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Gambling continuously increases its stranglehold on Missouri, thanks to the shortsightedness of some of our elected leaders. Its devastating effects on families are seen by shattered lives and hopes. Draining tens of millions from our economy, from local merchants and expanding gambling during a recession is bad public policy.
Yet the siren song of gambling advocates continues. I once asked my own State Senator, Scott Rupp, why he was sponsoring the repeal of the loss limits on casinos. He repeated the mantra of the pro-gambling crowd that it would mean more money for public schools. As a pro-family conservative, I have a real problem with destroying families and people’s lives in the name of ‘education.’
Missouri once stood as an example for all other states by having a $500 loss limit every two hours. While you could still lose more than you could afford under the old law, it had a tempering effect. It slowed people down. While waiting for another two-hour period to start, some gamblers would decide to go home. That is why the casinos didn't like it.
Legislators who accept campaign money from the gambling industry often justify their acceptance of such support by claiming that “tax revenues generated by gambling are for a ‘worthy cause,’” i.e. funding public education.
To begin with, casinos are not in business to fund education. They exist to make huge profits. And, their primary targets are the citizens of the State who can least afford to lose their hard earned money; senior citizens, husbands and wives with a gambling addiction, and people in desperate need who think that by gambling they can some how strike it rich and solve all their problems. Gambling doesn’t solve problems, it creates them!
Now that we have seen the devastating effects of removal of loss limits, how about the honey-coated promises of the casino industry to generate big bucks for education? It turns out that the schools are getting less than 1/3 the promised amount!
This year the pro-gambling State Senate was at it again. This time it was to spend our scarce resources directly on inducing more people to gamble via the State Lottery. Mathematically, the odds are astronomically against those who play the lottery. Over the course of a year, those who gamble that extra dollar, or two, or five at the cash register are simply paying hundreds of extra dollars in taxes to the State.
While the State of Missouri is recoiling with budget shortfalls, there is one budget line item that is obviously benefiting from the hardship - the lottery advertising budget. The following is a breakdown of how much the state has spent on advertising the Missouri Lottery from 2005 to 2010, plus what has been allocated for promoting the lottery for 2011.
Fiscal Year 2005 $2.1 million
Fiscal Year 2006 2.1 million
Fiscal Year 2007 1.5 million
Fiscal Year 2008 1.3 Million
Fiscal Year 2009 1.3 Million
Fiscal Year 2010 1.3 million
Fiscal Year 2011 $8 million Yes, this last number is 8 MILLION of our tax dollars!
Governor Nixon recommended that the Legislature increase the lottery advertising budget from $1.3 million to $5 million for 2011. That alone would have been a horrendous increase. However, that wasn’t enough for the Senate and the gambling industry, so they decided to increase the Governor’s recommendation to $8 million - more than six times the current amount to advertise the lottery!
Why such a huge increase? The pro-gambling forces said we needed to drive more people to want to gamble so the State Lottery could rake in more money. My Senator was one of three Republican Senators on the Conference Committee who advanced the Senate’s pro-gaming agenda.
I am proud to say that I voted against this horribly destructive plan to lure people into gambling and thus lose more of their hard-earned money, but the Senate position prevailed.
A common legislative question I’m asked is “What happened to all that gambling money that was supposed to go to education?” The short answer is that the expectations were lowered as to the State’s obligation to fund schools. Since ‘gaming money’ was going into the school fund, there was less pressure to spend regular State revenues on education so the net effect was far less.
The longer answer is that the predatory nature of gambling causes significant harm such as bankruptcies, broken homes, gambling addiction, increases in crime, and even suicides. So, as long as the State and local municipalities are picking up part or all of the tab for these unmentioned hidden costs, a percentage of the money extracted from gambling is little more than a redistribution of wealth.
I voted against the State Budget because I believe it violated the Missouri Constitution, which requires a balanced budget. The budget that was passed by the Missouri General Assembly was around $350 million over what we should have spent. Yet some Legislators are now lying to the public and saying they balanced the State Budget.
But balancing the budget on the backs of the poor -or those with a gambling addiction- is not the solution. The recession didn't sneak up on us. We all saw a tight budget coming as we watched our economy diminish. The answer is to first turn our economy around and create more wealth for individuals -not attempt to wring the last nickel out of those who can least afford it and do more harm to the citizens of Missouri!
However, there is hope. Some of us are willing to stand on principles, rather than pandering to the pro-gambling lobby. It is hard to be in the minority on social issues, especially when your party is supposed to be in the majority. However, history is full of examples of one person who made a difference by standing strong against evil. Our citizens deserve moral leadership and one by one some of those pro-gambling legislators are getting replaced.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Cynthia Davis: Gambling increasing its stranglehold on Missourians
In her latest capital report, Rep. Cynthia Davis, R-O'Fallon, points out the differences between her stance on gambling issues and that of her opponent in August's senatorial primary, incumbent Sen. Scott Rupp:
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January 24, 2012
President Obama: 2012 State of the Union [FULL VIDEO]
Obama to focus on tax inequality in State of the Union address
Follow as Shmuel Rosner’s live tweets the 2012 State of the Union
President Barack Obama will frame an election-year State of the Union address on Tuesday in starkly populist terms by calling for tax reform to get rid of inequalities that allow the wealthy to pay a lower rate than middle-class Americans.
His message follows the release of tax records by Mitt Romney, a potential Republican rival and one of the wealthiest men to ever run for the White House. With income mostly from investments, Romney pays an effective tax rate that is much lower than the top tax rates on wages.
“Millions of Americans who work hard and play by the rules every day deserve a government and a financial system that does the same,” Obama said in advance excerpts for his 9 p.m. EST (0200 GMT Wednesday) speech to Congress.
“It’s time to apply the same rules from top to bottom: No bailouts, no handouts, and no copouts.”
VIDEO: 2012 State of the Union
Video courtesy of The White House
Taxes are the most divisive issue at the heart of this year’s election campaign. Obama, seeking a second term despite a slow economic recovery and a high jobless rate, hopes to tap into middle-class voters’ resentment against Wall Street while their families are hurting.
Democrats have hammered Republicans in Congress for supporting tax breaks that favor the wealthy while Republicans staunchly oppose tax hikes, even on the richest Americans, arguing they would hurt a fragile economic recovery.
Obama was set to revive his call to rewrite the tax code to adopt the so-called “Buffett rule,” named after the billionaire Warren Buffett, who supports the president and says it is unfair that he, Buffett, pays a lower tax rate than his secretary.
Obama is also expected to roll out new initiatives on easing the nation’s home-mortgage crisis and reforming the corporate tax system.
Most of Obama’s proposals will face stiff Republican resistance, limiting the chance of any headway in a divided Congress before the Nov. 6 election.
Although Obama is fully aware of the legislative obstacles, his aides see this approach scoring political points by turning up the heat on Republicans he accuses of obstructing economic recovery.
“We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of Americans barely get by,” Obama will say. “Or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share.”
The U.S. unemployment rate was 8.5 percent in December. No president in the modern era has won re-election with the rate that high.
Editing by David Storey
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YOUR MP WRITES: Torfaen MP Paul Murphy
I RECENTLY learned about a consultation on Welsh place names that Torfaen Council has been required to run. I responded to the consultation as the local MP, pointing out my concerns.
Councils like Torfaen have rightly placed education and social care at the top of their priorities, at a time when money is short. In recent weeks, we’ve all seen some of the tough choices that councils are having to make, as the result of cuts being made by the UK government, and in the face of rising demand on the services councils provide.
So in this climate of austerity, while I value the Welsh Language as part of our rich cultural heritage, I am keen to guard against directives that risk diverting money away from vital frontline services. I hope that the Welsh language commissioner and those who decide these things recognise that financial reality and avoid imposing undue burdens upon hardpressed councils.
Leaving concerns about money to one side though, I am deeply sceptical about the whole concept of ‘Welsh’ place-names. So-called standardisation of place names may seem on the surface to be sensible, but it risks ignoring the tremendous cultural and linguistic diversity of Wales. The Eastern Valley of Gwent in particular has been one of Wales’ great cultural melting pots. As the first valley to be industrialised, thousands of people, including my own ancestors, came here in the 19th and 20th centuries to find work, bringing with them their cultures and heritage – from Italy, Ireland, the West of England, Scotland and elsewhere.
When these people arrived, they merged with an indigenous Gwent population who had their own cultural and linguistic identity. This great cultural richness ought not to be swamped by a rush to a bland and meaningless standardisation, otherwise we risk obliterating hundreds of years of our local history.
Many of our Welsh place names may not conform to a standard interpretation, but they are local, they are used and most importantly, they are ours. Try telling someone that Cwmynyscoy is not a proper Welsh place name – or Griffithstown, or even Blaenavon!
These are parts of our valley whose names hark back to our proud industrial past.
The future of the Welsh language is best served through the continued success of Welsh-medium education and by strengthening the economies of Welsh-language communities – not by ignoring our cultural diversity within Wales. If regional variation in Wales is to be submerged to a stifling uniformity, then much of what we have done to encourage and foster the Welsh language could be jeopardised.
That would be a great pity.
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User talk:Leighblackall/An ethical framework for ubiquitous learning
To be submitted to
I've been invited to present something to ISTAS 2013. I've decided to finish and submit this paper for it. This event and its topic draws me back to the origional intention of the paper - a critique of technological deterministic thinking in education circles. Leighblackall (discuss • contribs) 04:18, 15 April 2013 (UTC)
Ethical learning analytics
George Seimens posted a link to a work in progress at the Learning Analytics Google Group https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bBRCyldBoS0ywDhNIgB9f4k7-hLUzviu3HUX7JBUDzQ/edit?pli=1 Leighblackall (talk) 11:41, 5 April 2012 (UTC)
Links from Bee
I have been reading and learning a lot lately. Three links to material that may (or not) complement your reading.
Meier, P. (2011). A List of Completely Wrong Assumptions About Technology Use in Emerging Economies. irevolution
Fish, A. (2011). Information Imperialism?. savageminds
Lasar, M. (2011). How Robber Barons hijacked the "Victorian Internet". arstechnica tech-policy news
Barbara Dieu 7 July 2011.
- Thanks B. If they don't compliment this, then they should. I was advised to tone down the critique on tech centrism, but am having second thoughts. I think I should keep it, but find a way to be less direct. These will help, Thanks Leighblackall 20:32, 6 July 2011 (UTC)
Begin second draft
I have begun a second draft. My aim is to take Botts' advice, along with Keith's, Rob's (not yet recorded here, but is verbal), and James, and dramatically reduce the 'critique' and move it to the back, and start the paper with more of a position statement, and focus on the use of a selected group of authors to establish a supporting ethical framework for that position, and set out a range of operating principles that support that framework.
ETHICS > PRINCIPLES > METHODS > OUTPUTS < PRINCIPLES
I'm using Holgrem's structure for explaining Permaculture, where he established 3 core ethics for the design concept and 12 principles for supporting that ethical position, and guiding a user's development of methods and practices. Out of those methods and practices are built-in feedback mechanisms, or Outputs, used to hold up against the principles to see if the method is sound, or if the principles need changing. This design framework has been extremely successful in making the concept and practice of Permaculture accessible the world over, and largely without the teaching support of formal educational institutions.
Author's I'm using to develop this framework include: Illich's Deschooling and Tools for Conviviality; Alexander and co's A Pattern Language; Postman's Technopoly; Lave and Wenger's Situated Learning; Bowers' Let Them Eat Data; and possibly Stallman's Free Software if technology is to feature. I also want to bring in Networked Learning, as a suggested method for achieving ubiquity in learning. It is a method for learning that may have a chance at developing a shared cultural understanding, and be useful in building social and institutional acceptance and support for such a method. But I have a problem in that there is a claim to an authoritative definition for networked learning (see talk page of the Wikipedia article for Networked learning), and it places information and communications technology central to that definition. To relate networked learning as an example method for ubiquitous learning, I must first try and establish networked learning as not being determined by technology. In many ways, the critique I had here for ubiquitous learning, equally applies to networked learning.
Additionally, at the University of Canberra I have been in conversations with Dan and others about spaces within the University that are being called Commons. There is a new and central space called The Teaching Commons, next to another larger space called The Learning Commons. These spaces are theoretically open spaces for anyone to use, without appointment or permission. I observed however, that within the Teaching Commons in particular, are spaces more like rooms, and these spaces tend to be regularly booked and used in a private manor with such frequency that in effect they are like any other room in the University, and less like the Commons being envisioned. So, it is easy to then identify what space within the larger Commons, is actually the common space. Dan is researching spacial design for learning, and I hope he will bring his work into the open so I can easily connect with it online, but I plan to use this observation of a more 'true' common space, to identify other spaces like it, and conceptually illustrate spaces that support networked learning and ubiquity, not just with learning institutions.
Leighblackall 22:50, 1 July 2011 (UTC)
Network peer review
Here is a copy of the letter sent out to a range of academics, seeking their review to this essay:
The Ubiquitous Learning critique I've been working on, has reached what I consider to be a first draft, and needs review and feedback. I'm asking you for a >200 word response, because we either already have a relationship of this kind, or because I have cited your work in this essay, and/or I hope to establish such a relationship with you. After this stage of review, I aim to see this essay published in at least one academic journal.
This is part of my work towards an award of PhD, following an open and networked process, and writing a series of finished works to achieve that. I am not formally enrolled with any institution in this pursuit, in an effort to preserve academic integrity, and to demonstrate proposed new methods of pursuing such recognition.
So far, in this paper, I have sought collaboration and feedback from a wide informal network, taking their contributions and feedback into account to get it to this stage. Now, it enters a period of review from an academic network (that's you, if you're willing). I'm seeking a range of responses to this essay, that I may publish as feedback, and attempt to incorporate the suggestions into the next phase of its editing before submitting it to journals that accept work created in this fashion.
Please, if you are willing to offer me advice, challenge and correction, critique and review, I wish to be at liberty to publish this in the discussion page of its wiki, which then assumes a copyright status of Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike.
I hope some of you are attracted to this process, and to the subject of my critique, and I very much look forward to any responses you can afford.
- This paper reviews the term ubiquitous learning and its influence on educational development, including wider considerations of technology in society, and delving into problems of technological determinism. It draws attention to an absence of critique, and proposes that the phrase become less about device, platform, applications, or ideas of technologically 'enhanced' pedagogy, to something more like an ethical framework, a concept of values and principles that guide perspectives and practices in learning. Ubiquitous learning then, becomes a term more associated with situated learning, conviviality, and open access.
Kind regards and respect to your own work,
Feedback from Keith Lyons
I apologise for the delay in responding to your ubiquitous learning paper. I apologise too for locating my comments here ... if they are in the wrong space.
There is a lot to discuss! I had a look at printing out a Pdf of the article but decided against it.
- I have some comments about the text and will share these in person if that is OK.
- My big issue, as you know, is about innocence. After reading your critique I wondered what would happen if you started with the position that ubiquitous learning is an ethical position and that time had freed us from the tyranny of hegemony. I wondered too if we could sort out the historical context in which Illich wrote from the cultural universals that appear across time and space.
I think what you have written is what some people refer to as a position paper. I am keen to discover how writing this piece has moved you on in your journey towards "situated learning, conviviality, and open access".
The delightful characteristic of non-linear environments is that you can point to wherever you wish and invite a reader to discover text and ideas.
I wonder, in conclusion, if you have developed a straw argument. Are the ethical foundations you propose already in place for groups of like-minded travellers?
Keith Lyons 04:58, 17 May 2011 (UTC)
- Thanks Keith, I relocated your feedback into this section.
- Interestingly, Craig Bottomley (below) also makes the suggestion to start the paper from the ethical position. I very much like that idea, along with what I understand about the position of innocence. I think once this paper is completed and submitted to Ubiquitous Learning type journals and conferences, that I will do as Craig and you suggest, for reworking into the PhD - as a position paper, yes.
- Is it a straw argument? I don't know... to the extent to which I understand the educational development circles that have so far been lead by technological developments, and arguably without clearly defined ethics and principles, I don't think the argument is straw. I think the educational development sector should reflect on this, and consider what are its ethical framework and operating principles. For example.. with regard to software, why isn't open source software more readily used, or even made available in Australian educational settings? It is after all, true to the scientific method, and so echoes old operating principles that academia has traditionally followed. Instead, we have weasel words kreeping into the sector, such as "business ready" and "enterprise" and "support" which sometimes have different meanings, and speak to principles quite alien to the traditional ethics and principles of academia, and perhaps more to a silently emerging ideology of neo liberalism, and academic capitalism (Awbrey 2003)
- Looking forward to seeing you in person then, to discuss this at more length, and ensure I fully comprehend what you are pointing to here.
- Thanks Keith --Leighblackall 06:46, 18 May 2011 (UTC)
Feedback from Joelle Vandermensbrugghe
Interesting reading - tried to see the research project burried in it and can see that there are a long list of possibles. E.g. Will you test theory? Will you examine how ethics, values and principles being used or envisioned in the adoption of technology and systems are being communicated? (and how - case sudy?)or not communicated? --Joelle
- Thanks Joelle.. yeah, there could be many. To be honest, such projects are still emerging and refining as I come to terms with, and come to grips with the PhD criteria, and what it means to be a qualified researcher. Currently I am involved with many projects that relate to the ideas of this paper.. such as A proposed policy for Intellectual Property at the University of Canberra where it relates to the framework and principles of openness and freedom. Also, Open academic practice and Excellence in Research Australia which is primarily a quantitative project that will attempt to determine to what degree research governance in Australia is affecting openness and freedom, as well as conviviality and even learning as situated.
- So in short, my idea is to do more work on the development of an ethical and principled approach to learning, research and educational development, and to undergo a series of research projects that aim to test and reflect on that framework. All this could change again, but I'm aware of the need to draw in a focus... :) --Leighblackall 03:15, 17 May 2011 (UTC)
Feedback from Craig Bottomley (Botts)
not sure if you wanted this added as part of the overall talo conversation or not - so i took the more personal route. feel free to repost to talo if you want.
firstly the picky little things...
in the ubiquitous learning section, just after the link to ubilearn, forth should be fourth. in the its not about the technology, or is it? section you mention the film the net.... just after that link you talk about fred and lutz that needs to be turner and dammbeck.
and now the good stuff...
it has only been a recent discovery for me that ubiquitous learning referred to the link between technology and education. previously i had assumed that the concept was more about the idea that learning should be seen as an activity that can happen everywhere and anywhere, with or without a formal framework, and ultimately regardless of the use or otherwise of technology.
my reading of your critique suggests that you are favouring this idea as well.
i therefore wonder whether it is worthwhile making more of this in your critique. maybe take illich and his ideas and stick them up near the top. use that as your springboard into the ubiquity of learning which then lends itself to a further specialisation into the use of technology to facilitate the everywhereness of learning. to me this takes the current ubiquitous learning model which starts with technology (as you so rightly say) and ends with learning and turns it on its head. i think the critique should mirror the concept.
one of the other struggles which you touch on but perhaps warrants further deconstruction is the fact that the current educational philosophies of competency and the isolated development of skill sets really don't lend themselves easily to the idea of ubiquitous learning. your example of the en route art is a classic example. the art works because it is as much about the journey as it is about any sort of end product. the line between what is and isn't art is blurred by the participant's approach and their own self conceived ideas and ideals. on the other hand, teaching students in a tafe course is all about the end product. their is absolutely no credence given anywhere to the journey.
what we end up with is a bastardised version of something that vaguely correlates to education but in fact is actually teaching. institutionalised delivery of core facts and figures, followed up with an assessment that merely proves that students are capable of spewing back the recently ingested information. i personally struggle on a daily basis with how this approach can have anything other than negative long term effects on students.
there's a lot of good stuff to be read on the failings of training packages and certifications like the taa. i've got a thesis full of them if you're interested.
anyways - enough of my ramblings and rantings - have a great day and take or leave anything i've said.
- Thanks Botts, I've copied your valuable feedback into the discussion page of the wiki, and will send it back into TALO.
- Good spotting on the spelling, I need as much as that as possible. Fourth is fixed.. I'll hold off on the surnames however, I want to see if I can get away with first names. Only 'cause I cringe a bit using surnames...
- Bring 'true ubiquitous learning' to the top is an excellent suggestion, and one I will now work on. It will be difficult as it involves a pretty significant restructure. If you have more specific ideas how, please let me know. Many thanks on this suggestion though.. it solves a dilemma I was having!
- Regarding the problem of formal education and institutionalised learning being so far removed from these ideals, my only response to date on practical terms, is for those who work in such conditions, to go about their work so that it compliments ubiquity and conviviality. I've been pretty consistent with this over the years, rejecting education conducted in Learning Management Systems, encouraging open education using popular social media like Wikipedia and Youtube. So, perhaps I add that to the Examples section - which by the way needs more work.
- Many thanks for this feedback Botts, much appreciated. Leighblackall 07:48, 5 May 2011 (UTC)
Comment from BotheredByBees
botheredbybees said... 12 April 2011 Hi Leigh, hope the talk went well. I've been thinking a bit about how some converging technologies will affect the ubiquitous learning scene. It starts with the plummeting cost of personal storage (2 terrabytes for less than $100) - which means we're close to being able to record our every waking moment without breaking the bank. Couple this with something like Path (which allows for fine tuning of who sees what - a privacy enabled facebook if you like). Add social bookmarking/tagging we're set for a collection of activities that will overshadow the library of congress in a week. Want to see how to lay a course of bricks? - watch it being done in 14 different cultures... or from 3 different viewpoints (the bricky, the bricky's labouror and the builder) - add some smarts that render 3D images from video and you've got a virtual world ready learning object set up for some interaction. Want to encourage people to develop these 'real life' resources? Add an interface like Kickstart.org so that end users can vote on where the government spends it's education dollars
A productive development meeting process
Last week I met with Alex Hayes, long time educational developer in the vocational education and training sector, particularly focused on mobile and text-less learning and assessment, now in the business of wearable cameras, and video based assessment.
He and I discussed the various critiques we might bring to "ubiquitous learning", adding this to the paper in progress:
Another consideration in ubiquitous learning (as technologically determined) is Ũberveillance. Ũberveillance, and its three core attributes - sousveillance, dataveillance and surveillance, impacts on privacy, personal security, choice, freedom and other values - such as self conception, and accordant behaviours - such as 'opting in', acceptance, and participation.alexanderhayes 09:50, 2 April 2011 (UTC)
Alex and I had what we thought was some pretty ground breaking discussion in the Commons last week, and I'm attempting to process it and add it to the wiki. Our thoughts around something like a permiable line between the practical affordances of technology - that is commonly covered in publications, and changeable dimensions of person-hood, even spiritual existence, are proving difficult to capture in text.. Alex termed it The Dermal Layer, referencing the current taboo of under-the-skin devices, to highlight the faint existance of an ethical dimension all too ignored in our futuristic era! I have attempted to build up the opening paragraphs to the paper, and will keep reshaping it, adding to it, and changing it over coming weeks.
I found it quite productive, this meeting and process with Alex. To sit for a morning and converse, white board draw, and project up key papers and other artifacts, and then to construct referenced sentences in the wiki, as discrete, isolated edit events, was quite a brainstorm. The tieing together of these disparate concepts can happen much later - remembering that the edit history and all the recorded revisions in the wiki, is a document in its own right, valued by at least some other researchers.
Perhaps, if anyone is inspired and available, we could try this process again? Just a one to one talk, taking time to pause and review references, and then construct sentences straight into the wiki.
I'm sick today, and possibly tomorrow.. some weird stomach bug, but will be hanging out in the Commons later in the week if anyone wants to give it a try.
Leighblackall 22:36, 3 April 2011 (UTC)
"Its not about the technology"
In a discussion on the TALO email list, Michael Coghlan passes a link to his paper WHERE IS THE ‘M’ IN INTERACTIVITY, FEEDBACK AND ASSESSMENT? where he begins by referring to Leonard Low's reflections on how Mobile Learning should not be about the devices, or the technology, but more about the social affordances... I responded to this with: Leighblackall 04:28, 6 March 2011 (UTC)
- But to say "its not about the technology" is too disingenuous, almost cliché now. I think a critique of ubiquitous learning needs to encompass a critique of the technology as well, distinguishing the problems technically, ecologically, financially (to individuals) and socially, not without acknowledging the affordances. Then we'd critique the applications in education, such as school, VET and HE, not without mentioning the furthering of corporate sponsored education (drilling them for the abandonment of social responsibility) and then going into the zone your already in when you refer to Leonard's essentially 'situated learning' argument - that this technology has enabled an always available, always connectible, opportunity to learn, and that the social phenomenon we can observe on corporate media now, has long been waiting for this opportunity. I think I'd be concluding that public education institutions are completely flat footed, unable to respond to the overwhelming nature of this media and technology, and that instead of trying to compete, embrace, or replicate, they should look for ways they can enhance and protect those opportunities people have in learning... I'm taking these notes in the discussion page of the wiki if you're up for it? Leighblackall 04:28, 6 March 2011 (UTC)
- The medium may be part of the message, but the message often needs to be communicated through more than one medium and by more than one modality. I routinely use multiple media and multiple venues, so as to send a consistent message as many ways as possible, ranging from scholarly essays to anecdotes, XtraNormal™ cartoonish dialogues, atrocious puns, political satire, stirring speeches, puckish song parodies, comic operas, and lunatic psychodrama. Once in a while, one of the alternate modalities works when everything else is utterly failing in an epic manner. —Moulton 04:57, 6 March 2011 (UTC)
- But Moulton, to what extent do you suppose the medium is affecting your message? So many times I find, I send an email only to be misread, I write a blog post only to be misunderstood, I start a paragraph in wiki, only to be accused of bias, I watch a video on my phone, only to catch my impatience with the bandwidth, etc etc. In many ways, these mediums set the tone, the mood, and context of the message, especially in its reading. If I read you right, you mean to say that consistency of message across mediums, gets the message through despite the medium. Is that right? Leighblackall 09:23, 6 March 2011 (UTC)
- The medium shapes what messages may be conveyed. Compare to the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, which postulates that our thinking is constrained by the languages we rely on. Whenever a new medium of expression becomes available, I exploit it to convey messages that didn't pass very well through earlier media. The telephone conveys more information (tone of voice) than the telegraph. Video conveys more information (facial expressions) than telephony. Stories convey more information than facts or theories. Musical comedies convey more information than oratorical speeches. Every time I am able to obtain more information bandwidth, I augment the medium to add another dimension of reinforcement to the original message. See Four-Channel Communication. Notice which of the four channels are missing here. —Moulton 11:49, 6 March 2011 (UTC)
- Thanks Moulton, this is thought provoking, and I think it can be weaved into the first section of this paper "Its not about the technology, or is it?". I'm still left wondering, how you are sure you're own message and intent are in command of the technological influences? I know that mine change, and I don't think I am ever certain how to say what, through which. This might be just down to experience I guess, I very much feel like I'm stabbing in the dark and just getting lucky sometimes. As time goes on though, I think I'm getting better at stabbing, but its all still pretty dark. Things that are coming to mind include the sense that local/real connection is disrupted by this international/specialist connection online.. glocalisation - where I see it as a dysfunction, thinking and acting "globally", no local at all. Or that the Internet embodies certain ideological perspectives, beautifully captured in a slogan I read somewhere, "on the Internet, everyone's an American". At this point I'm still only vaguely on a trail. I've posted a few blog posts as the thoughts take shape: Transparency, openness, trade and politics (June 2010), The New Colonialism in OER (August 2009) Leighblackall 10:25, 7 March 2011 (UTC)
- I dunno that one is ever sure they have fully mastered the latent power of any communication medium or channel. I am always looking for better narratives, more vivid metaphors, more lyrical or poetic modes of expression. My number one problem in communicating ideas is that a lot of the ideas I want to communicate are fundamentally grounded in mathematical reasoning. It's notoriously difficult to convey mathematical ideas in mere words. I used to do computer animations, because that was almost the only effective way to communicate mathematical ideas. One thing I have learned is that if one is among the first to exploit a new medium, more people will take a gander, because the medium is often more intriguing than any curiosity about the embedded message. —Moulton 23:13, 8 March 2011 (UTC)
How many Australian's own smart phones?
Hello - I am very NEW to this - and have just started to read the article you are working towards. Can I make a comment re the "in Australia today, every second person now carries a smart phone". Well we know that is not true when we consider who "Australians" include - I think you may have meant Australians who can afford one? Australians who can get 3G (or whetever it is) access? I am sure you are not talking about the Australians who are living under the poverty line, living in remote regions and who are illiterate and innumerate. Given I am new to this, I am hoping that my comment is an appropriate for this? Pls tell me of the etiquette here ..! Robyn
- Hi Robyn! You're in the right place, and thanks for leaving this comment. You are quite right! 1 in every two Australians do not own a smart phone, so I've to check and corrected this sentence to read: " Later, synchronisation with popular social networking web services, application markets, and of course the mega marketing campaigns, solidified uptake of these technologies to the point where in 2009 48% of phone imports to Australia were smartphones.". I'm thinking your identification of this actually helps the argument I'm trying to make. 1. that we leave out so many people in our thinking about technology uptake. 2. and that is symptomatic of our blind utopianism for this technology, and 3. the ideological influence these technologies have, is class based and disproportionate! Awesome!
- I took another look at the reference. That article by Trevor Clarke: Love affair with smartphones to deepen: Analyst. Australians are tipped to purchase more smartphones then other mobile phones in coming years. forecasts that 62% of mobile phones sold in Australia will be smarts by 2015, and that by August 2010 - 4,422,451 3G devices sold with over 600,000 in July alone, and that the total number of Australian smartphone shipments exceeded 4 million as of 2009, meaning 48.1 per cent of new mobile device shipments - and right there is my mistake.
- The Australian Bureau of Statistics has very little work on phones, I could only find: Children's Participation in Cultural and Leisure Activities, Australia, Apr 2009: INTERNET USE AND MOBILE PHONES which states that 31% (841,400) of children had a mobile phone in 2009.
- Thanks! Leighblackall 04:16, 14 April 2011 (UTC)
Feedback from James Neill
Leigh - sorry, I'm a bit of a slow learner and I've started this a few times - one reason I haven't really progressed I think has been that the current version starts off at a million miles an hour - pretty much straight into a critique of ubiquitous learning. By then, I have been left behind, still pondering first of all, what is ubiquity? (that's where I am now) - and then next to try to work out what is ubiquitous learning. Then I can get on board in a more substantial way with the critique. Suggestion: Take some more time to explain and explore ubiquity and ubiqitous learning. PS Ubiquitous is a bugger of a word to spell - that should count it out alone! -- Jtneill - Talk - c 01:27, 23 May 2011 (UTC)
- Just revisiting the first section on UL - do you have references/evidence/argument to support: "Ubiquitous learning became popular among commentators of education and technology around the time wireless Internet was more common in their domestic settings, and portable computing devices were developing more capabilities and popularity.". Maybe because I'm unfamiliar with the UL term, I kind of want some convincing that this phrase/concept did become, as suggested, (and still is?) popular. -- Jtneill - Talk - c 14:12, 25 May 2011 (UTC)
- James! you got me.. I wondered if anyone would draw me on that claim. It comes from my own experience... supported in some way by footnote 3 - but I would still need to show that the time of these posts by Downes and others, was the same time Wifi etc was catching on.. and even then its a stretch, I admit. Intuitively it feels right, but .. yeah, well.
- Regarding your first comment.. I'm thinking long and hard on deleting this section and moving it all away from a critique on ubiquitous learning in computing circles, and focusing instead on the proposal to establish an ethical framework with operating principles, and then explaining how I personally came to those. Kind of an auto ethnographic path.
- This thinking comes originally from Botts' feedback, reinforced by Keith and Robert's verbal, and now yours. The first section, ie the critique, may not be needed. Its a writing and communication style I think I'd like to develop. One that does not set up something to refute, only to offer another thing in its place. This form of argumentation comes from my undergraduate years, were I was discouraged from writing in the first person, and to set up arguments this way. Instead of setting something up and arguing against it, could I begin with a proposal, and explain how I came to it - leaving the reader to form an argument if they're that way inclined. Would this work as an academic form of writing even? See Keith's blog post for an example..
- So, do you think this essay would be better without the critique? Would it help you get into the more meaningful content - the proposed scope of ethical framework for thinking about education, development, and technology adoption?
- --Leighblackall 23:46, 25 May 2011 (UTC)
- OK - yes, this all makes and yes, I think it could work really well to split this into a separate critique of UL (I did a quick search and found edited books and a journal and numerous references, so you can back that claim up I think) but as you and others suggest, start here instead with laying out an argument for an ethical framework (for education?) and then some principles. I can see this fitting in to the grander scheme e.g., by laying out groundwork for an IP policy, open journals etc. as mechanisms towards openness and egalitarian/emancipatory education and knowledge development. -- Jtneill - Talk - c 00:35, 26 May 2011 (UTC)
Notes on Outputs
A video
I'd like to create a video that summarises the key points and arguments emergent in this paper. It should be accessible to as wider audience as possible. Inspired by Pinky's Scary School Nightmare for example.
The Wikipedia entry for ubiquitous learning is in need of work. Consider working towards making it a featured article, as a process for the necessary literature review prior to writing this paper.
- International Journal of Technology and Human Interaction
- Journal of Educational Technology & Society - special Special Issue on “Innovative technologies for the seamless integration of formal and informal learning” 10 January 2012
13th ACM International Conference on Ubiquitous Computing 2011
13th International Conference on Ubiquitous Computing (Ubicomp 2011) will be held in Beijing, China on September 17-21, 2011.
Ubicomp is the premier outlet for novel research contributions that advance the state of the art in the design, development, deployment, evaluation and understanding of ubiquitous computing systems. Ubicomp is an interdisciplinary field of research and development that utilizes and integrates pervasive, wireless, embedded, wearable and/or mobile technologies to bridge the gaps between the digital and physical worlds. The Ubicomp 2011 program features keynotes, technical paper sessions, specialized workshops, live demonstrations, posters, video presentations, panels, industrial exhibition and a Doctoral Colloquium.
This looks like an ERA "A" ranked conference but need to confirm - 44132 Ubiquitous Computing UbiComp A 0805 Distributed Computing
Ubiquitous Learning Conference 2011
University of California, 11 to 12 November 2011, in Berkeley, California.
The Ubiquitous Learning Conference investigates the uses of technologies in learning, including devices with sophisticated computing and networking capacities which are now pervasively part of our everyday lives’ from laptops to mobile phones, games, digital music players, personal digital assistants and cameras. The Conference explores the possibilities of new forms of learning using these devices not only in the classroom, but in a wider range of places and times than was conventionally the case for education. Ubiquitous Learning is made possible in part by the affordances of the new, digital media. What’s new about it? What’s not-so-new? What are the main challenges of access to these new learning opportunities? These are the key themes and scope and concerns of the Conference and its companion Journal.
International Workshop on Ubiquitous Human-Computer Interaction 2011
August 11-13, 2011 - Enshi, China
The International Workshop on Ubiquitous Human-Computer Interaction (UbiHCI 2011) will run in conjunction with the 4th International Conference on Human-centric Computing (HumanCom-11) in Enshi, China on August 11-13, 2011.
UbiHCI Workshops will bring together researchers to discuss the challenges and potential solutions for effective interaction with Ubiquitous applications. It covers the design, evaluation and application of techniques and approaches for all mobile and ubiquitous computing devices and services.
E-LEARN 2011
Honolulu, Hawaii: October 17-21, 2011
E-Learn--World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, & Higher Education is an international conference organized by the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE) and co-sponsored by the International Journal on E-Learning.
This annual conference serves as a multi-disciplinary forum for the exchange of information on research, development, and applications of all topics related to e-Learning in the Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education sectors.
Edmedia 2011
http://www.aace.org/conf/edmedia/ ED-MEDIA 2011 - Lisbon, Portugal June 27 - July 1, 2011
ED-MEDIA - World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia & Telecommunications is an international conference, organized by the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). This annual conference serves as a multi-disciplinary forum for the discussion and exchange of information on the research, development, and applications on all topics related to multimedia, hypermedia and telecommunications/distance education.
Initial academic development meeting
Rob, Greg, Leigh, and Ian met face to face in Canberra yesterday, to discuss directions. Here's notes:
Robert is going to look into which Journal and/or conference to work towards - ones with the greater return in terms of that abominable but required ERA barb.
From this we'll have clearer idea of output and timeframes.
The thinking is that we now spend time dropping in links and key paragraphs from any readings we think useful for the 6 topics so far nominated (I consolidated some this morning).
At some point I think we each adopt a topic or two, to build text around.
- What have we learnt from 30 years of using technology in education?
- History of 'ubiquitous learning'
- Its not about the technology, or is it?
- Ubiquitous learning: everywhere, everytime and everybody
- Propinquity - the missing link in ubiquitous learning?
- Ubiquitous learning, as in freedom
This list could easily produce a paper for each topic... (which is reasonable through effective collaboration techniques I believe), or we think of the paper we're writing as a first in a series, this one setting out an intro to subsequent papers/book/video/...
Personally, I believe my strength is in 3, and 6 but can offer things to all the others.
So when Rob gives us targets and timeframes over all, we each adopt topics to build up into a draft.
Leighblackall 22:38, 8 March 2011 (UTC)
Who owns schools
Jordan and I enjoyed a viewing of Ian's 1979 film, Who Owns Schools at the National Film and Sound Archive yesterday. Many things impressed us about it. For me personally, and in no particular order:
The rapid editing and story telling for a 1970s film must have been seen as futuristic! Certainly demonstrating great skill on the part of the film editor.
The open ended moral to the story, being careful not to prescribe, even expressing self consciousness in this point, highlighted by a skit toward the end, featured 3 stereotypical teachers forecasting the future of a 15 year old girl. This scene in particular caused me to reflect on my own opinions and actions regarding education systems.
But at the very end, as is so often the case, the film finally asked children the question, who owns schools. Revealing answers too, perhaps revealing the film's intent in the first place.
An enjoyable, funny film, about an all too serious question, from a time long enough ago to give us some perspective. What perspective? That not much has changed these last 32 years! The would-be change agents have achieved so little in the face of it all. All part of the larger failure of the "Left" But why? What is this invisible force that overwhelms all attempts at change (revolution), is it as Marx would have it? False consciousness and hegemony? The fact that Queensland bureaucrats banned this film says something of the kind?
As for the wiki that might become our collaborative paper for some darker corner of the web known as an ERA ranked journal, I have made a few more edits and additions. I thought to do more consolidating of sections, down to now 4:
- History of 'ubiquitous learning'
- Its not about the technology, or is it?
- Propinquity - the missing link in ubiquitous learning?
- Ubiquitous learning - as in freedom
And I've found some research that has been ignored for years in our futuristic techno-love, reading comprehension rates are significantly reduced in screen based environments. See section 2 entry by Pam Hook. I've also added reference to a book, and a documentary film, looking at the link between 1960's counter culture and the cyber culture utopianism of today. See section 1.
This email is also copied into my blog as notes about the film and the paper we're working towards, and for future reference after it is all long lost in our respective drowning inboxes.
Leighblackall 22:38, 18 March 2011 (UTC)
Just wondering what Überveillance means in the networked learning context for you alexanderhayes 13:34, 9 November 2011 (UTC)
- I see a possible connection with learning analytics Alex, where people can self assess their learning and reflect on their directions. Leighblackall 11:45, 2 December 2011 (UTC)
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Resources companies are at risk of losing lucrative tax perks worth hundreds of millions of dollars as a result of a Federal parliamentary committee report likening fly-in, fly-out work practices to cancer.
According to The West Australian, the committee headed by rural independent MP Tony Windsor will recommend that fringe benefits tax exemptions be scrutinised, with a view to eliminating them. Removing FBT exemptions could risk making some mining operations unprofitable, threatening jobs.
The regional Australia committee's majority report, to be made public on Wednesday, is sub-titled "Cancer to the Bush or Saviour to the City?" and is critical of the social and economic effects of FIFO and drive-in, drive-out workforces.
It says tax policies, especially the FBT exemptions introduced from 1986, have contributed to the explosion in FIFO workers in places such as the Pilbara in WA and the Bowen Basin in Queensland. FBT exemptions apply to transporting, accommodating and catering for FIFO workers and can be worth thousands of dollars for every employee.
Fortescue Metals Group has calculated that flight and accommodation costs for a FIFO worker in the Pilbara are $48,000 a year. The cost would be about double if FBT exemptions were removed. FMG told the committee that the cost of employing a residential worker was $150,000 because the company paid "substantial" tax on housing subsidies that were not FBT- exempt. It said more land should be released for housing to lower costs.
According to the Chamber of Energy and Minerals WA, about 52 per cent - or 46,800 - of the almost 90,000 workers in the State's minerals sector in 2011 were employed on FIFO rosters. WA Liberal MP Barry Haase is one of the three coalition MPs on the committee. It is understood that Victorian Liberal Dan Tehan wrote a dissenting report.
Mr Windsor signalled several months ago that FBT exemptions and other tax incentives were in the committee's sights. "We want to ensure that Australians living in regional and remote communities are assisted, not disadvantaged, by taxation policy," he said in August.
Some remote councils have complained that FIFO employees do not pay rates in their place of work yet use all of the local infrastructure.
Minerals Council of Australia's CEO Mitch Hooke said it was a myth that mining was "hollowing out" regional Australia.
He said a KPMG study had debunked the idea, showing that in mining regions there were higher incomes, greater educational attainment, lower unemployment and more families and working-aged residents than in regional Australia. In the Pilbara, the permanent resident population grew 7.3 per cent per year between 2006 and 2011 compared with 0.8 per cent for the rest of regional Australia.
"Any report on FIFO that likens it to a cancer on regional Australia should be treated with scepticism," Mr Hooke said. "FIFO is one of the principal mechanisms for spreading the benefits of the boom."
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Edited by Prasad Sanyal | Updated: November 02, 2012 23:20 IST
The Congress conceded that it had indeed made "interest-free loans from which no commercial profit has accrued to the Indian National Congress". The statement said "the Indian National Congress has done its duty... to help initiate a process to bring the newspaper back to health in compliance with the law of the land. (Read: Full statement)
Mr Swamy alleged yesterday that the Gandhis floated a private company Young Indians to "illicitly" acquire a public limited company Associated Journal, which published National Herald, for Rs. 50 lakhs. The company they acquired, he says, has property worth Rs. 1600 crore in Delhi. Mr Swamy has also alleged that the Congress gave an unsecured loan of Rs. 90 crore to Associated Journals. Rahul Gandhi has threatened legal action against Mr Swamy. (Read)
Earlier in the day, the BJP's Arun Jaitley had asked the Congress to answer Mr Swamy's allegations. If it was true, Mr Jaitley said, that the Congress had paid Rs. 90 crores to Associated Journals, then it violated tax and electoral laws. "A political party is not allowed to give loans to anyone," the BJP leader said, adding that such a transfer could land the Congress into much trouble. A political party, he said, could only use funds it collected for political purposes and not for commercial uses.
