentucky, the exemption is somewhat narrower, for "a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy." Our law also clearly states its basic policy: "Free and open examination of public records is in the public interest, and the exceptions ... shall be strictly construed, even though such examination may cause inconvenience or embarrassment to public officials or others." Parliament may wish to consider such language, to help guide the Commission and the High Court. Finally, some critics of the law say it is poorly drafted and not up to "international best practices," but the examples they cite are weak and flimsy, and as far as I know there are no generally accepted international standards for such laws. One reason: They are always evolving, as individual cases define their reach and application. It is impossible to define every exemption in "precise and unequivocal terms," as one critic inside the government wrote last year.

Laws are not written in stone. They can be amended, and they are interpreted by case law. No law can be perfectly drafted, and parliaments should not make the perfect the enemy of the good. Georges Clemenceau, the French journalist and prime minister, once said "War is too serious a matter to entrust to military men." Government information is too important to entrust to the government. And that is especially true in a country where government controls 80 percent of the economy. No government in the world is immune to corruption, and with this government so intertwined with the economy, Botswana seems to have more than the usual need for a Freedom of Information Act. The act would give citizens and journalists the tools to do the job they are supposed to do: cast informed votes; hold officials, ministries and institutions accountable for their performance; and keep the people informed so they are prepared to make the choices they are called upon to make in a democratic republic. Other countries have recognised this, many for a long time. One of the more recent laws was passed in the United Kingdom, and it helped lead to the recent change in government. Using the law, a reporter researched the spending by the offices of members of Parliament and found that much taxpayer money was going to PMs' private benefit. That led to the resignation of the speaker of the House of Commons and helped defeat his Labour Party in the last election.

As a long-time political reporter in the US, I enjoyed meeting with party and government officials on my visits to Botswana and Zambia. I believe the fundamentals of government and politics are pretty much the same in most democracies. Public officials and politicians want to do the right things to help the citizens, but their own political agendas can get in the way, and citizens need the tools to hold them accountable. That's why democracies need strong freedom-of-information laws that are easy for citizens to use, and to help them speak truth to power.

* Al Cross is director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, based at the University of Kentucky, and an associate professor in the university's School of Journalism and Telecommunications. He was president of the Society of Professional Journalists in 2001-02, is chair of its Government Relations Committee, and is a former member of its Ethics and International committees.

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A critical time for freedom

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Los Angeles Unified School District has been hit hard by a shrinking budget. That's especially true for many summer school, where a lot of classes have been cut. However, there is an alternative.

Class is out for the summer for L.A. County public schools. The fields are empty, but the learning continues at Foshay Learning Center. You can hear it; you can even feel it.

Welcome to Freedom School, a fun-filled energy-packed summer reading enrichment program that teaches elementary, middle and high school students a love for reading.

"When you come here it gives you a chance to let your energy out and gain energy," said student Mackenzie Burch.

Every day starts with empowering sing-a-longs to build the children's self-esteem. That's followed by a reading by a guest speaker, and then classes.

This year at least 95 percent of LAUSD summer schools were slashed because of budget woes. To help fill that void Community Coalition is operating eight of what they call "Freedom Schools" locally. It's organized by the national Children's Defense Fund program, which benefits primarily underprivileged Latino and African-American students.

Jessie Fernandez is proof the program works. Years back he was one of the children. Now he's a student leader who's also working on his bachelor's degree.

"It's doubly fulfilling and meaningful for me to be able to come back and provide an alternative positive model of education," said Fernandez.

Mackenzie Burch invites all to join her.

"They could learn and they probably wouldn't know that they were learning," she said. "They would probably just be having fun."

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Freedom School offers alternative to budget-slashed LAUSD summer school

Public release date: 6-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Nathan Hurst hurstn@missouri.edu 573-882-6217 University of Missouri-Columbia

COLUMBIA, Mo. Freedom of the press is viewed by many as a cornerstone of democracy. But can it actually help improve people's lives and make them happy? Researchers at the University of Missouri have found that citizens of countries with press freedom tend to be much happier than citizens of countries without free presses. Edson Tandoc, Jr., a doctoral student in the MU School of Journalism, says that press freedom directly predicts life satisfaction across the world.

"We already know that having reliable, objective news sources can benefit democracy, but in this study, we found that press freedom also benefits communities by helping improve the overall quality of life of citizens and, in the process, by also making them happier," Tandoc said. "People enjoy having an element of choice about where they get their news. Citizens of countries without a free press are forced to rely on the government for information, when what people really want is diversity in content where they are free to get the information they want from the source of their choosing."

