Podcasts about western france

Unexpected Elements has a shake up looking into the topsy turvy world of science, all thanks to an upturned campervan in Western France.Explore why scientists are suspending rhinos from cranes, brace yourself for a quirky elementary particle that's hard to get your head around and if you love getting yourself in a tizz then fasten your seatbelts to meet one of the scientists responsible for curating the perfect theme park thrills. Professor Brendan Walker is sure to inject a scientific rush that'll make you question who you take on your next roller coaster ride.Crack open the World Service archives to delve into the curious world of cryonics, exploring the science behind preserving bodies in suspended animation.And, have wondered what your favourite music genre says about you? We'll uncover the surprising psychology behind your musical tastes.We're about to flip science on its head!Presenters: Caroline Steele, with Andrada Fiscutean and Phillys Mwatee. Producers: Harrison Lewis, with William Hornbrook, Debbie Kilbride and Noa Dowling.

De fortes précipitations ont provoqué des inondations importantes dans l'Ouest de la France, touchant des milliers de foyers et perturbant les transports.Traduction:Heavy rainfall caused major flooding in Western France, affecting thousands of households and disrupting transportation. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

AP correspondent Karen Chammas reports on flooding in Western France following storm Ivo.

Comment réussir à embarquer 4 000 collaborateurs sans lien hiérarchique direct ?Pierre Siegel, président de Best Western France, nous dévoile les coulisses de cette prouesse.Hébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

GUEST 1 OVERVIEW: Dr Alan Moran is Principal of Regulation Economics. He is a noted economist who has analysed and written extensively from a free market perspective. Alan was the Director of the Deregulation Unit at the Institute of Public Affairs from 1996 until 2014. He was previously a senior official in Australia's Productivity Commission and Director of the Commonwealth's Office of Regulation Review. Alan was educated in the UK and has a PhD in transport economics from the University of Liverpool and degrees from the University of Salford and the London School of Economics. X: @alan_john_moran   GUEST 2 OVERVIEW: Dr John Laughland is Director of Forum for Democracy International and a lecturer in political science and history at the Catholic Institute of the Vendée in Western France. He was Director of the Euroskeptic think tank European Foundation until 2008 and Director of studies at the Institute of Democracy and Cooperation in Paris until 2018. He worked at the European Parliament from 2018 to 2020. X: @john_laughland

What is the anti-capitalist game? For several decades, Jay Jordan and Isa Fremeaux of the game-changing Laboratory of Insurrectionary Imagination have been using play and games as methods of class war: from the disruptive frivolity of Reclaim the Streets marches to a Carnival Against Capitalism that shut down the London Stock Exchange; from the Climate Games that crowdsourced playful interventions against greenwashing to the Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army. On the final episode of "The Exploits of Play" we speak to Jay and Isa about their past “work” as well as their current activities, including at the ZAD: the autonomous “zone to defend” at Notre Dame de Landes, near Nantes, France, the subject of their 2021 book We Are Nature Defending Itself. Jay Jordan is co-founder of Reclaim the Streets (1995-2000) and the Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army, and co-author of We Are Everywhere: The Irresistible Rise of Global Anticapitalism (Verso, 2003) and A User's Guide to Demanding the Impossible (Minor Compositions, 2011). Isabelle Fremeaux is a popular educator and action researcher. She was formerly Senior Lecturer in Media and Cultural Studies at Birkbeck College London. Along with Jay Jordan, she is a coordinator of The Laboratory of Insurrectionary Imagination. Together, they are the authors of "We Are 'Nature' Defending Itself: Entangling Art, Activism and Autonomous Zones" from Pluto Press in 2021. That book details their role in the struggle for the ZAD: an autonomous community in Western France that for decades fought back against state repression and is today a beacon of hope for radical ecological activists in that country and around the world. For full transcript and show notes please visit weirdeconomies.com. Credits: Founder and organizer of Weird Economies: Bahar Noorizadeh Host: Max Haiven Producer: Halle Frost Sound editor: Faye Harvey Sponsor: Canada Council for the Arts

What is the anti-capitalist game? For several decades, Jay Jordan and Isa Fremeaux of the game-changing Laboratory of Insurrectionary Imagination have been using play and games as methods of class war: from the disruptive frivolity of Reclaim the Streets marches to a Carnival Against Capitalism that shut down the London Stock Exchange; from the Climate Games that crowdsourced playful interventions against greenwashing to the Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army. On the final episode of THE EXPLOITS OF PLAY we speak to Jay and Isa about their past “work” as well as their current activities, including at the ZAD: the autonomous “zone to defend” at Notre Dame de Landes, near Nantes, France, the subject of their 2021 book We Are Nature Defending Itself.Jay Jordan is co-founder of Reclaim the Streets (1995-2000) and the Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army, and co-author of We Are Everywhere: The Irresistible Rise of Global Anticapitalism (Verso, 2003) and A User's Guide to Demanding the Impossible (Minor Compositions, 2011). Isabelle Fremeaux is a popular educator and action researcher. She was formerly Senior Lecturer in Media and Cultural Studies at Birkbeck College London. Along with Jay Jordan, she is a coordinator of The Laboratory of Insurrectionary Imagination. Together, they are the authors of "We Are 'Nature' Defending Itself: Entangling Art, Activism and Autonomous Zones" from Pluto Press in 2021. That book details their role in the struggle for the ZAD: an autonomous community in Western France that for decades fought back against state repression and is today a beacon of hope for radical ecological activists in that country and around the world.For full transcript and show notes please visit weirdeconomies.com.Credits:Founder and organizer of Weird Economies: Bahar NoorizadehHost: Max HaivenProducer: Halle FrostSound editor: Faye HarveySponsor: Canada Council for the Arts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The CARACO prospective, multi-institutional, Phase III trial, among patients with newly diagnosed advanced epithelial ovarian cancer, found that lymphadenectomy should be omitted in patients with clinically negative lymph nodes, as well as those undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy and interval complete surgery. This finding from the University of Nantes was reported at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting. The researchers noted this surgical de-escalation allows significant reduction of serious post-operative morbidity After the session, Oncology Times correspondent Peter Goodwin learned about more study details from Jean-Marc Classe, MD, PhD, Professor of Surgery in the Department of Surgical Oncology in the Institut de Cancérologie de l'Ouest and Nantes University in Western France.

Dr John Laughland discusses the latest developments in the Ukraine conflict. Later, Prof. Glenn Diesen discusses the latest developments in the Ukraine conflict. GUEST 1 OVERVIEW: Dr John Laughland is Director of Forum for Democracy International and a lecturer in political science and history at the Catholic Institute of the Vendée in Western France. He was Director of the Euroskeptic think tank European Foundation until 2008 and Director of studies at the Institute of Democracy and Cooperation in Paris until 2018. He worked at the European Parliament from 2018 to 2020. X: @john_laughland https://fvdinternational.com/ GUEST 2 OVERVIEW: Prof. Glenn Diesen is a Norwegian academic and political scientist. He's professor at the University of South-Eastern Norway and an associate editor at the Russia in Global Affairs journal. Prof. Diesen's main research focus is Russian foreign policy, geoeconomics, conservatism, and Eurasian integration.      

Découvrez l'extrait de l'épisode 81 d'Hospitality Insiders, consacré au parcours de Pierre Siegel. Pierre Siegel est hôtelier et Président de Best Western France. Dans cette partie de notre conversation, il revient sur le rôle de cette fonction. Retrouvez l'intégralité de l'épisode ici.Si cet épisode vous a passionné, rejoignez-moi sur : La newsletter d'Hospitality Insiders, pour ne rien rater Linkedin, pour poursuivre la discussion Instagram, pour découvrir les coulisses Merci de votre fidélité et à bientôt !

