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Newly available evidence shows that the CIA engaged in pervasive political meddling and paramilitary action in Congo during the 1960s -- and that the local CIA station chief directly influenced the events that led to the death of Patrice Lumumba, the country's first democratically elected prime minister.
Conventional wisdom about the 1953 coup in Iran rests on the myth that the CIA toppled the country's democratically elected prime minister. In reality, the coup was primarily a domestic Iranian affair, and the CIA's impact was ultimately insignificant.
In 1971, the Pakistani government orchestrated a brutal military crackdown against the Bengali population in East Pakistan -- while the United States stuck by its ally Pakistan. Gary Bass's new book spotlights the "significant complicity" of U.S. President Richard Nixon and his national security adviser, Henry Kissinger, in this "forgotten genocide."
The 1973 coup in Chile is often included in indictments of U.S. covert action during the Cold War, during which the United States, at the direction of a number of presidents, sometimes took actions of questionable wisdom to prevent or reverse the rise of leftists who Washington feared might lead their countries into the Soviet orbit. In truth, the CIA did not plot with the Chilean military to overthrow Allende.
Electric vehicles account for only a fraction of cars sold, but they are far more efficient than gasoline-powered ones and technological advances are making them look more promising than ever before. For the first time in a century, a real competition over how to power transportation is underway.
The shale revolution carries real environmental dangers, especially the release of methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas. It still has the potential to benefit the environment as well as the economy, but only if industry and government work together to deal with the problems.
Thanks to new technologies, U.S. companies have extracted vast quantities of natural gas and oil trapped in once-inaccessible deposits of shale. Other countries may envy this economic boost, but they will find it hard to replicate -- because only America has the entrepreneur-friendly legal and regulatory system that made the boom possible.
Nuclear power remains the best way to produce large amounts of electricity reliably for homes and businesses. That is why the continuing deficit in nuclear innovation is so troubling, and why Washington needs to seek additional strategies to incentivize and support progress.
The Defense Department is the United States' largest energy consumer, but it's also a major incubator of cutting-edge technologies. To cut fuel demands and meet new threats, the Pentagon is transforming the U.S. military from an organization that uses as much fuel as it can get to one that uses only as much as it needs.
When we started putting together a package on the rapidly evolving future of energy, our first thought was to survey exciting innovations across the sector. But the closer we looked, the more we realized that one big thing -- shale -- loomed above the rest.
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Minnesota Vikings
Jerome Simpson - #81 - WR
|6' 2"/ 189 lbs.
|Reidsville, NC
|Coastal Carolina
|Years played
|2008, 2nd round, 15th pick by Bengals
Vikings figure to look different at receiver
After this season, the receiver position is set to undergo a facelift in Minnesota, with Percy Harvin's return still to be determined.
Struggling Simpson needs more than better technique
Vikings WR Jerome Simpson is struggling and his problems might run deeper than merely needing better technique.
Leshoure, Simpson are names to file away
Mike Wilkening offers fantasy scouting reports on Mikel Leshoure and Jerome Simpson, who will each miss the start of the season.
NFL suspends Vikings WR Simpson three games
The NFL officially suspended Vikings WR Jerome Simpson for three games on Monday for violating the league's substance-abuse poiicy.
Report: Vikings agree to terms with WR Simpson
The Vikings agreed to terms on a one-year deal with former Bengals WR Jerome Simpson, Fox Sports' Jay Glazer first reported.
Report: WR Simpson faces three-game suspension
The NFL will suspend former Bengals WR Jerome Simpson for three games, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported.
Rams pursuing WR Simpson
Despite his recent conviction on a felony drug charge, ex-Bengals WR Jerome Simpson is being courted by the Rams and several other teams, according to this week's Whispers.
WR Simpson sentenced to 15 days in jail
Bengals free-agent WR Jerome Simpson was sentenced to 15 days in jail and three years' probation on drug-related charges, according to The Associated Press.
Bengals haven't ruled out re-signing Simpson
Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis told reporters on Tuesday that the team would consider re-signing UFA WR Jerome Simpson.
WR Simpson could face jail time on drug charge
Bengals WR Jerome Simpson, a free agent this offseason, pled guilty on Thursday to a drug charge in a Kentucky courthouse.
Bengals WR Simpson pleads not guilty
Bengals WR Jerome Simpson pleaded not guilty to marijuana trafficking on Monday in Kenton County Circuit Court in Covington, Ky.
Bengals have a big need at wideout
With Jerome Simpson's NFL future in question after his Jan. 19 indictment on marijuana trafficking charges, the Bengals' need to add to their WR corps becomes all the more clear.
Bengals WR Simpson indicted on drug charges
Months after his home was raided by police, Bengals WR Jerome Simpson has been indicted on drug charges.
Bengals' Simpson lacking consistency
Bengals WR Jerome Simpson has been up-and-down in his first full season as a starter, the way we hear it.
