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South African Journal of Education
On-line version ISSN 2076-3433
Print version ISSN 0256-0100
S. Afr. j. educ. vol.29 n.3 Pretoria Aug. 2009
Manifestations of 'capabilities poverty' with learners attending informal settlement schools
Rouaan Maarman
Holds a PhD in Comparative Education and is a Senior Lecturer at the University of the Western Cape. He is a Thuthuka grant holder and his research focuses on poverty and education. He is also researching the history of poverty and the South African education system. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
In this study I use the notion of 'capabilities poverty', as theorised by Sen, to examine the experiences of learners attending informal settlement schools in North-West Province, South Africa. Sen distinguishes between functionings (what people do or their ability to do something) and capabilities (various combinations of what people do, their notions of freedom, what life opportunities they may have). The study was based on a sample of respondents from four schools in the Sarafina informal settlement in Ikageng township in the municipal district of Tlokwe (Potchefstroom). It captured some complexities of schooling within South Africa's democratic educational framework and clearly exposed the manifestations of capabilities poverty. The precise location of capabilities poverty within the plethora of poverty approaches presents educational research with a reality check when looking at informal settlement schools. The study revealed a multiplicity of barriers for informal settlement learners that prevent them from choosing the educational experience they value and contributes to research into the nuanced nature of the interface between poverty and schooling.
Keywords: capabilities poverty; informal settlement schools; poverty; schooling; schools
The introduction of no-fee schools in South Africa (Harrison, 2006) and the commissioning of an investigation into drop-outs in 2006 have once again sparked debate about poverty in South African education and shown up how poverty and schooling intersect in the South African education system. In the dynamic social realm of the poor, conditions of schooling warrant a discursive elucidation of what poverty means for the poor learner in South Africa. This would help us move beyond the understanding of poverty and schooling in particular contexts, which somewhat redeems the South African education policies, and beyond the 'symbolism of policy position', which is regarded by Jansen (2001) as the phase marked by symbolic changes in the new South African education system.
Certain social developments justified this study of informal settlement schools. The latest statistics (StatsSA, 2007a) show an increase in the percentage of people living in informal dwellings since 2001: 14.1% of South African households are informal and, moreover, 53% of South African schools are categorised as Quintile 1 schools (those regarded as the poorest by the provincial education departments). Zhang (2006) makes a connection between schooling and socio-economic status, emphasising that in poor countries what school a learner attends makes a bigger difference to how much he or she learns than would be the case in a rich country. In this article I look for the under-explored poverty imperatives, the real-life challenges, that should inform education policies in South Africa's informal settlement schools.
Poverty in South Africa has changed in nature and dimension since the advent of democracy in 1994 (Terreblanche, 2004). In 1991, the per capita income was dominated by the racial factor. For example, white per capita income was estimated at R20_600 and black at R2 919 (Price, 1991). In 1994 the poverty statistics showed that 52.8% of South Africans survived on less than R301.1 per month and a further 28.8% on less than R177.6 per month (StatsSA, 2007b). Given these poverty data figures, the new democratic government must have had a clear idea of people's income levels and thus what needed to be done to limit the negative impact of poverty on education. Central to the income question is the capabilities approach theorised by Sen (1980), which acknowledges that differently constructed and situated people require different goods and opportunities to satisfy the same needs. Key principles of systemic transformation such as redress, equity, democracy and access (ANC, 1995:4-5) have directed education policy to account for unequal educational opportunities in South Africa.
However, various poverty imperatives that have developed since the dawn of democracy have challenged the pro-poor education policies twelve years into the new dispensation. The changing face of poverty (Frye, 2005) and the movement of education policy out of the symbolic phase (Jansen, 2001) should be seen as urgent imperatives that justify including capabilities poverty analysis in the democratic education policy framework. The policy struggle should be enhanced to account for the realities of the poor in schooling, and to urge the theorising of poverty and policy, with informal settlements as a backdrop to the South African education system. This therefore was the motivation for this study — to investigate what freedoms learners in informal settlement schools enjoy that would enable them to choose the kind of life they value.
Research aims
My purpose is, first, to locate capabilities poverty amongst the various categories of poverty, so as to increase the value of a capabilities approach for informal settlement schools and, second, to evaluate the manifestation of capabilities poverty among learners attending informal settlement schools in North-West Province, South Africa.
Literature review
Exploring poverty should give us data about the authentic realities of a particular group of people, in this case learners attending informal settlement schools, and about the related phenomena that constitute the poverty realities of schooling. One such phenomenon is the democratic dispensation that provides a framework for schooling. This is an under-explored territory when it comes to translating the democratic dispensation into benefits for informal settlement schooling. Democracy involves constitutive principles such as participation, community engagement, rationality, consensus, equality and freedom (Adams & Waghid, 2005) and these need to be made realities for learners in informal settlements. In order to track development and bring about changes, the impact of poverty on education should be explained as often as possible and in as many spheres as possible. Kamper makes this notion clear in his 1998 monograph, which is based on the premise that the nature, causes and impact of poverty are misunderstood and related to a lack of accountable strategic determination in terms of social circumstances and needs, including those in the educational arena. In this article I debate the factors Kamper alludes to (1998:3), the nature, causes and impact of poverty, in order to justify using capabilities poverty analysis to examine informal settlement schooling.
Pillay (2004:5) postulates that Bronfenbrenner's ecological model (1979), which explores different systems within a social context, gave rise to an ecosystemic theory suitable for analysing the experiences of learners from informal settlements as multifaceted manifestations of poverty emerged in South Africa since 1994 (Terreblanche, 2004). I therefore take ecosystemic theory as the starting point for analysing poverty in education. Various definitions of poverty over time have directed government's efforts to create a better life for all. However these definitions should account for the changing face of poverty in different contexts, for example, in informal settlements. To show how poverty is contested, in his investigation into the causes of poverty from a South African perspective, Kamper uses insights from the sociological literature that reveal economic, political, structural, anthropological, biological, sociological and religious themes (Alcock, 1993:10-33; Ligthelm, 1993:70).
Similarly, Akinboade and Lalthapersad-Pillay (2004:196-200) locate the causes of poverty mainly in socio-structural trends and the social exclusion characteristic of South African society. To support this they cite problems related to employment, access to land, access to capital and financial services, women's access to the labour market, HIV/AIDS, gender differences, gender participation and representivity, cultural practices, urbanisation, civil conflict and wars. The difference between these two similar viewpoints indicates the very nature of poverty analysis: a particular method (or understanding) must be applied for a particular purpose. This is one undoubted raison d'être for including poverty analysis in educational research. It also emphasises that various definitions of poverty exist for various purposes, depending on the objective of the analysis, the nature of the data and the method employed in measuring poverty (Booysen, 2002:53).
There is no uniform way of defining poverty, but some commonalities can be highlighted (Haswell, 1975:70-72; Sen, 1992:289; McCarthy, 1997; Lok-Dessallien, 2002:2). First, the Copenhagen Declaration (1995) lists deprivation of human needs (food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education and information) as the point of departure when poverty is discussed. A second common feature of poverty is the lack of entitlement, power, control and opportunities. Poor people to varying degrees lack these basic requirements for maintaining themselves to their satisfaction in most societal spaces and thus experience feelings of hopelessness and meaninglessness (Spies, 2004). A third common feature is the exclusion of the poor through existing social structures, which limits their potential to participate in and influence civil society (Sayed, 2003).
Capabilities poverty
Frye's summary of alternative approaches (2005), designed specifically for the South African discourse, is a logically acceptable description of poverty. She defines these approaches as follows: absolute poverty — a quantitative measure, to distinguish the poor from the non-poor; relative poverty — inequality in terms of the distribution of resources in a society; capabilities poverty — a lack of the resources people need in order to do or to be 'things of value'; subjective definitions of poverty — participatory assessments whereby poor people themselves define poverty; and social exclusion — covering both the 'static condition' of poverty and the dynamic process of exclusion that leads to poverty.
The following is an overview of this concept, as a background to this study of capabilities poverty in South African informal settlement schools. Nussbaum and Sen (1993) use a case study to create a point of departure for the capabilities poverty discourse, linking it with Bronfenbrenner's ecosystemic theory (1979). They contend that to understand the true nature of poverty one needs to look beyond the amount of money or goods available for a person, to every aspect of a person's life. Rawls (1971) interrogates the utilitarian approach of development of the time. He offers a critique of its aggregative nature, and then presents a tailor-made approach to understanding poverty for a particular people. Rawls's landmark contribution acknowledges that 'citizens do not arise from positions of social, economic and political equality' (Sayed, 2003). Inequalities could therefore not be lumped together.
The pioneer of capabilities poverty, economist and philosopher Amartya Sen, advanced beyond Rawls's (1971) approach, by suggesting a move beyond the state of opportunity and goods (welfare) to what he called 'functionings'. Sen (1980) therefore recognises that:
- differently constructed and situated people require different amounts of primary goods to satisfy the same needs, and
- it seems reasonable to move away from a focus on goods as such to what goods do to human beings, to the mental reaction or attitude a person derives from such goods.
