text: Hey all. first post. Having trouble listening online....on 2 windows computers I will log in as normal but after about 5 minutes (sometimes more or less) the sound cuts out.....sometimes it comes back in a minute but usually doesnt ever come back until i change the channel. This only happens on windows computers, tried on a mac and it worked great. Tried firefox, chrome, updating flash player....same results. tech support was negative help. anyone have any ideas?

subset: commoncrawl


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About Mary
Mary Carlomagno is a bestselling author, organizer, speaker and spokesperson specializing in helping individuals and groups embrace simplicity in everyday life. She is one of the nation's leading experts on organizing and a frequent contributor on national television, radio and print.
Mary created order, a company that helps busy people get organized and live more balanced lives. order specializes in helping people change the habits that create clutter. Her easy-going approach, sense of style and strong communication skills create an atmosphere that makes organizing fun. Best described in her own words, "It is not how to store your fifty pair of pumps, but why do you need fifty pair of pumps to begin with?'
A highly sought after speaker for corporations, community groups and colleges, Mary provides thoughtful, practical advice about how to create and maintain order in a hectic world. With topics that range from "Simplifying your Technology" to "Creating Work Life Balance," Mary tackles the problem of clutter in all its forms with a straightforward approach and creative custom solutions that reinforce her philosophy that organizing is not "one size fits all."
As the "Organizing Mom," Mary offers advice for busy moms to get and stay organized with smart solutions and time saving tips. She combines her expertise as a busy working mother of two and an organizing expert to offer help families create order at home.


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In honor of Cams Coffee House's grand opening at the Fairmount Street Library, here are some novels to enjoy while you partake of their wares:
Grounds for Murder by Sandra Balzo is the first in her coffee-themed mystery series, starring Maggie Thorsen, a Milwaukee coffee shop owner. Her books provide a fun way to get insider knowledge of the coffee shop culture. There is always a healthy competition among the city's coffee shops and baristas.
The Various Flavors of Coffee by Anthony Capella. "A well made cup of coffee is the proper beginning to an idle day," says Robert Wallis, a marginal poet with great belief in his artistic, as well as coffee, expertise.Through a chance encounter, he gets a job in the coffee trade and travels the world, encountering romance and evolving into a more interesting and complicated human being. Because his task is describing the nuances of coffee, this is the perfect book to enjoy while sipping a dark, bold brew.
Espresso Shot by Cleo Coyle is the eighth in her Coffeehouse Mystery series. Clare Cosi is the manager of the Village Blend, in Greenwich Village. Romantic interest is provided by encounters with Detective Mike Quinn, as Clare repeatedly encounters foul play. Again, caffeine fiends will enjoy the coffee industry details, and the New York setting.
To complete the experience, slip in the lovely and soothing soundtrack to Sleepless in Seattle, while you sip your Cams latte, (made with SBC, Seattle's Best Coffee).


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Category: Business Line, Companies, Contract Additions, Contract Awards, Events, General Dynamics, Press Releases, production program, Services | RSS 2.0
BATH, Maine, Sept. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — The U.S. Navy has awarded General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), a $38.9 million modification to a previously awarded contract to perform class and engineering services associated with the detail design and construction of DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class ships.
Bath Iron Works will continue to provide manufacturing support services such as engineering, design, production control, accuracy control and information technology. Other class-support efforts include program management, contract and financial management, procurement and configuration/data management. The original contract was awarded in September 2011. Work is expected to be completed by October 2013.
Jeff Geiger, president of Bath Iron Works, said, "With all three Zumwalt-class ships now under construction, this award demonstrates the Navy's continued confidence in Bath Iron Works. The contract enables us to continue supporting the construction of DDG 1000-class ships and allows us to maintain the critical shipyard skills needed to efficiently produce them. Zumwalt (DDG 1000) is over 60 percent complete and we are leveraging what we've learned in building the lead ship to support our DDG 1001 and 1002 construction efforts. We remain focused on delivering high-quality, affordable Bath-built ships to the U.S. Navy."
The DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class destroyer is the U.S. Navy's next-generation, guided-missile naval destroyer, leading the way for a new generation of advanced multi-mission surface combat ships. The ships will feature a low radar profile, an integrated power system and a total ship computing environment infrastructure. Armed with an array of weapons, the Zumwalt-class destroyers will provide offensive, distributed and precision fires in support of forces ashore.
More information about General Dynamics Bath Iron Works can be found at www.gdbiw.com.
More information about General Dynamics is available at www.gd.com.


text:
We are temporarily closed to improve the site. Please check back soon. Questions? Email email@example.com
D Klein Design
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Blue pearls, glass, sterling silver, triple strand 18 1/4"
Blue stretchy, sterling silver bean
Blue stretchy, sterling silver tube
Sparkly clear and sparkly silver crystal stretchy, 2 light blue crystals
Sparkly clear and sparkly silver crystal stretchy
D Klein Design was created from a passion for color, fine design and self-expression, to complement all women. DKD collections are handmade from semi-precious stones and artisan beads carefully sourced from around the world.
We're creating all the time! Send us your email address and we'll send you photos and information about our very latest designs.
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text: Fleeceworks believes in minimum bulk for maximum performance. All Fleeceworks saddle pads are designed with the comfort of the horse and rider in mind. Dover Saddlery carries full and half saddle pads from Fleeceworks in a variety of styles for a variety of applications to provide you with the best riding experience possible.


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This is a guide on how to get critter kill squad a guild achievement that unlocks the Armadillo Pup non-combat pet.
1. You want to get in a group of guild members, the more the better, because while in a group consisted of guild members you get 1 kill count per critter you kill. Say your in a group of 2 and kill 1 critter you will get 2 kills toward the achieve.
2. You want to go to Eastern Plaque Lands. Their is a cave in the far west that has 200+ critters in it.- imgur(dot)com/0PXTJ - I do not have permission to post links but this shows where the cave is, just put . where i have (dot) =]
3.Have your group together and run through this cave AOE all the critters throughout the cave until you come out the other side. Your kill count will vary on how big you group of guild members is.
4. Wait for re-spawn and repeat. You will have you Armadillo pup in no time =] Enjoy!


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Remember Me
10/8/2020 » 10/10/2020Atlanta Chapter Workshop(s) with Janet Zickler Casey
ANG is an educational, non-profit organization whose purpose is educational and cultural development through participation in and encouragement of interest in the art of needlepoint. ANG defines needlepoint as any counted or free stitchery worked by hand with a threaded needle on a readily countable ground.
ANG, Inc.
1120 Route 73, Ste 200, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054-5113
P: 856.380.6911 F: 856.439.0525 E:firstname.lastname@example.com
Copyright ©1997-2018, American Needlepoint Guild, Inc™. All Rights Reserved. The contents of this page were expressly posted for individual viewing purposes on the Internet only. No part of this Web site may be published, reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (including electronic, mechanical, photocopy) whatsoever without written permission from the above copyright holder. The ANG membership list, ANG program participant lists, and personal information collected in the course of selling ANG merchandise are the sole property of ANG and may not be distributed or used without the written permission of the ANG Board of Directors. The ANG Board grants permission to ANG Chapters of Record to use these photographs for their publications, with the exception of those published in Needle Pointers magazine. The ANG Board grants permission to ANG Chapters of Record to use these photographs for their publications.


text: Punches are a quick and easy way to add interest and depth to your projects. And there's no better way to cut out stamped images—many of our stamp sets have coordinating punches. Create labels for 3D projects or focal points for tags and cards.* Our punches are high quality, affordable, and easy to use* Sleek body style* Large surface area offers precise cutting and leverage* Locks to store* Slim and stackable


text: Korridge-Cup, the Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo that took a flight through suburban Mosman last week, has also been lacking a little bit of a confidence in his training sessions at Bird Show. If something's a bit different, Korridge has been flying off his trainer's hands and landing somewhere else … usually somewhere high! He always comes back but it can take a while. To help both Korridge and us out, I started doing some extra training sessions with him today to boost his confidence. To begin with, I simply offered Korridge some sunflower seeds from my right hand. We generally walk our birds around on our left hand but if he's excited, he will fly away from this hand. Once he started eating the seeds, I slowly moved my left hand centimetre by centimetre, until it was close enough for him to step onto if he wanted to. Our birds always get to choose so they'll want to do it in the future! Once Korridge stepped onto my hand, I let him walk on and off as he pleased giving him a seed whenever he stepped on. I could then pick him up! After a very short time, Korridge was stepping onto my hand and flying to me from wherever he was perching… such a great bird! I kept my training session short so Korridge-Cup didn't become frustrated but also so he didn't get too many sunflower seeds, as they are high in fat. I will do more sessions in coming days as the repetition in training animals builds confidence.