Simpson in, Foster and Hillis out for Sunday's games
Bengals WR Jerome Simpson is expected to play Sunday. Texans RB Arian Foster and Browns RB Peyton Hillis will reportedly be inactive.
Simpson has signed with the Vikes.||||||| The team announced the deal Wednesday, the day after NFL free agency began.
Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said he expects wide receiver Jerome Simpson to play this week. Simpson wasn't active for last week's game against Washington due to a back issue that caused numbness in one of his legs and limited him the previous week.||||||| Simpson says every time he is deactivated from a game it costs him $60,000 in bonus money. The Vikings built that clause into his contract because the former Cincinnati Bengal was coming off a drug arrest which eventually resulted in a three-game suspension to start the season.
Simpson is out Sunday with a back problem that causes weakness and numbness in his lower left leg.||||||| Simpson has four receptions for 50 yards.
Simpson doesn't need surgery for the back problem that caused weakness and numbness in his lower left leg, and the Vikings expect him to play Sunday at Washington.||||||| Coach Leslie Frazier said Wednesday that Simpson will be held out of practice as a precaution but could be cleared for action by Thursday or Friday. Frazier said "all indications are" that Simpson will be fine to face the Redskins and has improved since waking up the morning of last Sunday's game against Tennessee with the strange, sudden injury.
The Minnesota Vikings are trying to determine why Simpson woke up with numbness and weakness in his lower left leg before Sunday's game against Tennessee.||||||| Coach Leslie Frazier said Simpson was undergoing MRI tests on Monday. Simpson played in parts of Minnesota's 30-7 win, but he didn't catch any passes. He had trouble pushing off because of the injury, which Frazier said could also be connected to his back. Frazier said Simpson was "alarmed" by his condition but that the Vikings don't believe he's facing a long-term absence.

subset: commoncrawl


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Sunday, March 04, 2007Valparaiso led by 13 points in the first half, but UMKC cut the deficit to two at the half and took the lead early in the second half before eventually downing the Crusaders, 84-76, in the 2007 Mid-Continent Conference Tournament quarterfinals. The loss ends Valpo's season at 16-15.
|Copyright ©2014 Valparaiso University Athletics. All Rights Reserved.


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Reservation Info:
The Hotel will be taking reservations starting: TBA
Hotel Info:
For our 26th anniversary convention, A-Kon® is proud to once again be partnering with the Hilton Anatole Hotel.
The Hilton Anatole has over 1,600 guest rooms and is one of the largest hotels in the Southwest. Each guest room will come fully equipped with the standard amenities ranging from hair dryers, irons, ironing boards, coffee makers, ice buckets, among others. The Anatole has a fully enclosed seven acre park on the grounds, including a jogging track and an outdoor swimming pool. The hotel has more meeting space than any other hotel in the area, as well as wonderful hotel rooms, including several different types of suites.
One of the things that the Anatole is most known for is its Asian art collection. We will be putting much more information about the art collection on the website, please check back often.
The Hilton Anatole is a hotel located at 2201 North Stemmons Freeway Dallas, Texas 75207 in the Dallas Design District near downtown Dallas, Texas.Directions to Hotel
We know that there were some issues last year in that some of the amenities were removed from rooms, prior to our arrival. That will not happen in 2014, so the rooms will have ALL of the amenities in the room(s) upon arrival. This includes: hair dryers, irons and ironing boards, and coffee makers.
Here are some other notes from the Anatole, to help you prepare for our second year at the hotel.
- FOOD COURT in Atrium 1 – is returning! Hours, Menus, and Prices will be posted on the website as we get closer.
- ROOM SERVICE – open 24 hours a day
- MINI BAR – Any items removed from the minibar in the room will be charged to your room. If you remove all the items from the minibar to put your own food/ drink in, your items will be removed when the staff services the room, in addition to being charged a $50 restock fee.
- GUEST ROOM SAFES – available in every room, check either in the closet or the dresser.
- GUEST ROOM INTERNET – $12.95 for a 24 hour period. It is complimentary in lobbies and restaurants.
- VENDING MACHINES – While there are not any vending machines in the hotel, the gift shops are well stocked with soft drinks and snacks.
- GUEST ROOM DEPOSIT – will not be charged this year. Your credit information will simply "hold" the reservation.
- ATM MACHINES – The Anatole is bringing back the multitude of ATM Machines – locations will be posted on the website as we get closer to Kon.
- BURGERS IN THE PARK – Also returning – near the Trinity
- FOOD TRUCKS – Will be outside the Jade Entrance. Who and When to be posted on the website.
- A-KON APP – it will be back and loaded with lots of useful information. Details to follow!
