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To keep growing, businesses need to take risks. The top companies do their due diligence to minimize the prospect of failure when introducing a new product. But even the best laid plans falter.
Iconic brands like Coca-Cola, McDonald's and even Barbie have all made missteps. Such mistakes can lead to millions lost on marketing campaigns and production costs that go for naught.
Some products, like Earring Magic Ken, a part of the Barbie line, sell well despite a a marketing plan–and the doll's controversial look–that doomed it to be pulled from the shelves in the end. In the end though, the companies often thrive, moving past the debacles.
Here is AdvisorOne's look at 6 Big Product Flops That Companies Survived:
1. Product: Windows Vista, 2007
Outcome: Product languished behind other Windows OS products
Investor Outlook: The Windows unit's profit was down, by Microsoft's was up
Microsoft is the dominant player in the creation and sales of operating systems for PCs. However, the days of every new product being an instant hit are long gone. The company's Vista operating system, introduced in 2007, is the software giant's recent symbol of failure.
The software was panned by critics. That, coupled with, according to The New York Times, a tip toward netbooks, as well less robust machines running "slimmer" versions of Windows in emerging countries, led to tepid sales. In addition, many companies did not upgrade to Vista.
Vista may have been a failure, but Microsoft chugs on. Its Windows 7, which shipped the next year, was much more successful than Vista. Windows 8 is nearing its launch and some are calling it a gamble by Microsoft because it is aimed more at the tablet market. They fret because they say the touchscreen-friendly OS might not be so great for laptop and desktop machines.
As an investment, the stock has proved good in the long-term. The stock has been split 2:1 four times since the release of Vista and currently trades at about $30 per share.
2. Product: Heinz EZ Squirt Ketchup, 2000
Outcome: Product Was Discontinued After 7 Years
Investor Outlook: The stock price rose over the life of the product
Anticipation. Surely, the marketing folks at Heinz couldn't wait till the company, known for its "57 varieties," introduced its newest product in 2000. The idea, aimed at kids, was to take that traditional deep red color of the company's signature product and change it to purple, neon green and other "fun" colors and put it in a squeeze bottle.
Unlike some other products that flopped from the start, EZ Squirt was a hit at first. Heinz reported that it had sold about 25 million bottles of the colored goo by 2003. After that, sales dropped off. It's not clear why. Some speculate moms didn't like the colors. Others say the novelty wore off. Either way, Heinz stopped selling it in 2006.
The stock price bounced up and down throughout the period paying dividends along the way. In the end Heinz wound up at about $5 per share, closing at $45 per share at the end of 2006.
3. Product: McDonald's Arch Deluxe, 1996
Outcome: Discontinued despite $100 million marketing campaign
Investor Outlook: The stock stayed the course, although growth was sluggish
Go to into any McDonald's and you know exactly what you are going to get. It doesn't matter where you are, the expectations are the same: the burger and fries will be inexpensive and have the taste that's been the same for decades.
That didn't stop the powers that be from trying a different tack in 1996 with the introduction of the Arch Deluxe. The new sandwich was aimed at sophisticated adults (I guess the company's usual customers were too plebian). It was introduced with the slogan the "burger with the grown-up taste."
That taste came from peppercorn bacon, a bun made from potato flour and topped with mayo, special mustard, lettuce, onion, tomato and cheese.
McDonald's miscalculated badly. The sandwich was pulled from the menu in a few months. McDonald's tried to market the burger in Japan with similar results, although it did meet with some success in France, which is known for its sophisticated food.
The stock, which had been trading at $45.50 per share as 1996 dawned, was down 12 cents per share at the end of 1996. Still, in 1997 a New York Times article advanced the idea that the company's growth had turned sluggish by the flop. McDonald's is currently priced at about $93 a share.
4. Product: Earring Magic Ken (a new look for Barbie's boyfriend), 1993
Outcome: Product was discontinued after one year
Investor Outlook: The doll sold well depsite a marketing mess up and the stock more than stood its ground
Barbie has been one of the most enduring dolls since Mattel introduced it in 1959. One of the keys to the success of the toy surely was its adaptability. At first, Barbie was an icon of the conservative times in which it was created. By the late '60s, Barbie and BFF Midge were reflections of the times in mini-skirts and other fashions. Even boyfriend Ken could be seen sporting a Nehru jacket. But not all the attempts to keep the products current worked out as intended.
In 1993, Mattel had created a line of Barbie dolls called Earring Magic. That year, Ken joined the fold. According to all accounts, kids were questioned about what would make Ken "cool." The doll flew off the shelves. But the demographic was not exactly the one Mattel had been aiming at. You see, in his purple leather vest, mesh shirt and chain jewelry, Ken quickly was seen as having come out of the closet, and was nicknamed the "Gay Ken." By the end of the year the doll was recalled and production stopped.
As far as the stock went, investors seemingly made out well. The stock rose from $22 to $25 by the end of 1993 and then split 5:4 in January 1994.
5. Product: New Coke, 1985
Outcome: Marketing disaster turned around
Investor Outlook: The product tanked but the stock rose
Coca-Cola was the iconic soft drink of the 20th century, but it was losing ground to archrival Pepsi by the 1980s. The beverage giant figured it had to do something so it set about conducting taste tests of a reformulated version of its flagship product. A sweeter version was the favorite and it was rolled out to great fanfare in April 1985. That's when things spiraled out of control. By July, Coke gave in, announcing that it was bringing back the old recipe. It was henceforth known as Classic Coke, while the updated product was called New Coke, then Coke II. It no longer is sold in the U.S.
All was not lost, however. Coke views the marketing mess as a success, bringing attention to its flagging brand. In fact, Coke has been declared the winner in the Cola Wars, with soft drink sales in 2011 of $28 million, compared to Pepsi's $12 million. The new product was hardly a disaster for investors. In 1985, the stock actually rose from about $57 before the rollout of the new formula to nearly $70 that September. It currently trades at about $38.
Rumors that Coke all along planned to "reintroduce" the original recipe have been denied by the soft drink giant as well as by an investigation by snopes.com.
6. Product: Ford Pinto, 1971
Outcome: Massive recall, millions paid in lawsuits over deaths
Investor Outlook: The Pinto notwithstanding, Ford was in for a wild ride in the decades that followed
Ford and other American automakers were in a quandary in the late 1960s. Small cars made by foreign companies were gaining favor and they needed to move quickly, too, if they didn't wanted to be left out of that part of the market. American Motors came out with the Gremlin. Ford followed soon after with the Pinto in 1971.
The car proved popular. It was inexpensive at about $2,000 ($11,000 today) and was touted as getting 25 mpg in an era before most people worried about the price of gas. There were some problems reported, like inside door handles breaking too easily, but nothing too bad, at first.
Then came complaints about the car catching fire and exploding when hit from the rear. Lawsuits were filed. The government reported that 27 people had died in such accidents. Others claimed the figure was much higher. An article in Mother Jones magazine in 1977 tipped public opinion against Ford. The article stated that Ford knew the location of the fuel tank was a danger, but calculated it was cheaper not to fix it. Rumors of scores of deaths abounded. Ford discontinued production in 1980.
Later reports claim the position of the fuel tank was standard for the time and the government found no evidence of more than the 27 deaths it reported. A disputed memo seemed to indicate that Ford had calculated the cost of lawsuits vs. the cost of fixing the problem (widely put at $11 per vehicle).
Still Ford faced the prospect of a deluge of lawsuits after a California judge awarded a teenager $6.3 million after he was burned in a crash. There was even a criminal trial accusing Ford of homicide. The carmaker was found not guilty.
Ford, which traded at $53.25 in 1978 when the Pinto was recalled, is currently at about $10.30. The troubles of the Big Three automakers are well known of course. But Ford was the only one that didn't take a taxpayer bailout 2009 and seems to be regaining its footing.
More Top 10 lists from AdvisorOne:


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IntroductionAtar (pop. 17,000), in the Sahara, is probably the easiest desert town to visit—regularly scheduled flights land there and the road is good. We suggest flying to the city and returning to Nouakchott overland (hire a car and driver). The market makes for interesting shopping—prices (especially for food) are lower than in nearby Chinguetti. Atar is close to Amojjar Pass, a beautiful canyon of brown and pink sandstone. The most surprising thing about the canyon is that it is there at all—created by water erosion, the gorge lies in the middle of one of the driest regions we've ever seen. Most visitors find two nights adequate. 250 mi/400 km northeast of Nouakchott.
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BMO Financial Group today announced a $4 million investment in Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (PI), located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The strategic contribution establishes the BMO Financial Group Isaac Newton Chair in Theoretical Physics at Perimeter Institute, and represents the largest single donation ever made by BMO to support science. It is also the largest corporate donation received by PI in its ten-year history.
BMO's $4 million investment will be matched by $4 million in private funds from PI's existing endowment for a total of $8 million. It is anticipated this private core funding will attract additional funding partners. The Chair will be identified through a highly competitive and rigorous international search and only scientists of the very highest international calibre will be considered. The BMO Financial Group Isaac Newton Chair in Theoretical Physics at Perimeter Institute represents the first of five such positions to be named after scientists whose insights defined modern physics: Isaac Newton, James Clerk Maxwell, Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr and Paul Dirac. The first Chair is named for Sir Isaac Newton, considered by many to be one of the most brilliant and influential thinkers in human history. He described the universal laws of gravitation and motion, laying the groundwork for the modern scientific description of the physical universe.
"Perimeter Institute is already a global leader in basic research, and there is no question these Chairs will serve as a magnet for talent – a 'brain gain' – bringing even more of the best theoretical physicists to Canada," said Bill Downe, President and Chief Executive Officer, BMO Financial Group. "The Institute's ambitious thirst for new knowledge places it at the very frontier of discovery. Its thinkers can change our world by boldly pushing the boundaries of our current understanding of physical laws. We couldn't be more proud of this association and hope that our unique investment in the BMO Isaac Newton Chair in Theoretical Physics will enhance innovation in Canada and encourage other private sector donors to fund Chairs at PI."
Neil Turok, Director of Perimeter Institute, said, "These five Chairs are an integral part of Perimeter Institute's vision as it grows toward pre-eminence as a world centre for foundational physics, bringing together the most brilliant theoretical physicists of our time under one roof. We are profoundly grateful for BMO's visionary investment in creating this inaugural Chair. It is a made-in-Canada solution to the very real challenge of attracting the best and brightest minds to our country."
Mike Lazaridis, Perimeter Institute's Founder and Board Chair, said, "Theoretical physics has driven the most important insights and technological advances in the history of humankind. Although the outcomes from basic research may not be immediate, they are inevitable, and BMO recognizes that in order to move science, technology and society forward, we must invest in the breakthrough research that makes innovations possible. I sincerely appreciate BMO's participation in the public-private partnership that is driving PI forward."
Sir Issac Newton, James Clerk Maxwell, Albert Einstein
Neils Bohr, Paul Dirac
About BMO Financial Group
Established in 1817 and based in Canada, BMO Financial Group serves more than 10 million personal, commercial, corporate and institutional customers in North America and internationally. Our operating groups – Personal and Commercial Banking, BMO Bank of Montreal in Canada and Harris in the United States; Private Client Group, our wealth management business; and BMO Capital Markets – share one vision: to be the bank that defines great customer experience. http://www.bmo.com/


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The Community-Based Planning Task Force blog is on hiatus while we work on some internal restructuring. Please check out our archives and our "Resources" section, as well as the Atlas of Community-Based Plans, to learn more about community-based planning in New York City.
"A renewal effort has to be conceived as a process of building on the inherent social and economic values of the community. Neglecting these values through programs of massive clearance and redevelopment can disrupt an entire community."
These words could easily have been written by South Bronx activist Yolanda Garcia. In the early 1990s, she founded an organization known as We Stay/Nos Quedamos, and led a movement of residents who wanted to remain in their neighborhood despite the City's plan to redevelop it with low-density, mixed-income housing. They created an alternative plan for affordable housing development at Melrose Commons that is still being implemented today.
However, the words above are actually the opening statement of the Cooper Square Alternate Plan, written in 1961 by a group of activists from the Lower East Side, including Frances Goldin. Known as the Cooper Square Committee, they opposed Robert Moses' urban renewal plan to demolish and redevelop more than 2,500 housing units in their neighborhood.
On July 13, the Municipal Art Society celebrates the kindred spirits of these two community activists by presenting the annual Yolanda Garcia Community Planner (YGCP) Award to Ms. Goldin. MAS created the YGCP award in 2006 to honor the memory of Ms. Garcia, who passed away in 2005. Selected from an open nomination process by a panel of judges consisting of former honorees and leaders in the community planning field, the awardee must have no formal training in planning, and must have demonstrated his or her ability to overcome the many obstacles to grassroots planning and bring neighborhood need and vision into New York City's planning process.
Ms. Goldin came to the Lower East Side from Queens in 1944 as a newlywed of 20. Shortly after her arrival, she went to a local group known as the 1st Ave. Tenant and Consumer Council to research her rent history because she thought her $75/month rent was too high. She became active with this group, and thus began a lifetime as a community organizer.
In 1959, Robert Moses proposed a massive urban renewal plan for the Lower East Side that would have displaced 2,400 tenants, 450 single-room occupants, 4000 homeless beds, and over 500 businesses. He intended to create 2,900 units of middle-income housing, which would have been out of financial reach of 93 percent of residents.
The Cooper Square Committee formed in response to this plan, and organized to create their own vision for the neighborhood's future. "It was very easy to organize the group because people were directly affected," said Goldin, who added that they coordinated over 100 community meetings in a year. The resulting Cooper Square Alternate Plan included public housing, Mitchell-Lama co-ops, other cooperative housing, resettlement and rehabilitation facilities, and artist housing. The group based the proposal on two main principles: 1) the people who live on the site should be the beneficiaries, not the victims, of the plan; and 2) no tenant should be relocated outside the community. The City approved a modified version of it in 1970.
In his book New York for Sale, Tom Angotti writes, "The Cooper Square Alternate Plan would have died an early death if it weren't for the radical and often militant organizing behind it." Goldin was heavily involved in the actions opposing rent hikes and supporting an affordable and diverse Lower East Side. For example, at one point the group erected teepees on Houston Street and slept outside to protest rising rents. "You have to have the professional and the media, but unless you have the troops, you have nothing," she said.
Delays plagued implementation of the Cooper Square Alternate Plan initially, but in the 1970s and 80s, the Committee was active in maintaining and creating affordable housing. Some of their early projects included renovation of over 320 apartment units, construction of the 146-unit low-income Thelma Burdick Houses, and renovation of the Cube Building to house formerly homeless families. Today, the Cooper Square Committee owns 23 buildings, and maintains their affordability in perpetuity in the rapidly gentrifying Lower East Side through the Cooper Square Mutual Housing Association.
The Cooper Square Alternate Plan is widely considered to be the first community-based plan created in New York City. Goldin and her "comrades in struggle" (as she refers to her neighbors) set an example that has influenced countless activists and advocacy planners who followed. Though she recently celebrated her 85th birthday, age has not dampened her activist spirit. She continues to work with the Cooper Square Committee, and to manage Frances Goldin Literary Agency, which represents authors of literary fiction and political non-fiction, including Barbara Kingsolver, Adrienne Rich, and Mumia Abu Jamal. Her agency's website states that Goldin, "considers herself very lucky to have no dichotomy between her radical politics and her working life." Most importantly, she continues to inspire other activists, and encourages others to become, "the spark that lights the flame."
Ms. Goldin will accept the $1,500 award at the Municipal Art Society's annual meeting on July 13. For more information on the Cooper Square Alternate Plan, visit Planning for All New Yorkers, an Atlas of Community-based Plans.
Photos courtesy Joyce Ravitz and Sally Goldin.
Over a year ago, the Gowanus community heard the Gowanus Canal Conservancy's plan to create a "Sponge Park" on a Verizon parking lot near the highly-polluted canal. Today, the Brooklyn Paper reports that Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-Carroll Gardens) has earmarked $300,000 to implement a pilot version of this community-based plan.
The Conservancy envisions the park as a tool to help reduce runoff into the canal, and to help soak up toxins from the waterway, which is so polluted that the EPA is currently considering it for federal Superfund status. (The City opposes this pottential designation, arguing that it could manage the cleanup more effectively.)
The $300,000 is not enough to implement the full park, the Brooklyn Paper reports, but could potentially result in a one-block esplanade.
As expected, the MTA Board voted 10-2 yesterday to allow Atlantic Yards developer Forest City Ratner to make payments for the Vanderbilt Railyards over 22 years, and to build a smaller railyard worth $100 million less than originally promised. Read all about it at Atlantic Yards Report.
As Crain's reports, however, this may not be the end of the story:
"Forest City's next major agenda item is selling bonds to finance the project's centerpiece: an arena that where the company's basketball team, the Net's will play. The company hopes to begin selling $490 million worth of bonds to finance the $772 million arena this fall. Legislation allowing Forest City to issue tax free bonds expires at the end of the year so timing is critical. If Forest City fails to secure those bonds or other financing by early next year, the MTA deal falls apart."
The video above is the trailer for the documentary Some Place Like Home – The Fight Against Gentrification in Downtown Brooklyn, produced by Task Force member organization Families United for Racial and Economic Equality (FUREE). The Accountable Development Working Group and the Fifth Avenue Committee host a free screening on Wednesday, June 24 at 7pm at the Fifth Avenue Committee's office, 621 DeGraw Street, near 4th Ave., Brooklyn. From 6-7pm there will be an abridged meeting of the Accountable Development Working Group – the last monthly meeting until autumn.
Admission is FREE and refreshments will be served! Small business owners and residents interviewed in the film will be on hand for Q & A.
To RSVP (not necessary but helpful) or further info, contact FAC at 718 237-2017, ext 148 or email@example.com.
Tonight, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP), the Greenwich Village Block Associations, and other community groups will hold an open forum on New York University's proposed 2031 expansion plans.
According to GVSHP, the plan indicates, "the potential for a very large expansion of the university in and around its core facilities in the Village, East Village, and NoHo during that time period — roughly double its rate of expansion over the last several decades."
The forum will be an opportunity to find out more about the plan from the perspective of community groups, including concerns regarding how NYU is adhering to its commitments to a set of planning principles developed with community input. It is also an opportunity to find out more about the process by which this plan is being reviewed and how you can be a part of it.
A flyer for the forum can be found here, and more background information can be found here.
Via our friends at Develop, Don't Destroy Brooklyn, the following is a letter from Senator Bill Perkins to the Acting Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the MTA. It's long, but definitely worth a read. The MTA's Board meets June 22 and is expected to vote on an renegotiated agreement with developer Bruce Ratner for the rights to the Vanderbilt Railyards.
Dear Ms. Williams:
I write to follow up on the hearing that was held on May 29th regarding the Atlantic Yards project.
At the hearing you testified that MTA was engaged in renegotiations with Forest City Ratner regarding the development rights over the Vanderbilt Yards. The original deal required FCR to make various infrastructure improvements and remit 100 million dollars at closing. You reported at the hearing that the developer now wants to significantly scale down its commitments both in terms of infrastructure and money. It has been reported that the new terms of the deal will be voted on at the MTA's next board meeting, scheduled for June 24th.
I write to request that the MTA immediately fax me a copy of any proposed amended agreements between MTA and FCR. There is already a great deal of public concern about the terms of the various deals at Atlantic Yards, in particular MTA's acceptance of a substantially below-appraisal offer. Given MTA's deep financial problems, its reliance on public bailout, and the many concerns raised about the viability of the Atlantic Yards project, MTA must make every effort to engage the public now, so that no new Vanderbilt Yards deal is ratified without the public having a substantial opportunity to review and comment.
Public engagement is always important, but it is particularly critical now that so many of the alleged public benefits of the Atlantic Yards project have diminished or vanished altogether. For example, the state of the art rail yard FCR was to build is no longer on the table as the new yard would have fewer tracks than are currently in place and that were originally promised; the IBO has concluded that the arena will now be a money-loser for the city; promised office space has been scrapped, substantially reducing revenue and jobs; there are no concrete or near-term plans to build the bulk of the promised affordable housing, which is contained in Phase 2 of the project plan, which has no timeline; the "world-class" Frank Gehry design has been scrapped for a cookie-cutter alternative; the much-touted "Urban Room" public space has been discarded; the remaining so-called public space is all contained in Phase 2, which again has no timeline; and then ESDC CEO Marissa Lago stated publicly that the project will take "decades" to complete, which will continue or even exacerbate for a generation the so-called blight the project was intended to resolve, and significantly delay or deny the public's accrual of benefits.
The public needs to know that it is getting the best deal possible and that the MTA is not granting sweetheart deals to developers at the expense of taxpayers, straphangers and the local community. To that end, in addition to immediately providing a written copy of the renegotiated terms, please provide detailed written answers to the following questions:
1) Why is MTA renegotiating terms with FCR rather than demanding performance or rescinding the agreement and re-issuing the RFP in order to determine whether there are other interested parties?
2) In renegotiating the terms, did MTA consider that most of the alleged public benefits it considered in 2005 have since substantially diminished or vanished altogether?
3) Has the MTA contracted an independent appraiser to appraise the Vanderbilt Yards to determine their current Fair Market Value? If not, why not? What is the current Fair Market Value of the Vanderbilt Yards?
4) Given that the new agreement will be substantially and materially different from the original, making it a new agreement, does not the Public Authorities Accountability Act of 2005 now apply and impose a fiduciary duty on MTA board members and require that the sale of property for fair market value be supported by an independent appraisal? If not, why not?
5) What are FCR's obligations to the MTA if the deal closes but the developer does not proceed with the project?
Time is of the essence. These answers need to be known and made public prior to the MTA board considering any new deal regarding the Vanderbilt Yards. Therefore please provide a written response to my office no later than Friday June 19, 2009.
Thank you.
Senator Bill Perkins
Cc: Governor David A. Paterson
Dennis Mullen, Acting CEO and President, Empire State Development Corp.
H. Dale Hemmerdinger, Chairman, Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith
Senator John Sampson, Democratic Conference Leader
Senator Martin Malave Dilan, Chair Transportation Committee
Senator Velmanette Montgomery
Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries
NY1 reports that the City Planning Commission approved its proposed Coney Island rezoning this morning in an almost unanimous vote (one new Commissioner abstained). The plan calls for development of hotels and housing (4,500 market-rate units and 900 affordable units), "entertainment retail," and more City control of the amusement area, as part of the boardwalk would become mapped parkland.
Issues remain with the City's development plans, however. Developer Thor Equities still owns much of the land within the proposed rezoning area, and the City needs State approval to alienate parkland before it can arrange the land-swap deal it hopes to use to purchase Thor's land.
The rezoning will go before City Council for final approval within 50 days.
Each and every one of our city's community boards is currently facing a budget cut of $35,000. Your community board provides a range of services vital to your community's welfare, from overseeing essential municipal services, to ensuring that you have a voice in local decision-making, to serving as a place-based provider of constituent services. Community boards are the public's interface with New York City's enormous and complex government, and they are also government agencies' conduit to the public. Meaning, for example, that when the Department of Health needs to update a community on the spread of the H1N1 virus, it asks the community board for help with outreach.
Boards already suffer from underfunding, and cuts this deep mean that the public loses out the most: fewer resources will mean tough choices about how to prioritize the many demands made on community boards every day as they struggle to both perform City Charter-mandated responsibilities and attend to the growing needs of constituents.
On Tuesday, June 9, at 11:00 a.m., on the steps of City Hall, join all five of New York's borough presidents, all 59 of New York's community boards, and community advocates of all stripes, in calling on the City Council for the restoration of community board budgets for the coming fiscal year. (This rally has been organized by the Manhattan Borough President's Office.)
Following up on last week's Atlantic Yards hearing, project opponents Develop, Don't Destroy Brooklyn will hold a community meeting to provide updates on the plan: Tuesday June 9, 7pm at Lafayette Avenue Church, 85 S. Oxford Street in Fort Greene. Speakers will include Council Member Letitia James, Pratt Institute's Ron Shiffman, Develop Don't Destroy's Daniel Goldstein, (all of whom are members of the Community-Based Planning Task Force) and others.