1️⃣ Présentation de l'invité : Pierre Siegel est un hôtelier de cœur et de métier. Issu d'une famille d'hôteliers, il gère avec sa sœur deux établissements en Alsace. Son parcours professionnel est marqué par une série d'expériences enrichissantes, allant de son service militaire à des postes en Angleterre chez Novotel et Hilton. En 1999, il rejoint l'entreprise familiale, déjà affiliée à Best Western depuis 1993. Très vite, il s'investit dans les activités de la coopérative, devenant délégué de région en 2002 et administrateur en 2005. En 2022, il est élu président de Best Western France, un rôle qui lui permet de combiner ses compétences en gestion et son amour pour l'hôtellerie. Pierre nous offre, ici, une vue d'ensemble sur le fonctionnement de Best Western, une coopérative d'hôteliers indépendants. Quelles sont les particularités de cette organisation ? Comment se distingue-t-elle des chaînes hôtelières intégrées comme Accor ? Quelles sont les grandes lignes de la vision stratégique de Best Western France pour les années à venir ? Comment s'organise la formation en interne ? Quelles sont les initiatives du Groupe en matière de qualité de service, de développement durable et de marque employeur ? Vous l'entendrez les 3 valeurs (Authenticité, Engagement et Convivialité) sont totalement intégrées dans la culture d'entreprise de Best Western. 2️⃣ Notes et références : Lycée hôtelier de Strasbourg Best Western Ecole hôtelière interne EHO UMIH Scouts de France Olivier Dufit, directeur Marketing de The Originals, Human Hotels & Resorts Comment manager la génération Z en hôtellerie-restauration ? Romain Attanasio / Evan Fournier / Charlotte Bonnet / Arnaud Assoumani Le livre : "L'équilibriste" d'Eric Hubler et Philip Blanc 3️⃣ Pour contacter l'invité : Via Linkedin ou email : pierre.siegel@bestwestern.fr Cet épisode est produit en partenariat avec Best Western. Un grand merci aux équipes pour leur collaboration et leur professionnalisme. 4️⃣ Le partenaire de l'épisode : LoungeUp Découvrez LoungeUp : www.loungeup.com / contact@loungeup.com / +33 (0)1 84 16 82 20 Bénéficiez de -10% sur la première année d'abonnement, ainsi que -20% sur le paramétrage de la solution (réservé aux nouveaux clients, pour tout abonnement débutant avant juillet 2024) Pour découvrir la solution en live, demandez une démonstration en ligne ici Chapitrage : 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:02:00 - Parcours dans l'hôtellerie familiale et Best Western 00:06:39 - Gouvernance de la coopérative 00:08:44 - Expansion internationale de Best Western 00:11:00 - Rôle du président 00:17:00 - Histoire de Best Western 00:28:16 - Vision stratégique 00:34:20 - École hôtelière interne 00:42:00 - Questions signatures Si cet épisode vous a passionné, rejoignez-moi sur : La newsletter d'Hospitality Insiders, pour ne rien rater Linkedin, pour poursuivre la discussion Instagram, pour découvrir les coulisses Merci de votre fidélité et à bientôt !

GUEST 1 OVERVIEW: Yousef is a Political Analyst and writer and an expert in Palestinian, Middle East, UK Affairs and an Arabic to English interpreter. GUEST 2 OVERVIEW: Nick Dunn is a former member of the Parachute Regiment who has served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has worked in anti-piracy and as part of the group of ex-soldiers known as the Chennai Six was wrongfully imprisoned in an Indian jail. GUEST 3 OVERVIEW: Dr John Laughland is Director of Forum for Democracy International and a lecturer in political science and history at the Catholic Institute of the Vendée in Western France. He was Director of the Euroskeptic think tank European Foundation until 2008 and Director of studies at the Institute of Democracy and Cooperation in Paris until 2018. He worked at the European Parliament from 2018 to 2020. X: @john_laughland https://fvdinternational.com/  

Dr John Laughland discusses the latest geopolitics. Later, Harry Miller discusses what a third term of Sadiq Khan would mean for law and order. Also, Basil Valentine discusses the election fallout. GUEST 1 OVERVIEW: Dr John Laughland is Director of Forum for Democracy International and a lecturer in political science and history at the Catholic Institute of the Vendée in Western France. He was Director of the Euroskeptic think tank European Foundation until 2008 and Director of studies at the Institute of Democracy and Cooperation in Paris until 2018. He worked at the European Parliament from 2018 to 2020. X: @john_laughland https://fvdinternational.com/ GUEST 2 OVERVIEW: Harry Miller is a former police officer and now the Co-Chief Executive Officer at Fair Cop, a group of individuals who have come together over shared concerns about police attempts to criminalise people for expressing opinions that don't contravene any laws.  

On this episode of YOUR WORLD OF CREATIVITY, welcome singer-songwriter Victoria Simmonds.Victoria's Website @officialvictoria_music on Instagram Victoria's Facebook page Victoria's Musical Journey: From performing in theater and cabaret acts to discovering and creating her own music, Victoria shares her evolution as an artist, driven by her passion for creativity.The Inspiration Behind "Let's Do Happy": Victoria discusses the irony and relevance of her debut album's title, reflecting on its origins and the impact of her music during challenging times like the COVID-19 pandemic.Recognition by BBC Introducing Solent: Victoria recounts the excitement of having one of her songs featured on BBC Introducing Solent, highlighting the importance of platforms that support local talent.Influences and Musical Style: Victoria shares her eclectic influences, from Neil Diamond to Spice Girls, and describes her music as a personal expression across various genres and styles.Future Projects and Collaborations: With new collaborations on the horizon and plans for festivals and competitions, Victoria gives insight into her upcoming projects and musical endeavors.Highlight Quote from Victoria: "When you enjoy creating things, you want to try all sorts of different methods... my own music ends up being a very personal expression through creativity."Victoria Simmonds is a local independent pop/ alt-rock singer-songwriter. Having been raised in both the New Forest and Western France she has benefited from a wide variety of musical styles. Her passion for music has always been strong. After performing in musical theatre and cabaret acts she started her journey to discovering her own music. In 2021 she released her first album “Let's do Happy” and since then has continued to release new and meaningful songs, one of which was recognised by BBC Introducing Solent in 2023 and performed at gigs, concerts and festivals. During her career she has amazed audiences across Europe including France, Cyprus, Germany, Belgium and Mallorca with her powerful tones.

On today's show, Dr John Laughland discusses right-wing governments rising up.   GUEST OVERVIEW: Dr John Laughland is Director of Forum for Democracy International and a lecturer in political science and history at the Catholic Institute of the Vendée in Western France. He was Director of the Eurosceptic think tank European Foundation until 2008 and Director of studies at the Institute of Democracy and Cooperation in Paris until 2018. He worked at the European Parliament from 2018 to 2020.   X: @john_laughland      

In this episode, JK is joined by, not only, Jeremiah, but also his lovely wife, Bridgette, as they break down their hike of the Camino de Santiago, a 500 mile trek through Western France and into Spain. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/backpackingpodcast/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/backpackingpodcast/support

GUEST OVERVIEW: Dr John Laughland is Director of Forum for Democracy International and a lecturer in political science and history at the Catholic Institute of the Vendée in Western France.

Round the Sofa by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell audiobook. Round the Sofa (1859), is a book of stories by the lady that Charles Dickens called his “dear Scheherazade” due to her skill as a story teller. That Lady was Mrs. Elizabeth Gaskell (North and South, Wives and Daughters, Cranford etc.). Mrs. Gaskell begins with Round the Sofa, a short story which she uses as a device to stitch together six previously published stories into a single work. It introduces us to a set of characters who take turns to recount stories to one another during their weekly soirée. My Lady Ludlow tells the story of the widowed, aristocratic Lady Ludlow and her fierce resistance to change. It is told through the eyes of one of her young charges. Incidentally, it was one of the books used to create the TV series Cranford. An Accursed Race is actually an essay about a persecuted minority group, the Cagots in Western France. The Doom of the Griffiths. A Gothic short story about a cursed family and set in Wales. Half a Life-Time Ago. A novella set in the Wiltshire Dales. The Poor Clare. A Ghostly short story! The Half Brothers. A sad short story about brotherly love and a sheep-dog dog named Lassie!

Olivier Cohn est actuellement le Directeur Général de Best Western France, grâce à sa passion pour internet ainsi que sa rencontre inattendue avec son prédécesseur cela fait maintenant 21 ans qu'il travaille au sein du groupe. Best Western possède aujourd'hui 310 hôtels, 150 restaurants et accompagne plus de 4000 salariés sur l'ensemble du réseau. Dans le secteur de l'hôtellerie, le pilier principal pour réussir est l'emplacement ainsi que le hardware et l'humain. Les attentes des clients changent continuellement, c'est un métier qui est en perpétuelle évolution. Il faut savoir que le tourisme de manière générale représente 12% du PIB mondial, c'est le premier secteur d'activité mondiale.