Sam Pitroda, technocrat and adviser to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is on the managing committee of Young Indians, has also threatened legal action against Mr Swamy. "There are lots of legal options against this motivated and irresponsible content. To be frank and fair, I am surprised that these things are going on in India today. I don't know how else to respond. I would rather spend time and energy worrying about development." (Read)
Mr Swamy today scoffed at Mr Gandhi's threat of legal action. "My advice to Rahul Gandhi is to grow up and go to the court," he said, also denying that he had been sent any letter. (Read)
The Congress' Manish Tewari, who has just taken over as Information and Broadcasting Minister accused the opposition of indulging in "scoot-and-shoot" in what he called a season for allegations. The charges made by Mr Swamy, he said, were "totally baseless. The BJP cannot question us on corruption. They should look at themselves first." (Read: Congress defends Rahul Gandhi)
Mr Swamy's Janata Party belongs to the NDA, the coalition of opposition parties led by the BJP. He has said that the Gandhis together own 76 per cent of Young Indians, a company which was incorporated in November, 2010. He has alleged that it went on to acquire the Associated Journals, which was founded by Jawaharlal Nehru and others in 1938 to publish newspapers that would offer Indians an option to British publications. The National Herald was published first in 1938; it closed down in 2008. (Read: Swamy's charges)
Mr Swamy has alleged that the Young Indians wrote off the 90-crore loan from the Congress for Rs.50 lakhs, and by a board resolution, the Associated Journals was sold by transferring its shares to Young Indians. Through this, Mr Swamy said, a public firm morphed into a private company.
Apart from Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, who hold 38 per cent each in the company, the Young Indians board includes veteran Congress leader Motilal Vora, former minister Oscar Fernandes, Sam Pitroda and Suman Dubey.
Mr Swamy has alleged that the Young Indians' shareholders meeting "was held in Sonia Gandhi's Government allotted 10, Janpath. This is violation of the law since the 10, Janpath, New Delhi Government accommodation cannot be used for commercial purposes and business." The Janata Party chief has sought an inquiry by the CBI and the Corporate Affairs Ministry.
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The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), the primary opponent to the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) which has held power for most of the 53 years since it’s inception, demanded a public apology from Aso Taro, the Secretary General of the LDP.
Monday, August 4th, Aso visited Satsuki Eda, who leads the House of Councillors (the upper house of Japan’s parliament). Satsuki was a member of the DPJ, but as the individuals who lead the two houses of parliament have to resign from their parties, he is not currently a member of the DPJ (although their website still lists him as a member). This was a private meeting between the two men and their aides.
During this meeting, Aso spoke to his concern of the DPJ’s practice of boycotting legislative sessions in protest. Both parties, of course, feel that the opposing party doesn’t take their opinions into account. Worried about the lack of constructive discussion and the authoritative nature of these actions, Aso made the following comments (I wasn’t able to find this copy of the Nishi-Nippon Shinbun, so I haven’t seen the original Japanese. Due to this I am quoting from Ampotan’s translation)
Even the Germans chose to allow the Nazis (to form a government), and look what happened. If you (the DPJ) intend to form a government, you should work seriously to formulate policies. The people are watching.
Satsuki retorted with
I wonder which of us the people are watching.
And that was that. And it should have remained there, behind closed doors. But the DPJ instead came out publicly demanding an apology for the comparison to Nazis.
The Secretary General of the DPJ, Hatoyama Yukio said that “In linking us to the Nazis, this remark could give the impression that if the DPJ assumes power it will embark upon oppressive politics.”
Aside: This reporter thinks that was exactly the impression Aso Taro was trying to give, in a private meeting to try to get his point across. Could it have been made in a more politic way? Absolutely, but political correctness is not something that we have come to expect from Aso Taro, nor would most people expect in in a non-public setting.
In a later meeting with reporters Aso stated “I only said it is important to deliberate matters seriously in the upper house” because he was worried about the methods in which the DPJ had been using to try and block legislation.
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It happens all the time. People Google a doctor and find one website that says he's an optometrist while another says he's an ophthalmologist. Or, it says he's located at an old address.
This kind of inconsistent or outdated information about doctors causes mistrust in patients, according to the founders of the digital health startup Treatspace, who are taking it upon themselves to create a trusted place for patients to get information about doctors.
On Treatspace, doctors create a professional profile -- much like they would do on LinkedIn -- with verifiable facts about their practice. According to Matt Stadler, PhD, one of the company's co-founders, details about the process and technology that Treatspace uses to verify that users are in fact the doctors they claim to be are still confidential but are a critical differentiator for the company.
Doctors can share their Treatspace identity with their patients directly, and patients can also invite their existing doctors to the site. Patients can then "follow" physicians to get updates, and the team is also building a HIPAA-compliant direct communication system, Stadler said.
"Our primary objective is to strengthen the existing relationships between doctors and their patients," Stadler said. "A search function aimed at finding a new doctor is not an initial value point. Doctor participation in the system is by choice, not by aggregation and auto-filling of profiles."
A second set of features on the site is in alpha mode but is being kept on the down low for now, according to Stadler, who described them just as tools that strengthen the relationship online between doctors and patients.
"We're doing proactive reputation management," Stadler said. "All of the products and services that we're doing are transparent and maintain trust."
The site is currently in a public beta mode and has secured its first paying customers. Those paying customers are doctors who want premium services beyond the most basic functions of the site, which are free to users.
A big part of the company's focus, Stadler said, came as a result of participating in Startup Weekend Pittsburgh, at which the team took home the top prize. Since then, Treatspace has joined AlphaLab, a Pittsburgh incubator.
The next milestone will be opening a seed round of financing to grow the team and transition from beta testing to release, Stadler said. So far, the company has received some capital from the incubator but has otherwise been bootstrapped. Both co-founders are repeat entrepreneurs -- Rick Cancelliere has a background in medical marketing and Web, and Stadler is a chemist by training.
They're working in a hot space, alongside secure digital communication providers like DocBookMD and Doctor Connect, but are hoping their focus on providing good information and enabling trust will give them an edge.
"We are positioning the value around the nature of the interactions and features, not around the volume of system users," Stadler said.
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After pitching their business plan to panels of judges at the regional semifinal and final, six teams advanced to the national competition for a chance at the cash grand prize. | Energy Department file graphic.
UPDATE: Voting closed June 12 at 2 p.m. EDT. NuMat Technologies from Northwestern University won the grand prize. SolidEnergy Systems from Massachusetts Insitute of Technology was awarded second place. Navillum Nanotechnologies from University of Utah was most popular on the online vote.
As the six regional finalists of National Clean Energy Business Plan Competition tweak their company pitches for the final competition, you have the opportunity to vote online for what you think is the most promising among the student-run start-up companies.
Online voting opened at 10 a.m. on May 24 for voters to review company summaries online, view their 3-minute video pitches, and then ‘like’ the companies they think will most positively impact America’s energy future. Click here to vote.
In the competition, students from the top U.S. universities were tasked with forming a complete business plan that commercializes a technology developed at their school or one of the National Labs. They are evaluated, just like in the business world, with pitches to panels of experts.
In advancing to the national finals, the six teams have already pitched to panels of judges at the regional semifinals and finals and progressed further than 300 other student teams. One last pitch will decide who wins the cash prize, and technical, legal and financial assistance for their start-up.
The final pitch for these companies takes place on June 13 in front of a panel of expert judges in Washington, D.C. The judges will have to rank the plans on their clean energy impact, solution creativity, execution and financial strategy, market and customer knowledge, and team composition, chemistry and commitment.
As the pitches conclude and the judges confer on the financial and technical details of each company’s plan to decide who wins, the online public voting will also end -- determining whose ideas for securing America’s energy future appealed to the general public.
Public voting runs until 2 p.m. on June 12, and the team with the most votes will be announced along with the grand prize winner.
Below are the companies that are competing in the National Clean Energy Business Plan Competition finals and the public voting.
NuMat Technologies from Northwestern University: NuMat Technologies is commercializing a nanomaterial that stores gases at lower pressure, reducing costs and increasing design flexibility. One potential application for this innovation is in designing tanks to store natural gas more efficiently in motor vehicles. Finalist from the Eastern Midwest Regional Competition run by Clean Energy Trust, Chicago, Ill. Vote for this company.
Navillum Nanotechnologies from University of Utah: Navillum Nanotechnologies has developed a method for low cost commercial scale production of semiconducting nanocrystals, such as quantum dots. These unique nanomaterials will accelerate the development of more energy efficient products including televisions, tablet displays and LED lighting. They also improve the energy-harnessing capabilities of solar panels, making future generations of panels more efficient. Finalist from the Western Midwest Regional Competition run by the University of Colorado Cleantech New Venture Challenge, Boulder, Colo. Vote for this company.
Mesdi Systems from University of Central Florida: Mesdi Systems developed precision manufacturing modules that increase production capacities and reduce costs of lithium ion batteries used in vehicles, consumer electronics, and medical devices. Finalist from the Southeast Region run by University of Maryland, College Park, M.D. Vote for this company.
SolidEnergy from Massachusetts Institute of Technology: SolidEnergy’s battery technology innovation, which improves the safety and energy density of rechargeable lithium batteries, is intended to accelerate the deployment of electric vehicles. Finalist from the Western Southwest Region run by the Rice University Business Plan Competition, Houston, Texas. Vote for this company.
Stanford Nitrogen Group from Stanford University: Stanford Nitrogen Group developed a new wastewater treatment process that removes and recovers energy from waste nitrogen (ammonia). Finalist from the Western Region run by the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Cali. Vote for this company.
Radiator Labs from Columbia University: Radiator Labs developed a low-cost, easily installed radiator retrofit that converts steam radiator heating systems into a controlled zoned system to significantly increase the efficiency of radiator heating while improving occupant comfort. Finalist from the Northeast Region run by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass. Vote for this company.
Though only one company will take home the grand prize, these companies won cash prizes at their regional levels, formed business plans vetted by industry leaders, and gained valuable technical and business advice.
The National Clean Energy Business Plan Competition is part of the Obama Administration’s Startup America initiative to celebrate, inspire, and accelerate high-growth entrepreneurship throughout the nation. More information is available on the National Clean Energy Business Plan Competition website.
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|Terry's Energy Provisions Included in Energy Bill|
WASHINGTON - Late Wednesday evening, Congressman Lee Terry (NE-02) and the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved a comprehensive national energy plan. By a vote of 39-16, Terry and the committee approved the energy bill which will be considered by the House next week.
As a member of the House panel, Terry helped to author and amend the massive energy legislation that aims to limit our dependence on foreign sources of oil, ensure the use of clean and affordable sources of renewable energy, and diversify the nation's energy portfolio. The House energy bill includes five provisions that were included in separate pieces of legislation introduced by Terry earlier this year.
"The time for debate is over," Terry said. "Four years of partisan stall tactics are enough. Passing this bipartisan, comprehensive energy bill is one of the most important things we can do to help the American economy - especially the rural economy of the Midwest. This bill will help us lower energy costs over the long term, while allowing us to grow our economy and reduce our reliance on foreign oil. For the sake of our economy and national security, we must do all three."
During the House panel's markup of the bill, Terry successfully offered two amendments - one to accelerate the transition to a hydrogen economy, and a second to expand the renewable energy program for public power generators.
Terry's amendment to nearly double the authorized funding for the bill's hydrogen research and development program from $2.15 billion to $4.05 billion over five years was accepted by voice vote. Under this hydrogen program, funds would go to advance automotive, stationary and portable fuel cells, as well as refueling infrastructure and hydrogen production. Omaha is home to several stationary fuel cells including those at Henry Doorly Zoo, the First National Bank building in downtown Omaha, and Offutt Air Force Base.
Terry's amendment to expand renewable energy makes livestock methane an eligible source under the renewable energy incentives program for public power generators, such as OPPD and NPPD. Terry said that across the nation, several electric cooperatives and public power providers are working with livestock producers to convert methane output from farm manure digesters to electricity - and that this not only provides clean generation, but also helps address the challenges of livestock odor and manure runoff.
These Terry amendments are in addition to other provisions authored by Mr. Terry that were already in the original draft of the energy bill which expand the nation's natural gas supply via more liquefied natural gas; establish a new fuel cell incentive program to provide on-site power production to homes and businesses; and encourage the use of more energy efficient building materials.
During the committee action, Terry fought an attempt to strip the energy bill's five-billion-gallon renewable fuel standard (RFS), a new program that would boost the use of ethanol and biodiesel made from Nebraska corn, sorghum, and soybeans. During the debate, Terry called "home grown fuel" essential to America's energy security. The attempt to strip the RFS from the bill failed.
"This energy bill is perhaps the most important legislation we will deal with in the 109th Congress," Terry said. "The lack of a comprehensive energy plan is hurting our families and our economy. Congress has waited too long to pass a comprehensive energy plan. Americans do not want to hear any more excuses. It is time for members of both sides of Capitol Hill to roll up their sleeves and finish the job."
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The web is full of portfolios for graphic designers, web designers, photographers, artists, illustrators and other creative professionals. When building a new online portfolio, there are many factors to consider and decisions to make to set yourself apart and properly showcase your work.
In order to create the content for your site, you must know your goals. Some important questions to ask are:
- Who is your target audience?
- Are you looking to build a freelance business or land a design job?
- Do you want to get work in a specific field, such as music, or find a specific type of work, such as book cover design?
The answers to these questions will help determine the work you choose to present and the style of your written content, or the “voice” of the site.
Creating an outline of your content will let you focus on what to include on your site without being distracted by design. You can also start to think about the names for the different sections, though of course they can change later in the process. Common sections include:
- Portfolio: This is the showcase of your work, and is discussed more in later steps.
- About: This can be a bio and/or company overview.
- Contact: Be sure to make it easy for people to find your contact info.
- The Process: Talk about your design process, goals and how you deal with clients.
- Case Studies: In a case study section, you can focus on a few clients or projects and discuss the design process. This is effective for showcasing branding jobs or clients for whom you have done several related projects.
- Clients: A list of clients, often divided by industry or job type.
- Press: Show publications you have appeared in and any awards or honors.
- Resume: Depending on the goal of the site, including a standard format resume can be helpful to prospective employers or clients.
These are just a few examples of common sections. Developing new ideas, and presenting these sections in a unique way, is one of the challenges of designing a portfolio website.
Before selecting work to present, it often needs to be broken into categories. If you are presenting a small selection of work, one section may be enough. However, if you are presenting different types of work, aimed at different audiences, there are several ways to divide it for a better user experience:
- Type of Media: A common breakdown is separating your work by major categories such as print, web and illustration.
- Type of Work: Depending on your focus, present your work in categories such as book design, packaging, posters, business cards, brochures, etc.
- Industry: Show your work by industry, such as music, non-profit, entertainment, law, etc. This is effective if you focus on a few industries.
You can also offer your users multiple ways to browse your work, combining the methods above.
The work you choose to present in your portfolio is a key decision. Once you have determined how to present and categorize your design, choose the best pieces to include. “Less is more” can certainly come into play here, as potential employers and clients may be looking at many portfolios and not spending much time on each. Each work should be something you are proud of, whether it is a school project or a commercial piece. Even if you don’t have a lot to include at the start, you can expand your portfolio at any time.
Once you have selected your favorite work, it is important to present it well. For some pieces, displaying the final design as exported from your graphics software will do. For others, it may look best if you photograph it. Package design and book design are examples of work that will be more impressive if the user can see the actual finished product. Try shooting the products yourself, but consider hiring a professional photographer (or friend) if budget allows, as the quality of the pictures is as important as the work itself. If you know a photographer, consider exchanging some design help for photography.
They style of your written content will reflect your personality as much as your design. Decide what type of image you are going for, and write content to match. Again, consider hiring a professional writer to create, or at least edit, your content. Content includes project descriptions, bios, company background, and even how you word your contact page.
It’s time to actually start on the design process. Start with wireframes, which are simple line drawings of your site that set up where elements will appear on the page. Creating these first allows you to focus on layout without being distracted by color, type and other elements.
Using your final wireframes, create several designs. Treat this process as you would any project…tweak your designs until they are exactly what you want (in this case, you are your own client). Remember to consider unique methods for presenting your selected work.
Once you have finalized a design, it’s time to build a working website. If you are a graphic designer, but not a web designer, this may mean hiring a professional. Again, if budget is a concern, consider working with others that have different skill sets and exchange services. When the site is ready, you will need a domain name (website address) and hosting to get it online.
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WASHINGTON — Eastern New Mexico farmers may be out thousands of dollars after a federal judge issued a temporary injunction to halt cattle grazing on federally protected land on their property, according to a press release from Rep. Steve Pearce, R–N.M.
U.S. District Judge John Coughenour granted a 10-day temporary restraining order last week in Seattle against a critical feed use modification on land enrolled in the Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which pays farmers to idle environmentally sensitive land for conservation.
A hearing is set before Coughenour on Thursday, and his restraining order will keep the program in limbo until he rules on the case, according to a reporty by The Seattle Times.
Authorized in May, the critical feed use modification allows ranchers to use CRP fields for grazing and haying for a four-month period starting in July, after the primary nesting season ended for grass-nesting birds. More than 24 million acres of land were made eligible for critical feed use to provide feed and forage to help alleviate the escalating price of feed for livestock producers.
“I’m very upset,” said Clovis farmer Eddie Standfield in the release. “You’ve got farmers who are in 100 percent compliance with a USDA program and now they’re being told by a judge in Seattle that they can’t graze on their own land. This is not federal land, this is privately owned land in a federal program.”
Eastern New Mexico farmers have spent up to $100,000 to put in fences, buy cattle and have them transported to their farmlands, according to Pearce’s press release.
“When they opened up the program it was a Godsend,” Curry County farmer James Bostwick said in the release. “We’ve been in a decade long drought and our grass is not as it should be. A lot of people are invested in this program.”
The National Wildlife Federation filed a temporary restraining order in U.S. District Court saying that there could be “immediate and irreparable injury” done if the TRO is not granted. A hearing on the case is scheduled for Thursday.
“This is another case of out-of-state environmentalists trying to damage the New Mexico economy, New Mexico jobs and our rural culture,” Pearce said. “I’m committed to doing the right things for New Mexicans and to keep the government’s first promise to the farmers that they can and should be able to graze their lands.”
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Leopold takes helm in Hempfield
Andrew Leopold, the new superintendent in the Hempfield Area School District, began his career as a U.S. and world history teacher.
He had always been interested in history, and, as a youth, saw it being made firsthand in his Homestead neighborhood in the changes wrought by the decline of the steel industry.
"I remember when the mills boomed, and you could not cross the High Level Bridge without seeing the sky glow from steel being poured," Mr. Leopold, 41, recalled.
"Then I remember the entire area being a rust belt when I graduated high school. I saw the direct impact on a lot of my friends' families' lives."
He played football at Steel Valley High School and at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, which influenced his career direction.
"I realized I loved to be around people and wanted to help them through teaching and also by coaching football and baseball," he said.
Following college, he taught social studies and coached sports at Indiana Senior High School in Indiana County and then at Gateway Middle School in Monroeville. In 2001, he became principal at the middle school.
He left that district in 2007 to become assistant superintendent for secondary education at Hempfield Area.
In July, the Hempfield Area school board promoted him from assistant superintendent to superintendent to succeed the retiring Terry Foriska. He received a five-year contract, through Sept. 30, 2016, at an annual salary of $122,500.
He is completing his doctoral dissertation through the University of Pittsburgh.
Until Tim Kotch comes to Hempfield Area to be assistant superintendent, Mr. Leopold, of Murrysville, will handle the duties of assistant superintendent and superintendent, overseeing the district's three middle schools, its high school and the alternative education program.
As superintendent, his goals are to increase student achievement and broaden the overall experience students gain in the district.
He wants them not only to be academically proficient but also "well-rounded citizens as they embark on their next endeavor, whether it be college, work or trade school," he said.
The past also beckons to him as a historian.
Crossing the Homestead Grays Bridge now, he is greeted by the glow from the movie marquee, shops and restaurants, which is almost as welcoming as that from the steel mills of his childhood.
"You can see the revitalization with the Waterfront complex," he said. "I'm proud of how Homestead has started bouncing back."
Murrysville; born and raised in HomesteadOCCUPATION:
Superintendent of Hempfield Area School DistrictEDUCATION:
Bachelor's degree, Indiana University of Pennsylvania; master's degree, Duquesne University; coursework completed and dissertation in progress for doctorate, University of PittsburghFAMILY:
Wife, Alicia; children, Nathan, 12, Nicholas, 11, and Brooke, 9WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU:
Faith, family and educationFIRST JOB:
High school social studies teacher at Indiana Senior High School in IndianaHOBBIES:
Reading about history and visiting historic landmarks; working out; helping coach my kids in various sportsGUILTY PLEASURE:
Potato chips and dipFAVORITE SPOT IN THE WORLD:
Isle of Capri, off the coast of Naples, ItalyMOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT:
Misplacing all of my student rosters 10 minutes before school started on my first day of teaching. The assistant principal had to print another set of rosters and commented to me in front of a room full of seniors, "Quite an inauspicious start to your career. I hope it gets better from here!"PROUDEST MOMENT SO FAR:
Watching the miracle of the births of my childrenGOALS:
Lead and support every employee in the Hempfield Area School District to empower and enable them to positively impact the lives of the children we serve.WHAT'S ON YOUR BUCKET LIST?
To attend a Super Bowl in which the Steelers beat the Cowboys! To travel with my family to all 50 states of this great nation. Go skydiving.
First Published October 27, 2011 12:00 am
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Rape Becomes No Joke In Modern Indonesia
The question of whether rape can be joked about is one that is frequently debated. It’s a sensitive topic that has opponents quite reasonably call foul, while supporters cry censorship and demand the right to free speech.
Until Supreme Court justice candidate Muhammad Daming Sunusi made headlines for his offensive quip about rape this week, I was under the impression that rape jokes were generally tolerated in Indonesian society.
I have heard local friends (usually male) tell rape jokes to the laughter of friends. They tell me the laughter comes more from a place of shock than approval, employing the same kind of black comedy enjoyed in the West to joke about death and other touchy subjects.
As the outpouring of condemnation showed this week, Indonesians are no longer laughing at rape, at least in the public realm.
The so-called “joke” came during a fit-and-proper test for the Supreme Court. Daming, chief of the Banjarmasin High Court in South Kalimantan, was asked whether rapists should receive the death penalty for their crime. The question came just weeks after an 11-year-old girl died in Jakarta due to injuries and infections sustained via repeated rape and sexual abuse, and in the aftermath of mass protests in India over the fatal gang-rape of a student.
Daming, who said he only wanted to “break the ice” with the tense interview panel, remarked: “Both the rapist and the victim enjoy it. So, [we] have to think again about the death sentence.”
Those interviewing him reportedly laughed off the remark. But the rest of Indonesia did not. Critics took to traditional media and social media platforms to express their outrage, forcing a tearful apology from Daming a day later.
Daming’s comment showed a severe lack of understanding of rape from someone in the higher rungs of Indonesia’s judiciary. By attracting public criticism, it also revealed a changing attitude toward rape in Indonesian society.
Those who responded with indignation to the judge’s remark demonstrated quite clearly that they viewed rape as an act of violence that is by its nature not consensual. Furthermore, they showed a tendency to side with the victim rather than the perpetrator.
This signals a shift from the attitude held by previous generations that tended to blame victims for somehow “attracting” their attackers.
Former Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo showed that this attitude was not dead when in 2011, after a spate of sexual assaults aboard public minivans, he suggested that women should not wear short skirts when taking public transportation. “You can imagine, if [a woman] wears a short skirt and sits next to the driver, it could be seen as inviting,” the then-governor said. “Wear sensible clothes, not ‘inviting’ clothes.”
Indonesians, or at least Jakartans, refused to buy into this victim-blaming rhetoric. Fauzi’s comment sparked widespread protests from activists in the capital, who rallied behind the call: “Don’t tell us how to dress, tell them not to rape.”
Like Daming, Fauzi yielded under pressure to make a public apology for his remark.
What both comments revealed was an underlying “rape culture” in Indonesia that is finding increasing opposition among the general public, even as it continues to exist among elites.
Rape culture describes a system in which rape is validated and perpetuated via tacit social approval. The most common symptoms include blaming rape victims for presenting themselves as sexual objects, as in the case of Fauzi’s comment, and trivializing rape by joking about it, as in Daming’s case.
The public response to both these cases shows that the Indonesian public is aware of the elements that contribute to a rape culture, and that efforts are being made to eliminate them.
But rape culture is an insidious thing. Already, supporters for Daming and his ill-delivered line are coming out of the woodwork.
“Daming was only nervous and unlucky. He made a violation to the [judges’] code of ethics, but it was unintentional,” lawmaker Trimedya Panjaitan said on Wednesday.
“Nobody’s perfect — it was just a slip of the tongue. We have to see this matter fairly, not emotionally and blindly,” added Constitutional Court Justice Akil Mochtar.
It is fair to say that Daming’s 24-year career as a judge should not be evaluated based on one insensitive statement. Instead of excusing the misgiving, the nation’s leaders should join the public in condemning it, and pointing out why such comments can be so damaging.
When rape is turned into a joke, especially by those in high positions of power, victims are discouraged from reporting the crime and perpetrators are let off lightly. Worse still, by letting rape jokes become part of the dominant culture, rape itself is tacitly condoned and more cases are likely to occur.
The public backlash against Daming’s comment this week is an encouraging development toward eliminating rape culture. But the real work lies in private exchanges to ensure that in Indonesia, rape is no laughing matter.
Catriona Richards is the desk editor for Jakarta Globe Sunday. The opinions expressed are her own.
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Fire Chief Jack McElfish spoke to council members about the need for new trucks at the council’s March 5 meeting at City Hall.
“The bottom line is, we have an aging fleet,” he said. “All but two of our [six] trucks [have driven] over 83,000 miles.”
The trucks are seven years old, at which point McElfish said they will continue to deteriorate and need maintenance. McElfish said most trucks have a life of seven to 10 years.
Trading in the trucks sooner will give the city more money from a buy-back program. McElfish said each year the trucks’ values will continue to decrease by at least $330,000 overall.
According to McElfish, 75 percent of the department’s instances are EMS, with only 10 percent of the instances being fires.
The new proposed fleet will consist of four quints and two engine-pumpers. Three of the quints will have a 105-foot ladder. The other will have a 100-foot platform.
The two engine-pumpers will cost $584,539 each. The three new quints with a ladder will cost $896,462 each, and the quint with a platform will cost $1.03 million.
The total cost of the new trucks will be $4.7 million, but the truck company will buy back the current fleet for $1.2 million, leaving the city $3.5 million to be financed over a seven-year period, according to Karen Ellis, finance director.
The city will pay $528,602.19 per year if they select financing with SunTrust Bank, which gave it the lowest interest rate.
The city recently paid off its first fleet of fire trucks.
“There’s no major budget hit, because we’ve always had this built into the budget,” said City Manager John McDonough.
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Here is an adorable, family-raised Siberian husky puppy, nicknamed Bullwinkle. His is an agouti and his eyes glow red (as I'm sure you can see in the pictures--sorry, my camera is bad with red-eye reduction). That means, however, that he will have blue eyes. He was born on March 9, 2012, at about 10:00am (CST), the third delivered in a litter of six males and one female. He is AKC register-able with full breeding rights.
Bullwinkle's mother is a very sweet 45 lb. black and white husky with icy blue eyes. Her name is Laika. She is petite, mellow, and loves to snuggle. Laika is the sweetest dog we’ve ever owned. She is a perfect mother and is great with her puppies. Laika is also a pretty good watchdog, which is rare for a Siberian husky. She is a fantastic sled-dog and loves to run in lead (we're working on commands with her). Laika has a lot of endurance!
Bullwinkle's father is a handsome 75 lb. agouti husky with bi-eyes (one blue and one brown) named Tsar. He is very large, en
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I sometimes find myself wondering, “Why exactly would someone do that?” But for many, bull riding is the premier rodeo event.
Here’s what happens. Before the competition even starts, the riders and bulls are matched randomly. Each bull has a unique name and number and are each judged to be of good strength, health, agility, and age.
Once the event begins, a rider mounts a bull and grips a flat braided rope. After he secures a good grip on the rope, the rider nods to signal he is ready. The bucking chute (a small enclosure, which opens from the side) is opened and the bull storms out into the arena. This is where I start holding my breath.
The rider must attempt to stay on the bull for at least eight seconds, while only touching the bull with his riding hand. His other hand must remain free for the entire ride.
The bull bucks, rears, kicks, spins, and twists in an effort to throw the rider off. This continues for a number of seconds until the rider bucks off or dismounts after completing his ride. A loud buzzer acknowledges the completion of an eight second ride. Exhale.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmxtHv6WpR0]Throughout the ride, bullfighters, also known as “rodeo clowns” stay near the bull aiding the rider if necessary. When the ride ends, either intentionally or otherwise, the bullfighters distract the bull to protect the rider from harm.
After the cowboy picks himself up and exits the arena, the bull is guided out as well. The ride is then scored from 0-100 points. Both the rider and the bull are awarded points. There are usually two judges, each judge scoring the bull from 0-25 points, and the rider from 0-25 points. The combined point totals from both judges make up the final score for the ride.
Scores of zero are actually quite common as a lot of riders lose control of the animal almost immediately after the bull rages out of the bucking chute. Many experienced professionals are able to gain scores of 75 or more. A score above 80 is considered excellent, and a score in the 90s exceptional.
When you join us this summer at the T Cross, we never miss the Friday Night Rodeo in Dubois. By the time you leave, you’ll be able to boast to your coworkers and friends how incredible (or incredibly scary) the bull riding rodeo event was for you and your family. Book today!
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With low mortgage rates and a battered housing market, it’s a ripe time to buy a home. Here are five credit score related things you should avoid doing before buying a home.
A lender doesn’t set a loan’s interest rate based on only your credit score, but it’s one of the easiest things you can affect with your actions. Avoid these five things to help ensure you don’t get a higher rate than you should.
1. Don’t apply for any new credit. When you apply for new lines of credit, the lenders will do a hard inquiry on your credit history. Hard inquiries will cost you a few points on your credit score. It might be appealing to take advantage of hot new credit card promotions but it will hurt you in the long run.
2. Don’t take on any new debt. New debt will increase your credit utilization, which will negatively impact your score. Lenders are very wary of borrowers with a large amount of consumer debt, so don’t help them build a case for a higher interest rate by taking on debt and dinging your credit score.
3. Don’t take advantage of any “same as cash” offers. Same as cash is code for a short term loan and new loans, as you know, are going to hurt your credit score. The same goes for 0% financing or 0% balance transfer offers. Any benefit you receive from a “6 months same as cash” offer is going to be negated by the higher interest rate you’ll pay on your home because you lost a few points on your credit score.
4. Watch where you shop. It sounds absurd but where you shop can affect your credit. Last December, Consumerist wrote about Kevin Johnson, a business owner with a FICO score 764, who had his the limit on his AMEX Blue credit card slashed because of where he shopped. Here’s a Good Morning America video story about it. If a card slashes your limit, your credit utilization will go up and your score will be hurt by it.
5. Pay any late fees or dues, no matter how insignificant. Owe your local library fifty cents because you kept the Great Gatsby a few days extra? Pay it off. Many small organizations, especially in these economic times, are turning to collection agencies. Take care of these small debts because one report can cost you thousands in the long run in higher interest payments.
Here’s one thing you should do right now: If you haven’t done so in the last year, go to Annualcreditreport.com and request your credit history from each of the three credit bureaus. Review your history and dispute any inaccuracies. Errors can take months to fix so you’ll want to fix them well before you apply for a loan.
Was there a big credit-related no-no that I missed?
Jim writes about personal finance at Bargaineering.com.
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I like music, I like poems, when I was in Mumbai I was learning Marathi a little, it is easy to learn and I am HindiBhashi so learning Marathi for me was not uneasy. But I could not learn because I had no time only some friends. I can understand Marathi that is used in Marathi news papers, but many words I do not know.
Marathi literature is rich, when I search for “Kavita” on internet I found Marathi poem resources. In Marathi most of the words are proceeding from Sanskrit.
in this list I have only 10 websites or links but there are thousands of websites and blogs, you can search them and read Marathi poems.
All three websites similar in look and feel perhaps all websites will be from same master. All the poems are in four lines (Charolya), poems are in image format for you can download images and poems are printed on images you can send poems as eCard. Many other sites also I found like these three sites but I did not included them in this list.
(4) Online kavita
This website is very nice looking, website design and name is consistent to its work. All the poem are categories, so you can jump to any category. Most of poems are in Marathi because of Marathi owner but he has love for other languages poems too. it is a little collection of poems but must read.
(5) Onesmartclick Marathi Section
here is also a section for Marathi poems and other Marathi literature.
It is a Marathi magazine, here is a mini section for poems that is growing.
This is another blog for Marathi poems, most of the poems are on love, feelings, friendship etc.
Here you will find poems are articles, poems are in style free.
This is also Marathi poems collection. This collection has many poems on various topics.
This is another good collection of Marathi poems. There is a list of poets, you can click on their names to read their poems.
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does anyone have an idea how to cryopreserve plant suspension cells and store them? Does it give viable cells after thawing like human cellines when I use the same freezing method?
I want to make a back up with cells so that I can culture them again after a few months.
Thanks in advance, looking forward to your reply!
cryopreservation of plant cells
No replies to this topic
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May 15, 2007 |
Opponents of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo have taken an early lead in races for the Philippine Senate, according to preliminary midterm election results. Monday's election was marred by political killings, allegations of vote buying, missing ballot boxes and other incidents. Bomb threats and other problems forced election officials to postpone voting in 14 towns, with more than 100,000 eligible voters, in the mainly Muslim south.
May 14, 2007 |
Lured by ladies' underwear, herring, free insurance and other gifts, millions of voters cast ballots today in a midterm election the opposition hopes will strengthen efforts to impeach President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. In Tondo, one of Manila's poorest districts, hundreds of people streamed into a busy polling station, fanning themselves with sample ballots handed out by dozens of campaign workers on the street.
June 23, 2006 |
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was hospitalized after reporting abdominal pain. Philippine officials blamed fatigue and said her situation did not appear to be serious. Police in the capital, in a heightened state of alert because of concerns of possible bomb attacks, were put on full alert after Arroyo fell ill, Manila Police Chief Vidal Querol said. Meanwhile, a car bomb killed five people in a southern town.
March 3, 2006 |
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo lifted a week-old state of emergency today after her security advisors assured her that the threat of a coup had eased. "I am happy to report that we have dismantled the sabotage efforts," Arroyo said in a nationally televised address. "I strongly believe that law and order has returned." Arroyo declared the emergency last Friday to quash a coup plot allegedly involving disgruntled soldiers, communist rebels and civilian backers.
February 28, 2006 |
Leaders of an attempted coup planned to assassinate President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and other top officials before the plot was broken up and the country placed under a state of emergency, military officials said Monday. Prosecutors filed rebellion charges against 16 military officers, members of Congress and other political figures, including a hero of the "people's power" protest that ousted President Ferdinand Marcos 20 years ago. Most of them remain at large.
February 26, 2006 |
Thousands of Filipinos had planned to gather Saturday to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the "people power" revolt that ousted President Ferdinand Marcos. Instead, they were left to ponder what had become of the freedoms they had won. With the declaration of a state of emergency a day earlier, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo granted her government sweeping powers to ban public protests and control the media. Arroyo said she needed greater authority to defeat a plot to remove her from office.
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September 12 Podcast
Brian B. Pinter offers an intriguing account of his experiences teaching the Bible to Catholics in parishes in New York. A small but vocal minority of parishioners have taken issue with the historical/critical approach he espouses, preferring instead a literal account of Genesis and other Biblical stories. Pinter explains why some Catholics may be taken by a literal interpretation of the Bible and why a historical/critical approach actually enriches the reading experience. A campus minister at Regis High School in New York City, Pinter also offers some hopeful reflections on the faith of young people today.
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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "can i have that chimp as my pet?":
I don't see why you couldn't have a Bonobo as a pet. They are smaller and nicer than a Chimp. As long as you have a big house and a Vet that can treat it.
Ummm.... a bonobo could still break both your arms and bite off every one of your fingers. At Lola, when one of the males became agressive, five females ganged up on him, almost tore off his foot and testicals and he nearly died. Bonobos are less violent and smaller than chimps but that doesn't mean they are dogs.
Also, bonobos are an ENDANGERED SPECIES!!!! For every 'pet' that makes it out of the country dozens more were killed. Even if you breed bonobos in country, we live in a global community. How can we, as conservationists, tell the government of Congo or the Congolese people that it is wrong to kill bonobos for bushmeat and keep them as pets, when they can point to our country and say,'well Americans keep bonobos as pets, why can't we?'
Also, if you think bonobos can live in a house, try keeping a tiger in a backyard.
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"Was Hizbollah really "irrevocably" committed to the destruction of Israel? Such a commitment will no doubt be strengthened as a result of the events of the last three weeks. But it was not necessarily "irrevocable". The Nationalist Party in South Africa had an irrevocable commitment to apartheid, but in the end they abandoned it."I'm happy to accept - in principle - that a view which is held to be 'irrevocable' can in fact be changed. I'm particularly happy to accept that it can be changed in the context of a religious faith (either Christianity or Islam) as I see one of the tenets of both faiths as being a ban on idolatry - and any perspective which we render 'irrevocable' is prone to turn into an idol. However, that being said, I think the differences are more important than the resemblances.
The apartheid regime gave up on its 'irrevocable' commitment to a racist polity for certain very specific reasons (this is not an exhaustive list, it's just what comes to mind - and I'm not particularly well informed about South Africa):
- a rejection of slavery (and the associated theology) by the broader mass of Christian thinkers;
- an explicit repudiation of the racist polity by the 'peers' of the white establishment, as expressed through both trade sanctions and sports sanctions;
- a slow realisation that maintenance of the status quo was untenable in the long run;
- the existence of both extreme and more moderate opposition to the racist polity, and, in the person of Nelson Mandela there was 'someone to do business with'.
In other words, there were a lot of preconditions in place allowing the regime to change.
The situation with Hezbollah seems to me very different:
- Hezbollah is drawing upon a form of language and mode of behaviour with deep roots in Islamic theology, history and practice;
- rather than being rejected, that language and behaviour is endorsed by the wider Islamic community (more or less explicitly);
- it is particularly endorsed - and materially supported - by a major regional power (Iran), which is itself aggressively pursuing the same agenda;
- there is a significant amount of truth in the critique which Hezbollah etc offers against the Western way of life (of which Israel is seen as an instance), which reinforces their sense of the rightness of their cause; and
- Hezbollah sees itself - not unreasonably - as being on the long-run winning side, not the losing side.
So when Hezbollah states, for example, that "It is an open war until the elimination of Israel and until the death of the last Jew on earth" it seems reasonable (to me) that Israel should take it as a reflection of their operating perspective for the foreseeable future. If there is a reform movement in Islam, which explicitly repudiates this ideology (and therefore accepts the long-term right of Israel to exist, not seeing it as Dar al'Harb eternally) - then I think Israel would have grounds for changing its perspective.
This does not make their actions (eg in Qana) 'right' - it is wrong to kill civilians - but I still maintain that there is a vital difference between wickedness carried out from fear (or error) and wickedness which is in the service of hate.
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Can BlackBerry stop RedBerry in China?
Market awaits RIM's move
If Orange launched a push email service called OrangeBerry in the UK, BlackBerry's maker could shut it down. But China Unicom is launching RedBerry this month, and there may be little Research In Motion (RIM) can do.
"China Unicom's RedBerry brand not only incorporates people's familiarity with the BlackBerry brand name, but it also fully embodies the symbolic meanings of China Unicom's new red logo," the company said. It acknowledged that RIM's BlackBerry is the most successful application of push email technology.
Peter Bullock, a partner with the Hong Kong office of Pinsent Masons and a specialist in intellectual property matters, said the Canadian company's options are limited.
To have an obvious redress under Chinese trademark laws, Bullock explained that RIM would have to show that Chinese consumers are being duped into believing that the RedBerry is associated with RIM's BlackBerry.
"Onerous hurdles to RIM's entry to the Chinese market mean their notoriety is very low at present, which again hinders trademark enforcement," he said.
In the absence of trademark infringement, RIM would need to fall back on the less potent Anti-Unfair Competition Law. "This provides a catch-all to allow a measure of redress in the event of unfair marketing, sales or promotion. Unfortunately, it is a law distinctly lacking in teeth."
It is not known if RIM wants to attempt to block sales of the RedBerry device or simply compete with it on the market. It plans to start selling its BlackBerry service in China through China Mobile (Hong Kong), the world's larges mobile phone operator by the end of May.
David Wolf makes an interesting point on The China Stock Blog about keyboards. The BlackBerry accommodates a full QWERTY keyboard, but with an enormous range of characters in Chinese scripts, pen-based input devices have dominated the Chinese PDA market to date. A QWERTY keyboard can be used for Chinese character input – but that becomes much more difficult when limited to using only one's thumbs.
See: The China Stock Blog
Copyright © 2006, OUT-LAW.com
OUT-LAW.COM is part of international law firm Pinsent Masons.
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Seeking Health L-5-MTHF 1000 provides a highly bioavailable form of folate. Bioactive folate helps produce and maintain new cells and is needed to make DNA and RNA, the building blocks of cells. L-5-MTHF efficiently supports methylation, DNA biosynthesis, homocysteine metabolism, and nervous system function. Supplies 1mg (1,000 mcg) folate per capsule. 60 veg caps
L-MethylFolate provides Metafolin®*L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate (L-5-MTHF), a highly bioavailable form of folate. Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin that occurs naturally in food, such as leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, dried beans, and peas.
Bioactive folate helps produce and maintain new cells and is needed to make DNA and RNA, the building blocks of cells. Both adults and children need folate to make normal red blood cells and prevent anemia. Folate helps maintain the normal metabolism of homocysteine, a potentially harmful amino acid metabolite.
Dr. Ben Lynch, founder and Chief Medical Officer of Seeking Health, is a naturopathic physician. While majoring in Cell and Molecular biology at the University of Washington, Dr. Ben took a trip through the South Pacific and Southeast Asia that changed his outlook on traditional medicine, and his life.