text: It is good to see a construction organisation using electronic document sharing, and no doubt the system from "Submittal Exchange" works well, however their is a distinct lack of standards in this area which needs addressing urgently.The number of systems such as that from Submittal Exchange grows every day, all with different methods of operation, system structures, formats, etc. Large contractors and professional practices can adopt one such solution and make significant operational and overhead savings as a result.This however is not the case for the poor subcontractor or specialist supplier who has to deal with a growing number of such systems with only marginal benefits. Each time a new one materialises they have to go through a new learning curve - or not get the business!Please can the US construction software industry get together and define system and document interchange standards in this area. In the UK an organisation called NCCTP has been established tyo address this issueWe must learn from the lessons of history - I remember when the organisation I worked for had to deal with 28 (yes 28) different word processing formats. At least in word processing MS Word has become the dominant format and anyway we can always fall back on RTF!Praise for increasing the use of electronic document exchange in construction, but was yet another system really necessary ? It brings to mind Bowmar's First Law - "All problems are caused by solutions".


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Body of Missing Man Found by Fishermen in Louisiana's Barataria Bay
OutdoorHub 04.08.12
Search and rescue teams located the deceased body of a missing person in Jefferson Parish in Barataria Bay today, April 6.
Louis Adams, 64, of Barataria, was found by two fishermen early this morning. The two fishermen then directed Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) agents and Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office (JPSO) deputies to the location of the body. LDWF agents and JPSO deputies recovered the body at 7:30 a.m. and turned it over to the Jefferson Parish Coroner's Office.
According to his wife, on April 4 Adams left for work at Nunez Seafood in Barataria in his pirogue, which he used almost every day to get to and from work across the bayou from their house. After hearing that her husband didn't make it to work, Adams' wife contacted authorities around noon.
Adams' body was found less than a half mile from where authorities believe his pirogue went under. Search crews recovered his pirogue on April 5 using LDWF's sidescan sonar.
LDWF is the lead investigative agency to determine the cause of this boating incident. Investigators believe that heavy rain, winds and current were contributing factors to the incident.
An autopsy has been ordered.
The U.S. Coast Guard, Jefferson Parish Fire Department and the Lafitte Fire Department also participated in the search.


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Brandon Lyon available? - Jays lol
I really dont know to be honest, lol. I went to google images and typed in "asian with a fat ***" and I liked that one the best (that I could actually post on here)
my sister
You know whats up with our tradE?
i could, possibly. i dont really want to though
what would you offer?
Im on now, sorry I was coming home from work.
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Get on AIM when you get a chance.
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Remember the Geo Metro from the early '90's? In particular, the XFi model got EPA ratings of 53/58, 55mpg combined. And real people acheived these numbers in real traffic and then some. This is better than most hybrids and diesels. No complicated hybrid stuff, no expensive diesel fuel. I think the car only cost about $6000 back in 1994 (which is about $7300 today). Used examples can be had for far less. The Metro was available as a 2- or 4-door hatchback, and even a convertible (although the XFI only came as a 2-door hatchback and a 5-speed). The convertible seats 2, the others seat 4.
Maybe they could bring back the Metro (although it would be a Chevy Metro now that Geo is gone) and even make a Metro hybrid. It could also be flex-fuel with E85. The XFi gets 55 mpg without the hybrid part, maybe it might get about 80 mpg as a hybrid.