Sen (1980) distinguishes between functionings (what people do or their ability to do something) and capabilities (various combinations of what people do, their notions of freedom, and what real opportunities they have regarding the life they may lead).
The 'capability approach' is a normative framework for the evaluation of individual well-being and social arrangements, the design of policies and proposals about social change in society (Robeyns, 2003:5). Its core characteristics are its focus on what people are effectively able to do and to be. This approach, which owes its present form to Sen, 'is concerned with evaluating a person in terms of his or her actual ability to achieve various functionings as part of living and takes the set of individual capabilities as constituting an indispensible and central part of the relevant informational base of such evaluation' (Nussbaum & Sen, 1993:30). It can thus be argued that well-being and development can be seen in terms of a person's capability to function. According to Robeyns (2003:6) 'capability to function' means having the effective opportunities to undertake actions, including the activities a person wants to engage in, and to be the kind of person they want to be.
The major constituents of the capability approach are functionings and capabilities. Sen (1987:36) sees functionings as achievements and capability as the ability to achieve. It therefore appears that functionings are a person's 'beings and doings', whereas capabilities are the various combinations of functionings that a person can achieve. Capabilities are notions of freedom that relate to a person's opportunities to lead a particular kind of life, whereas functionings are more directly related to living conditions. According to Sen (1992:40), capabilities constitute a person's freedom, that is, a person's real opportunities to achieve well-being. He describes education as a basic capability, part of centrally important being and doings that are crucial for well-being (1992). Hoffman also takes this view, seeing access to education and the promotion of a concrete set of basic learning outcomes as foundational to other capabilities (2006:2).
Education should thus enhance capability, taking into account the interrelatedness of teaching, learning and human development. The educational context and processes must be of a quality to lead to specific learning outcomes in the form of capabilities (Hoffman, 2006:2). Education should thus help a person develop the ability to think critically and creatively, solve problems, make informed decisions, cope with and manage new situations, and communicate effectively. Communities should therefore be afforded opportunities to attend a school and receive education to develop their abilities, and various other educational opportunities should also be available. Since functionings are linked to living conditions and capabilities to opportunities, people will also differ in this regard.
According to Sen, poverty is a complex, multifaceted concept that requires a clear analysis in all of its many dimensions, since all human beings have their own personal characteristics and circumstances. He states that the identification of poverty is an acknowledgement of deprivation viewed as a primarily descriptive form, and argues that it is important to diagnose deprivation, determine what should be done if means are available, and only make actual policy choices in line with the means available (1992:107). Osmani says poverty can be identified with a failure to achieve capabilities, such as to be freed from hunger, and a failure to take part in community life (2005: 207). These statements can thus be linked to the capability approach, which argues that well-being is best understood in terms of capabilities. The poor generally lack a number of things: education, access to land, health and longevity, justice, family and community support, credit and other productive resources, a voice in institutions and access to opportunities, among other things (Quesada, 2001:1).
The capability approach is thus concerned to be absolute in the space of capabilities such as education, nutrition and human dignity, but relative in the space of the commodities, resources and income that are required to realise those capabilities. Since poverty is seen as the deprivation of some minimum fulfilment of elementary capabilities, it becomes easier to understand why poverty has both an absolute and a relative aspect. Robeyns states that the capability approach evaluates policies according to their impact on people's capabilities (2003:6). This includes whether people have access to high quality education, to real political participation and to community activities that help them cope with struggles in daily life. The capability approach can thus be seen as comprehensive and integrative since it links material, mental, spiritual and social well-being.
This approach has been applied in various works on social exclusion by authors, such as De Haan (2000), McCarthy (1997), Slee (2001) and Soudien (1998), who insist on the differentiated nature of investigations into social phenomena such as capabilities poverty. Haswell's discussion of the nature of poverty (1975) suggests the prominence of the link between nature and man and the actions of man, and defines poverty as the point where there is such an imbalance between man and nature that man is unable to rely on nature for his survival or where man cannot claim privilege (survival) in the form of status and political power.
The South African colonial and apartheid past is a classic example of the manifestation of Sen's (1980) and Haswell's (1975) definitions of poverty, since on the most basic level of understanding these definitions encapsulate what happened to the black majority. These definitions also encapsulate the poverty experienced by people living in informal settlements today. To link capabilities poverty to the South African context, one can note Du Toit's (2004) argument that the South African business world 'reduced poor people to a dependent state in complex and unequal relationships of patronage, clientelism and exploitation, and robbed them of many of the resources and capabilities that they needed to be able to claim the rights of entitlements that were theoretically afforded to them in the democratic society'. Du Toit (2004) and Osmani (2005) emphasise the denial of human and political rights as a central theme in understanding capabilities poverty. In Osmani's view (2005), the unidimensional approach of poverty as low income should be replaced with the multidimensional view that poverty consists in the failure to achieve a range of basic capabilities.
For the purposes of this investigation it is important to note some preconditions Sen postulates for poverty analysis from a capabilities approach (Nussbaum & Sen, 1993). Since learners in informal settlements endure unique conditions, policy makers should recognise and explore the inadequacy of income analysis. Although it serves a diagnostic and identification purpose, it does not account for the nature of poverty and its particular manifestations in particular contexts. In less developed countries, poverty-line analysis is often explicitly derived with reference to nutritional norms, which also have limited value for understanding the nature of poverty. Sen (Nussbaum & Sen, 1993) therefore pleads for a recognition of interpersonal and intersocial variations in the relation between income and capabilities. This kind of analysis needs to be adapted in order to understand the nature of poverty in, for example, informal settlements.
Sen promotes the capabilities approach to poverty analysis by explaining that we need to focus on the freedoms people actually enjoy that allow them to choose the lives they have reason to value (Nussbaum & Sen, 1993). This pursuit of real freedom is evident in the poor South African communities where people have 'abstract freedom' (Adams & Waghid, 2005) as they are unable to choose the lives they want and value.
There is a plethora of issues to discuss in exploring informal settlement schooling in South Africa. Such schooling is characterised by, inter alia, low income, a lack of pre-school opportunities, the impact of the HIV&AIDS pandemic, socio-legal aspects of farming and mining which keep people caught up in a cycle of poverty, the distance between home and the workplace, inadequate parental contact and an inability to access child grants (Maarman, 2006). The increase in informal settlements — from 12.7% in 2002 to 14.5% in 2006 of the people living in houses in South Africa (StatsSA, 2007a) — accentuates the need to analyse poverty in informal settlement schools using the capabilities approach. Prinsloo (2004) postulates that schooling in poverty-stricken communities in South Africa is hampered by a lack of services, unsafe environments, lack of order in community structures, vandalism, negative peer group influences, and an unstimulating environment that gives learners a negative academic self-concept, lowers their level of motivation and accumulates academic backlogs. However, Prinsloo misses the root causes of these conditions, which illustrates how easily one can fall into the trap of not considering Sen's plea for recognising interpersonal and intersocial variations of communities when researching poverty. The idea that school governing bodies in informal settlements have only 'abstract freedom', which hampers the governing of poor schools (Adams & Waghid, 2005), helps explain why this schooling environment cannot enable learners to achieve real freedom.
The Gini coefficient (representing the extent of skewed income) increased in South Africa from 0.55 in 2004 to 0.65 in 2006 (Van Aardt, 2007). This illustrates the increasing gap between rich and poor, which permeates through educational experiences. The above issues are just a few to consider in portraying the multi-level nature of poverty in this country's informal settlements. It is safe to assume that most people living in these settlements are chronically poor, since there is evidence of minimal access to productive assets and low capabilities in terms of health, education and social capital (Grant, Hulme, Moore & Shepherd, 2005). The fact that there are schools operating in these extremely poor areas makes them suitable for research into the effect of capabilities poverty on education.
To address the research aims of this study, a phenomenological study (see Leedy & Ormrod, 2005) was undertaken in the Sarafina informal settlement of the city of Tlokwe (Potchefstroom). A literature study was undertaken to locate 'capabilities poverty' (see Frye, 2003) among the different types of poverty. Subsequently, a qualitative research method was applied during August and September 2007 to carry out an in-depth investigation into the complexities of the lives of learners attending informal settlement schools. Three primary schools and one secondary school were identified as the sites of research.