During this trip, Dr. Ben hiked through the forests, mountains and coasts of Tasmania, worked a cattle ranch in the Outback of Australia, and volunteered with Mother Theresa in Calcutta. He lived in Fiji with a family having no electricity or plumbing, experienced the Himalayan Mountains of Northern India, worked a fruit orchard in New Zealand, and returned to America with an impression of a different form of medicine than he had ever experienced with his mainstream medical education.
This profound experience led Dr. Ben to Bastyr University, and he studied the Mind-Body Connection, Environmental Medicine, Functional Medicine, and Epigenetics.
Dr. Ben saw the huge need for people to obtain foundational nutrients, and Seeking Health was born. Without foundational nutrients, biochemical dysfunction occurs and causes symptoms. Doctor after doctor and person after person do not understand the absolute requirement for our bodies to have the tools to maintain function.
“If one supports their bodily systems, especially their digestion and mental health, with pure, highly absorbable, well-formulated nutrients, the ability to remain healthy and vital significantly increases. We want your foundation rock solid and we provide the tools to do so.”
-Dr. Ben Lynch, founder of Seeking Health
Seeking Health believes that the root cause for many health conditions and supplements stem from ineffective digestion, environmental exposures, poor diet, and lack of a healthy social outlet and inlet.
Seeking Health is here to see you get better, and stay better. Their true passion is prevention.
Seeking Health is based in Bellingham, Washington and operated and managed by a team dedicated to bringing you better health through the best quality supplements, prebiotics, probiotics, and multivitamins.
Seeking Health brings you effective formulas produced without preservatives, colors, titanium dioxide, coloring, or gluten.
Cost Per Serving: $0.27
Brand: Seeking Health
Delivery type: Vegetarian Capsule
Made In: USA
Serving size: 1 Vegetarian Capsule
Servings per container: 60
|Folate (as Metafolin L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate)||1,000 mcg||-|
Cellulose, vegetarian capsule (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, water), L-leucine, and silicon dioxide
Take 1 capsule daily with food
I highly recommend you read this article on MTHFR and Pregnancy Supplementation.
Taking 4 mg of folic acid is the standard protocol for a woman with past miscarriages - however, I disagree with this due to latest research on folic acid vs methylfolate -and the safety of folic acid.
Please read this article on Folic Acid Supplementation.
A consult is recommended here as we can optimize recommendations and at the same time improve symptoms which may be contributing to miscarriage. You may call 800-689-8221 to schedule a consult or begin the RSVP online here.
There are many things you can do to be more proactive during pregnancy - and prior to. I am glad you are seeking out more information and answers.
Hi Josephine -
Folic acid is not recommended for those with MTHFR issues - due to the inability to convert folic acid to methylfolate. You are right that one needs to take methylfolate - not folic acid.
Sperm quality is linked to many nutrient deficiencies:
Consider the following which may support his fertility:
- Optimal Vitamin E: 1 capsule at dinner time- Optimal Multivitamin: 3 capsules with breakfast and 3 with lunch- Sublingual Active B12 with Metafolin: 1/2 tablet to 1 tablet upon rising and another 1/2 to 1 tablet before lunch- Active CoQH: 1 to 2 capsules with lunch- Acetyl-L-Carnitine: 1 capsule before breakfast- Optimal Fish Oil: 2 capsules with lunch and 2 with dinner- Selenium: 1 capsule taken anytime with a meal.- Vitamin D360: 3 drops taken once daily anytime- Optimal Zinc: 1 capsule daily with dinner- Optimal Liposomal Vitamin C: 1 tsp upon rising and 1 tsp mid day away from food
MTHFR is definitely an issue which needs to be addressed -but common nutrient deficiency does as well.
There are many factors and causes at play for anxiety.
Eating every couple hrs with some form of protein is very helpful.
You may also need methylcobalamin in order for the methylfolate to work.
I recommend you consider supplementing with 1 tablet of Sublingual Active B12 with Metafolin upon rising and another tablet before lunch.
Your husband may also try this amount.
I also recommend you consider:
These nutrients, when combined, may further support healthy emotions and mood.
There is a possiblity of your children having 2 copies of the MTHFR C677T mutation - yes. The potential is 25%.
The safest option to start out with is the Sublingual Active B12 with Metafolin. This provides 1,000 mcg of methylcobalamin and 800 mcg of methylfolate as L-5-MTHF.
Consider starting out with half tablet upon rising in the morning for a few days and monitor how you are feeling. If you feel better or no difference, increase to 1 tablet.
Talk with your physician about how to dose and follow their recommendations.
It is important that you talk with your doctor how to get off the Pepcid. There are natural ways to do it and I commonly help people get free of Pepcid naturally as well.
You'd have to take 15 capsules of the Seeking Health L-5-MTHF to equal one tablet of Deplin.
However, you may find you need less methylfolate if you combine it with methylcobalamin - which is found in the Active B12 Lozenge with L-5-MTHF. There is 1 mg of methylcobalamin and 800 mcg of L-5-MTHF per lozenge.
Consider taking a lozenge or two along with a few capsules of the L-5-MTHF.
Since you have to take so much methylfolate, I am wondering why. Many of my clients do very well on very little methylfolate and do very poorly on high amounts.
Consider eliminating dairy - ie Milk. Milk causes potential antibodies against the folate receptors in the brain which may be present thereby creating a higher need of methylfolate.
Please discuss this with your physician.
Starting low and working up with methylfolate is highly recommended.
Metanx is strong. Folbic uses the wrong forms of nutrients.
The Seeking Health HomocysteX and L-5-MTHF both use the right forms of nutrients and are small enough doses that you can work up to what you do best on.
Thank you for your question. Which MTHFR did you test positive for? Recommendations for supplementation really depends on which MTHFR type you have so I don’t have enough information to give you a recommendation at this time. I suggest you find a naturopath or doctor who has experience treating someone with MTHFR and knows which labs to run to determine how to treat you. With MTHFR, the important thing is to consume vitamins in the form in which your body can utilize. If you have been told to take a folate supplement, take the L-5-Methyltetrahydrofolate form. http://www.healthegoods.com/seeking-health-l-5-mthf-1000.html
Check out www.livesuperfoods.com for our food products.
In Health and Happiness,
Kelly Harrington, MS, RD
Nutritionist for Healthy Goods
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|Home > World News > Article|
The military estimates that tens of thousands of civilians have been forced from their homes by the army and placed in relocation camps. The police estimate that about 150 civilians have been killed. Western officials say the civilian death toll is considerably higher.
The power of the Indonesian military is increasing again. But Washington appears to have little influence upon the Indonesian officers whose co-operation it wants for the campaign against terrorism, Indonesian and Western officials said. So far, police have been the key force rounding up suspected terrorists.
The Bush Administration is trying to persuade the Indonesian military to co-operate with an FBI investigation into the killing of two Americans in the eastern province of Papua last year. The Indonesian police have said they believe that military units are responsible for the killings.
The outcome of the investigation may determine whether Washington proceeds with plans to resume training programs for Indonesian military officers in the US.
The war in Aceh is popular in the rest of Indonesia, stoking a wave of nationalism. Except for complaints by Indonesia's National Commission on Human Rights, which has said the military appears to be training militia groups like the brutal forces it set up in East Timor in 1999, there have been few objections.
In Aceh a curtain of fear has contributed to the silence.
Apart from last week's State Department rebuke, criticism from the US has been muted.
By grafting some of the Pentagon's tactics in Iraq onto its own campaign against the separatists, the Indonesians have insulated themselves from criticism, said Sidney Jones, an American analyst who has worked on Indonesian issues for 30 years. He is now the director in Jakarta of the International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based non-government organisation.
The Indonesian Government has said it will build a prison on an island off Aceh, which Mr Jones likened to the US detention of terrorist suspects at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
Indonesian journalists are embedded with military units in Aceh, but they cannot report on the rebels. Foreign reporters are in effect banned from the province.
The New York Times, Agence France-Presse
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Copyright © 2003. The Sydney Morning Herald.
|advertise | contact us|
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KIAWAH, S.C. (AP) - Think all grasses are the same? Not for the world's best golfers at the PGA Championship. Many won't be sure what they're facing with The Ocean Course's paspalum surfaces.
The course was covered with seashore paspalum grass in 2003 because of upkeep problems caused by its next-door neighbor, the Atlantic Ocean.
World No. 1 Luke Donald wasn't sure he'd ever played paspalum surfaces on the PGA Tour before.
Count Rory McIlroy, the 2011 U.S. Open champion, among those with an edge. He says he practices on the surface often at The Bear's Club in Florida and loves how the paspalum grabs his approach shots, allowing him to aggressively fire at pins.
Tiger Woods likes the grass' hearty nature in rainy conditions like those here this week.
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While the best way to deal with damage resulting from winter weather conditions is to protect and prepare a home beforehand, that may not be possible. If it is too late to get ready and a home is damaged in some way, homeowners will likely want and need to take steps to remedy the situation. Whether approaching the situation as a resident planning to live there or a homeowner planning to sell a property, it will need to be in good condition.
Home damage and trees
Homeowners’ insurance policies generally cover damage due to common winter hazards such as ice dams, burst pipes and the weight of snow or ice, according to the Insurance Information Institute. While they will need to pay their deductible, this means homeowners may not find themselves struggling as hard with the expense of potentially serious home repairs, so such coverage can be important, especially in areas with harsher winters.
The weight of snow and ice can affect a home directly, but more commonly will put too much pressure on the branch of a nearby tree, causing it to break. High winds can also break trees, so snowstorms, ice and strong windy weather can be cause for caution. If a great deal of snow is on a tree or its branches are noticeably straining, one expert told MSN Real Estate the homeowner can use a broom or rake to remove some of the snow, easing the burden and reducing the chance of breakage.
Any more involved preparations should be done more carefully, he noted, since broken branches are as hazardous to people as homes.
Water and ice
Frozen pipes are a common problem. Another expert indicated that if pipes do freeze, it may be possible to thaw them with a space heater, while one source suggested a hair dryer might work. In either case, the water should be turned on at a trickle and heat then applied to the pipe, focusing on the faucet and the frozen section. If the freezing is relatively minor, this may solve the problem. More serious difficulties are likely to require a professional plumber, however.
If a home suffers water damage due to ice dams or burst pipes, physical damage from a falling branch or other serious problems, professional assistance is likely to be an unavoidable necessity. Homeowners are likely to find such efforts time-consuming and possibly expensive, so preventive measures to protect a home are strongly advised by many experts.
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|Andrea Fraser in center, from her performance art work that reacts to Frank Gehry mythos, on each side of her, Gehry's two proposed "Ms. Brooklyn" designs for Atlantic Yards, the first on the left and the second on the right|
The Whitney Museum’s site says that Ms. Fraser is, she believes, confronting fundamental conflicts and contradictions about this curated art that “have intensified along with income inequality.” It continues:
Fraser writes, participants in the art world who perform these operations in art discourse “not only banish entire regions of our own activities and experiences, investments, and motivations to insignificance, irrelevance, and unspeakability, we also consistently misrepresent what art is and what we do when we engage with art and participate in the art field.”Andrea Fraser Addresses Frank Gehry
Andrea Fraser was brought to my attention by a young artist who fathomed quite correctly that I would be interested in her video performance work “Little Frank and His Carp” (2001) which targets the sensational promotion of Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. The Carp?: There is a fish-shaped tower at the center of the Museum hall plus explanation in the video via the museum’s recorded audio guide. (Click on the link to see the video.)
In a 2005 interview, quoted on UbuWeb on which the video can be found Fraser discusses Little Frank and His Carp:
What struck me about the audio tour for the Guggenheim Bilbao was the explicitness of the seduction....The audio guide promises transcendence of the social through a transgression: the always forbidden touching of art—or here, architecture-as-art…. The tour distances the museum from the difficulties of “modern art,” claiming that the building’s sensual appeal “has nothing to do with age or class or education.” Freed of social/symbolic restrictions, we can make ourselves at home in the sensual, caring arms of the (mother) museum.Frank Gehry’s starchitecture is an apt target for Fraser given his positioning as a premium, deluxe artist pitching to an appreciative elite. She gets extra mileage out of her choice in that Gehry, who often does museums and institutional settings for the presentation or performance of artwork, is often thought of as a rule breaker, and Fraser’s performance is about stripping down to essentials what rule-breaking actually is (I suppose that’s a pun). The video was filmed with hidden cameras without the prior knowledge or permission of the museum.
Notions Of Architectural Responsibility Via Ada Louise Huxtable
In directing her attention to architecture Fraser has considered an art form that is not and cannot always be evaluated solely by the standards of art. In this regard a paragraph in last week’s Times obituary for Pulitzer Prize-winning architectural critic Ada Louise Huxtable caught my eye for the crucial point it made that architecture has to be in service to other essential goals:
Though knowledgeable about architectural styles, Ms. Huxtable often seemed more interested in social substance. She invited readers to consider a building not as an assembly of pilasters and entablatures but as a public statement whose form and placement had real consequences for its neighbors as well as its occupants.(See: Ada Louise Huxtable, Champion of Livable Architecture, Dies at 91, by David W. Dunlap, January 7, 2013.)
Along these lines, one interpretation of Fraser’s “Little Frank and His Carp” is that the architectural dominance of modern gallery spaces does not always serve the display of the art within nearly as well as it should. Other criticisms of Gehry’s work is that the resources invested in its forms can be wastefully functionless and that it can disregard its relationships with and `consequences for its neighbors.’ But Gehry design does have intended functions which it is intended to be in service to . . . more on this later in this piece.
Reading the Times obituary for Huxtable, I was struck by the way that it made absolutely no explicit mention of urbanist Jane Jacobs, a fellow critic of the city’s shaping and development with whom Huxtable had much in common.
The Times obituary is extremely laudatory of Huxtable as it ought to have been and thus, in a way, self-laudatory, because it was the Times that hired Huxtable as “the first full-time architecture critic at an American newspaper,” but the article gives no hint how likely it was that the Times hiring of Huxtable in September1963 was motivated by Jane Jacobs’ very influential 1961 book, “The Death and Life of Great American Cities” In contrast, the Observer’s very brief obit for Huxtable mentions Jacobs as background context to Huxtable's appointment. Indeed, it turns out that Huxtable mentions Jane Jacobs and her book in October, writing the month after starting her stint at the Times.
Certainly there was a shared similarity of style, brook-no-fools attitude, and also themes in the writings for which each of the two women was esteemed. Does this from Huxtable’s obituary not sound like it’s describing Jane Jacobs?:
She had no use for banality, monotony, artifice or ostentation, for private greed or governmental ineptitude. She could be eloquent or impertinent, even sarcastic.Another similarity is the notion that with both Jacobs and Huxtable architecture and city planning became more accessibly egalitarian as they demythologized the professions, with the Times obituary for Huxtabel saying of her something that might strike a resonant chord if Andrea Fraser were reading it: “she opened the priestly precincts of design and planning to everyday readers.”
Huxtable’s very first work for the Times, before she was hired as a regular critic, was a 1958 Times Magazine article: The Art We Cannot Afford to Ignore (But Do); The Art We Cannot Afford to Ignore (But Do) (May 04).
That first Times article introduced a theme Huxtable was expressing perhaps even better years later (on the Leonard Lopate show in 2008), architecture’s importance because we inescapably must live with it:
(Architecture) is the art we must live with. If you want to experience painting or sculpture it’s an option. But there is absolutely nothing optional about your experience of architecture.At the end of that 1958 article it sounds as if Huxtable made her own case for creation of the job the Times eventually hired her to fill:
The press which regularly reviews art, literature, movies, music and dance, ignores architecture, except for building news on the real estate page. Architecture as a standard feature is virtually unknown, in spite of the direct and inescapable impact of architectural production. Superblocks are built, the physiognomy and services of the city are changed, without discussion, except in a few of the more specialized or sophisticated journals. Unless a story reaches the proportions of a scandal, architecture is the stepchild of the popular press.Urban Renewal Failure
Superblocks and the transmogrification of the city’s physiognomy and services without public understanding or input? What did Huxtable think of the urban renewal of the 50's and 60's? On Lopate in 2008 she said:
That was the biggest mistake in the history of urban design. That was . . That grew out of the total ignorance of what was being lost. Urban renewal required total clearance. There was no provision for saving anything and that was how we learned how valuable the things were that we lost. . . .That too sounds like Jane Jacobs.
. . . There was no consciousness. That consciousness had to be found and raised; that the environment, the built world was a rich tapestry of time and style. We just didn’t know!
Similarly, in 1966 she wrote scathingly of urban renewal for the Times in “Project, Planned 10 Years, Has Been Called Unsound; Work Starts on Total Renewal Project” which is retitled “How We Lost Lower Manhattan” in her 2008 collection “On Architecture: Collected Reflections on a Century of Change”:
. . . it will erase all traces of the past in one of the most historic sections of the city. . . . A total bulldozer plan, as were all of New York’s early renewal efforts. . . . just at a time when the city has officially renounced the bulldozer approach. . .. Some buildings were in poor condition others were well preserved. Land uses were a mixture of business and residential. New York’s artists’ colony, priced out of fashionable Greenwich Village, was finding its lofts and atmosphere hospitable. . . . a compendium of of just about everything that can go wrong in the renewal process. . . a negative object lesson for the large renewal programs now planned or in process. . . Developers were awarded the sites of their choice on which they carried out their own plans, not the city’s. . . Lack of an overall plan. . The project has no relation to any of the surrounding downtown developments directly on its borders . . . The Streets themselves will disappear under skyscrapers and superblocks. There are no celebrated monuments to save, but there were scattered stands of homogenous brick and stone street architecture of the early nineteenth century that knowledgeable observers prize for pleasant proportions, as disappearing vernacular Georgian style, and historic associations. . . . Preservation and rehabilitation retain the city’s historic fabric and neighborhood character. It also keeps older housing and commercial spaces operative. New construction provides improvements and modern facilities. Together, the two create the elusive synthesis known as urban character.When there was an effort that included three separate museum exhibits launched in 2007 to rehabilitate the image of Robert Moses, the grand master of urban renewal, Huxtable wrote an essay in the Wall Street Journal, the paper to which she had by then moved, “The Man Who Remade New York.” It disabused the revisionists of certain notions saying that “the rehabilitation of Robert Moses is not an easy walk down memory lane.” Huxtable said with respect to the revisionists:
The acknowledged purpose here is to add balance to a story in which the brilliant restructuring of the public realm has been obscured by projects that rode roughshod over history and neighborhoods with unfeeling arrogance of epic proportions that lingers in the collective mind.Huxtable accused New Yorkers of suffering from “planning amnesia” and concluded that it was fortunate Moses was stopped. She juxtaposed Moses with Jacobs:
Planning in the early twentieth century was broad and paternalistic. . . Moses’s agenda was a perfect match.
The more intimate, humanistic view of planning as a small-scale, socially sensitive awareness of the street, the neighborhood, and individual lives had its catalyst in Jacobs’s 1961 book, “The Death and Life of Great American Cities,” which became the bible of the planning revolution. This approach would have no appeal for Moses even if he understood it.
In that first 1958 essay for the Times Huxtable called upon architects to be various things, including, one expects, socially sensitive and responsible. She refers to the architect as a “man of a hundred hats,” assuming a different purpose with the donning of each hat: as a “practical man” providing shelter and physical necessities but as “an artist” providing the desire for beauty and “sociologically” giving form to the “living and working patterns of society” and “spiritually” creating “a setting for faith.”
So it was that she critiqued the building of the Pan Am Building (now the MetLife Building), focusing on social responsibility grounds. From her Times obituary:
Rather than aesthetics, Ms. Huxtable focused on how the tower would alter the scale of Park Avenue, adding “an extraordinary burden to existing pedestrian and transportation facilities.” She continued, “Its antisocial character directly contradicts the teachings of Walter Gropius, who has collaborated in its design.”The pro-development view at the time was, of course, different: Said William F. R. Ballard, the new chairman of the city planning commission, in an interview with Huxtable: “I can’t think of a better place to have a big building. . . I don’t think concentration is such an evil. . . It’s the essence of cities. . . . Nobody’s been trampled yet.”
Huxtable Veneration For Gehry
Our discussion here has gone on at length about the calamities of urban renewal and the importance of social responsibility on the part of architects and those who shape the city, intending to come round again to Frank Gehry. Ada Louise Huxtable, and this is important, adored Frank Gehry. On Leonard Lopate’s 2008 show she said that Gehry was a “great architect” exempting Gehry from her criticism that there has been a lot of “wow” in architecture “for effect, and for show, and for status” that she said she had “very mixed feeling about” for which she partly blamed the press. She said:
The “wow” buildings. Don’t blame it all on Frank Gehry. Gehry is legit; what he did at Bilbao is superb. He showed us how to marry all the arts in our time. But the lesson taken away from it was: We need something that looks “iconic,” that’s going to put our city on the map.By 2008 Huxtable had virtually adopted Gehry. In the June of 2001, Huxtable wrote in the Wall Street Journal: “Frank Gehry is the most staggeringly talented architect that this country has produced since Frank Lloyd Wright.” (See: Architecture: The Bold and Beautiful— a Tale of Two Franks.) This also appears in her 2008 collection “On Architecture.” Her 2001 praise of Gehry could have been important because around that time (according to court records: before the summer of 2002) the Forest City Ratner company was conceiving of its Atlantic Yards mega-monopoly, part of which conceit was the anointing of architect Frank Gehry as integral part of its goal of selling the mega-project to the public and New York’s power elite.
Atlantic Yards, an eminent domain-assisted land-grab for the Ratner real estate organization, was essentially a retread of old style bulldozer urban renewal. By enlisting Gehry developer Bruce, Ratner almost certainly hoped to have a leg up on the critics. The Times obituary for Huxtable observes:
Her exacting standards were well enough known to be a punch line for a New Yorker cartoon by Alan Dunn in 1968. It shows a construction site so raw that only a single steel column has been erected. A hard-hat worker holding a newspaper tells the architect, “Ada Louise Huxtable already doesn’t like it!”No doubt the Ratner hopes were that before even such a single steel column was up Ms. Huxtable and those with influence like her would be on board liking it, or at least quieter in their criticism, despite the project’s failure to meet the social responsibility standards that normally might concern them.
Huxtable wrote repeatedly about Gehry, particularly his Bilbao museum, with extraordinary positiveness.
In 1997 she wrote “The Guggenheim Bilbao: Art and Architecture as One.” Notably, the index of her “On Architecture” collected essays book treats the essay as being in part about the “urban renewal” of Bilbao, though Huxtable actually only uses the term “revitalizing projects” to describe what the once wealthy Spanish industrial city was doing when it commissioned the museum to replace old waterfront warehouses with the Gehry building. (See also: “Hot Museums in a Cold Climate”- 1998 and “Museums: making It New”- 1999.)
Wary of Gehry Superblock Gargantuana and Profiteering Inside Development Deals?
A Gehry design would not necessarily cinch things with Huxtable or mean that her support was a done deal. In the June 2001 essay where she called Frank Gehry the most talented architect since Frank Lloyd Wright she expressed mixed feelings about the Guggenheim’s proposal to build a Gehry-designed 400-foot-tall building on Piers 9, 13 and 14, south of the Brooklyn Bridge in Lower Manhattan, a proposal, which due to financial problems and a weak economy (and perhaps lack of support), was cancelled just months later.
|What a Gehry-designed 400-foot-tall building Guggenheim’s Museum south of the Brooklyn Bridge could have looked like.|
It is interesting then that Huxtable never criticized, or even critiqued Gehry’s Atlantic Yards vision. In January of 2008 she took aim at the in many ways similar “Hudson Yards” on Manhattan’s West Side with objections that would, like most objections to that big project, be as easy to level at Atlantic Yards. She said it was too big, too dense and no doubt the result of Machiavellian deal making “that will make someone very, very rich.” The 26-acre Hudson Yards (Huxtable’s essay refers to it as 28) is only slightly larger than the 22 acres constituting what is officially called “Atlantic Yards” but is actually smaller than the entire 30+ contiguous acres that Forest City Ratner is effectively treating as a single development site.
Likewise, in November of 2008 Huxtable, being interviewed by Philip Lopate (Leonard Lopate’s brother), said critically that everything in this city is totally developer driven, though not mentioning Atlantic Yards as the most conspicuously developer-driven project of all.
By early June of 2009, when it was announced that Gehry was being dropped from the Atlantic Yards megadevelopment by Forest City Ratner, any criticism by Huxtable of the mega-project originally publicly unveiled at a press conference December 10, 2003 would have appeared awkwardly belated. Further, more than a year prior, Nicolai Ouroussoff, then holding her former job of architectural critic at the Times had said that Gehry should walk from the degenerating Ratner project.
As it was, one of Huxtable’s well-aimed snipes at Hudson Yards from the prior year turned out to be accurate for the Ratner mega-monopoly as well since Gehry’s departure from Atlantic Yards entailed a wholesale revision of that huge project’s designs: “The only thing we can count on is that whatever is eventually built there will bear very little resemblance to what we are being shown now” as did another “Historically, the amenities have a way of fading away or being relegated to reduced, fringe status later on.”
Hitching to Architects
The point is that on many levels the Forest City Ratner anointment of Gehry as Atlantic Yards architect may have had exactly the effect intended, including silencing Huxtable’s usual calls for social responsibility.
When Jane Jacobs and Ada Louise Huxtable were both writing in the early 60's who knew whether they would grow more similar sounding (as I think in many ways they did) or different. Jane Jacobs, though she commented on architecture, was never an architectural critic. In the six more books Jacobs went on to write (she had two more books planned that didn’t get published. . . one, “Uncovering the Economy,” she expected to publish in 2006, the year she died) and in her continued activism she concentrated on examining economic underpinnings to what works and the way the structures of society evolve and function. Yes, like Huxtable, she was very much interested in morality* and the choices people should be making in the world (“Systems of Survival” -1992).
(* It is heartening and fitting that Huxtable’s last column, “Undertaking Its Destruction,” published in the Wall Street Journal on December 3, 2012, addressed the plans to gut the historic, uniquely functional interior of the New York Public Library, extraordinarily “reducing the accessibility of its resources,” a plan deserving laceration that is driven by the city library system's new focus on turning over its real estate to developers.)Jane Jacobs was not against new buildings or modern architecture, although in “The Death and Life of Great American Cities” she made it clear that she favored functionality over the superficial pursuit of pleasing appearances (“a city cannot be a work of art”. . “confusion between art and life are neither life nor art”) and chastised artificial architectural exhibitionism (weird roofs and stairs- attempts to appear unique and different from their similar commercial neighbors in spite of not being special). Unlike Huxtable, Jacobs did not seek out or look to champion architects she liked. The Times obituary for Huxtable suggests that being able to praise triumphs rather than mistakes animated Huxtable. One might suppose that Jacobs’ rigorous skepticism was less susceptible to being undermined because Jacobs did not identify her ideas with the endorsement of particular architects.
Art Of Audience Selection?
This takes us back to the themes surfaced by Andrea Fraser of art as commerce, with an exploitation of class, status and income disparities.
Andrea Fraser’s work reactive to Gehry must be accepted as also a work of satiric criticism. Her work and Huxtable’s architectural criticism both tell us something about to whom Gehry’s designation as Atlantic Yards architect was intended to appeal. While Fraser in “Little Frank and His Carp” plays at mimicking the reactions of the consumer targeted for awe by Gehry’s designs, in other works Fraser has adopted the role of authoritative museum docent knowing what the public should like. Whether right or wrong and however earnest in her pronouncements, this was a role that Huxtable inescapably on her pedestal could not sidestep.
Early on, near the beginning of this piece, I noted that I would return to discuss other intended functions of Gehry acritecture.
Gehry is very good at selling himself. Some artists are. . . Damien Hirst is another name that comes readily to mind. They raise their profile by calling attention to themselves. That skill on Gehry’s part translates into a transferable ability to call attention to and sell his clients. It’s branding, at the core of which is the the intrinsic commerciality that typically constitutes branding’s foremost purpose.
Though never built and therefore concretized, Gehry’s branding in service to Ratner was selling urban renewal, 2.0.
Gehry’s architecture derives partly from the architecture of Los Angeles (where his office is). The eclecticism of designs in that city may challenge categorization but I would say that Los Angeles architecture is largely defined by Los Angeles being car oriented; Its architecture is meant to call attention to itself from a distance, specifically the distance of the road or highway, with the perception of scale being set (in effect reduced) by the speed at which you are passing it. It may be seen has having its antecedents in the likes of Wilshire Boulevard’s whimsical Brown Derby, designed to attract your attention from afar and call you in from the road.
The style's habit of clamoring for attention from a distance, seeking to promote its client’s brand over that of the competition, is about asserting itself over its surroundings: dominance, not community interrelationship.
The SHoP Architects design for the arena that was substituted when Gehry was disinvited from the Ratner team, albeit hastily contrived and therefore entailing certain problems (and solutions that may only be fully in place temporarily while the current configuration lasts), does a creditable job in achieving much of what Gehry-style Los Angeles architecture could have achieved in terms of branding and calling attention to itself. Positioned at the convergence of three main traffic byways it gives one the drive-by experience advertised.
To say that the SHoP-designed building fails to fit into its surroundings is a worthless comment because a huge arena is never going to fit in amongst brownstones. The colors are maybe a bit more subsdued: Had it been Gehry’s work there’d be the reflective sheen of more silvery and shiny surfaces, titanium, glass, whatever.
As it is, the devloper/subsidy collector's segue to the new set of architects was seized upon to emphasize a strategic rebranding; that with the addition of its rusty steel panels the arena is an expression of genuine Brooklyn’s muscular grit rather than its eradication. Gehry was calling his tallest glitzy tower “Ms. Brooklyn,” but rusty steel is maybe more convincing. While anyone can buy into them, it is important to note that these conceits are being peddled up the income ladder and across the river.
While the arena as effectuated and managed is certainly intended to make money for its owners (something that should be easy to do given the extent to which it has been subsidized), the arena must also be interpreted, much as Gehry’s original appointment as architect was meant to function: as a sales pitch to allow Ratner to keep exclusive control of his vast government-aided monopoly directed to those whose decisions will ultimately matter. Don’t worry; at the same time they will also be selling the message that “it’s not about class.”
The Ratner announcement of Gehry as project architect was not intended as a ploy to sell the project to the typical residents of Brooklyn or those in the surrounding community. . . It was more important to address the sales pitch to an elite, probably mostly found in Manhattan, more likely to have influence over the decisions to be made: The Gehry creation was what that elite might like Brooklyn to look like, perhaps to partake of and drink in the vision of it on the day of a stimulating visit.
The developer-oriented design for the Atlantic Yards mega-monopoly proposed a project that obliviously disregarded the scale and any interrelationship with the surrounding neighborhood into which it would be shoe-horned. Similarly, as many may have noted with the opening of the so-called “Barclays” arena that has unblinkingly been named after a plundering bank in an era of banks gone wild, the marketing of the “Barclays” arena has been pitched more toward the upper end of the income scale than might have been expected of a basketball arena, more toward hoity-toity Manhattan clientele than surrounding neighborhood residents or regular Brooklynites. It is certainly not pitched to the people evicted from the site by eminent domain abuse.
With $4.50 water, it is an expensive place to go, far more expensive than what it replaced. Community residents complaining about the a flood of idling black cars and limousines the arena brings through their residential brownstone neighborhood point out that “the Barclays Center marketing plan . . .heavily promotes the venue’s luxury seating and dining options” with much of that clientele no doubt coming from Manhattan or other upscale areas outside the borough.
It is hardly an exact equivalent but around the era of Prohibition whites would travel up to Harlem to go to clubs with all-black revues like the Cotton Club to get a taste of another culture. It was sometimes referred to as “slumming.” The taste of that culture obtained was inauthentic in that the Cotton Club, even though it featured many of the greatest black entertainers of the time was a white-only establishment, meaning that it was off-limits to patronage by same performers who performed there.
The Barclays arena was plunked down in a somewhat mixed neighborhood where an appreciable amount of gentrification was taking off no doubt shifting the color mix towards white, but it does sometimes feel to me as if there are echos of this “slumming” in a new generation of intracity tourism. The other day a wide-eyed couple speaking very good English but with stilted Europan accents emerged from the Williamsburg Savings Bank Building subway entrance to ask me and my companion where the “Barclays” is. I assured them that it was big and very easy to find, telling them that it was a contiguous extension of the Ratner mega-monopoly, of which the shopping mall they were already standing right across the street from (I pointed) was a part. They would find the “Barclays” arena, I said (pointing again) right around the corner. I explained that the city taxpayers were subsidizing their tickets with a huge amount of money, information they seemed to take in with surprise but no understanding. It didn’t tell them that many of us simply won’t go to the arena, that we treat it as off limits or any of the reasons this is so.
Theme Park Brooklyn
Inside the arena, much as was the case with the Cotton Club’s Negro revues, the arena owners, Bruce Ratner from Cleveland and Mikhail Prokhorov oligarch from Russia, are inauthentically selling their visitors the taste of “Brooklyn” that comes with “Brooklyn” brands packaged theme-park style therein.
Commissioned art angling for and receiving art-world style praise has been enlisted to enhance the effect as can be seen in this review of works by José Parlá and Mickalene Thomas, both displayed at the “Barclays” arena: Heather Graham, KAWS, and More Turn Out for Jose Parla Painting Unveiling at Barclays Center, January 10, 2013.
The review of the work, which could echo in the mind like the satiric tease of an Andrea Fraser work, credits both artworks saying they “connect the gleaming, glowing” (pirate treasure!) of the new arena to the “surrounding community.” Each work is extolled for how it represents “Brooklyn.” To wit:
Thomas’s untitled enamel and vinyl work references the august architecture of Grand Army Plaza, the Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn Museum . . . . and Brooklyn’s brownstone townhouses. It articulates a vision of the borough as a great American city whose built character and civic landmarks are on an equal footing with those of its smaller but better known neighbor, Manhattan.Parlá’s work named “Diary of Brooklyn” is similarly suggested to `embody’ the borough:
During last night’s unveiling Parlá explained that his goal was to capture “what it means to be urban,” because “Brooklyn embodies that.”We are told that the Parlá’ mural was “inspired by the James Agee essay “Brooklyn Is”*
(* the 1000 word essay was commissioned by Fortune Magazine in1939 but unpublished until it appeared in Esquire in 1968, years before Mr. Parlá’s birth.)As such we are being soothingly reassured that both the artworks somehow embody with verisimilitude the Brooklyn that the arena and the Ratner mega-monopoly are displacing. Not dissimilarly, the Brooklyn Museum is now featuring merchandise in its gift shop designed by illustrator Claudia Pearson celebrating the charm of brownstone Brooklyn even though the Brooklyn Museum had a key role in bringing about the Atlantic Yards mega-project which is resulting in the substantial the destruction of such neighborhoods. (See: Wednesday, December 5, 2012, A New York Magazine “Best Bet”: The Brooklyn Museum Offers Its Love Of Brownstone Neighborhoods, The Savaging Of Which It Lauded.)
Why did the Brooklyn Museum support Ratner and his project despite the deleterious effects in store for the community the Museum served and apparently still likes to celebrate?: Ratner was donating substantial funds to it, enough to put Ratner people on its board!
|Above real Brooklyn buildings, including Freddys', torn down for Atlantic Yards, flanked by Ms. Pearson's Brooklyn musem gift shop designs (left) and Ms. Thomas's mural (right)|
Generous support for this exhibition was provided by Forest City Ratner CompaniesThis Brooklyn-substitution silliness reminds us how the Brooklyn borough president Marty Markowitz, a Ratner supporter, once suggested the way to fix-up the mega-project was to have the Gehry design incorporate into the mega-project “Brooklyn-style stoops at the base of some of the towers” for more of a “brownstone feel.”
The harm to Brooklyn doesn’t go unmentioned in the fawning review of the two artworks: Twisting mention of this into an advantage, the review at its conclusion acknowledges the arena to be a building that “many Brooklynites find inherently antithetical — if not downright dangerous” in order to assert that this “only makes the commissions more compelling.”
Art’s Oldest Professional Concerns
Rarely do we tend to forget that architecture is, at its core, functional. Ms. Huxtable would hardly want us to. (With Jane Jacobs holding that art is actually distant from architecture's true importance.) Further, Ms. Huxtable would want us to appreciate that things don’t boil down to a simple dichotomy, function vs. art: That it is inevitably more complex as her early description of the architect as a “man of a hundred hats” suggests.
When she made “Little Frank and His Carp” Andrea Fraser dealt with the art of architecture, recognized to be a `functional’ art, but her overall interest tends to be art’s unrecognized functionality, particularly the web of underlying social contracts whereby art commercially sustains itself. And recognizing that artworks have such functionalities in the world raises the prospect of accompanying moral implications, the kind that Ms. Huxtable might seize upon.
Andrea Fraser isn’t a scold. She is actually far from it. But she does make it very uncomfortable for those who would prefer to think that art can be safely compartmentalized as just art, existing neutrally apart from the moral dimensions of its functioning.
Fraser has often used her body to titillate, potentially shock and to up the ante of her work. She is thereby certainly capable of making a point. In a brutally confrontational, risky work about the intersections of commercialism, art and morality Fraser blurred the line between art and good old fashioned prostitution virtually as far as it is possible to blur that line: She created a 60-minute performance piece in which a patron or “collector” of that art work paid her $20,000 and had sex with her.
Fraser’s work mostly unfolds in the high-toned milieu of the fine arts world. I suspect that Frank Ghery would not have suffered the embrace of her her lampoon had the work she was addressing not been a fine arts museum or if Gehry’s `rarefied' aesthetic were not so attuned to and well-integrated in that world. The denial of underlying commercialism may be especially pretentious in that particular world; nevertheless, the themes Fraser raises of commercial interrelations are very easy to apply to the other arts.
Hip hop artist Jay-Z was given a small fractional interest in the ownership of the “Barclays” arena, plus other financial inducements to act as a promotional front man for the developer’s arena and Atlantic Yards project. When Barbra Streisand, a superb artistic singer and famously self-proclaimed activist, performing at the Barclays arena (her concerts very heavily subsidized) mutates the lyrics of Cole Porter’s “You’re The Top” to compliment Jay-Z mere days after Jay-Z performing there has invited his audience to give the finger to the community that opposed the Atlantic Yards real estate land grab, Streisand ends up subverting her art to support that land grab just as Gehry was hired to do.
Whatever criticisms were leveled at Gehry for being socially irresponsible for promoting the Atlantic Yards project throughout the time he spent associating himself with it, there are those who still believe everything would have been absolutely well and fine in the end if the mega-project had been built according to his designs. . . . that the only real tragedy is that Forest City Ratner ultimately jettisoned Gehry (saving money by finally going with a less expensive experimental modular design). . . .
. . . If Gehry's designs had actually been built can we not imagine that interested visitors to Ranter’s 30+ acre mega-monopoly would have been handed audio guides assuring them there were seeing “uplifting” achievements, refreshing to the spirit and, to quote the words of the Bilbao Guggenheim Museum audio guide, we would be told, “its warmth, its welcoming feel” make “you feel at home so that you can relax and absorb. . . .”
With luck there would be someone like Andrea Fraser available in the cultural wings to help interpret exactly what the public was supposed to “relax and absorb.”
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176 U.S. 317
UNITED STATES, Appt.,
PARKHURST-DAVIS MERCANTILE COMPANY, National Bank of St. Marys, Kansas, et al.
Submitted January 31, 1900.
Decided February 26, 1900.
On August 21, 1897, the United States filed their bill in the circuit court of the United States for the district of Kansas seeking an injunction restraining defendants from enforcing in the courts of the state of Kansas certain claims against Eli G. Nadeau and John Nadeau, members of the [176 U.S. 317, 318] Prairie band of Pottawatomie Indians, and residing on a reserve within the limits of that state. On November 22, 1897, an amended bill was filed, to which bill the defendants demurred, and on March 4, 1898, the demurrer was sustained and the bill dismissed. From such order of dismissal the government took its appeal directly to this court.
The amended bill alleged in substance that the two Indians were members of the Prairie band of Pottawatomie Indians; that such band had a reservation in the county of Jackson, within the limits of that state; that by the act of Congress admitting Kansas into the Union it was expressly provided, among other things, as follows, to wit: 'That nothing contained in the said Constitution respecting the boundary of said state shall be construed to impair the rights of person or property now pertaining to the Indians in said territory, so long as such rights shall remain unextinguished by treaty between the United States and such Indians, or to include any territory which, by treaty with such Indian tribe, is not, without the consent of said tribe, to be included within the territorial limits or jurisdiction of any state or territory; but all such territory shall be excepted out of the boundaries, and constitute no part of the state of Kansas, until said tribe shall signify their assent to the President of the United States to be included within said state, or to affect the authority of the government of the United States to make any regulation respecting such Indians, their lands, property, or other rights by treaty, law, or otherwise, which it would have been competent to make if this act had never passed' (12 Stat. at L. 127, chap. 20); and that the Prairie band had never in any manner consented or signified to the President of the United States that any rights of person or property formerly appertaining to these members should be extinguished, nor have they ever consented that they or their reservation should be governed or controlled by the laws of the state of Kansas. The bill then proceeds to state a series of facts tending to show that this reserve had been exempted from the laws of the state of Kansas; that the tribal relation had been preserved and the government superintendency and [176 U.S. 317, 319] control over the Indians maintained. It further disclosed that the two Indians had received patents for their respective portions of the reservation, as provided in 5 of the act of Congress of February 8, 1887 ( 24 Stat. at L. 389, chap. 119), that they resided each on the separate tract or parcel allotted and patented to him; but, as averred, they had never been naturalized as citizens of the United States, and had maintained in all respects their peculiar life as members of the Indian tribe. The bill also disclosed that the Bureau of Indian Affairs, prior to the commencement of the actions referred to, had lawfully authorized the two Nadeaus and one Henry B. Ekcam, a white man, to trade and do business as licensed traders of the United States, with said Prairie band of Pottawatomie Indians upon said reservation, under the firm name and style of Eli G. Nadeau, Son, & Company; and averred that the said Ekcam, in May, 1897, became an embezzler, and fled the country with practically all the available means and assets of the firm except a stock of merchandise located in the storehouse on the reservation. It alleged that the various defendants, including among them the sheriff of Jackson county, were, by several writs already issued out of the state courts, attempting to enforce claims of the defendants, other than the sheriff, against the property of said Nadeau and his son. The prayer of the bill was for an injunction restraining all the parties from further prosecuting those actions or in any manner proceeding in the state courts to enforce those claims.
Solicitor General Hoyt and Mr. F. E. Hutchins for appellant.
No brief filed for appellees.
Statement by Mr. Justice Brewer:
It is conceded by counsel for the government that so much of the bill as alleges that by treaties with the Pottawatomie [176 U.S. 317, 320] Indians and the act admitting Kansas into the Union, the reservation was excluded from the state and from the jurisdiction of Kansas, is erroneous, and may be ignored.
