Latest news with #Woolley
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Ram in the Thicket: A 4,500-year-old gold statue from the royal cemetery at Ur
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Name: Ram in the Thicket What it is: A gold and lapis lazuli statuette Where it is from: The Royal Cemetery at Ur (modern Tell el-Muqayyar, Iraq) When it was made: Circa 2550 B.C. Related: Oseberg tapestry: Viking Age artwork from a boat burial that may depict the Norse tree of life What it tells us about the past: Found a century ago in a mass grave in the desert of southern Iraq, this 4,500-year-old statuette may depict the daily ritual associated with destiny and the birth of the universe in ancient Mesopotamia. Archaeologist Leonard Woolley discovered two nearly identical statuettes, which he named "Ram in the Thicket," in the Great Death Pit at the Royal Cemetery at Ur in 1928. This burial of one royal Sumerian individual around 2550 B.C. also involved the sacrifice of 68 women and five men. Woolley discovered the statuettes broken and crushed. Now reconstructed, they measure 16.7 inches (42.5 centimeters) and 18 inches (45.7 cm) tall. The smaller one is on display at the Penn Museum in Philadelphia, while the larger one is housed at the British Museum in London. According to the Penn Museum, the statuettes may represent markhor goats, a type of Central and South Asian mountain goat with fantastical spiral horns. But Woolley called them "rams" because they reminded him of the biblical story of Abraham sacrificing a ram instead of his son Isaac. The heads and legs of the goat statuettes are wood, covered in gold leaf, as is the thicket or flowering bush. Their ears are copper, and their bellies are silver. Lapis lazuli, a semiprecious deep-blue stone, was used for their horns and fleece. Each goat stands on its hind legs on a rectangular base decorated with a mosaic of shells, lapis lazuli and red limestone in a diamond pattern. Experts are unsure what function this pair of goat statuettes served, but they may have been used as offering stands to support small bowls that did not survive, according to a team of Penn Museum researchers who published an analysis of the objects in 2020. MORE ASTONISHING ARTIFACTS —Hatnefer's heart scarab: An exquisite ancient Egyptian gold necklace inscribed with the Book of the Dead —Hårby Valkyrie: A 1,200-year-old gold Viking Age woman sporting a sword, shield and ponytail —Apulian rhyton: A 2,300-year-old Spartan-hound-shaped cup that was likely used at boozy bashes These researchers view the thicket or bush as a representation of the Mesopotamian cosmic tree that connects heaven and Earth. Rosettes on the tree symbolize heaven, while the leaves signify Earth. The diamond pattern on the statues' bases may represent mountains — specifically those on the eastern horizon of Ur where the sun rises. Daily sunrise was very important in ancient Mesopotamia. It was connected to the idea of destiny and associated with the birth of the universe. Rituals for the sun god Shamash often involved the sacrifice of sheep or goats and were made between sunset and sunrise. Because the "ram in the thicket" statuettes evoke sunrise — the time and place where heaven, Earth and the netherworld meet in Mesopotamian belief — they were likely seen as "suitable furnishings" for a royal tomb, the researchers wrote in their analysis.
Scoop
30-04-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Home Support Workers To Strike Over Poor Pay, ‘Broken' System
Press Release – PSA Nearly 1000 support workers from one of the country's largest home support companies are walking off the job tomorrow to protest chronically low pay and a recent attempt by their employer to claw back staff conditions. Access Community Health support workers will strike from 12-2pm on Thursday, 1 May – International Workers' Day – the same day as senior doctors and Auckland City Hospital's perioperative nurses will also walk off the job. 'For the first time in nearly 20 years, our members have overwhelmingly voted to take strike action,' Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi assistant secretary Melissa Woolley says. 'Despite receiving increased public funding, Access Community Health have put up an insulting offer: no pay increase, introducing 90-day trials, reducing sick days, and taking away qualifications pay steps undermining the integrity of the 2017 care and support worker pay equity settlement.' Most workers are on minimum wage or slightly above, but none have received a pay increase for nearly two years. The strike follows a two-hour stop-work meeting undertaken by workers on 15 April. 'Home support workers are an incredibly dedicated group of people – it takes a lot for them to walk off the job,' Woolley says. 'But they recognise that the incredible strain on health workers is not acceptable or sustainable – as do New Zealand's senior doctors and nurses, who are also striking tomorrow. 'The fact that Access workers are all taking industrial action tomorrow alongside senior doctors and perioperative nurses really highlights how broken the system is.' An anonymous Access Community Health worker says that their work is hugely under-valued. 'We are paid minimum wage to deliver essential care, 24/7 and 365 days a year. Our phones are always ringing because our employer cannot attract and retain staff at their current pay rates. 'The sad thing is that while we are burnt out, we know that if we don't provide the care then no-one will. At the end of the day, our clients are the ones that miss out.' Support workers play an essential role within healthcare, providing in-home care for everyone from the elderly to those with mobility issues or recovering from surgery. Their duties include using hoist equipment to lift clients, managing hygiene, administering medication, personal cares and liaising with other healthcare professionals on any changes in their clients.