This week, EURACTIV's agrifood team speaks with Damien O'Connor, minister of agriculture of New Zealand and co-chair of the OECD agriculture ministerial meeting, about the OECD declaration and EU-New Zealand relations, including thoughts on the EU's farming subsidy programme and the recently signed Free Trade Agreement, and EURACTIV France's Hugo Struna joins us to explain the controversy over a water reservoir in Western France.

GUEST OVERVIEW: John Laughland is Director of Forum for Democracy International. Lecturer in political science and history at the Catholic Institute of the Vendée in Western France. Currently Visiting Fellow at the Mathias Corvinus Collegium in Budapest, Hungary.

This episode, number 22, will be featuring no other than Jean-Michel Casalonga. He is the main lastmaker and workshop manager of Berluti's Paris workshop. The French company Berluti is one of the bigger quality shoe brands in the world, nowadays more of a full fashion menswear brand , owned by the luxury conglomerate LVMH, with stores all around the world. Berluti has two workshops making their bespoke shoes, one in Paris above their original Rue Marbeuf store just next to the Champs Élysées, led by Jean-Michel, and one outside Angers in Western France, led by Anthony Delos. Hear Jean-Michel Casalonga tell the interesting story of how he in a relatively unorthodox way managed to get his place at Berluti, hear about his love of lastmaking and how he wants to raise its status in France, about how it is to run a large bespoke workshop doing all in-house and the pros and cons of this set-up compared to the use of freelancers, and much, much more.

Western France is facing a "heat apocalypse", experts have warned, as extreme temperatures continue to hit much of Europe. The heat has already caused much misery, with wildfires in Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Greece and France over the weekend. More than 1,000 people have died in Spain and Portugal... and many thousands have been evacuated from their homes. Will it become the norm? Also in the programme: Ukraine's President Zelensky suspends two senior officials over accusations of treason within their organisations; and Ghanaian officials have confirmed the country's first two cases of the highly infectious Marburg virus. (Photo: Wildfire rages as Spain experiences its second heatwave of the year. Credit: Reuters/Isabel Infantes)

The art of the modern printmaker is universal. All over the world mokuhanga has reached people from all aspects of life. It touches a chord that is unique and powerful. On this episode of The Unfinished Print I speak to an artist who's work does just that. Benoit Varaillon, also known as Beno Uki Ga, is a French mokuhanga printmaker who mixes the traditional and the modern; pieces that are full of colour, exciting, and interesting. When setting up this interview, Beno's one request was to have a translator. You're going to hear three voices on this episode, of Beno, myself, and his cousin Lucie Galinon who kindly agreed to help translate. I hope you enjoy this newest episode of The Unfinished Print. Please follow The Unfinished Print and my own print work on Instagram @popular_wheatprints, Twitter @unfinishedprint, or email me at theunfinishedprint@gmail.com Notes: notes may contain a hyperlink. Simply click on the highlighted word or phrase. Beno's Instagram, and website. All prints mentioned in the episode can be found on wither Instagram or Beno's website.  Edo Period prints - woodblock prints of the Edo Period (1603-1867) were predominantly of kabuki actors (Sharaku), and courtesans (Harunobu) beginning in the middle of the 18th century. The traditional system of production came into play when making ukiyo-e of this period, designer,  carver, printer, and publisher. Famous designers of the day were Hiroshige (1797-1858), Hokusai (1760-1849). Meiji Period prints - 1868-1912 This period of woodblock prints were rich in colour and in experimentation. Still using the traditional production system, the printing become more intense via larger formats, triptychs and subject matter from war to murder. Famous artists of the time were Kunichika (1835-1900), and Yoshitoshi (1839-1892). Ogata Gekkō (1859-1920) was a self taught designer of woodblock prints. His life began designing rickshaw's and under the auspices of the Ogata family his career began to flourish. His style is said to favour ukiyo-e, with subjects raging from landscape, war (past and present), Japanese history, and nature. A great website of his work and history can be found here. Akira Kurosaki (1934-2019) - Japanese printmaker and scholar who developed the Disk Baren. His printmaking career and academic career go hand in hand as he always seemed to be creating his abstract and surreal works while working as a professor. Seeing his work in person is a must, as the vibrant and powerful colours of his pieces can only do justice in person. Some of his works can be found here, at the Azuma Gallery Shun Yamamoto - is a modern printmaker who has worked with artist Shinji Tsuchimochi making his “Ginza In The Rain” print using a laser engraved block and can be found here via Mokuhankan. David Bull - is a Canadian mokuhanga printmaker who has spent most of his life in Tōkyō. He is the owner of Mokuhankan of Asakusa in Tōkyō where he and his staff create woodblock prints. He teaches and educates people from all over the world via his Twitch live streams and YouTube videos. aizuri-e - a late Edo Period (1603-1867) type of printmaking where the woodblock print is predominantly in blue, or shades of the color blue. The blue colour was usually a Prussian Blue imported into Japan around 1790. artelino have a great description of Prussian Blue and aizuri-e, here. shōmenzuri - “front printing,” rubbing the print in reverse so as to get a polished look on the print, usually for patterns.  Bretagne, France - a peninsula in Western France, which contains old architecture, beauty for sea coasts,  nature walks, as well as a great art scene. More information can be found, here. shin-hanga  1915-1940 - a renaissance of the Japanese woodblock started by Shōzaburō Watanabe (1885-1962). He used the traditional methods and line of production from the Edo and Meiji Periods. Mixing western painting and traditional Japanese motifs, for these new prints Watanabe commissioned artists like Kawase Hasui (1883-1957) and Yoshida Hiroshi (1876-1950) kickstarting some of the greatest masterpieces of world art.  Yoshida Hiroshi (1876-1950) - originally a watercolorist and painter Yoshida started designing woodblock prints for Watanabe in 1920. By 1925 he was designing prints for his own studio. The works which came from his studio were meticulous and masterpieces of the medium in their own right.  Ukiyoe.org has a good collection of Yoshida works. gouache  - a water based pigment used by many mokuhanga artists. powder pigments - ganryō are usually kept in paste form with alcohol. According to David Bull's old site, woodblock.com, artists such as Keizaburo Matsuzaki, with whom David speaks with, here, only needed several types of powdered pigments with which to mix an assorted rainbow of colors. ōban - the most common size of woodblock print, 15”x10” nishinouchi - is a bleached Japanese paper that is 100% kozo (mulberry) paper and generally comes from eastern Japan such as Tochigi and Ibaraki prefectures. Links can be found here for nishinouchi paper made of Nasu kozo, and nishinouchi from the Japanese Paper Place in Toronto from Ibaraki. sōsaku hanga -  the creative print movement in Japan of the early 20th century. The entire process of design, carving, and printing of the woodblock print was done by the artist. The Ronin Gallery of New York have a great definition and history of sōsaku hanga, here. opening and closing credit background music:  “Dirty Laundry” by Curtis Mayfield, from his Honesty album, 1983.  © Popular Wheat Productions Disclaimer: Please do not reproduce or use anything from this podcast without shooting me an email and getting my express written or verbal consent. I'm friendly :) The opinions expressed in The Unfinished Print podcast are not necessarily those of Andre Zadorozny and of Popular Wheat Productions.              

This week Mary Jane Fox will take us on a virtual pilgrimage to Lourdes, in Western France. Visit the site where Mary, the Mother of God, revealed herself as the Immaculate Conception to St. Bernadette. Meet the young visionary, Bernadette Soubirous, and be transported to her home, to the Grotto where the Virgin Mary appeared to her, and to the healing baths that the Lady revealed to Bernadette. Prayer to Our Lady of LourdesOh, ever immaculate Virgin, Mother of Mercy, Health of the Sick, Refuge of Sinners, Comfortess of the Afflicted, you know my wants, my troubles, my sufferings. Look upon me with mercy. When you appeared in the grotto of Lourdes, you made it a privileged sanctuary where you dispense your favors, and where many sufferers have obtained the cure of their infirmities, both spiritual and corporal. I come, therefore, with unbounded confidence to implore your maternal intercession. My loving Mother, obtain my request. I will try to imitate your virtues so that I may one day share your company and bless you in eternity. Amen. Lourdes Grotto Live Webcam https://www.directfromlourdes.com/lourdes_live_tv Jewell For The Journey The Rosary is the most excellent form of prayer and the most efficacious means of attaining eternal life. It is the remedy for all our evils, the root of all our blessings. There is no more excellent way of praying. – Pope Leo XIII Learn more at Pilgrim Center Of Hope Help us spread hope! PilgrimCenterOfHope.org/Donate