Once again, the hotel is not charging the one-night deposit when you make your reservation, and is also waiving the automatic incidental charge at check in. When you present a debit or credit card at check-in, please tell the agent whether you want "incidentals" turned on. Incidentals include: room service charges to your room, phone calls from the room, mini bar access, in room movies and parking automatically charged to your guest room. If you decide to have the incidentals turned on, your Debit / Credit Card will be charged $50 per day, per room unit "hold". This is an industry standard to cover any incidental charges – movies, room service, phones, etc. Please note, the front desk will need to be told by you, at check-in, to make this change.
We have already started a discussion with the hotel about parking, and looking into some additional options. Information related to parking will be found on the A-Kon® App or the website. ONLY lots listed on these two sites can be considered "Official" parking.
SĒR (pronounced "sear"), the steakhouse on the 27th floor of the Tower will be open again in 2014, so be on the lookout for more information on the website.


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HR & Workplace Diversity
News + Events : HR & Workplace Diversity
HR & Workplace Diversity
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
6:00pm - 7:00pm
SF State Campus, 1600 Holloway Ave, LIB 121
Guest Speaker: Dian Emerson, Safeway
Since September of 2011, Dian Emerson has held the position of vice president human resources, business services and diversity. Her team of human resources business partners supports employees and leaders across the company, including corporate offices functions, supply operations, information technology, and marketing.
In the areas of diversity and HR compliance, her teams support diversity and inclusion strategy implementation and programs across Safeway with the goal of ensuring that diversity continues to be a key part of the culture of Safeway at all levels. HR compliance programs include education, training, and assessment of HR-related policies and procedures. Her teams work with other key HR areas, including leadership planning, succession planning, compensation and benefits to help ensure seamless delivery of the full scope of HR programs from other departments, and to support and enhance key HR strategies and priorities.
She provides guidance and support to the corporate employee resource and network groups, such as the Women's Network Group, the Safeway Asian Network, and several others. In addition, she is involved in diversity training and development, on topics from gender communication to cultural awareness and generational differences.
Prior to joining Safeway, Dian was an attorney in private law practice, and also held a corporate counsel position for employment matters with a technology company in California. She received her bachelor's degree in history from the University of California, Irvine and her law degree from the University of California, Davis. She is an active member of the California Bar.
For complete information and special events, see Business Ethics Week 2012


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Chuck Porter
Sports Editor
Despite 24 points from Kylie Looney, the Adair girls couldn't stop a balanced Sulphur attack, succumbing to the Lady Bulldogs 59-46 in a state semifinal matchup between unbeaten teams Friday at the State Fair Arena in Oklahoma City.
After falling behind by nine in the opening quarter, the Lady Warriors closed the gap to 20-14 heading into the second period. Looney closed the first half on a 5-0 run of her own in the final minute to tie the contest at 29 at the break.
Looney hit a spot-up triple to cut the lead to two, then dropped in a layup with 2.3 seconds on the clock.
Another 5-0 run to start the second half gave Adair its biggest lead of the game (34-29) just under two minutes in.
After a Sulphur timeout, the Lady Bulldogs went on a 15-0 run to pull away.
The Lady Bulldogs were led by Ashley Hughes, who finished with a game-high 29 points – 12 of which came in the third quarter.
Adair made one last push in the fourth quarter, capped by a Rendi Rogers steal off of Hughes. Rogers finished with a layup to bring the Lady Warriors within eight (51-43) with 3:05 to play.
That was as close as Adair would get, as Sulphur converted 13 of their 18 foul shots in the fourth quarter, and 21 of their 30 for the game.
Adair attempted just eight free throws on the night, making five.
Looney was 6-13 from 3-point range. Molly Kerr added nine points and eight rebounds.
Senior Raven Campos, in her last game as a Lady Warrior, finished with six points and four boards. Fellow senior Anna Crawford grabbed four boards.
Lindsey Wengerd was Adair's only other senior.
Both squads stood at 28-0 heading into the contest.
In Thursday's opener, the Lady Warriors coasted to a 61-39 win over Tahlequah Sequoyah.
Kerr recorded a double-double, picking up a game-high 20 points and 11 boards. Bailey Stephens also had a double-double (11 points, 13 rebounds) and dished out a game-high four assists.
The Lady Warriors led by at least 19 the entire second half.
Kylie Looney knocked down two of her six 3-point attempts on her way to a dozen points.
Adair Scorers – Kerr 20, Looney 12, B. Stephens 11, Crawford 6, Campos 6, Rogers 3, M. Wengerd 3.
Tahlequah Sequoyah Scorers – Jones 14, Young 9, Leach 7, Ballou 4, Polk 3, Walker 2.
Adair Scorers – Looney 24, Kerr 9, Campos 6, B. Stephens 4, Rogers 2, Crawford 1.
Sulphur Scorers – Hughes 29, Richardson 12, Eldred 10, Harrison 5, Reagle 3.


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WISE DOGS by H. Jackson Brown, Dale Spartas
10 facts you didn't know about the Beagle
There's little debate that an MBA is a great foundation for building a business—but is it a magic bullet for budding entrepreneurs? Learn how an MBA sent this entrepreneur to the dogs (literally!)