Tandoc and his co-author, Bruno Takahashi from Michigan State University, analyzed data from 161 countries using a 2010 Gallup Poll evaluating happiness levels around the world. Tandoc and Takahashi compared those happiness levels with Freedom House's press freedom index which rates the level of each country's press freedom. They also examined human development statistics gathered by the United Nations as well as the Environmental Performance Index created by researchers at Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy. Tandoc found that the more press freedom a country enjoyed, the higher the levels of life satisfaction, or happiness, of its citizens tended to be.

"The road to happiness isn't direct; it is a complex path or web that includes many different influences and interrelationships," Tandoc said. "Things like improving the economy alone are insufficient for increasing happiness. Protecting press freedom is also an important component of the happiness web."

Tandoc also found that countries with higher levels of press freedom enjoyed better environmental quality and higher levels of human development, both of which also contribute to life satisfaction. He credits this to the watchdog function of the press, which helps expose corruption of all levels in a community.

"A country with a free press is expected to be more open about what is wrong in their societies and with their environments," Tandoc said. "A free press is likely to report about poor human conditions and environmental degradation, bringing problems to the attention of decision-makers. It should not come as a surprise, therefore, that press freedom is positively related to both environmental quality and human development."

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This study was published in the Social Indicators Research journal and presented at the International Communication Association 2012 conference in Phoenix.

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Press freedom leads to happiness, environmental quality, MU study finds

August 6, 2012 - Frontier League (FL) Florence Freedom Florence, KY - The The Florence Freedom(40-32)swept a doubleheader from the Road Warriors Monday night with 6-1 and 5-2 wins to complete a three game sweep. The Freedom gained a whole game in the wild card race as they now trail Windy City by 1.5 games for the final playoff spot.

The Freedom got excellent starting pitching in both games as Andres Caceres threw a complete game in game one. It was the first complete game turned in by Caceres who pitched 7 innings allowing 6 hits, while striking out 4. Caceres earned his 7th win of the season which now leads the Freedom pitching staff in wins.

In the 3rd inning the Freedom broke up a scoreless game as Junior Arrojo stole home to give Florence a 1-0 lead. Later in the inning Jim Jacquot hit a two run homer to expand the lead to 3-0. It was Jacquot's 8th of the season and his second in as many games. The Freedom took advantage of some sloppy defense by the Road Warriors in the 4th. With Victor Gomez at second base, Pierre LePage layed down a sacrifice bunt which was thrown away by pitcher Greg Hendrix(0-2) allowing Gomez to score. The Freedom also got contributions from David Harris who doubled in LePage in the same inning. Arrojo capped off the scoring with his RBI single in the 5th.

Game two followed after a thirty minute break as it saw more outstanding starting pitching by the Freedom. Ian "Bull" Durham made his first professional start and he didn't disappoint. He threw five scoreless innings, allowing 5 hits while striking out a season high five to earn his first victory of the season. It also marked his first professional victory as a starter.

The Freedom got on the scoreboard in the 4th, thanks to the help of a few fielding errors by the Road Warriors. Stephen Cardullo opened up the inning with a single. John Malloy then executed a sac bunt. Shawn Marquardt(0-2) fielded the bunt and was charged with a throwing error on a poor throw to first base. The Freedom capitalized on another error as the next batter Gomez reached on a fielding miscue by shortstop Aaron Glaum. On the error, Cardullo scored to give Florence a 1-0 lead. LePage then followed with a SAC fly to put the Freedom ahead 2-0. The Freedom went back to playing longball as Jacquot hit his second homerun of the doubleheader. It was a two run shot for Jacquot, his 9th of the year to give the Freedom a 4-0 lead. Jacquot has now homered in three straight games. The Freedom got another homerun in the 6th. Harris went deep for the third time on the homestand and his 8th of the season to make it 5-0.

The Road Warriors plated two runs in the 7th against Freedom reliever Brennan Flick. A bases loaded walk to Tanner Leighton forced home Wesley Jones to make it 5-1. Matt Kline was then brought in out of the bullpen. He got David Roney to groundout to second which scored Ryan Kaup. Kline then got Glaum to fly out on a line drive to left field to end the ballgame.

The Freedom will continue their season long twelve game homestand Tuesday night as they welcome the Windy City Thunderbolts to Florence. Windy City will feature RHP Tyson Corley(2-6, 3.65) as the Freedom will give the ball to RHP Alec Lewis(4-6, 4.36). The game can be heard starting at 6:50 with Steve Jarnicki on Real Talk 1160 AM and realtalk1160.com.

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Freedom Sweep Doubleheader from Road Warriors