Welcome to this episode of our new Coffee Break French To Go podcast in which we’re on the streets of Nantes in Western France with Pierre-Benoît, talking to native speakers about a variety of topics. In this episode we’re asking the question quelle est ta ville française préférée ? - What is your favourite French city? We’ll listen to all of the interviews with Pierre-Benoît out and about, while Mark is back in the studio and he’ll help you understand all the responses. Please note all interviews were filmed before lockdown.Our Coffee Break French To Go interviews are also available as videos on our website. Click here to watch, and we’d love to hear your answer to this week’s question, so why not leave a comment and let us know if travel is important to you.This season will feature 10 episodes and if you’d like to binge all our video interviews right now and access our comprehensive lesson notes and vocabulary for each lesson, check out our full course in the Coffee Break Academy. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Welcome to this episode of our new Coffee Break French To Go podcast in which we’re on the streets of Nantes in Western France with Pierre-Benoît, talking to native speakers about a variety of topics. In this episode we’re asking the question avez-vous déjà mangé quelque chose de bizarre ? Have you ever eaten anything strange? We’ll listen to all of the interviews with Pierre-Benoît out and about, while Mark is back in the studio and he’ll help you understand all the responses. Please note all interviews were filmed before lockdown.Our Coffee Break French To Go interviews are also available as videos on our website. Click here to watch, and we’d love to hear your answer to this week’s question, so why not leave a comment and let us know if travel is important to you.This season will feature 10 episodes and if you’d like to binge all our video interviews right now and access our comprehensive lesson notes and vocabulary for each lesson, check out our full course in the Coffee Break Academy. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Welcome to this episode of our new Coffee Break French To Go podcast in which we’re on the streets of Nantes in Western France with Pierre-Benoît, talking to native speakers about a variety of topics. In this episode we’re asking the question quelle serait ta destination idéale ? What would your ideal destination be? We’ll listen to all of the interviews with Pierre-Benoît out and about, while Mark is back in the studio and he’ll help you understand all the responses. Please note all interviews were filmed before lockdown.Our Coffee Break French To Go interviews are also available as videos on our website. Click here to watch, and we’d love to hear your answer to this week’s question, so why not leave a comment and let us know if travel is important to you.This season will feature 10 episodes and if you’d like to binge all our video interviews right now and access our comprehensive lesson notes and vocabulary for each lesson, check out our full course in the Coffee Break Academy. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Welcome to this episode of our new Coffee Break French To Go podcast in which we’re on the streets of Nantes in Western France with Pierre-Benoît, talking to native speakers about a variety of topics. In this episode we’re asking the question qu’est-ce qui t'embête le plus ? What annoys you the most? We’ll listen to all of the interviews with Pierre-Benoît out and about, while Mark is back in the studio and he’ll help you understand all the responses. Please note all interviews were filmed before lockdown.Our Coffee Break French To Go interviews are also available as videos on our website. Click here to watch, and we’d love to hear your answer to this week’s question, so why not leave a comment and let us know if travel is important to you.This season will feature 10 episodes and if you’d like to binge all our video interviews right now and access our comprehensive lesson notes and vocabulary for each lesson, check out our full course in the Coffee Break Academy. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Welcome to this episode of our new Coffee Break French To Go podcast in which we’re on the streets of Nantes in Western France with Pierre-Benoît, talking to native speakers about a variety of topics. In this episode we’re asking the question préféres-tu l’été ou l’hiver ? Do you prefer summer or winter? We’ll listen to all of the interviews with Pierre-Benoît out and about, while Mark is back in the studio and he’ll help you understand all the responses. Please note all interviews were filmed before lockdown.Our Coffee Break French To Go interviews are also available as videos on our website. Click here to watch, and we’d love to hear your answer to this week’s question, so why not leave a comment and let us know if travel is important to you.This season will feature 10 episodes and if you’d like to binge all our video interviews right now and access our comprehensive lesson notes and vocabulary for each lesson, check out our full course in the Coffee Break Academy. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Welcome to this episode of our new Coffee Break French To Go podcast in which we’re on the streets of Nantes in Western France with Pierre-Benoît, talking to native speakers about a variety of topics. In this episode we’re asking the question pour toi, est-il important d’apprendre une langue étrangère ? Is learning a foreign language important to you? We’ll listen to all of the interviews with Pierre-Benoît out and about, while Mark is back in the studio and he’ll help you understand all the responses. Please note all interviews were filmed before lockdown.Our Coffee Break French To Go interviews are also available as videos on our website. Click here to watch, and we’d love to hear your answer to this week’s question, so why not leave a comment and let us know if travel is important to you.This season will feature 10 episodes and if you’d like to binge all our video interviews right now and access our comprehensive lesson notes and vocabulary for each lesson, check out our full course in the Coffee Break Academy. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Welcome to Episode 4 of our new Coffee Break French To Go podcast in which we’re on the streets of Nantes in Western France with Pierre-Benoît, talking to native speakers about a variety of topics. In this episode we’re asking the question qu’as-tu fait hier ? What did you do yesterday? We’ll listen to all of the interviews with Pierre-Benoît out and about, while Mark is back in the studio and he’ll help you understand all the responses. Please note all interviews were filmed before lockdown.Our Coffee Break French To Go interviews are also available as videos on our website. Click here to watch, and we’d love to hear your answer to this week’s question, so why not leave a comment and let us know if travel is important to you.This season will feature 10 episodes and if you’d like to binge all our video interviews right now and access our comprehensive lesson notes and vocabulary for each lesson, check out our full course in the Coffee Break Academy. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Welcome to Episode 3 of our new Coffee Break French To Go podcast in which we’re on the streets of Nantes in Western France with Pierre-Benoît, talking to native speakers about a variety of topics. In this episode we’re asking the question quel est ton mot français préféré ? What is your favourite French word? We’ll listen to all of the interviews with Pierre-Benoît out and about, while Mark is back in the studio and he’ll help you understand all the responses. Please note all interviews were filmed before lockdown.Our Coffee Break French To Go interviews are also available as videos on our website. Click here to watch, and we’d love to hear your answer to this week’s question, so why not leave a comment and let us know if travel is important to you.This season will feature 10 episodes and if you’d like to binge all our video interviews right now and access our comprehensive lesson notes and vocabulary for each lesson, check out our full course in the Coffee Break Academy. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Welcome to the second episode of our new Coffee Break French To Go podcast in which we’re on the streets of Nantes in Western France with Pierre-Benoît, talking to native speakers about a variety of topics. In this episode we’re asking the question c’est quoi une journée typique pour toi ? What is a typical day for you? We’ll listen to all of the interviews with Pierre-Benoît out and about, while Mark is back in the studio and he’ll help you understand all the responses. Please note all interviews were filmed before lockdown.Our Coffee Break French To Go interviews are also available as videos on our website. Click here to watch, and we’d love to hear your answer to this week’s question, so why not leave a comment and let us know if travel is important to you.This season will feature 10 episodes and if you’d like to binge all our video interviews right now and access our comprehensive lesson notes and vocabulary for each lesson, check out our full course in the Coffee Break Academy. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Welcome to the first episode of our new Coffee Break French To Go podcast in which we’re on the streets of Nantes in Western France with Pierre-Benoît, talking to native speakers about a variety of topics. In this episode we’re asking the question pour vous, est-il important de voyager ? Is travel important to you? We’ll listen to all of the interviews with Pierre-Benoît out and about, while Mark is back in the studio and he’ll help you understand all the responses. Please note all interviews were filmed before lockdown.Our Coffee Break French To Go interviews are also available as videos on our website. Click here to watch, and we’d love to hear your answer to this week’s question, so why not leave a comment and let us know if travel is important to you.This season will feature 10 episodes and if you’d like to binge all our video interviews right now and access our comprehensive lesson notes and vocabulary for each lesson, check out our full course in the Coffee Break Academy. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"The Hidden Rebellion" Episode #216 with Daniel Rabourdin Daniel Rabourdin joins John and Seamus to discuss his film "The Hidden Rebellion." The film is a docudrama about an 18th Century popular uprising against the French Revolution, and how the rebellion was brutally suppressed by the Revolutionary armies. Victorious at first, the Vendean farmers of Western France are ultimately exterminated in a mass-slaughter of 150,000 inhabitants -- largely women, children and clergy -- in what would become one of Europe's first modern genocides.