Section 6 of the act of February 8, 1887 (24 Stat. at L. 390, chap. 119), contains this provision:
Upon these admissions and facts the case comes clearly within the provision of 720 of the Revised Statutes, to the effect that no writ of injunction shall be granted by a court of the United States to stay proceedings in any court of a state except in matters of bankruptcy. Peck v. Jenness, 7 How. 612, 625, 12 L. ed. 841, 846; Watson v. Jones, 13 Wall. 679, 719, 20 L. ed. 666, 672; Haines v. Carpenter, 91 U.S. 254, 257 , 23 S. L. ed. 345, 346. In this latter case, Mr. Justice Bradley, delivering the opinion of the court, said:
Without stopping to consider any other questions presented by counsel, this is sufficient to sustain the ruling of the Circuit Court, and the decree is affirmed.
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Six Degrees of Leverage: Part I
My little look at the implications of pricing-to-market a rate of return for long-term debt in “Milkmaid Investments” really shocked me.
It got me thinking about some bonds my financial advisor had me in and the very brief discussion we had about how they tend to price themselves as interest rates change. When I bought it I think the rate of return to maturity was around 6% and when I sold them it was around 4.5%. I actually paid little attention to investments at the time as I thought financial advisors were both competent and would advise you about relative risks of investments. It had about 10 years to maturity when I bought it and 6 years left when I sold it.
This was actually one of the better investments from my advisor because of the leverage of the interest rate and the bond pricing itself down to a lower rate of return. To make the example simple, say in 2012 it pays $10,000 at maturity. The easiest way to calculate the buy price at each year is to just divide by 1 plus the rate, as I have done for the table at both 6% and 4.5%.
| Year || 6% PV || 4.5% PV |
|2002 || 5,584 ||6,438 |
| 2003 ||5,919 ||6,729 |
| 2004 ||6,274 ||7,032 |
| 2005 ||6,651 ||7,348 |
| 2006 ||7,050 ||7,679 |
| 2007 ||7,473 || 8,025 |
| 2008 ||7,921 ||8,386 |
|2009 ||8,396 || 8,763 |
| 2010 ||8,900 || 9,157 |
| 2011 ||9,434 || 9,569 |
|2012 || 10,000 || 10,000 |
So, in 2002 with it paying 6% I’d have been able to buy the bond at $5,584 and in 2006 with it priced to 4.5% I’d have been able to sell it for $7,679. My return for the 4 years would have been about 37.5% or 8.3% annualized. My rate of return ended up being 38% higher than I expected (8.3/6 – 1), and for me, that was a leveraged advantage of that bond due to the number of years left on it and how the market priced itself down to lower rates of return.
It got me thinking, just how much leverage of debt has the banking system added with not only low interest rates, but also the packaging of mortgages and selling them as bonds? The M2 money supply has been increasing dramatically relative to the M1 money supply. To what degree can the activity of banks explain this?
First, a graph of M1 and M2 money supply (think I could find how to make the pictures show up, play it safe, try two ways...):
I am not sure about all of the calculations of the M1 money supply, but the Federal Reserve printing press working over time increases the money supply and then the banks have always taken that money supply and when they loan it out, it is leveraged. Traditionally the leverage was 12.5 to 1. Apparently the leverage is now 30 to 1 and that has implications of nightmares. The “OMG, what have done? How could they be so irresponsible and negligent?” questions are so long overdue, I personally don’t see how anyone can escape this nightmare without some serious hurting here.
Seriously, if knowing that the leverage has increased this much hasn’t raise enormous concerns in you, you are probably in big, big trouble with your investments.
I also did a graph of the ratio of M2 to M1:
Responsible monetary policy would show this graph as a horizontal line, not something heading into the stratosphere. Where the ratio was close to 2 fifty years ago it is now 5.4. Think of this as increased risk, because that is the implications of it. That’s 250% of increased risk. Think of those mortgage bonds causing the liquidity problems as part of that risk.
So, do I know where all this leverage is coming from? No, but the leverage from my little 10-year example is but one small example. I don’t think that example is particularly serious for the economy. The type of company was very stable and although uncertainty increases with increased time, a 10-year window isn’t too bad.
But, they’ve packaged these bonds with 30-year mortgages based on people’s personal lives. That is so much different than 10-years with ongoing businesses like utility companies. I'll look more at that next post.
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LANSING — State resource managers have recommended banning chocolate in bear bait as the sole change for the 2011 bear season, but they say
discussions soon will begin about the 2012 season.
The Michigan Bear Hunters Association and Upper Peninsula Bear Houndsmen Association, however, continue to express concerns about a statewide chocolate ban. Both groups plan to address that issue, as well as the state Department of Natural
Resources’ bear management goals, when the DNR officials meet with hunters this spring.
Adam Bump, the state bear program leader, said a bear cub that died from chocolate poisoning in 2010 led to the recommendation chocolate be banned as bear bait. The chocolate-induced death was confirmed by the state wildlife disease lab last fall, and is the only known case in the state to date, Bump said.
“We’re not proposing any changes to anything other than a ban on chocolate use in bait. Last year, we moved to a two-year cycle on (bear) quotas, so we’re not recommending any quota changes,” Bump said. “We’re trying to bring some consistency to the regulations.”
Bump said he is unsure if the Natural Resources Commission will approve the chocolate ban at its April 7 meeting.
“There are a lot of mixed feelings about (a chocolate ban) … so I don’t have a feeling on where it will go,” Bump said. “We have the one cub that died … but no other indication that it is having an impact on the population.
“People have used it for bait for a long time,” he said.
Phil Hewitt, president of the Michigan Bear Hunters Association, said his group believes more research is necessary before a complete, statewide ban is imposed. The MBHA will work this year to educate bear hunters about the toxicity of chocolate to all wildlife — especially the more potent baker’s and semi-sweet varieties, he said.
“There is no justification for putting something out that will kill bear,” Hewitt said. “But it’s not a chocolate doughnut that’s doing it … it’s the bitter sweet, it’s baker’s chocolate.”
U.P. Bear Houndsmen president Joe Hudson agreed, and said the chocolate issue as well as the DNR’s overall bear management strategy need to be reviewed when the department hosts public meetings for the 2012 season this spring. DNR officials plan to set the dates for those meetings soon, Bump said.
Currently, DNR officials use computer modeling and bear surveys in the northern Lower Peninsula to estimate bear populations and set trend goals for three eco-regions: the northern Lower Peninsula, the western Upper Peninsula and the eastern Upper Peninsula.
In the western Upper Peninsula, the trend goal is to maintain the estimated 4,500 bear population there. In the eastern U.P., the goal is to increase the population of roughly 4,700 bears by 2 percent per year, and DNR officials are working to reduce the approximately 1,500 bears in the northern Lower Peninsula by 2 percent per year.
The DNR estimates there are about 10,775 bears statewide, minus cubs, Bump said.
Hudson, a veteran bear hunter from the western U.P., said bear numbers have dropped off in recent years, and he’s concerned that the DNR’s computer model isn’t accurate. Hudson and Hewitt said they would like to see fewer permits issued next year, with the goal of increasing bear populations across the U.P. and maintaining the numbers in the northern Lower Peninsula.
Bump contends the DNR’s computer model is working well.
“We just finished (estimates) in the Lower Peninsula, and it’s tracking very well with the model,” he said.
E-mail the author of this story: email@example.com
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The State Department and USAID are in the midst of conducting an unprecedented Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR), which is intended to bolster the civilian capabilities of U.S. statecraft. It is taking place in the context of calls by Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mike Mullen to enhance our civilian capabilities in order to avoid the "militarization" of U.S. foreign policy. This, of course, is a positive step forward.
But I'm worried. I'm worried because instead of focusing on national strategy and the country's civilian mission, the QDDR has addressed the problem somewhere in the middle, focusing on how to build State/USAID capabilities so that they fit with a "whole of government" approach to U.S. foreign policy.
Any 'whole of government' effort at interagency cooperation needs to be based on the reality that the missions of the civilian agencies are not the same as the missions of the military."
"Whole of government" is an attractive bumper sticker. But it seems as though State isn't asking fundamental questions about strategy and mission: What is the "whole of government" supposed to be doing, and what is the civilian mission in that mix? Without answering these questions, "whole of government" runs the risk of meaning, "Let's fix the problems we had in Iraq and Afghanistan."
In other words, a QDDR centered on this mission is likely to focus on programs that solve the Pentagon's problems in places such as Afghanistan and Iraq (e.g., training foreign militaries, police, and security forces), instead of focusing on the civilian mission of supporting good governance, poverty reduction, and stronger international partnerships. Indeed, an early draft of the Pentagon's Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) was explicit about such a focus: "Years of war have proven how important it is for America's civilian agencies to possess the resources and authorities needed to operate alongside the U.S. Armed Forces during complex contingencies at home and abroad."
But the problem extends beyond program focus. It also is a problem of defining the State/USAID mission and providing both agencies with the capability to perform their missions. The first place to start: Give State/USAID missions of their own, rather than missions set out by the Defense Department. Only then can the QDDR create a capability that puts the civilian agencies on par with Defense at the policy-making table, allowing them to help the president set and implement the country's foreign policy and national security agenda.
At the moment, Defense is defining that agenda, which is understandable. Defense and the military are the most focused planning, strategic, and operational institutions in the U.S. government. So they are taking the lessons of 9/11, the conflict in Afghanistan, and the Iraq War and applying them to the rest of the globe. Consequently, as the forthcoming QDR will make clear, Defense is reconstructing the military to focus on counterinsurgency, counterterrorism, and stability operations and on how to build State/USAID capacity to help them do so.
This kind of "nation-building" has a very specific, combat-driven meaning to Defense and the military: stabilizing and reconstructing the countries that the United States has invaded (such as Iraq and Afghanistan) and training their security forces and anyone else in the country that might help us confront terrorist organizations. Where they've needed help is in winning civilian hearts and minds through short-term economic and governance projects--a task they want State and USAID to take on.
Without a clear civilian mission defined in the QDDR, this is exactly what State and USAID could end up doing, with the capabilities necessary to establish good civilian governance, long-term development, and global partnerships getting secondary priority.
Obviously, it would be foolish to ignore global realities. Terrorist organizations do want to harm the United States, and weak, fragile, and failing states could provide them with safe harbor, presenting a major problem for international security. But there is a real downside to torquing the QDDR to fit Defense's mission.
While it's true that Defense has a lot of people, money, and logistical capabilities--not to mention a global reach--policies and programs for governance, reconstruction, and development aren't its core strengths, as the lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan demonstrate. There, the military effort to strengthen governance and economic recovery was--and is--focused on the short-term. Not surprisingly, the results have been uneven and unsustainable. They might meet the near-term "hearts and minds" needs of counterinsurgency (though the jury is still out), but the programs aren't designed with Iraqi and Afghani governance and development needs in mind.
There are also serious near-term downsides to a mission that ties the civilian capability to the Defense mission. First, because the focus is on short-term results, we could become intertwined in the internal affairs of countries where stability is an issue, but the conditions for success are minimal. I'm thinking here of Somalia. Second, even with a civilian attachment, U.S. engagement presents a military face. Therefore, "host" countries such as Yemen wonder whether Washington is truly investing in its long-term needs or simply intervening to protect U.S. interests. Finally, after decades of teaching foreign militaries that their proper role is to stay in their barracks and to eschew any involvement in politics and business, we now seem to be saying that the military is the most effective institution for governance and economic growth.
So what might the appropriate civilian mission be? How about some version of the following: "Advance freedom for the benefit of the American people and the international community by helping to build and sustain a more democratic, secure, and prosperous world composed of well-governed states that respond to the needs of their people, reduce widespread poverty, and act responsibly within the international system."
Who said such a thing? Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in 2005. Not a bad mission statement, it gets to the heart of the role civilian institutions can play in the twenty-first century, rather than focusing on how these institutions can help the military. In fact, by placing an emphasis on governance, development, and international responsibility, such a mission has the potential to provide a true "whole of government" chapeau to U.S. foreign policy, allowing the White House to assign the military its proper role in achieving more specific national security aims.
Additionally, it can provide guidance as to how to integrate diplomatic efforts to ensure a more "responsible" international system, with foreign-assistance programs that will help build stronger and more effective governance in weak states, stimulate economic development, and reduce poverty. All it really needs is some language about the goal of preventing and resolving conflict.
Of course, the previous administration's policies were totally inconsistent with Rice's statement. Three examples: It decided to invade Iraq; it made terrorism the centerpiece of U.S. statecraft; and it weakened the international nonproliferation regime, among others. And rather than strengthen the civilian institutions, the Bush administration greatly expanded the Pentagon's role in carrying out the U.S. nation-building and counterterrorism agenda. Sadly, State conceded this institutional leadership to Defense and did little to build the capabilities that could carry out the civilian strategic mission they defined.
The QDDR could pick up this task. And if support for effective governance, economic growth, conflict prevention and resolution, and international partnership were at the heart of the review, it could lead to very different capabilities, personnel, budgets, and programs for State and USAID.
Practically speaking, I envision one element of such a scenario working like so: Governance would be the centerpiece of State/USAID. As such, there would be a major investment in State and USAID so that they could provide assistance for the rule of law, the reduction of corruption, administrative and political processes, and civil society. A much smaller U.S. civilian capability would exist to work alongside deployed U.S. military forces, but the goal would be to make such deployments unnecessary. (And Iraq and Afghanistan aren't the prototypes; both were U.S.-led invasions with regime change in mind.) For instance, such a mission focus could lead to sending civilians into many African countries with stronger governance in mind, and a small number of military personnel for security force training, under State policy guidance.
The responsibility for these programs and activities could be given to a reformed and strengthened USAID, an important way to rebuild that shrunken agency. Overall planning and policy would be handled jointly between USAID and State. When contingency planning for short-term deployments in conflict resolution and prevention is involved, analysis could be shared, and the deployments could be made without Defense participation. As a result, State/USAID personnel training would need to change so that future foreign service officers can build such knowledge into their career expectations and be rewarded for such experience.
The bottom line is that any "whole of government" effort at interagency cooperation needs to be based on the reality that the missions of the civilian agencies are not the same as the missions of the military. With that in mind, what we really need is a healthy debate about strategy and mission, with a civilian set of missions clearly defined. It's a mission that State and USAID need to shape before they can bring the case to the interagency discussion.
The QDDR can be central to defining this mission, creating recommendations for capabilities (personnel, budgets, authorities, and programs) that are different from one that focuses on shaping civilian capabilities in the framework of Defense missions. Otherwise, a credible, effective, strengthened, and focused civilian foreign policy establishment won't emerge from the process--to the detriment of the country's security.
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There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.
You are hereHome › Giving / Get Involved ›
Giving / Get Involved
Cascade Heights is committed to a focus on relationships. While we all know that running a school takes money (and quite a bit of it), we also know that people are more important and children are at the center of our "people" here. And at the center of all we do for children is our mission "to inspire the social, emotional, academic, physical, personal and ethical growth of children, to partner with parents who share the same mission and to prepare children to be a part of the global society in which they live."
We all have strengths and passions. We hope that people who volunteer with us are doing so within their passion. A retired librarian works happily in our library, a mom passionate about nutritious food works in our kitchen, a grandfather with a talent and passion for building makes our art tables and computer lab tables and a stay at home mom can help with projects that can be done at home. Last year, volunteers logged over 17,000 hours with services we would not have been able to pay for and would have gone undone. Time is a valuable commodity and we never take it for granted. Time is money, but there are some things that simply must be paid for. One SMART board costs $3,750. Janitorial service is $2,000 per month. Utilities are $33,000 per year. Teacher salaries make up the bulk of our budget and we run the entire school on less than one million dollars a year. We have grown in space and have opportunities we could never have dreamed of.
Many people love to give time and money. Many can only do one or the other. To us, living our mission means finding a way to partner with every family and to choose to raise funds in a way that is consistent with our mission. We don't sell cookie dough because it is does not support the physical or emotional growth of children. We do a jog-a-thon because it does. We sell SCRIP because it is a way to make money without families spending more than they normally would anyway. And our Education Takes Flight spring breakfast is a way to thank people and ask for their support at the same time. We hope you will find a way to join us in living our mission at Cascade Heights and celebrate with us when we see children soar.
CASCADE HEIGHTS GENEROUS PARTNERS
When we found out we were really moving for sure, Brian Prisel and Belfor offered two moving crews and two trucks. They moved our entire school in three days and we simply would not have been ready for school this year without them.
The bank has supported our Art program and supported us with volunteers.
Mocha Monday cash back to CHPCS
Mountain View Coffee House
Mountain View gives 20% back to Cascade Heights on purchases of drinks on Mondays only . Frappucinos (milkshakes), fruit smoothies, jet tea smoothies, all espresso drinks, hot chocolate, cider, all teas, Italian sodas, chai tea drinks and coffee.
Education Takes Flight 2011 Sponsors
- Sonitrol Security
- Pacific Office Automations
- Schroedl Family Foundation
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TO VIEW COMP, VISIT UNIVERSAL SPORTS.
LIBEREC, Czech Republic—The mood among the women ski jumpers was mixed between excitement and pressure. Here they had to prove that women’s ski jumping belonged among the most revered competitions in skiing—the World Championships. Not only that, but that they belong to one of the most traditional winter sports of the ages—nordic ski jumping. The days leading up to the main event were strained with poor weather conditions, and the added element of a notorious hill known to be low-flying and laden with tailwind, both contributing to difficult “flying” conditions. If the women could prove they belonged here, then they could belong anywhere, particularly in the Winter Olympic Games, they claimed.
But then the officials, as predicted by the athletes, played it safer than exciting and lowered the start bar on the day of the competition, and thus, lowered the amount of speed for the women. In this technical sport, less about power than form, women only need more speed to compete alongside the men. “They don’t want us to jump farther than the men,” says U.S. Ski Teamer Jessica Jerome in frustration.
And in the beginning round that Friday morning, it looked as though they would lose the fight as many of the women began jumping short in the fog, tailwind, and snowy conditions. Until American Lindsey Van, with pure guts, let loose the longest jump of the day—a 97.5 meter leap out of nowhere. With fogged lenses, she could only see her ski tops. Going 88 kmh, she was committed. “I couldn’t see past my ski tips, so when I felt the pressure of the inrun, I knew I had to jump and go on feel,” she says. Currently ranked No. 2 in the world, she proved that when adversity strikes, a true athlete could find the Zen of mental capability and go on instinct. Within a few seconds, she found the strength and willed herself to jump and jump far.
When she landed, the crowd was both stunned and amazed. Van leapt in the air waving her arms. She knew this was a podium jump, but two of her top competitors were still left to go. No. 1 ranked Norway’s Anette Sagen, and Van’s best friend but rivaled enemy, jumped solid but short of Van’s benchmark. Then Germany’s Ulrike Graessler did the same. The American had the win—an American. In a sport most known in Europe, for an American to win it was a historic feat for the first women’s World Championship bid.
“I’m so happy for you,” Sagen tells Van after the jump. She is the most famous female athlete in Norway, but she knew Van, an 18-year veteran of the sport and pioneer in many respects, deserved the win. The women deserved to have an advocate of the sport like Van to win. She is a plaintiff in the lawsuit against the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee—so is Sagen and Graessler for that matter—to take legal action to prove that women’s ski jumping be included in the 2010 Games. Proving themselves on the hill has only gone so far, even now it’s hard to say what VANOC or the International Olympic Committee will say.
“I don’t think we are too few or too few nations,” Sagen says. “We need to get the sport moving forward. We have to start somewhere and we are starting here today with the world championships. Despite the difficult conditions we did very well—all of us.”
In that moment, there was hope that this sport is at the level and has the athletes determined to make it grow. Van, is now the only American ski jumper (male or female) to win a World Championships gold medal. If that doesn’t tell the world this sport is ready, then what will?
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At the auction for Nortel Networks’ wireless patents this week, Google’s bids were mystifying, such as $1,902,160,540 and $2,614,972,128.
Math whizzes might recognize these numbers as Brun’s constant and Meissel-Mertens constant, but it puzzled many of the people involved in the auction, according to three people with direct knowledge of the situation on Friday.
“Google was bidding with numbers that were not even numbers,” one of the sources said.
“It became clear that they were bidding with the distance between the earth and the sun. One was the sum of a famous mathematical constant, and then when it got to $3 billion, they bid pi,” the source said, adding the bid was $3.14159 billion.
“Either they were supremely confident or they were bored.”
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The WindSmith Academy, is a wind energy / wind turbine educational facility of the American Wind Power Center located in Lubbock, Texas. WindSmith Academy's Spring 2012 class is full. The dates for additional classes have not yet been set.
This comprehensive two day school will cover the basic tenets of wind power generation and give students the opportunity to climb the Center's 50 meter Vestas wind turbine tower.
Completion of these courses will provide a learning experience for those interested in continuing their education in more formal wind power classes at area universities or colleges.
After this school, anyone interested in working in the wind fields will have the experience to determine if this exciting field of employment is best for them. Others who need or just want to learn about this new field of energy can learn how wind turbines work, what land areas are best for their use and what wind is needed to make wind turbines perform best.
View comments from previous students.
Other topics of interest covered in the school include the history and transition of wind turbines, wind turbine erection, electrical transmission and how utilities interface with wind farms.
The Wind Smith Academy is sponsored in part by: Xcel Energy
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|Purple Death |
The Mysterious Flu of 1918.
Getz. This is the story of the flu that, after breaking out in a Midwest army training camp in the spring of 1918, spread across the country like wildfire. Here, you'll learn about the onset, progress and effects of the worst epidemic in this country's history - a flu that killed more than half a million people in a matter of months. 96 pages, illustrated, 5¾"x 7¾", hardcover.
|Aberdeen Proving Ground|
Images of America
Bates & Doesburg. This photo-history takes you inside the gates of the U.S. Army base known today as Aberdeen Proving Ground (edged by Chesapeake Bay and the Bush and Gunpowder Rivers in Maryland), which has been home to ordnance, chemical, technology and artillery commands, to see daily life on the base, including views of the "Tonnerville" Trolley. 128 pages; 210 &W photographs, many previously unpublished; 6½"x 9¼"; softcover.
We need to make room on our shelves for all of the hot new products that are coming out, so we're offering you savings of up ... This stunning coffee table book, Where Valor Rests, features more than 200 unforgettable photographs of Arlington Nati... Babes in Arms is a new line of military-themed female figures, and you can get them here at Military Issue.
... We have added Thomas Gunn products to our offerings of 1/30 scale military miniatures, so be sure to check them out. Based ou... We're excited to introduce this new line of premium quality, 1/72 scale, die cast armor models! Created by German manufacture...
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It is at the same time the island port. Despite of the fact that it suffered significant damage after the 1953 earthquakes, it preserves many of the magnificent elements of the past.
What to see in Zante:
The Solomos Square surrounded by buildings with characteristic traditional architectural features of the island, arch-shaped windows and arcades. The bust of D. Solomos national poet of Greece dominates in the centre. Here you can also find the Public Library (with 55.000 volumes), the Post-Byzantine Museum of Zante exhibiting treasures such as statues trimmed with gold, icons and art woodcuts.
The Post- Byzantine Museum of Zante in Solomos square, exhibits treasures such as statues trimmed with gold, icons and art woodcuts.
The coastal road known as Strata Marina (K. Lomvardou street), which is one of the most frequented part of the city, with cafes, bars and restaurants, from the Solomos Square up to the church of the patron-saint Aghios Dionysios.
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January 30, 2013
Israeli fighter jets targeted a military research center near Damascus early on Wednesday morning, the Syrian army said. The statement follows earlier reports of an Israeli airstrike on a convoy with Syrian weapons heading to Lebanon.
The Syrian army’s general command has issued a statement, saying an airstrike was launched by the IAF targeting a military research center in Jamraya, rural Damascus.
“Israeli fighter jets violated our air space at dawn today and carried out a direct strike on a scientific research center in charge of raising our level of resistance and self-defense,” the army statement said as cited by SANA.
The strike caused material damage to the center and a nearby building, killing two workers and wounding five others, the statement added. The Israeli warplanes were flying low under the radars and “snuck in from the north of Al-Sheikh Mountain” according to the report. It called the strike a “blatant act of aggression” against Syria and accused Israel of supporting terrorist activity in the country.
Earlier there were reports in the media of an attack by Israeli jets on Wednesday morning striking a target on the Syrian-Lebanese border amid repeated violations of Lebanese airspace. A US government official has confirmed reports that Israeli warplanes targeted a convoy headed from Syria to Lebanon, the Associated Press says.
The Syrian military however has denied this, saying there was no Israeli strike on a convoy of trucks on its border.
However, it was “possible” that the convoy was near the large military site when it came under attack, diplomatic sources told Reuters.
Although it has not yet been confirmed whether an airstrike indeed targeted a military site near Damascus, experts believe that after months of constant rebel attacks on Syrian air defense systems an airstrike would make sense.
“It finally makes sense because the rebels or as they like to call themselves the revolutionaries, they have been attacking air defense bases near Damascus for the past seven months,” Dr Ali Mohamad, editor in chief of the Syria Tribune news website told RT. “They’ve managed to attack the S-200 base and over four SM-2 and SM-3 bases. Now this followed by an airstrike from Israel. So it all adds up, it makes sense. It only shows that Israel has a great interest in the instability in Syria and that it is being helped by groups of armed rebels in Syria.”
Chemical weapons false flag?
Israel had reportedly been planning for several days the airstrike to hit a shipment of sophisticated weaponry – allegedly including chemical weapons and Russian-made anti-aircraft missiles – bound for Hezbollah in Lebanon.
“This episode boils down to a warning by Israel to Syria and Hezbollah not to engage in the transfer of sensitive weapons,” a regional security source told Reuters.
So far none of the officials in Israel or other concerned parties have pinpointed the exact location and target of the airstrike. The anonymous diplomatic sources however have told Reuters that chemical weapons were believed to be stored at the Jamraya research center, although the vehicles in convoy were unlikely to be carrying them.
Israeli officials have said repeatedly they fear Assad losing his grip on his chemical weapons stockpile. But Dr. Ali Mohamad believes the chemical weapons danger was just a pretext to destroy Syria’s military research centers to ensure that Damascus can’t produce arms for its military or to ship to its allies in the region.
“Military research centers are responsible for developing weapons in particular land-to-land long range missiles,” he explained. “And what Israel wants is to stop this research and stop this process. And of course Israel will claim that this is connected to a chemical weapons arsenal, but this is of course not true because nobody stores chemical weapons in a research center.”
Everybody who lives in Syria knows “that this is not at all about chemical weapons,” Mohamad said.
“Let’s remember that the Syrian official who was responsible for all military research projects has been assassinated in Damascus by the rebels,” he explained. “Let’s also remember that the person who orchestrated the Syrian long-range missile project colonel Dawoud Rajiha was also assassinated in Damascus. This is about stopping the Syrian scientific military research projects and is about breaking the link that will help [Israel] overcome the Lebanese resistance and the Palestinian resistance.”
Editor of the Pan-African news wire, Abayomi Azikiwe, told RT that the air raid on Syria could have been intended to distract international attention from the atrocities carried out by some of the rebel groups on the ground.
“The rebels have been involved in tremendous human right violations inside the country,” he said. “We saw what happened just yesterday with the finding of some 80 people who’ve been massacred, with handcuffs behind their backs shot in the head. And of course these actions carried out by the US-backed rebels inside of Syria are tremendously damaging to their image internationally. So in order to deflect attention away from these developments Israel has launched an air raid, alleging that Syria is transporting weapons to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.”
Another reason for “opening another front” in Syria was to put further pressure on the government of Bashar al-Assad.
“Part of that strategy of course has been the deployment of Patriot missiles in Turkey,” he said. “And with the airstrikes that took place today this is designed to create a sense of encirclement with regard to the Syrian government.”
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“Now that's what I call great service!” If you're like most people, it's been a long time since those words passed through your lips on your way out the door of a business.
Does customer service really make a difference in today's fast-paced environment? You'd better believe it does! In fact, you may be surprised to know that Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates states in his recent book, Business @ the Speed of Light: Succeeding in the Digital Economy, that nothing is more important to any organization than good old customer service. If it's that important to a “hands off” company like his, shouldn't it be considerably more important to health club staffers who work one-on-one with people to help change their lives?
Who is your customer anyway? Members immediately come to mind, of course. But what about Suppliers? Coworkers? Your staff?
The simple act of identifying the customer is a good start on the road to providing great customer service. And, just as physical posturing has a tremendous impact on the effective movement of the body, your “mental posturing” has an incredible effect on how you work with those around you.
Too often, we just go with our natural, reflexive response to those around us. Instead, we should try thinking about the impression we're leaving and the example we're setting.
Simply stated, customers want two things: good feelings and solutions to problems. Knowledge of technique and industry research goes a long way, but if your staff lacks “bedside manner” in working with different people, their overall effectiveness in meeting the customers' needs will be greatly limited.
Jeffrey Gitomer lays it on the table in the title of his exceptional book, Customer Service Is Worthless, Customer Loyalty Is Priceless. For so long, we've been attempting to “satisfy” customers. But what we've failed to realize is that simple “satisfaction” doesn't cut it. A “satisfied” customer walks out the door saying, “Well, that was okay; nothing went particularly wrong.” But a loyal customer is “wowed” and proceeds to tell everyone he or she meets about the virtues of your organization. Will a loyal customer bring other members into your facility? You bet! By comparison, the “satisfied” customer is unlikely to mention you to anyone, and may continue his membership only if you're the most convenient option.
The results you can gain by addressing a problem effectively are incredible. According to statistics, fully 70 percent of initially dissatisfied customers will work with that staff person again if they solve the problem. Ninety-five percent will work with him or her again if solved on the spot. If they remain dissatisfied when they complete their business, however, the chances are they won't come back.
Brad Cooper, MBA, MSPT, MTC, ATC speaks nationally on the topics of “Organizational TLC” (Teamwork, Leadership and Customer Focus) and can be reached at (720) 981-9425 or at Results@wowspeak.com. He also has a Web site at www.wowspeak.com.
Almost everyday you or your staff may face clients who are less congenial than the average customer. When you do, keep these “Ten Commandments” in mind:
Don't be defensive.
Don't interrupt, even if you've heard it all “a million times” from other clients.
Don't ever say, “I know how you feel.” You don't.
Do address the client's emotional needs first.
Do stand up when the client approaches you.
Do try to make the client feel more comfortable by emulating him in subtle ways.
Do ask for permission to ask pertinent questions.
Do document all the information for follow-up.
Do repeat some of the information back as you're taking notes.
Do try to take at least some action immediately.
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Since the 1970s, Lambda Legal has made history through winning legal victories that allowed LGBT people and people with HIV to live their lives with greater dignity, safety and equality under the law.
The cases below offer a broad overview of legal matters Lambda Legal has pursued on behalf of LGBT people and people living with HIV during the most recent decades of our nearly 40-year history.
Lawsuit brought by an antigay legal group attempting to strip away the City of Cleveland's newly enacted domestic partnership registry for same-sex couples and their families.
Amicus brief in support of University of California Hastings Law School policy requiring publicly funded student groups to accept "all comers."
Amicus brief in support of challenge to Arkansas' Act 1, which prohibits unmarried individuals living with a sexual partner from adopting or fostering children.
Groundbreaking case arguing for the right of students to form a gay-straight alliance and to become a recognized student club
(Amicus) Case seeking the right for same-sex couples to marry in Maryland
Case challenging the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy
Maverick Couch is a high school junior threatened with suspension if he wore a T-shirt bearing the message “Jesus Is Not a Homophobe.”
Employment discrimination case under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in which court did not reach issue of whether person with HIV was disabled.
Case representing same-sex couples in Illinois seeking the freedom to marry.
Case seeking disability benefits for the children of a same-sex couple
Case on behalf of a nonbiological mother seeking custody and visitation rights with and to provide financial support to the child she has parented with her former same-sex partner.
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n. It seemed so impossible that they should be independent of each other. He would not be himself without Nina! and the flow of his affection, like the back-water of a mill-stream, returned only the stronger for its momentary interruption. After all, Nina was everything, Nina was the first consideration. Something must be done at once. As soon as she could bear it, that ceremony must be gone through which should have been performed long ago. He was young, he was impatient, he would fain be at work without delay; so he turned to his writing-table, and began opening certain letters that had already followed him into France, but that he had laid aside without examination, in the excitement of the last few hours.
They were not calculated to afford him much distraction. A circular from a coal company, a couple of invitations to dinner, a tailor's bill, and a manifesto from the firm, calling attention to the powers of endurance with which their little account had "made running" for a considerable period, whi
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Change Agents Around the Globe
A few amazing organizations profiled recently through the Change Agent blog on the People Making a Difference page on CSMonitor.com:
Explore.org - A recently produced a documentary about building a Rwanda genocide memorial was the topic of this post and features the work of Explore.org. Exlpore.org, a part of the Annenberg Foundation, is a multimedia organization that documents leading philanthropists around the globe.
Maternova - Featured this week on the blog, Maternova helps forward birthing practices worldwide by providing vital obstetrics tools and information to midwives and maternity hospitals around the globe.
Verite - Focused on fair labor, worldwide, Verite was the focus of this post, which described the organization’s Help Wanted program. The program helps to engage disparate groups involved in a supply chain to help put an end to exploitative or forced labor practices.
Nourishing the Planet - Part of the Worldwatch Institute, Nourishing the Planet is a project that focuses on farming and food production practices across the globe. This post on CSMonitor.com was shared from NTP’s own blog.
We are always looking for inspiration from those doing good around the world. If you know someone or an organization making a difference, let us know!
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But did you know you can get some of the government's green for exactly nothing, nada or zilch?
You just have to apply, cross your fingers and hope you qualify, then spend it and never worry about paying it back.
"There is free government money out there to be had," FTC Regional Administrator Len Gordon admits.
But there is one catch. You can't spend it on high-priced call girls like famous politicians or athletes.
If you are lucky enough to get a government grant, you'd likely have to spend it on school (yuck) or open a business (scary).
"If you're interested in education grants, go to the Department of Education Web site," Gordon said. "There's also a Web site called grants.gov that has an awful lot of information about government grants and other programs that can get you some money."
And where there's money, there are opportunist scumbags just waiting to get some of your unearned cash, so Gordon offers some valuable advice.
"One of the things you'll see the scammers try to do is follow the news, so I would expect you'll see 'You've qualified for new stimulus benefits' e-mails and Internet ads," he said. "Resist those, especially if they're asking you to pay a fee up-front, divulging your checking account information or your credit-card information. What you shouldn't do is pay somebody to get your free government money because if you're paying somebody, it's no longer free."
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Got flooded last year with Irene....we just finished renovation around August of this year !
The sewar system could not catch up - so it just all started coming out from the lowest part of the house.
Got a checkvalve installed. In hindsight, I should have also have had a ballvalve installed Right Behind it.
Fast forward to upcoming Sandy.
The premise of the checkvalve is that as water leaves my premise, it pushes the flap open....and let's whatever go past the door.
To be thoroughly protected, am I NOT SUPPOSED to use any *water-sewar* in order to prevent any water from coming in, should there be backflow of water in the sewer pipe.
OR, let's just say the kids flush the toilet and there is backflow of water pressure against the door trap.
Will the door just not open due to the greater pressure against it - In Essence, keeping me protected *aside from the buildup* behind the door.
Or is it plausiable that if it's not that much pressure, there may be a chance the door will open, and then *remain open* due to water pressure.
I have not thought out all the options as I'm busy buttoning up the house.
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http://www.terrylove.com/forums/showthread.php?48942-On-Pins-and-Needles-Checkvalve-Operations-Hurricane-Sandy&mode=hybrid
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- About Us
- Our Work
- Work With MSF
- Public Events
- Press Room
January 3, 2012
This article is part of the Winter 2011 issue of the MSF Alert newsletter.
Early last year, just hours after a huge earthquake hit Haiti, Mary Jo Frawley was on her way to the airport. A nurse, Mary Jo is a veteran of MSF missions in Somalia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Pakistan, and elsewhere. After hearing the news out of Haiti, she called our offices to say she was ready to go. She thought she’d be in country for four weeks, but over time she grew more and more invested in the community in which she was working and wound up staying for 14 months.
In this year end issue of Alert, we share Mary Jo’s remembrances about her time in Haiti, because her experience and her dedication are characteristic of so many of the people who help us deliver lifesaving medical care in more than 60 countries around the world. Through November of this year, the US office had sent aid workers off on 379 assignments in 2011. Each of them has our gratitude and admiration.
Additionally, our Pictures of the Year highlight contexts that figured prominently in MSF’s work and advocacy in 2011, proving, once again, that any “snapshot” of our efforts requires many frames due to the variety of locations and situations in which they take place.
Before any project begins, however, we have to ask questions about how we can and will apply humanitarian principles on the ground in chaotic and often violent realities—particularly when negotiating with governments or factions with conflicting interests. Our goal is to reach a compromise that allows us to deliver medical care, but how far do we go? How do we maintain independence when seeking access from belligerents or authoritarian regimes that want to limit our movements or keep us silent about what we see? And to what extent should we be willing to sacrifice these principles in order to treat people in need?
MSF veterans examine how these issues have played out in places such as Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Gaza, Afghanistan, and elsewhere in Humanitarian Negotiations Revealed, a book that will be released in the US in January and that speaks to our commitment to transparency and openness about our operations.
On behalf of MSF-USA, I’d like to thank all our field workers for their commitment and professionalism in 2011—Mary Jo is back in the field, working on a measles vaccination project in Democratic Republic of Congo—and I would like to thank all of you for your generosity and support. We look forward to continuing along this road with you in 2012.
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Last year, I completed a mystery quilt with my Michigan Quilt Network Region 3 group. The block was revealed as Godey's Lady Book block. Did you finish all your Mystery Blocks? How about putting them together? If you are still waiting to set together your blocks, here’s the layout that I planned.
My layout is set on the diagonal, so let’s begin by cutting out side setting and corner setting triangles. I used the instructions in Quilts! Quilts!! Quilts!!! The Complete Guile to Quiltmaking by Diana McClun and Laura Nownes, to determine the size and number of triangles needed. The dark fabric number one works well to contrast with the warm colors in the quilt. You will need 1-1/8 yard of fabric for the larger quilt and 1 yard of fabric for the smaller quilt. I used a black muslin, since I have been using up fabric stash and did not have an adequate amount left over.
Lay your blocks out onto a flat surface or design wall. For the Crib/Lap size quilt, you will have eight blocks and will place them in four diagonal rows, one block in rows one and four, and three blocks in rows two and three. You will need six side setting and four corner setting triangles to complete the quilt top.
Here you can see how the smaller quilt will look. The larger quilt has eighteen blocks and requires two additional diagonal rows with five blocks in the center two rows. The larger quilt requires ten side setting and four corner setting triangles to complete the quilt.
To make the side setting triangles, measure a block on the diagonal. Add two inches to this measurement. I rounded my number up to the nearest whole number, to avoid working with fractions. Cut 3 (2) squares to this size. Cut the squares across the diagonal in both directions, making four triangles. Because each square makes four side setting triangles, you will have extra triangles leftover. Don't fret about this, just put them into your scrap stash. Lay the side setting triangles along the edge of the quilt, placing the bias edge against the block and the straight or cross grain edge of the triangle as the outside edge of the quilt center.
To make the corner setting triangles, use the finished block size and add 1-1/2 inches. Cut 2 (2) squares to this size. Cut the squares across the diagonal in just one direction, to make two half square triangles. Lay these triangles at each of the corners of the quilt. Now, you are ready to begin putting your quilt together.
Sew the blocks together in diagonal rows with the side setting triangles at either end of the row. Row one has one block with a side setting triangle on either side.
Make Row 2 by stitching together three blocks and adding side setting triangles to either end of the row. You will notice that the triangles are turned in opposite directions. I like to keep the quilt laid out, and pick up each section as I sew. Then, I do not accidentally lay the pieces together incorrectly.
The smaller quilt will have only three blocks in Row 3, while the larger quilt will have five blocks. Here, you can see the first three rows laid out prior to stitching. To complete the smaller quilt, prepare the last row with one block and two side setting triangles, just as you did Row 1. For the larger quilt, you will repeat the first three rows, but in the opposite direction. Row 4 has five blocks, Row 5 has three blocks, and Row 6 has one block.
Press all seams away from the blocks. Stitch all the rows together. Then, add the corner setting triangles, centering them on the block. To center the corner triangle, fold the triangles across the longest side and finger press the center. Line up this pressed mark with the center seam of the block. Be sure the that triangle points extend beyond the block edge by at least a quarter inch.
The quilt is partially put together in this photo. Since my side setting triangles were cut larger than needed, there is extra fabric beyond the corners of the blocks. Square up your quilt, cutting away this extra fabric, to the quarter inch width needed for seams, when attaching borders.
Borders and finishing of the quilt will be the last installment of this mystery quilt.
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By Alexander Kramer
Despite being mercilessly picked on by car enthusiasts and members of the automotive press, the Toyota Prius has been an unqualified success. The best-selling Prius has become synonymous with hybrid cars and perhaps even Toyota itself.
Having been on the market for over 10 years now, Toyota has decided to double-down on this success by introducing a new family of Prius based cars, including the larger Prius V, the smaller Prius C, and a Plug-in version of the existing 3rd generation Prius. We were recently invited to drive these new models (except for the Prius C, which is still in concept form) at a Media Preview for the GreenDriveExpo, held in Richmond, CA.
As we’ve already commented on the new Prius V wagon, we’ll focus here on the new Prius Plug-in, which has garnered a lot of buzz from the Prius faithful. Toyota has spent the past year doing extensive testing on the Prius Plug-in, even putting several hundred test cars out onto the road to see how the plug-in technology fares in real world driving. Based on feedback from these test cars, the Prius Plug-in was further refined and will be available to the public in Spring 2012.
What does a Prius Plug-in give you over the regular model? To sum it up in one sentence, you have the ability to drive on electric power alone for up to 15 miles, which turns the Prius into a short-range EV, or electric vehicle. Although this might not seem like much, Toyota figures that for many people this will be enough for all or most of their commute to work.
The benefit of such a short EV distance is short charging time: 3 hours on a 110v outlet and only 1.5 hours on 220v. So, if you happen to have a charging station at your work, you could easily charge it up while at the office, effectively doubling the range to a 30 mile round-trip commute, which should cover most car commuters.
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Let's talk about this article - what are your experiences from the time you'd worked at MS and Google?
Email and meetings are tools for information exchange. Like most tools, they can be applied well or misapplied. A SubZero refrigerator is one of the best in the world, but if the door is left open, it won't do a very good job of keeping its contents cold.