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The Empire State Building's owner lost his bid to stop a new skyscraper from rising in the neighborhood when the New York City Council approved zoning and land use changes Wednesday that pave the way for the 1,190-foot tower.
The project, called 15 Penn Plaza, is still in the planning stages. Developer Vornado Realty Trust has not set a date for its construction and has yet to sign a major commercial tenant.
But the plans alone for a glass office tower, which would stand higher than the Empire State Building's 86-floor observatory, infuriated the landmark's owner, Anthony Malkin, so much that he called it an "assault on New York City and its iconography."
Council members voted overwhelmingly in favor of the project. They said New York City and its world-famous skyline cannot afford to be frozen in time and must embrace new investments.
"We can't make decisions based on one building," said Councilman Mark Weprin. "The city has to grow, and it's going to continue to grow."
Mayor Michael Bloomberg also backed the project this week, dismissing Malkin's argument as delusional.
"Anybody that builds a building in New York City changes its skyline — we don't have to run around to every other owner and apologize," he said. "One guy owns a building, he'd like to have it be the only tall building — I'm sorry, that's not the real world."
Plans envision a 67-story, 1,190-foot-tall office tower two blocks west of the Empire State Building, which stands 102 stories and 1,454 feet but has an 86th-floor observation deck about 1,050 feet above ground.
Malkin had lobbied the council to cut the tower by one-third the proposed height.
He said in a statement after the vote that the owners believed the new building's height and design encroached on the most iconic image in New York's skyline. But he conceded that the City Council had the final say.
"They have gone out of their way to listen to our position," he said. "In the end ... it was up to them to decide."
A spokesman for the developer released a statement thanking those connected with the approval of the project, which the company believes "will be an outstanding addition to New York's iconic skyline."
The Empire State Building was the city's tallest when it was completed in November 1930. Today, more than 3.8 million people visit its observatories each year.
On a clear day, the view stretches 80 miles, as far as Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.
Vornado needed the council's action to rezone the area to accommodate a more dense development than local ordinances allow. The developer also needed the city's approval for transit improvements that Vornado has promised to finance.
David Greenbaum, president of Vornado Realty Trust's New York chapter, told lawmakers during a hearing Monday that those include wider rail platforms at nearby Pennsylvania Station, better access to subway stations and the reopening of an underground passage connecting nearby subway lines and commuter trains to New Jersey.


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Sub 3-Hour Marathon - Different perspective from a British Coach
Jonny MellorAll plans by this Coach
13 Weeks
Refund Policy
This plan is protected by our Refund Policy and may, with the author's approval, be exchanged for a plan of equal value from the same author.Still have questions about this plan?
Plan Description
This plan also includes free access to JM Run Club and access to a 12 page PDF document detailing pre race nutrition and some ideas on helping get your mind right ahead of race day.
In purchasing this plan you're also helping to support Jonny Mellor, an international distance runner based in the UK to fund and support his own career within the sport as well as giving him the platform to compete with some of the worlds best runners, which in return Jonny will do his utmost to help and inspire others through his coaching abilities either via bespoke coaching plans or through set training plans such as this one!
The following programme is devised from proven research and experience of what some of the worlds leading athletes and coaches have used and also from personal experience, knowing what has worked and what has impaired or halted my progression as an athlete. I am a current Great Britain International Athlete and have successfully coached a series of athletes via my own running club UTS Run Club using very similar approaches. In 2012 I made my half marathon debut in the New York Half Marathon running 62:59.
My coaching influences come from previous personal coaches and my current lead coach Steve Vernon a former British National Cross-Country Champion and International Mountain Runner. Steve is now the head coach of Team New Balance Manchester. I also draw information from research gained from some of the world's top coaches; Alberto Salazar (Coach to Mo Farah, Galen Rupp and the Oregon Project) Renato Canova (Italian coach to several Kenyan athletes) and George Gandy (former coach to Jon Brown). As well as adapting knowledge from coaches I have a great understanding of the sport having completed at an International level for over 10-years. I feel I am developing a strong understanding of training principles.
A marathon should be treated with the respect it deserves and should not be treated lightheartedly, remember fail to prepare, prepare to fail.
To limit over training and ensuring the athlete is suitably prepared I like to split marathon build up into four phases:
Phase 1: Base
Slow paced continuous runs
Progression runs
Phase 2: Transition
Race specific sessions
Tempo Runs
Phase 3: Race specific work
Race specific work
Tempo Runs
Phase 4: Taper
Target pace work
Easy Running
As well as marathon pace specific workouts I implement 5 and 10km training sessions into your programme to ensure you are keeping in touch with the speed work. Thus allowing you to run marathon pace much easier during the race.
Training Plan Sample Week
Average Weekly Breakdown
|Weekly Average
|Longest Workout
Run x5
|6:18 hrs
|2:45 hrs
Strength x2
|0:57 hrs
|0:30 hrs
Day Off x1
|Workouts Per Week
|Weekly Average
|Longest Workout
|6:18 hrs
|2:45 hrs
|0:57 hrs
|0:30 hrs
Training Load By Week
This plan works best with the following fitness devices:


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A New Approach to the Law of Foreign Investments: The South African Case
Christian Vidal-León
- Subject(s):
- Investment — Compensation — Restitution
This chapter analyzes South Africa's decision to terminate its investment treaties and the underlying objectives of South Africa's new investment regime, namely: (1) reinforcing the 'sovereign right to regulate in the public interest'; (2) doing away with international investment arbitration; and (3) placing foreign and domestic investments on an equal footing. It examines the standards of investment protection not explicitly laid down in the Promotion and Protection of Investment Bill 2013 and inquires whether these standards are otherwise protected by the constitution or other laws. The chapter concludes that whilst South Africa's policy decision on its investment protection regime is open to debate, the government has followed a comprehensive, transparent, and inclusive process, in which relevant stakeholders have been heard and with which they have engaged.


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5/8/2014 | By Sarah Borchersen-Keto
In the latest edition of Fundamentally Speaking, Calvin Schnure, NAREIT's vice president of research and industry information, discussed some encouraging trends in the office and apartment sectors during the first quarter of 2014.
Schnure noted that the apartment sector witnessed another decline in vacancy rates in the first quarter, reaching a new low for the cycle. The office sector also saw some improvement in vacancy rates, although rates are still several percentage points above what would be considered "normal" in a healthy market, he said.
However, Schnure emphasized that vacancy rates moved down despite the addition of new supply, particularly in the apartment sector. Analysts had been concerned that new supply would swamp new demand, Schnure said, but that has not occurred so far.
At the same time, Schnure noted, the large amount of pent-up demand in the housing market from individuals who are currently sharing accommodations or living at home shows promise for the future.
Looking at the office sector, Schnure highlighted the balance between supply and demand fundamentals as increased construction activity is being met with an improving job market.
As for the retail sector, Schnure reported a sluggish performance for the first quarter, with flat vacancy rates and some deceleration in rent growth. "You're not seeing a lot of oomph in the retail sector yet," Schnure said.
Turning to broader economic developments, Schnure said the monthly pattern of consumer spending supports the idea that the 0.1 percent increase in gross domestic product (GDP) during the first quarter of the year was mostly weather-related. Spending in January and February was weak, while a big acceleration occurred in March, Schnure observed.
"We've seen other more recent data that are consistent with this just being a temporary phenomenon," he added.
Many economists are forecasting GDP growth of around 3 percent for the rest of the year, Schnure said: "If they're right, 3 percent would be good enough to do quite a bit for the property sector."
Schnure also observed that the Federal Reserve wants to see the economy growing at a 2.5 to 3 percent range, a goal that Schnure expects will take "quite a bit of time" to achieve.