The Basque language is one of the most unique languages in the world. Spoken in parts of Northern Spain and Western France, Basque is considered a language isolate - meaning that it is unrelated to any other language and many believe that it predates the Spanish language. In today’s conversation, I’m talking about Basque with Naroa who grew up in the Basque country speaking Basque at a young age. I had so many questions for her and in this episode she tells us about the unique features of the Basque language and culture & how the language has been standardized for instruction. We talk quite a bit about the traditions that one may encounter in the Basque country and how spoken Basque varies throughout the region both in Spain and in France. I enjoyed this conversation because it’s not often I have a chance to hear about Basque language and its unique culture. Thank you to Naroa for sharing such a big part of your culture with us and please be sure to check out the show notes for links to Naroa’s YouTube Channel and other links to Basque language and culture resources! To Find Naroa: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/NaroaenWanderlust Basque Resources: Aditz Taula Ken Zazpi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwgPX3XUnsc “a zer parea, karakola eta barea” “non gogoa, han zangoa” Speaking Tongues Podcast: www.speakingtonguespodcast.com Follow on IG: @speakingtonguespod Follow onTwitter: @stpodcasthost Like our Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/thespeakingtonguespodcast --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/speaking-tongues/message

Virginie Barboux, Directrice générale adjointe communication, digital & expérience client chez Best Western Hotels & Resorts France. La chaîne hôtelière a annoncé son engagement dans la voile derrière le skipper romain Attanasio qui disputera le Vendée Globe 2020. Elle explique ce choix pris en pleine crise économique liée à l'épidémie du coronavirus alors que ses hôtels sont encore tous fermés. (Enregistrement et publication : mercredi 27 mai 2020). Voir Acast.com/privacy pour les informations sur la vie privée et l'opt-out.

Fireplaces are at the heart of a household and allow us to wind back the clock. In south-western France, the d'Artagnan chimney takes us back to the 17th century. It's located at the castle of Castelmore, where the famous musketeer was born, in the Gers department. Meanwhile, at the foot of Castelnau-de-Montmiral, the fireplaces at the castle of Mayragues are lavishly decorated. Finally, in Montgaillard, a typical village of the Bigorre region, Jean-Louis's family fireplace brings back memories. With its wooden benches on either side, he loved to settle down there to read as a child.

FRANCE 24 takes you discover the southwest of France in winter, when all the tourists have long since gone home. Life has a different pace for those who live here all year round - we take you to meet some of them. 

With the failure of the edict of toleration, Admiral Coligny and the Prince of Condé are forced to flee to the safety of La Rochelle, from which they wage the Third War of Religion. After a month of fighting, they capture most of Western France for the Huguenots.

Deacon Tom and Mary Jane Fox invite you to Lourdes, in Western France. Visit the site where St. Bernadette received an apparition of Mary, the Mother of God, identifying herself as the Immaculate Conception. Meet the young visionary, Bernadette Soubirous and be transported to her home, to the Grotto where the Virgin Mary appeared to her, and to the healing baths that the Lady revealed to Bernadette. Learn more at PilgrimCenterOfHope.org/Journeys

Côtes de Bordeaux is a subregion of the larger Bordeaux region in Western France. We covered Bordeaux in two previous episodes. This area of Bordeaux is on the hillsides of the right banks of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers and responsible for some amazing Merlot based red wines.   Check out episode 38 and episode 39 to learn more about Bordeaux   Château Puyanché Blanc 2015 - priced around $13. Nose: wax and apricots It's a dry wine with medium plus acidity and medium body with flavors of pineapple, white grapefruit, apricot and a touch of lime This wine has great acidity and very fresh and fruity but still some complexity We think most people are going to want to pare this with food because of the acidity - Bordeaux wines are elevated when paired with the right food You can find out where to purchase this wine here    Château Peybonhomme -Les-Tours Le Blanc 2016 - priced around $20. Nose: beeswax, golden apple, golden pear, bread and spice It’s dry with medium acidity, medium body and flavors of toasted marshmallow, pineapple and mango All these different techniques - the oak and lees stirring paired with the Semillon gives the wine roundness Even with some of the oak flavors coming through there is still that  crisp, fruitiness with a little hint of spice You can purchase this wine here    Château Hyot 2015 - priced around $15. Nose: cherries, mushroom, and forest floor It’s dry with medium acidity, full body and medium firm tannins Flavors this wine is so savory with earthy mushroom flavors but still some dark fruit like blackberries and black plum Love this wine and it continued to open up and evolved with time so we would recommend decanting or open a little early to expose some oxygen You can find out where to purchase this wine here  Château Couronneau 2015 - priced around $19. Nose: very ripe dark fruits, vanilla and dust Dry with medium plus acidity, full body, medium plus grippy tannins with flavors similar to aromas - blackberry, black plum and vanilla Expected this wine to be a little bitter with the high level of tannins but it wasn’t and the with those tannins - the texture of the this wine is intense but a really enjoyable tasting experience Find out where to purchase this wine here     