Email applied well carries valuable information, increases the perceived value of the originator, and in the case of multiple recipients, the shared information adds to the feeling of a team.
Email misapplied carries little valuable information, wastes time of the recipients, and degrades the perceived value of the originator.
Meetings, as a venue for real-time information exchange, can also be well-managed or misapplied.
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TrendingParis Air Show 2013 | Housing market | Keystone | Stephen Poloz | Apple | Extreme Saving | Wireless contracts | E3 2013 | Gold | Telus, Mobilicity deal | Xbox One | REITs | Telus-Mobilicity | CMHC | BlackBerry | Earnings | Loblaw's Joe Fresh | BCE-Astral hearings | Poll: Do you like the new $5 and $10 bills? | Air Canada | RBC | Samsung Galaxy S4 | Target Canada
By Nina Chestney and Martin Roberts
LONDON/MADRID — Europe’s wave and tidal power technology is likely to disappoint EU expectations for 2020 and take over a decade to contribute to energy supply in a significant way, even though it is chalking up rapid growth and drawing in big industrial investors.
The nascent industry has attracted a flurry of investor activity over the past year, securing an estimated few hundred million euros from companies such as Siemens and Vattenfall.
It is making fast progress from prototype devices toward full-scale sea trials and promises to be more reliable than many types of renewable power that depend on the weather.
But those numbers are far less than European Union expectations for 8.5 billion euros ($11.3 billion) of investment and generation capacity of 3.6 gigawatts installed by 2020.
The technology, like other renewables, needs government financing help to reach commercial scale and then subsidies after that as it grows to more cost efficient.
Its timing as a latecomer behind more established renewables such as solar and wind is unfortunate. Government financing is hard to come by while the euro zone faces a sovereign debt crisis and governments are cutting spending, including on renewable energy.
Furthermore, its development costs are still far higher than for other renewables, including offshore wind power.
“Any talk of gigawatts by 2020 is optimistic. We are more on course for hundreds of megawatts,” said Charlie Blair, technology acceleration manager for marine at the Carbon Trust.
Siemens, which increased its stake in UK developer Marine Current Turbines last month, sees double-digit annual growth rates for marine current renewables to 2020 from virtually zero now and expects it ultimately to meet 3 to 4 percent of global energy demand.
“The big industrial players getting involved is what is needed to move this sector forward. Utilities are looking at these kind of projects, which will be on a similar scale to wind energy or conventional power plants,” said Frank Wright, renewables manager at UK consultancy Douglas Westwood.
Most experts expect the first large-scale commercial projects of 1 MW or more to emerge by 2016 or 2017 and ocean energy to start contributing to the EU power mix between 2025 and 2030.
A big tidal device probably has a 1 MW capacity, but the next challenge is to get to five-to-10 MW arrays and then move to hundreds of megawatts by 2020 or beyond.
“We still need to prove a 10 MW array can function on a commercial basis and pay for itself by selling electricity,” Blair said.
Not only are there technical challenges in installing multiple devices and in developing the grid infrastructure and control systems, but developers also must reduce the huge costs of arrays.
Current estimates for the levelised cost, or the constant price per unit of energy for an investment to break even, are 0.38-0.48 pounds/KWh for wave energy and 0.29-0.33 pounds/KWh for tidal, compared with 0.09-0.10 pounds/KWh for nuclear and offshore wind, according to the UK’s Carbon Trust.
Funding constraints threaten to impede the push towards commercial deployment. Although government funding is available for research, there is less available for large-scale demonstration projects.
Renewable UK estimates that at least 120 million pounds ($190.4 million) is needed for the UK industry alone to reach full-scale deployment.
The UK and Scottish governments have pledged funding of 38 million pounds. Scotland added to that last week by launching a 103 million pound fund for renewables from money set aside from a fossil fuel levy, and some of that money will be used to develop tidal and wave projects.
According to RenewableUK, every pound of public funding in the UK has unlocked 6 pounds of private investment, but more is needed.
“There is no reason why the sector cannot deploy in excess of 1 gigawatt by 2020, but it is vital that we reduce costs to maintain investor interest,” said David Krohn, wave and tidal development manager at the UK renewables association.
Figures on government financing for wave and tidal projects in Spain and Portugal, where the sector also has major potential, were not available.
Cash-strapped Portugal would need to drum up 4 billion to 6 billion euros of investment, public and private, to reach its potential to generate 3 GW by 2020, according to industry estimates.
Spain, which aims to install 100 MW of ocean energy by 2020, has temporarily halted subsidies on new renewable plants for budgetary reasons.
There is also a concern that the EU power grid will not be able to keep up with the added capacity as more projects near full-scale sea trials and supply electricity to the grid.
Grid-connected capacity from wave and tidal in the UK, though still modest at 5.6 MW, has risen 90 percent since March last year. RenewableUK expects this to rise to 11 MW this year with the connection of at least seven new devices.
Some utilities depend on significant investment in expansion of grid capacity before they will increase their marine plans. Vattenfall has said it plans to buy a UK wave power device later this year on the expectation that an interconnector is laid between the Shetland islands and the Scottish mainland.
“Offshore wave projects need to be connected to the grid onshore and then transported,” said Alina Bakhareva, research manager of renewable energy at Frost and Sullivan.
“Unless you have government subsidies for building super grids or high-voltage grids, it is not feasible for (marine) developers to take this additional cost on their balance sheets.
© Thomson Reuters 2012
When it comes to managing payroll, Neel Sharma is going back to basics.
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Daily Readings for Saturday, March 30, 2013
Reading 1, Genesis 1:1--2:2
2 Now the earth was a formless void, there was darkness over the deep, with a divine wind sweeping over the waters.
3 God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light.
4 God saw that light was good, and God divided light from darkness.
5 God called light 'day', and darkness he called 'night'. Evening came and morning came: the first day.
6 God said, 'Let there be a vault through the middle of the waters to divide the waters in two.' And so it was.
7 God made the vault, and it divided the waters under the vault from the waters above the vault.
8 God called the vault 'heaven'. Evening came and morning came: the second day.
9 God said, 'Let the waters under heaven come together into a single mass, and let dry land appear.' And so it was.
11 God said, 'Let the earth produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants, and fruit trees on earth, bearing fruit with their seed inside, each corresponding to its own species.' And so it was.
12 The earth produced vegetation: the various kinds of seed-bearing plants and the fruit trees with seed inside, each corresponding to its own species. God saw that it was good.
13 Evening came and morning came: the third day.
16 God made the two great lights: the greater light to govern the day, the smaller light to govern the night, and the stars.
17 God set them in the vault of heaven to shine on the earth,
18 to govern the day and the night and to divide light from darkness. God saw that it was good.
19 Evening came and morning came: the fourth day.
20 God said, 'Let the waters be alive with a swarm of living creatures, and let birds wing their way above the earth across the vault of heaven.' And so it was.
21 God created great sea-monsters and all the creatures that glide and teem in the waters in their own species, and winged birds in their own species. God saw that it was good.
22 God blessed them, saying, 'Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the waters of the seas; and let the birds multiply on land.'
23 Evening came and morning came: the fifth day.
24 God said, 'Let the earth produce every kind of living creature in its own species: cattle, creeping things and wild animals of all kinds.' And so it was.
25 God made wild animals in their own species, and cattle in theirs, and every creature that crawls along the earth in its own species. God saw that it was good.
26 God said, 'Let us make man in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves, and let them be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, the cattle, all the wild animals and all the creatures that creep along the ground.'
28 God blessed them, saying to them, 'Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. Be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven and all the living creatures that move on earth.'
29 God also said, 'Look, to you I give all the seed-bearing plants everywhere on the surface of the earth, and all the trees with seed-bearing fruit; this will be your food.
30 And to all the wild animals, all the birds of heaven and all the living creatures that creep along the ground, I give all the foliage of the plants as their food.' And so it was.
31 God saw all he had made, and indeed it was very good. Evening came and morning came: the sixth day.
1 Thus heaven and earth were completed with all their array.
2 On the seventh day God had completed the work he had been doing. He rested on the seventh day after all the work he had been doing.
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11
5 My birthright, my cup is Yahweh; you, you alone, hold my lot secure.
10 for you will not abandon me to Sheol, you cannot allow your faithful servant to see the abyss.
Gospel, Luke 24:1-12
1 On the first day of the week, at the first sign of dawn, they went to the tomb with the spices they had prepared.
2 They found that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb,
3 but on entering they could not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
4 As they stood there puzzled about this, two men in brilliant clothes suddenly appeared at their side.
5 Terrified, the women bowed their heads to the ground. But the two said to them, 'Why look among the dead for someone who is alive?
6 He is not here; he has risen. Remember what he told you when he was still in Galilee:
7 that the Son of man was destined to be handed over into the power of sinful men and be crucified, and rise again on the third day.'
8 And they remembered his words.
9 And they returned from the tomb and told all this to the Eleven and to all the others.
11 but this story of theirs seemed pure nonsense, and they did not believe them.
12 Peter, however, went off to the tomb, running. He bent down and looked in and saw the linen cloths but nothing else; he then went back home, amazed at what had happened.
Reading 2, Genesis 22:1-18
2 God said, 'Take your son, your only son, your beloved Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, where you are to offer him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I shall point out to you.'
3 Early next morning Abraham saddled his donkey and took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. He chopped wood for the burnt offering and started on his journey to the place which God had indicated to him.
4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.
5 Then Abraham said to his servants, 'Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I are going over there; we shall worship and then come back to you.'
6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering, loaded it on Isaac, and carried in his own hands the fire and the knife. Then the two of them set out together.
7 Isaac spoke to his father Abraham. 'Father?' he said. 'Yes, my son,' he replied. 'Look,' he said, 'here are the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?'
10 Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to kill his son.
12 'Do not raise your hand against the boy,' the angel said. 'Do not harm him, for now I know you fear God. You have not refused me your own beloved son.'
14 Abraham called this place 'Yahweh provides', and hence the saying today: 'On the mountain Yahweh provides.'
16 'I swear by my own self, Yahweh declares, that because you have done this, because you have not refused me your own beloved son,
17 I will shower blessings on you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will gain possession of the gates of their enemies.
18 All nations on earth will bless themselves by your descendants, because you have obeyed my command.'
More on the Bible
The New Jerusalem Bible (NJB) is a Catholic translation of the Bible published in 1985. The New Jerusalem Bible (NJB) has become the most widely used Roman Catholic Bible outside of the United States. It has the imprimatur of Cardinal George Basil Hume.
Like its predecessor, the Jerusalem Bible, the New Jerusalem Bible (NJB) version is translated "directly from the Hebrew, Greek or Aramaic." The 1973 French translation, the Bible de Jerusalem, is followed only "where the text admits to more than one interpretation." Introductions and notes, with some modifications, are taken from the Bible de Jerusalem.
Source: The Very Reverend Dom (Joseph) Henry Wansbrough, OSB, MA (Oxon), STL (Fribourg), LSS (Rome), a monk of Ampleforth Abbey and a biblical scholar. He was General Editor of the New Jerusalem Bible. "New Jerusalem Bible, Regular Edition", pg. v.
Reading 1, Sirach 17:1-15: The Lord fashioned human beings from the earth, to consign them back to it. He gave them so many ... Psalm, Psalms 103:13-14, 15-16, 17-18: As tenderly as a father treats his children, so Yahweh treats those who fear him; he knows of what ... Gospel, Mark 10:13-16: People were bringing little children to him, for him to touch them. The disciples scolded them, ... Read More
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GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Cartoonists for Peace have a terrific display of posters along the shores of Lake Geneva, stretching from the Mont Blanc bridge area up to the World Trade Organization, that runs until 3 June. The display includes posters by four Iranian cartoonists who were awarded the first International Editorial Cartoon Prize 3 May in Geneva.
Ten days ago another Iranian cartoonist was sentenced by an Iranian court to 20 lashes, the first such sentence for a cartoonist.
Two of the international award winners were condemned to jail in Iran in the past.
The award and the poster display show cartoons that are in sharp contrast to a suggestion published 25 May in Zimbabwe’s The Herald newspaper, a call for a comic book or cartoons to depict the country’s Liberation in order to offset negative stories about it outside Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is routinely the subject of accusations of repression and perhaps not surprisingly the newspaper points out that the country has few cartoonists and little tradition of cartooning.
“The Zimbabwean story still needs to be illustrated, particularly now that there is lots of interest in whatever is happening in the country and just as much unverifiable information on the web. Comics have an advantage over data presentations because they employ both text and images and the combination is so powerful that they have the ability to capture the imagination of a reader more than anything else.”
The article in the Herald unwittingly includes a tie to Geneva, for it mentions the father of modern editorial cartooning, Rudolf Topffer of Geneva. Geneva’s role in the cartooning business has remained strong: Patrick Chappatte, a member of the jury for the international cartooning award, in April won the Thomas Nast Award 2011, given by the Overseas Press Club of America. It is the first time the award was given to a non-US cartoonist since the prize was created in 1968.
GenevaLunch has been publishing Chappatte’s cartoons since 2006.
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Melissa Fleming, head of communications at the UNHCR, the refugee organization, has been given some just praise for her active approach to using social media, by Devex, an international development news site. The Geneva-based group is one of the easiest for journalists to work with because of the ease with which they can find photos and videos, thanks to Fleming’s support for using flickr and YouTube. She also tweets and is working with local UNHCR offices to encourage greater use of social media.
Devex focuses, in its interview, on how Fleming and her team use social media. For other organizations grappling with the issues, this is a great starting point. Having 100,000 “likes” on Facebook is no small feat and says much about the organization’s effective approach to social media.
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – If the chemists can do it, so can the rest of us: the The Fifth Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention, which regulates the export of dangerous chemicals and pesticides, is meeting 20-24 June in Geneva and they are doing it paper-free. May we all sit up and take note!
Possibly even more beautiful than this decision is the brevity of their paperless instructions for how this can be done. Delegates, may it go well so the rest of us can learn by your example.
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Work for the US Mission in Geneva, settle down to a quiet retirement somewhere back in America and twiddle your thumbs? Not for Pete Jensen, who retired from the US foreign service three years ago and who is now spending his time as a pilot whose aerial photos of homes are very much in demand in upmarket Westchester County in New York.
Jensen has just been the subject of an article in The Daily Weston, talking about how he made aerial photos for 100 homeowners in 2010, extending a hobby that grew out of his first aerial home photo, the US ambassador’s residence in Geneva.
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – The US Overseas Vote Foundation in Munich 15 June is launching a remarkable campaign to count, for the first time, US citizens who live abroad, using a “formalized methodology”. The project, which runs until 15 July, aims to fill a gap that has made the number of Americans abroad guesswork, with government and privates unofficial estimates ranging from 4 to 10 million citizens by asking people “to self-report simple demographic information”.
“Even at 4 million, this represents a larger community of Americans than the combined populations of Wyoming, the District of Columbia, Vermont, North Dakota, Alaska and South Dakota, according to 2010 US Census data,” the group points out.
“The US Census counts all American citizens in every state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico every 10 years but has found it difficult to count non-federally-employed Americans living abroad,” the group says in a statement issued Wednesday. “OVF hopes to demonstrate that the Internet and social media can be used to accurately measure this population. Such demographic statistics can be used to support efforts to gain recognition for the needs of overseas citizens and better access to US services from overseas.
The report will be released at the end of 2011.
Geneva’s Patrick Chappatte, whose cartoons we publish on GenevaLunch, recently sent me a link to a Ted Talks speech he gave in July 2010. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing him talk about “The power of cartoons”, as did his international audience. His work, in English, French and German also appears in the International Herald Tribune, Le Temps and NZZ. Here’s the talk:
[correction, 7 March: music played for the encoreI have rarely been so blown away at a classical music concert as I was last night, 2 March, at Geneva's Victoria Hall. Mélodie Zhao turned composer Frédéric Chopin's complete 27 Etudes into something I didn't know the collection had the capacity to be: magnificently passionate. The romantic music, which in some pianists' hands verges on the saccharine, last night would have made the composer proud, I feel certain. It's easy to go into a Zhao concert being impressed by her technical skills and poise on stage as a 15-year-old, but Tuesday night it was impossible to come out even remembering her age, for her stage performance and the music that filled the hall were those of a mature artist. "She's a genius," said the woman next to me, coming out of the hall. "Unbelievable!" another exclaimed to her companion.
I've heard her practice and I have the excellent CDs with 24 Etudes, made when she was only 13, but seeing her perform live, and with two years more musical maturity, transformed the music. Happy 200th birthday, Mr Chopin!
Two strong ovations from the crowd brought her back to play Chopin's Andante spianato and Grand Polonaise Brillante op.22., where she displayed yet more of her dazzling talent.
We all looked drained as we flocked into the lobby, for watching Zhao in person is like being a privileged spectator as shifting winds and sunlight dance over an open sea. To my great surprise, the young pianist was already seated at a table and signing autographs for a large crowd, with an enthusiasm and energy that didn’t show any strain from what has to have been a physically daunting performance!
Background: GenevaLunch feature on Mélodie Zhao
Review in Le Temps (Fre)
Two notable writers with strong Swiss connections will be leading a four-day writing workshop in Geneva offered by UK publishers Faber & Faber 25-28 March. “Writing Other Lives” is a course “about writing across languages, cultures, countries and borders, writing while living other lives,” notes Gappah on her web site. The cost is £500/CHF830 and will take place at the Société de Lecture in Geneva.
Gappah, who lives in Geneva, was recently awarded the Guardian First Book Award 2009. Christopher Hope, who lives in France, is the author of Kruger’s Alp, among other works.
The course has room for 15 writers. Details
Best little cup of coffee in Geneva
It’s an entrepreneurs’ week, starting with the best little new coffee place in town – Geneva, that is – Boréal Coffee, in the financial district. Long live healthy competition! There’s finally a good Anglo-saxon-style independent alternative to Starbucks where you can get a great cup of coffee, have a sandwich or a salad and run back to the office with them or sit down and relax in a comfortable, tasteful setting. It just opened at 60, rue du Stand and my own experience is that it’s perfect for quick lunch meetings or slow novel reads, depending on your day.
The owners are two young men, Julian Caron Lys and Fabien Decroux, who met when they both worked as IT managers for Cross Systems, a large IT company in Geneva. The two caught the entrepreneurial bug and worked on one startup for a fruit smoothies company in central Europe, but they were short of financing and language problems got in the way, so they abandoned the venture.
Back in Switzerland he and Caron Lys decided in early 2008 that Geneva needed the Australian coffee touch. They spent several months learning the business, learning about barista coffees, touring coffee shops in the UK, Germany and elsewhere in Europe to get a good sense of what works and what doesn’t.
It took another few months to find the right location, knock out walls, and get set up, but they are definitely on the right track.
Webster offers entrepreneurship workshop 24 June
Webster University’s Hub for entrepreneurs is offering a workshop with contest for people who want to start their own businesses, 24 June. You need to present your idea to the public, which will discuss it under the leadership of a panel of judges and the winners that evening will be given mentors for their projects. Details
In fairness, he did it well ahead of the global financial crisis, in 2001, and mainly because of a long love affair with images. He set up his own company, creating calendars for Carouge and Geneva, but in 2005 he turned his hand to painting, taking his love of images to another level.
His work is both familiar because of its everyday Geneva area scenes and taunting, because the richness of the canvases makes you sense that this familiar world hides another, more emotionally coloured one.
Forty of his acrylics on canvas are on display until 13 June at the Espace.
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Roby Institute - Advanced treatments for a healthy living
Kill Mold Cheaply and Effectively… Buy an Ultraviolet Light or use an Ozone Generator.
I know of one light that effectively controls mold. It is made by the Phillips company. This single bulb placed anywhere in your home will quite effectively eliminate mold spores for as long as you use it. I have tried to tell many of my patients about this cheap means of environmental control during their visits. Still, many patients continue to have night-time or early morning symptoms. Symptoms at these times are primarily due to molds.
The ideal environmental “OASIS” would include air cleaners (electrostatic and HEPA), no carpet or drapes, and a U.V. light. If all this fails to control the problem, we add an OZONE generator (see our online store). Since many patients continue to suffer “mold allergies” after rainstorms and during night mold-count periods, I continue to search for solutions. I can understand a person’s reluctance to remodel a room, removing carpet and drapes. In my bedroom “oasis” I have black vinyl floor (the better to see the dust) and two large HEPA air filters. I also use two large electrostatic precipitators. Only an allergist is likely to experiment with four filters which cost about $500.00 each. My 3M Ultra Allergen Filtrete 1250 works better than anything else. On the other hand, I also have a plastic light fixture with a 15″ bulb in it. This is our U.V. light (see our online store). If I could only have one system to most effectively keep my bedroom free of mold, it would be this “CHEAPO” light. For the “the most bang for the buck”, kill them dead with a U.V. light.
Mold sporulates in darkness. It “peaks” about 2:00 AM. You may awaken by 2:30 or 3:00 AM. The mold spores are the “babies” or “seeds” of new mold growth. When the spores are released to float though the air they are in a most fragile form, much like tender little babies. They sporulate in darkness (i.e. nighttime) because they cannot survive in bright sunlight like pollen can. The U.V. light I have selected is a Phillips Germicidal U.V light., product number G15T8. It is of a particular wavelength, designed for its “germicidal” potency. It is so strong and damaging it is used in hospital air systems to kill “germs” (bacteria and viruses).
You may remember seeing the “blue glow” of the germicidal light box the barber used to keep his combs in. Well mold spores are not “germs”, but guess what? Spores are much more sensitive to this wavelength than “germs.” Under the best applications of these U.V. lights in hospital air filtration systems it is suggested one can achieve a “theoretical kill rate of 98%” of bacteria that pass the light. Mold spores are even more sensitive. For mold spores the “kill rate” is quite nearly 100%. And this for $100.00!
We recommend that you keep the light behind a dresser, refrigerator, or in a return air duct. It WILL cause carpets and furniture to fade just like very bright sunlight. For best results, leave the light “on” 24 hours a day and wipe the bulb off every 30 days. WARNING!!! Do not look directly into this light because it will cause severe and immediate eye damage, especially to children. Warn all adults and children not to look at the light. Do NOT place this light where children can look directly at it.
The other way to completely rid your environment of mold is through the use of an Ozone Generator.
For more information, read an article from USA Today about molds. The article lists a few of the several conditions which can be caused by molds, including asthma. Of particular interest to me was that the people who were the subjects of the article had tested negative for allergies, though allergies were their biggest problems. The reason is simple: To be properly diagnosed, you need to be tested for what you are allergic to.
Most mold allergy testing is for the few most common molds only. But there are thousands of different molds, many of which can be uncommon, but very potent. So, ask your allergist exactly what negative allergy testing really means. It doesn’t confirm you don’t have an allergy, it only confirms the doctor has not been able to identify it.
So, if you are have eliminated all known allergens and still have problems, re-consider molds, and take active measures to correct the problems.
* This treatment is not approved by the FDA
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Why Can’t Government Deal In Cyberspace?by Brad Warbiany
As a member of the internet generation, I do more things online these days than offline. In the world of commerce, there are a host of simple and useful tools, created by companies, that make it very easy for me to accomplish what I want to accomplish. Need a map? Google. Need information on where to go for dinner & drinks, and then what entertainment to take my wife to celebrate special occasions? Citysearch, ticketmaster, etc. Hotels, airfare, and vacations? A host of sites provide me with information, pricing, and simple booking. I can communicate with fellow homebrewers or fellow Boilermakers on a number of message boards. Buying and selling of goods and services can be done on a host of sites (my favorite being craigslist). Even banking, a form of commerce as old as money, is available and convenient online. I can’t remember the last time I actually wrote a check, stuck it in an envelope, added a stamp, and sent it off to pay my bills.
But when it comes to making things easier for “consumers”, one area of our society lags far, far behind: the government. Outside of a few bright spots, government-service web sites are largely cumbersome and useless. Why? Well, the economist points us at the usual suspects: lack of competition, lack of accountability, and a tendency to spend money without actually ensuring the results are achieved.
Governments have few direct rivals. Amazon.com must outdo other online booksellers to win readers’ money. Google must beat Yahoo!. Unless every inch of such companies’ websites offers stellar clarity and convenience, customers go elsewhere. But if your country’s tax-collection online offering is slow, clunky or just plain dull, then tough. When Britain’s Inland Revenue website crashed on January 31st—the busiest day of its year—the authorities grudgingly gave taxpayers one day’s grace before imposing penalties. They did not offer the chance to pay tax in Sweden instead.
But shame and beauty contests are still weak forces in the public sector. Failure in bureaucracy means not bankruptcy but writing self-justifying memos, and at worst a transfer elsewhere. Bureaucrats plead that just a bit more time and money will fix the clunky monsters they have created. That kind of thinking has led to the botched computerisation in Britain’s National Health Service, where billions of pounds and millions of precious hours are spent on a system that at best will be substandard and at worst dangerously leaky with patients’ private medical data.
That reflects another problem. In the private sector, tight budgets for information technology spark innovation. But bureaucrats are suckers for overpriced, overpromised and overengineered systems. The contrast is all the sharper given some of the successes shown by those using open-source software: the District of Columbia, for example, has junked its servers and proprietary software in favour of the standard package of applications offered and hosted by Google.
Not that such an indictment of the system will surprise any regular readers of this web site, of course. Systems don’t work when the incentives don’t force them to work, and the political incentive to operate efficiently simply doesn’t exist. I would, of course, add one additional point. I added emphasis to the article’s point on bureaucrats’ use of overpriced, overpromised, and overengineered systems. In addition, it’s quite often that these systems are not chosen for their technical fit in the required application, but are chosen because of who is supplying the system, and what politicians they have lobbied. Or, as is common in the military, the politically-correct need to source products from “small disadvantaged businesses” leads to perverse incentives, where either sub-optimal solutions are chosen, or the implemented solution has needless overhead in the cost because it must be purchased through a qualifying distributor.
As is usually the case with government, it’s not that incompetence or malfeasance is the direct cause of the failure of a system. It’s that the system is not designed to operate in the way we expect it to. Our elected officials and the bureaucrats they appoint are not supermen. In fact, those who believe the internet is a series of tubes simply shouldn’t be expected to implement sound e-government policies.
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ATLANTA -- After jetting around the globe over the past year in search of best practices for commercial real estate, automation expert Jim Young has come to one inescapable conclusion: If U.S. malls are to remain engaging, vibrant and reflect a 21st century lifestyle, shopping center owners and retailers need to embrace technology — from high-speed wireless networks to radio frequency identification (RFID) solutions to video conferencing.
“Technology is not stopping. Forget about dot-com,” remarked Young, president of the Jamesan Group, during a keynote speech delivered Tuesday in Atlanta before several hundred attendees of theCouncil of Shopping Centers’ Southeast Conference. “Technology is on fire in other parts of the world. The advancements that you are going to start seeing in the next 24 months are going to be four times greater and more phenomenal than we saw in dot-bomb.”
Young has firsthand knowledge of the technological revolution occurring globally. On one recent trip, he visited 38 commercial real estate projects in 10 cities throughout Asia and Europe. His company, The Jamesan Group based in Carlsbad, Calif., specializes in automation projects for the commercial real estate industry. Young also is the founder of the annual Realcomm conference, which focuses exclusively on technology applications for the commercial real estate industry.
“Retailers are going to have to start creating Disney-like experiences,” emphasized Young. “Ifwant to buy clothes, they can just go online. They are going to the malls for the next sense of where the world is going. We need radical new experiences.”
COEX Mall in Seoul, South Korea offers a glimpse into the future of the shopping center experience in America, says Young. He describes Seoul as the “digital innovative center of the planet Earth.” Internet stations are located throughout COEX Mall. When he visited the shopping center one Tuesday night, he observed thousands of kids watching movies and playing games on the Internet and sending e-mails. “It was the most electric, energetic 21st centuryexperience I’ve ever had in my life,” said Young. “I’ve been in malls ranging from the Mall of America to the best shopping centers in the Middle East.”
In some cases, the new technologies may have even wowed the Jetsons. Here’s a sampling of what’s already developed or yet to come:
• Automated checkout stands: Wal-Mart and Costco are working on developing this RFID technology. Every store item — ranging from a cereal box to a Coke — will include a chip. When customers roll their shopping carts through a checkout gate, those items will be instantly scanned and the customers will swipe a credit card to ring up their charges. That advancement, Young insists, will change the retail footprint in the front of grocery stores or malls.
• Video attendants: If for some reason a customer is having trouble navigating a retailer’s Web site, a video attendant will appear on the screen to assist the customer. “The next killer application that’s being built is the integration of high-speed video conferencing at the click of a button on your Internet Explorer,” says Young. That technological advancement will change the online retailing experience, he adds, and force retailers to rethink their store concepts.
• Multipurpose cell phones: Cell phones will operate like credit cards. How? With the aid of thumbprint recognition, soft-drink customers in Singapore can now point their cell phones at a vending machine and a soda will come tumbling out. The charge shows up on a customer’s cell phone bill, not the credit card bill. “If I’m Visa, I’m talking to Verizon right now,” says Young.
There was a second, more sobering component, to Young’s speech: The U.S. lags China and South Korea in theof next-generation office buildings and retail complexes, and is currently losing the innovation race, Young believes. “So, the message here is get up earlier, work harder, and start investing in new ideas.
“I think that we have about three to five years. Some people believe that it’s a foregone conclusion that Asia will be the dominant innovative culture of the 21st century. I don’t,” emphasized Young. “I think the entrepreneurial spirit and innovation that built this country exists. We just need to have it get off the couch and shake it up a bit.”
Young said that he so petrified about the education gap between the U.S. and countries throughout Asia and Europe and the Middle East that in his hometown of San Diego, he has helped launch an organization called San Diego Businessmen for 21st Century Schools. “We’re ripping down blackboards and putting up plasma screens. We’re basically saying to the administration, ‘You had better get in line with what’s going on in the rest of the world.’”
If parents and educators don’t take that proactive position here in the U.S., Young fears, “by the time we hand this country to our kids we’re going to be the ones being outsourced.”
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Have you heard about ‘suspended coffee’, the new occurrence where a customer will go into a coffee shop, ask for a hot drink for themselves and another (or more) ‘suspended’? They pay for the total number ordered. Then, people who are homeless, out of work, or just short of money can walk into a coffee shop and ask if there are any ‘suspended’ coffees. If there are, they will be served a hot drink free of charge.
There is now a ‘Suspended Coffee’ Facebook page
I have misgivings about the whole thing, and that makes me feel quite guilty. Of course I don’t want to deny anyone a hot drink, particularly when it is as cold as it has been. But I wonder whether it is the best way to help those who are homeless or destitute.
Over the years I have been asked whether you should give money to those begging on the streets. It is an individual decision, and my personal choice is not to.
Of course it must be up to the individual to decide whether they wish to buy a ‘suspended coffee’ for someone. They will need to have confidence that the retailer will, in fact, pass on the coffee to the intended beneficiary.
It is a shame that the tax affairs of one of the largest coffee chains seeks to minimise its tax liabilities, although it is unlikely that homeless people would benefit from normalising their tax affairs.
I am somewhat of a hypocrite. At BHT we constantly ask for donations, in cash and in kind, to help those men and women who are in the greatest need. We have an Amazon wish list (another company with its own tax controversy) where we ask people to buy essential items for clients including thermal underwear, socks, and coats.
During summer heat waves (for those who can’t remember that far back, a heat wave is “a prolonged period of excessively hot weather”!) we have been grateful to the wonderful people at Life Water who have donated thousands of bottles of water to help keep our clients hydrated.
So why is it ok for me to encourage gifts through BHT to our clients, rather than a more immediate act of giving? The only justification I can give is that we are an organisation that promotes change, and your gifts to us might help us engage and assist people off the streets.
But there again, I am not sure. My colleague Rob Robinson is a great fan of ‘Suspended Coffee’. He says that those people who are on the streets are excluded on so many levels. By experiencing the atmosphere of a coffee shop, they might just reassess their aspirations and seek help.
I’m confused. I guess I will just have to suspend a final judgement.
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After the SAARC Summit: Vision for South Asia
A speech delivered at the Wilson Center by Yashwant Sinha, India's Minister of External Affairs
I am happy to be at this at this Centre, named after a great American leader and champion of democracy. It is always a pleasure to interact with representatives of the Washington Corps of strategic and foreign policy experts, which is such an important part of this city's political and intellectual landscape.
My visit to Washington takes place as both our Governments enter the last lap in their current tenures in office. The last three years have been a truly tumultuous period for the world. Later day scholars would certainly count this as one of the defining moments in contemporary history. It marks the launch of a world war against terror.
This has been an equally extraordinary time for India – U.S. relations, a period in which we have decisively turned away from the doubts and distance of another era to embark on a journey towards close friendship and a new relationship. Last week, we reached another milestone as Prime Minister Vajpayee and President Bush outlined the next steps in our strategic partnership – cooperation in civilian nuclear activities, civilian space programme and ‘dual use' goods and technologies, besides expanded dialogue on missile defence. The statement by two leaders underscores their personal commitment to complete the process of qualitatively transforming India-U.S. relations.
We can be proud of what we have achieved so far and confident about the future of our relationship. The nature, level and frequency of dialogue are unprecedented in the history of our bilateral relations. We are guided by a vision that extends beyond specific issues and immediate horizons. Our interests and positions do not always coincide, but they do not become source of conflict or confrontation. Our cooperation has deepened across a wide range of subjects. We are exploring frontier areas of science and technology, developing vaccines against communicable diseases, pursuing transformational technologies for clean energy, making our environment safer, strengthening mutual capabilities in combating terrorism and cyber crimes, and discussing ways to deal with transnational threats and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. We have crossed new thresholds in defence cooperation, high technology commerce and strategic trade. Bilateral trade is showing strong growth, and we believe that the immense synergies between India and the United States, will define a new success story of international economic partnership.
The vision of the two largest democracies, placed in different situations, but linked by strong bilateral ties, bringing diverse perspectives to address their increasingly common challenges, represents an exciting possibility in global affairs.
Ladies and gentlemen, the last five years of the Vajpayee Government have witnessed a number of achievements on India's foreign policy front. The transformation of our relationship with the United States is indeed among the most important of these.
In this era of globalisation, India and the United States have to reach out to the world to secure our interests and fulfil our responsibilities. Managing the consequences and harnessing the potential of our interdependence is vital for peace and prosperity. There is also a deeper reality: for all the uncertainties of our times, we have a unique opportunity to define international relations on the ethic of plurality and equality, consensus and cooperation, compassion and co-existence.
We have a similar vision for South Asia. For us, the global stage is our calling, but South Asia is our home. Therefore, South Asia is an integral part of our life, and naturally, a secure, peaceful and prosperous South Asia is important for our future. In political, economic and technological terms, India has made impressive strides. Driven by economic reforms, enterprise and an explosion of aspirations of a growing young population, India's economic growth has been on a high trajectory and will likely exceed 7% this year. Yet, we recognise that our own progress will be faster and more secure, when our region is bound together in peaceful cooperation, not divided by conflict and confrontation.
This is equally true, if not more, for other countries in the region. As countries around the world overcome historical memories in their drive towards a cooperative future of shared prosperity, South Asian region cannot afford to remain an isolated prisoner of political doubts, differences, and discords of the past sixty years. By coming together, we will not be able to address all our individual challenges; we will, however, find ourselves more capable of dealing with them – individually and collectively. As I have travelled across South Asia, I have sensed a strong sense of regional identity and a yearning for friendship, amity, peace and prosperity among the people. They exude confidence in themselves and the potential of their region.
South Asia is home to one-fifth of humanity. We have rich human resource, sophisticated technical skills, vast natural resources and potentially large markets. We share a common history and heritage. We have centuries-old ties of language, religion, ethnicity and culture. We are at the centre of Asia, at the crossroads of its various sub-regions. We straddle strategic trade routes between the East and the West. With our extended neighbourhood of Iran and Afghanistan, our land mass also links the new energy sources of Central Asia with the warm water ports of the Indian Ocean in the South. We have untapped energy resources of our own. Our common rivers are a valuable resource for energy, irrigation and transportation. Yet, our intra-regional trade is still languishing below 5 % of the global trade of South Asian nations.
The myth that, because of the asymmetries in our economies, the smaller countries do not benefit from closer economic integration within South Asia must be discarded. We see India's size as an asset that can be leveraged for the benefit of all of India's smaller neighbours. India has no desire but to be able to build economic relations aimed at mutual benefit. There are many examples of how South Asian cooperation can create win-win situations. Our free trade agreements with Nepal and Sri Lanka have resulted in narrowing the trade deficit of both these countries with India. In 2002 alone, exports of Sri Lanka to India grew by around 137%. In fact the success of the India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement has inspired us to expand its scope to cover services and investment in a comprehensive economic partnership agreement. Similarly, Bhutan's per capita income of US$ 600 today is expected to double by the end of 2005, when the 1020 Megawatt Tala power plant is completed. Pakistan, too, with its unique geographical position at the confluence of the Sub-Continent, the Persian Gulf and Central Asia can play an invaluable bridge role in connecting an energy-seeking India with its booming markets to those of Central Asia, West Asia and the Gulf.
Beyond economic development, a spirit of friendship and cooperation can create an atmosphere that will help us address other challenges that bedevil our region – political disputes, terrorism, drug trafficking, trafficking in persons, environmental degradation, illegal migration, sharing of resources and regional imbalances in economic development.
The SAARC Summit in Islamabad in January attracted unprecedented global attention because of what it meant in the context of India-Pakistan relations. However, there were two significant developments that should not be overshadowed by the outcome of India-Pakistan interaction in Islamabad. The two are, in fact, inter-linked by the spirit that characterised the SAARC Summit – the fervent desire to chart out a new future.
The signing of the South Asia Free Trade Area (SAFTA) Agreement is an important milestone in South Asia. It reflects the maturing of SAARC as an institution. Economists would debate the finer details of the agreement, but are united in their judgement that it takes us substantially forward in vision and substance from the ongoing negotiations on preferential tariff. The Agreement is limited at the moment to trade in goods. Reflecting the spirit of cooperation, it provides for special and differential treatment to Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Maldives.
This is a first step in realising a broader vision of a South Asian Economic Union, with a single currency. It also gives us all confidence to pursue many other institutional arrangements for South Asia, such as a Poverty Alleviation Fund, for which we are willing to commit U.S. $ 100 million to be used by other countries; a South Asia Development Fund; a South Asian Development Bank; and, even a South Asian Energy Grid.
If SAFTA was our common commitment to a prosperous future, the Additional Protocol to the SAARC Convention on Terrorism of 1987 reflects our shared resolve to address the region's greatest security challenge. When South Asia frees itself of terrorism, it will not only herald a new era of peace in the region, it will also contribute immensely to the efforts to combat terrorism around the world.
The SAARC Summit also marked the commencement of a new and important phase in India-Pakistan relations. Prime Minister Vajpayee met President Musharraf and Prime Minister Jamali on the margins of the Summit. We issued a Joint Statement in which President Musharraf reiterated that Pakistan would not permit any territory under its control to be used for terrorism. The two sides have also agreed to commence the process of the composite dialogue in February 2004. The two leaders expressed confidence that the resumption of the composite dialogue will lead to peaceful settlement of all bilateral issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, to the satisfaction of both sides.
We remain committed to beginning the process of dialogue in February. Although, in the course of the year, there will be elections in India, it should not affect this process of dialogue since there is a broad political consensus in its favour in India.
For Prime Minister Vajpayee, peace and friendship with Pakistan has been an abiding vision, not only for the sake of the people of India and Pakistan, but because of the salutary impact it will have on the fortunes of the entire region. He articulated his vision through a visit to Lahore in February 1999. He sought to resuscitate the peace process in Agra in July 2001. And, he launched another initiative in April 2003 in Srinagar.
We are happy that both sides have taken a number of confidence building measures over the past few months. Just last week, the rail link between the two countries was resumed. We hope that in the coming weeks we would be able to operate multiple routes in multiple modes of transport - routes that have been closed for decades or those that have never functioned, such as the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road link.
We must continue in this direction. Both Governments must read the message in the outpouring of support among the population of both countries for the peace process, and the enthusiasm with which people from various walks of life – politicians, corporate leaders, small entrepreneurs, artists, judges, scholars, fashion designers and ordinary people – have established contacts across the borders.
It is our duty to redeem their hopes and meet the challenges that will surely come in the way – not merely from the opponents of peace and the instruments of terror, but also from the bitter legacy of our history. There have been moments in the past when we have eagerly ridden the crest of optimism, only to find ourselves in the trough of disappointment and bitterness. One of the biggest enemies of the peace process is expectation running ahead of reality. We are entering a complex process. We won't reach solutions overnight. What is, however, entirely possible and within our control is to stay engaged.
Recent developments have demonstrated a simple truth – our chances of resolving the most contentious issues are higher, when we tackle them in a warm, friendly and supportive environment. If India and Pakistan nurture the ties of kinship, commerce and culture, if we emphasise all that we have in common, we will be able to smoothen the fault lines in our relationship.
This is equally true for all South Asian countries. All of us face the test of diplomacy and statecraft in sustaining the momentum that the SAARC summit has generated. The problems in South Asia, whether they are political, economic or security-related, are internal to South Asia. Of course, in our interdependent existence, developments in South Asia have an impact on the rest of the world, just as events elsewhere have an impact on us. Therefore, what happens in South Asia would be of interest to other countries. But, I do not believe that any form of external role can succeed in, or is relevant to, these processes. The people of South Asia have to find answers to the questions themselves. There can be no other way to arrive at durable solutions to the problems of the region.
We must pay attention to the broader changes taking place in the world. We must be sensitive to the revolution of expectations taking place in South Asia. We must heed the call of the new era.
There is no reason why South Asia should count among the poorest regions of the world, when it is so rich in every resource.
To achieve our vision of peace and prosperity in South Asia, I would like to use this forum to propose that countries of the region adopt a ten-point agenda. We must, together, -
1. Advance democracy and strengthen democratic institutions throughout the region to ensure good governance.
2. Commit ourselves to resolve all disputes with each other through peaceful means.
3. Abjure support and actively prevent the activities of forces who seek to undermine the security and stability of each other, particularly, neighbouring countries.
4. Cooperate in combating terrorism, and other forms of cross-border crimes; such as trafficking in narcotics, arms and human beings; smuggling; money laundering and illegal migration. In this context, I would like to draw attention to the courageous action taken by His Majesty the King of Bhutan and his Government against insurgent groups, which were trying to use Bhutanese territory to launch terrorist activities in India. It is an outstanding example of how a small nation has shown the will an determination to act against powerful non state actors in the interest of its security and in order to prevent violation of the sanctity of its territory by external forces. In the process, it also advances the security of its neighbour, makes a major contribution a long and arduous road that lies ahead in the global war against terrorism.