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AC Repair and Service Farmers Branch
Outdoor temperatures greatly influence the comfort of our homes. To ensure that we remain comfortable year-round, it's crucial to maintain our residential and commercial HVAC systems. We are your premier provider of residential and commercial AC repair services in Farmers Branch providing homeowners with quality heating and cooling system services. We know that it can be inconvenient when your furnace, heat pump, or air conditioner malfunctions or breaks. If you experience a problem with your HVAC system in Famers Branch don't hesitate to call in the professionals to quickly, efficiently, and affordably remedy the situation.
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- Commercial / Residential
- Sales / Service / Installation
- Air-Conditioning
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- Furnaces (Gas/Electric)
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- Gas Lines
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- Ductwork
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Contact Us
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Licensed | Insured | Bonded
Got questions? Give us a call or shoot us an email! We'd love to help answer anything questions you may have. Email us at email@example.com


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OSKMIA wrote:jacob_burman wrote:Suicide=Kaz. Anyways, really, cause all I see on TV is the new guys taking over with only a few chosen old time TNA guys on TV. The Guns, were are they? They JUST started using Jay, but where has he been? Homicide has been MIA since Jeff Hardy attacked him and out of the blue, comes out to check on his old tag team partner. They cut ties with Christopher Daniels. Samoa Joe went from bad ass, to a face, to a title contender, to disappearing, only to come back with the same gimmick of taken names and not saying anything (remember the MEM beat down that Joe got. SAME THING). You sign the Bucks and you do what with them? Nothing.
Never said Madison doesn't deserve because she damn well does, though they put on build towards her as can you name me ONE singles match she has ever won? Doubtful. Look at the Knockouts a year, year and a half ago. It was HOT. Even after Gail left it was still big. But Kong is gone because you'd rather have a buddy of Hogan's. Cheerleader Melissa is gone. Where is Taylor Wilde? Hamada? The girl that tagged with Taylor? ODB is out there jobbing. What do you have now? Maybe 6-8 women in the division and half of them are either hurt or cannot wrestle. Congrats, that was an epic fail.
The Guns just had an awesome Ultimate X match with Generation Me for the numer contender spot. And I really don't expect Generation Me to get a push anytime soon, but they're getting there. Homicide, well I definitely do agree with you on that part, LAX should have never been split up in the first place. They really didn't have anything for him to do, I thought for sure he was going to be released, but he's back now which makes me happy. I'm still trippin about the whole Chris Daniels thing, did he ask for his release or did TNA just let him go?
I'd rather have Hogan's buddy in TNA?... FUUUUCK NOOOO! Besides Kong asked for her release, and is still good friends with TNA. Bubba just killed it. Cheerleader Melissa... again asked for her release. People just think TNA fired them... wrong! Taylor Wilde is a tag team wrestler right now and her partner, Sarita, is finishing up a tour in Japan, so just wait until she returns I'm sure they will be used. Yes half of them are hurt, but that doesn't make the Knockout Division a joke. If anything it shows they work their asses off. So epic fail? I don't think so, do your homework son.
Yes, and where have the Guns or GenMe done since then? When was the last time genMe was on TV? When was the last time the Guns were on TV? And TNA let Daniels go.
Again, the REASON why they asked for their release...TNA wasn't using them or the pay wasn't right. Tara is now out the door because TNA REFUSES to pay these girls the amount they deserve. Taylor has been writing on twitter and myspace how TNA continues to not use them on TV and how annoying it is not being able to do anything. And yes, epic fail on TNA. I did my homework, how about you?


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Transfer of Training: Moving Beyond the Barriers
By Alexis Belair
Q: How can I produce skilled learners in the workplace?
A: It's simple! Teach for Transfer!
Would such a succinct response to a posed question on the development of skilled professionals be sufficient for its understanding? A swift, "No," probably would be the answer. With the concept of "teaching for transfer" at the forefront of any training program, it has become vital to understand the concept beyond its surface. Would it be sound to declare that the use of the word, "simple," to describe the method of "teaching for transfer" is somewhat of an understatement? The correct answer most likely would be, "Definitely!" With a mere 10 to 20 percent of information being transferred to the workplace post-training, it is evident the methodology has its complexities. There is a need to develop a greater understanding of the principle.
Consequently, the issue deeply rooted in the methodology is not this peripheral understanding of the concept, but rather the lack of best practices used for bolstering transfer in training. In reference to the above, the word, "simple," would be an erroneous representation of the method of teaching for transfer. An attempt to implement the technique is admirable, but this does not suggest effectiveness. Research has shown that even the most successful training programs fail to transfer knowledge and new skills to learners (Cheng, 2008). Today, organizations strive for knowledgeable and skilled employees in order to improve organizational performance (Burke, 2008). In light of this, what are the factors that are being overlooked when trying to execute the practice? Undoubtedly, there is a need to understand the process in order to target some of its glitches.
Factors in the Transfer Process
The idea that "training needs to be demonstrably effective" is the epitome of any learning outcome (Cheng, 2008). Although evaluation models, such as Kirkpatrick's Four Levels of Evaluation, have been used to measure deficiencies in performance, the challenge is in finding training solutions that will achieve the intended objectives and mold learners into idyllic performers. Notwithstanding the complexities of training, it is indisputable that the true success of training is represented in the learner's ability to demonstrate what has been learned. It is, thus, irrefutable that training well done is, in fact, worthy of investment (Cheng, 2008). The school of "situated learning" has deemed the learner's ability to participate in their environment a supreme technique for acquiring skills (Cheng, 2008). However, the idea that off-the-job training is of little value can only be considered gaudy from the stance of any professional. Authors from the article "Transfer of training: A review and new insights" offer an exemplary rendering of the acquisition of "core skills" (2008). A balanced combination of on-the-job and off-the-job learning is preferable.
Trainee personalities also play a vital role in the transfer process. "The main goal for training designers should be to foster the trainees' motivation to use new skills on the job" (Liebermann and Hoffmann, 2008). Overall learner satisfaction is greater if the training is relevant to the job. In alignment with this idea is the importance goal setting (Gist et al. 1990). Relevant goals intensify the learner's interest in the tasks at hand, which results in persistence from the learner to reach the goal (Gist et al. 1990). In light of this, it is obvious that practical relevance of a training program has become a crucial factor entrenched in all research pertaining to transfer solutions. The archetype of any good workplace environment "provides adequate resources and opportunities to apply the new knowledge" (Liebermann & Hoffmann, 2008). To plow further into the idyllic environment of training practices is indispensable and should remain at the forefront of training practices research.
Researchers also have identified the organizational environment as a determinant of hindering transfer. The application of structured timely feedback in a positive environment is somewhat difficult to master. Unlike popular belief, extensive feedback is not the panacea of improved behavior. Rather, one must be vigilant when providing feedback (Van den Bossche, 2010). With careful consideration of these factors, feedback can be used as an effective support mechanism to assist in the transfer of training.
Tips for Effective Transfer: A Proposed Model
A new model of transfer has been offered in light of the difficulties outlined in past research (Burke & Hutchins, 2008). Based on the proposed model of transfer offered by the authors, here are some useful points to consider for promoting transfer:
Extend stakeholders beyond trainers, trainees, and supervisors: Although peer support has proven in the past to wield the effects of transfer on trainees, new research has shown peer support as being significantly influential on effects of transfer (Burke & Hutchins, 2008). Peer collaboration, networking, and the sharing of ideas relating to the content can act as support for skill transfer in trainees (Hawley and Barnard, 2005). Further, consider the organization itself as a major stakeholder. The organization's "transfer climate" can directly influence training transfer results. Whether the organization values learning can have a direct impact on employee performance (Awoniyi et al. 2004).
Extend beyond the classic before, during, and after evaluation of transfer: It is important to consider that transfer is not necessarily time-bound (Burke & Hutchins, 2008). "Put simply, the transfer problem is not rooted in a specific time phase and, thus, its remedies should not be either" (2008). Provide support for transfer throughout the duration of the transfer process and not solely at specific time phases. For example, consider creating jobs aids before the training so the trainee can use it during and after training. Such tactics help extend beyond the training itself and promotes for continuous on-the-job learning (Baldwin-Evans, 2006; Clarke, 2004).
Consider trainer characteristics and evaluation as influential factors: Learner characteristics, the design and delivery of the training, and the environment all have been considered as influential factors that may inhibit or support transfer. Consider incorporating expressions in the delivery of the content and ensure the content is well organized. Further, incorporate assessment of transfer from trainee, trainer, and the organization's perspective. This helps to create an environment that values and supports learning (Bates, 2003).
Include moderating variables: Consider the size (small, medium, large) of the organization. These factors may have a direct affect of the training department and the way in which transfer is evaluated (Burke & Hutchins, 2008).
Although the ambition to create a perfect training transfer model is admirable, the fact remains that transfer is nothing short of complex. That said, in order to provide for optimal effectiveness of training for transfer, it is essential that all aspects of training be garnered into a manageable practice.
- Awoniyi, K., Salas, E., & Garofano, C. (2004). A study of best practices in training transfer and proposed model for transfer. In L. A. Burke & H. M. Hutchins (2008). Human Resource Development Quarterly, 19(2), 107-128.
- Bates, R. A. (2003). A study of best practices in training transfer and proposed model for transfer. In L. A. Burke & H. M. Hutchins (2008). Human Resource Development Quarterly, 19(2), 107-128.
- Burke, L. A., & Hutchins, H. M. (2008). A study of best practices in training transfer and proposed model for transfer. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 19(2), 107-128.
- Cheng, E., & Hampson, I. (2008). Transfer and training: A review and new insights. International Journal of Management Reviews, 10(4), 327-341.
- Gist, M., Bavetta, A., & Steven, C.K. (1990). Transfer training method: Its influence on skill generalization, skill repetition, and performance level. Personnel Psychology, 43(3), 501.
- Hawley, J. D., & Barnard, J. K. (2005). A study of best practices in training transfer and proposed model for transfer. In L. A. Burke & H. M. Hutchins (2008). Human Resource Development Quarterly, 19(2), 107-128.
- Liebermann, S., & Hoffmann, S. (2008). The impact of practical relevance on training transfer: evidence from a service quality-training program for German bank clerks. International Journal of Training and Development, 12(2), 74-76.
- Randi, J., & Corno, L. (2007). Theory into practice: A matter of transfer. Theory into Practice, 46(4), 334-342.
- Van de Bossche, P., Segers, M., & Jansen, N. (2010). Transfer of training: the role of feedback in supportive social networks. International Journal of Training and Development, 14(2), 81-94.
Alexis Belair is a student at Concordia University in Montreal completing a Master's degree in Educational Technology.