This week, we air two segments. South Carolina Prisoner, "J" First, "J" is in segregation in a South Carolina prison. He does not give his full name or the prison he's inside for reasons of personal safety. You'll hear him share a bit about his experience of the prison strike from the inside, the repression of prisoners at his facilities, prisoner unity in the strike,the high costs of living in prison and poor quality of food and other goods available and the red herring of administration that cell phones are the cause of violence. He shares condolences for families of those who were killed at Lee Correctional, the guard-instigated violence in April that sparked the call for the Nationwide Prison Strike. J also shares his thanks of outside supporters who have demonstrated outside of his facility, IWOC in particular and those who've helped to carry prisoners words around the world. To hear updates on the strike, again, we suggest y'all check out prisonstrike.com and the sites it links, as well as recent episodes of the IGDpodcast, The Hot Wire, Kiteline & Rustbelt Abolition Radio, all members of the Channel Zero Network. Resisting Nuclear Trash in Bure, France After that, for the bulk of the episode shares words from Daniel, who is involved in resistance to the building of a nuclear waste storage facility in the Gran Est (formerly Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine or ACAL) region near the French border with Germany. This infrastructure mega project threatens to poison the ground-water that feeds Paris, poison the ground in Gran Est and for villages like Bure where Daniel is based, and the resistance to the CIGEO storage facility has been met by harsh government repression and a heavy response police response. Daniel talks about the energy infrastructure in France, the military and colonial connection with the fuel of Uranium, comparisons to the ZAD at Notre Dame de Landes in Western France, resistance to other damaging power sources like in the Hambach Forest against a huge lignite mine in Germany and a few words about anti-pipeline struggles in the U.S. We experienced some technical difficulties during the Bure interview, so for about 15 minutes there is a buzz. We hope that you will power through and listen carefully through the audio because the information is very interesting. After that time, it clears up and Daniel is far more listenable. Here are a few references Daniel makes, such as the Tarnac Case, the ZAD (our interviews on the ZAD) , Hambach Forest (including interviews by crimethInc and us). The deforestation may happen this autumn, so actions in Bure (which is bristling with police who detain and inspect people). You can find out info in French at https://vmc.camp (most updated) that can be put through a translator or a less-updated English-language version at https://en.vmc.camp or one in German at https://de.vmc.camp that's slightly more updated. And Unicorn Riot did a piece last year contextualizing the ZAD NDDL, Hambach Forest resistance and struggle in Bure. If you'd like to hear an update and call-out about resistance in the Hambach forest by audio comrades from Infolara in Switzerland, check out the link in our shownotes. This audio will be a part of the next edition of B(A)DNews: Angry Voices From Around The World, produced by the International A-Radio Network of Anarchist and Anti-Authoritarian radio and podcast projects, of which we and Infolara are members. B(A)DNews is a monthly, English-language podcast (sometimes with a Spanish-language edition) released in the middle of each month. Stay tuned for that and you can find past episodes at A-Radio-Network.Org Announcements Resisting Neo-Confederates and Nazis in Eastern TN From an IGD post entitled “No Fascists in Appalachia: Call to Oppose League of the South in Tennessee“: "The League of the South (LOS) and other far-Right/neo-Nazi groups are organizing two events in Northeast Tennessee this month. One will target the TriPride march in Johnson City and the other is a gathering in Elizabethton, Tennessee to protest the fall of Silent Sam in Chapel Hill NC." "The LOS is a neo-Confederate hate group known for its flash-rallies brandishing the Confederate battle flag in small towns across the South, and for its extreme violence like in Charlottesville on August 12, 2017 last summer. Their Chief of Staff is Michael Tubbs, a former green beret who went to prison for stealing and stockpiling weapons from the US Military for the KKK, and who was integral to the violence in Charlottesville." TriPride will be held in Johnson City, TN and will march through downtown, starting at 101 Commerce Street. Tennessee LOS coordinator Tom Pierce has called for a protest to happen along the march route. Pierce helped organize a similar protest against a Pride march last June in Knoxville." "We're calling for folx to organize autonomously for this event. The fascists could show up on any part of the march route so be prepared to visibly or physically block them from interfering with the pride march.” Check out the IGD article to see the full, article. Defend Rashid From Transfer The prominent voice featured in last week's episode of The Final Straw, the political prisoner Kevin Rashid Johnson, is being threatened with another punitive transfer because of his organizing and speaking out. There is a hearing on Monday, September 10th in his prison in Virginia, the state in which he was captured before being transferred away. His past transfers have moved him further from his family, have resulted in beatings, medical neglect, threats, starvation other attacks by prison officials and other prisoners. It would be awesome if you, dear listener, could take a moment to call and email tomorrow starting at 9am eastern time to the official in charge of interstate compact: Chief of Corrections Operations David Robinson. We can call the main office number at 804-674-3000 and ask to be transferred to his phone line. Robinson's email address is david.robinson@vadoc.virginia.gov. When leaving a message or talking to Mr Robinson, refer to Rashid by his legal name Kevin Johnson, and give his Virginia prison id # 1007485. Explain that he is better off in Virginia, that he has been subjected to serious human rights abuses during previous transfers. Over ten thousand people have already signed a petition demanding that he be released from solitary and that he not be transferred. More info at RashidMod.Com Certain Days: Freedom for Political Prisoners Calendar 2019 Pre-orders of the 2019 Certain Days Calendar have begun!  For those who order now, calendars will ship around September 10th.  You can order in the U.S., Canada and internationally at https://www.certaindays.org/order The Ceratin Days: Freedom for Political Prisoners Calendar is a joint fundraising and educational project between outside organizers in Montreal, Hamilton, New York and Balitmore, in partnership with a political prisoner being held in maximum-security prison in New York State, David Gilbert.  Co-founders Robert Seth Hayes and Herman Bell were released from prison in 2018.  The proceeds from Certain Days 2019 will be divided among these groups: Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Assoc. (Palestine), Release Aging People in Prison (RAPP) and other groups in need. Check out our interview with former Political Prisoner, Daniel McGowan, about the Certain Days calendar. Update on Harm Reduction and Food Distribution in Asheville The City of #Asheville just dropped their notice of violation against the 12 Baskets food distribution project out of the Kairos West community center, however is still retaining it's attack on Steady Collective's needle exchange, noloxin distribution and harm reduction program by an unprecedented challenge to Firestorm's hosting of the project via claiming that Firestorm is operating a homeless shelter by hosting Steady Collective. This is idiotic. Distributing harm reduction tools to the public saves lives and providing a space for people to sit, read, access reading materials and the internet does not amount to a shelter. If you haven't heard the issues, check out our August 12th interview with Hill Brown of Steady Collective and keep an eye on their social media presence as well as that of Firestorm. Also, consider a visit to their public event every Tuesday at Firestorm from 1:30 to 4pm. BRABC event On Thursday, September 20th at Firestorm Books & Coffee in West Asheville, NC, Blue Ridge Anarchist Black Cross will be packaging mail for prisoners. No experience needed, just show up ready to fold and address and stamp materials. Snacks and good company will be provided! . ... . .. Playlist is pending  

Hello, we’re two weeks into the honeymoon season of The Earful Tower and my wife and I are currently in the small village of Plédran in Brittany. We’ve driven 800 kilometres on the scooter and we’ve seen more than we can remember. Since the last episode, we've stayed near Deauville, on Normandy farms, and near D-Day beaches, before passing through the top half of Brittany. Now that our time in the north west is coming to an end, here's our list of the ten things you absolutely must do before you die.  Press play below to hear the 30-minute podcast episode and scroll down for the list. Subscribe to the podcast on Apple here and Google here.  1. Walk the top of the old city walls in Saint Malo at sunset It's really as magical as it sounds, the old fortified walls will leave you gobsmacked. Prepare for wind! 2. See the tapestry of Bayeux We'd heard about this museum, but nothing compares to walking along the 70m tapestry and taking it in yourself. Be sure to check out the local cathedral too, well worth a visit! 3. Walk through the old town of Bernay Ever heard of Bernay? Neither had we. But it's absolutely a hidden gem of the north west - stop there on the way to Deauville, perhaps? 4. Explore the pink granite rocks at Ploumanac'h Not only is this place one of the prettiest villages in the country (it won an award for it in recent years), but the seaside is mesmerising.  5. Try local delicacies such as cider, galettes, crepes, and Kouign-amann Avoid your typical restaurant choices at all costs - go with the flow. Even if you can't pronounce it. Ten points if you can pronounce Koign-amann. I still can't. 6. Check out the Mont Saint Michel at low tide  Write a message in the sand and see it from the monastery above! 7. Visit the charming village of Dinan Another pearl in Brittany, be sure to add it to your itinerary. Why not have a cider by the water while you're there? 8. Find a museum along the D-Day Beaches We went to the Juno Beach centre, which was a good one, but there are plenty more to choose from.  9. Stay in a farm-house with a French family We found a few via Airbnb and they were excellent. I suppose you never know what you're going to get, but a good French family will take you in and treat you like their own. Good luck! 10. Take the back roads and find the small villages Can't stress this one enough - get off the highways and you'll be amazed at what you find! That's it for now. If you wanna see all the bonus footage and support this show at the same time then sign up on Patreon today and unlock it all.  See you on the other side, I hope!

The Baby Foodie is Back with another tasty adventure. In today’s installment the Baby Foodie and Hot Sauce will travel across the Atlantic Ocean to Western France and search for Truffles with a noble pig named Hamlet. We will also read some sweet Ani-Mail from Figgy the Fruit Bat! http://storyspectacular.com/