5. Adopt national policies that encourage broad-based economic development and address the concerns and sensitivities of our diverse population groups.
6. Foster greater economic engagement, cultural interaction and people-to-people contacts in the region. At the same time, we must cooperate to ensure and end to illegal migrations.
7. Invest in cross-border infrastructure projects for energy, transport and water resources.
8. Invest in special funds and programmes for poverty alleviation, health care, education and environment management. We can use India's space assets, for example, to provide tele-medicine in remote areas of SAARC region.
9. Create a climate of opinion that emphasizes our South Asian identity and the many currents of commonalities that flow through our nations.
10. Work towards creating a common economic space, and, eventually an economic union.
Let me conclude with a quote from Prime Minister Vajpayee's speech in Islamabad. He said,
" We have to change South Asia's image and standing in the world. We must make the bold transition from mistrust to trust, from discord to concord, and from tension to peace. we have the potential, talent and resources to make South Asia an economic powerhouse of the world. We only need the necessary political will to make this happen. This is the agenda which we leaders of SAARC should strive to advance in the coming years."
Friends, India is ready to do everything that is necessary, to walk as many extra miles as may be required, to make this vision a reality.
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- Study at Deakin
- Campus life
- Industry and community
- About Deakin
Many courses within the four Faculties at Deakin University offer or require work placements, field education or work experience to students.
Many courses such as health, environmental science, politics and education have structured work placements in professional practice units. Other courses encourage students to undertake work placements for industry recognition purposes and/or to build their skills and their resumes.
These vary in duration from one week to one trimester, in time commitment during the placement itself and in assessment requirements.
Employers interested in hosting a work placement, practicum or field education are invited to contact Jobshop.
Go back to the Internships and Work Placements index.
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Myanmar sets up commission to probe clashes between Buddhists, Muslims
updated 8:31 PM EDT, Sun August 19, 2012
- The June clashes leave at least 62 people dead in Rakhine
- Myanmar's president highlights the need to form an internal commission
- The commission consists of various groups, including activists and entrepreneurs
- The international community has welcomed the nation's political reforms
(CNN) -- Myanmar has formed an internal commission to investigate the recent sectarian violence that killed dozens in the western part of the country, state media reported.
The June clashes between Buddhists and Muslims in Rakhine killed at least 62 people and displaced thousands.
President Thein Sein's commission is made up of various groups, including activists, officials from minority parties, entrepreneurs, government leaders and religious leaders, The New Light of Myanmar said Saturday.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon applauded the move.
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"This commission is comprised of a representative cross-section of national figures in the country," Ban said in a statement. "It could make important contributions to restoring peace and harmony in the state and in creating a conducive environment for a more inclusive way forward to tackle the underlying causes of the violence, including the condition of the Muslim communities in Rakhine."
The international community has welcomed Sein's commitment to introducing political reforms in Myanmar since assuming leadership last year.
Sein has highlighted the need to form an independent commission that does not include foreigners.
Violence between Buddhists and Muslims erupted after police detained three Muslim men in relation to the rape and killing of a Buddhist woman in May. Two of the men were sentenced to death, and a third man committed suicide in detention.
News of the crime may have motivated several hundred people to attack a bus in Rakhine in June, killing 10 Muslims onboard, state media said.
Violence between Buddhists and Muslims spread across the northern part of the state, resulting in the destruction of thousands of homes, according to the government.
The national government declared a state of emergency in Rakhine, bringing in the military to help restore order.
Rakhine is home to the Rohingya, an ethnic Muslim minority group that says it was persecuted by the Myanmar military during decades of authoritarian rule.
At the height of the violence, hundreds of Rohingyas tried to cross the border into neighboring Bangladesh to flee the sectarian violence.
But Bangladeshi authorities have turned them back, saying they already have too many Rohingya refugees.
The unrest has tested the efforts of Sein's administration to seek reconciliation with Myanmar's different ethnic groups and move the country toward more democratic governance.
CNN's Jethro Mullen contributed to this report.
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Europol claims 380 soccer matches, including top level ones, were fixed - as the scandal widens, CNN's Dan Rivers looks at how it's done.
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It's an essential part of any trip, an activity we all take part in. Yet almost none of us are any good at it. Souvenir buying is too often an obligatory slog.
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get a warm reception on Venus from a fire-breathing
Robot Stooge duplicates get their
morning wake-up zap.
But soon, because of the popularity of their old films on afternoon
television, The Three Stooges were in demand again. In 1959 Moe
and Larry, now joined by Joe DeRita as "Curly Joe", were called
back to Columbia to star in their first feature length movie. Like
some of their last shorts, it also had a sci-fi theme. The title,
HAVE ROCKET, WILL TRAVEL, was inspired by the title
of the then-popular TV western HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL.
Although they were more than 25 years older than when they began
their film careers, Moe and Larry had aged fairly well (it helps
that they were never very good looking to begin with). DeRita's
had neither Curly's lovable zaniness or Shemp's comedic skills,
but his resemblance to Curly at least gave the team the right physical
balance. This new kinder, gentler and more parent-friendly version
of the Three Stooges, though a far cry from the team's glory days,
still provided some enjoyable kid's entertainment. I was five years
old when HAVE ROCKET, WILL TRAVEL was released and
it is among my earliest moviegoing memories.
In their new movie the Stooges play janitors who are accidentally
blasted into space in a rocket. They end up on Venus where they
meet a talking unicorn, a flame shooting giant spider, featuring
footage shot for Universal's TARANTULA, and an artificial
super intelligence who captures the trio, shrinks them to mouse
size then creates his own set of robot Stooges. All of this was
pretty cool stuff for a blossoming young Three Stooges and fantasti-film
fan. If the music during the spider scene sounds familiar, it should.
It's from the 1955 Ray Harryhausen classic IT CAME FROM BENEATH
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AN: This is AU in the sense that we are assuming that Harry defeated Voldemort in his sixth year, so now it’s seventh year, everyone who died in the books is dead. Also, I’m American, so I will write and spell as such, my apologies if that annoys you.
AN: For reference for all future chapters: J.K. Rowling owns everything that you recognize. Anything I reference belongs to the person I reference. You recognize it, probably isn’t mine. Thanks!
Chapter 1- In His Memory
McGonagall was a lunatic.
That was the thought going through every student’s mind as they read to her letter explaining the new program at Hogwarts. They had known that things would be different, without Dumbledore. Little did they know that McGonagall had a plan to keep his memory alive.
Enclosed is the list of books you will need for the new year, as well as your typical Hogwarts letter, however, this additional letter has been included to inform you of a new program starting this year at Hogwarts. Professor Dumbledore was always so eager to see great unity among the houses, so in honor of his memory we will be starting a pen-pal program. You will not know who you are writing to, and there will be a charm so that you cannot give any hints. You will just write to each other throughout the first semester and get to know one another. After Christmas break you will have the option to tell each other what house you are in, and see how that goes. Assuming you are able to overcome your differences, by Easter break you will have the option to tell one another your names. Hopefully you will learn something about a different house.
In a few days you will be receiving your pen-pal package. It will include paper charmed to mail itself to your pen-pal without you knowing who it is you are writing to. It will have the only quill you can use to write on this paper, charmed to prevent exposure before it is allowed. And it will have a list of suggested opening topics to include in your intro letter. Each kit will either have a one or two. If yours has a one, you write the first letter. If it has a two, wait for your pen-pal to write to you. You should start this summer, I will know if you have not started writing to each other by July. It is part of your graduation requirement. Enjoy!
Everyone thought this was the stupidest idea ever. According to the letters sent to non-seventh years, they would receive a new pen-pal every year. Harsh. Hermione wasn’t sure if this was really going to create any better unity than they had had in previous years, but it was a school assignment, so she was willing to participate and try to make it work.
“Did you get McGonagall’s stupid letter about the pen-pal thing?” Hermione was at the Burrow sitting in the backyard with Harry and Ron. Ron was staring at them with huge, wide eyes, obviously distraught at the idea of the assignment.
“Yes, I’m kind of excited about it, aren’t you?” She wasn’t really all that excited, but she knew that if she didn’t pretend to be excited than they would notice it and allow themselves to hate it. If she wanted to see them graduate she was going to have to help them out a bit, even if they didn’t know what she was doing. She chuckled quietly to herself. She was honestly excited about one thing, she had gotten Head Girl, she figured she would leave that as a surprise for the boys, but she was super excited about it.
“Oh, um, yeah I guess. I just hope I don’t get stuck with anyone boring, can you imagine that?” Harry was frowning as he said this, imagining writing back and forth with Millicent Bulstrode. They all laughed.
Their summer had been alright. They had relaxed, recovering from the big battle and all those lost in the war. The beginning of the summer was spent attending funerals, Tonks and Lupin’s, Fred’s, his had been the hardest. Ron had been so unwilling to show any emotion, for fear of showing too much emotion. He and Hermione were not together. They had kissed in the battle, but they had just been too much, it would never work out.
Harry was still in the process of coming to terms with the fact that all the deaths were not his fault. Voldemort would have killed more people if it weren’t for him, not less. Finally coming out the other side, the trio was hoping to make their seventh year a happy year, they deserved it.
Two days after getting the letter, the pen-pal packages arrived. Harry’s had a number one on it, Ron’s had a number two, and Hermione’s also had a number two. They all helped Harry write is first letter. Since he couldn’t tell his pen-pal who he was, it was a general letter just saying hello, how has your summer been so far, etc. Once he had sealed the letter it disappeared.
“Well,” Hermione said, “I guess once you seal it you better be sure you want it sent” she giggled at Harry’s shocked face as he stared at his empty hands.
Ron got his first letter later that day. It sounded a lot like the letter Harry had written, pretty general. He replied with his answers and some questions of his own. Both boys seemed to find it a horrible chore, Hermione couldn’t help but laugh at them.
It was three days before Hermione finally got her first letter. She didn’t want it to be read aloud like the boys’ had been, so she went out into the yard and sat under a tree by the make-shift quidditch pitch.
I don’t really know what to write. I can’t tell you anything about me nor ask anything about you, so I don’t really get the point. This is stupid. I have to go to dinner with my parents. Just, write back if you think of anything we can actually say to one another.
There was no signature, she had kind of expected it to be signed or addressed like Harry and Ron’s had been, with some title like “Your Pen-Pal” or “Dear Pen Pal Person”, anything. It was a bit abrupt and didn’t follow any of the suggested prompts included in the kit. She stuck it in her pocket, figuring she would have to think about what to write.
Two days after receiving her letter she decided to answer it. She had to focus on having her best handwriting, since he wrote so elegantly, she used the cursive she had learned back in third grade.
I think we need to have names for one another. We can make up something fun. I guess you can call me Grace. What would you like to be called? Also, there are so many things we can talk about. We can get to know each other. For example, what is your favorite color? Or, if you had to choose between sharing a room with the Giant Squid and sharing a room with an Acrumantula, which would you choose? This could be fun, getting to know everything about someone.
Hermione sealed her letter and it disappeared, just as Harry and Ron’s had. She then went to find the boys and see if they wanted to head to Diagon Alley to buy books.
The ‘Golden Trio’ went into Diagon Alley and immediately got swamped by people wanting to thank them for vanquishing he-who-must-not-be-named. They eventually decided to split up to different stores. Harry said he would buy their potions supplies, Ron had to go to Olivander’s to get a new wand, his had snapped in the final battle, and Hermione said she would go buy their books.
As she wandered through Flourish and Blotts, a stack of books floating behind her, someone bumped into her from the side.
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” She turned as she spoke, coming face-to-face with Draco Malfoy. He had joined the right side in the end, but it didn’t mean they didn’t still think of him as bad person. The Ministry had found him guilty of being coerced by his family, putting his family in Azkaban, not Draco.
“Watch where you are going Granger.” Hermione knew that it was he who had bumped into her, but the fact that he called her Granger rather than Mudblood was enough to keep her from pointing this out. “What are you trying to do Granger,” Draco brought her attention back to him, “trying to buy out the whole store?” She noticed that he was looking at the large stack of books floating behind her.
“Harry, Ron and I split up. We were getting mobbed out there. I’m in charge of books.” He looked surprised at her honest answer.
“Wow, the golden trio can’t even shop for school supplies without being surrounded by adoring fans wanting to kiss their feet.” He sneered as he said this and Hermione just nodded.
“Exactly, and it’s annoying as hell” Draco looked up at this.
“Granger, you swear?” She laughed at his surprise, he looked angry at having her laugh at him; he took a menacing step closer to her. She didn’t move.
“Yes, I swear. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to buy these books and somehow sneak out of Diagon Alley without being noticed.” Draco just looked at her as she walked off towards the register.
He was standing by the door when she went to leave.
“What do you want Malfoy?” He smirked at that.
“I just thought that I should, like everyone else, repay you for all you have done for the world.” She looked at him suspiciously.
“What are you talking about? You have never thanked anyone, ever.” Draco laughed at her face.
“No, that’s true. I don’t really want to thank you,” Hermione waited, curious as to what he really wanted. “I want in on your plan.” She looked at him confused.
“Whatever plan you have come up with to get out of here unseen.”
“Why would you need to get out unseen?”
“Well, in case you have forgotten, since the Dark Lord lost, and my family was a bit infamous for supporting him, I’m not exactly popular at the moment.” Hermione just looked at him. He scowled at her.
“Do people really give you trouble over it?” Draco looked away at that.
“Thanks to you three, everyone feels like they can best anyone who is ‘dark’, I bet if there are any Death Eaters left un-captured the public will get them, probably kill them too. They will stand up to anyone now.” Hermione still looked skeptical. “Look,” he really needed to get home in one piece, but he was under scrutiny from the government, even if he was free, so he couldn’t risk getting in trouble for apparating without a license. “I’ve been egged, beaten up, hexed, you name it. I just want to get home in one piece. I will pay you to apparate me back to the manor.”
Hermione couldn’t believe her ears. Draco Malfoy was no longer the bully, alright, maybe he still was, but he was also the bullied for a change. He needed her help. She didn’t really want to help him, but he did look really pathetic, plus, it could come in handy to have Draco Malfoy owe her one.
“Fine, I’ll get you home, but you will owe me one.” He nodded his agreement as she grabbed his arm, not missing the fleeting look of disgust that crossed his face, and apparated them out of there. She remembered where Malfoy Manor was, unfortunately, having been tortured there during the war. She apparated them right in front of the door. Draco turned to look at her.
“Um…” He didn’t really know what to say. He felt obliged to say something. “What a cup of tea before you go?” He didn’t really know why he had asked. She was still Hermione Granger, one third of the golden trio. But she didn’t treat him any differently than she had before. She hated him and he hated her, but it was based on him, not his family, and he missed that. Plus, with his family in Azkaban, he did not really have anyone to talk to and summer was getting lonely, not that he would ever admit that.
Hermione looked at him, confused.
“Blunt much?” Draco said it snarkily, but not angrily. “I was just asking. You did get me home, in one piece I might add.” He looked away from her, like he didn’t care what she decided.
But Hermione could see something else there, Malfoy was hiding something, and that made her curious. She had always hated the saying “curiosity killed the cat”, because no one bothered to finish the saying, “and satisfaction brought it back”. She was that cat, she always had been. So she just had to know why Draco Malfoy, of all people, was acting so oddly.
“Um, sure, why not?” Draco looked surprised, to say the least, but he opened the door and motioned for her to walk in.
“Bitsy!” As soon as the word left his mouth a small house-elf appeared at his elbow.
“What can Bitsy do for Master Malfoy?” Bitsy asked, clearly eager to serve. Hermione looked on disapprovingly, but Malfoy didn’t notice. He turned to Hermione quickly.
“What type of tea do you like?”
“What do you have?”
“Bitsy, could you bring a tray of snacks, a peppermint tea, and a…” he thought about it for a second, “forest berry tea to the blue parlor?” It did not escape Hermione’s notice that while he didn’t say please he didn’t order her, he asked.
“Of course Master Malfoy, it is Bitsy’s pleasure Master Malfoy.” She disappeared to the kitchen. Draco walked off and Hermione figured she was supposed to follow him, so she did. By the time they got to the parlor Bitsy was already there, setting the tray on the coffee table. “Do you need anything else Master Malfoy?” Draco shook his head.
“Thanks, that will be all.” Bitsy left again and Draco took a seat, motioning for Hermione to do the same. She stared at him for a few seconds before taking a seat on the couch across from him, watching him wearily.
“Malfoy, can I ask you something?” Draco looked up at her, passing her tea over the table. She took it, mumbling a ‘thank you’ for manner’s sake.
“Uh, I guess. But don’t expect me to answer if it’s a stupid question Granger.” She nodded.
“You were almost, nice, to your house-elf. You asked rather than ordered and you even said thanks. Why?” His eyes got a bit wider before he sat back with his tea. He contemplated what to say for a few minutes. Hermione sipped her tea in silence. She had to admit, the tea was delicious. Finally, Draco looked up.
“My house-elves are the only ones in this house with me. My entire family is in jail. What’s the point in being rude; it only makes my tea arrive cold?” While he said it in such a way as to make it sound like no big deal, like he was doing it for himself, Hermione understood what he would never say. He needed friends; his house-elves were all he had. And just maybe, maybe he had only acted the way he had because of his family. Hermione wasn’t sure she could believe that, but it was possible that the pressure from his family was the reason for who he was. With them out of the way, they might just get to see who the real Draco Malfoy was.
They sat in silence for a few minutes as they drank their tea and ate some snacks. Finally Draco spoke.
“Can I ask you a question in return?” Hermione nodded, surprised. “Why did you agree to bring me back, and then agree to tea? I know why I asked, I haven’t fought with someone in so long, and you are such an easy target, but what’s your excuse?” Again, Hermione caught the hidden meaning that Draco didn’t even know he was saying, he needed someone to talk to. She thought about her answer briefly.
“I brought you back because I thought it might be useful to have you owing my one. I accepted your offer for tea because I was curious as to why you had offered.” Draco seemed to accept these as normal answers, as he just continued to sip his tea. “So what’s with your tea?” He looked at her, confused. “Forest Berries?” He laughed a bit. Hermione was astonished, it was a real laugh. She smiled a bit.
“Don’t tell anyone. I love tea, of all flavors. I drink normal green and black and so on, but I also love strangely flavored ones. The best tea I ever found was a tea flavored just like raspberry shortcake. It was delicious!” Hermione laughed at him, hearing her laugh brought Draco back to reality and his scowl returned. “If you tell anyone I will make sure you regret it.” This time he didn’t use a joking voice. Hermione frowned, sick of Malfoy acting practically bi-polar.
“I won’t. I think it’s interesting. I’ve never really tried any tea outside of the normal and peppermint, as you can see. I will have to give some other flavors a try next time.” Draco just nodded; his mood was back to being pissy. “Well, I should get going.” As she said this she set her empty teacup back on the tray. She looked up at Draco, meeting his stare. “Thank you for the tea, that was very nice.” She was being honest, she had enjoyed their talk. It felt good to talk to someone who you really didn’t care how they took your words. Hermione spent too much of her time worrying about what other people thought and worrying about their feelings, it was nice not to care.
“Of course, I’ll see you out; don’t want the brightest witch of our age to get lost.” He half smirked, half smiled. He did just that, walking beside her all the way to the door, opening it for her. “Goodbye Granger. If you ever want to bicker again, my door is always open.” Hermione knew he meant it literally, he, like she had, had enjoyed talking without caring.
“I might take you up on that. Goodbye Malfoy.” With that she turned on her heel and apparated to the Burrow.
“Hermione!!” Harry and Ron came rushing out of the house. “Where have you been? Are you alright?” Hermione blinked at them. She had totally forgotten that they would be waiting for her. Oops.
“I’m fine.” They stared at her, unsure. “First I had to find the books, get them all over to the line, there was a very long line, then I had to deal with the huge crowd wanting to talk to me, I couldn’t just disapperate away, that would have been rude, so that took a while.” She didn’t really know why she was lying, it’s not like she had gotten along with Malfoy, and they had both done what they did for purely selfish reasons. But she just didn’t want to tell them the truth.
The boys seemed to accept her explanation, a look of dawning crossing their faces.
“Sorry Hermione,” Harry said, “we forgot that you would have to deal with the crazier lines, neither store we went to was all that crazy.” Ron nodded his agreement.
“Yeah, and trust you to be too nice, we just disapperated from the middle of the crowd, you are just too well mannered for your own good.” The three of them laughed, Hermione a bit less sincerely. They walked back into the house together. Hermione went to put her books and supplies into her trunk in Ginny’s room. She found a letter on her bed, it was from her pen-pal.
Sounds like a plan to me. Since we have to do this anyway we might as well try to enjoy it. My favorite color is dark blue. What about you? I would much rather share a room with an Acrumantula, less messy. But it would have to be a large room. If you had to choose between being extremely famous for something bad and being totally unknown to anyone for anything, which would you choose? You can call me Damien I guess, if we are picking names. How has your summer been, mine has been ok. Better today than it has been.
Hermione smiled. Dark blue, what did that say about a person? At least she knew her pen-pal was a guy, which helped in terms of what topics to discuss. She sat down to quickly pen out a response before heading downstairs for dinner.
My favorite color is light purple, which is best when paired with black. Interesting choice in roommates. I would think that the Giant Squid would be a better roomy, since he would be less likely to eat you in your sleep, or even while you are awake. I would rather be unknown to anyone. Being famous isn’t that important, whether the reason is good or bad. My summer has been alright, sad, as I’m sure everyone’s has been, too many funerals for such a short time. What was good about today? What is your favorite animal? If you had to choose between listen to the same song everyday for the rest of your life and never hearing any music ever again, which would you choose?
Hermione sealed her letter and let it disappear. Then she headed down to see if she could help Mrs. Weasley with the final touches on dinner.
AN: Please read and review. If you have an idea for a question or would you rather for the letters, please feel free to include it in your review and I’ll use and credit the good ones. Thanks so much!
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Diversion plans affect the Kindred School districtKindred, ND (WDAY TV) -- The Kindred School district is tens of thousands of dollars short this school year after property taxes in Oxbow dropped. School officials say the proposed diversion project is responsible, and now they are asking the Diversion Authority to make up the difference.
By: Becky Parker, WDAY
Kindred, ND (WDAY TV) -- The Kindred School district is tens of thousands of dollars short this school year after property taxes in Oxbow dropped. School officials say the proposed diversion project is responsible, and now they are asking the Diversion Authority to make up the difference.
Plans for a diversion South of Fargo have the Kindred School District worried about what it could cost them. Property taxes in Oxbow have already dropped twenty-percent, leaving the district with 76-thousand dollars to make up for this year.
Steve Hall/Superintendent: "Every taxpayer in our district is gonna have to pick that cost up."
Without that revenue, the school district plans to increase mills - putting the burden on taxpayers.
And if the plan goes through, it will have a widespread affect.
Hall: "We're talking 23% of our taxable valuation, and 120 students, which is about 19% of our student population."
The mayor of Oxbow has asked the Diversion Authority to make up the difference for the school district... to the tune of 53-thousand dollars.
The authority is discussing whether that is its responsibility.
Darrell Vanyo/Diversion Authority Chair: "To give Kindred School District them the monies may establish a precedent for future reductions through this whole process of building the diversion."
Because of the impact to the school district, officials do not support current diversion plans. They say there are other options out there that would have a much lighter impact.
But if the current plan goes through, they want to make sure that lost revenue comes from somewhere.
Hall: "We have asked that they make us whole. We have asked that the impacts that are brought on by this project, there should be some compensation."
School officials say a new ring dike proposal would also cost the district valuable property. But Diversion Authority Chair Darrell Vanyo says the high level of protection would be good for property values.
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Matthew E. May was invited to sit in on a planning meeting recently, serving as a facilitator to a group of executives who intended to develop a 2013 roadmap for their company. “It kept getting longer and longer,” with each idea spurring another, May said.
Instead of a clear directional plan, the group was brainstorming possibilities, new projects they might undertake. Before long, May pulled the “virtual Andon Cord,” which on some factory floors halts production line because a defect must be fixed. He needed the executives to start editing their ideas. They needed to subtract, not add more.
“There’s nothing easy about subtraction because it doesn’t come easy to us,” he said. Yet that is what May is promoting in his new book The Laws of Subtraction (McGraw Hill, $24, 224 pages). The book officially debuts Oct. 26 with a central message to Corporate America and its leaders: “When you remove just the right thing in just the right way, good things happen. …That old Michelangelo notion: He found David in the marble and removed anything that was not David.”
May, who worked as a full-time consultant to Toyota for eight years, sees his emphasis on subtraction as aligned to the lean movement, agile technology, and design thinking, but with a broader context for business people.
“It’s not about shrinking head count or reductions or right-sizing–it’s just the right things. There needs to be intelligence. There needs to be empathy,” he said in an interview.
He has adjusted his creativity consulting and coaching company accordingly, and stopped taking traditional consulting projects,”the kinds of projects that I used to take just because it was additional money.” By subtracting that work, he focuses more time where he excels–especially writing and facilitating groups.
The Laws of Subtraction contains snippets and stories from consultants, entrepreneurs and others on subtraction in their business lives. Among them are Stanford management professor Robert Sutton, Intuit’s Brad Smith–who shares his “two pizza rule” for the size of development teams–and design star Nancy Duarte, who turned down other design work so her firm could concentrate its creativity and talents on presentation design. (May often notes that he subtracted himself from the book to make room for these perspectives, which account for almost a third of the book.)
He’s been sharing stories from the book in Fast Company online, including one on how to put together a skunk works innovation team.
Managers who want to add subtraction, the author suggests, could start with “a stop doing list.” May picked up this idea from an essay by Good to Great author Jim Collins, noting: “We all try to cram far too much into our waking time.”
Some of it is stupid, wasteful, ugly or boring—and can be omitted. If you don’t know what belongs on your stop-doing list, ”ask those who are closest to you to be the mirror. They’ll tell you,” said May.
He acknowledges how difficult it is to stop doing things when the whole world seems focused on going for faster and more and bigger. “I fight it all the time. I am nowhere near a master of it, not even close,” he said.
Yet he believes it works to help people be more productive, and stand out from the crowd and all the noise. He cites Boston Consulting Group, which required its workers to take at least one night a week off, with no mobile phone, nothing. The consultants felt uncomfortable with this at first, but the results spoke loudly: “Clients liked their work better, their work product got better,” May says in a video on his sixth law: “Doing something isn’t always better than doing nothing.”
May’s “aha” moment on subtraction came in 2003 while working as a full-time adviser to Toyota. “I ran up against a project where I had absolutely no idea what to do,” he recalled. “Generally I’m an idea guy, I have a million ideas and I know what to do. But I was out of them. I was at a standstill.” He had no thought on how to proceed or what answers to provide. Then he noticed a bit of Chinese poetry by Lao Tzu taped to the back of his chair. It said: “To attain knowledge add things every day. To attain wisdom, subtract every day.”
“It woke me up,” he said. He finished the project, and started thinking about the world differently. It led him to write his first book The Elegant Solution based on Toyota’s principles for innovation, and a new career promoting creativity, simplifying and subtracting. “Subtract the obvious and add the meaningful,” he said.
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Two years ago during Lent, I embarked on a forty bags in forty days project. The idea, which came from Faith and Family, was to rid one’s house of forty bags of excess material goods – ideally through giving items away, although some items definitely deserve a place in the trash. I’ve decided it’s time to do it again. No, it isn’t Lent and I most likely won’t be able to accomplish my goal in forty days this time, but I desperately need to get rid of things.
While some people seem to be able to maintain well-ordered houses all the time, mine seems to attract clutter the way refrigerators attract magnets (did I mention that I have too many of those as well?). Some of it, I have little control over. After all, I don’t live alone and I need to respect my husband’s and children’s needs and desires as well. I can encourage them to live more simply and to give away what they no longer need, but no matter how much I might want to, I cannot simply bag up all their possessions and bring them to the local thrift shop. Part of loving other people is making the sacrifice of living with their “stuff.”
Still, I can set a good example and reduce what is within my power to do so. Right now, the sheer amount of stuff is weighing me down. Mary Ann Otto writes of a similar problem in “Boxing Day,” featured in the January 2012 issue of U.S. Catholic:
We tend to store things long after they have outlived their usefulness. I am not sure why; perhaps we document our life with them. Maybe letting go of them reminds us of our own mortality, with the realization that we will not be taking a U-Haul with us into the next life.
Jesus warns us against storing up treasures on earth. There is a reason: I find the more I keep unnecessary items, the more difficult it is to be at peace and in solidarity with Christ’s teachings. I am often distracted by clutter, and there is little doubt others could benefit from my surplus possessions.
There is obviously nothing wrong with owning things. We all need some items – things that are necessary for life, as well as things that are simply beautiful and bring us pleasure, and those items which have a strong emotional value. Yet, most of us own many things that don’t fit into any of those categories, items that we don’t use and which could be doing someone else some good. Those are the items I’m seeking to rid my life of.
I want to live a generous life. This is one way to do that, a simple way to share what I have been blessed with. I have never regretted giving something away. I have found that generosity is always rewarded. If I am generous with others, I trust that when the time comes that I need something, others will be generous with me. I have definitely found that to be the case.
I know I will never completely get rid of all the extraneous items in my life. No doubt, a couple years from now, I will once again desperately need to do a major decluttering. It is one of those on-going battles. Letting go of things is not always easy, however, it is necessary, for both my mental and spiritual health. Let the bagging begin!
- Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur
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Hospitals, retail, long-term-care facilities -- are those all the options available for pharmacists considering the full range of career settings? Absolutely not. One important sector employs PharmDs in a range of functional areas: pharmaceuticals.
"Pharma loves PharmDs, because they're trained with pharmaceuticals, and they know how to apply them to human health," says William Sietsema, vice president of clinical and regulatory strategic planning at Kendle International, a Cincinnati-based company that provides clinical research and development services on a contract basis to the biopharmaceutical industry.
Niches for PharmDs
What industry niches can PharmDs enter, either right from school or with just a few years' work experience or postgraduate training? Each year, pharma hires or promotes PharmDs to work in clinical research, drug safety, medical affairs, medical writing, regulatory affairs, education and even traditional business disciplines such as marketing, sales, finance and legal.
"Quite a few grads go directly into industry, especially if they've already done some relevant research," Sietsema says. A clinical research associate position, for example, might await a newly minted PharmD savvy enough to win an academic-corporate fellowship or an industry internship or residency.
Pharmacists interested in a corporate career do need to keep in mind the milieu they're entering. "Employers want low- or no-maintenance staff and team players," says one California pharmacist recruiter. Although pharmacists in industry may avoid night shifts, they usually work long hours and some weekends. Substantial travel also may be involved.
For their efforts, industry pharmacists are well-compensated. "The pharmaceutical industry pays a real premium to get good people," Sietsema says. "They're almost certain to get a higher salary than in retail or academia.
Still, it's hard to make a broad comparison of pay in industry versus other settings. "Pay in the industry is all over [the] place -- it varies a lot by company," says Rachel Bongiorno, a professor of pharmacology at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy in Baltimore.
Here's a brief survey of some of the most promising career areas for pharmacists in the industry:
Senior scientists in clinical research and drug discovery typically are PhDs. But associate positions and some management roles are open to PharmDs, typically with some research experience.
Clinical research associates help conduct the investigational studies required for a drug to gain FDA approval, design and process case report forms, and write and process study protocols.
"Entry-level positions in industry are often in drug safety," Bongiorno says. With their intensive safety training, PharmDs are well-suited to many roles within this critical function.
Pharmacists may be called on to review adverse effects revealed in clinical studies, work with databases of study results and communicate safety information to a pharmaceutical firm's R&D department.
"People move into regulatory affairs from postgrad training programs like residencies or fellowships," Bongiorno says. Putting in a year or two at relatively low wages can pay big dividends later in terms of career growth and compensation.
Regulatory affairs specialists help ensure that drugs under development meet the complex web of federal and state regulations that protect the public. Pharmacists in this role work with safety data and produce communications such as product labels for patients and healthcare providers.
Marketing and Sales Support
Pharmaceuticals makers can't sell their products without incorporating technical information into their pitch. Enter PharmD medical marketing and sales specialists.
"PharmD reps are the ones who go to hospitals and make sales at conventions," says the California pharmacist recruiter. "They're the pharmacists who go in to see the pharmacists."
Education and Training
Offering a complex array of products, drug companies face a daunting task when it comes to educating their own staffs, the healthcare community at large and the public.
"I help meet the needs of our customers who are healthcare providers," says Catherine Cooke, a Baltimore-based education consultant for Pfizer and an adjunct professor of pharmacology at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. "I do formulary reviews, assist with drug and medical information, and give lectures on disease states and appropriate management at hospitals and in doctors' offices."
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Overloaded with Wasps
- The Secret Goldfish by David Means
Fourth Estate, 211 pp, £14.99, February 2005, ISBN 0 00 716487 4
A controlling symbol or organising detail or image can be sensed fizzing away like a lozenge of meaning in most contemporary short stories. The delicate art of these stories allows the writer to draw our attention to such symbols or images without pressing too hard on the connection. Suppose that a man and woman are getting married. The bride feels that she may be making a mistake, that she will be swamped by her more successful husband-to-be. Weeks ago, she had been reading about a new dam being built in China, which had involved the flooding of entire villages and the obliterating of the evidence of hundreds of lives. At the wedding, the bridegroom’s mother knocks over the punchbowl, sending liquid all over the polished floors. The story can now expire into figurative ellipsis, the mere assemblage of careful parts having done its subtle work of implication and connection.
That is my own crude sketch, but it might stand as a template of the essentially poetic strategy of the short story (and this poetry of construction is the reason novelists and short-story writers are often quite distinct breeds). The American writer David Means will have none of this. His highly original stories are coats that have been reversed to show their linings. Rather than lightly hint at an exquisite pattern or organising symbol, he likes to accentuate the pattern, to dash it in the reader’s face. His stories wilfully resist the formal tidiness of most contemporary short fiction: they drift, fragment, expand, change perspective, and then run out of steam. (And not all of them are successful, even on their own terms.) They seem always to be asking of the reader: is this the right pattern? What can you make of it? In the title story of The Secret Goldfish, Means describes a nasty divorce in a comfortable Connecticut family. As the family is disintegrating, so the family goldfish is being neglected: the water becomes cloudy, ‘stringy green silk’ is blooming, the filter clogged. What would be the merest dab of implication in another writer – one fouled cosmos gently twinned with another – is here turned into a frank split-screen narrative: the two stories almost run alongside each other and the narrative is briefly turned over to the fish, from whose sunken perspective we sense family events. ‘A few times the downstairs door slammed hard enough to jolt him awake. Or there was a smashing sound from the kitchen. Or voices, “What in the world should we do?” “I would most certainly like this to be amicable, for the sake of the kids.”’ The divorcing wife remembers the fish she had as a child, and drifts into piscine theology as Means wittingly overloads the story with a crooked abundance of fishy material: ‘Did Fish remember that he had passed that way before? Was he aware of his eternal hell, caught in the tank’s glass grip? Or did he feel wondrously free, swimming – for all he knew – in Lake Superior, an abundant, wide field of water, with some glass obstructions here and there?’
Sudden expansions and contractions of perspective, jumps in time and place, and a generous flexibility with the formulas of realism characterise the stories of this singular writer. He seems never to have met a convention he likes. But he is not an American surrealist, nor even a postmodernist, really: all his tales are tied to human beings, to motive, desire, terrible restlessness. The oddity of the stories emanates from human oddity, not from authorial freakishness or ludic obstructionism (as in, say, David Foster Wallace). For one thing, Means has a geography and a landscape, to which he ceaselessly returns, and which grounds much of his work: the Michigan where he was born and raised. Again and again he hovers over the appalling emptiness of the Midwestern plains: the freezing, snow-seized fields of Michigan, the hot, brittle wastes of Indiana, Illinois and Ohio are described and redescribed with thrilling lyricism, from ‘the lacklustre flow of the landscape’, to the ‘husk-dry afternoons of the Central Plains’, and ‘the long-simmering nothingness of the fields beyond the edges of the towns … bluegrass and timothy and planted hay and corn dried to a brittle song; the endless, almost needless horizon’.
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After a top-performing African-American server at Denny's was transferred to a different location, the restaurant unexpectedly reassigned her to busing tables. She walked off the job and sued, alleging that she was constructively discharged on the basis of race. An appeals court sided with her. Reason: The job had less "prestige" and unfavorable work hours, so it could have been a pretext for racial bias.
The lesson: Make sure your front-line managers know there can be just as much legal jeopardy in making a worker's job so intolerable that he's forced to quit (constructive discharge) as there is in firing that worker. (Logan v. Denny's Inc., 259 F.3d 558, No. 99-4395, 6th Cir., 2002)
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Update: Streamy Explains CAP and HBase's Approach to CAP. We plan to employ inter-cluster replication, with each cluster located in a single DC. Remote replication will introduce some eventual consistency into the system, but each cluster will continue to be strongly consistent.
Ryan Barrett, Google App Engine datastore lead, gave this talk Transactions Across Datacenters (and Other Weekend Projects) at the Google I/O 2009 conference.
While the talk doesn't necessarily break new technical ground, Ryan does an excellent job explaining and evaluating the different options you have when architecting a system to work across multiple datacenters. This is called multihoming, operating from multiple datacenters simultaneously.
As multihoming is one of the most challenging tasks in all computing, Ryan's clear and thoughtful style comfortably leads you through the various options. On the trip you learn:
- lowish latency writes
- datacenter failure survival
- strong consistency guarantees.
There's still a lot more to learn. Here's my gloss on the talk:
Consistency - What happens happens after you read after a write?Read/write data is one of the hardest kinds of data to run across datacenters. Users a expect a certain level of reliability and consistency.
Transactions - Extended form of consistency across multiple operations.
Why Operate in Multiple Datacenters?
Why Not Operate in Multiple Datacenters?
Your Different Architecture Options
- Better, but not great.
- Data are usually replicated asynchronously so there's a window of vulnerability for loss.
- Data in your other datacenters may not be consistent on failure.
- Popular with financial institutions.
- You get geolocation to serve reads. Consistency depends on the technique. Writes are still limited to one datacenter.
- So some choose to do it with just two datacenters. NASDAQ has two datacenters close together (low latency) and perform a two-phase commit on every transaction, but they have very strict latency requirements.
- Using more than two datacenters is fundamentally harder. You pay for it with queuing delays, routing delays, speed of light. You have to talk between datacenters. Just fundamentally slower with a smaller pipe. You may pay for with capacity and throughput, but you'll definitely pay in latency.
How Do You Actually Do This?What are the techniques and tradeoffs of different approaches? Here's the evaluation matrix:
- M/S = master/slave, MM - multi-master, 2PC - 2 Phase Commit
- What kind of consistency, transactions, latency throughput do we get for a particular approach? Will we lose data on failure? How much will we lose? When we failover for maintenance or we want to move things, say decommissioning a datacenter, how well do we do that, how well do the techniques support it?
- Replication is asynchronous so good for latency and throughput.
- Weak/eventual consistency unless you are very careful.
- You have multiple copies in the datacenters, so you'll lose a little data on failure, but not much. Failover can go read-only until the master has been moved to another datacenter.
- Datastore currently uses this mechanism. Truly multihoming adds latency because you have to add the extra hop between datacenters. App Engine is already slow on writes so this extra hit would be painful. M/S gives you most of the benefits of better forms while still offering lower latency writes.
- You figure out how to merge all the writes later when there's a conflict. It's like asynchronous replication, but you are serving writes from multiple locations.
- Best you can do is Eventual Consistency. Writes don't immediately go everywhere. This is a paradigm shift here. We've assumed with a strongly consistent system that backup and M/S that they don't change anything. They are just techniques to help us multihome. Here it literally changes how the system runs because the multiple writes must be merged.
- To do the merging you must find away to serialize, impose an ordering on all your writes. There is no global clock. Things happen in parallel. You can't ever know what happens first. So you make it up using timestamps, local timetamps + skew, local version numbers, distributed consensus protocol. This is the magic and there are a number of ways to do it.
- There's no way to do a global transaction. With multiple simultaneous writes you can't guarantee transactions. So you have to figure out what to do afterward.
- AppEngine wants strong consistency to make building applications easier, so they didn't consider this option.
- Failover is easy because each datacenter can handle writes.
- Semi-distributed because there's always a master coordinator for a given 2PC transaction. Because there are so few datacenters you tend to go through the same set of master coordinators.
- It's synchronous. All transactions are serialized through that master which kills your throughput and increases latency.
- Never serious considered this option because write throughput is very important to them. No single point of failure or serialization point would work for them. Latency is high because of the extra coordination. Writes can be in the 200msec area.
- This option does work though. You write to all datacenters or nothing. You get strong consistency and transactions.
- Need N+1 datacenters. If you take one down then you still have N to handle your load.
- Protocol: there's a propose step and then an agree step. You only need a majority of nodes to agree to say something is persisted for it to be considered persisted.
- Unlike 2PC it is fully distributed. There's no single master coordinator.
- Multiple transactions can be run in parallel. There's less serialization.
- Writes are high latency because of the 2 extra round coordination trips required in the protocol.
- Wanted to do this, but the they didn't want to pay the 150msec latency hit to writes, especially when competing against 5msec writes for RDBMSes.
- They tried using physcially close datacenters but the built-in multi-datacenter overhead (routers, etc) was too high. Even in the same datacenter was too slow.
- Paxos is still used a ton within Google. Especially for lock servers. For coordinating anything they do across datacenters. Especially when state is moved between datacenters. If your app is serving data in one datacenter and it should be moved to another that coordination is done through Paxos. It's used also in managing memcache and offline processing.
DiscussionA few things I wondered through the talk. Did they ever consider a distributed MVCC approach? That might be interesting and wasn't addressed as an option. Clearly at Google scale an in-memory data grid isn't yet appropriate.
A preference for the strong consistency model was repeatedly specified as a major design goal because this makes the job of the programmer easier. A counter to this is that the programming model for Google App Engine is already very difficult. The limits and the lack of traditional relational database programming features put a lot of responsibility back on the programmer to write a scalable app. I wonder if giving up strong consistency would have been such a big deal in comparison?
I really appreciated the evaluation matrix and the discussion of why Google App Engine made the choices they did. Since writes are already slow on Google App Engine they didn't have a lot of headroom to absorb more layers of coordination. These are the kinds of things developers talk about in design meetings, but they usually don't make it outside the cubicle or conference room walls. I can just hear Ryan, with voiced raised, saying "Why can't we have it all!" But it never seems we can have everything. Many thanks to Ryan for sharing.