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PIRANESI, Giovanni Battista.
Antiquita Romana
XXXIX. Veduta di un Sepolcro antico esistente in una Vigna per la strada di Tivoli….
Bouchard & Gravier, Rome 1756
Original etching
First edition, published by Bouchard & Gravier, Rome 1756
The Antichita illustrate the tombs along the Appian Way and similar areas outside the city. While the tombs, their occupants and their builders are mostly unknown, these plates are among Piranesi's most romantic views, his crumbling masonry given weight and grandeur by the low viewpoints, the strong light affects and the tiny figures of tourists, peasants and goats. Piranesi's studies of the antiquities of Rome was one of the great archaeological works of its era; appealing both to the architects and designers of the day as well as to the students of the past. While its influence spread across Europe, it was most eagerly studied in England, where it led in 1757 to Piranesi's election as an Honorary Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries.
A fine, early, lifetime edition. Strong impressions on uncut sheets.


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RingCentral Office
Make one-way announcements over IP phones and overhead paging devices.
Feature benefits:
Quickly ping colleagues in any location, in real-time
- Make one-way announcements from your desk phone, or mobile phone (with VoIP turned on)
- Commonly used in retail or warehouse environments, or any organization with multiple departments or floors
- Just Plug & Page™: No complicated installation or configuration required
- 100% SIP digital devices compatible. No additional cost for installing additional converters
- Create, add, or modify paging groups anywhere, at anytime
- Reach any colleague in any office location
What is a Paging Only group?
- A Paging Only group is a collection of paging devices and/or desk phones that can receive a paging call. A Paging Only group also allows real-time announcements to be made to multiple desk phones and/or overhead paging devices. Typically, a paging group is designed to maintain communications coverage in certain areas of a building (e.g. "Warehouse" or "2nd Floor"). Paging Only groups have an assigned extension, but cannot receive or originate voice calls.
Is there any additional cost to add this feature?
- No. This feature is included for free in all Office Editions. Currently, Entrepreneur Edition does not support this feature.
Which RingCentral service supports Paging feature?
- Paging is supported by all RingCentral Office Editions.
What desk phone models support Paging feature?
- Paging is supported by all RingCentral phone models:
Polycom: IP 321, IP 335, IP 550, IP 650, VVX 311, VVX 411, and VVX 501
Cisco: SPA303, SPA508, and SPA-525G2
What overhead paging devices support Paging feature?
- RingCentral Office supports native SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) paging devices. The following models are supported:
CyberData V2 Celling speakers (for indoor)
CyberData V2 Paging amplifiers (for outdoor)
Can I purchase these overhead paging devices from RingCentral?
- No. RingCentral currently does not provide overhead devices or installation services. Paging devices can be sourced from Telecom / VoIP equipment resellers, and often these resellers can also assist with installation.
Can Paging be used on RingCentral Mobile Apps or Softphone?
- Your mobile devices and Softphone cannot receive pages. Paging feature is only available on desk phones and supported paging devices. However, you can page a group from mobile devices and Softphone by dialing DTMF (Dual-tone multi-frequency signaling) code *84 and a paging group number. Note:You need to enable the VoIP Calling mode on your mobile device in order to use Paging.
What is difference between Paging and Intercom?
- Paging is a one-way broadcast to one or multiple devices/users. Intercom is peer-to-peer, two-way communication between two devices/users.