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Boaters in Las Vegas have been directly affected by the recent government shutdown as Lake Mead is completely closed until the "kids" in Washington figure out this budget. On Sunday, October 6th at least 50 boaters decided to tow their boats up and down Las Vegas Blvd. in protest of Lake Mead's closure. Boulder Boats, the Las Vegas area MasterCraft, Malibu, Axis, Sanger and Cobalt dealer, posted on their Facebook page earlier in the week and the social media flash mob turnout with boats in tow happened. Approximately 15 boats towed by employees of Boulder Boats and another six or seven from customers left their shop last Sunday evening for the one-hour planned protest making a leisure drive up and down the strip. A half dozen signs were hanging from the wakeboard towers with statements like "Dear Congress, Do your job…so I can do mine," "OPEN LAKE MEAD" and "Give Us Back Our National Parks." Suddenly, as the clock struck 6:00 at the South end of the strip, more boats continued to fall into formation. In addition to tourists, drunks and sidewalk performers, every major news outlet from the Las Vegas area was on site interviewing customers and employees and getting action shots of the boats rolling down the strip. As the caravan continued, cameras were coming out from those walking on the sidewalk, crowds were cheering, horns were honking and news cameras continued to pop up on several intersections. The protest was a good time to see a few boats and the social media wildfire provided its point when in the oncoming traffic appeared everything, including 28-foot Sea Ray cruisers, canoes, people partying in their go fast boat while it was being towed down the strip and more wakeboard boats with their tower-speaker-equipped stereos on full blast. Today Lake Mead is still closed. The government is still shut down. However, every news channel in Las Vegas and every newspaper has this story as a top headline. "We know that our message isn't going to make congress change their mind," said Stuart Litjens, protest organizer and owner of Boulder Boats. "However, the average person, my neighbor, those people on the strip, have no idea that people's careers and passion for boating have been affected by this government shutdown." The trickledown effect is huge as Lake Mead National Recreation Area is not open to 14,000 daily visitors and losing an estimated half a million dollars a day. Boaters in Nevada, meanwhile, should look at Laughlin, Havasu and the Bellagio Fountain as waterways that will be easier to access than Lake Mead.
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Thursday, December 03, 2020
The domino effect of female education in Zamba Bedouin community
Ruth Regan
- March 10, 2018
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Up in the mountains near Jerusalem, above the Area C village of Al Za'ayem, is a small Bedouin cluster called Zamba.
Donkeys, goats and chickens graze on spring grass and dotted one room huts, draped in plastic covering, line the mountaintop. A family's possessions are stored in their ceilings and mattresses and blankets for sleeping are stacked to the side of the room during the day.
Urban sprawls are visible all around – the spires of Jerusalem in one direction, along with the ungoverned Shu'fat refugee camp; the urban settlement city Ma'ale Adumim to the east and in the north, the Palestinian town 'Anata.
But life in Zamba feels a long way removed from any of those places and villagers comment they are not particularly touched by Israeli monitoring,
unlike their neighbours
in Za-ayem.
Sheep graze in Zamba Bedouin community.
Several days a week, women of all ages in the community walk over to a small building, designated a classroom, for an Arabic writing lesson.
The classes are facilitated by Zamba-born Nibal Abdallah Hasan Awad Zer'l, 21.
Nibal grew up walking across two mountains and two valleys to go to school. It would take her four hours.
While taking the Tawjihi, Nibal's father died. This threw her life upside down.
The Tawjihi is the final exam of high school. The results of every Palestinian student are published publicly and used to determine whether a student can attend university and even what courses they may take there.
Nibal did not pass.
"When he [her father] died I learned what difficulties are, in a time I needed him and didn't have him. I suffered," Nibal said.
At the same time, she also started experiencing severe stomach pains.
Members of the community, led by her uncle, decided to treat Nibal with traditional "hot iron" therapy.
"They told me hot iron method was the best way… I listened to them," she explained.
"They'd bring a black nail and place it in wood, then they heat it on the stove for an hour. I had it done three times, and there are still marks here," said Nabil, gesturing across her stomach.
"They would cover a person for two hours with blankets until they sweat so as to be healed from this."
"They say this treatment is old and they are proud of it."
"I think this kind of treatment is against the law, because the marks are still on my body."
Social workers found out what was happening and referred Nibal's situation to the community-based health organisation Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS).
PMRS sent her for upper endoscopy and found more than 80% of her stomach had an infection. They began treating her with medication which cleared it up.
"Had it not been for them, my life would have been ruined," Nibal said.
"The infection would have spread more and this area would have had to be removed."
The women do writing practice on the whiteboard in the makeshift classroom in Zamba.
After making this contact with Nibal, PMRS suggested she run a project in her community. That is where these classes spawned from.
Education is often rudimentary in Bedouin communities and illiteracy rates are above average.
2013 United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report
"Education in the Bedouin communities is often insufficient. It is plagued by poor environmental conditions and educational quality. These poor conditions have discouraged many Bedouins from completing their basic education, leading to a relatively high percentage of illiteracy in addition to a high drop-out rate, especially among females."
Nibal has found purpose in teaching other women in her community. She explained the practical skills it enables in them.
"I am happy to teach them, [to help] them to write, although they never learned when [they were] younger."
"It's important for them to know where they are when they go somewhere, to know [how] to read when the doctor gives them medicine, to write their name."
"To read expiration dates, to know where they are exactly when they go somewhere."
She also notes a positive impact on herself.
"I used to do nothing with the time I now teach them in," Nabil said. "There's something keeping me busy now, it's positive."
Nibal is motivated to succeed in order to help her mother and would like to retake the Tawjihi.
"I'd like to study something, even if I had to redo Tawjihi several times to help my mum, to show her that even if my dad's gone, we're here for her."
The women attending Nibal's classes range from 25 to 47 and include her own aunts.
At first, the male authorities in Zamba were unsure about the classes.
"They said, why would you teach them at this age?" Nibal remembers.
"But then they started seeing it in a better way."
The criticism doesn't deter Nibal.
"This is something I'm really proud of and what people say doesn't matter to me."
For Heijar Saadeh, who attends Nibal's classes, they are significantly impacting her life. She can now help her son with his homework and write her own name.
"We didn't know these letters or [how] to write or hold a pencil, we learned and had a lot of fun."
"My son would come home from school and I wouldn't know how to help him, but now I know how to write him the alphabet."
Saadeh recalls a positive response from men in Zamba.
"They said let our wives and daughters learn," she said.
The women seem to be enjoying the class, all wanting to demonstrate how they can recognise and read the Arabic letters and corresponding words.
One woman's young daughter and son had accompanied her to the class and played on the carpet beside the women. The inter-generational women helped one another with the work, demonstrating solidarity across their close-knit group.
"The women are very cooperative together, [they] respect each other a lot, they help each other if they need anything," observed another teacher at the class.
"They have no arrogance and respect each other."
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This canvas contains a traditional scene of a horse and cart near a church in Treddington, Warwickshire.
Loxley Quality Time Painting Kits are no ordinary painting kits. Brought to you by Loxley Arts, you will find yourself painting on quality canvas with full instructions and video tutorials at an affordable price. Uncover your creative side, and spend some quality time picking up your paint brush.
With Loxley Quality Time Painting Kits you will find yourself painting on a top-of-the-line quality canvas with full instructions and guidance from the online videos at an affordable price. This kit includes a 12" x 10" printed canvas, brushes, paints, step-by-step instructions and colour mixing guide, links to videos tutorials to assist in the completion of each stage, and a paint mixing area, brush strokes practice area and a paint shield.
A bit about the brand: Loxley was established in 1994 in order to develop and supply unique and innovative products to Artists.
See all the Loxley range ›
We offer a 100% Money Back Guarantee* on our returns. This however is only available for UK mainland customers.
This may also exclude additional delivery charges that were made to send to you initially.
Tracked Delivery - £3.95 on UK orders under £40
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We offer a 1-2 day service! Once the items have been dispatched through our service provider your item will take 1-2 working days to arrive.
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On Jan. 2, American Legion National Commander James E. Koutz said that the nation's largest veterans service organization does not care that controversial documentary filmmaker Michael Moore has resolved to stop saying he supports the troops in 2013. Moore recently announced on his blog that for a New Year's resolution he won't say he supports the troops because "I don't. I used to."
Koutz explained that Moore is able to openly express his opinions because American troops have fought and given their lives for freedom for over two centuries, as they are doing today in Afghanistan and other theaters in the global war on terrorism.
"What I can say is that The American Legion fully supports all the men and women serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, always has and always will," Koutz said. "We don't need to make a New Year's resolution for that. It's what we do every day, every year. No resolution needed.
"We do it by supporting the families of military personnel before, during and after their deployments. We do it by fighting to preserve the benefits military men and women have earned and deserve while they are in the service and after discharge. We do it when they come home and need help adjusting to lives as civilians.
"Moreover, The American Legion supports the troops in our hearts and prayers, appealing to God every day that they may come home safe, having stood strong against those who would gladly take away the freedoms that define the greatness of our nation."


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The House passed a government funding bill Thursday to keep the doors open for a few more weeks, and the Senate is expected to approve the measure as soon as tonight.
Earlier in the day, the Big Four congressional leaders – House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer – met with President Trump to discuss a budget deal for 2018. "We are here in the spirit of, 'let's get it done,'" Schumer said.
The vote gives Congress two more weeks to negotiate a budget. Lawmakers staked out their positions as the vote neared, with the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program still a clear point of contention.
Nancy Pelosi vowed that she would not leave Washington without a DACA deal, which could become an issue if an immigration measure is tied to the budget agreement. House Freedom Caucus leader Mark Meadows said he would resist such a move: "If DACA gets attached to the spending bill, there will be major, major pushback," Meadows said.
The new shutdown deadline is Friday, December 22, the Friday before Christmas.


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The 6 Best YA Adaptions You Should Check
Posted 2018/01/30 3270 0
The YA adaption trend seems to be ending soon, before it happens, let's take a look back at these movies!
1. The Chocolate War (1988)
Jerry (Ilan Mitchell-Smith), a new student at an elite Roman Catholic prep school, must face the freshman hazing practices handed down by the Vigils, a group of powerful students. When teacher Brother Leon (John Glover) pushes the students to sell chocolates for a fundraiser, the head of the Vigils, Archie (Wally Ward), gets Jerry to reject selling for 10 days. However, Jerry decides to keep up the refusal past the original time frame, which pits him against the Vigils and the school staff.
2. Lord of the Flies (1990)
In this updated take on William Golding's classic novel, a group of American military schoolboys become marooned on a remote island after a plane crash. While initially cooperative, after the discovery of a "beast," the boys split into two warring camps, one headed by the liberal-minded Ralph (Balthazar Getty), the other by the militaristic Jack (Chris Furrh). Their society begins to descend into violence, and boys soon learn there's a thin line between society and savagery.
3. The Bumblebee Flies Anyway (1999)
When Barney Snow (Elijah Wood) finds himself in a hospital, he is confused about how he arrived there, since he has few memories. Believing that he is suffering amnesia from an accident, he tries to regain some of his past. Meanwhile, he befriends other patients, who are all young people with terminal illnesses, including Mazzo (Joseph Perrino). When Barney meets Mazzo's sister, Cassie (Rachael Leigh Cook), they fall for each other, making Barney even more desperate to leave the hospital.
4. Youth in Revolt (2009)
As a fan of Albert Camus and Jean-Luc Godard, teenage Nick Twisp (Michael Cera) is definitely out of his element when his mother and her boyfriend move the family to a trailer park. When a pretty neighbor named Sheeni (Portia Doubleday) plays records by French crooners, it's love at first sight for frustrated and inexperienced Nick. Learning that she is dating someone, Nick launches a hilarious quest to find his way into Sheeni's heart, and bed.
5. Tomorrow, When the War Began (2010)
Ellie Linton (Caitlin Stasey), a teen from an Australian coastal town, leads her friends (Rachel Hurd-Wood, Lincoln Lewis) on an excursion to a camp deep in the woods, dubbed "Hell." Upon their return, the youths find that their town has been overrun by an enemy army, and their friends and family have been imprisoned. When the hostile invaders become alerted to their presence, Ellie and her friends band together to escape, and strike back against, this mysterious enemy.
6. Beautiful Creatures (2013)
In the small town of Gatlin, S.C., teenage Ethan Wate (Alden Ehrenreich) sees his static world shaken by the arrival of Lena Duchannes (Alice Englert), the niece of town patriarch Macon Ravenwood (Jeremy Irons). Immediately, Ethan feels drawn to Lena, even though destruction seems to surround her, and she has supernatural powers that are beyond her control. Worse still, a curse looms for Lena at the approach of her 16th birthday, a time when the forces of either light or dark will claim her.