Scoop
30-04-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Home Support Workers To Strike Over Poor Pay, ‘Broken' System
Press Release – PSA Access Community Health support workers will strike from 12-2pm on Thursday, 1 May – International Workers Day – the same day as senior doctors and Auckland City Hospitals perioperative nurses will also walk off the job. Nearly 1000 support workers from one of the country's largest home support companies are walking off the job tomorrow to protest chronically low pay and a recent attempt by their employer to claw back staff conditions. Access Community Health support workers will strike from 12-2pm on Thursday, 1 May – International Workers' Day – the same day as senior doctors and Auckland City Hospital's perioperative nurses will also walk off the job. 'For the first time in nearly 20 years, our members have overwhelmingly voted to take strike action,' Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi assistant secretary Melissa Woolley says. 'Despite receiving increased public funding, Access Community Health have put up an insulting offer: no pay increase, introducing 90-day trials, reducing sick days, and taking away qualifications pay steps undermining the integrity of the 2017 care and support worker pay equity settlement.' Most workers are on minimum wage or slightly above, but none have received a pay increase for nearly two years. The strike follows a two-hour stop-work meeting undertaken by workers on 15 April. 'Home support workers are an incredibly dedicated group of people – it takes a lot for them to walk off the job,' Woolley says. 'But they recognise that the incredible strain on health workers is not acceptable or sustainable – as do New Zealand's senior doctors and nurses, who are also striking tomorrow. 'The fact that Access workers are all taking industrial action tomorrow alongside senior doctors and perioperative nurses really highlights how broken the system is.' An anonymous Access Community Health worker says that their work is hugely under-valued. 'We are paid minimum wage to deliver essential care, 24/7 and 365 days a year. Our phones are always ringing because our employer cannot attract and retain staff at their current pay rates. 'The sad thing is that while we are burnt out, we know that if we don't provide the care then no-one will. At the end of the day, our clients are the ones that miss out.' Support workers play an essential role within healthcare, providing in-home care for everyone from the elderly to those with mobility issues or recovering from surgery. Their duties include using hoist equipment to lift clients, managing hygiene, administering medication, personal cares and liaising with other healthcare professionals on any changes in their clients.
Scoop
29-04-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Home Support Workers To Strike Over Poor Pay, ‘Broken' System
Nearly 1000 support workers from one of the country's largest home support companies are walking off the job tomorrow to protest chronically low pay and a recent attempt by their employer to claw back staff conditions. Access Community Health support workers will strike from 12-2pm on Thursday, 1 May - International Workers' Day - the same day as senior doctors and Auckland City Hospital's perioperative nurses will also walk off the job. "For the first time in nearly 20 years, our members have overwhelmingly voted to take strike action," Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi assistant secretary Melissa Woolley says. "Despite receiving increased public funding, Access Community Health have put up an insulting offer: no pay increase, introducing 90-day trials, reducing sick days, and taking away qualifications pay steps undermining the integrity of the 2017 care and support worker pay equity settlement." Most workers are on minimum wage or slightly above, but none have received a pay increase for nearly two years. The strike follows a two-hour stop-work meeting undertaken by workers on 15 April. "Home support workers are an incredibly dedicated group of people - it takes a lot for them to walk off the job," Woolley says. "But they recognise that the incredible strain on health workers is not acceptable or sustainable - as do New Zealand's senior doctors and nurses, who are also striking tomorrow. "The fact that Access workers are all taking industrial action tomorrow alongside senior doctors and perioperative nurses really highlights how broken the system is." An anonymous Access Community Health worker says that their work is hugely under-valued. "We are paid minimum wage to deliver essential care, 24/7 and 365 days a year. Our phones are always ringing because our employer cannot attract and retain staff at their current pay rates. "The sad thing is that while we are burnt out, we know that if we don't provide the care then no-one will. At the end of the day, our clients are the ones that miss out." Support workers play an essential role within healthcare, providing in-home care for everyone from the elderly to those with mobility issues or recovering from surgery. Their duties include using hoist equipment to lift clients, managing hygiene, administering medication, personal cares and liaising with other healthcare professionals on any changes in their clients. The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand's largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Monster Energy's Kieran Woolley Claims First Place in Concrete Jam Bowl Skateboarding Contest at Tampa Pro 2025