Welcome to our virtual press office.


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Democrats Got a Backbone at National Convention
The party's convention showed Democrats are on the right side of history when it comes to healthcare, foreign policy, and civil rights.
OK, so maybe Democrats are being vastly outspent in the super PAC battles, and maybe they'll also be outraised in donations to the party and campaign. And sure, the economy is still struggling and they have a lot of tough Senate seats to protect—enough that even with Missouri GOP candidate Todd Akin's absurd comments, Republicans are in a decent position to take back control of the chamber.
But the party, at long last, seems to have grown a spine.
[See a collection of political cartoons on Congress.]
At its national convention last week, Democrats were remarkably not on the defensive. They embraced the term "Obamacare," taking the sting out of the derisiveness employed by the law's opponents who coined the term. They slammed Mitt Romney directly (see: Ted Strickland, suggesting that if Romney were Santa Claus, he'd fire the reindeer and outsource the elves) and indirectly (Michelle Obama's observation that her husband understood the American dream because he had lived it was a not-so-subtle comparison to the charmed childhood Romney experienced).
They hit hard on foreign policy, with Sen. John Kerry delivering what was one of the best speeches of his career. He was confident; he was unafraid and he was authoritative. And he had no problem asking the cold but effective question, "Ask Osama bin Laden if he's better off than he was four years ago." It might be worth asking where this forceful and captivating Kerry was in 2004, but no matter: He said what his party needed to say.
[Read the U.S. News Debate: Was the Democratic National Convention a Success for Barack Obama?]
Rep. John Lewis delivered a powerful and moving speech about civil rights, talking about a man who had beaten him during a racial conflict later coming to his office to apologize—a scene that ended with the two men hugging. That was a potent reminder to voters that while the GOP may be (or was once) the party of Lincoln, it is the Democrats who are continuing civil rights goals. And when many looked at Julian Castro, a heretofore unknown mayor of San Antonio, and thought "Why'd they pick this obscure guy to talk?" that skepticism evaporated when Castro talked about his own immigrant journey. As soon as he talked about how his grandmother held a mop so he could hold that microphone that evening, he reminded voters of the difference between the two parties on immigration reform.
Backbone—which Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick unapologetically demanded his compatriots to develop—is back in the party. It may not be enough to keep either the presidency or the Senate. But with the fight clearly in them, the Democrats have a much better fighting chance.


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5 Expensive Money Mistakes You Can Avoid
Here's why you don't want to co-sign for a loan or rent-to-own.
The news has been full of sad stories about families suffering from financial problems. Many people who are in debt have found themselves in this position for reasons beyond their control. Unfortunately, they've had to rely on credit to survive. Their problems are often compounded because when people are vulnerable, they tend to make foolish mistakes. Here are five common ones that you can avoid:
1. Signing up for payday loans. Please do not get a payday loan. These places charge an enormous amount of interest and fees. Most customers who get these loans have a lot of trouble paying them off, often paying through their nose in interest and extra charges. This is because payday loans are typically targeted at lower-income families.
[Slideshow: 10 Inventive Ways to Save]
If you do need money, you'd actually be better of pawning items or getting a high interest credit card. But why get a high interest card when there are low interest rate credit cards that abound? You may qualify if you've got good enough credit.
2. Co-signing a loan for a significant other. How many times have you heard someone say, "It wasn't my loan, it was my ex-boyfriend's. I just cosigned for him." Unfortunately, the moment you cosign for someone, you become liable. Whether you like it or not, your signature is saying, "I will pay this bill, if he or she does not." Co-signing for someone can be risky business, especially if your relationship with this person is temporary.
It's often the case that when a relationship is terminated and a person in a cosign agreement stops paying, the other cosigner is left holding the bag with ruined credit. Want to avoid a financial catastrophe? Then don't cosign for a friend or significant other. You may even want to extend this rule to family members as well.
3. Borrowing money from family. Getting a loan from a relative won't necessarily cost you more money, but it may potentially cost you a close relationship with someone you love. When you borrow money from a family member, the relationship dynamic changes from father/daughter or sister/brother to borrower/lender.
Once you get that loan, imagine what happens whenever you spend money. Your lender may start keeping an eye on your spending patterns, which can very well become annoying or frustrating for the both of you. Before long, you'll begin avoiding your family if you find yourself having a tough time paying them back. It's easy to abuse this relationship because a close relative often affords you a lot more flexibility and less accountability for your actions, so you tend to give this type of loan a lower priority in the grand scheme of things. Eventually, your relationship will suffer as you feel guilty while your lender feels resentful -- not a good ending. Borrowing from family is just a bad idea. Instead, get a personal loan from your bank or a peer-to-peer lender such as Lending Club. If you're really in a bind, you may want to think about using your credit card for emergencies.
[See: Ready to Be Extremely Frugal?]