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A security researcher has discovered that changes to Directory Services in Lion make it much easier to access and potentially crack hashed user passwords. Worse yet, it is possible for any user to change the currently logged in user's password, making it much easier to gain root remotely.
According to researcher Patrick Dunstan, Directory Services' command line utility can be run by any user. By itself, this isn't necessarily a security problem, but at least two functions make it trivial to access user password hashes or even change the current user's password without administrator authentication.
Using Directory Services to read a user's profile doesn't normally show password information; it is usually stored in a shadow file that only the root user can access. However, using a "Search" directory path will show a range of extended attributes for the user, including the user's hashed password.
Running the command:
$ dscl localhost -read /Search/Users/currentuser
will include the following output:
dsAttrTypeNative:ShadowHashData: 62706c69 73743030 d101025d 53414c54 45442d53 48413531 324f1044 74911f72 3bd2f66a 3255e0af 4b85c639 776d510b 63f0b939 c432ab6e 082286c4 7586f19b 4e2f3aab 74229ae1 24ccb11e 916a7a1c 9b29c64b d6b0fd6c bd22e7b1 f0ba1673 080b1900 00000000 00010100 00000000 00000300 00000000 00000000 00000000 000060
As Dunstan notes, hackers can use the hashed data to attempt to crack the actual password.
Perhaps an even easier attack vector, though, is using Directory Services to simply change the current user's password. Attempting to change the current user's password via Directory Services will simply result in a prompt for a new password without a request for administrator authentication. If a remote user can gain shell access, they could use this method to simply change the password of the current user. If that user is an admin, the hacker could use
sudo to run as root. If not, the hacker may still be able to access hashes of other users and attempt to crack them.
Dunstan recommends limiting access to Directory Services command line utility until Apple can issue a patch for these issues. If you are comfortable in Terminal, running the following command as an admin will limit other users from being able to run Directory Services:
$ sudo chmod 100 /usr/bin/dscl
UPDATE: The original version of this article said that the
dscl -passwd exploit could change the password of any currently logged in user. However, we verified with Dunstan that it only works for the current active user. It could still be combined with a remote exploit to get shell access and then gain root privileges if the current user is an admin. Apple could plug this hole by requiring entering the old password whenever a password change is requested.


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Posts Tagged 'flowers blooming'
Hiking Heals Body,Mind,Spirit !
Feel better – Get OUTSIDE – it is a Blast to play in the fresh air and green, lush hills of California ! Our winters here are green, flowers are blooming and you can see snow on the mountain tops in the distance. The temperatures are perfect – cool breeze and a warm sun…Read More


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from magda:Hey peeps, who is the current website guru?
We need to change the site admin email to them and not me. I am of course here for you if anything needs doing that is rocket science(my specialty), but as for tending to the day to day site upkeep, it does look like someone is doing a fine job!
below is a request from Magdalena J about the site.
............ ......... ......... ......... .......
Creative Director
Is there any chance I could open a page for Snip&Sip? It would be mainly to give info about price and times when I'm there (could be cool if I could update it on a weekly basis - if that was possible). It would have a few picks and my number there.
It would be brilliant if it was possible to access it from a photo-banner somewhere on the front page.
Let me know what can be done.
Magda J.


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QCAD 3.2 has been released this week with four new circle tools:
|Circle tangential to an entity and through two points.
|Circle tangential to two entities and through a point.
|Circle tangential to two entities with given radius.
|Circle tangential to three entities.
Perhaps surprisingly, most of these solutions are not at all straight-forward to find without the use of a CAD system. The problem to create circles that are tangential to three given circles, lines or points is sometimes referred to as the 'Problem of Apollonius' and has been solved by various mathematicians over the centuries.
Depending on the exact geometry of the tangential entities, there can be multiple (not always obvious) solutions to the problem. QCAD lets you pick the desired solution in the final step of the appropriate tool.
In the example at the right, the three dark blue circles were chosen as tangential circles. QCAD previews all eight possible solutions so that the desired solution can be chosen by simply clicking next to it. In this example, the innermost circle is chosen, shown in green.
I hope these tools will further boost your productivity!


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IRCTC Cancellation Charges in 2020
IRCTC ticket cancellation charges and subsequent refund on the cancelled tickets is a major factor that most travellers should know.
Indian Railways levies a certain amount, either based on a flat rate of IRCTC cancellation charges for the train ticket or a percentage of amounts reduced from the cost of a ticket as cancellation charges for the e-ticket. Whether you book your ticket through IRCTC website or through any travel site, the cancellation charges for train ticket remains the same.
Cancellation of Railway Tickets
Cancellation of railways tickets online is one of the services launched by Indian Railways. Subsequently, the IRCTC cancellation charges for the train ticket is levied as a part of IRCTC service charges for the train tickets booked through IRCRC site or any travel website connected with IRCTC.
IRCTC tickets can be cancelled online until the chart preparation. Train chart is prepared before 4 hours of the actual time of the journey. Once the chart is prepared, tickets cannot be cancelled. When your ticket is not confirmed, you will get the full refund of the ticket as per existing rules, subject to deduction of service charges.
IRCTC Cancellation Charges for Confirmed e-tickets
IRCTC Cancellation charges for e-ticket vary based on the status of the ticket, partial or whole cancellation, class of the ticket, duration or hourly gap between the cancellation of railway tickets and the date and time of journey, distance of the journey etc.
Standard Cancellation Charges per passenger for the tickets that are cancelled a day i.e 24 hours or more in advance than the date of journey. For instance, if you have booked the tickets on 6th June 2015, (train departure time 8 am) the following charges are deducted if you cancel the ticket on or before 5th June before 8 am.
|IRCTC cancellation charges for SL (Second Class)
|Rs. 60/-
|IRCTC cancellation charges for Sleeper Class (SL)
|Rs. 120/-
|IRCTC cancellation charges for 3ac (3rd AC Economy and AC chair car)
|Rs. 180/-
|IRCTC cancellation charges for 2ac (First Class)
|Rs. 200/-
|First AC (Executive Class)
|Rs. 240/-
IRCTC Cancellation Charges for Waiting List e-ticket
A Flat fix Rs. 65 will be deducted in case of auto-cancel if e-ticket does not get confirmed or you cancel it from IRCTC portal
Please Note - Waitlisted e-Ticket gets canceled automatically if it does not get confirmed till chart preparation time.
Some Other Info About IRCTC e-Ticket:
Cancellation charges for IRCTC ticket cancelled in less than 24 hours of scheduled departure until chart prepared. 25% of the fare subject to the minimum flat rate mentioned in the above clause.
Important Note:
1) If a confirmed ticket is cancelled within 48 hrs and up to 12 hours before the scheduled departure of the train, A flat 25% is deducted from the total cost of the ticket in addition to minimum cancellation charges for train tickets as mentioned above.
2) If a confirmed ticket is cancelled within 12 hrs and up to 4 hours before the scheduled departure of the train up to chart preparation which is earlier, A flat 50% is deducted from the total cost of the ticket in addition to minimum cancellation charges for train tickets as mentioned above.
3) If less than 4 hours is remaining in train departure and chart is prepared, then NO REFUND is given on cancellation of confirmed tickets.
IRCTC Ticket Cancellation Rules/Policy on RAC and Waitlisted (WL) Tickets:
Cancellation charges of IRCTC waiting tickets or RAC tickets - If your ticket is not confirmed and is under the status of RAC or Waitlisted ticket, no cancellation charges for railway tickets are applied Rather, clerk-age charges are deducted from the cost of the ticket and balance amount is refunded to the bank account / credit card account.
What is Clerk age Charge and when is it levied?
Clerk age is a charge levied for the clerical work rendered in the refund of fares on cancellation of unreserved, waitlisted & RAC tickets. The amount of clerk age charge is Rs.65/- per passenger for all classes, except
Clerk-age charges for (All Classes except Second Class) - Rs.65 per passenger
Clerk-age charges for (Second Class, Unreserved Tickets) - Rs.30 per passenger
Can Tatkal or Premium Tickets be Canceled ?
IRCTC Cancellation Charges on Tatkal Tickets
Yes but no amount is refunded when you cancel the confirmed Tatkal tickets! It means the total amount you paid to book the tatkal or premium tickets is treated as cancellation charges of e-tickets, for confirmed tatkal tickets.
For waitlisted and RAC tickets, the above-mentioned standard rate of IRCTC cancellation charges is applied.
IRCTC Cancellation Charges for Partially Confirmed and Partial RAC / WL tickets
In some cases, when an e-ticket is booked with more than one passengers, the seats may not get confirmed for one or more. If a ticket is booked for 4 passengers, where the ticket is confirmed for 2 and waitlisted or listed as RAC for other 2, you need to get the certificate from the Ticket Examiner, provided the passengers with RAC tickets are not traveling. After filing the TDR online, the standard IRCTC cancellation charges of rs. 30 per passenger shall be deducted and the refund will be processed.
Alternatively, when the passengers with RAC Ticket travel on the train, no cancellation is permissible!
In a case of WL tickets, the passengers whose seats are not confirmed are not permissible to travel. The similar certificate should be obtained from the Ticket Examiner and filed with TDR.
If you cancel the whole ticket, the IRCTC cancellation charges vary for confirmed tickets (standard rates of cancellation charges for each class) is deducted and a flat rate is deducted for RAC tickets.
IRCTC Cancellation Charges of I-Tickets
I tickets cannot be cancelled online, although the tickets were book online. If you need to cancel an I-ticket you should visit a Computerized Reservation Center printed copy of the ticket. After deducting the cancellation charges, the amount will be transferred to the respective credit card or bank account from which the payment is made to book the tickets. Cash refund is not made to the customer at the reservation center.
I tickets can be cancelled at the reservation counters before 72 hours (i.e 4 days ) of scheduled departure of the train. No cancellation is permissible between 72 hours and scheduled departure, even when the ticket is confirmed.
IRCTC Cancellation Charges in 2020 FAQs
1. Can I get the refund of services charges levied while booking the tickets?
The refund amount doesn't include IRCTC service charges for booking railway tickets, additional bank charges are levied by Banks and the Payment Gateway. If you have booked your tickets through third party website, there could be some additional services charges debited as charged by the respective website.
For instance, the third party websites would charge your Rs. 20 per ticket in addition to IRCTC service charges. This amount will not be refunded to your account. Besides, since you booked through third party website, and additional charges will be levied.
2. I canceled my WL tatkal ticket. Will I get the refund of tatkal charges along with refund amount?
Tatkal charges are levied as additional IRCTC service charges. Once you cancel the ticket, the standard IRCTC cancellation charges are deducted from the cost of the ticket. After deducting the cancellation charges on RAC or WL tatkal tickets, the balance amount credited to the account doesn't include the tatkal reservation charges.
3. My ticket is upgraded from 3rd AC to 2nd AC. If I cancel it, how much will be deducted as IRCTC cancellation charges?
Cancellation charges for railway tickets vary based on the class of the tickets booked and not on upgraded class. Even if your class is upgraded, the IRCTC cancellation charges per passenger for 3rd AC ticket are Rs. 180.
4. Can RAC ticket be canceled?
Yes. RAC ticket is considered as confirmed ticket and can be canceled. Traveling with RAC ticket is inconvenient if your journey is long because in RAC ticket you get half side lower birth just to sit only, another half lower birth gets allocated to another passenger.
5. I did not cancel my RAC ticket and not traveled also. What will be cancellation charges and can I get the refund?
RAC tickets should be canceled within 3 hours of train departure. A request for refund should be filed before 3 hours of the departure of the train. If you don't file a refund request, no refund will be provided. If you have filed the refund request, Rs. 30 / per passenger will be deducted as cancellation charges in IRCTC.
If still you have any question in your mind just fire it in a comment box, we will clarify your all the doubts.
Share it and do let other know about cancellation charges in IRCTC 2015.
You May Also Like:
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Railway Retiring Room Booking – How to Book ?
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"A Minute in the Church" by Gus Lloyd
Have you picked up your copy? Get yours by stopping in the Gathering Space at Cathedral. It's an easy read and a quick study of 37 teachings of the Church and our Catholic Faith. Then join us for an After Mass Chat following the 10:30 Mass on Sundays. We gather for 15 minutes to talk about one teaching, picked randomly. When the timer goes off, we go home. Quick. Easy. Fun! On January 26, we'll be meeting in the St Augustine Room. Grab a donut and coffee and join us!