The schools are situated within and adjacent to the Sarafina informal settlement in the southernmost part of the city and are the only schools in direct proximity to one-stand informal dwellings in the township of Ikageng. Two of these schools are newly built, owing to the expansion of the informal settlement over the past ten years. The schools are referred to here as School A (geographically the southernmost school in Ikageng township and completely surrounded by informal dwellings for a radius of at least four kilometres), School B (the second most southern school in Ikageng and surrounded by a mix of informal and formal dwellings), School C (a new secondary school also surrounded by a mix of informal and formal dwellings), and School D (a newly-built primary school on a previously pre-fabricated building site also surrounded by a mix of informal and formal dwellings). Educators from the schools' management teams (the principal, deputy principal and two heads of department) and five representatives of each school from among the Grade 7 learners, and in the case of School C the Grade 8 learners, were chosen as respondents for the investigation.
The four schools are regarded as sites for analysis by the researcher and present particular opportunities to gauge the social arrangements learners in this informal settlement experience from a capabilities approach. The educators on the management teams are closely involved with the poverty issues of the learners and the community and are therefore regarded as insightful respondents (Creswell, 1998). Grades 7 and 8 learners have some experience of primary school and are articulate enough to express their views of the poverty they have experienced in their years at school. A total of 13 educators and 20 learners were available and participated as respondents in the investigation. Four semi-structured focus group interviews (twice each with educators and learners) were conducted to discover what forms capabilities poverty takes among learners in informal settlement schools.
The questions for the educators focused on the issues schools have to deal with in a poverty-stricken school environment and on the learners' experiences of interpersonal and intersocial variations (Nussbaum & Sen, 1993) in the school communities. The questions for learners focused on identifying and understanding capabilities poverty from their perspectives and experiences. Educators were asked to prepare for the focus group discussions by reviewing relevant documents from their respective schools that could give an understanding of the poverty learners experience. The role of the researcher was to ask the open-ended questions (Kvale, 1996), facilitate the discussions, probe for relevance in the discussions and ask questions for clarity. The following questions framed the interviews:
- How did this township/informal settlement develop over the years?
- How would you describe the stability of schooling of learners attending informal settlement schools in this township?
- What does a typical day look like in the lives of these learners?
- What is the economic background of the learners' parents in the township?
- How do learners experience the impact of resources provided by the Department of Education?
Each respondent was positioned as a unique informant with a unique perspective. The interview data were captured via audio recordings, transcribed and then analysed so as to obtain a comprehensive picture of the learners' experiences. To increase the validity and reliability of the data, the transcriptions were coded to present a true reflection of reality. To attend to all ethical considerations, permission was obtained from the local regional office of the Department of Education (Southern Region, North-West Province), the principals of the schools, the learners' parents, and the educators involved. All the educators volunteered their identities for this article as reflected in the next section.
Manifestation of capabilities poverty in informal settlement schools
In this section I seek to explain why learners, who participated in the study, find it difficult to convert their capabilities into functionings. It also explains how the different fundamentals of the capabilities approach manifest in the case of learners in informal settlement schools. One can gauge from this how much freedom these learners have to choose the type of life (schooling) they value.
All the learners from the four schools walk to school, which illustrates their inability to pay in any way for transport to school. More significant is the fact that all the learners who were interviewed had changed schools during their primary school years. From the four schools, 40% of the Grade 7 learners had changed schools twice and a further 20% had changed schools more than three times This illustrates the instability they experience in their primary school years, an instability that is directly linked to their parents' unstable working conditions (A Loati, B Phakedi, 2007:pers. comm.).
Some of their parents work on farms in the area, some in the suburbs of Tlokwe as domestic workers and gardeners, and some in the central business district (CBD). A few run spaza shops (informal shops at home). Most are unemployed. This gives a clear picture of the parents' unemployment or unstable working conditions. These factors point mainly to the plethora of 'happenings' the Setswanas (a black ethnic group) of the region had been subjected to in the past. The other black ethnic groups (Xhosa, Zulu, Sotho, and coloured) in the informal settlement find themselves in these situations mainly because of the negative spin-offs of the migrant labour system prevalent in apartheid South Africa. They or their parents (migrating from the Eastern Cape, Kwazulu-Natal and the Free State provinces) were mine workers in the gold mines of the area and the closing down of the mines left many unemployed. The instability of these learners' primary school years can therefore be viewed as one of the barriers to the desired primary schooling experience. Learners and their parents in this informal settlement do not have appropriate control over their school, work and social arrangements and therefore cannot necessarily choose the life they value. This instability keeps most of them vulnerable and caught up in a poverty cycle, as already more than one generation has been living in the informal settlement.
Another factor that hampers the learners who participated in the investigation is the hours they have to spend after school doing household chores. They find this tiring and feel that homework is low on their list of priorities in the afternoons. However, they regard these chores as central to the smooth running of the household and feel responsible for contributing in this way to the harmony of their home environment. These learners are also absent from school whenever there is an opportunity to boost the family income. They see the harvesting season in the Tlokwe farming community as an opportunity to earn money, and the farmers in the area make use of this cheap labour, although in most cases this is illegal because the learners are under age (C Rabothapi, A Griesel & Z Thekiso, 2007:pers. comm.). Learners are caught up in the cycle of cheap labour at an early age. As Du Plessis explains:
Many farmers in the district were so unhappy about the introduction of the minimum salary for farm labourers in 1996 and the introduction of the new tenure rights for farm labourers who stayed and worked longer than ten years on a particular farm, that they set labourers off farms, so that these labourers could not claim tenure in future. This resulted in the disruption of the learners' schooling on farm schools, so many moved to live in informal settlements (Z du Plessis, 2007:pers. comm.)
Farmers also dismissed labourers from their farms but ensured their continued labour by providing bicycles so they could cycle to work. The labourers are therefore not officially on the farmers' books and are paid as casual (temporary) workers, and so do not qualify for tenure (B Phakedi, 2007:pers. comm.). There is a problem with school absenteeism, especially with older learners whose parents are farm labourers. These learners are more prone to start working on farms at a young age and are sometimes torn between going to school and contributing to the household income by doing some work on the farm (T Bewana, 2007:pers. comm.).
All the learners at the three primary schools are given a meal at school, which indicates their dependence on the Department of Education's Primary School Nutritional Programme (PSNP). It also shows that parents in informal settlements struggle to provide one of their children's most basic needs. The PSNP has problems, however, as its success depends on proper management. Educators said that for the older learners in the primary schools this one meal is not enough as it is the only meal for most of them for the whole day. Some learners criticise the PSNP, saying it does not live up to their expectations. If the PSNP does not provide meals for a whole month, some learners skip school until meals are provided again (R Mosala, D Mohotsehoa & A Loati, 2007:pers. comm.). Learners and educators said that about 20% of all the learners in the four schools are not certain that they will have a meal at home, and so they attend school to ensure they have access to the PSNP — an extrinsic motivation for attending school.
The issue of parental involvement is further complicated by the consequences of the HIV&AIDS pandemic. A high number of learners at School A (80%) are in the care of their grandparents (S Freddie & T Dire, 2007:pers. comm.). This presents many challenges for their education, as grandparents are often unable to care for these youngsters comprehensively. Depending mostly on old-age pensions of R850 (US$ 93.7) per month, households usually consist of three or four adults and two to four children. They have difficulty accessing the child grants because to apply they need a birth certificate. In some cases learners do not have birth certificates and therefore households do not have access to all possible funds from government. This impairs the educational process and the learners' development. Mongale and Freddie (2007:pers. comm.) add that: 'Grandparents are tentative to apply for birth certificates as they will run the risk of losing their grandchildren to one of the state's orphanages if the Department of Social Welfare can establish that the grandparents are not fit to care for the youngsters'.
The learners who live in informal settlements said that they have to share small rooms at home, they do not have tables or desks to do homework on, they share their clothes with siblings, they do not have the privacy appropriate for their age groups, and they experience the small, cramped space at home as an unhealthy way to live. During the heavy summer rains they have further difficulties as the informal dwellings are unstable and leak. Lack of sleep at night, dirty clothing and anxiety about safety hamper their ability to participate meaningfully in their school activities. In these conditions, learners are more than ever expected to help maintain the informal structure and do the cleaning before they can go to school (A Loati, R Mosala, F Thubake & C Rabothapi, 2007:pers. comm.). Their individually valued opportunities (Osmani, 2005) are thus influenced by the changes of the seasons. They are also valued differently: some learners value the safety and cleanliness of their informal structure more than others and so they view schooling differently. Although these informal settlement learners are not without a school or without a home, the mere fact that they are subject to such conditions has a negative effect on their schooling, and at various times of the school year they are unable to make use of the educational goods and opportunities available to them.