This week on the Final Straw, we air two interviews. In the first segment, we hear from two organizers with the Centro de Apoyo Mutuo or Mutual Aid Center in Caguas, Puerto Rico. Emilu and Kique talk about Caguas, about the colonial relationship between the U.S. mainland and Puerto Rico, the post-hurricane disaster relief they've been doing as a continuation of social organizing in the wake of that colonialism, and building a network of C-A-Ms around Puerto Rico. More on their project can be found on fedbook.  Then we hear from Camille, a resident of the ZAD in Notre Dame des Landes in Western France. Camille shares the news of the recent French government statement that they are cancelling the planned airport in NDDL, which has been a goal of social movements and the land occupation at the ZAD. More info on that project can be found at zad.nadir.org. To hear our past interviews on the ZAD, check out this initial interview, this response to major demonstrations in Nantes, this conversation with participants at ZAD du Testet, this response to the police killing of Remi Fraisse in relation to the ZAD du Testet and this interview from Dissident Island Radio about State of Emergency. For the broadcast version, both of these interviews were cut down for length. Not so in the podcast! You can find the longer versions of these interviews, plus all the announcements posted below, at thefinalstrawradio.noblogs.org or by subscribing to the free podcast feed at thefinalstrawradio.libsyn.com. Trans Prisoner Day of Solidarity, Event in Asheville TOMORROW January 22nd is the 3rd annual Trans Prisoner Day of Solidarity as initiated in 2016 by eco-anarchist prisoner Marius Mason. Last year's call-out, plus a list of some events around the U.S. can be found at itsgoingdown. If you're in Asheville, Tranzmission Prison Project will be hosting a card signing event and discussion at 7pm at Firestorm Books and Coffee. Cards will be supplied and it's suggested to bring vegan snacks to share. Breaking News from the VA NLG Third Charlottesville Counter-Protestor Arrested January 21, 2018:   Charlottesville, VA: Mr. Donald Blakney was arrested at his home on Friday by Charlottesville Police Department (CPD). He is charged with Malicious Wounding — a felony that carries a 5 year minimum and the possibility of up to 20 years in prison.   On August 12, he was physically attacked by a participant in the Unite the Right rally, who also yelled racist slurs at him. Later that fall, he was questioned by CPD and the FBI under the pretext of the ongoing criminal investigation into right-wing violence that day.   The charges against Mr. Blakney are apparently based in part on a video broadcast by the ABC News program 20/20 that depicts him at the scene.   Mr. Blakney is the third counter-protester to be arrested and charged arising out of the events in Charlottesville on August 12, 2017. Corey Long and DeAndre Harris are both also facing criminal charges. All three are Black men and local residents who were attacked that day.   Mr. Blakney was released on personal recognizance Friday. He has an arraignment tomorrow, Monday January 22 at 10AM in Charlottesville General District Court and is requesting that supporters come in solidarity. Mr. Blakney is represented by attorneys Sandra Freeman and David Baugh.   - NLG Central Virginia Chapter   https://www.facebook.com/nlgcentralva/posts/402967166812823 The Heat is On: Update from Blue Ridge ABC on Week 1 of #OperationPUSH! One week ago prison rebels across Florida launched Operation PUSH. Their demands were simple: end prison slavery and price gouging, restore access to parole, and put an end to the brutal conditions they are subjected to daily. Information has been slow to trickle out due to intense repression and communication blackouts, but we know there has been strike participation at 15+ prisons, and we know that support on the outside is growing, with 150+ organizations endorsing the action and major solidarity actions in Florida occurring at various locations, including a 5-hour long occupation of the DOC office in Tallahassee on Tuesday. The repression is already starting to come down: people being thrown into solitary confinement; being threatened with violence; being bribed to end their action and inform on other strike organizers; being transferred to new facilities to disburse strike activity throughout the system and isolate people. One disturbing feature of this repression is DOC's focus on identifying specific groups coordinating support on the outside such as the Campaign to Fight Toxic Prisons and IWOC and disrupting prisoners' communication with these groups. Prison organizers who correspond with these groups are being targeted for having their "security threat level" increased--a practice that translates into greater isolation and harsher conditions of confinement. One prisoner was told point blank, "As long as you communicate with these people you're always going to be labelled a security threat and you're always going to be put under investigation." Communication has been curtailed so severely that it's hard to know how much of an economic impact the strike has had so far; we do know that in some cases scab labor has been brought in to keep facilities running. This state of uncertainty is a strategy prison administrators use to sap organizing energy. As IWOC recently wrote, "a common theme among report backs is the attempt to sever communication in order to create the perception of inactivity and break the spirits of those participating in the strike." But strikers won't be fooled so easily, and neither will we. We will keep showing up because those on the inside are putting it all on the line, and we are in absolute solidarity with their courageous acts of resistance. NOW IS THE TIME TO STEP UP OUR SUPPORT! - Letter writing to striking prisoners TODAY at Firestorm, 4pm - Join the "phone zap" (calling campaign" TOMORROW, MONDAY 1/22!  Go to incarceratedworkers.org to find the call script and make those calls! - Tell people about this! #operationpush #endprisonslavery J20 Statement from TFS Yesterday marked the year anniversary of January 20th, 2017. The by now all too familiar litany of charges, events, numbers, police tactics, and trials sometimes bears repetition at, but at other times can obscure the human element at play, lives that have been varying degrees of upended or lost in this process. Three days ago on January 18th 2018, 129 of the original defendants were acquitted of all charges “without prejudice”, a phrase that sounds benign and even somewhat positive. In actuality, it is in place here to protect the plaintiff (in this case, the state) from the defendant (here, the 129) invoking a doctrine called Res Judicata (meaning “a thing decided” in Latin), which essentially states that someone cannot be brought up on charges for the same thing twice. I think it is important to belabor this point, not in any way to nay-say the relief that anyone may be feeling right now or diminish some very very well deserved congratulations, but to say again and again that the state is not here to give anyone who opposes it relief, or joy, or a sense of justice. The daily realities of so many of us who resist the state by our actions, beliefs, or our very existence is proof enough of the state's essential nature. This phrase “without prejudice”, when used in the case of a dismissal of charges, means legally that the original charges could be brought again at any time, as though those charges never existed in the first place. This is a very smart move on the part of the courts. It seems very likely that this was a carefully timed mass acquittal, having little to do with meting out so called guilt or innocence, and everything to do with attempting to fracture support and stymie momentum. They can be seen to be throwing us a bone while actually going ahead with their original intention. What is unfortunate for the courts is that support for the J20 defendants is not being taken in by this tactic. This is a time for us to focus all our resources on the remaining 59 defendants, keep an eye or two on the shenanigans of the court trying to pull legal fast ones over on our comrades, and take care of ourselves and each other cause this is far from over. You can see a beautiful statement of solidarity with the remaining defendants at defendj20resistance.org, and as always, keep up with developments in this case by following the hashtags or handles related to "defendj20" on all your fav social media platforms. To see a list of actions and endeavors in this anniversary week, you can go to itsgoingdown.org. You can help support the defendants by going to their fundraising support page. ------------- Show playlist here.

Can Gianni Infantino become the next Fifa president? We assess his credentials. Plus, the former Arsenal and Galatasaray defender Emmanuel Eboue, Chinese Super League recruit Jack Sealy and we visit Western France to find out more about Ligue 1 side Angers, a team pushing for Champions League qualification. (Photo: Fifa presidential candidate Gianni Infantino controls a football after his press conference at Wembley Stadium. Credit: Getty images)