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HTML contains invalid UTF-8 character(s)
Tuesday 27 November 2012
November 26, 2012 (JUBA) - The European Union (EU) on Monday said it fully supports the decision by the South Sudan government and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) to relocate Yida camp in Unity state.
The EU ambassador, Sven K[[#252]]hn von Burgsdorff, who visited Yida camp, accompanied by the Ambassador of France and representatives from other member countries, expressed his concerns about the complex and logistically challenging humanitarian operations in the areas.
“[However] the mission was positively impressed by the dedication of the humanitarian workers in assisting the refugees in a challenging location with limited access during six months of the year throughout the rain season,” the EU said in a statement to Sudan Tribune.
In recent months, heavy rains have made it extremely difficult for humanitarian workers to provide refugees with adequate food, water, sanitation and health services.
Burgsdorff, during a meeting with the refugee committee, reportedly pledged the EU's commitment to not only provide life-saving services to the refugee population, but also to ensuring that refugees have access to education and livelihood services.
Antonio Guterres, the UN high commissioner for refugees, said the situation in Yida, which has nearly 60,000 Sudanese refugees, fleeing conflict across the border in neighbouring Sudan, presents one of the most “forgotten crises and challenging refugee operations in the world.”
Gueterres, who visited Yida camp last week, appealed to the international community to help find solutions to the problems affecting nearly 180,000 and 40,000 refugees in South Sudan and Ethiopia respectively.
“My appeal to the international community is for them to be able to express to the refugees the same solidarity shown by host communities towards them. We need financial and political support in order to find a political solution to the crisis,” said Guteres.
“There is never a humanitarian solution for a humanitarian problem. The solution is always political and it goes far beyond our mandate,” he added.
Guterres also lauded the commitment of the South Sudan government in doing whatever it takes to convince refugees to move to better and safer locations.
He also warned against permitting armed people to enter camps, saying the practice could generate violence in the form of forceful recruitment and sexual hostility.
“It is very important that the camps preserve their civilian and humanitarian nature,” said Guterres.
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Thanksgiving holiday is a natural way to bring up the topic of thankfulness, what blessings are, and what we are thankful for at this point in our lives. I decided that my children and I would create a thankful banner to use as a Thanksgiving decoration and as a visual reminder of the things we are thankful for this year.
Craft glue (this is a little stronger than white glue)
twine, yarn, or ribbon
straws for each banner piece
crayons, markers, color pencils or other art supplies for decorating
First print out a banner template for each person decorating. I printed mine out on white cardstock for better durability. Each family member will be using the white banner to create their own thankful banner piece. Next use one of the cut-out banners as a template to trace onto pattern paper of your choice. I picked two different patterns and cut out four pattern pieces. My goal was to have a pattern piece and custom-designed piece alternating.
Have each family member design their own “What I’m Thankful For..” banner piece.
Next you will fold the top part of the banner. Place a straw in the crease of the fold. Apply craft glue along the top edge of the paper and fold over the straw. I use craft glue because it has a stronger bond than white glue. You can use white glue, but you’ll have to hold the paper in place longer for the glue to set.
Once the glue is dry, your straw will be all wrapped up in a paper pocket.
You’ll notice that from the front the straw and the folded paper show. This isn’t very pretty, so you will just cut that portion off, using the edge of the banner as a guide.
Once you have all your pieces, you will string them together with a piece of twine, ribbon, or string. The straws make this part a breeze because the twine can easily thread through.
I alternated each custom-designed piece with a pattern piece. This project is very versatile and can easily be changed for any season or theme. Right now every time I walk into my living room I am reminded of all my blessings and smile.
Maureen is a former elementary school teacher who now has a classroom of 6 at home. She blogs at Spell Outloud sharing toddler activities and homeschool highlights.
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Updated at 1:25 p.m.
An Indiana patient has died and federal health officials say the number of infections in the United States has risen to 198.
That includes the 197 meningitis cases and one infection in a joint.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control Saturday afternoon said that 13 additional meningitis cases have been confirmed, at least two of those in Tennessee. The Indiana death raises the nationwide death toll to 15, with six of those in Tennessee.
Tennessee health officials have found two more cases of meningitis, bringing the state’s total to 52, according to a Saturday morning update.
- Discuss the fungal meningitis outbreak on Facebook
- Continuing coverage of the fungal meningitis outbreak
The Tennessee Department of Health released the update just before noon Saturday, saying that the death toll from the outbreak remains at six. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has not yet updated the number of nationwide meningitis cases, which as of yesterday totaled 184 with an additional Michigan patient diagnosed as having a joint infection caused by contaminated medicine. The nationwide death toll was 14.
Tennessee health officials said they have determined that a June shipment of methylprednisolone used to treat patients is not among the recalled lots from the New England Compounding Center. There had previously been worries that 111 patients at Saint Thomas Outpatient Neurosurgery Center who received injections with the June steroids may have been injected with the recalled medications. Those patients appear to be in the clear.
"We think that's good news for all those folks,” said Woody McMillin, spokesman for the Department of Health. “It appears they are contaminant-free.”
Officials say anyone who may have had epidural steroid injection at PCA Pain Center in Oak Ridge, Saint Thomas Outpatient Neurosurgery Center in Nashville and the Specialty Surgery Center in Crossville should call their health care provider. Anyone wanting more information about the outbreak can call the Tennessee Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222.
Contact Brian Haas at 615-726-8968 or firstname.lastname@example.org.
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Make the Dangerous Choice to Dissent – Umair Haque – Harvard Business Review
Posted by Heather E. Young-Leslie, Ph.D. on October 16, 2011
This is my first ‘re-blogging’. While I may retweet, I generally prefer to speak my own words. But Umair Haque has captured my sentiments so well that I have to share him. Haque blogs for the Harvard Business Review. Indeed. HBR. I admit, my presumptions about HBR were that it would be ultra-conservative. So the pleasing experiences that come from reading Umair Haque’s opinions are augmented by the surprise factor that I’m reading them in the HBR. I guess the adage about not judging books by their covers still applies. What applies even more is Haque’s message, one that resonates neatly with the Occupy Wall (Bay, etc) Street anti-inequity campaign currently sweeping North America.
Karl Marx didn’t quite see culturejammers Adbusters coming –he thought the revolution would come from the proletariat rather than artists — but he did predict that ‘the people’ would eventually reject the monopolization of their lives by a work-dominated system that demeans the workers and rewards those who exploit them politically, economically and in terms of cultural capital. And that’s what’s driving the current protests: what they refer to as corporatized and monied corruption of democracy.
Industrial revolution era Marx and his notion that the ultimate society was one without class-based inequities has clearly influenced our current post-modernism era Adbusters (Walter Benjamin too); perhaps they also influence Haque? Certainly Haque and Adbusters’ both are crystallizing what a lot of us are feeling: We’re fed-up with the current system of success for the few and inequity for the majority. We want more than to simply qualify for a mortgage. We want a life that is rewarding beyond the paper handcuffs of a pay cheque. Umair Haque says go for it. Simply.
This entry was posted on October 16, 2011 at 06:07 and is filed under Social Justice. Tagged: Adbusters, Modern Democracy, Occupy Wall Street, Social Movements. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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Drugs, alcohol, junk draw interest
Members of Cimarron County's Chamber of commerce, and its LEAD Committee met to begin forming a strategic plan for the county.
Also in attendance were the representative of one county bank, one state employee, a member of one Federal Agency, several businessmen and one Agri-businessman.
Marty Albright, of the O.S.U. Extension office under whose auspices the LEAD Committee operates began by giving an overhead synopsis of the survey sent out to more than one-thousand county residents.
Sixty-nine families or individuals responded to the open-ended questions of the survey.
According to the survey:
Sixty-two percent of the respondents have lived in the county for more than 20 years and only one percent have lived here for five years or less.
The respondents would like to see:
City/county employees keep vacant lots mowed.
Use the vast potential of Boise City.
Clean up the county so we won't have the reputation as the Panhandle's junk yard.
“I take pride in my community because there is not a place on earth like it--I would love any change.”
If some greedy person hadn't priced land so high we could have had a slaughter house.
It [the county] needs a McDonald's or Wal-Mart. (A Dollar General or Wal-Mart were the most requested businesses wanted in the county. Least wanted--Hog farms or Seaboard)
It would help if Keyes would support the county instead of Kansas.
Make strong efforts to educate our teens and preteens on the dangers of drugs and alcohol.
Thirty-five percent of the respondents gave their annual income as $20 to $40 thousand per year.
Fifty-three percent gave their zip code as 73933 (Boise City)
Thirty-three percent gave their age as 65 or older; six-percent were age 18 to 25.
Of the 69 respondents, 11 cited community improvement and development as areas they'd be interested in working to help the county; seven, said services for the elderly. The rest brought up a diverse group of items including: Economic development, health care, Christian Ministries, team roping and oil and gas.
In answering the survey question as to what would improve the community/county, 39 percent said cleaning up old houses, junk, another eight percent said beautification and five percent each mentioned community pride and junk cars.
In answering the question of what is the county's strengths, nine percent said our work ethic, eight percent our churches and four percent friendliness and good citizens.
(The survey results are 13 pages front and back. A copy may be picked up at the Extension office-Ed.)
Chamber consultant demonstrates a strategic plan.
Don Cox, a retired economic development and chamber of commerce executive has graciously volunteered to help the Cimarron County Chamber to establish a strategic plan.
Cox used a S.W.O.T. (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) Matrix to begin the building process.
H Availability to Higher Education-O.P.S.U.
H Transportation hub.
H Good civic organizations.
H Limited population
H Outward migration
H limited housing and shopping.
H Potential wind energy
H Lack of communication between governing entities
H Changing dynamic
H Loss of businesses and young people
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Australian and New Zealand students take out the Kip McGrath Education Centres Worldwide Times Tables Challenge.
Students from the Kip McGrath Education Centres in Remuera and Willetton took out the recent Kip McGrath Worldwide Times Tables Challenge, which is held in Kip McGrath Education Centres throughout the world each year.
Students compete in the challenge over a period of 2 months to improve their times tables and attain their best score on the Kip McGrath Times Tables computer program. They have the chance not only to attain a personal best and improve their times tables skills, but also to compete with Kip McGrath students from all over the world.
This year, over 2000 students competed in the challenge from countries including Australia, New Zealand, the UK, South Africa and Singapore.
In the Under 8 Years age group: Daniella Lu won the Level 1 challenge and Akindu Marasinghe was the winner of Levels 2 and 3. They are both students at the Remuera centre in New Zealand.
Carmel Palan, from the Willetton centre in Western Australia, took out all three levels in the 8-10 Years category. She was able to complete 209 correct times tables in just 2 minutes.
In the 11-14 Years age group: William Ellis from the Willetton centre achieved the highest score of the competition, with 211 correct answers on Level 1 and Dean Puwananuwat from the Remeura centre won Levels 2 and 3.
Jack Wang of the Willetton centre took out Level 1 in the 14+ Years age group and Brian Lam of Remeura was the champion for Levels 2 and 3.
Pictured Above– Winners William Ellis and Carmel Palan with their tutor, Dr Anne Devenish.
| Jack Wang with Willetton centre owner, Julie Courtis.
| Winners Dean Puwananuwat, Akindu Marasinghe and Daniella Lu are presented their certificates by New Zealand Master Franchisee, Jonathan Anderson.
Congratulations to the winning students and to all Kip McGrath Students who participated.
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- Residential Market
- Light Commercial Market
- Commercial Market
- Indoor Air Quality
- Components & Accessories
- Residential Controls
- Commercial Controls
- Testing, Monitoring, Tools
- Services, Apps & Software
- Standards & Legislation
- EXTRA EDITION
It was mid-1983 when Denso Corp. — a large automotive OEM and the biggest car air conditioning manufacturer in the world — first began distributing its novel personnel cooling unit, dubbed MovinCool. Judging by the state of the market today, a lot has transpired since those early days.
To say that the market has evolved would be putting things mildly. For one, cooling people in the manufacturing environment, which was the product’s original design parameter and intent, now represents a fairly small percentage of its use. And while a rugged line of coolers is still manufactured for the production floor or warehouse, the largest application by far is cooling computers, servers, telephone equipment, and the various electronic equipment consoles spread throughout the workplace.
As a result, nearly all new models and product innovations in this product sector are geared toward equipment cooling. These commercial applications don’t require high ambient operating ranges or weatherproof cabinets like the original generation. Everything from sleeker designs to energy-efficient, user-friendly features are built into the latest generation to address the higher tech, closer tolerance equipment room environment where most portables are used. Other than being mounted on four casters, the newer generation shares little with those original models.
However, it is the original design’s mobility that continues to make portable air conditioners so popular. For either permanent or temporary use, portables provide a flexibility that can’t be duplicated. Within the office environment, hospitals, and other commercial buildings, nothing can be deployed as quickly to provide relief for the many localized hot spots. The portable design solves problems that would otherwise take many days or many more dollars to solve with installed systems.
That’s why IT managers, contractors, engineering departments, and administrators are counted among the most loyal users of portable equipment. How these groups of users are utilizing portables has influenced many of the changes and design parameters for the latest generation of units. Among those changes are:
• Higher sensible cooling de-
signs. Many new models designed by industry manufacturers have been reconfigured with higher sensible cooling capabilities geared to the equipment cooling market.
• Energy-efficient components. Variable-speed inverter compressors, superior coil design, more efficient motors, etc., are being built into today’s portables to minimize energy consumption per Btuh produced.
• Operating benefits. Features such as programmable operation, power outage protection, self diagnostics, and monitoring are being built into the newer generations.
• Quieter operation. Manufacturers are finding ways to build equipment with better sound dampening techniques.
• Slimmer profiles. Units of higher capacity are being designed to roll through interior doorways.
The Non-Portable Portable
But even with the advances in design and technology built into the newer generation portables, one of the product’s shortcomings simply can’t be overcome. Because portables are nearly always located within the room requiring cooling, they take up floor space. And in the modern-day equipment room, which is crammed with equipment, floor space is at a premium.
This problem is primarily re-
sponsible for the popularity of the “non-portable portable.” Better known as a ceiling-mounted unit, this configuration has become popular for solving the same issues the portable has become famous for — without the drawback of residing on valuable floor space.
Mounted securely above the drop ceiling or bolted into the concrete deck above, the ceiling-mounted unit provides the necessary full-time cooling for small to medium equipment rooms, which are the main domain for portables.
Even though, by definition, the ceiling-mounted unit is not a portable air conditioner, it has become popular among the same group of users and installers that are enamored with portables. As such, most of the portable suppliers and distributors stock and sell ceiling-mounted units. They are considered by some distributors to be an extension of the portable market.
The most popular ceiling-mounted units come in air-cooled and water-cooled configurations. At present, they are available in 1- to 2.5-ton capacities but larger sizes should soon be available. Its biggest drawback is that you can’t rent the product. It is simply a “for sale” item.
Even so, there seems to be plenty of room for this segment to grow. And as long as corporate America continues to be addicted to technology, chances are good that new and ever more efficient systems will be added to the present lineup — even if they don’t have wheels.
The portable air conditioning market has certainly come of age, and all signs seem to indicate that 30 years from now it will be celebrating its 60th birthday.
Publication date: 6/25/2012
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Walsh Library Opens Its Doors to Students 24/7Contact: Gina Vergel
| William D. Walsh Family Library
Part of the William D. Walsh Family Library on the Rose Hill campus is now available to students 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Students can now access what has been dubbed the “late night zone,” which consists of a reading room, computer lab and photocopy center on the east wing of the library’s first floor.
“Students have been asking for 24/7 service for several years,” said James P. McCabe, Ph.D., the University’s librarian. “Most nights, we get between 10 and 30 students. During midterms and finals we get a lot more.”
A library employee is available in the reading room until 2 a.m. and two security guards are on duty throughout the night. In the past, the late-night access to the library has been available only during midterm and final exams, McCabe said.
The Walsh Library, built in 1997, contains more than 1 million volumes and 380,000 government documents and is considered among the best university libraries in the country. In its 2004 edition of The Best 351 Colleges, the Princeton Review ranked the library fifth in the nation. It is named after William D. Walsh, a 1951 graduate of Fordham College at Rose Hill.
Founded in 1841, Fordham is the Jesuit University of New York, offering exceptional education distinguished by the Jesuit tradition to approximately 15,600 students in its four undergraduate colleges and its six graduate and professional schools. It has residential campuses in the Bronx and Manhattan, a commuter campus in Westchester, and the Louis Calder Center Biological Field Station in Armonk, N.Y.
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The Judiciary's procurement program is in accordance with the Hawaii`i Public Procurement Code, Chapter 103D, Hawaii Revised Statures. Administrators at the court and program level decide what to buy, how, and from whom, and are guided by the Procurement Code and budgetary provisions.
Each procurement is classified as either a small purchase, large purchase, professional service, sole-source, or emergency.
Purchases less than $50,000 are referred to as small purchases. A small purchase requires no less than three price quotations, and is awarded to the vendor with the most advantageous quotation. Price quotations for purchases of $15,000 to less than $50,000 may be solicited via the Hawaii Electronic Procurement System (HePS) or by publication of the solicitation on this website. In some circumstances, the competitive sealed bidding (IFB) , competitive sealed proposal (RFP) or Sole Source process may be used for a small purchase.
Purchases $50,000 or more are referred to as large purchases. Generally, procurement is made by competitive sealed bidding (IFB) or competitive sealed proposals (RFP) following publication on the State Procurement Office's Public Notice System. Vendors may obtain a copy of the solicitation directly from the Judiciary website. The IFB and RFP documents stipulate the scope of work or requirement, specifications, terms and conditions, and the time, date, and location for submittal of the bid or proposal. The documents also identify the person(s) to contact if you have questions about the procurement.
These are services deemed "professional" by the Hawaii`i Public Procurement Code. With some exceptions, procurement is by competitive sealed bids, competitive sealed proposals, small purchase process, sole source procurement, emergency procurement, or professional services process. The exceptions are when the services are related to criminal and civil proceedings. Services of legal counsel, guardian ad litem, psychiatrists, and psychologists are exempted from the procurement code, and the Judiciary is able to use any reasonable procurement method to procure such services.
The professional services procurement method involves soliciting names and statements of qualifications from persons or firms, determining qualified persons and firms, and making selection from a list of 3 qualified persons and firms established by a selection committee.
Sole source purchases are made without competition when courts and programs are able to justify procurement from a single source. The Administrative Director of Courts must approve all sole source procurement. The Judiciary publicly posts its intention to procure from a sole source at least 7 days prior to approval being granted by the Administrative Director of Courts. Sole source procurements are for purchases $50,000 or more. Those less than $50,000 are handled as small purchases.
Emergency purchases are made whenever situations arise which create a threat to public health, welfare, safety, or the continued function of the Judiciary, and normal procurement methods cannot be followed. Emergency procurements are for expenditures $50,000 or more; those less than $50,000 are handled as small purchases.
Taxes and Other Requirements
Vendor are required to include all applicable taxes when submitting bid and RFP documents, and when responding to requests for price quotations. Information on taxes is available from any state district tax office.
Additionally, a tax clearance certificate from both the Hawai‘i Department of Taxation and the IRS, a DLIR Form 27 from the State department of Labor and Industrial Relations, and if applicable, a Certificate of Good Standing from the State Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs are required prior to entering into a contract and upon final payment of a contract. A tax clearance application Form A-6 is available from any district tax office or by mail by calling 808-587-4242 or 1-800-222-3229. More information on tax clearances is available from the Hawai‘i State Government Home Page.
In lieu of the above paper forms, a single "Certificate of Vendor Compliance" can be obtained online from the Hawaii Compliance Express (HCE), which provides a simpler and faster method for vendors to comply with the above requirements.
The Judiciary is obligated by statute to make payment to vendors within 30 days of receipt of a proper invoice and satisfactory delivery of goods or performance of services. In the event the Judiciary is unable to comply with the 30-day requirement, the vendor is entitled to interest on the principal amount remaining unpaid at a rate equal to the prime rate for each calendar quarter plus two per cent, but in no event shall exceed twelve (12) percent per year commencing on the 30th day following receipt of the invoice and satisfactory delivery of goods or performance of services. "Prime rate" means the prime rate as posted in the Wall Street Journal on the first business day of the month preceding the calendar quarter. This policy does not apply to delays due to bona fide disputes between the vendor and the Judiciary, labor disputes, power or mechanical failure, fire, or act of God or any similar circumstances beyond the control of the Judiciary. If interest is owed because of a late payment, a separate check for the interest may be issued to the vendor when the interest is $5 or more. When the interest owed is under $5, the vendor must submit an invoice for the interest.
Invoices are received by the court or program making the procurement, and payment documents are initiated at this level and forwarded to a central accounting staff for review. The documents are then forwarded to the Department of Accounting and General Services for the issuance and mailing of checks. If you have questions about the status of any payment, please contact the fiscal officer of the court or program procuring the goods or services.
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National Forum on Disability Issues webinar
Date: Friday, September 28th, 2012
Time: 11:30 am
Duration: 3 hours
Location: Mathers, Pearsons Hall
Sponsored by: Learning Enrichment and Disability Services / Contact: Joy de Leon ext. 2572
Contact: Joy de Leon
Please join this webinar as Edward M. “Ted” Kennedy, Jr., and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) talk about policies and issues that affect individuals with disabilities at the National Forum on Disability Issues (NFDI).
If you are planning on bringing a large group, please contact Joy de Leon at ext. 2572.
Edward M. “Ted” Kennedy, Jr., and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) are speaking on behalf of their respective parties at the National Forum on Disability Issues (NFDI) to present their campaign’s positions on matters relating to Americans with disabilities. The event takes place between 11:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. (cst), Friday, Sept. 28, at the Hyatt Regency, Columbus, Ohio.
The non-partisan forum is the only national event that brings together representatives from Obama’s and Romney’s campaigns and provides them with a platform to present their candidate’s policy positions on disability issues.
“There are more than 57 million Americans with disabilities,” said Sue Hetrick, director of public policy of the Ability Center of Greater Toledo and coordinator of the Ohio Disability Vote Coalition. “This is an opportunity for the growing disability community to hear the policy viewpoints of the people who will represent them in Washington.”
Frank Sesno, director of the School of Media and Public Affairs at the George Washington University, and former CNN White House correspondent, anchor and Washington bureau chief, is serving as moderator.
Format of the Forum
Each representative will occupy the stage exclusively for 30 minutes. During that time, they will have 10 minutes to present their party’s vision for the future on disability policy in America and 20 minutes to respond to questions presented by Sesno. Questions for the session have been generated by the disability community. Each candidate has the opportunity to address such topics as employment, health care, long-term community-based services and supports, education, transportation, housing, and research.
Individuals interested in registering for the live webcast can do so at http://www.nfdi.org/.
More than 80 organizations are sponsoring the forum representing local and national partners and their members including Paralyzed Veterans of America, National Council on Independent Living and the National Council on Aging.
For more information, visit http://www.nfdi.org/.
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Ladysmith — As South Africa forges on with its infrastructure build, electricity remains a key developmental goal with government aiming to electrify every household in the country, President Jacob Zuma said on Saturday.
The rollout of electricity supply in remote areas is important to improve the lives of people, he added. Zuma was speaking following his first tour of the Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme.
"This is an important visit at this significant project," said Zuma, adding that such visits are undertaken to assess progress made in key projects that government is implementing as part of monitoring and evaluation.
"Ingula is a significant part of the infrastructure development plan," he added of the massive plan to turn the country into a massive construction site aimed at primarily developing the country's rural areas.
Zuma's visit follows on an earlier trip to the Medupi power plant in Lephalale, Limpopo. The President was impressed with the progress made at the plant.
"We are winning in our efforts to ensure adequate supply for household use and industrial use," he said, adding that the recent results of Census 2011 had shown that over 80% of the country now had access to electricity compared to the 58% in the 1996 census.
"This is a significant improvement. When we visit such sites it is meaningful for every South African. The importance of electricity cannot be over emphasised," Zuma said, following the tour of the plant that will come on line in 2014 on phased intervals.
The visit, he said, gave people hope that power will come to all households.
"We don't ever want people to doubt the security of supply, it's in the national interest," he said.
Zuma was accompanied to the storage scheme that consists of an upper and lower dam, each with a capacity of approximately 22 millioln cubic metres of water by Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba, Energy Minister Dipuo Peters and Eskom CEO Brian Dames among others.
The erratic supply of electricity in previous years had cost the country, the President told a packed marquee at the plant surrounded by lush greenery.
The Ingula project will cost R23 billion. The infrastructure plan involves several SIP including SIP 9: Electricity generation to support socio-economic development. This is so as to accelerate the construction of new electricity generation capacity in accordance with the country's energy plan namely the IRP2010 to meet the electricity generation needs of the country to ensure economic growth as well as to address historical imbalances.
"The project will cost R23 billion. The country's infrastructure plan will change the lives of people," he said, adding that this will provide jobs and grow the economy. "This is a very unique site," he said.
Eskom board member Collin Matjila said the power parastatal has taken note of the importance of sustainable development; hence the parastatal has integrated this into its plans.
"Twenty years from now coal will contribute less to [electricity supply] and renewable energy will play a bigger role," he said, adding that supply will be tight in the short and medium term.
Gigaba agreed with Matjila, adding that security of supply will be tight but that government is working on ensuring supply in the future.
The President unveiled a plaque to commemorate his visit to Ingula.
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MDA fundraiser ride is Saturday
A local man diagnosed with muscular dystrophy as a child is planning to help those who helped him in the past.
Scott Wilhite, a 2000 graduate of Baldwin High School, is hosting a benefit horse ride and auction Saturday at Rockhaven Park, which is south of Clinton Lake. Proceeds will go to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Wilhite said it will cost $25 for a horse ride on a trail along Clinton Lake. Rides start at 9 a.m. All the items for the auction were donations from area businesses. They include gift certificates and items such as fans, candles and coolers. The auction is set for 4 p.m.
"I have lived with it (MD) all my life," he said. "MDA has done a lot for me and I just want to give something back."
Wilhite was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy when he was a child and was not expected to live long, let alone walk. The former MDA poster child traveled throughout the country educating people about the disease.
Now, at age 26, he works on a ranch in Park City, Neb. Although he can do much of the work, Wilhite said he still feels the effects of MD.
"I can go out and work with the rest of the guys, but when I come back, I hurt," he said. "It is more stressful on me than other people."
He said his bones are fragile and his muscles are weak from the disease, but that does not stop him from doing his work.
MD is a disease that causes muscle tissue to progressively weaken. Angela Hills, health care service coordinator for the Kansas City MDA, said there are 43 classifications of MD that vary in age of onset, severity and origin.
Some forms, like Wilhite's, have onset at a young age with severe muscle deterioration, while others like ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, occur later in life. While all forms have different characteristics, Hills said all forms do not have a cure.
Hills said the Kansas City MDA office, which is at the Kansas University Medical Center, offers treatment, support groups, wheelchairs and scooters, public education and a summer camp for children with MD.
The Kansas City MDA is funded by private funds. So fundraisers like Wilhite's benefit ride are important, Hills said.
"Every penny counts," she said.
Mylinda Wilhite, Scott Wilhite's stepmother, has picked up many of the donated items for the auction and said she hopes the benefit will provide inspiration for children with MD.
"What I'm hoping people see is that there is hope for people with MD for a cure," she said, "and that miracles do happen."
The benefit ride and auction was originally scheduled for last week, but was rained out. Wilhite said the benefit will take place rain or shine Saturday. Either way, he said it should be an enjoyable time.
"Even with no one else out there last time, it was still fun," he said.
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Ask a person what his or her favorite color is and the answer is usually blue, and with good reason too. Blue is an aspiring and inspiring color. It symbolizes hope, confidence. It can be happy or moody, silly or reserved. Blue is calming and blue is electric. We see this certain calm when we look at a painting by Monet. We see jazzy electricity in a work by Van Gogh.
Blue can work in any area of your home. Think office, bathroom, study, or even the sun porch. Blue isn’t just for baby boys anymore, even thought the color still works well in a traditional or modern nursery. Remember reds and oranges make blue pop, while greens lend a more blended feel to a blue palette. Check out the cool blues in the Color Cards from California Paints. You can also find some of my blue inspiration over at Pinterest. Feel free to repin and share. Have a great time “thinking blue”!
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The NYU Abu Dhabi campus on Saadiyat Island, scheduled to open in 2014, will be located in the Marina District, one of seven distinctive districts currently under development. Rafael Viñoly Architects PC was hired to oversee the master planning process, which established the physical and spatial framework for development of the campus.
The campus will consist of state-of-the-art classroom, library, and information technology facilities; laboratories; academic buildings; dormitories; faculty and residential housing; student services; and athletic and performance facilities.
Fast Facts on Saadiyat Island
- Saadiyat Island is a large, low-lying natural island located 500 meters off the coast of Abu Dhabi. To be completed in 2020, Saadiyat Island is expected to become Abu Dhabi's cultural center.
- Saadiyat Island will eventually house approximately 150,000 residents and will be connected to Abu Dhabi via two ten-lane causeways.
- Saadiyat Island will also be home to four museums — the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, the Zayed National Museum, and the Maritime Museum. It will also include a world-class performing arts center.
- Foundational work on the Louvre Abu Dhabi began in May 2009, and the 260,000-square-foot museum is scheduled to open in 2015. Designed by Jean Nouvel, it will showcase art from around the world with a focus on bridging the gap between Eastern and Western art.
- The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will be dedicated to modern and contemporary art. The Frank Gehry-designed building is due for completion in 2017 and, at 450,000 square feet, will be the largest Guggenheim museum in the world.
- Saadiyat Island (Abu Dhabi Tourism Development & Investment Company)
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Letter to all House Members who voted to override the veto of the Labor-HHS-Ed appropriations bill
December 03, 2007
On behalf of the National Education Association's (NEA) 3.2 million members, we urge Congress to craft an omnibus spending package for fiscal year 2008 that funds critical education programs at the highest possible levels.
We were deeply disappointed that the House fell just two votes short of overriding the President's veto of the FY08 Labor-HHS-Education funding bill -- a bill that would have made a real difference in ensuring schools and students the resources necessary to succeed. As Congress now crafts an omnibus funding package, we urge you to keep in mind the urgent need for meaningful increases for education programs including:
- Programs under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). NCLB was based on laudable goals of maximizing student achievement and closing achievement gaps. Yet, many schools lack the resources needed to implement proven strategies to close achievement gaps, such as smaller classes, early childhood education, after-school programs, and improved professional development for teachers and education support professionals. Providing mandates without the resources necessary to implement them simply sets up schools and students for failure. For example, if Title I were fully funded at its authorized level, an additional 4.5 million children could receive needed services. These services are essential to closing achievement gaps.
- IDEA. For more than 30 years the federal government has mandated that local school districts be responsible for educating special education students, regardless of cost. Over the past decade, the federal share of IDEA funding has risen, but the last two years have seen a slide in the percentage of special education funding provided by the federal government. Please reverse this trend and fund IDEA at the highest possible level.
- Career and Technical Education. The last substantial increase in funding for Career and Technical Education occurred in FY 2002. Since that time, funds have actually decreased by $17 million, although funding needs have grown dramatically. From 1999-2000 to 2002-2003, enrollment in career and technical education increased by almost 60 percent, and this trend is continuing. Enrollment increased 13 percent from the 2002-2003 school year to the 2004-2005 school year. We urge Congress to reject the President's demands to cut in half funding for this important program.
We thank you for your consideration of our views on these important issues.
Diane Shust, Director of Government Relations
Randall Moody, Manager of Federal Advocacy
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Truth crushed to the earth will rise again.
~ Dr. Martin Luther King
Veritas ~ Harvard’s coat of arms and motto
Laurence Tribe (1941- ) has been the Carl M. Loeb professor of constitutional law at Harvard Law School since 1968.
My dear professor Laurence Tribe,
For 20 years I wanted to write you this letter, but I didn’t have the gravitas to do so coherently. Instead, I read, I listened, I observed, I sat patiently, I sat silently until now.
For 20 years I read your books, your law review articles, your op-eds, studied your treatise on Constitutional Law (including the footnotes), read your numerous appellate and Supreme Court opinions and your amicus briefs. Why? So I could deliver to you and to the academy this most prescient message.
It was 20 years ago when I first heard your name during news reports of the contentious Supreme Court nomination of conservative jurist Judge Robert Bork. With exceeding interest I read that your critics had credited your behind-the-scenes lobbying efforts of key liberal senators on the Judiciary Committee with scuttling the nomination of Robert Bork, for liberals remembered Bork’s role as “Nixon’s hatchetman” of the “Saturday Night Massacre” in the firing of special prosecutor Archibald Cox, who was investigating President Nixon’s involvement in the infamous Watergate scandal. But you went further. Your polemical book, “God Save This Honorable Court” (1985), embolden these senators ever more and put the nail in the coffin of the Bork nomination.
By the words you spoke and the words you wrote, October 1987 saw Ronald Reagan’s nominee to the Supreme Court go down in flames as in Brunhilde’s immolation scene of Wagner’s “G?tterd?mmerung.”
If I were Socrates, I’m sure he would pose these prescient questions to you: Professor Tribe, how does your tactics of politicizing the judicial process used against Robert Bork line up with Veritas? Professor Tribe, how does your oeuvre line up with Veritas? How does your collected works contribute to the “cultivation of the soul,” as Socrates would say?
For example, of the over 35 cases you argued before the Supreme Court, of the many infamies, one above all was the notorious case Bowers v. Hardwick in 1986, holding that a Georgia state law criminalizing sodomy, as applied to consensual acts between persons of the same sex, did not violate fundamental liberties under the principle of substantive due process. You almost won that case, losing in a contentious 5-4 decision. However, you were vindicated 17 years later in 2003, when the Supreme Court overruled Bowers in Lawrence v. Texas, a case that ironically carried your name for posterity to forever remember this ignominy.
I remember your words at a Senate subcommittee hearing regarding the question of who will define marriage: the people or the courts? The narrative reads:
Legal experts across the political spectrum agree the Lawrence decision presents a federal judicial threat to marriage. Harvard Law professor Laurence Tribe has said, “You’d have to be tone deaf not to get the message” that Lawrence renders traditional marriage “constitutionally suspect.” According to Tribe, the defense of marriage is now a “federal constitutional issue,” and he predicts the U.S. Supreme Court will eventually reach the same conclusion as the Massachusetts court.
If law has any moral content, professor Tribe, which I argue that it does in my law review article, “Reply to Judge Richard A. Posner on the Inseperability of Law and Morality,” then how could you in good conscience persuade the Supreme Court that homosexual sodomy is a legitimate constitutional right? That traditional marriage between a man and a woman is now in 2007 “constitutionally suspect”? That literally 400 years of American history and the rule of law can be turned on its head to legalize the perverse and to outlaw the moral, virtuous and biblical? Is this Veritas, professor Tribe?
Professor Tribe, in many ways we are diametrical:
- I am black and you are white.
- You are a Jew; I am a gentile.
- You are venerated scholar of constitutional law known and loved by all the great legal scholars all over the world. I am an anonymous, self-appointed scholar without an academic home, rejected by the law academy – though I have written five books on constitutional law, jurisprudence and political philosophy. Mocked and ignored by the academy, although I have edited 11 law review articles of noted legal scholars like Derrick Bell, Toni Massaro, Richard Delgado, Mari Matsuda and many others, edited 20 books, written over a dozen law review articles and over 150 columns and Socratic dialectical essays.
Also, like you I have argued before the Supreme Court; my books and articles are in the Chambers Library and in the collected papers of all three ideological branches of the Supreme Court, including my two law review articles on Brown v. Board of Education that foresaw three years before the constitutional defects of using race discrimination to fight race discrimination.
My ideas were even vindicated in the recent Supreme Court case, Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 (2007), an opinion that didn’t overturn Brown v. Board of Education, but did reject the state of Washington’s school diversity plans. Chief Justice Roberts wrote the majority opinion:
For schools that never segregated on the basis of race, such as Seattle, or that have removed the vestiges of past segregation, such as Jefferson County, the way to achieve a system of determining admission to the public schools on a nonracial basis … is to stop assigning students on a racial basis. The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.
Professor Tribe, I have different (not inferior) skills, education and expertise from yours, yet to date in this Land of Liberty I cannot secure employment to feed my children with my skills as you have done for over 40 years.
Professor Tribe, to the above discourse I ask this question: Have you or any other law professor, judge or justice of the Supreme Court that you know of served as an editor on one of the top three law reviews (Michigan Law Review) two years before being admitted to law school? Probably not. Yet, this is my legacy, but it is ignored until this day.
Professor Tribe, I don’t want your pity or your affirmative action. This melancholy discourse is only addressed to you as a symbol of an academic class that has long since aborted Reason, Equity, Justice and Truth by separating law from morality; replacing the philosophy of the Constitution’s framers, Natural Law, with its secular humanist counterfeit, Positive Law. Under your jurisprudence, professor Tribe, a philosophy of law that mandates a strict separation of law and morality, not only are unborn babies a contemptible, dispensable commodity, but my people, black people, could theoretically be enslaved yet again and my Jewish friends sent back to Hitler’s crematoria.
To you, my dear professor Laurence Tribe, in the dialectical manner of Socrates, I reiterate this simple question: How does your life’s work measure up to Veritas (Truth)?
Related special offers:
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London’s grooviest art school is leaving the bright lights for the wide open spaces two miles north of their historic manor, where the impoverished Marx wrote Das Kapital and Hazlitt the finest essays in English, and the painter Francis Bacon was a founding member of the Colony Room, a notorious watering hole for misfits. Can our savviest creative spirits really thrive once uprooted from Soho’s 300-year heritage, its dissenters, eccentrics, streetlife and dens of inquity?
❚ AT MIDNIGHT LAST NIGHT, before an artsy audience spanning many generations, Jarvis Cocker and Pulp were bashing out their hit song Common People in the heart of his ramshackle old college, St Martin’s School of Art, as it was still called in 1988 when he met that girl made famous by its lyrics. While he studied film-making, she seemingly “studied sculpture”. The song says she came from Greece and her Dad was loaded, yet she wanted to slum it by going to live in down-at-heel Hackney. Jarvis explained years later: “It stuck in my mind what she was saying — that she wanted to sleep with common people like me.”
Common People has become much more than an anthem for Jarvis’s generation. Everybody knows the words and the 800 former St Martin’s graduates — gathered to bid farewell to their alma mater as it leaves Soho for King’s Cross — erupted into a riotous sing-along, because those lyrics are stiff with truths that aren’t entirely universal, but they are, or were, peculiarly British. What we now know is that, in real life, Jarvis hardly knew the girl and in the end they didn’t get it together, but what the encounter had triggered in him was an awareness about class differences in our society that, as a lad from Oop North, even at age 25, he’d been oblivious to: that she would always have Daddy to help her “never fail”.
The definitive song of the Britpop era begins as satire but ends in anger. In deeply felt rage. As with the socially mobile 60s, this was the edginess in the 80s that divided British society and in our art schools sparked tangible creative tension, when talented working-class lads came up against genteel gals from the moneyed middle-classes, especially those on the smartest degree course for fashion in the land. Many posh parents saw this as an alternative kind of finishing school, yet the sloganeering designer Katharine Hamnett tells fashion historian Judith Watt in a forthcoming film documentary about St Martin’s, directed by Oleg Mitrofanov: “I actually had to change the way I spoke because I’d come from public school and nobody would take me seriously.”
Why the Blitz Club became the potent subcultural melting pot that it did in 1979 was down to its geography — located midway between St Martin’s on Charing Cross Road, and Central School of Art & Design in Holborn, in the no-man’s land between the then trendily refurbished market area of Covent Garden and the sleazy, yet always cool red-light district of Soho. As one early 80s fashion graduate reminds us: “Essentially, the Blitz was an art students’ club.” Then into their midst, lured by new music, came the working-class soulboys and girls who were themselves several sharp steps ahead of their own class for style. Naked one-up-manship inflamed ambitions all round.
The pole position of St Martin’s has been reconfirmed with each generation of graduates who become household names: from Frank Auerbach and Joe Tilson, Lucian Freud and James Dyson, Terence Conran and his son Sebastian, Isaac Julien and Belinda Eaton, Bruce Oldfield and John Galliano, to Stella McCartney and Sarah Burton who stepped into Alexander McQueen’s shoes following his sudden death.
Through the 60s and 70s, both under Anthony Caro’s tutorship then in revolt against it, abstract sculpture had been St Martin’s strength, but with the 80s the fashion department responded to the force of Britain’s subversive street style which was exciting the international media. The impact of alumni such as Jacques Azagury with his New Romantics collection made London Fashion Week an essential stop-over for the fashion world’s globetrotting commentariat.
Is the old Soho alchemy about to lose its magic? Last night’s party for alumni was organised by one of them, Birmingham-reared Katie Grand, stylist and editor of Love magazine and coincidentally partner of Pulp’s bass player, Steve Mackey. It was a generous and fitting farewell to the shabby seven-storey building on Charing Cross Road that has blazed as the beacon among London’s half-dozen undergrad art schools for the past 50 years. Though technically St Martin’s School of Art (founded 1854) merged with Central School of Art and Design (founded 1896) two decades ago, only now does the resultant Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design have a purpose-built new home to house its 3,800 staff and students — two miles away from the life of spice that energises Soho.
Not for nothing did the anarchic Sex Pistols choose to play their first gig at St Martin’s in November 1975. GQ editor Dylan Jones, who graduated in 1980, told The Independent a while back: “We were 400 yards from the 100 Club, 200 yards from the Marquee, and a mere spit from the Cambridge, which is the pub everyone used to congregate in before they went onstage — the Pistols, the Clash, Adam and the Ants… St Martin’s at the time felt like the most exciting place on earth, not just because of all the wonderful painters, designers and boulevardiers who had studied there, but also because it was central to the whole punk explosion.”
So will the renegade artistic heritage that evolved with the growth of Soho over 300 years become somehow dissipated? Britain’s most visible sculptor Antony Gormley, another St Martin’s graduate, made a case more detached from bricks and mortar in Wednesday’s Guardian: “The place stands for a certain anarchic idea of permanent revolution – of every generation overturning the orthodoxies of the previous one.” Indeed, from the stage in the old St Martin’s studio last night, Jarvis Cocker capped his anthemic song by criticising the government’s introduction of £9,000 annual student fees that are bound to deter new generations of common people from even considering art school. He then indicated the walls of the buliding, and said, “It’s not about THIS … It’s about THAT”, pointing at the heaving dance-floor.
Which seems to suggest that the spirit of the age will ultimately trump any spirit of place. Aha! Germanic Zeitgeist versus the classical genius loci. Discuss.