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Our leaders have failed us.
Our leaders are failing us.
Our leaders will continue to fail us.
As the farce of the 2009 Copenhagen climate summit recedes, the failure of our leadership stands naked before us -- again. But only ever-so-briefly, before ducking back behind the glossy ad-campaign facade of empty promises and false hope.
Other failures will follow. This is certain.
"That's OK!" we scream. "Just keep telling us what we want to hear! Tell us everything's gonna be OK!" For we still live in The Land of Make Believe.
…But ever more tenuously now, as the cracks in the veneer of normalcy widen ominously.
We have a make-believe economy using fairy-dust money to manufacture an imaginary recovery. We're fighting two wars with an imaginary national credit card. We have a national energy policy based entirely on imaginary technology and imaginary resources. We have a climate policy which will likely require wholesale migration to an imaginary planet.
Enough already.
It is time – past time – to ask ourselves the necessary questions: Who will step forward to restore sanity to our lives? Who will provide us the real leadership necessary to extricate ourselves from the delusional madhouse our culture has become? If our leaders will not lead us to a livable future, then who will?
What is Leadership?
But before trying to answer these questions, let me expand on just what I mean by leadership.
Leadership can mean many things, but REAL leadership – the kind we need -- is primarily this: the ability to align the human sphere with biophysical reality.
Anything less than this is merely opportunism, and will be exposed as such in short order – probably very short order at this point. Historically, the Earth has had little reservation in punishing civilizations for violations of biophysical reality; for their foolish opportunism. I see no reason why we should be spared the same fate.
And contrary to popular sentiment among our civilization's intellectuals, biophysical reality is not defined by humans; it is defined by the Earth and the Laws of Nature. Humans can only hope to incompletely illuminate some essential parts of it. And then we must obey it as best we can. It is not optional. And there are consequences.
We have learned more about biophysical reality than any other civilization in the history of the planet, and yet our discounting of its reality has never been more blatant and flamboyant! The irony is both staggering and deadly.
…So then, what sort of biophysical-reality-based leadership do we need? In short, we need leadership on an energy policy that takes into account the actual availability of fossil and renewable energy resources for the decades ahead, as well as the very real risks of short-term supply disruptions.
We need leadership on a climate policy that takes into account the well-documented and already-evident risks associated with destabilizing the Earth's climate.
And we need leadership on an economic policy that links our patterns of production and consumption with the Earth's finite (and severely stressed) resource base and waste absorption capacity.
We need leadership, period. Not opportunism. And opportunism is all we're getting.
A Failure of Leadership
Thus, we are led into the sky-darkening future by a changing cast of opportunists disguised as leaders. Our elected opportunists continue to act as if biophysical reality can be ignored with impunity.
We will surely pay for this.
But this failure of leadership can be dissected even further. Allow me briefly to do so:
Our 'leaders' have failed us politically. They have failed to effectively convey the limitations of biophysical reality to the general population. And they have failed to engage other countries in what are surely all of our best long-term interests.
Our 'leaders' have failed us economically. They have failed to establish a pattern of production and consumption than can last more than a few generations. And in enthusiastically instituting the antithesis of a sustainable economy, they have saddled the future with onerous burdens. Impossible burdens.
Our 'leaders' have failed us morally. They have failed to either demonstrate or effectively promote the better side of human nature: thrift, generosity, love, kindness, pacifism, and forgiveness. And instead, they have demonstrated and celebrated the worst tendencies of our species: gluttony, greed, hatred, selfishness, pugilism, and vengeance.
And our 'leaders' have failed us spiritually. By instituting this soul-less industrial system, they have cut us off from the Earth and from our gods. They have cut us off from each other. They have severed our spiritual bonds so that we can be bonded only to the industrial machine; so that we must depend on the machine for our very survival. And now we do.
The Dark Competence of our Masters
So there is much to fault our 'leaders' in their leadership. But it is tempting here to attribute these leadership failures to incompetence: "Those politicians are screwin' up again! – Can't get nothin' done!" However this is just a popular myth that disguises a much darker reality.
Our 'leaders' have not failed us due to their incompetence. For they are, indeed, very competent in what they do. But what they do is not lead -- at least not in the sense that we have defined here. And not in the sense that they repeatedly tell us they do.
It is an important intellectual leap – made most commonly by "non-intellectuals," by the way -- to realize that our 'leaders' do not labor in OUR service. This is merely a popular delusion that the 'leaders' nurture with the aid of their partners-in-crime, The Press. But it is a lie. No, these 'leaders' have a higher, but usually-unmentionable master -- the transnational corporation (*collective gasp*).
And I'm sick of hearing even progressive people tip-toe around this, so I'll be blunt here.
These corporations, after gaining the legal statuses and rights of citizens – immortal citizens, even! – have hijacked of the entire human sphere. Despite Thomas Jefferson's prescient warnings, these corporations have triumphed over the humans who gave them 'life.' These one-time servants of humans – mere organizational structures at first -- have now become our supreme masters.
They are regimented, violent, supremely efficient in carrying out their directives, and utterly heartless.
They are, as Wendell Berry eloquently puts it, merely big piles of money with the sole intention of becoming bigger piles of money. There is nothing else to them.
They are manned BY humans, but they are not OF humans. They are supra-human – enveloping the human sphere and the rest of the planet with a suffocating efficiency. There is no square centimeter of the planet untouched by their cold tentacles. There is no 'leader' not in their full pay – directly or indirectly.
And no leadership should ever be expected from these corporations. Nor is real leadership even possible from them. Such tokens of 'leadership' we see are cynically meted out when advantageous to them. They are the consummate opportunists. Short-term gain is paramount. Biophysical reality is to be ignored until catastrophic change is unavoidable. Then new opportunities are sought. Period.
This is the dark logic of the machine. This is the dark logic of our masters.
…So can't we at least admit this? If we're going to sit passively by and watch these monstrous creations rape our brothers and sisters, rape the entire Earth, can't we at least identify our attacker by name? Can't we at least be honest with each other about it? Can't we at least maintain a shred of dignity about the whole mess?
So let's all please stop pretending that the next 'leader' – elected or not – will somehow throw off the death-grip of these corporate tentacles and restore leadership to our lives. As The Who intoned so long ago, "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss."
The Coming Convulsions
It is an apt analogy to view these transnational corporations as parasites that have now completely colonized their host – the human species, spread now entirely across the globe.
But unlike a parasite that has co-evolved with the host and can maintain some adversarial balance without inducing death, this novel parasite – as novel parasites often do -- is over-stepping its bounds. We have been able to muster no effective defense against it, and it is having its way with us.
But the catastrophic change utilized by the corporate-parasite to create new wealth-concentrating opportunities no longer involves merely the crash of a market, an ecosystem, a corporation, a species, or an industry – it now involves the catastrophic crash of an entire inter-linked global economy -- and possibly a crash of the biosphere itself.
The coming convulsions will shake the Earth itself -- threatening not only our civilization, but possibly our very existence as a species.
The havoc to be wrought by the collapse of the global economy will be profound. At the behest of the transnational corporations, and under the competent execution of highly-educated people, the life-sustaining functions (food production, resource procurement, manufacturing) of most countries have been partitioned-off and scattered throughout the world. (The US being perhaps foremost among these partitioned countries.) These essential functions have been restructured to require enormous quantities of fossil-fuel energy, and have been linked together globally by a tenuous fossil-fuel-based transportation system.
This is simply the most efficient current system for concentrating wealth. And that is what our corporate-parasites do. That is, in fact, the only thing they do. Everything else is superfluous.
But whether loss of access to fossil fuels comes from a massive credit default, a catastrophic disruption in supply due to political reasons, or from a rapid geologic decline of available net energy, the energy valve will be turned off – and probably much more rapidly than even most 'peak-oilers' think. And when the flow of energy stops, the global economy collapses. And the parasite dies.
While we should theoretically cheer the coming death of said parasite, our country (and most others) will be left without intact infrastructures to handle even the basics of everyday life. Where will we get our food and water? How will we transport it? How will we transport ourselves? Who will make our tools? How will we fix all the cheaply-made gadgets that must – indeed, that are designed to – break? Who will tell us what to do with ourselves? …Who will save us?
We have come to rely so much on our corporate-parasite's cynical life-sustaining functions; on the fossil energy it procured for us – even as the parasite drained us of our dignity, our humanity, and our souls – that we have become essentially helpless as a species to adequately confront biophysical reality. The necessary skills have been mostly lost; our 'appropriate' technology mostly discarded; our bodies now sick and fat; our muscles atrophied; our spirits dimmed; our communities splintered; our resources depleted; and our land degraded.
We will be cast out as babies into the snow. We will weep for the return of our evil parasite-protectors. But they will be dead. And we will be on our own.
And the Earth's long-spurned biophysical reality will no doubt prove to be a much harsher master than even our lost parasite.
On the verge of tears here, I won't even delve into the climatic implications of our generations of flaunting biophysical reality. Read James Hansen's new book or others like it. The implications are potentially grim indeed. So I'll address the above-problems first – which, as Rob Hopkins has explained, will also be effective in addressing much of the milder climatic helter-skelter that may arise.
Ehrenfeld's Shadow Structures
So the picture I have painted above is not rosy. It may play out as I have described, or it may not. I like to think I can see our approaching troubles more clearly than most people, but I understand that I may be wrong in varying degrees on both the details and the timing.
…But I don't think I'm too far off in terms of our general future trajectory.
One future trend I see as most likely in the times ahead (and James H. Kunstler has described this more eloquently than I can), is the breakdown of every large-scale organizational structure we have come to pattern our lives around – big stores, big farms, big government, big water, big manufacturing, big schools, big transit, big energy, …Big Everything.
An in place of 'Big Everything,' we will have…what? I don't know. I suppose we could cobble together some crude, half-baked replacement structures on the fly. But good luck with that. I shudder to think what distortions and horrors might grow out of such chaos.
…But this replacement of an imploding 'Big Everything' was the focus of Rutgers biologist and author David Ehrenfeld's 1999 essay in Tikkun entitled, "The Coming Collapse of the Age of Technology." And in it he gives a prescient way to address the troubles he predicted – the same troubles that are coming to a head now, a decade later.
In his essay, Ehrenfeld advocates for the creation of a "shadow economic, social, and even technological structure that will be ready to take over as the existing system fails." He goes on to describe the shadow political systems set up by Churchill before coming to power in the wake of the German invasion – shadow political systems that allowed an effective power transition as the British government collapsed. Collapse of the governmental structures was skillfully foreseen, and the replacement structures were prepared and ready to function when required. And they were effective.
These shadow structures, applied to our predicament, would be locally-organized entities capable of replacing the essential functions that would be lost upon the death of our 'Big Everything.' They would address the procurement of food and clean water; of forest products; the manufacturing of tools and other 'appropriate technology'; the exchange of goods and services; the production and transport of energy; political organization; and everything else fully-functioning communities require.
Prior to the collapse of 'Big Everything,' these shadow structures would in no way be dependent on the doomed corporate-government nexus. They would be run and owned solely by the participants in the community they served. They would be small and stay small. And they would make up for their extreme smallness by being extremely numerous – dotted throughout the country in each viable community.
And as Ehrenfeld points out, such shadow structures already exist in the form of CSA's – or Community Supported Agriculture. They also exist in the form of family farms, guilds of skilled craftspeople, and the various resiliency and re-skilling initiatives of the current Transition Town movement – a movement now gaining rapid popularity, as well it should.
But these shadow structures don't exist in anywhere near the quantity and quality that they will be required. And they will be required soon.
And the Leaders of Tomorrow Are…You & Me
So we have a task before us. …A huge task. …An impossible task? Maybe. Maybe not.
The task is this: Each of us needs to, RIGHT NOW, become a leader in our own communities. Each of us, RIGHT NOW, needs to (1) assess the biophysical reality of his or her community; of his or her own capabilities – what is needed and what is possible, and (2) respond with the creation and nurturing of the appropriate shadow structure to replace a given 'Big Everything' function.
This starts with learning. It could mean learning to grow food, or store food, or save seeds, or save rainwater, or make tools, or manufacture necessary everyday items, or build structures from natural materials, or heal bodies, or deliver children, or any of the multitudinous skills that will be required of us. Much has been forgotten and much needs to be re-learned.
And after learning comes organizing. We need to organize at the family and community levels. Get your property on a sustainable trajectory, and then try to get your community moving in the same direction. Start a community garden. Start a skills workshop for something you enjoy. Do a project with youth groups or schools.
And after organizing comes keeping your project running over the long-term. Because it's largely pointless to organize a stream clean-up if it doesn't translate into sustained behavioral change or management practices in your town. It's largely pointless to start a community garden if it does not blossom into a teaching tool and countless spin-off gardens throughout the community. Keep going even when you want to quit. Even when it's too hard.
Because wherever this can be accomplished, our communities stand a fighting chance in the face of the coming convulsions. Where they cannot be accomplished, we are doomed. It's that simple.
There will be no white knight coming to save us. We must save ourselves.
Free...Free at last!
In short, the leaders of tomorrow are us – you, and me, and the people we can convince to follow us, and the people already readying themselves and (crucially) their communities for the coming convulsions.
We will lead ourselves.
WE are the leaders of tomorrow, starting RIGHT NOW, and we will hopefully be TRUE leaders – not the pathetic opportunists who claim to serve us now.
We will be done with them as soon as this new vision takes hold in our minds, in our bodies, in the lives of our families, and in our communities.
These 'leaders' and the corporate-parasites they serve will be of no more use to us.
For, we will be free.
Free at last.
…And then the hard work of the New Reconstruction shall begin in earnest.


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Corporate Partners
Our partners play a key role in ensuring we help more kids participate in organized sport. We work closely with our corporate partners to ensure our relationship supports their objectives and helps more kids get off the sidelines and into the game. KidSport is proud to work with corporations who believe in our mission...So ALL Kids Can Play!


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Your Local Building Contractor in Stretford
Welcome to MDA Design & Build Manchester. We are the trusted, local Stretford builder of choice. Learn more about our services or contact our trusted team today.
We have been established for over 30 years serving both the Domestic and Commercial markets in Stretford and surrounding. We are noted for our friendly, courteous and reliable service with no job being too big or too small and above all, carrying out the work in a safe, clean and professional manner.
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Our Client base is extensive, with many Clients using our building services on a repeat basis. They include:-
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Our Building Reputation:
RT is noted for our friendly and reliable service with no job being too big or small and above all, carrying out our work in a safe, clean and professional manner.
Based in Manchester we pride ourselves in offering a local service which provides a high standard of workmanship, friendly and professional advice and making your time with us as hassle free as possible.
If you would like a competitive estimate for your project from a well established building contractor in Stretford, please contact us by telephoning us direct on 07434 879 796 or via the contact form on the site. You can learn more about us and our services here.
Full range of building services in Stretford & South Manchester
Improving, renovating or building a new home involves a lot of personal choices, one of the most difficult being the choice of building services company to work with. With years of extensive knowledge and experience within the building industry, we are able to offer a reliable, professional, high quality, bespoke and friendly service.
We offer a full range of building services in Stretford and throughout Manchester to both the public and local authorities including loft conversions, garage conversions, groundworks, refurbishments, renovations and house extensions. Most of our clients are home owners but we also work with, private developers, schools, community centres and small businesses. We are proud to receive a lot of our work through personal recommendation from our previous building work customers.
All building work is Guaranteed
All of our building construction work is guaranteed and completed to a high standard of workmanship by fully trained and qualified tradesmen. We have a permanent team of Stretford based builders and tradesmen who provide a high level of workmanship within their individual areas of expertise. This allows us to provide a great team who work well together to provide top level results and solutions for all our clients.
Like what you see ?
We offer a full range of building services to both the public and local authorities throughout Stretford, South Manchester and Greater Manchester as a whole. You may have a specific price enquiry or just want to discuss some ideas you have. You could be thinking about a free, no obligation site survey or simply want to ask a local building contractor in Stretford some simple questions about a potential project. Whatever your enquiry, please call now and we will be happy to help you in any way we can.
Please contact MDA Design & Build to discuss your building requirements, dreams and visions.