Parents who do have jobs work in the Tlokwe CBD and need to leave their homes early; in winter they leave when it is still dark (S Freddie, 2007:pers. comm.). Having to use public transport, these parents are tired when they come home at night and need to rest if they are to be fresh enough for the early morning trip to work the next morning. Not a lot of quality time is available to spend with their children, particularly as they often have to work at weekends as well, and learners are therefore sometimes without supervision. This means that learners are very likely to make decisions without proper parental guidance (T Dire & S Freddie, 2007:pers. comm.). Another problem is that if learners are, for example, sent to buy groceries at the nearest supermarket, using public transport to and from the CBD is expensive and takes up almost the whole day. The fact that parents work in the CBD and have to travel keeps them poor, as at least 25% of their earnings has to be used to get to work (T Bewana, T Dire & D Mongale, 2007:pers. comm.). Educators said there is inadequate communication between learners and their parents because the parents generally have no control over their working hours and employment conditions. Parents working as farm labourers, domestic workers and gardeners are rarely in a position to bargain with their employers for suitable working conditions, as their work is seasonal and casual. Sometimes these parents stay over in their working environment, and sometimes they arrive home late and tired. This affects communication in the household — learners said they very seldom discussed their school activities with their parents (A Griesel, F Thubake & D Mohotsehoa, 2007:pers. comm.). The parents' working conditions are therefore also a problem for the school/home relationship. This is another important factor in how learners view and value their schooling from a young age.
Tracing what learners regard as important to have (the things they do not have at the moment) to improve their school experience clearly illustrates their needs for basic goods. Proper clothing, suitable for all seasons, basic furniture at home, enough food for everyone at home, bigger houses, bicycles to ride to school and money are some things they mentioned. It is interesting to note that all the learners in the focus group mentioned only objectively valued opportunities, referring to the fulfilment of their basic needs. Not one respondent mentioned any individually valued opportunities.
Many learners also experience an array of negative emotions (fear, loneliness, a feeling of being misunderstood, envy and sadness) when attending school and interacting with less-poor learners and educators, because of their own poor background (D Mongale, 2007:pers. comm.).
The relevance of the funding policy for informal settlement schools is challenged in these school communities since context-specific poverty-related issues tend to negate the functionality of the North-West Department of Education's funding model (T Bewana, 2007). Although schools A, B, C and D are classified in the quintile representing the poorest 20% of schools, the poverty complexities of the school community constitute a serious challenge for the relevance of this model. Bewana (2007:pers. comm.) suggests a forum for principals to communicate their contextual challenges to the Department, in order to contextualise the province's funding policy.
The learners wanted smaller numbers per class, more educators and for the schools to improve the delivery of the PSNP. Better sports facilities and school transport are lower on their list of desired changes. On the question of what they want to change in their lives, the answers once again corresponded with their living conditions. They focused mainly on improving income and job opportunities for the adults at home. It is also clear that they want to contribute to the improvement of their own lives, through education, and almost all of them want to be respected. The learners said these improvements would give them more control over their schooling experience in the informal settlements of Tlokwe.
The above findings clearly show the extent to which the freedoms of learners attending informal settlement schools are restricted. Their capabilities are impaired because they have to prioritise survival-related challenges, which creates an aspirational space incongruent with the desired educational view. These learners therefore have neither the freedom nor the capacity to choose the lives they value.
This study contributes to the discourse on the schooling of learners attending informal settlement schools. It draws together reflection, action, theory and practice. In isolating capabilities poverty in particular, I present data that can offer a better understanding of the interface between schooling (in the new democratic education system) and poverty (in informal settlements). The manifestations of capabilities poverty highlighted indicate the complexities of schooling in informal settlements and thus the interconnected nature of poverty and education. Having access to goods and opportunities does not guarantee the desired schooling experience. Researchers, policy makers and service providers therefore need to acknowledge differentiated circumstances when looking at the education of learners in informal settlements.
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Creswell JW 1998. Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five traditions. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. [ Links ]
De Haan A 2000. Debates on social exclusion in the south: What have they contributed to our understanding of deprivation? Paper presented at the Uppingham Conference, 2001. [ Links ]
Du Toit A 2004. 'Social exclusion' discourse and chronic poverty: A South African case study. Development and Change, 35:987-1010. [ Links ]
Frye I 2005. Constructing and adopting an official poverty line for South Africa: Some issues for consideration. Johannesburg: National Labour and Economic Institute (NALEDI). [ Links ]
Grant U, Hulme D, Moore K & Shepherd A 2005. Chronic poverty report. Available at: www.chronicpoverty.org/pdfs/CPR1%2FINAL/pdf. Accessed 4 July 2007. [ Links ]
Harrison C 2006. No-fee schools. Perspectives in Education, 24:173-175. [ Links ]
Haswell M 1975. The nature of poverty. London: Macmillan. [ Links ]
Hoffman AM 2006. The Capability Approach and educational policies and strategies: Effective life skills education for sustainable development. Paris: Agence Française du Développement (AFD). [ Links ]
Jansen JD 2001. Rethinking education policy making in South Africa: Symbols of change, signals of conflict. In: A Kraak & M Young (eds). Education in retrospect: Policy and implementation since 1990. Pretoria: Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) Press. [ Links ]
Kamper GD 1998. The poverty phenomenon and educational provision: Implications thereof. Pretoria: University of South Africa, Institute for Educational Research. [ Links ]
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Leedy PD & Ormrod JE 2005. Practical research: Planning and design., 8th edn. New Jersey: Pearson. [ Links ]
Ligthelm AA 1993. Salient features of poverty in South Africa. Pretoria: Bureau for Market Research, University of South Africa. [ Links ]
Lok-Dessallien R 2002. Review of poverty concepts and indicators. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) publications. Available at: www.undp.org/publications/poverty.html. Accessed 5 May 2007. [ Links ]
Maarman RFA 2006. Poverty as determinant in educational provision: Exploration of life context for funding policy. Paper presented at the British Association for International and Comparative Education. Education and Development, Belfast, Northern Ireland, September. [ Links ]
McCarthy C 1997. Nonsynchrony and social difference: An alternative to current radical accounts of race and schooling. In: AH Halsey, H Lauder, P Brown & A Stuart Wells (eds). Education, culture, economy and society. London: Oxford University Press. [ Links ]
Nussbaum M & Sen A 1993. The quality of life. New York & Oxford: Clarendon. [ Links ]
Osmani SR 2005. Poverty and human rights: Building on the Capability Approach. Journal of Human Development, 6:205-219. [ Links ]
Pillay J 2004. Experiences of learners from informal settlements. South African Journal of Education, 24:5-9. [ Links ]
Price RM 1991. The apartheid state in crisis: Political transformation in South Africa, 1975-1990. New York: Oxford University Press. [ Links ]
Prinsloo E 2004. The impact of poverty and social economic decline on the new education dispensation in South Africa. Tydskrif vir Geesteswetenskappe, 44:158-166. [ Links ]
Quesada, C 2001. Amartya Sen and the thousand faces of poverty. Available at www.globalpolicy.org/socecon/develop/2001/1025sen.htm. Accessed 16 September 2008. [ Links ]
Rawls J 1971. A theory of justice. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. [ Links ]
Robeyns I 2003. The capability approach: An interdisciplinary introduction. Amsterdam: University of Amsterdam. [ Links ]
Sayed Y 2003. Educational exclusion and inclusion: Key debates and issues. Perspectives in Education, 21:1-12. [ Links ]
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text:
Daughters of journalist slain in Mexico say he was threatened because of his work
In this Feb. 5, 2014 file photo, an unidentified relative of missing journalist Gregorio Jimenez holds a photo of him outside his home in Coatzacoalcos, Mexico. (AP /Viridiana Zepeda)
The Associated Press
Published Saturday, February 15, 2014 5:11PM EST
VERACRUZ, Mexico -- The daughters of a reporter slain in the Mexican state of Veracruz have told authorities that a woman angered by one of his stories threatened to have a drug cartel kill him.
The statements by Gregorio Jimenez's daughters contradict the official version that the reporter was killed in a personal vendetta related to a relationship gone sour between one of his daughters and the son of the woman accused of ordering his death.
The daughters, Cindy and Flor, said in statements read in court Friday that Cindy had a heated argument about two months ago with Teresa de Jesus Hernandez, a neighbour who was angry about a Sept. 24 story Jimenez wrote about a man getting stabbed outside her bar in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz.
They said the dispute came to blows and that after their father, a police beat reporter for the daily newspapers Notisur and El Liberal, intervened, Hernandez told him she knew members of the Zetas drug cartel and would hire them to kill him.
"Mrs. Teresa shouted at him, 'Remember the story you wrote. I'm holding on to that. I know the Zetas and I will have you killed,"' Cindy Jimenez said, according to her statement.
Gunmen kidnapped Gregorio Jimenez, 42, from his home in Coatzacoalcos last week. Police found his body Tuesday buried in the backyard of a home in the nearby town of Las Choapas along with a taxi driver and a union leader who was kidnapped in January. He is at least the 12th journalist slain or gone missing since 2010 in Veracruz.
Jimenez had also written about the kidnapping of the union leader, whom he considered a friend, and several of his colleagues have said he was continuing to investigate the kidnapping and they believe he may have been killed to keep him quiet. None agreed to speak on-the-record for fear of their own safety.