This episode is titled, “Wars of Religion”In our review of the Reformation, we began with a look at its roots and the long cry for reform heard in the Roman church. We saw its genesis in Germany with Martin Luther and Philip Melanchthon, its impact on Switzerland with Zwingli and later with the Frenchman John Calvin. John Knox carried it to his native Scotland and Thomas Cranmer led it in England.We've taken a look at the Roman Catholic response in what's called the Counter-Reformation, but probably ought to be labelled the Catholic Reformation. We briefly considered the Council of Trent where the Roman Church affirmed its perspective on many of the issues raised by Protestants and for the first time, a clear line was drawn, marking the differences in doctrine between the two groups. We saw the Jesuits, the learned shock-troops of the Roman Church sent out on both mission and to counter the impact of the Reformation in the regions of Europe being swung toward the Protestant camp.Let's talk a little more about the Catholic Counter-Reformation because Europe is about to plunge into several decades of war due to the differing religious affiliations of its various kingdoms.There were at least four ingredients in the Counter-Reformation.The first concerned the religious orders of the Catholic Church. There was a spiritual renewal within older orders like the Franciscans, Dominicans, and Benedictines. Reform among the Franciscans led to the founding of the Capuchins in 1528. Their energetic work among the Italian peasantry kept them loyal to Rome.Second, new orders sprang up. Groups like the Theatines [Thee a teen] who called both clergy and laity to a godly lifestyle. The Ursulines [Ursa-leens] were an order for women who cared for the sick and poor. And then of course, there were the Jesuits.The Society of Jesus, or Jesuits, were the most important of the new orders. Founded in Paris in 1534 by Ignatius of Loyola, the order required total obedience of its members for the furtherance of the interests of the Roman church. While there were good and godly Jesuits, men who worked tirelessly to expand the Kingdom of God, there were also some whose motives were less noble. Okay, let's be frank; they were diabolical. Utterly unscrupulous in their methods, they believed it was permissible to do evil if good came of it. They resurrected the Inquisition in the 16th C making it an effective tool in stomping out the Reformation in Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Belgium.Jesuits infiltrated government offices and used every means fair or foul to advance the cause of the Rome. Lest Catholic listeners take offense to this, understand that their power became so great and their methods so immoral, the Pope suppressed the order from 1773 to 1814.Also, it should be noted when Ignatius launched the Society, a counterattack on the Reformation was not in view. His ambition was missionary with a keen desire to convert Muslims. The three major goals of the Jesuits were to convert pagans, combat heresy, and promote education. It was their solemn oath to obey the Pope that led to their being used as a tool of the Counter-Reformation.A third aspect of the Counter-Reformation was the Council of Trent. The cardinals elected a Dutch theologian as a reform pope in 1522. He admitted that the problems Rome had with the Lutherans came because of the corruption of the Church, from the papal office down. As was saw a couple episodes ago, in 1536, Pope Paul III appointed a special panel of cardinals to prepare a report on the condition of the Church. That report gave Luther much ammunition for his critique of  Rome. It conceded that Protestantism resulted from the “ambition, avarice, and cupidity” of Catholic bishops.The Roman Church realized it needed to address the issues raised by the Reformers. The Council of Trent was the answer. It met in three main sessions, under the terms of three different popes, from 1545 to 63. Participants came from Italy, Spain, France, and Germany. The Council decided a wide array of issues.In direct response to Lutheran challenges, the Council abolished indulgence-sellers, defined obligations of the clergy, regulated the use of relics, and ordered the restructuring of bishops.The doctrinal work of Trent is summarized in the Tridentine Profession of Faith, which championed Roman Catholic dogma and provided a theological response to Protestants. Trent rejected justification by faith alone and promoted the necessity of meritorious works as necessary for salvation. It validated the seven sacraments as bestowing merit on believers and their necessity for salvation. It affirmed the value of tradition as a basis of authority alongside the Bible. It approved the canonicity of the apocryphal books of the Old Testament; made official the existence of purgatory; the value of images, relics, indulgences, the invocation of saints; and the importance of confession to a priest. It also defined more specifically the sacrificial aspects of the mass and decided that only the bread should be distributed to the laity.The Tridentine statement made reconciliation with Protestantism impossible.The Council's work constituted a statement of faith by which true Roman Catholics could determine their orthodoxy. No such comprehensive statement existed before. If it had, perhaps the force of the Reformation would have been blunted in some places. What the Council of Trent did, in effect, was to make official dogmas of the Church the various positions Luther had challenged in his break with Rome.A fourth aspect of the Counter-Reformation was a new and vigorous kind of spirituality that bloomed in a remarkable series of writings and movements. Some devotional books from this movement, such as the Imitation of Christ by Thomas a'Kempis and the Spiritual Exercises by Loyola, have received proper attention, but most of have not.This new kind of devout life was characterized by a systemic examination of conscience, prayer, contemplation, and spiritual direction. Its roots lay in the Middle Ages with groups like the Carthusians, who put great emphasis on the contemplative life. It was these works that fueled the calls for reform in the Roman Church before Luther arrived on the scene. They were the reading material of groups like the Brethren of the Common Life and The Oratory of Divine Love which provided many of the best church leaders in the years leading up to the 16th C.The Reformation sparked a series of religious wars across Europe. The last of these was the Thirty Years' War, which last from 1618–48.As we saw in a previous episode, the Peace of Augsburg in 1555 put Lutheranism on a legal basis with Roman Catholicism in Germany. The prince of a region determined the religion in his territory; dissenters could immigrate to another territory if they wanted to.Now, that may seem obvious to highly mobile moderns like many listening to this, but it wasn't for people at that time. Due to feudal rules, people weren't allowed to move without consent of their ruler. The Peace of Augsburg marked a significant change in commoners' mobility. To preserve Catholic domination of southern Germany, the agreement mandated that Catholic rulers who became Lutherans had to surrender rule. The agreement left out Calvinists, Anabaptists, and other Protestants. So for many, Augsburg solved nothing.Beginning in Bohemia, the Thirty Years' War ravaged Central Europe and Germany and involved all the major European powers. The Peace of Westphalia, which ended the war in 1648, resulted from long and complicated negotiations. France and Sweden gained large amounts of territory, and German princes gained greater power and influence at the expense of the Emperor. The treaty finally recognized Calvinism, along with Lutheranism and Catholicism, as legal religions and permitted each ruler to determine the religion of his state.The effects of the War were devastating for Christianity as a whole. Religious issues were increasingly treated with indifference by political leaders. Secular, self-serving matters were now the chief concerns of the growing uber-worldly nation-states. The barbarity and brutality of the war left many questioning the Christian Message. How could a Faith that produced such atrocities be true? Doctrine took a backseat to doubt. Faith was met with skepticism. All this coming at the dawn of, and no doubt hastening, The Age of Reason.In reply to those who criticize Christianity for the wars fought at that time, it ought to be recognized that in every case; political, economic, and social considerations were as important as the religious, if not more. Much of the time, there was no real struggle between Roman Catholics and Protestants. And on some fronts of the war, BOTH Catholics and Protestants fought alongside each other as comrades because their conflict was political rather than religious. We call this period the “Wars of Religion,” but in truth it was rarely religion that sparked or drove the conflict; it was political and economic, hiding behind a mask of religion because that tends to stir the people actually doing the fighting better than some prince wanting more land.Nine times out of ten, if you want to know the real cause of something, follow the money.We turn now to the impact of the Reformation on France and one example of how tragic things can turn – ostensibly, because of religion, but really because of politics.As the 16th C wore on, the Roman church in France fell into a progressively deplorable condition. The Concordat of Bologna in 1516 gave King Francis I the right to appoint the ten archbishops, thirty-eight bishops, and 527 heads of religious houses in France. That meant the Church became part of a vast patronage system, and individuals won positions in the Church not for ability or religious zeal but for service to the crown. Simony & bribery was de-rigor.Conditions became genuinely bad. Literacy among priests dropped to a mere ten-percent. Since the king was head of the French Church, and he depended on its patronage system for income, we see why Francis I and Henry II were so zealous in their persecution of French Protestants. They couldn't afford to permit the system to crumble. They certainly weren't zealous for Catholicism except as a tool to achieve their political ambitions.The French Protestant movement was stoked by what was happening in Geneva in Switzerland under Farel and Calvin. The French Bible, Calvin's Institutes, and numerous other Protestant publications fueled the movement. So naturally, the most literate element of the population was won over. Converts were numerous at the universities and among lawyers and other professionals, the merchant class and artisans, lower clergy, friars, and the lesser nobility. The illiterate peasantry was hardly touched and remained firmly Catholic.Politics and economics played into the mix. The Middle-class and lower nobility of France were tired of King Francis' imperial ambitions, funded on their backs. They were urged into the Protestant cause out of a desire to get rid of the King. It's estimated that two-fifths of all nobles joined the French Protestant cause.  Few of them were authentically converted but sought to use the Protestant movement to weaken the trend toward King Francis' oppressive version of royal absolutism.In spite of persecution, Protestants increased rapidly. At the beginning of the reign of Henry II in 1547 they numbered over 400,000. By the end of his reign in 1561 they were known as Huguenots and numbered 2 million; ten-percent of the population. The Presbyterian system of church government gave organization and discipline to the Huguenot movement.In order to understand the course of events the French Reformation took and see why it became embroiled in civil war, it's necessary to look at the political and social conditions of the times.First, that many of the younger nobility joined Protestant ranks is of great significance. Accustomed to carrying swords, they became protectors of Huguenot congregations during troubled times. They often protected church meetings against hostile bands of Catholic ruffians.Second, and this is key; there were four major groups of nobility vying for the rule in France.The ruling house with a tenuous grip on the throne was the Valois.The Bourbons of Western France were next in line should the Valois falter. Their leadership were decided Huguenots.The powerful Guises [Guy-zuhz], were equally committed Roman Catholics with extensive holdings in the East.The Montmorencys controlled the center of France; their leadership divided evenly between Huguenots and Catholics.Third, when Henry II died, he left three sons all dominated by his queen, Catherine de Medici. She was determined to maintain personal control and advance the power of her government. She was opposed by many of the nobility jealous of their rights and wanted to restrict the power of the monarchy.Fourth, as the likelihood of civil war in France percolated, the English and Spanish sent aid to their factions to serve their respective interests.Such animosities provided the tinder to ignite armed conflict. Eight wars were fought between Roman Catholics and Protestants in France. Leading the Protestants early in the conflict was Gaspard de Coligny. But he lost his life along with some 15 to 20,000 Huguenots in the massacre of St. Bartholomew's Day, in August, 1572. After that, Henry of Navarre, of the Bourbon family, led the Protestants. His maneuvers were successful, and eventually, with the death of others in the royal line, he became heir to the French throne. Because he didn't have enough strength to complete his conquest, he converted to Catholicism and won the crown as Henry IV. Judging from his conduct, Henry's religious principles sat his shoulders rather lightly. His switch to the Roman Church was for purely political reasons. Most likely he simply sought to turn off the blood bath drenching France.In 1598, Henry published the Edict of Nantes, a grant of toleration for the Huguenots. It guaranteed them the right to hold public office, freedom of worship in most areas of France, the privilege of educating their children in other than Roman Catholic schools, and free access to universities and hospitals. The edict was the first significant recognition of the rights of a religious minority in an otherwise intolerant age. Though the Huguenots enjoyed a period of great prosperity after that, King Louis XIV revoked the edict in 1685. Thousands were driven into exile, to the benefit of England, Holland, Prussia, and America where they fled for refuge.