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Jack White is known for making a righteous noise when accompanied by just one other player in his famed (but now retired) duo the White Stripes. So imagine the ruckus he can create when accompanied by two full bands. This is how White chose to preview material from his forthcoming debut solo album, "Blunderbuss" (due out April 23 on Third Man Records/Columbia) at his Third Man Records showcase at Austin's SXSW Music Festival Friday night.
Fans waited in line for hours to check out White's latest project, and many who didn't make it into the filled-to-capacity venue lingered outside to listen in. What could have been White simply showcasing his new songs turned into a two-part, two-hour party featuring several White Stripes classics as well as tunes from his other projects the Raconteurs and his cinematic Danger Mouse/Daneile Luppi collaboration, Rome.
During part one, White was accompanied by an all-female, five-piece band and back-up singer Ruby Amanfu. Dressed demurely in baby blue dresses, they rocked as hard as the man himself, even on their atypical instruments including a violin, double bass and pedal-steel guitar. They played the album's first single, "Love Interruption," with the provocative lyrics, "I want love to roll me over slowly, stick a knife inside me and twist it all around," and other new tunes that straddled the line between garage rock and country.
The sizable band also filled out White Stripes classics including "Hotel Yorba," which thrilled the crowd but somehow lacked the magic and spontaneity that White created together with White Stripes bandmate Meg. After a 45-minute set that included much of his new album, White quipped that they were taking a break and they'd be performing in the lounge all night. He returned a few minutes later with an all-male backing band who delivered several more White Stripes tunes including "Doorbell" and "The Hardest Button to Button" as well as the Raconteurs "Steady As She Goes" and the Rome song "Two Against One."
Rumors swirled all evening that special guests including Beck and Norah Jones would join him on stage. Although Jones was spotted in the audience and actor Bill Murray ended up dancing on the bar by night's end, White kept the spotlight all to himself, proving yet again that he's an able, commanding helmsman no matter what ship he's steering.


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Digital Production
The Gnomon Workshop offers the most comprehensive set of Digital Production tutorials anywhere. The broad scope of the tutorials contained in this section range from foundational understanding of the software tools all the way to the professional application of these tools and concepts used by artists working in the film and game industries.
Entertainment Design
The Gnomon Workshop is widely regarded as the global leader in training tutorials for the designer working in the entertainment industry. With tutorials ranging from foundational drawing and design concepts to process tutorials from some of the top concept and character designers in the world, there is surely something here to inspire.
As the tattoo industry has seen an explosion in popularity over the last few years, the need training in this field has also grown. In these video tutorials, some of the top tattoo artists in the world share their techniques and their take on the art of tattoo. The tutorials range from absolute beginner level to advanced color and blending techniques used by some of the world's best.
The Gnomon Workshop offers professional training on most of the software applications used in today's digital pipelines. There are foundational titles to introduce users to the software and tools, as well as advanced production titles that discuss application tools and processes vital to the production of digital assets and media.
Professional Training for Artists
The Gnomon Workshop seeks out the most highly-regarded traditional and digital artists and technicians currently working in the entertainment and design industries. Our instructors have shared their practices working at such top studios as Pixar, ILM, Blizzard, and many more.Instructor GalleriesInstructor Interviews
In this title, David Finch reveals his step-by-step process for drawing the human body. He starts with simple tube form shapes, and then covers the placement of muscle throughout both the male and female bodies. David demonstrates how to pose a simple tube form effectively, allowing you to block-in and draw a figure in perspective and in a variety of poses. He discusses balance, posture and presentation, emphasizing line weight and lighting. Finally, David puts everything together and draws fully realized bodies with a variety of intricate poses, and a variety of proportions and details. This constructive drawing process teaches you to draw convincing human bodies without the need for tracing or using reference.
Duration: 177 minutes
Format: HD 1920x1080
David Finch began his comic book career at the age of 22 at Top Cow Productions, part of Image Comics. There he created Ascension and Aphrodite IX, both of which were top sellers in the business, with Aphrodite IX debuting as the number one comic book in the industry. In 2001 he made the move to Marvel comics where his catalog of work included Call of Duty, Ultimate X-Men, Avengers Disassembled and The New Avengers. His run on Moon Knight skyrocketed this title into the main Marvel universe and landed him a top-five book which sold more than five times the title's previous release. David then turned his attention to working with Lost, Heroes and Smallville executive producer, Jeph Loeb, on Marvel's smash hit Ultimatum. 2010 saw another major change in David's career as his made the transition from Marvel Comics to DC Comics and the Warner Brothers banner. His artwork will be featured on the covers for the upcoming follow up to Darkest Night, entitled Brightest Day. In addition to his comic career, David has also worked in video games, music and film.
"Dave Finch is one of the most dynamic illustrators working in commercial art today. His amazing layouts, his unique character designs and his extraordinary flair to create exciting images are nothing but top flight. And it's fun... something that's incredibly difficult to pull off and he does so consistently."
Try a Class on Campus
Gnomon specializes in computer graphics education for careers in the entertainment industry.


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Adobe Ideas 2.7 Is Here!
Adobe Ideas users asked – the Ideas team delivered:
Adobe Ideas 2.7 is here! Our new update includes several user-requested features to the free iOS application that lets anyone create freeform vector illustrations on their iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch. Here's what's new:
- Stylus Support – Ideas now includes pressure sensitive stylus support for Ten One Design's Pogo Connect Bluetooth Pen, which enables users to be more expressive with their drawing strokes and achieve creative effects more naturally. It also allows for palm rejection so that users can draw while resting their palm on the iPad without interference. In addition, users can control their brushes, colors, opacity and size by simply tapping the button on the pen. Pogo Connect works with the iPad 3, 4 and iPad Mini.
- Stroke Smoothing – Based on community feedback, designers can now choose their preference on what line smoothing method works best for them. Users can choose to smooth the drawing stroke while drawing for increased accuracy, or after to achieve smoother curves.
- Share to other applications – Users can also share designs to other applications such as Behance and Photoshop Touch.
Update your app today! If you haven't already experimented with Adobe Ideas, what are you waiting for? It's free! Head straight to the App Store, download it and start using it: http://bit.ly/11QiKB8
We can't wait to see what you create next!
Image created by Tomasz Usyk: http://www.behance.net/tomaszusyk


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Caitlyn Jenner is back on the cover of Sports Illustrated on the 40th anniversary of her striking Olympic gold.
"Caitlyn Jenner as you know her now. Bruce Jenner as you never knew him then," the issue says opposite a photo that shows Jenner in gold sequin jumpsuit and wearing her "XXI Olympiad Montreal 1976" medal.
In an accompanying interview and 20-minute film "Jenner: 40 Years After Gold," the athlete, reality star, and activist shares her mixed feelings about the Olympic decathlon achievement that made her a household name.
U.S. & World
She keeps her gold medal in the "nail drawer" of the bathroom at her Malibu, California, home and says, "it's funny I never take this thing out."
The medal was a big hit for her kids at "show and tell," she allowed. But she said she never put it on display.
Jenner explained that the decathlon "was the perfect distraction" over her gender dysphoria.
"I had proved myself as a man and I still had this person living inside me that I had never really ever dealt with," Jenner said in the video.
She said that the morning after winning gold as Bruce Jenner she was "disgusted" when looking at herself in the mirror at her Montreal hotel room.
"I was big and thick and masculine," she said. "The rest of the world thought it was this Greek god kind of body. I hated it. But it's what I was given, so I just tried to do the best I could with it."
Jenner said she is still "very proud of that part of my life" but that sports is "not real life.
"What I'm dealing with now, this is about who you are as a human being" she said. "What did I do for the world in 1976, besides maybe getting a few people to exercise a little bit? I didn't make a difference in the world."
Click here to read the full article and watch the film.


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ALMS 2010 Mazda Raceway
12 Jun, 2010
Courtesy Mazda Raceway Laguna-Seca :
Patrón Highcroft Racing scored an exhausting victory Saturday in the American Le Mans Series Monterey presented by Patrón. The HPD ARX-01c of David Brabham, Simon Pagenaud and Marino Franchitti won an epic six-hour race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the second straight victory for PHR.
Franchitti took the checkered flag in Round 3 of the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón. He and Dyson's Guy Smith battled for the better part of the final two hours before the Dyson Mazda-powered Lola ground to a halt with 24 minutes remaining. The oil filter blew, which shut off the power to the Mazda engine.
Patrick Long took the lead for good on a restart with eight minutes left to win by 0.365 in GT for Flying Lizard Motorsports and Porsche. He and Jörg Bergmeister won at Mazda Raceway for the second straight season. Long passed BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team's Joey Hand and his BMW M3 on the inside of Turn 11 just as the green flag flew, a legal move.
Hand had taken the class lead with 33 minutes left when Long pitted for fuel only. He and Dirk Mueller finished second, just ahead of Corvette Racing's Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta.
Level 5 Motorsports' trio of Christophe Bouchut, Mark Wilkins and Scott Tucker won in the LMP Challenge class, repeating their victory from the opening round at Sebring. Bouchut crossed the finish line 7.105 seconds ahead of Genoa Racing's Tom Sutherland. He drove with Tom Weickardt and Kyle Marcelli.
Black Swan Racing won its first Series race with brothers Jeroen and Sebastiaan Bleekemolen partnering with team owner Tim Pappas for a GT Challenge victory. The entry led all six hours and ended up a lap ahead of TRG's Porsche of Andy Lally, Rene Villeneuve and Henri Richard.