HOW TO TEACH THE UNTEACHABLE
❏ SOME OF US WHO were later required to recruit new talent in our workplaces learnt a novel lesson in 1970 by watching a compelling BBC documentary shot at St Martin’s. How do you assess somebody for a creative job which has few boundaries and rests heavily on self-reliance? Invite them to an interview, don’t say a word and see how they react! Such was the inspiration yielded by Christopher Burstall’s documentary A Question of Feeling, which observed a dozen first-year sculpture students including Richard Deacon who were locked in an empty studio and not allowed to speak. Each was given one particular material — a block of polystyrene, say, or a bag of plaster. They were left to deduce for themselves that these were raw materials with which to work, without critical feedback, despite their tutors’ constant surveillance.
The experiment known as “The Locked Room” came in response to the prevailing trend towards non-objective art, itself a reaction to Anthony Caro’s giant abstract works in steel, all of which posed the problem of how you set about teaching conceptual art. This was a bold attempt to erase tradition. Tutor Peter Kardia said: “I wanted to put them in an experiential situation where they couldn’t grasp what they were doing. What I wanted was ‘existence before essence’.”
ELEGIES ON LAST NIGHT’S EXODUS
❏ JUDITH WATT, fashion historian who has taught the history of fashion and writing to Fashion Communication and Promotion BAs since 1998, reports:
“Most current students were not invited to the party; so it was helpers — many my lovely students — and those who graduated this June. It was a shame, as students are so much of what makes up St Martin’s unique character (with the added magic dust of some staff). There was a mix in terms of the alumni, but so many of the youngsters have no idea about those important days of the late 70s to the mid-1980s, when St Martin’s was the beating heart of British fashion and style; who the people were, or the magic uniqueness of it. Stephen Linard was there, and I thought of how many of my students have xeroxed pictures of him and his work from The Face, i-D and Blitz but didn’t know he was in their midst. Which spoke volumes about them, and the hideous metamorphosis of fashion, not him.
“John Galliano (obviously) was not there but homages of all kinds to him were graffiteed on the walls. I saw Dean Bright, Jacques Azagury, Ninevah Khomo, Claire Angel, Paddy Whitaker and Keir Malem, Christopher Brown, Andrew Groves, David Kappo, Tristan Webber, the lovely Christopher Kane. Sadly not there were Fiona Dealey, Rifat Ozbek, John McKitterick, Ike Rust, John Maybury, Simon Ungless, and, of course, Amanda Lear. Great line up really … Most asked-about former tutor was Bobby Hillson, who set up the MA Fashion course and was the person who arranged for Lee McQueen to enroll as a student and who supported him in those early days. She was sadly not there … and was sorely missed.
“Jarvis Cocker hit just the right note … it’s a long time since St Martin’s has felt like an art college to me — and last night it did again. Pulp playing Common People was particularly apt, as of course it’s the thread that binds so many of the people who make up the subversive British music and style underground. With the fees now at around £9,000 a year, that may be a lot more difficult to find.”
❏ HOW TO DRESS FOR A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME PARTY — Fashion note by Stephen Linard (class of ’81, pictured above):
“That suit is a one off from 1990, silk rep candy stripes, to my own design. I was the belle of the ball. Etro print shirt, Drake’s linen madras check scarf, printed pastel paisley hank, lime-green suede Paul Smith Hush Puppies.”
❏ Kay Barron, FCP/CSM graduate, reports at Grazia Daily:
“Everyone regressed to their student selves. In fact some (sorry) became even younger when Pulp took to the stage. I would like to apologise for pushing, screaming and bouncing on people’s feet like a 16-year-old as Jarvis (an ex-student himself) wiggled his way through Disco 2000, Sorted for Es and Whizz, Misfits and Common People (natch). They have never sounded better.
“This party was as legendary as the college. Beyond any fashion party, as no-one was putting on airs and graces, everyone was relaxed and felt bloody lucky to be there.
“St Martin’s is bigger than a building. Give it a year or two and the spanking new building in King’s Cross will be as rough around the edges as CXR, and another 72 years of creative genius will be shaped there. And there will be 800 new alumni enjoying Absolut cocktails, and drawing obscenities on the wall — really, all that talent, and penises are still the illustration of choice!”
❏ Iain R Webb, CSM professor of fashion, reveals all about his 1970s soulmates at the Harper’s Bazaar blog, and puts Friday’s bash in perspective:
“The Farewell to Fashion at Charing Cross Road party was a strange cocktail (fuelled by lashings of Absolut vodka) of nostalgic sad tidings and glittering ecstasies. Past generations of graduates, from Swing Out Sister’s Corinne Drewery (who DJ’d in the Illustration studio) to Katie’s ex-classmate Giles Deacon, rubbed shoulder pads with the current cohort and a Sex Pistol — Glen Matlock, who along with the original Pistols line-up played their first gig at St Martin’s. Dressed up to the nines (and tens in some cases — the boy in the gold knitted dress that unravelled as the evening wore on), the colourful crowd (who says fashion folk only wear black?) displayed a flagrantly flamboyant individuality that is the very lifeblood of the college and has played no mean part in the success of its alumni who have over the decades become big players on both sides of the catwalk.
“The St Martin’s media mafia still fills the international front rows, Twitter on about trends and play dress-up with popstars and supermodels. The party on Friday night was an appropriately loud, glittering and bumptious, sexy and downright messy affair. Confirmation of the enduring talent born out of St Martin’s School of Art.”
❏ CHRISTOS TOLERA, painter, musician and not a former student, who nevertheless idled many away teenage hours in the St Martin’s cafe, reports:
“Pulp started with Misfit and ended with Common People which I listened to in the rain from Charing X Rd as I left. If I was 22 I think I would have thought it was one of the best gigs ever. Jarvis was charming in between songs and had presence but was drowned out during the enthusiastic performance.
“However the energy in the room was palpable and reminded me of the olden days, of gigs in warehouse spaces and a certain abandon rarely seen in these overly organised and calculated times. I left because I wasn’t drunk and had seen enough. It made me feel old. I didn’t really have anyone with me who was looking through the same eyes, seeing what I was seeing. There was something quite romantic about listening to the last song from under an umbrella on the street, with no one really aware that the very audible racket coming from the first-floor window was actually Pulp and not a dodgy covers band.
“All in all I found it sad. Not the band but the memory of me as a 17-year-old hanging out in the cafe at St Martin’s thinking I’d arrived only to find out I was just passing through like the rest of us. My night was summed up when the girls in the cloakroom asked why I was there and I told them I’d modelled in a seminal show (Stephen Linard’s) there in 1980. ‘Oh, that was nine years before I was born’…”
HELLO TO THE SPECTACULAR NEW UNIVERSITY CAMPUS BESIDE THE CANAL AT KING’S CROSS
❏ THIS WEEK marks the end of an era, as CSM leaves its two buildings in central London and moves to a new premises in King’s Cross, just across the road from The Guardian. The move won’t be welcomed by Professor Louise Wilson, legendary course director of MA fashion, who believes that the very grottiness of the Charing Cross Road building has helped drive her students – from McQueen to Christopher Kane – to succeed. “You feel that you’re better than this corridor,” she says. “In the new building you want to hide…”
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RVA Street Art Festival Returns for 2013!
The RVA Street Art Festival will be back for a second year, returning in September and will be held at the former GRTC bus depot on West Cary Street. This 6.8-acre GRTC site at West Cary and Robinson streets was a hot topic a couple of years ago. The property is assessed at more than $3 million and considered prime real estate on the southwestern edge of the Fan. It has been a ghost town since the...
Clever Street Art from French Street Artist OakoAk
Here are 30 fun shots of French street artist OakoAk, whose clever street works can be found all over St. Etienne and other cities in France. OakoAk carries on with his style of not intervening too much with the way things are on the street, and upgrades them with just a little unexpected touch. By only adding a couple of lines and few colors, OakoAk gives the cityscape of his native St. Etienne...
New Interactive Street Art from Ernest Zacharevic
Artist Ernest Zacharevic has been busy since first appearing on Colossal last summer with his unique style of street art that often relies on the interaction between physical objects and painted murals. The Malaysia-based artist traveled to Brussels and Panang to create new work, and also completed a series of ads for Toyota about parking lot safety. He also appears prominently in a new book about...
Atlantic Magazine Talks Up RVA Street Art Scene
A collection of international artists transformed the former hydro-electric plant on Brown’s Island and a neighboring flood wall as part of the Street Art Festival. The result is an engaging public space with the eclectic collection of works. “The public came to watch the artists do their work and that had a massive impact,” says Trask. “It changed the area abruptly.”
"No brushes or stencils, just spray"
Absolutely amazing - this piece was done by David Walker in London and is 100% free hand with spray paint….(via Street Art Utopia)
106 of the Most Beloved Street Art Photos
Settle in and work off the NYE festivities fuzziness and enjoy 106 of the most beloved Street Art Photos (via Street Art Utopia).
The Best Los Angeles Street Art of 2012
Here are the top 21 pieces, as selected by our resident graffiti enthusiast Jake Dobkin, and as shot by him and Lord Jim, the great L.A. street art photographer.
Duke of Lancaster: Street art murals on beached...
The Duke of Lancaster has become a landmark since it was grounded in the Dee estuary, Flintshire, Wales in 1979. Graffiti artists from across Europe have begun spray-painting images on the former Sealink steamer’s hull. The street artist collective, called DuDug, a wordplay on the Welsh for black duke, say they want to transform the outside of the vessel into an open-air gallery for graphic...
The Best of Brooklyn Street Art (video)
Check out this video with the best street art in Brooklyn from 2012…. “Of the 10,000 images he snapped of Street Art this year, photographer Jaime Rojo gives us 110 that represent some of the most compelling, interesting, perplexing, thrilling in 2012.”
Get RVA Street Art Noticed on the Huffington Post...
Help get RVA Street Art get noticed by uploading your Instagram photos to The Huffington Post Favorite Street Art Photo Challenge. It’s a great opportunity to promote all of the great street art in RVA! “What’s your favorite piece of street art? Head to Instagram to snap a photo, tag it #hpstreetart to be included in the round-up below, and kindly let us know the comments...
Where To Find The Best Street Art In Los Angeles
“In recent years, the street art movement has made great strides in demonstrating its undeniable social appeal. The demand for its aesthetic has spread in a myriad of directions. “ “When it comes to providing cultural enrichment, revitalization of the urban landscape and connecting with the community it shares public space with, here are the prominent players in the L.A. street...
Stuck on the City Street Art in Prague
stret Part of Prague’s City Gallery, one of the city’s best-known venues, has been turned inside out, recently launching an exhibition of work not usually restricted by gallery walls. Entitled Stuck on the City, the show brings together work of top international street art and graffiti artists, names like Swoon, Zedz, the Czech Republic’s Pasta Oner and others.
Street Art Exhibit at the Musee de la Poste
If you find yourself in Paris between now and March, check out the Street Art Exhibit at the Musee de la Poste that features 11 big name street artists: Bansky, C215, Dran, Invader, L’Atlas, Ludo, Miss. Tic, Rero, Shepard Fairey, Swoon and Vhils. Here is a short video from Butterfly Art News.
The Talents of Eduardo Relero's 3-D Street Art
Madrid-based street artist Eduardo Relero is not only a talented 3D illusionist but an enthralling storyteller as well. Using techniques of anamorphosis, he creates unbelievably realistic illusions of fantastical scenes—that take place in what appears to be holes in the ground. While other 3D artists are content for their art to entertain, Relero often weaves thought-provoking storylines into his...
Global Murals via From Up North
“In From up North’s inspiration galleries we present the latest of our findings from the wonderful world of design. Amazing high quality artworks in various categories from great designers all over the globe.” Some really amazing street art but my favorite would have to lean toward the Gangster Ernie & Bert mural…
Rain Activated Street Art
It may not get much cooler than this: Rain Activated Street Art in Hartford, CT courtesy of artist Adam Niklewicz. “Only appearing when rain falls on it or if water is sprayed on it, this public art project features an image of Charles DeWolf Brownell’s “The Charter Oak”, a reference to American freedom and independence.”
Reviving Miami's Wynwood Neighborhood with Street...
Art Basel Miami Beach starts this week and here is some street art going up in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood next door to mark the festival’s arrival. Amazing to think that just 5 years ago this neighborhood was run down… “Throughout Wynwood, in an area that just five years ago was desolate, there are now galleries, coffee shops, restaurants and visitors. And much of it,...
RVA Street Art Festival Photo Essay Retrospective
The Cheats Movement was a great promoter of the RVA Street Art Festival when it was taking place and remains so today. They have a great look back with a photo essay with photographer extraordinaire Nick Mastro. “Mastro was there from start to finish and captured some of the most candid photos of the weekend. The more time I spent around Nick the more I understood that he “can” do it all....
Henry Rollins Visits the RVA Street Art Festival
Henry Rollins was in town last week for a show at The National and The Cheats Movement blog got some great photos of Henry at the RVA Street Art Festival Gallery!
Anamorphic Street Art “zebrating”
Anamorphic Street Art - this is pretty freaking cool….. German street art duo Zebrating is known for their incredible anamorphic murals painted on outdoor railings. The term “zebrating” loosely translates to “making the zebra” and is meant to describe their artistic style. Their mural work is split into stripes and when viewed from just the right angle the stripes merge together to form the...
Literally Creating Street Trees with Street Art in...
This campaign by DDB China Group to create gorgeous trees on the streets of Shanghai is not only a clever way to promote walking over driving, but also a case study in the right kind of guerrilla marketing. Be sure to read the story and check out the short video. Way cool.
RVA Is Ahead of the Curve on Street Art
RVA is ahead of the curve on street art gaining legitimacy. “In many cities, painting electrical boxes is almost commonplace. At first, street artists took it upon themselves to find boxes that cried out for attention but are now the object of requests from the city, RFPs, and often the electric utility, sometimes with money attached. Some cities are expanding the program to include walls,...
The Power of Street Art
Check out this reprint of an article on Vandalog about the power of street art: “Now that the idea of street art has become part of the collective mainstream public consciousness, it can’t be taken away from there either. Even as its general popularity may fluctuate, the idea of street art is always going to be resonating with somebody around the world, and that’s all it takes. People want...
"See No Evil" Street Art from the UK
Check out these great images from the “See No Evil” street art festival in Bristol, UK. “In its second year, the one-week festival invited about 40 street artists from around the globe to hit up the walls of one long street while visitors traveled great distances to watch. In yet another sign of the full emergence of this first global art form, people witnessed live painting day...
Trifecta of Artists Opening Tonight!
A third artist from the RVA Street Art Festival is having an opening tonight at First Fridays! Check out Chris Milk Hulburt at Pibby’s on Broad St tonight from 6-10pm! Also catch the latest works of Mikael Broth at Studio Two Three and El Kamino at Books, Bikes, and Beyond.
El Kamino First Fridays Opening
If you saw or met El Kamino at the RVA Street Art Festival and admire his mural tribute to the James River (pictured below), he is returning to First Fridays tomorrow for a opening at “Books, Bikes, and Beyond” Thrift Store. Head on over and see what he has been working on and bringing back to RVA!
Meet Me at the Murals: Mickael Broth
RVANews continuing series takes a look at Mickael Broth who is a local artist that participated in the festival. Check out the story behind his mural as a tribute to Mayo Island. Mickael also has an exhibit opening Friday at Studio Two Three on Main St. Don’t miss it! The recent RVA Street Art Fest is a prime example. Like Broth, many of the RVASAF artists have long histories in illegal...
Street Art Livens Up Sidewalks of Beirut...
Street art livens up the sidewalks in Beirut with amazing color……. In Sakiet al-Janzier, individual stairs have been painted in block colors. On Bliss Street, the design mimics a multicolored piano keyboard. The Mar Mikhail project – by far the most ambitious in terms of design size and complexity – sees the vertical sections of the 73 stairs painted in pixelated diagonals. This is...
What do Jeff Soto, Pearl Jam, and the RVA Street...
The Owl. Jeff Soto has teamed up with artist Tara McPherson to create an official poster using the owl for the upcoming Pearl Jam Concert in Manchester, UK. This, my friends, is badass. “Yes I have two gig posters which have been revealed today…. here’s some info one of them- the Pearl Jam/ Manchester… This print is a collaboration between Tara McPherson and myself- it...
New RVA Street Art app!
Be sure to check out the (beta version) for iPhone and Android! It’s free and has locations of the RVA Street Art Festival site, the G40 murals, and all kinds of other cool street art in RVA - plus you can upload your videos and pictures of you at the different murals and other cool functions! Many thanks to Larkin Garbee and Kelly Ward and her team!
Meet Me at The Murals
Ted Elmore at RVA News wrote a nice piece about people visiting the RVA Street Art Festival site and G40 murals and how the art all over town still has people talking, visiting, and photographing. Keep it coming!! “The works at the power plant combines much of what we love: art, design, history, nature, sunshine, and community. There you will find all kinds of people on a visit or on their...
Jeff Soto Paints A Mural with a Robotic Car
If you saw Jeff Soto’s Owl mural at the RVA Street Art Festival, you have to watch this video of Jeff create a mural using his own hand and that of a paint-spraying robotic car. Absolutely cool. Favorite line: “I love that about artmaking. Embracing the unknown.”
Easy Way To Find the RVA Street Art Festival...
If you are looking for the RVA Street Art Festival Satellite Gallery, operated by our friends at j fergesen Gallery, they will be open this weekend from Thursday through Sunday. Last chance to view and purchase works from the festivals’ artists! (Thursday-Saturday 11-6; Sunday 12-5 — 109 S. 14th St). Just look for this installation by Mark Jenkins at the corner of 14th &...
Ryan McGinness' Contribution to the RVA Street Art...
In case you missed it, Ryan McGinness’ banner is up on the floodwall across from the Canal Club and Bottoms Up Pizza at 17th & Dock St. It is stunning, and it is no wonder he is one of the top artists in the nation today who has an exhibit opening this fall at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
Instagram Gems Using #rvastreetart
Here are some cool Instagram photos taken at the RVA Street Art Festival this weekend using the hashtag #rvastreetart. Some real gems…
The Trask Family Painters
There were so many great pictures from so many people at this weekend’s RVA Street Art Festival, but this was one of my favorites that I took on Saturday. Here is Ed Trask taking the time during the busiest day of the festival to help his children Eleanor (left) and Loudon, add to Chris Milk Hulburt’s mural. Truly an artistic family!
A Suburban Makeover at RVA Street Art Festival
Pose, Dalek, and Hense got together at the end of the festival on Sunday to paint this 30 foot Suburban limo that used to belong to the Greenbrier Resort. This could be RVA’s coolest car or limo now that it has been tagged by some of the best street artists in the country! rva
Richmond.com Article on the Festival
Missed this story from Richmond.com on Thursday. A great background on the story and the public art scene and potential in Richmond. Trask says he’s most excited to see watch Pose, a young graffiti artist from Chicago, at the festival. “He’s one of the most incredible talents you’ve ever seen. This is going to sound weird, but it’s like ballet, watching him work,” Trask says. “So graceful. He’s...
Street Art Festival in the Times-Dispatch
Check out the article in this morning’s Times-Dispatch and come out and see for yourself the City’s largest outdoor art gallery along the Canal…. “Jarred Barr, 11, of Chesterfield County recruited Trask for his own project, collecting sketches from outdoor mural painters in the G40 Art Summit last month and the RVA Street Art Festival. “I’ve been a big fan...
WRIC-TV 8 Loves the RVA Street Art Festival!
WRIC-TV 8 came down to the Power Plant today and did a great story about the festival and why everyone should come out this weekend and enjoy the festival and watch this amazing art come to life!
Jeff Soto's Badass Creation
Jeff Soto’s creation that will be badass on Saturday - come out and see how it develops….
Ed Trask Fan Club
The Ed Trask Fan Club getting a personal drawing and autograph!
View of the Vizie
Vizie is getting going in the corner of the Power Plant. rv
Knit Bombing the Power Plant
The Knit Bombers are dressing up some light posts.
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“He was horrible, he had no teeth, his face disfigured by scars”. This is how one of the latest victims of rape in Milan, a businesswoman of 42, described her attacker, Mohamed K., 32, an Iraqi illegal immigrant already convicted for theft, assault and wounding. Last week, when she was going out to see a friend so they could prepare for Christmas, Mohamed K. followed her, caught her in a public garden where she had tried to hide, threw her to the ground, beat her and raped her on the spot while shouting “Filthy Italian bitch”, before fleeing and stealing her purse.
In Rome, immigrants are responsible for 52 percent of rapes. In Milan the number goes up to 59 percent.
In Bologna, 53 percent of the rapists were immigrants, of whom 11 percent were Moroccans.
Romanian immigrants still top rape statistics due to the huge number of Romanians who moved to Italy and make up nearly a fifth of its immigrants. But the Romanians do not make up more than a fifth of rape statistics in any city, meaning that despite the seemingly high numbers, Romanians are actually proportionally underrepresented in Italy’s rape statistics.
While there are nearly a million Romanians in Italy, there are only half as many Moroccans, but when it comes to rape statistics, Moroccans are only a few points behind Romanians.
Nationwide, 7.8 percent of rapists are Romanians and 6.3 percent are Moroccans, meaning that even though there are only half as many Moroccans as Romanians, they manage to account for only 1.5 percent fewer rapes.
Bologna has 6,200 Romanians and 3,400 Moroccans and Moroccans are responsible for 11 percent of the rapes and Romanians are responsible for 10 percent.
With statistics like these, it would appear that Italy doesn’t have a problem with sexual violence, it has a problem with Muslim immigration.
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The Norman Transcript
NORMAN — This is the time for New Year’s resolutions, so here are some from the Tulsa World’s editorial writers:
We resolve to continue defending public education against attempts by some lawmakers and others to strangle it with funding cuts or by diverting taxpayer money from public schools to private and church schools.
There is no question that public education in Oklahoma has problems in the area of student achievement. But those problems won’t be solved by further reducing funding, laying off more teachers or by sending unfunded mandates from thelegislature and state Department of Education to the local districts.
Over the past four years state funding to public schools in Oklahoma declined by $220 million, while enrollment grew by 25,000 students. Oklahoma per-student spending has dropped by more than 20 percent since 2008. In 2012, lawmakers passed what they called a “flat” budget for schools, although with expenses continuing to increase, it wasn’t really flat. It is time to begin restoring school budgets.
We resolve to oppose further cuts in the state’s personal income tax. The state Board of Equalization recently certified a fiscal 2014 revenue estimate of about $7 billion, $214.6 million higher than for 2013. That means there will be some money available to begin restoring education, mental health, corrections and other core services to their pre-recession, inadequate levels.
There are other spending obligations as well, such as the Pinnacle Plan, an overhaul of the state’s foster care system approved as part of the settlement of a class-action lawsuit against the Department of Human Resources. The Pinnacle Plan will cost $30 million a year at first and $100 million a year later.
But already Gov. Mary Fallin and legislative leaders are talking tax cut. We urge them to proceed with extreme caution with these spending needs in mind.
— Tulsa World
For local news and more, subscribe to The Norman Transcript Smart Edition, or our print edition.
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They are sudden, they are deadly and they are merciless. They hurl themselves far beyond the foam line on the beach, snatch their victims and suck them into the sea to an almost certain death. They're called sneaker waves, and they killed three people on Marin beaches in the last week.
On New Year's Day, a sneaker wave claimed the life of Richmond resident Charles Quaid, 59, as he strolled with his wife and dog at North Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore. Just four days earlier, on Dec. 28, a wave swept 9-year-old Juan Carlos Escamillo-Monroy of San Francisco into San Francisco Bay as he fished in the Marin Headlands; his father, 37-year-old Juan Escamillo-Rojas, died trying to save him.
In the wake
Comments from beachgoers at Rodeo Beach seemed to suggest that more public education would be a good idea.
While some beachgoers demonstrated an impressive knowledge of the potential hazard, a number of people at Rodeo Beach Wednesday had no idea of the danger.
"I don't have any concerns about it (safety)," said Billy Lieberknecht of Berkeley, while his companion Louisa Brown of San Francisco said, "I've never thought about it." The two had not heard about the three rogue
After hearing the story, Lieberknecht added, "Now I'm freaked out. We're definitely going to be careful."
As she walked through the parking lot, Kate Gorrisen of San Francisco said, "I'm not aware of the danger ... I do understand the danger of the water if I'm in it, but I didn't realize the waves were dangerous."
Her companion, Sarah Burns of San Francisco, asked, "Are there signs posted here?"
According to Howard Levitt, a spokesman for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the answer is yes.
"We post signs on the beaches, and we make it a point at the visitor's center to tell visitors to be cautious," Levitt said. "Some signs have graphic images of people being swept off rocks with wording that says, 'People have been swept from these rocks and drowned.'"
Levitt said the recreation area has cautionary messages on its website and in its newsletter. He said staffers "caution visitors to be cautious of rogue waves, sleeper waves, sneaker waves," among other words of warning.
Asked if the recreation area plans to add rangers and lifeguards, Levitt said, "We have 28 miles of coastline in our park, so we can't be everywhere. We are of course going to beef-up the reminders we give visitors in our visitor center, but it's important to note that all people don't come to the visitor center.
"We have no plans to add rangers, but we are aware of the situation and we are going to be determining if any additional coverage is necessary," Levitt said.
Juan Escamillo-Rojas and his son Juan Carlos Escamillo-Monroy died in the Golden Gate Recreation Area on Dec. 28.
The Point Reyes National Seashore has no plans to beef-up security measures, said John Golda, a park ranger.
"This is clearly a tragedy, and I feel we are reaching people as best we can," said Golda. As with the recreation area, the national seashore's website and newspaper contain cautionary material. Golda added, the park has signs at beaches and staff at visitor's centers urging people to be cautious around the ocean.
"We always tell people it's never a good idea to walk close to the water's edge," among with other cautionary messages, Golda said.
The national seashore has no lifeguards, Golda said, and there are no plans to institute lifeguards or to add more ranger patrols.
"We don't have lifeguards. We never have. It's not a beach where one would go swimming. It's rare that you see people in the water," Golda said.
Charles Quaid died in the national seashore area on New Year's Day.
While some beachgoers seemed unaware of the danger, others were well-versed about the hazard.
Marko DeNegri of Pinole Valley had dropped by Rodeo Beach for some sport fishing with his wife and three dogs.
"You have to keep an eye on things. You have to be careful of the water," the longtime fisherman said. "Make sure it's low tide. Don't go too close."
"You have to be vigilant," said surfer Jason Gittens of San Rafael as he stood in his black wetsuit next to his vehicle in the parking lot with his equally soaked dog Kona. "There are big swells, but there are long intervals between them. You might think the sea is flat and next thing you know, a 10-foot wave breaks on your head.
"If you don't have any water experience or you are elderly or infirm, you're done. The cold will get you," Gittens said.
"Just the other day when the man and his son were being swept away, I got out of the water. I said, 'I hope everyone is being careful,'" he said.
The surfer added, "It all comes down to personal responsibility. Know your limits. Never turn your back on the ocean."
Beach Safety Rules
© Never turn your back on the water.
© Be mindful of upcoming weather conditions.
© Be aware of potentially dangerous waves in areas of strong currents that are near shore or shallow banks.
© Remember that sneaker waves are hard to predict.
© Remain aware of your surroundings.
© Do not play on the rocks.
© Do not overestimate your swimming abilities.
© Do not underestimate the power of the sea.
-- Source: United States Coast Guard
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This fact will definitely reignite the debate about what art really is - does the product of a kid playing with paint really constitute fine art? The parents of 4-year-old Aelita Andre definitely think so. The precocious Australian artist has reportedly been toddling around on canvases since she was 9 months ago! Now that she’s all grown up at the age of four, 3 of her paintings have sold for $27,000!
She also has her own art show, “The Prodigy of Color”, at the Agora Gallery in NYC. The twenty-four works on display are priced anywhere from $4,400 to $10,000 a piece. The gallery’s director, Angela Di Bello, actually chose her artwork before she knew the painter’s age! She thought the pieces displayed “great colors, great movement, great composition, and were very playful”, then she found out they had been produced by a child!
19 Amazing Facts
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Juvenile Court Judge John Bell settled a dispute over custody of the youngsters, ages 4 to 12, by deciding they will spend the school year with grandparents in Georgia and vacations with grandparents in Tennessee.
The judge warned the grandparents to keep the youngsters away from churches where serpents are handled.
The children's maternal grandparents had argued that the youngsters would be safer with them. They do not belong to a snake-handling church.
The youngsters' father, John Wayne ``Punkin'' Brown Jr., 34, belonged to a sect that believes faith protects Christians who handle poisonous snakes.
Brown died in October after being bitten by a rattlesnake at a worship service. When asked whether he wanted medical help, he shook his head and pointed to the sky. His wife, Melinda Brown, 28, died under similar circumstances in 1995.
Brown's father is himself a snake-handling minister with his own church. During a custody hearing Thursday, the elder Brown said children are not allowed to handle serpents in his church.
Asked if he would seek medical help if bitten, Brown Sr. said he would have to ``pray about it.'' ``But I say that if you can't get help through prayer, go get some help,'' he told the judge.
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This country has about as many wines as its had governments. With 20 different regions, hundreds of DOCs and even more indigenous varieties, the amount of wine made in Italy is mind-boggling. Most of the juice, however, remains in the country for thirsty Italians. Wine is food in Italy and its rare that a meal is consumed without a glass
of vino. That said, it's not common to find many folks drinking wine without food either. In turn, it's a match, and a mighty good one at that. In fact, it's safe to say that Italian wine is a foodie wine – one that goes on the table for a myraid of meals.
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Top Five Nostalgic Cartoon Bands
|Remember Mystik Spiral|
Besides being an insidious marketing campaign--infesting our minds with ear worms that unconsciously convince us to buy withered grapes--The California Raisins were the most soulful lumps of clay ever molded. They played that sweet soul music. And when one of their commercials came on television, it had a similar effect as when That Thing You Do comes on television -- no matter what, you have to watch. And get this, the original commercial featuring the raisins singing I Heard It Through the Grapevine premiered in 1987!
Bubblegum music and cartoons go together like Scooby Doo and Shaggy, and the 1968-1969 cartoon, The Archie Show, was the crowning achievement of psychedelic yet wholesome animation. The characters -- Archie Andrews, Reggie Mantle, and Jughead Jones -- started The Archies. This band's reach didn't just fall on the ears of hyperactive rugrats; their song, "Sugar, Sugar," was a hit back in 1969. The Archies were the real yet fictitious deal.
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Parts of Penang, Malaysia’s George Town are scheduled to get some new street signs that will include Chinese characters. (Penang has a high concentration of ethnic Chinese.) Controversy over whether to pick traditional Chinese characters or simplified Chinese characters has led authorities there set up an online poll to help resolve the matter.
Voting began today and will continue until Sunday, October 25, at www.heritageroadsign.com.
The site also provides some photos of signs.
The signage project, which involves putting up a total of 300 bilingual road signs on 82 roads, is expected to cost RM45,000 (US$13,400, or about US$45 per sign).
source: Online poll to pick Chinese road signs, The Star, October 10, 2009
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Amidst heavy criticism—and in the middle of a Presidential race that will be key to its future—the beleaguered F-35 Lightning II program keeps marching on: Lockheed Martin has completed the fighter's first weapons test, successfully dropping a 2,000-pound bomb from its left internal weapons bay over the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake's test range.
The multi-role stealth jet taken heavy criticism during the last year, under accusations of multiple delays and overspending. The first units—including the training planes now at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida—have already been grounded five times. Admittedly, this is normal for a jet fighter still in development, but critics say that going this far over budget is not.
With the program's cost now estimated at $1.5 trillion, the criticism has been so strong that its future has even been questioned during the Presidential race. The $1.5 trillion includes the manufacturing of 2,443 aircraft for the US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, as well as maintenance over the next 50 years. When deployed, years after its original projected date, the F-35 will become the backbone of American air superiority.
But analysts fear that costs will keep increasing, and neither Obama nor Romney has a clear plan to keep that cost under control. John Lehman—Mitt Romney's top defense adviser—have been on the record admitting that they don't know yet what changes they would to introduce:
At this point, it's not possible to say. A lot is going to depend on whether they get the costs under control, particularly the flyaway costs. Until you know how much it's going to cost, you don't know how many you're going to fit into the program. That's why it's so essential to keep the Super Hornets in production so the mix can be flexed depending on how the F-35 actually pans out.
Obama's former Defense Secretary Robert Gates—who also had that position under George W. Bush's administration—fired the F-35 program manager last year. Obama was able to halt some of the spending when the Pentagon stopped the development of a second engine for the plane.
But neither of the candidates really seems to know what to do with the F-35 program exactly.
Perhaps this successful test will ease the criticism a little bit.
The test plane was of the conventional takeoff and landing variant. The pilot, U.S. Air Force Maj. Matthew Phillips, released a 2,000 pound GBU-31 BLU-109 Joint Direct Attack Munition while cameras recorded the event in super slow motion for analysis along telemetry information transmitted by the bomb itself. According to Lockheed Martin, the test was completed successfully.
Note: Like is a blur! While this is the first drop from a F:35A, it's not the very first F-35 drop.
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JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon recently said that he felt safer in Lebanon than he did when Occupy marched past his house. If nothing else, it proves that Wall Street bankers haven’t gotten any better at risk management – the art of knowing where danger lies and avoiding it – than they were when their bad bets crashed the economy and caused the Great Recession.
But then we knew that already, didn’t we? After all, Chase is one of five too-big-to-fail banks that could lose $80 billion or more from their poorly-thought-out risk-taking in Europe’s most troubled countries. The risky behavior shouldn’t surprise anyone, though. These banks know — or at least believe — that their too-big-to-fail status means we’ll rescue them again when they make the next devastating set of blunders.
What’s really striking about comments like these is the fact that executives at America’s big banks never seem to worry when police cars approach their houses. Their biggest fear is that that they might glimpse a sign or hear the sound of a mic check reverberating faintly through well-aged brick walls.
Consider JPMorgan Chase, the institution run by Mr. Dimon. To call his bank “scandal-plagued” would be putting it mildly. Chase has settled six fraud cases with the SEC over the last thirteen years and is implicated in several ongoing investigations, including the two most notorious fraud cases of our time. At any other moment in history the headlines would be screaming with various combinations of the words “JPMorgan Chase,” “fraud,” “probe,” “drop,” mistakes,” “disaster,” “incompetence,” and “scandal.”
But these aren’t normal times. The public has come to expect that bankers will commit fraud, and that the government will ignore it. They’ve come to expect that banks will make bad loans, and that the governments of the world will rescue them by making life more difficult for ordinary people.
Money for Nothing
The public has also come to expect that bankers’ compensation won’t even be tied to the most basic performance measurements. A case in point is Mr. Dimon himself. He earned – excuse me, a more accurate word would be “received” – roughly $23 million in compensation in 2010. Presumably he was being rewarded for persuading the taxpayer to offer handouts to his bank and others, since that was the only reason any Wall Street bank was still in existence.
But in 2011 the value of JPMorgan’s stock fell 17 percent and the bank’s credit was downgraded. How much did Mr. Dimon receive? Roughly $23 million. Pay-for-performance? We report, you decide.
(A side comment: As a proud Occupy type, I’m not comfortable with actions that involve anybody’s home. Occupy is a proudly peaceful movement, but that doesn’t mean people aren’t uncomfortable when the place where they live winds up in the spotlight. I’ve been as tough on him as anyone, but Jamie Dimon has just as much of a right to privacy like anyone else. It might make a good proposal for the next General Assembly: Leave people’s homes out of any future actions.)
They Stand Accused
Meanwhile back on Wall Street the scandal train rolls on, and JPMorgan Chase holds a first-class ticket. Here are the latest charges and accusations to cross the bank’s scandal-plagued portal:
- The trustee for people who were ripped off by Bernie Madoff is seeking to overturn a judge’s ruling and reinstate action against JPM, citing evidence that it knew of Madoff’s fraud and concealed it from others;
- Chase was naive – at best – when it lent money to now-disgraced MF Global, which illegally bet its investors’ money and lost. Now it’s jumping the line of creditors – most of them victims of massive fraudulent mismanagement it didn’t seem to notice – by filing a lien which would give it preferential treatment over MF Global’s victims;
- JPM is part of an investigation into currency trade rigging in Canada. According to Bloomberg News, “Canadian officials were informed that HSBC Holdings Plc (HSBA), JPMorgan Chase & Co., Citigroup Inc., Deutsche Bank AG, Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc, ICAP Plc (IAP) and RP Martin Holdings Ltd. took part in the scheme. Employees at the banks agreed to make artificially high or low submissions for Yen Libor to improve the outcomes of trades tied to the rate, the Canadian regulator said.”
- A bond insurer is suing a JPMorgan Chase division for fraudulently misrepresenting the mortgage-backed securities it was insuring;
- A recent class action filing accuses it of mass foreclosure fraud and, as Yves Smith notes, the case is tied into the mass filing of fraudulent court documents by banks like Chase eager to foreclose on homeowners even though they didn’t have the right paperwork;
- Chase is also knee-deep in the oil speculation market, which some very smart people think is manipulating the market. There’s reason to believe that speculators drove oil prices down in 2008 and are driving them up this year. Chase is one of four banks that control 70 percent of the world’s commodities.
With so much scandal at so many big banks, why isn’t there a public drumbeat for criminal investigations into the behavior of the individuals involved? Fraud doesn’t just commit itself, after all.
JPM’s Rap Sheet
Chase has a long and sordid history in this area – one that links them to some of the most notorious fraud cases in history, including more than $2 billion to settle fraud charges related to WorldCom and $135 million for charged related to the Enron scandal.
Last year it paid more than $153 million to settle charges that it defrauded investors in mortgage-backed securities.
The bank paid tens of millions and walked away from nearly three quarters of a billion in fees over charges that Chase exes bribed officials of Jefferson County, Louisiana. Chase walked away – and last November Jefferson County filed for bankruptcy. (Another thing Chase execs don’t seem to worry about is being troubled by their own consciences.)
Other settlements include $25 million for unlawful IPO (stock) allocations; $25 million (and possibly more) for what was essentially illegal restraint of trade in forcing retailers to use the credit card network it co-owned;and $6 million regarding illegal profit-sharing and tie-ins at JPMorgan Chase Securities regarding the trades it was making.
So why are bankers at Chase and elsewhere more concerned about angry words than they are about subpoenas and fines? For one thing, the SEC has let JPMorgan Chase off the hook with a promise not to do wrong again – which it then has proceeded to do anyway. For another, senior Justice Department officials have close ties to iChaseand other banks through their work at law firm Covington & Burling, while senior White House officials like Bill Daley are Chase veterans.
That may explain why nobody at JPMorgan Chase seems to be sweating bullets about possible legal action, even though the SEC recently sent so-called “Wells notices” to three banks, including JPMorgan Chase, notifying them that it may be taking action over yet more investor fraud around mortgage-backed securities.
Or about the fact that New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is suing Chase and two other banks over the reportedly fraudulent electronic filing of mortgage documents through MERS, the database and shell company whose legal framework was designed for the banking industry by … Covington & Burling!
But then, why should someone like Jamie Dimon worry about investigators? Guys like Dimon have a lot of muscle. As Bill Moyers noted in 2010, his institution is one of six banks that control 60 percent of our country’s gross national product. (It’s undoubtedly more now.) It’s one of ten banks that hold 77 percent of this country’s banking assets. And as we explained in 2010 in a piece called “The Case Against Jamie Dimon: Oligopoly, Pain, And Systemic Risk In Five Slides,” reports released that year showed that the top five banks controlled 96 percent of the derivatives market – and JPMorgan Chase alone controlled 44 percent. (It’s undoubtedly more now.)
No wonder the scariest thing on a banker’s mind, no matter what his bank’s rap sheet looks like, is that someday he might look out the window and see a drum circle. And we understand that Mr. Dimon felt safer in Lebanon than he did when Occupy came to visit. But the real question about Mr. Dimon’s visit to Beirut is this:
Did Lebanon feel safer?
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A couple of issues ago, The AgriNews editorially insisted that the harvest is too serious a business for slackers to be out cluttering the fields under farmfare because theyíre forced to be, not because they want to be.
Trying to keep supply up with demand is hard enough for producers without coping with a workforce present under government guidelines which benefit them more than the boss, we opined.
We knocked the concept as "farmfare folly" when it appeared that, if it came to pass, it would replace FARMS, the producer operated program which brings migrant workers to Ontario every year to help with the fruit and vegetable harvest.
After all, thatís what got Premier Mike Harris hot to trot in the first place, the "tragedy" of able-bodied Ontarians earning benefits for sitting on their duffs while migrants were doing all the hard work under FARMS.
But now OMAFRA Minister Ernie Hardeman assures us farmfare wouldnít eliminate FARMS but would instead serve as a supplementary program, as another source of labor for farmers in dire need.
And, of course, it would be voluntary with no farmer forced to bring in workers they didnít want under terms they didnít accept.
There are a lot of bugs to iron out, Ernie tells us, but he hopes to have a firm program in place by next harvest time.
Under the crucial condition that FARMS stays in place, we revise our position. As an extra labor pool for farmers to tap into if they choose, farmfare might prove to be very useful.
Who knows? Some of the mainly cityslickers sent out under farmfare might take a shine to the work and prove to be valuable long-term additions to the farm.
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Product: A winter birding break for two in Scotland, worth £1,040
Courtesy of Heatherlea, you could win a holiday for two in the comfortable three-star Mountview Hotel, Nethy Bridge, for dinner, bed and breakfast, with all transport and the services of Heatherlea guides included. Packed lunches and a checklist are also included. The break will be available to take on either 3-7, 6-10, 10-14 or 13-17 November 2012 (subject to availability).
PLUS Two runners up will receive £100 each off the price of a holiday for one with Heatherlea.
On this short break, Capercaillie will be the main target, and we aim to get good views of the birds before moving on to other species, making use of exclusive private access courtesy of Heatherlea.
All three birding days will include a morning foray for Capercaillie (weather permitting) until good views are obtained. In November, dawn and dusk are at very agreeable times, so very early starts or late finishes won’t be necessary.
Other key birds are Scottish Crossbill, Crested Tit and Black Grouse inland, with the coast producing great birding, perhaps including King Eider, Surf Scoter or unexpected rarities often overlooked this far north.
The itinerary on such a short holiday is weather dependent, but even with showers you can reasonably expect to see some 60 species as we visit the Moray coast and mop up the specialities inland.
To be in with a chance of winning this amazing holiday, simply answer the question and fill in your details below.
What is the scientific name for Capercaillie?
Suggested answer, Tetrao urogallus
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