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Adobe AIR SDK & Compiler (version 126.96.36.199 for Win & Mac)
Adobe® AIR® SDK & Compiler (Release Notes) provides developers with a consistent and flexible development environment for the delivery of out-of-browser applications and games across devices and platforms (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android). AIR SDK and Compiler includes:
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- ActionScript Compiler 2.0
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text: Church and community mobilisation (CCM) advocacy THEMESCHURCHCHURCH AND ADVOCACYCHURCH AND COMMUNITY MOBILISATION (CCM) ADVOCACY Tearfund has been implementing the church and community mobilisation (CCM) process for more than 15 years in at least 25 countries. Through CCM, churches inspire and empower citizens to identify needs in their community and to mobilise their own resources to address them. In a handful of countries, Tearfund's church partners have undertaken pilot programmes to introduce advocacy into the CCM process – an approach now known as CCM advocacy. Watch this short film we have produced to see what CCM advocacy looks like in in Uganda and Bolivia. Through CCM advocacy, local churches mobilise their communities to influence the decisions, policies and practices of powerful local decision-makers, with the aim of bringing about good governance, using social accountability tools. The empowered communities engage in local-level advocacy on issues they have identified. They draw down local government resources, hold local government officials accountable and gain access to the essential services they need. Here is a longer version for training purposes that gives more detail about the process of CCM advocacy. For in-depth evidence of the impact and potential of CCM advocacy, please read our research report, Bridging the gap (PDF 918 KB). This report is based on findings from our partner Pentecostal Assemblies of God (PAG) in Uganda. It was written in conjunction with the Institute for Development Studies at Sussex University, with funding from Making All Voices Count. You can also read a short visual summary (PDF 332 KB) of the Bridging the gap report. For step-by-step guidance about how to integrate advocacy into CCM, please see our CCM advocacy guide - English (PDF 468 KB), French (PDF 439 KB), Spanish (PDF 436 KB), Portuguese (PDF 443 KB). You can also follow the steps to the CCM advocacy process in our training film, designed to accompany the guide, and available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. To read a short reflection about CCM advocacy, see our TILZ blog post. For a short piece on feeding back to the community in Uganda about the CCM advocacy research, and a community screening of the film, see here. To read about our partner Pentecostal Assemblies of God (PAG)'s peer exchange visit between Bolivia and Uganda to share learning on CCM advocacy, see here. To read a blog post from Making All Voices Count on our UK parliamentary launch of the research, see here. For our blog about the research published on the Global Partnership for Social Accountability (GPSA) Knowledge Platform, see here. Duncan Green, from UK charity Oxfam, has also featured the research in his blog 'From Poverty to Power' here. For the practice paper about the research process, co-authored with the Institute of Development Studies, see here. Our CCM advocacy work in Bolivia was also featured as a photostory in UK national newspaper, The Guardian. For case studies about CCM advocacy, please search our advocacy case studies database. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share by Email Print Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share by Email Print


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Phelps family shares favorite holiday cookie recipe
3/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla
3. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes
4. Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut with a 3 by 1-inch finger-shaped cutter. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Cool to room temperature