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Regedit Permissions -"Access Denied" or "Error while deleting key" EVEN AS ADMIN!
Anyone tried deleting a registry key in Windows 7? Got "access denied" or "Error while deleting key"?The usual response is, "You need to run regedit as an administrator". but I *AM* logged in as Administrator, and running regedit as administrator, trying to assign administrator full permissions on that registry key in order to delete it!!Am I mistaken, or isn't Administrator supposed to be able to administer and control all the settings on the computer, in order to set it up for the "Average Joe" user?So, under the permissions menu of that key, go to advanced, change the owner from System to Administrator, and try again. It's no longer saying "access denied", but "Cannot delete xxxxxx. Error while deleting key".The scenario: Basically, the wireless has stopped working on a laptop. The device does not show up in Device Manager, but is in the registry, so the normal procedure is to delete the registry entry for the device in HKLM/System/CurrentControlSet (and /ControlSet001) /Enum/PCI ,then attach the device or restart the computer, it finds the "new" hardware and reinstalls it. Easy!...Not with permission restrictions on the administrator account it's not! So I need to give myself permission, to give myself permission, to do a simple task like delete a single registry key! Why, Microsoft, why???!!! Please just make the Administrator account a hidden "God mode" account that can do anything, and make the lives of us techies much easier in the process!/RANTNow, where did I put that XP disc?!....
Regedit, select you key, right-click-->Permissions-->Advanced-->Owner, select Administrators, Apply. Then grand FC to "System", and, if you like, to "Administrators" also.
I doubt deleting the keys helps you at all, since after deleting and restarting, the OS regenerates the keys by default permissions and you end up in the same situation as before, makes you mad, doesn't it?
I had the same problem trying to edit CurrentControlSet/Enum/USB. I tried all sorts of permission and ownership changes without success. I finally got it to work by using the following command
psexec -i -d -s c:\windows\regedit.exe
psexec is available from Microsoft here
This gave me full access to the registry. You should definitely be careful with this sort of access.
For me, my USB to serial device wasn't working any more. I wanted to remove the registry entries for it in Enum/USB. After deleting them with the above method, I plugged in the USB to serial adapter and it started working again. I'm running Win7 PRO.
I had one of my users (Win7 x86) get hit by
Windows Advanced Security Center
It should be pretty easy to get rid of. Stop the task, delete the .exe
But no matter what I can NOT edit
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\avguard.exe
No matter if I run as local admin, or a System with use of psexec, I can NOT make any changes to this key, no owner change, no permissions change, absolutely NOTHING
You have to set you as owner of the key first and give you full writing permissions = ACCESS DENIED
Surely if the program can make the changes, I should be able to undo them?
- 已編輯 scerazy 2012年6月15日 下午 12:48
OMG - 2 days of searching and screwing with solutions. @AAWahoo - Worked perfectly. Thanks!!!!!
[edit] at first glance I could delete subkeys, but overall the stupid Enum\IPEnumRoot entry couldn't be altered/deleted nor could I replace ownership.
I'll keep looking. :(
- 已編輯 JawsOnt 2012年10月27日 下午 02:12
My problem is exactly the same but when when I try your solution I get this message.
psexec -i -d -s c:\windows\regedit.exe
Access is denied.
I have tried running CMD as administrator also with the same results.
Any ideas?
I've got a simple fix for those who have this problem:
1. Move PsExec.exe (and the other executables) into a folder called PSTools. Locate it under C:\, so it should be C:\PSTools.
2. Create a new text file called "PsExec.bat" (note that the name before the .bat can be up to you). The location of this batch file is up to you.
3. Open the file in Notepad, and enter the following information, and save it:
C:\PSTools\psexec.exe -i -d -s c:\windows\regedit.exe pause
(The pause is so you can read any error messages that may appear).
4. Close Notepad, then right click on the new Batch file, and click "Run as Administrator".
It worked perfectly for me, and makes it much simpler to run in the future, with a simple right click! Hope this works for you. :)
Also note that the folder you put PsExec in doesn't matter, as long as the path in the batch file matches the true path of the file, and that there are no spaces in any of the folders to the file. This is because Administrator Command Prompt seems to read folder names in traditional DOS-like fashion (ie. PS Tools turns into PSTools~1 or something like that).
Thanks TheEDFLegacy. At last a solution that works! I had Symantec Endpoint Client go bad, wouldn't uninstall, and had to use regedit for a tedious manual uninstall. After that the Teeter2 stuff from it remained. Couldn't remove in Device Manager & couldn't remove in Registry Editor because its permissions were set so only SYSTEM user could delete. PSExec gave me hope but even that was no good until it was run through the batch file as you susggested. At last I've removed what I could see of Teeter2 and my wireless adapter is working again! Thanks once again.
Even this didn't work for me, plus all the permutations otherwise. I've made myself owner of the key, inherited/de-inherited permissions, removed other users. Nothing will let me delete the keys. This is a laptop on a Domain, but my user has local admin. Also rebooted, tried in safe mode, etc.
The key is a VMWare Workstation 9 Service, of which there are several - some I could delete, but many not, and it is this that prevented uninstallation of the app... which I wanted to do because I couldn't edit the Virtual Network Properties (possible also due to permissions).
Really bizarre.
I was having an issue with many of our laptops that we ran the symantec clean wipe on to fix a SEP 12 issue. After running the application we got the 8007000D error and it was saying windows was not genuine. I spent hours looking for fixes, running slmgr every way imaginable. Uninstalling symantec and trying, nothing I did would allow the workstation to get its key from the KMS. I found a MS article about the Enum key related to the 8007000D error and started searching for registry access issues.
After finding this article I found that maybe I had a permissions problem on the enum key. I applied to child objects (permissions were right to start) access denied. Took ownership, access denied as admin, then as LOCAL admin, then as LOCAL admin in safe mode!! no dice.
Then I found this thread. PSEXEC which I just recently started using to push some applications to computers remotely and BINGO! Started up Regedit remotely and was able to apply the permissions to the key. I am assuming that the switch that has the magic is the -s switch which ran the application as a system account.
psexec -i -d -s c:\windows\regedit.exe worked for me.
Finding this article basically saved the day. Thanks!
- 已編輯 IcezX2K 2014年2月5日 下午 07:14
I had a un-deletable key from an old installation of DropBox... I was trying to reinstall, but it would not reinstall because of this stupid prior key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Dropbox\ks
I tried many things! I tried:
- every combination of run-as admin
- loggin in as domain admin, etc
- the psexec workaround
I was about to give up and reinstall windows to fix this...
But, the one that finally worked was the 3rd party: Registrar Registry Manager.
I was a little skeptical, because I don't really like to install apps that I have never heard of... But it worked like magic!
I explain you:
Administrator does not mean "you get all rights to do anything." Administrator happens to be an account (or in your case, most likely the Local Administrators group) which by default is given some sensitive privileges like
SeDebugPrivilegeand similar. However, as far as the security subsystem is concerned, it is just an account. (Very much unlike
rootin Unix-like operating systems) If you aren't the owner of the key in question, and your account does not have
WRITE_DACaccess to the registry key in question, then you won't be able to change the access control list on the key in question.
Try taking ownership first. By default, the local administrators group has
SeTakeOwnershipPrivilege, which allows taking ownership of any object even without the
WRITE_OWNERpermission being granted by the object's discretionary access control list. Once you are the owner, you should be implicitly granted
READ_CONTROL(which allows you to read the security descriptor on the object in question), and
WRITE_DAC(which allows you to write to the DACL on the key in question). (Assuming the
OWNER_RIGHTSSID isn't in use; that's extremely unlikely)
Yeah, Hello: I just spent 2 days trying to rid my PC of Malware that came in on "SearchSnacks" downloaded by some free-ware, or something. I noticed the "SearchSnacks" in my Windows "Uninstall" screen while Uninstalling another Program that I didn't need anymore. The "SearchSnacks" was UnInstalled and I assumed it was truly removed, yet I was wrong. What was left in my Windows Registry was HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\ ENUM\Root\legacy_ssnfd. The same entry was left in 2 other places, with a total of 6 entries total. In ControlSet002\ and ControlSet001, each with another\0000 in both locations. The "SSNFD.Sys" file was named by several Malware Removal Programs that I downloaded off the Internet to remove the Registry Entries, the only one that even found it was SpyHunter 4.0, but it wouldnt remove it w/out Registering/Purchasing the App. Since I knew where the entry was located, I used Regedit to try and remove it, like your entry above, It Denied me Access...! Finally, in Google search, I entered "Regedit -Denies Access" to removal of SSNFD.sys
I got a few results all saying to download more Malware Programs, which I skipped, and then Technet@Microsoft appeared. After reading about their APP I did download their PSTools, and used PSEXEC to allow me to delete the entry in Windows Registry in all 6 places..... What a relief....! PSEXEC give's one all the power of over-riding Trust Installed Apps in the Registry.... so, if you ever have another APP that you cant Remove (ACCESS DENIED) Google Search for Microsoft's PSTools..... or "PSEXEC.exe"
As long as it does not appear in device manager, you should be able to attach the device again as if it were new, and the system should see it. When you restart, it should try to install it and if necessary, prompt for a driver.
The entries in the registry would not have any bearing on being able to re-install the device. Further those registry entries should be overwritten during the install.
These commands were a big help fixing some registry issues on a machine.
psexec.exe -i -d -s "C:\windows\regedit.exe"
psexec.exe -i -d -s "C:\windows\system32\regedt32.exe"
But I think I may have a few machines with these issues. Since permissions are the problem, you can't just import "working/good" registry keys.
Does anyone know of a way of fixing registry permission issues remotely, for a few machines?
IT WORKED! I did the steps ,,{FOLLOW THEM EXACTLY},, PutPSTools in a folder on C: ,, outlined except for the fact that Win 8 wouldnt convert the file named PSTools.bat into a usable batch file it just remained a txt file named pstools.bat .
SO I opened an admin comand prompt and typed "cd.. enter" {yes type the 2 dots} twice to bring me to C:
then type "cd PSTools " enter,
and from C:\PSTools, I typed out the bat file except for the "pause" ...
Type "Psexec.exe -i -d -s C:\windows\regedit.exe" enter. Regedit started and I navigated to the HKLM\SYS\CURR.CONT.SET\ENUM\USBSTOR\ AND DELETED BOTH : Disk&Ven_TigerJet ..... AND a CDROM instance with tigerjet in the key. MAJICJACK GONE!
WARNING this tool DOES NOT WARN YOU OR ASK YOU IF YOU WANT TO DELETE THIS KEY !!!
actually am facing 1 problem..
am not able to delete chrome completely
i removed each and everything but from regedit>hkey_local_machine, in the folder of google there's one manifest.json key...which am unable to delete
i tried through psexec n all..
also gave full control...still not able to delete..
i tried reinstalling chrome, creates folder in programfile but it does not show in apps and feature(control panel)
please help me with this.
I had a un-deletable key from an old installation of DropBox... I was trying to reinstall, but it would not reinstall because of this stupid prior key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Dropbox\ks
I tried many things! I tried:
- every combination of run-as admin
- loggin in as domain admin, etc
- the psexec workaround
I was about to give up and reinstall windows to fix this...
But, the one that finally worked was the 3rd party: Registrar Registry Manager.
I was a little skeptical, because I don't really like to install apps that I have never heard of... But it worked like magic!
Excellent program. Tried for hours to sort the undeletable key problem. Couldn't uninstall skype, and skype insists on a complete manual uninstall before an update. Like going back 15 years.
I got the same Problem, so i also installed the Programm Registar Registry Manager, i tried to remove these Keys and 2 Keys got removed, but 2 the other two keys, i tried to remove i got the massage ACCESS DENIED. So now i dont know what to do, its a Key from Google: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Google\Chrome\NativeMessagingHosts i tried delete NativeMessagingHosts with Registar Registry Manager but i my ACCESS DENIED so how can i remove this possibly adware from my computer when i cant delete those keys?