4. Rent-to-own. Most rent-to-own establishments prey on low-income customers who are unable to save enough ahead of time to afford the large purchases they want to make. Rent-to-own arrangements typically charge an enormous amount of interest on payments. When the deal is done, and you've finally paid off the furniture, appliances or electronics, your outlay will be quite a lot more than the original prices of the items you've bought. In addition, by the time you've finished paying for it, your purchase would already have depreciated in value.
Unfortunately, in desperate situations, people turn to rent-to-own establishments. But you don't need to fall into this spending trap. Instead, try to defer your purchases until you can afford them. Be proactive, look into high yield savings accounts and start your own savings fund for the items you plan to buy someday.
5. Playing the lottery. If you've got no debt and you've got all your investments and retirement accounts fully funded, you might be tempted to throw money away. If so, then please go ahead and play the lottery. Just know that you are more likely to be struck by lightning than to win the lottery. If banking on a big win is your retirement plan, then it may be time to rethink that plan. Playing the lottery should be considered a form of entertainment. It is not an investment or a great plan for retirement.
Silicon Valley Blogger is a full time blogger and online entrepreneur who writes for The Digerati Life and The Smarter Wallet sites that cover general personal finance topics ranging from investing and saving to credit and debt management.


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Hey guys,
I have a bunch of movies for sale, but I need to sell them as a lot.
I hate to part with any of these, but I need the money so I can move. These are all coming from a much larger lot of movies, but I am willing to sell this section to people who love horror genres.
If interested, post on here...if I do not reply, you can email me at Thorstrongstoneyahoo.com
Some of these movies took quite a long time to track down so serious inquiries only please.
The list:
Aftermath: Special Edition
Army of Darkness Director's Cut
Bad Taste
Basket Case
Blood Bath(cheap-o collection)
Cannibal Holocaust
Dog Soldiers
Guinea Pig Box Set
House of 1000 Corpses
Ilsa Box Set (3 movies)
The Blood Trilogy
Blood Feast 2
H.G. Lewis Box Set (6 movies)
Phantasm Special Edition
The Return of the Living Dead
Salon Kitty
Thriller: A Cruel Picture
Shaun of the Dead
Terror Firmer
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre(Pioneer Special Edition)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2
The Tox Box (4 movies)
Citizen Toxie
Black Sun: The Nanking Massacre
Dead or Alive 1
Entrails of a Virgin
Ichi: The Killer
Ichi1: The Prequel
Ichi: The Anime
Bonus: Ichi the Killer Manga (4-piece in Japanese)
Kichiku Dalenkai: Banquet of the Beasts
Death Race 2000
Visitor Q
Dawn of The Dead (Anchor Bay)


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Lake Motosu
From Openwaterpedia本栖湖 or 'Motosu-ko') is the ninth deepest lake of Japan, at 140 meters, and part of the Five Lakes of Mount Fuji. This lake, along with Lake Sai and Lake Shoji, was formed by lava flowing across what is now Aokigahara Jukai Forest and into the enormous lake that once dominated the area, and these three lakes remain still connected by underground waterways.
The Five Lakes of Mount Fuji include Lake Yamanaka, Lake Kawaguchi, Lake Sai, Lake Shoji, and Lake Motosu, and have been successfully traversed by both Lynne Cox in 1985 and Steven Munatones in 1992.


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Previous Document
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List of Bookletters
Distribution of Director Candidate Information
Old/Additional ID:
September 11, 2008
To: Chairman, Board of Directors
Each Farm Credit Bank and Association
From: Leland A. Strom
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Subject: Distribution of Director Candidate Information
This bookletter clarifies the meaning of "campaign material" for purposes of Farm Credit Administration (FCA) regulation Ï
(e) by differentiating campaign material from educational material. The bookletter explains that Farm Credit System (System) institutions may provide, to stockholders, supplemental material on director candidates without violating the prohibition on distributing campaign material when that material is educational in nature and all candidates have a fair and equal opportunity to provide educational material. With this guidance, the FCA is seeking to promote greater stockholder awareness and participation in the election of directors to the boards of banks and associations that are a part of the borrower-owned cooperative System.
FCA regulation Ï
(e) prohibits System institutions from distributing director candidate campaign material but allows institutions to provide voting stockholders with candidate biographies. In addition, System institutions are required to provide stockholders the disclosure information made by each candidate under FCA regulation Ï
(d)(1) and (d)(5).
These rules are designed to ensure that System institutions remain impartial in administering director elections, while still providing voting stockholders with enough information to make informed choices when voting for director candidates. FCA regulation Ï
in particular was designed to keep System institutions free from even the appearance of endorsing or promoting a particular director candidate.
The FCA provided guidance on what might be considered campaign material in two Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) issued for our governance rules.