21-Year-Old Woolley from Australia Takes Victory in Bowl Skating Competition at Tampa Pro Contest, 24-Year-Old Liam Pace from Tucson, Arizona Claims 2nd Place 22-Year-Old Jake Yanko from Melbourne, Florida, Wins Balcony Best Trick Contest TAMPA, Fla., April 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The most epic skateboard competition returns! Monster Energy congratulates team rider Kieran Woolley on taking first place in the Concrete Jam bowl skating contest at the 31st Annual Tampa Pro this weekend. In the iconic skateboard competition at sold-out Skatepark of Tampa (SPoT), the 21-year-old from Kiama Downs, Australia, took the top spot with explosive skating. He was joined on the Concrete Jam podium by 24-year-old Liam Pace from Tucson, Arizona in second place. In the Opera Balcony Best Trick contest inside the concrete bowl, 22-year-old Jake Yanko from Melbourne, Florida, took first place with a technical trick. For a special tribute, 32-year-old Kelvin Hoefler from Sao Paulo, Brazil, received the Legend Award from skateboard outreach organization Do By Heart with a $1,000 payout. From April 3-6, 2025, the 31st Annual Tampa Pro attracted the world's best street and bowl skateboarders to legendary Skatepark of Tampa in Florida. This year's edition featured competitions and side events in a festival atmosphere, including art shows, fan activations, and musical performances featuring all-female punk rock sensation Die Spitz. Presented by Monster Energy as the title sponsor, Tampa Pro is the most respected grassroots contest in skateboarding. In 1995, the skateboard competition was first contested at the SPoT warehouse and is now the longest-running contest in the sport. Several of the world's most iconic street skateboarders have won the coveted Tampa Pro title, including Monster Energy rider Nyjah Huston (winner in 2014 and 2020). Here's how the action unfolded for Team Monster Energy in the 31st edition of Tampa Pro: Tampa Pro Concrete Jam: Kieran Woolley Takes Victory with Explosive Skating, Liam Pace Claims Second Place On Saturday, the Tampa Pro Concrete Jam was contested in the famous SPoT concrete bowl. In a high-energy session, spectators experienced some of the top international bowl skaters showcase their best tricks in front of the festival crowd. When the dust settled, 21-year-old Kieran Woolley from Kiama Downs, Australia, convinced the judges by covering every angle of the challenging concrete course with difficult tricks. Standouts including huge frontside boneless, alley-oop frontside 5-0 grind, frontside feeble, and frontside nosegrind over the door gap, backside boneless the balcony board, kickflip Indy the deep end, eggplant revert, hip transfer to frontside 5-0, ollie backside Smith the extension, backside air disaster, frontside invert revert earned Woolley first place in the Concrete Jam. Woolley was joined on the Concrete Jam podium by 24-year-old Liam Pace from Tucson, Arizona, in second place. Heavy tricks such as Indy 540 nosebone over the door gap, frontside Smith stall 180 on the balcony obstacle, backside boneless on the fence, and shove-it noseslide fakie the bowl corner earned Pace his podium spot. Following the Concrete Jam, the Opera Balcony Best Trick honored the most difficult move on the balcony deck obstacle above the bowl. In the intense session, 22-year-old Jake Yanko from Melbourne, Florida, upped the ante with an ollie to backside tail stall 180 into the bowl for first place. For more on Kieran Woolley, Jake Yanko, Liam Pace, Kelvin Hoefler, and the Monster Energy skateboarding team visit Follow Monster Energy on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok for exclusive updates from the 2025 skateboard season. For interview or photo requests contact Kim Dresser. About Monster EnergyBased in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional, Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross, off-road, NASCAR, MMA, BMX, surf, snowboard, ski, skateboard, or the rock and roll lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that believes in authenticity and the core of what its athletes and musicians represent. More than a drink, it's the way of life lived by athletes, bands, believers, and fans. See more about Monster Energy including all of its drinks at CONTACT: Kim Dresser C: (949) 300-5546 E: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Monster Energy Sign in to access your portfolio