text:
How Much Ivory Does This Tower Need?
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Noon (Lunch to Follow)
Featuring Rep. Virginia Foxx, Chairwoman, House Subcommittee on Higher Education; Neal McCluskey, Associate Director, Center for Educational Freedom, Cato Institute; moderated by Laura Renz, Government Affairs Manager, Cato Institute.
B-369 Rayburn House Office Building
Watch the Event in QuickTime (M4V)
Download a Podcast of the Event (MP3)
It is often asserted that taxpayer support for higher education is dwindling, endangering the nation's economic future and forcing higher tuition prices. In reality that is far from the truth. Almost any way you slice it the taxpayer burden for America's ivory tower has been on the rise, while the returns on investment have been at best indeterminate and at worst significantly negative. Please join us for this important discussion of why the federal role in higher education needs to be seriously reexamined.
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What does smart urban mobility look like, city-by-city? How are global cities faring so far? Learn the steps that cities can take to realize the future of mobility in the coming decades.
(Originally published January 7, 2019.)
A smart city is a data-driven city, one in which municipal leaders and citizens have an increasingly sophisticated understanding of conditions in the areas they oversee and live in, including the urban transportation system. In the past, regulators used questionnaires and surveys to map user needs. Now, leaders can connect the dots about people, places, and products using a vast array of data from the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and other digital technologies. Using this information, they can gain a more accurate picture in a much shorter time frame at a lower cost to more proactively develop informed decisions.
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Yet leaders need to gather the right data, ask the right questions, and focus on where cities should go tomorrow when designing and implementing a long-term vision for future mobility. In dozens of conversations with transportation leaders all over the world, we have seen how easy it is to ignore, misinterpret, or skew this data to fit a preexisting narrative.1
Transportation plays an essential enabling role in a city's sustained economic prosperity.2 Our goal was to create a new and better way for city officials to gauge the health of their mobility network and their readiness to embrace the future. The result is the Deloitte City Mobility Index (DCMI), a collection of conscious choices based on what we think smart urban mobility should look like that is refreshed annually. The DCMI is an in-depth exploration into the rapid changes occurring in the way people and goods move about, with intermodal journeys, active transportation options (such as sidewalks and bicycle lanes), and public transit playing a prominent role. The DCMI takes a holistic view of the city's entire mobility landscape, and it is informed by our clear image of how the future of mobility could unfold in urban areas.
This overview explains how we constructed the DCMI and discusses some of the key findings.
To assess the situation across the globe, we went beyond what transportation looks like today to explore what mobility could be in a truly smart, liveable, economically vibrant city. Three key themes emerged from this research:
With these three themes as our lodestar, we dug into the component pieces of each. (See sidebar, "The Deloitte City Mobility Index methodology.") We also created a Future of Mobility Capability scale to assess how ready cities are to face the approaching changes.
Some of the cities we looked at are centuries old; they reflect countless choices made by political leaders, businesses, and residents over time. Naturally, those circumstances, both geographical and political, shape today's mobility landscape, and affected their rankings in our index. Cities in which decision-making authority rests with multiple actors, like New York City and Washington, DC, often struggle with articulating and acting upon a cohesive vision for the future.
That said, many of the cities we profiled have shown a remarkable ability to overcome their circumstances through new approaches. The mobility profile of Columbus, Ohio, for example, is typical of many mid-sized American cities: car-dominated, with limited public transit but also limited congestion due to its modest size. Faced with rapid growth and critical shortcomings, especially when it came to key health outcomes, city leaders crafted an ambitious strategy to remake Columbus's transportation system into a model for smart mobility.4 Even weather need not be a hindrance. Walking and cycling are most prevalent in Paris, Berlin, and Amsterdam—all northern European cities. Helsinki is a top performer, too, where it frequently snows!
It is easy to become enamored with the array of emerging mobility technologies entering the market. Relatively new modes like bikesharing and electric scooters, along with new ways to understand and connect existing assets through sensors and analytics, offer tremendous promise for cities. But leaders should be careful not to blindly chase the latest high-tech wizardry at the expense of getting the fundamentals right.
Even as nearly every aspect of our lives becomes increasingly digital and mediated by electronic devices, mobility at its core remains grounded in the physical world. For transportation officials, that means there is no substitute for ensuring that physical infrastructure and assets work: that roads and bridges are maintained and safe, that buses and trains are clean and reliable, that traffic lights function. For many, this is challenge enough. Globally, needed spending on infrastructure is already failing to meet basic upkeep demands, and the cumulative shortfall in funding for road infrastructure could balloon to more than US$7.5 trillion by 2040, according to the G20-sponsored Global Investment Hub.5
Authorities also need to create an environment where rules are respected and enforced and where citizens feel safe. In Nairobi, pedestrians represent 65 percent of traffic fatalities.6 In the United States, that number is just 16 percent.7 Rail service in Johannesburg is frequently canceled due to theft of overhead electrical cables.8 Developed countries are not immune. Rome, for example, has a well-developed transit network and is working to reduce vehicle emissions, yet its aging public buses caught fire as many as 20 times in 2017 alone.9 No surprise, then, that more than one-third of the consumers Deloitte surveyed in Rome rated their public transit system "poor" or "very poor" on the question of safety.10 Without safe transportation options and a level playing field for all users—whether private sector providers or end consumers—city leaders will likely struggle to meet the mobility needs of their constituents.
While these efforts may not be as glamorous as creating a new app for citizens or deploying smart traffic lights, they are the sine qua non of a well-functioning transportation system—and may not always require massive investment in new infrastructure (see sidebar, "Bus rapid transit"). Digital technologies can be important enablers, helping cities identify problem areas through crowdsourcing or better understand the strengths and weaknesses of their services through big data and analytics.
Pioneered and perfected in Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico, bus rapid transit (BRT) is a solution developed in emerging markets that can—and should—be exported to other cities around the world. As the name suggests, it is a bus-based transport system, but these are no regular city buses weaving in and out of traffic on busy city streets, making stops every few blocks. Using segregated bus-only lanes, often in the middle of the road, along dedicated corridors, requiring ticket purchase at the platform or station to speed up boarding, and giving priority to intersection crossings, BRT buses can move as many people as subway systems, with a much lower infrastructure load—and cost. In Bogota, the system can, at its peak, run over 2 million passengers per day on over 100 km of bus lanes.11
For cities that struggle with issues around infrastructure funding, planning, execution, or upkeep, a BRT system can be up and running in less time, with less cost, and less disruption to busy thoroughfares than building or expanding a traditional underground rail system. This can make it easier to deploy a BRT, and provides additional flexibility to change routes, allowing fast-growing cities to more easily service new neighborhoods and commuting corridors. As the City of Los Angeles' Seleta Reynolds observes, "It is not a mystery to us anymore how to do fast, cheap, high-quality, reliable, frequent transit service" using BRT. "But it's about convincing people to give up a lane of traffic for a bus."12
Cities with high population densities such as London, Singapore, and Berlin scored highest on transportation performance. With more people funding systems that cover less ground, these cities get more bang for their bucks. Cities with large geographic areas, such as New York and Chicago, tend to do better within city limits but do not perform as well in their larger exo-urban areas.
One reason for this may be the lack of integration, coordination, and effective governance among transportation regulators and providers between the city and the suburbs, and between public and private bodies. The city itself usually has one transit authority, surrounding areas have their own, and the level of cooperation between the various entities can vary widely. In many cities, private operators appear to act in competition—rather than concert—with public ones. And it's not just integration across administrative or regulatory bodies; even within a single authority, simply having coordinated timetables where, for example, bus drop-offs at transport hubs are timed to align with train departures can mean less time spent waiting, and more convenience for riders overall. While this is improving in many of the cities surveyed, it still has a way to go.
Our findings suggest that having multiple regulatory providers inhibits a smoothly functioning and integrated transportation system, but interagency coordination can be successful. In Toronto, for example, the Toronto Transit Commission operates the subway network and buses within the city, while a multitude of smaller authorities (YRT/Viva, MiWay, and others) operate buses in the surrounding municipalities and the commuter rail network is operated by a provincial agency. The various municipal authorities operated independently—for years, passengers traveling between regions required multiple tickets and, apart from a few exceptions, travelers who crossed municipal boundaries had to pay two fares. However, since the creation of a regional transit authority, Metrolinx, and the region's "Big Move" plan in 2009, integration has proceeded in stages. When completed, this multiyear endeavor will integrate fare payment across a single platform, allowing users to pay fares with a single card across the network.13
As cities grow and expand and housing costs rise, many young families have little choice but to move to the suburbs and commute into the city for work. Too often, it becomes clear that the only viable commuting option is driving; absent a single authority or close coordination among multiple authorities, public transportation can be too complex and time-consuming to utilize. But driving private cars adds to congestion, pollution, and parking challenges, not to mention the financial burden it places on individuals. In some cases, people find that the lower costs associated with a move outside of the city core are offset by car ownership costs or expensive travel passes. City governments would do well to work together with their surrounding regions to fix this issue, and to do so quickly.