Prosecutors in this Gulf Coast state arrested Hernandez and five male suspects, and attributed the killing to a personal vendetta spawned by the falling-out between her son and Flor Jimenez. Prosecutors said the two had dated, an account confirmed by friends of Jimenez's who spoke to The Associated Press.
According to a written confession read aloud in court Friday, one of the suspects told prosecutors that he worked mostly on the orders of the local chief of the Zetas in the south of Veracruz, who had ordered him and his accomplices to kill Ernesto Ruiz Guillen, local head of the Confederation of Mexican Workers, and the taxi driver also found alongside Gregorio Jimenez.
Luis Marquez Hernandez, known as El Pony, declared himself innocent and said he had been tortured into providing the confession that had just been read out loud.
Ruiz Guillen was responsible for collecting dues from petrochemical plants workers in his area, and, according to Jimenez's coverage of his kidnapping, had once been detained for illegally carrying a high-powered firearm.
Jimenez was friendly with him, and often worked taking pictures for money at events Ruiz Guillen organized, one of the slain reporter's colleagues told the AP.
Cindy Jimenez told authorities in the statement read Friday that when her father was grabbed from his home, one of the kidnappers identified him by saying, "He's the photographer."
That has fueled colleagues' suspicions that Jimenez's slaying was in fact tied somehow to the Ruiz Guillen case and not a fight with Teresa Hernandez.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
- Electronic Investor
Weighing Value's Value
- Order Reprints
- Print Article
Last time I checked, steel producer MRC Global's share price was about half of sales, 24.5 times earnings, and growing about on par with its industry. So what? Is that good, bad or ugly?
Most value investors would say: "Good, ugly and only okay." But such judgments depend on whether you're long or short, a shareholder or prospective shareholder, and through which trading strategy you view the metrics.
Websites like YCharts (ycharts.com) and Morningstar (morningstar.com) can help put those values into context no matter what kind of investor you are.
To get an idea of the scope of the challenge, consider YCharts' $49-a-month Gold membership, which gives you 100 of the most commonly used data points by which a company's business and stock performance are measured.
That's a lot to consider, but nothing compared with the 1,500 fundamental metrics that come with the $199 monthly Platinum package. Either lets you overlay any of 250,000 macroeconomic indicators—say, the price of metallurgical coal—on a company's micro in a quick YCharts graph.
These are just a fraction of the fundamental and macro measures that could be collected if subscribers were interested, says CEO Shawn Carpenter. And that doesn't count the entirely different set of indicators that make up the technical analysis ecosystem on sites like StockCharts.com.
The eyes cross. Wouldn't it be nice if there were just a few indicators that worked in every situation? Nice, but beauty is in the eye of the individual investor.
For example, value investors are likely to warm to MRC Global's (ticker: MRC) 0.56 price/sales ratio that lets them buy a dollar's worth of sales for 56 cents. But most would balk at paying 24.5 times trailing earnings while the market's trailing P/E is 15.1.
Existing shareholders, on the other hand, like a high P/E and wish the P/S ratio would climb past 1.0 or 2.0. And momentum investors care less about a high trailing P/E than MRC's forward P/E which, at 11, compares favorably to the market's 14.
Actually, the overall market is usually too broad a yardstick. Fundamental investors are better served comparing a company with its industry's medians found on Reuters (reuters.com). MRC's trailing P/E doesn't look that rich when viewed against the Steel Pipe & Tube industry's 22.
Type in any ticker and Reuters' Financials tab serves up a very easy-to-read table with about four dozen values for company, industry, and sector. Most of these can be found on other sites, but scattered across several pages.
Also, Reuters includes a few harder-to-find values such as price-to-tangible book value—a company's share price divided by its "real" assets. Most sites just post the less rigorous price-to-book value.
A simpler version of the Reuters table can be found on The Motley Fool's (fool.com) Ratios tab. It displays almost all the same values in nearly the same order, but only for company and industry. Both Reuters and Fool are free sites; and you might prefer the Fool's simpler view unless you were employing a sector-specific strategy. Both sites tend to emphasize current equity values, though.
For longer views, Morningstar provides funds and individual stock data going as far back as 1926 where available. The default is 10 years of annual data for key metrics that derive mostly from a company's financial statements as opposed to share-price performance.
A prime data source for many financial Websites, Morningstar's own specialty is detailed reports on 2,400 funds and 1,400 individual securities for $195 annually.
However, its tables and screens with 400 different fundamental metrics on more than 13,000 funds and 7,000 individual stocks are available even to free registrants.
Again, there are no metric subsets that apply to all investment situations. But these sites are good places to start building collections that fit your personal strategies and areas of interest.
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
This year's Albany Comic Con is being held Sunday, June 16, a.k.a. Father's Day. It's my local show, and one of my favorites, because it's done for all the right reasons. Chief among them: spreading the gospel of comics. Albany Comic Con has avoided bringing in celebrities or other autograph fodder in order to maintain a focus on comics.
This year's guest list includes me, Joe Jusko, Joe Sinnott, J.M. DeMatteis, Rick Leonardi, Joe Staton, Matthew Dow Smith, Todd Dezago, Fred Hembeck, Dave Rodriguez, Paul Harding, Richard Clark, Doug Hills, Mark McKenna and a bunch more. I'll be doing a storytelling panel in the afternoon with fellow writers DeMatteis and Rodriguez.
I'll be set up in the main room, with trade paperbacks of Shinku and Ravine on hand, as well as some Witchblade volumes and a few other goodies. I'll also have a limited number of copies of Protectors #0, by me, artist Bart Sears and NFL player Israel Idonije, which was previously only available at C2E2.
Albany Comic Con will be held 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 16 at the Holiday Inn on Wolf Road in Colonie. Admission is still a mere $5. Complete information can be found here:
Albany Comic Con is also putting together a night at the ballpark on July 6 to honor legendary inker Joe Sinnott. Albany Comic Con and the Tri-City Valley Cats, the local single-A baseball affiliate of the Houston Astros, are teaming up for "Meet Joe at the Joe." The Valley Cats play their home games at Joseph Bruno Stadium in Troy.
Joe Sinnott, for my money the best inker Jack Kirby ever had, will throw out the first pitch for the game, and be on hand to autograph a special baseball card (with art by Paul Harding) honoring his career. A number of area comic pros, including Paul and myself, will also be at the game to sign autographs.
Proceeds from "Meet Joe at the Joe" will benefit the Albany Ronald McDonald House Charities. Tickets for the 7 p.m. July 6 game are only $5, and are currently available on the Albany Comic Con website, as well as comic shops Excellent Adventures in Ballston Spa and Comics Depot in Saratoga Springs. Game tickets will also be on sale at Albany Comic Con, at which the Valley Cats mascot will make an appearance. Play ball!


text:
Provide screen printing onto material, mugs, ceramics, bags. Can put your kids pics on mouse mats, coffee mugs and other gift type items. They custom made me an AFL sticker for the back of my car - it sticks onto the windscreen but you can see through it - its made of the same stuff that they make L or P plates. Friendly service
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This article describes update 4011646 for Microsoft Office 2013 that was released on February 6, 2018. This update also applies to Office Home and Student 2013 RT. This update has a prerequisite.
Be aware that the update in the Microsoft Download Center applies to the Microsoft Installer (.msi)-based edition of Office 2013. It doesn't apply to the Office 2013 Click-to-Run editions, such as Microsoft Office 365 Home. (How to determine?)
Improvements and fixes
This update fixes a crash issue that occurs when a chart contains a filtered out series that has percentage data labels.
How to download and install the update
Microsoft Update
Use Microsoft Update to automatically download and install the update.
Download Center
This update is also available for manual download and installation from the Microsoft Download Center. The updates in the Download Center can't be installed on Office Home and Student 2013 RT.
- Download update KB4011646 for 32-bit version of Office 2013
- Download update KB4011646 for 64-bit version of Office 2013
If you're not sure which platform (32-bit or 64-bit) you're running, see Am I running 32-bit or 64-bit Office? Additionally, see more information about how to download Microsoft support files.
Update information
To apply this update, you must have Microsoft Office 2013 Service Pack 1 installed.
Restart information
You may have to restart the computer after you install this update.
More information
To determine whether your Office installation is Click-to-Run or MSI-based, follow these steps:
- Start an Office 2013 application, such as Microsoft Word 2013.
- On the File menu, select Account.
- For Office 2013 Click-to-Run installations, an Update Options item is displayed. For MSI-based installations, the Update Options item isn't displayed.
|Office 2013 Click-to-Run installation
|MSI-based Office 2013
How to uninstall this update
Windows 10
- Go to Start, enter View Installed Updates in the Search Windows box, and then press Enter.
- In the list of updates, locate and then select update KB4011646, and then select Uninstall.
Windows 8 and Windows 8.1
- Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search. If you're using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, and then select Search.
- Enter windows update, select Windows Update, and then select Installed Updates.