Governance FAQ number 33 explained that a System institution may request additional candidate disclosure and biographical information on director candidates as long as it is requested from all candidates, serves a legitimate purpose, and is not campaign material. Governance FAQ number 34 explained that candidate personal statements or requests for votes would generally be considered campaign material, but information commonly found in rÕsumÕs would likely be treated as biographical information.
In this bookletter we are providing additional clarification and guidance for identifying what is and what is not "campaign material" under the meaning of Ï
(e). We are providing this clarification to ensure the interpretation of "campaign material" does not limit the distribution of appropriate information on director candidates to stockholders. The larger geographic territories of some System institutions make it unrealistic to expect stockholders to have meaningful knowledge of most director candidates without some supplemental information beyond the required disclosures. The large number of stockholders in many associations also makes it impractical or cost-prohibitive for candidates to mail or distribute information themselves.
We believe that an informed electorate facilitates good governance, but that objective must be balanced with maintaining System institutions' impartiality in director elections. All candidates must be treated by System institutions fairly and equally during the election process. Likewise, information provided to voting stockholders by the System institutions should facilitate making informed decisions. Therefore, System institutions may not distribute information to stockholders that would be considered campaign material.
Differentiating Educational Material from Campaign Material
Campaign material is information clearly intended to influence the voting decisions of stockholders, while educational material is designed to inform voting stockholders of the background, experience, and qualifications of each candidate.
Educational material is information provided by a candidate, in addition to the required disclosures under Ï
(d)(1) and (d)(5), which does not directly promote the candidate or oppose another candidate. Educational material may describe a candidate, what he or she has done, and may include a candidate's education, background, positions held in other organizations, career accomplishments, civic and personal interests, and direct contact information. Educational material may also include the candidate's responses to questions developed by an institution when those questions are asked of all director candidates. A personal statement by the candidate that discusses his or her desire to serve as a board member or thoughts regarding the institution, would also be considered educational material, as long as the statement does not venture into the realm of campaigning.
Certain items clearly constitute campaigning, which institutions are prohibited from distributing, such as material expressly advocating the election or defeat of a candidate by using words like "vote for" or "vote against" or promising a specific benefit to voters if the candidate is elected. For example, material provided by a candidate promising to double patronage payments if he or she should win the elected office would be campaign material, while material indicating a candidate's support of a strong patronage program would be educational because it does not equate the election of the candidate to a specific result (i.e., more patronage).
Preserving Impartiality in Elections
Each System institution providing educational information to stockholders must take steps to preserve its impartiality and ensure the fair and equal treatment of all director candidates, including nominees from the floor. Those steps might include 1) developing a template for use by director candidates in submitting educational information to the institution to ensure the same set of questions is asked of all candidates; 2) establishing a word count or page limit for candidate submissions and/or responses to standardized questions; 3) providing candidate information in a neutral or unbiased sequence, such as alphabetically; and 4) naming all candidates. If a candidate fails to respond to the institution's request for educational information, the institution should either indicate that no response was received or restate the candidate's required disclosure. System institutions should also establish appropriate controls over making simple grammatical and syntactical corrections to candidates' educational material unless the institution's policy is to accept the educational material "as is." Whatever steps a System institution takes, the result must avoid the appearance that the institution is favoring or endorsing any particular candidate. All candidates, including nominees from the floor, are to be given the same opportunity to provide educational information and are to be treated fairly and equally in the process of collecting and providing the information to stockholders.
We encourage System institutions to disclose that director candidate educational material was prepared and submitted by the candidate and that the information is for educational purposes only. Institutions may also want to state that, by regulation, the institution must remain impartial and can neither endorse nor oppose any candidate. After floor nominations have closed, institutions may post candidate educational material on their Web sites simultaneously with, or immediately after, distributing the material in paper form to the voting stockholders.
As before, director candidates may continue to mail or otherwise distribute their own campaign material at their own expense.
Updating Policies and Procedures on Impartiality in Elections
Each System institution is required by FCA regulation Ï
(a) to have policies and procedures addressing the institution's impartiality in director elections. We expect each System institution that decides to provide educational material on director candidates to revise its policies and procedures to reflect the guidance provided in this bookletter. Institutions, when modifying existing policies and procedures, must ensure that all candidates are treated fairly and without bias or favoritism, particularly in the manner in which educational material is collected and disseminated.
Information to address in revisions to policies and procedures would include 1) defining what candidate material the institution considers as educational; 2) describing the manner in which that information will be collected from candidates, processed by the institution, and distributed to voting stockholders; and 3) identifying the controls used to ensure the institution's impartiality is maintained throughout the process. The updated policies and procedures should be sufficient to ensure that the process results in no real or apparent preferential treatment of any candidates and presents no significant disadvantage to floor nominees.
The guidance in this bookletter in no way lessens FCA's expectations regarding an institution's duty to remain impartial in director elections. As such, FCA will examine each institution's policies, procedures, and actual practices against the principles of fairness, equal access, and impartiality toward all candidates.