There is also a direct tie between the presence of multiple regulatory authorities and service providers and having a lower ability or willingness to explore innovative solutions. In our index, the leading innovations include smart parking and ticketing, integrated payments, intelligent transit systems, and electric vehicle infrastructure. For any of these efforts to succeed, they often need to be offered across commuting corridors and interagency (regulatory body) coordination and cooperation are required. Data integration, governance, and security are also easier with more tightly-linked governing bodies.
It is now easier than ever, and ever more important, to integrate transport provision with some measure of public preference. Too often transport systems are planned, integrated, and managed from the perspective of the operator. Integration with the citizen is an afterthought. That approach is increasingly untenable as the increase in data has contributed to the rise of customer-focused, on-demand travel that has often competed with the public service. Cities will need to work hard to make the public system more convenient and user-friendly if they are to keep ridership up.
Finally, the data suggests that more than any other indicator, having low levels of integration is correlated with low readiness to face the future of mobility. Creating seamless urban transportation demands a unity of purpose and an ability to act in concert across different modes and jurisdictions (and international boundaries—see the sidebar, "Integrating across borders").
Integrating governing authorities across a city's effective transportation network is one of the most important success factors in our research—and one of the most difficult to achieve. Imagine, then, the complexities of enabling the frictionless movement of people and goods between two sovereign countries. That's the challenge being embraced by a pair of US cities and their Canadian counterpart. Michigan's Detroit and Ann Arbor and Ontario's Windsor have been working with the World Economic Forum to explore how the principles of a seamlessly integrated mobility system can be brought to life.14
The Detroit-Ann Arbor-Windsor region is a leader in automotive innovation, providing new mobility solutions and championing cross-border projects such as AV testing and the world's longest smart corridor. Pilots are underway, testing new forms of transit and novel partnerships with employers using e-scooters, on-demand microtransit to the suburbs, AV shuttles, and ridesharing.
Based on our analysis of the integrated region, to leverage these inherent strengths the region needs to address issues such as high private vehicle use. It would benefit from a more inclusive public transport network and increased collaboration between suburban and city authorities. A well-integrated transport network will further boost the region's economic revival.
Download the full Detroit–Ann Arbor–Windsor profile here.
Our vision for smart urban mobility emphasizes active transportation and public transit. This means any city that relies heavily on private cars—as many US cities do—will fare poorly on several metrics in the index. Many analyses, including ours, highlight the deleterious consequences caused by an overreliance on private autos, which include congestion, pollution, and accidents.15 If cities continue to grow—and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) predicts that 70 percent of the world's population will live in urban areas by 205016—then public and private players need to find ways to move people and goods in ways that maximize use of space and minimize such social costs. As figure 2 indicates, more people can share the same street if they opt for shared or active modes of travel, rather than sit in single-occupancy personal cars.
As we have expanded the geographic coverage of the Deloitte City Mobility Index, the trade-offs associated with private cars have become more and more clear. Private cars can work well in some circumstances and are an important piece of the mobility landscape; in Columbus, for example, ample space and modest size mean road congestion is currently moderate. However, congestion seems increasingly ubiquitous globally, even as the root causes vary. Many of the North American cities we studied, such as Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Chicago, have "grown up" with the automobile, are geographically spread out, and have become dependent on private car use. Despite significant emphasis placed on road improvements and expansions, these cities have failed to keep pace with demand. Indeed, in a well-known paradox, more supply (roads) tends to beget more demand (traffic).17 In contrast, many European cities predate the invention of the automobile and have streets poorly suited to accommodating heavy car use; absent wholesale reconstruction of often-historic urban centers, no amount of smart planning or technology is likely to relieve the challenges associated with cars in certain areas. And elsewhere, in India, Africa, and Latin America, congestion can often be traced to poor use of roads (including rampant illegal parking) and deficient supporting infrastructure (such as traffic signals and intersections). Given these disparate factors, how cities manage private cars as part of their overall transportation landscape is likely to continue to vary widely.
Still, cities that rely heavily on personal vehicles should explore ways to optimize their use. For example, by augmenting private ownership with carsharing and ridesharing, perhaps as part of an integrated multimodal solution, it may be possible to keep the cars-to-people ratio in check—or even reduce it. And cars are often the fall-back option when the first mile/last mile problem is unsolved. Our research suggests that if getting to public transportation is a problem, people will get in their cars ... and won't get out until they reach their destination. Creating convenient and affordable solutions for the beginning and end of a journey—think bicycle-sharing, dynamic shuttles that adjust routes based on demand, and ride-hailing, ideally integrated via a full-fledged mobility-as-a-service offering—can help reduce reliance on personally owned vehicles.
A city's mobility system will ultimately be shaped by its culture and "terroir" and have its own distinctive local flavor.
Geography plays a massive role in mobility, and this is something that leaders should consider when looking at other cities for inspiration. Spread-out cities tend not to rank highly for active transportation. This is no surprise; for most people, cycling across a large city is not a viable option. While it is relatively easy for cities like Amsterdam and Helsinki to do well in this regard, their recipes for success may be hard to replicate in a sprawling metropolis such as Los Angeles.
The role of culture is also much more important to the development of a transportation system than many would assume. Casual ridesharing is common in cities such as Washington, DC (where it is known as "slugging") and New York, but less so in other US cities. Similarly, Amsterdam is quite famous for its cycling culture, but this is not as common in other cities, even those with similar geographic and population profiles.
Then there is the issue of social attitudes toward public transportation, such as "bus stigma" and the cultural importance placed on owning a car. Cities can spend billions to upgrade their transportation systems, but if the public perceives taking a bus or train is a second-class option compared to driving, public transport passenger numbers will not increase—as was the case for Denver (not included in our survey).18 Car ownership is deeply ingrained in the American psyche, is reinforced by decades of advertising by automakers,19 and is an increasingly important status symbol in China.20 Overcoming those cultural barriers could be particularly challenging for transportation planners. They should consider ways either to work with prevailing beliefs, or to find ways to shape them gently.21
Our research found that mobility plays a central role in a city's economic prosperity. This is why the rewards for getting it right are potentially great. Looking for out-of-the-box solutions to solve their problems, leading future of mobility cities demonstrate that finding money is rarely a long-term solution. Their success tends to stem from intelligent integration and innovation rather than sheer investment.
For cities that have scored relatively poorly across specific indicators, all is not lost. Given the speed of change and technological trends, any city has the opportunity to radically remake its mobility landscape over the next five to 10 years. Cities that rank poorly today could leapfrog to become leaders in the future of mobility by deploying advanced solutions that solve some of transportation's perennial problems.
Leaders need to identify what the "right" kind of spending is. In our experience, spending on integrating systems and introducing technological improvements typically produces better returns over time. While adding more service or building more roads can be helpful, developing better-integrated strategies with greater involvement from the private sector often yields better results. In these scenarios, the government often takes on different roles, such as enabling data sharing, monitoring cybersecurity, incentivizing private sector innovation and participation, and establishing the standards and rules by which mobility providers must abide.
We chose more than 60 unique data parameters based on a review of existing literature, their correlations with economic growth, and our research team's analysis. Data was gathered from a variety of sources, including government statistical databases, third-party reports, private vendors, and nongovernmental organizations. We then brought in the qualitative judgments of a variety of experts both inside and outside Deloitte on urban mobility or particular cities.22
We assigned each metric a score between 1 and 5 based on the data parameters within it. Depending on the metric, score assignment involved converting a qualitative assessment into a number, indexing data to create a relative score, or both. We applied some data parameters and metrics to more than one theme.
To look specifically at a city's readiness for the future of mobility,23 we focused more closely on the parameters that dealt with "smart" or "digital" elements of transportation. In particular, the DCMI looks at integrated and shared mobility, vision and strategy, innovation, regulatory readiness for the future of mobility, and ease of use. The metric scores were then averaged. "Five" indicates being closest to full future of mobility readiness. (Figure 3.)
The data was collected for the years 2016 and 2017 (or earlier where newer data did not exist). Unless specified otherwise, this information is no more than five years old. In some instances, trend data was collected, but predominately the data was cross-sectional for the latest year.
In all, we examined more than 50 cities. (Profiles of 18 cities were published in January 2018 and additional cities were added in the following months). Cities were selected to achieve geographic distribution, a variety of sizes (population and area), and various levels of economic development.
Of course, any effort to create a composite measure such as this is a product of choices and assumptions made along the way. Ours were guided by a view of how seamless urban mobility that is faster, cheaper, safer, and cleaner than today could look, and the important contribution such a system can make to prosperity and productivity. Places that had multiple modes of easily accessible transportation; that had placed an emphasis on walking, biking, and public transit relative to personally owned automobiles; and that had taken steps toward digitally enabling their mobility network received high marks. Different choices and assumptions, guided by a different vision, would necessarily yield different results. In addition, the DCMI currently presents a snapshot, not a trajectory. It does not capture how cities have trended over time, nor can it evaluate how past investments have affected mobility. As we update the data every year, a more robust picture will emerge.