- In the list of updates, locate and then select update KB4011646, and then select Uninstall.
Windows 7
- Go to Start, enter Run, and then select Run.
- Enter Appwiz.cpl, and then select OK.
- Select View installed updates.
- In the list of updates, locate and then select update KB4011646, and then select Uninstall.
Learn about the standard terminology that Microsoft uses to describe software updates.
The Office System TechCenter contains the latest administrative updates and strategic deployment resources for all versions of Office.
File information
The English (United States) version of this software update installs files that have the attributes that are listed in the following tables. The dates and the times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). The dates and the times for these files on your local computer are displayed in your local time together with your current daylight saving time (DST) bias. Additionally, the dates and the times may change when you perform certain operations on the files.


text:
Just when the Sandman TV show appeared completely dead, DC Comics' number one writer reveals he's working on it with Neil Gaiman himself. Plus Elizabeth Hurley films her first Wonder Woman scene, Limitless, True Blood and Supernatural spoilers, and more!
Spoilers from this point forward!
Top image from X-Men: First Class.
The Amazing Spider-Man
The one and only Stan Lee has revealed that, yes, he'll be making another one of his cameo appearances in The Amazing Spider-Man, and he'll apparently be filming it fairly soon. [Nerd Reactor]
Captain America
Lee also revealed he will be making a cameo in this movie "and others", which I presume means the other upcoming Marvel Studios films like Thor and The Avengers (plus Fox's X-Men: First Class, maybe). No word yet on what the cameo will entail, but if it doesn't involve Stan Lee punching Hitler, I'll be kinda disappointed. [Nerd Reactor]
Here's a new promo photo. [SpoilerTV]
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
The movie is filming in Cambodia, specifically at the famous Angkor Wat temple complex. [TFW2005]
Screenwriter Leslie Dixon explains the movie's premise, in which failed writer Bradley Cooper takes a drug that unleashes the full potential of his mind:
"The premise may seem to verge on science fiction, but that kind of technology is probably not far off. I'm sure there are researchers in labs right now trying to make 'smart drugs' to improve memory, cognitive function and reflexes. I think most people, myself included, would take that pill if it was offered. I think it reverberates with what's really going on right now in our society. People are taking things like Adderall to give themselves an edge. It's sort of ironic that we have begun to see drugs as a way to enhance our achievement rather than just to have fun.
"And the things that he is able to do on that ride are things that we all aspire to. He can effortlessly learn foreign languages. He learns to read music in a day. Women drop at his feet after half a dozen sentences, because he's so charming and funny. All of these things are things that we wish we could do, and it's fun to go there with the character. When things get hairy and it turns out that bad people are after him, watching him think and fight his way out of those situations is exhilarating."
There's a lot more at the link. [ComicBookMovie]
Men in Black III
Alec Baldwin, long rumored to be playing the 1960s era head of the Men in Black, has confirmed that he's no longer involved in the project due to scheduling difficulties. Which, considering how many times filming has been delayed to completely rewrite large swathes of the script, is probably the actual reason instead of just a diplomatic excuse. [Vulture]
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Robin McLeavy, the Australian actress who was erroneously rumored to have been cast as Mary Todd Lincoln, has in fact reportedly joined the movie after all. She will reportedly play Nancy Hanks Lincoln, Abraham's mother whose death at a vampire's fangs is what sets her future president son down the path of vampire-hunting. [Deadline]
Wrath of the Titans
The Clash of the Titans sequel has moved its release date back a week to March 30, 2012. [/Film]
Doctor Who
Here's some set photos of "The Lodger" costars James Corden and Daisy Haggard in their return appearance as Craig Owens and Sophie, courtesy of WENN.com.
Assuming the show gets a fourth season, the show will be adding a new cast member, a 23-year-old rookie FBI agent named Emily. We've seen her casting call out before this, but it's more confirmation that she's intended to be a new regular cast member. [E! Online]
True Blood
There's a ton of tidbits in this post on what's ahead in season four, but here are some of the highlights. As far as fairies are concerned, Stephen Moyer says that Bill will indeed keep his promise to kill anyone who discovers Sookie is a fairy, while Alan Ball says there's plenty more to learn about them:
"You are definitely going to see a different realm that humans don't exist in that fairies do. We'll also maybe see through the illusion, maybe they're not quite as benign as one might think.
Pam actress Kristin Bauer says her character will have a lot to deal with in this season's witches:
"The witches test us all this year, Pam included. Pam has a very fascinating and challenging storyline that I've been shooting all week. I'm not sure what the witches want exactly, but as of episode five they are kicking Pam's ass but she's not going to lie down and take it. I think I get some good action this season."
On whether Jessica will grow more in control of her bloodlust as she matures, Deborah Ann Woll offers this:
"Depends on as a mature person what you decide you want to do. Maybe the maturity is I want to be all that a vampire is, but I think we'll see more of a gray area. We'll see more of Jessica struggle with which side of her should win out."
There's more at the link. [Fancast]
Here's a promo for the next episode, "Chuck vs. the Muuurder." [SpoilerTV]
Sarah's bachelorette party will reportedly involve a male stripper dressed as an enemy commando, and it's a safe bet that some wacky misunderstandings and/or hijinks will then ensue. [E! Online]
The Event
Here's a promo for next week's episode 14, "A Message Back." [SpoilerTV]
Here's a description for episode 15, "Face Off":
NEGOTIATIONS ENSUE FOR THE RELEASE OF SLEEPERS – HAL HOLBROOK GUEST STARS – President Martinez (Blair Underwood) and Blake Sterling (Zeljko Ivanek) have the Sleepers surrounded, but after Sophia (Laura Innes) triggers a national disaster, negotiations ensue. Elsewhere, with a lead on the whereabouts of Dempsey (guest star Hal Holbrook, "Water for Elephants"), Sean (Jason Ritter) and Vicky (Taylor Cole) continue on their mission.
Episode 16 will reportedly be called "You Bury Other Things Too." [SpoilerTV]
OK, this is slightly unexpected - soon after Supernatural creator Eric Kripke says a series would not be happening this year, DC Comics's Chief Creative Officer and de facto head writer Geoff Johns tweeted that a series is going ahead, and that he is working with series creator Neil Gaiman to bring it to life. Here's what Johns tweeted:
"Correction to world. The Sandman is AWAKE! :) Psyched to be working with [Neil] on developing one of the greatest series ever! Sandman in any form - comics to live action - doesn't work without [Neil]."
Wonder Woman
Here are the first set pics, showing Elizabeth Hurley filming a scene where Wonder Woman's nemesis, Veronica Cale, gets into a limousine. More pics at the link. [Ace Showbiz]
We've got an insane amount of ground to cover here, so be sure to check the various links for more info, as we're going to have to limit ourselves to just the highlights. Without further ado...
Executive producer Sera Gamble promises there will be at least two unexpected deaths before the end of the season:
"There will definitely be deaths. I would say that the last couple of episodes are pretty dark. The situation is rather desperate for Sam and Dean and they truly have to band together to get the job done."
[TV Guide]
Samantha Smith will make a return appearance as Mary Winchester in episode 19, entitled "Mommie Dearest." Sera Gamble says they chose to use her somewhat older incarnation of the Winchesters' mother for a very specific reason:
When you see the episode, you will see why it had to be Smith. We had a specific reasoning for using her version of Mary. And you know, whenever Dean and Sam see their mother again, it's never really an entirely happy occasion!"
Also, Dean's makeshift family of Lisa and Ben will make a return appearance before the end of the season, although it's not quite clear how they will fit into things just yet. [Gather]
Misha Collins teases what's ahead for Castiel and the rest of the season:
"In the final episodes this season, we're getting more into the battle in heaven, and we're even going to touch back on Sam's soul. The end of the season is very dialed into the season-long mythology...Cas does spend time with the Mother of All lady, and Cas does not go to the Wild West. Missed opportunity. He could have worn chaps."
Jared Padalecki explains what Sam has to confront in the finale:
"We're saving the best for last - and the scariest for last. [The wall inside Sam] does come down, and as Death warned, it's a catastrophe. Sam has to battle something he's never battled before, which is himself. Sam is going to have to ultimately confront what he did soul-less and did in hell. There's a lot of Sam soul searching."
The show is now pretty close to being a lock for a seventh season. This is apparently a very good thing, because show creator and season final Eric Kripke says they will be doing a fairly substantial cliffhanger at the end, and Sera Gamble promises some questions will be left unanswered until the next season. Kripke also offers this cryptic tease for the end of the finale:
"I'd actually say my favorite thing [in the finale] is the final minute. Stay tuned for the final minute. It's one of those moments where the more you stop to think about it, the more you feel the enjoyment of the writer, looking at what he's doing and going, 'I can't believe I got away with that.' When you look at it subtextually, it's sort of a nutty thing that I did."