Please contact Andrew D. Jacob, CFA, Director, or Gary Van Meter, Deputy Director, Office of Regulatory Policy, Farm Credit Administration, 1501 Farm Credit Drive, McLean, Virginia 22102-5090, at (703) 883-4414, or by e-mail to
if you have any questions regarding this communication.
FCA regulation Ï
(d)(6) requires that candidate disclosure information be provided to voting stockholders as part of the election process. Candidate disclosure statements, prepared by all director candidates, consist of the candidate's name, city and state of residence, 5-year business and employment history, a list of other business affiliations where the candidate serves on the board or in a position of authority, familial relationships with the institution, and adverse loan status, if any, for any institution loan held by the candidate.
Available at
Copy to: The Chief Executive Officer
Each Farm Credit Bank and Association
Federal Farm Credit Banks Funding Corporation
FCA Home
FCA Handbook


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After a fatal "superbug" swept through the National Institutes of Health earlier this year unbeknownst to the public, state and county officials are on the verge of an agreement that will require NIH to report outbreaks of similar hospital-acquired infections, according to Montgomery County's health officer.
Last fall, a drug-resistant strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae spread throughout NIH's research hospital, infecting 18 people. Twelve of those cases were fatal; seven attributed to Klebsiella.
Federal and state guidelines did not require NIH to report the outbreak, and NIH officials said they chose not to alert the public earlier because healthy people outside the hospital were at little to no risk, The Washington Post reported.
Montgomery County officials didn't find out for a year, after NIH published an article in a medical journal in August.
Officials have been working on an agreement for more than a month. County Executive Isiah Leggett and then-Council President Roger Berliner toured the research hospital at NIH with officials from the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services and the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Clinicians from the three agencies will meet Wednesday to work out the technical details of a Memorandum of Understanding that should be signed by the end of the year, according to Dr. Ulder Tillman, the county health officer.
The terms of the agreement will stipulate that NIH notify the county health department directly, rather than the state. NIH will also alert the county when patients have any communicable disease—such as measles—that poses a threat to county residents, according to The Post.
Hospital infections are the 10th leading cause of death in America, Berliner said.
"The public needs to appreciate… there is no public health threat. These are infections which only attack people whose immune system is already severely compromised," Berliner said. "… It is unreported. … So the broader public policy question is not about NIH; it is about all the rest of our hospitals, quite frankly, because this is endemic in the northeast, it is the norm."
Data is not available on Klebsiella rates at the county's five public hospitals, Tillman said.
The Maryland Secretary of Health will issue an executive order "in the near future" that will require regular reporting, so DHMH can track the outbreaks, Tillman said. Federal funding is tied to a hospital's ability to prevent and control hospital-acquired infections, she said.
"It's not just our hospitals where this is concerned, but remember that our long-term care facilities, our nursing homes, that are linked also to the hospitals, so there are reservoirs there as well. That's an even harder situation to address; the resources just aren't there."


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Rick Broida scours the Web for great deals on tech.
Although it's one of the cheapest smartphones around, you're better off saving your money for a slightly pricier handset.
The 4.5-inch smartphone will retail for 169 euros ($232) and will make its debut in the Q3.
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At 59 euro, the Alcatel Fire C is the company's lowest-priced Firefix OS handset yet.
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Having trouble adjusting to Firefox 29? If Mozilla's overhauled browser is giving you fits, take a look at the Classic Theme Restorer extension.
This early developer device acts as a window into a mobile OS alternative that's set to undercut Android, Windows Phone, and iOS.
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Mozilla's mobile operating system, unveiled at Mobile World Congress, won't win over many iOS and Android faithful. But it's credible for low-budget feature-phone owners.
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SCALE 6x: Women in Open Source Conference
Female Focus
In February, Linux and open source enthusiasts met in southern California for SCALE 6x. The conference kicked off with a day of "Friday Special Events," including a Women in Open Source conference.
At the 2008 Southern California Linux Expo, female attendees received a ladies' t-shirt in their attendee bags – a small gesture, but also a first in my experience. On Friday, February 8th, I attended the Women in Open Source conference (Figure 1), a loosely organized event with eight speakers. Allison Randall's first talk, "The Art of Conference Presentations," proved to be a hard act to follow because she suggested some best practices for speaking and slide show preparation.
In the afternoon, Stormy Peters spoke to a full room of men and women in her talk "What Does a Community Manager Do?" Later, Drupal's Angela Byron talked about building websites with Drupal and suggested that creating clear project documentation provides the best way to "skyrocket your karma points" in an open source community.
The final talk, Danese Cooper's "Why Whinging It Doesn't Work," covered accenting the positives about women in open source rather than focusing on the problems. Danese then moderated our WOIS panel discussion at the end of the day (Figure 1). If you don't want to miss out on SCALE 7x, sign up for email updates [1].
- Southern California Linux Expo: http://www.socallinuxexpo.org/
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Authorities in 16 countries take action against users of the imfamous BlackShades malware tool.