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...A color we wanted to represent true confusion. Similar to Patrina, and very enigmatic -deep plum navy? You be the judge!
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Project E
- 1 Description
- 2 Team Members
- 3 Team Mentor
- 4 Staff Liaison
- 5 Project Sponsor
- 6 Project Proposal
- 6.1 Overview
- 6.2 Research Results
- 6.3 Recommended Action Steps
- 6.4 Areas for Future Study
- 6.5 Conclusion
- 7 Comments and Feedbacks at the Poster Session
Outreach to NCATE programs as a sustainable component of our student member cultivation-strategies that mirror the intensity of our attention to ALA-MLS programs
Team Members
- Fontichiaro, Kristin
Kristin Fontichiaro is a media specialist with the Birmingham (MI) Public Schools. She is the author of Active Learning Through Drama, Podcasting, and Puppetry and 2008 Program Chair for the 2008 International Association of School Librarians conference.
- Hoh, Anchi
Anchi Hoh is Assistant to the Chief of the Asian Division of the Library of Congress and Program Chair for the 2008 ACRL - AAMES conference. A scholar in Middle East studies/librarianship as well as Sino-Middle Eastern/Sino-Judaic Studies, Anchi is also deeply interested in outreach and fund-raising for libraries. Anchi was a 2001 ALA Spectrum Scholar and a recipient of 2002 George Atiyeh award from the Middle East Librarians Association. Her English translation of a collection of Arabic short stories, "Departure of the Sea," is in print. One of her current research projects is information policy in the Arab world.
- Roth, Robert
Robert (Doc) Roth is a library director with the Boston (MA) Public Schools. He serves on the AASL Legislative and Publications Committees and on the Executive Board of the Massachusetts School Library Association in the capacity of Legislation Committee Co-chair.
Team Mentor
Nancy Everhart
Nancy Everhart (email@example.com) is Director of the School Library Media Program at the Florida State University College of Information and Co-Director of Project LEAD, (http://www.ci.fsu.edu/projectlead) a leadership program for school library media specialists that incorporates tenets of National Board Certifiction.
Staff Liaison
Project Sponsor
American Association of School Librarians (AASL)
Project Proposal
Proposal for Increasing Student Membership in AASL American Association of School Librarians June, 2007
Prepared by ALA's Emerging Leaders Team E:
Kristin Fontichiaro, Media Specialist, Birmingham (MI) Public Schools
Anchi Hoh, Program Manager, Library of Congress, Washington, DC
Robert Roth, School Librarian, Boston (MA) Public Schools
The Emerging Leaders program of the American Library Association (ALA), in partnership with the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), asked us to design an approach for increasing student membership in the American Association of School Librarians among school library students enrolled in programs endorsed by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), throughout the United States. By gathering information from students in a library school program, students in various ALA divisions, professors in NCATE-accredited programs and practicing school librarians, and by reflecting on our own experiences, we found three questions that a successful student membership campaign must address:
- § How can students find out about AASL?
- § How does AASL promote its membership benefits and importance to the school library profession in order to entice students to join?
- § How can AASL make it financially possible to join?
Research Results
Our research included information from library school professors, library school students, and members of ALA and AASL.
Among Faculty Members
Through in-person and email conversations with various NCATE faculty members, we discovered the following:
- § Although we spoke with many faculty members who are active in AASL, only one faculty member said she actively promoted AASL in her classroom. Most promoted membership in the state school library association as an organization to join. One commented that although it had not previously occurred to her, now she would actively promote AASL.
- § Faculty members pointed out that already existing student organizations focused on school libraries could steer their members toward AASL membership. However, since the health of these organizations rests on students who volunteer for leadership positions, their strength and viability is vulnerable. If motivated student leaders graduate and are not replaced, the student organizations can become less active or cease to exist.
- § A faculty member pointed out that many NCATE schools have less traditional student populations. In some instances, they are first-generation college attendees or finance their own education. Joining a state school library association, even at a cost of $35 per year or so, is a financial stretch. But joining ALA, at $28 for student membership plus $20 for AASL membership on top of state membership was simply beyond the financial ability of many students.
- § Some school librarians said they have found personal appearances at library schools to be their most effective method for developing new members. The appearances they spoke of were classroom presentations pursuant to an invitation from a library school faculty member.
- § Many students are unaware of AASL and its benefits.
Among Students
A small sampling of students at Simmons College showed that most were not very aware of the existence of AASL, far less of its importance to the profession and benefits to members. They had a stronger understanding of the benefits of a campus student group that is associated with the Massachusetts School Library Association. This resonated with conversations held with faculty members at various schools, some of whom reported their practice of promoting state associations more than AASL.
Many school library students are aware of their state association as a source of scholarships, reduced prices for students to attend state conferences, networking, job listings, and on the job assistance.
Some university programs have student-sustained groups that are affiliates of the state association. These often lack permanence, as dedicated student leaders who graduate are not always replaced by equally committed incoming students.
Observing Practices of Other ALA Groups
State school librarian associations are separate, autonomous entities that are affiliates, not chapters, of AASL. Therefore, the state association and AASL have separate, independent dues requirements. Further, membership in ALA is a prerequisite to membership in AASL. Therefore, in order to join the state school library association and AASL, a library school student must pay dues to three organizations. This can be prohibitive. The single dues payment needed to join the state association can be an attractive alternative. This leads to a delicate balance. The goal of AASL properly should be to encourage membership in all three of these organizations and therefore to work in partnership with state organizations and ALA to recruit student members.
Recommended Action Steps
We recommend a three-pronged program for attracting and retaining student members. The first prong is to develop student awareness of AASL; the second is to promote appreciation of AASL values and benefits; and the third is to set a price that makes joining AASL affordable to the vast majority of library school students.
Develope Student Awareness
AASL must be active, first, in understanding the needs and desires of both library school students and practicing school librarians, and second, in communicating how AASL serves its members through its longstanding commitment to developing and sustaining programs that address these needs and desires. A successful membership program must bring AASL's message to library school students and not expect that many of these students would learn about AASL on their own.
- § Implement a faculty advisor for student school library organizations on all ALA and NCATE campuses. These faculty advisors would provide continuity across time and also serve as local advocates for both state and national membership. AASL could consider supporting these faculty advisors by providing complimentary or reduced membership fees and/or conference attendance fees.
- § Provide AASL-created paperwork templates for university student school library groups, including constitutions, by-laws, recruitment posters and other promotional materials such as pamphlets and flyers to make establishment of a student chapter easier.
- § Create a PowerPoint presentation that outlines the values of membership in AASL and ALA that can be shown on campus and at state school library organizations. Use the membership benefits outlined by Cyndi Phillip in her President's Column in the March/April 2007 edition of Knowledge Quest as an outline.
- § Encourage library science school deans and department heads to include in orientation sessions for new students a presentation about the value of membership in local, state, and national professional associations.
- § Promoting the value and benefits of membership in ALA should be part of all professional training programs in library science, regardless of whether the school is NCATE accredited.
- § Include AASL student membership flyers in student registration packets at state conferences.
- § Staff an ALA/AASL booth at state school library association conferences.
- § Invite state school library associations to partner with AASL in offering membership package discounts to those who join ALA, AASL, and the state association.
- § Engage AASL's existing new member mentoring committee to reach out to student members, ideally with a mentor in their home state to develop the networking/job opportunity areas identified by students as a major reason for joining a professional association.
- § Encourage NCATE deans to promote AASL membership to their students through existing department listservs and publications.
- § Revise the AASL recruitment Web page (http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aasleducation/recruitmentlib/aaslrecruitment.htm) to include a list of the benefits of AASL membership. This page could be improved with refreshed content, updated links (some do not work), and a clearer presentation of the message that "AASL helps make you a better school librarian."
- § Implement AASL-sponsored scholarships, which show students an immediate benefit to AASL membership. Scholarships could stipulate that recipients will make a commitment to AASL by promising to serve on an AASL committee for four years after graduation.
Communicate Benefits of AASL Membership to Students
Our surveys showed that concern about finding a job is a major motivation for students who join a state school library association. However, students are also interested in looking beyond job searches to the duties they will perform on the job following graduation. Other areas of interest include developing expertise in collaboration with classroom teachers, developing a strong relationship with the school administration, and integrating technology with the teaching of information literacy and critical thinking skills. AASL must communicate to library school students that membership includes access to people and programs that address all the professional needs and concerns of library school students and practicing school librarians.
- § Promote Knowledge Quest, AASL's journal for members, as an ongoing source of professional development in all areas of practice. Additionally, promote American Libraries, the ALA publication for members.
- § Distribute past issues of Knowledge Quest and American Libraries at state school library association conferences; send copies to student organizations on library school campuses.
- § Promote the AASL blog as a source of up-to-the-minute information about the profession.
- § Promote participation in AASL conferences as a source of ongoing networking and professional development (membership includes reduced price conference registration).
- § Promote ALA and AASL as a source of ongoing knowledge and for maintaining connection with other school librarians after graduation from library school. Unlike public or academic librarians who usually have colleagues at their workplace, a school librarian is often the only library professional in the school. AASL can help sustain a sense of community among school librarians.
- § Promote the value of AASL in developing a national perspective on school library trends and issues that can inform and/or transcend a particular region's pedagogic and economic challenges.
- § Encourage universities to include in their practicum curriculum a conversation about the value of membership in professional associations.
- § Share copies of Cyndi Phillips' President's Column from the March/April 2007 copy of Knowledge Quest, which outlines the benefits of ALA and AASL membership.
Remove Financial Barriers to Membership
Graduate students are probably the poorest people on campus. Unlike their undergraduate counterparts, library science students often finance their own education with limited parental financial support. Some library science students have concerns about the amount of their undergraduate and/or graduate loans and accordingly are careful about incurring additional expenses. Some have the expense of child care while they are in school. Therefore, minimizing financial barriers to AASL membership is the third essential component of this plan.
- § Conduct a study to determine the dollar amount that makes membership in a state association, ALA and AASL affordable to the vast majority of library school students.
- § Seek financing alternatives such as offering a package price so that a student who shows proof of membership in a state association receives a reduced price for ALA and AASL membership. Additionally, encourage state associations to reduce their dues for students who exercise this option.
- § While new alternatives and partnership arrangements are being sought, implement a new AASL student membership rate that is no more than 50% the price of ALA student membership. For example, current ALA student membership is $28; accordingly, AASL student membership should not exceed $14.
- § Reduce AASL's cost-per-student-member by sending Knowledge Quest to student members as a PDF instead of as a print document. Today's students are e-savvy and are accustomed to receiving information electronically. Electronic distribution to students reduces postage and printing costs.
- § Encourage current AASL members to contribute an additional $5 or $10 to supplement AASL membership.
- § Encourage current AASL members to "adopt a student" by covering a student's ALA and AASL membership fees in their entirety.
- § To stimulate membership, award each university program one free AASL conference membership. This would be awarded by a lottery open to all students at that university who join AASL. A few extra participants in this large national conference will not overly burden the conference. Encourage the university to provide a stipend to assist with housing and travel.
Areas for Future Study
As the team worked to assemble these recommendations, a few related questions arose that would benefit from future study and investigation:
- § How can the ideas behind this proposal work to enhance AASL membership among practicing school librarians?
- § What is the current relationship between ELMSS (ALA's Educators of Library Media Specialists Section, including NCATE faculty members) and AASL membership efforts? How can this existing section help to streamline implementation at NCATE schools?
- § What do practicing school librarians perceive as the value of ALA membership, the prerequisite to AASL membership? Recent discussions on the non-ALA listserv LM_NET (http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/) indicate a perception among school librarians that ALA membership holds little or no value for them. They cite the low profile of AASL and its members in American Libraries as indicative of ALA's indifference to school librarians.
- - What can be done to include more material about school library achievements and concerns in American Libraries?
- - More generally, what can be done to raise the perception of value of ALA membership for student and practicing school librarians?
- § What can be done to raise the level of participation and personal investment in ALA activities among AASL members? Participation of AASL members in ALA activities is seen as low. An example is the historically low voter turnout of AASL members in ALA elections, despite the relatively large size of AASL.
By implementing steps from each of the three areas, we are confident that AASL can develop stronger and more meaningful relationships with its student members.
Comments and Feedbacks at the Poster Session
- - What about partnering with teacher associations like NEA, NCTE, etc.? Most school librarians are/were teachers.
- - I like your idea of members subsidizing a sponsoring student memberships.