And then there's a grab bag of general spoilers and tidbits from the show's recent appearance at PaleyFest. A few highlights:
- One thing that Ben [Edlund] would like to try is a live episode.
- The war in heaven will play out at the end of the season.
- Kripke: "Currently there are no plans to return the amulet."
- Finale: Each episode has its own story, both are self-contained.
- Kripke says "it will be awesome in reruns but for the two-hour people will be like 'What?'"
- Female characters with a positive force coming up: Jared says just Castiel.
- Upcoming Edlund directed episode of Supernatural is from Castiel's point of view. "We hear a couple of moments from his childhood."
- Kripke has a specific coda in mind for when the show ends, he didn't use [in "Swan Song"] when they got Season 6 renewal.
There's more at the link. [SpoilerTV]
Being Human (UK)
The show has officially been renewed for a fourth series. [Daemon's TV]
Stargate Universe
Here's a promo for the next episode, "Alliances." [SpoilerTV] Click to view
Being Human (US)
Here's a pair of promos for next week's episode, "Dog Eat Dog." [SpoilerTV] Click to view
Executive producer Scott Rosenbaum explains that he originally planned for a 22-episode second season, and a third season pickup would unspool the rest of the season's story:
"When they reduced the order, I had to make a decision. I didn't feel like it was possible to wrap the show in that amount of time, so I said, 'You know, I'm going to hope there's another season, because I've pushed the story too far [and] it won't make sense [to conclude it this soon]. I don't feel like the audience will feel like we've earned those moments.' So I'm going to keep my fingers crossed and leave it organically where I think the show should end after 10 episodes. I went with hope, and tried to make it feel like a satisfying conclusion."
He also promises that, if there's a third season, we'll finally see some actual fighting between the humans and the Visitors. But yeah...I wouldn't necessarily trust him on that. [EW]
Elizabeth Mitchell says she's pretty optimistic for a renewal, and in rather stark contrast to what's going on with No Ordinary Family, she points out nobody on V has signed on for any pilots. She offers this take on what she'd like to see in a possible season three:
I liken up until now to Rocky I, and I feel like Season 3 would be Rocky II, where Erica does everything right, is the smartest woman that ever existed, is the most powerful, and everybody [on the V ships] gets completely massacred. That's what I'm hoping for.
We're guessing she's joking, but yeah...that actually sounds as good as anything we've actually seen. (Also, is that really the plot of Rocky II? Rambo II, maybe...) [TVLine]
Kristin Kreuk again confirmed that Lana Lang will not be back for the series finale, explaining:
"I do not believe there was ever a real offer for me to come back - though I am pretty sure that if I showed interest in returning, [showrunners] Kelly [Souders] and Brian [Peterson] would find a way to fit me in. I think her story is done. I am not sure how her coming back changes Clark's story any longer. He has moved forward. As he was always supposed to do. As Lana would have wanted him to do."
[TV Line]
Additional reporting by Katharine Trendacosta and Charlie Jane Anders.


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Zurich-based money manager Julius Baer has agreed to purchase the non-U.S. wealth management units of Bank of America Corp.'s Merrill Lynch. The deal is expected to increase Baer's assets by approximately 40%. Neither analysts nor investors appeared enthusiastic about the move, however, as the former issued caveats about its potential and the latter drove the stock down in Zurich trading.
Bloomberg reported Monday that Baer made the announcement that it would pay about 860 million Swiss francs ($880 million) for the business. The full cost of the deal will run 1.47 billion francs. That includes incentives to keep Merrill bankers; 312 million francs after taxes to integrate the new purchase; and 300 million francs to boost regulatory capital.
The firm has canceled a proposed share buyback and instead intends to launch a rights offering of 750 million francs to help pay for the deal. The cost represents 1.2% of assets under management. It is based on a transfer of some 72 billion francs in client funds, nearly 89% of the 81 billion francs managed by the Merrill units as of June 30, during the two years integration is expected to take.
Baer is working to boost its AUM, as previously reported by AdvisorOne, with tax evasion crackdowns globally taking a toll as clients repatriate money formerly held in Swiss accounts. Analysts, however, are not excited about the deal, finding fault with various aspects of the transaction.
"I can't see anyone getting very excited about this," said Dirk Becker in the report. Becker, a Frankfurt-based analyst at Kepler Capital Markets who has a hold rating on the stock, added, "It's a big business, but not a profitable one, and they've lowered their financial targets."
Teresa Nielsen, a Zurich-based analyst at Vontobel Holding, said in the report that the acquisition "looks rather expensive, especially when taking into account the integration costs, implementation risks and need for an additional capital increase."
Baer's stock dropped as much as 5.7% at one point in Monday Zurich trading, and at midday had lost 5.4%.
While Julius Baer CEO Boris Collardi was quoted saying, "This acquisition brings us a major step forward in our growth strategy and will considerably strengthen Julius Baer's leading position in global private banking," the firm expects that profits could be "somewhat volatile" until 2015. At that point it expects the acquisition to add to earnings.


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On Sale
Hand Sewn Leather Coaster - Set of Four
Doing our part to save varnished rosewood tabletops one leather coaster at a time. If you've got a frosty mug or cup moist with condensation put it on one of these.
- Manufacturer: Rustico
- 4" x 4"
- Includes 4 coasters per set
- Made from top-grain cowhide
- Hand-sewn detail
- Secured with a leather strap for storage
This item is handmade and ships from our facility within 4 business days.
- Many of our items are hand-made to order. To ensure the careful quality for which we're known, it takes us some time to craft, package, and ship handmade or personalized items from our workshop. Please refer to the stated lead time listed above for an accurate idea of when your order will ship.
- International orders will ship using the method quoted at checkout. International delivery times vary depending on the customs office of the arrival country and MAY be subject to import taxes, customs duties and fees which are the responsibility of the buyer. Customs vary widely from country to country, so please contact your local customs bureau for more information. Generally for large value shipments, you are required to pay an entry fee, plus a certain percentage of the value of the order.
- Rustico will not be held liable for shipments that are lost or stolen. You may add our shipping warranty to your cart at checkout in order to protect against incidents such as this.
- If your order has not shipped and you would like to cancel it, you may do so within 24 hours of ordering. In times of high volume, such as during the holiday season, this time may be reduced to 12 hours.
- Please account for the above details when placing an order. For more information you can view our full shipping and returns policy here.
To see more details about how your personalization will appear on this product, use the "Add + Personalize" button above to add it to cart and specify your personalization. Personalizations are laser engraved in Garamond Bold font. See some examples Please note that we can engrave text and numbers only and not emoji's or other non-standard characters.
Each gift wrapped product is carefully wrapped with eco-friendly FSC Certified paper in a sturdy kraft box filled with crinkle paper and tied with 100% jute twine. You can add gift wrapping to each product where it is available in your cart.
- Chemicals will weaken the leather over time. Be patient. Its ruggedness will grow in character with you.
- Don't be afraid of a scuff. Lick your finger. Rub it in. The oils from your skin shape the patina's look over time. So go ahead. Handle it!
- Avoid leaving leather for extended periods of time in direct sunlight or extreme heat. We recommend Rustico's Custom Designed Leather Cleaner for additional leather cleaning and conditioning.


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Hybrid Super Cars – The Way Of The Future?
Hybrids are taking over the automotive space one model at a time with companies like Ford, GM, Honda and Toyota leading the way. As expected the world's super car builders have been a little slow off the mark here, a little reticent to move away from the V8, V10 and V12 internal combustion power houses that have made them the desire of schoolboys right through to grandfathers the world over. Lanjut →


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PC Cooling and Modding Components
Keeping your computer cool is massively important. These days, your machine is asked to cope with increasingly complex and demanding applications, as well 3D games and multimedia downloads, so keeping your system's interior cool is essential. Without proper cooling, your PC could hang, crash or even become damaged.


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- Bibles
- >
- NIV Ragamuffin Bible Soft Leather bound
NIV Ragamuffin Bible Soft Leather bound
Do you believe that God not only loves you, but that he also likes you?
It's just one of the soul-searching questions posed by bestselling author Brennan Manning who confesses he has been "John the beloved, Peter the coward, and Thomas the doubter all before the waitress brought the check."
The NIV Ragamuffin Bible offers a collection of Manning's raw, painfully honest, yet grace-filled devotions, meditations, and reflections of his journey limping back to―like the prodigal son―his overjoyed father. When you journey through this Bible, you will likewise find yourself returning to your Heavenly Father, basking in the knowledge that God not only loves you, he delights in you.
• Complete text of the world's most popular modern-English Bible, the NIV
• 104 Devotions guide you into a deeper connection to God and his Word
• 250 Reflections help you understand what it means to be a child of God
• 150 Quotes offer short but thoughtful insights into God's kingdom


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The President may prescribe regulations necessary to carry out this subchapter and section 3343 of this title and to protect and assure the retirement, insurance, leave, and reemployment rights and such other similar civil service employment rights as he finds appropriate. The regulations may provide for the exclusion of employees from the application of this subchapter and section 3343 of this title on the basis of the nature and type of employment including excepted appointments of a confidential or policy-determining character, or conditions pertaining to the employment including short-term appointments, seasonal or intermittent employment, and part-time employment.
5 U.S. Code § 3584. Regulations
Historical and Revision Notes
U.S. Code
Revised Statutes and
Statutes at Large
Aug. 28, 1958, Pub. L. 85–795, § 5, 72 Stat. 961.
The words "civil service employment rights" are substituted for "Federal employment rights". The word "including" is substituted for "such as, but not limited to".
Standard changes are made to conform with the definitions applicable and the style of this title as outlined in the preface to the report.
Ex. Ord. No. 10804, Feb. 12, 1959, 24 F.R. 1147, which delegated to the United States Civil Service Commission the authority vested in the President by section 5 of the Federal Employees International Organization Service Act (72 Stat. 961) [now this section], was revoked by Ex. Ord. No. 11552, Aug. 24, 1970, 35 F.R. 13569, set out below.
Ex. Ord. No. 11552, Aug. 24, 1970, 35 F.R. 13569, as amended by Ex. Ord. No. 12107, Dec. 28, 1978, 44 F.R. 1055, provided:
By virtue of the authority vested in me by section 301 of title 3 and section 3584 of title 5 [this section], United States Code, and as President of the United States, it is ordered as follows:
Section 1. Leadership and coordination. The Secretary of State shall provide leadership and coordination for the effort of the Federal Government to increase and improve its participation in international organizations through transfers and details of well-qualified Federal employees, and shall develop policies, procedures, and programs consistent with this order to advance and encourage such participation.
Sec. 2. Federal agency cooperation. Each agency in the executive branch of the Federal Government shall to the maximum extent feasible and with due regard to its manpower requirements assist and encourage details and transfers of employees to international organizations by observing the following policies and procedures:
(1) Vacancies in international organizations shall be brought to the notice of well-qualified agency employees whose abilities and levels of responsibility in the Federal service are commensurate with those required to fill such vacancies.
(2) Subject to prior approval of his agency, no leave shall be charged an employee who is absent for a maximum of three days for interview for a proposed detail or transfer at the formal request of an international organization of a Federal official; an agency may approve official travel for necessary travel within the United States in connection with such an interview.
(3) An agency, upon request of an appropriate authority, shall provide international organizations with detailed assessments of the technical or professional qualifications of individual employees being formally considered for details and transfers to specific positions.
(4) Upon return of an employee to his agency, the agency shall give due consideration to the employee's overall qualifications, including those which may have been acquired during his service with the international organization, in determining the position and grade in which he is reemployed.
Sec. 3. Delegations. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this order, there is hereby delegated to the Office of Personnel Management the authority vested in the President by sections 3582(b) and 3584 of title 5, United States Code.
(b) The following are hereby delegated to the Secretary of State:
(1) The authority vested in the President by sections 3343 and 3581 of title 5, United States Code, to determine whether it is in the national interest to extend a detail or transfer of an employee beyond five years.
(2) The authority vested in the President by section 3582(b) of title 5, United States Code, to define and specify "pay, allowances, post differential, and other monetary benefits" to be paid by the agency upon reemployment, disability, or death.
Sec. 4. Revocation. Executive Order No. 10804 of February 12, 1959, is hereby revoked.


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|Volume 5 Issue 207 Published - 14:00 UTC 08:00 EST 26-July-2003 Next Update - 14:00 UTC 08:00 EST 27-July-2003
© Vidyya.
All rights reserved.
Searching for 1,000 families with multiple members with Alzheimer's disease
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) is greatly advancing the search for genes involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD) with acceleration of the AD Genetics Initiative. Joined by the Alzheimer's Association, the NIA is stepping up the Initiative to create a large bank of genetic material, cell lines, and data from families with multiple members with late-onset AD. Scientists will use the data bank in their quest to discover the risk factor genes that contribute to late-onset AD, the most common form of the disease. Discovery of risk factor genes will help illuminate the underlying disease processes of AD, open up novel areas of research, and identify new targets for drug therapy.
NIA-supported researchers across the U.S. and the Association's network of local chapters will work with families having multiple members diagnosed with late-onset AD in an effort to enlist 1,000 of those families over 3 years. The NIA, in consultation with the Association, is currently developing information materials to aid local Association chapters and NIA-supported Alzheimer's Disease Centers in recruitment and to provide detailed information on the project. These materials will be distributed to chapters and centers in the fall.
"We are so pleased to be working hand-in-hand with the Association and its chapter network across the country on such an important effort," says Marcelle Morrison-Bogorad, Ph.D., Associate Director, Neuroscience and Neuropsychology of Aging Program at the NIA. "The Association's commitment to research, coupled with the depth of its efforts in the community, makes this a crucial alliance for moving this research forward."
William Thies, Ph.D., Alzheimer's Association Vice-President for Medical and Scientific Affairs, notes that the study is one way that families with AD can make a major difference in the pace of research. "Discovery of risk factor genes is essential for understanding the causes of late-onset AD and for developing effective treatments and prevention strategies. We welcome the opportunity to mobilize the Alzheimer's community toward this end," he says.
Who Can Participate?
For a family to participate, there must be at least one affected pair of siblings and at least one other affected relative or unaffected relative for whom biological samples from blood or tissue are available. A participating family could include, at a minimum, a pair of siblings diagnosed with AD at age 60 or older and a third relative age 50 or older at onset of AD or age 60 or greater if unaffected. Participation involves a neurological examination or collection of medical records and the donation of a blood sample, which will be made into a cell line (a family of cells grown in the laboratory) that will enable the participant's DNA to be available to qualified scientists over many years. Samples gathered at autopsy from deceased family members may also be used to provide DNA. Medical, demographic, and family history information also will be collected. Unaffected family members also may be asked to participate. The cell lines and DNA will be stored at a centralized repository at Indiana University - the National Cell Repository for AD (NCRAD) - which is to serve as the first point of contact for people interested in participating in the Initiative.
There is no cost for those who join the study. To ensure broad participation, study coordinators will make alternative arrangements for participation if people eligible to take part are not located near a designated study site.
Protections for Participants
An important part of the study is the confidential treatment of the genetic information collected from participants. Researchers will not be able to identify samples on an individual level. While clinical, demographic and family history information about the participants will be available to researchers, this information will also be free of unique identifiers. Coded data on the blood sample will be stored in a secure computer at the NCRAD. Detailed discussion of informed consent documents will outline for participants how the study will be conducted and how data will be protected at each site and at the cell repository.
Interested in Participating?
To participate in the study, families should contact NCRAD toll-free at 1-800-526-2839 or 317-274-7360 or, by e-mail, Jamalynne Stuck, Research Coordinator and Genetic Counselor for NCRAD, at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Purpose of the Study
About 90 percent of people with AD have the late-onset variety, which strikes people age 65 and older. There is no obvious inheritance pattern with late-onset AD, but researchers have identified one "risk factor" gene, the e4 variant of apolipoprotein E (apoE). This discovery has opened up many important avenues to understanding the biological and environmental interactions that may be important to the development of late-onset AD. While scientists have drawn significantly closer to identifying at least four regions of chromosomes where other risk factor genes might be, a workshop convened by NIA in March 2002 strongly recommended that further collection and analysis of larger sample sets are needed to root out these genes.
Study Sponsors
The Genetics Initiative Study Coordinator is Richard Mayeux, M.D., co-director of the Columbia University Alzheimer's Center in New York City, a senior researcher who has investigated AD genetic risk in specific populations in New York and the Caribbean. Twelve Alzheimer's Disease Centers (ADCs) have been provided with supplemental funding from NIA to recruit new individuals for genetics research and to deposit participants' blood samples with NCRAD. NCRAD, under the direction of P. Michael Conneally, Ph.D., was established in 1989 to store DNA and cells, collect data on participants and their families, and distribute data and biological materials free of charge to qualified investigators.
The NIA, part of the National Institutes of Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, leads the Federal Government's effort to support and conduct research on aging and age-related disorders and diseases, including AD. In fiscal year 2003, the NIA will spend an estimated $480.5 million on AD research, the largest single component of its nearly $1 billion budget. The Alzheimer's Association is the largest private supporter of research on AD. Through its national network of advocates and chapters, the Association advances research, improves services and care, creates awareness of AD and mobilizes support.
For more information on Association participation in this Initiative, contact the Association at 312-335-4078. To contact the NIA's Office of Communications and Public Liaison, call 301-496-1752.


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A scholarship has been established in Dan's name at the University of Denver College of Law. Contributions can be sent care of Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, 303 E. 17th Avenue, Suite 320, Denver, CO 80203. Contributions can also be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Thank you all for your love and support during this time.