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By Mannix Porterfield
For the Daily Telegraph
— All who favor pumping fuel at $1.85 a gallon, or even less, please raise your hands.
Put that question to a vote in West Virginia and you'd see every hand shoot skyward.
In many states, this is a reality, and some are paying even less than that, by converting to natural gas-powered vehicles.
A move is afoot to make the conversion.
Come January, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin expects to hear from a special task force he appointed to look into the feasibility of running cars and trucks on natural gas, rather than gasoline.
Perhaps some legislation may come out of it or, at least, an idea from Tomblin in his State of the State message before the Legislature.
"It's too early to tell with that," says Hallie Mason, his director of public policy.
Yet, steps are definitely being taken to ascertain if switching to compressed natural gas is the thing to do in an era of steep gasoline prices.
For now, however, it is a Catch-22 situation.
Auto makers are reluctant to mass produce such vehicles with so few gas stations operating — fewer than 1,000 at last count — and the industry is hesitant about erecting more until they see more such cars and trucks roll off the assembly lines.
"That's the chicken and the egg situation," Mason said.
In Oklahoma, she pointed out, some 66 such stations are pumping natural gas, and some of West Virginia's neighbors are slowly moving in that direction.
Actually, it's not fair to assess the situation as a total standstill, says Frank
McCullough, an executive of Spring Creek Energy in Summersville and a member of Tomblin's task force.
"Automobile manufacturers are kind of stepping up and there will be a number of vehicles that will be available in the next six to eight months, much more so than you might otherwise think of," he said.
"Whether the driving public will accept them or not is to be seen. That suggests if you have a natural gas vehicle you should have a fueling station nearby. The location of where people might buy vehicles is going to be limited to how comfortable the general population or operators are with regard to providing fuel and refueling stations."
In one sense, the situation might be viewed as a conundrum, McCullough said.
"I think it's realistic that we'll see some gas stations in West Virginia," he said.
"I really can't speak to when they might be on line. There's been talk for the last year about stationing them in various cities. Again, that's to be seen."
The task force has quietly been collecting data in advance of its report to the governor.
"We've had numerous meetings and actually even traveled to Wheeling and gone across the state," Mason said.
"We're gathering our information and starting to prepare a report for the governor. There's a possibility (for legislation). Certainly, we have not completed our work. The legislative communications committee will be meeting one more time. We're just going to take all our information and see what comes from there."
In a recent report, The Wall Street Journal said the country has 922 compressed natural gas fueling stations, contrasted with some 120,000 that sell gasoline.
Internet sites generally depict little or no increase in the mileage after switching from gasoline, but the cost comes in the difference in prices, which tend to vary from state to state.
Price might be one motivator, but the duration of a natural gas engine could be another.
"It's wear and tear primarily," McCullough said.
"The combustion characteristics of natural gas is hotter than gasoline. But purity of fuel and combustion is more complete, so you have less wear and tear on the engine. From an operating perspective of a natural gas vehicle, an engine will perform as well as a comparable gas engine. And from a performance point of view, I don't think people are disappointed."
About a year ago, one man posted a photograph on the Internet of his Tahoe with the going price painted on the side: $1.39 a gallon. He gets an identical 21 miles per gallon as he did when burning gasoline, which at the time ran about $2.90 a gallon.
McCullough agreed that, in general, natural gas used for motor vehicles would run about 50 percent less than gasoline.
"Gasoline is tied to the price of oil and the price of oil, compared to the price of natural gas, is much higher," he said.
Tomblin's fact-finding group involves "a significant number" of natural gas industry representatives, along with state and local government leaders, and others in the business community who have embraced natural gas as an alternative, such as Waste Management.
Mason said no one from the environmental community asked to serve on the panel.
"The goal of our task force is to have all of those folks come to the table and fully assess the feasibility of using natural gas," she said.
"Of course, there is some question, do you have the cars first, or do you have the infrastructure first? So, we are looking into the possibility of how that would be structured."
Powering vehicles on natural gas is not entirely new to West Virginia.
Back in the administration of former Gov. Gaston Caperton, some stations actually surfaced in the state. But back then, Mason said she learned from a key industry official serving on the task force, "the price in oil then shot up and at the same time natural gas prices were associated with the price of oil, and it just became prohibitive."
"Many cars are just dedicated for natural gas," Tomblin's policy director said. "But the industry is looking at the demand. And there's even discussions about making biofuel vehicles so they can run on both."
Government could prove the big pioneer in this region.
"Certainly, we're looking to see whether the utilization of natural gas is the most economically feasible," Mason said.
"We certainly have a significant fleet. So, much of our study has been to identify where those cars are located, what the volume is along the Interstates, where is the most viable spots for folks to build those stations, if there's interest in the private sector. You've got to take one step at a time. So, last fall, the governor did request that the administration include vehicles in requests for proposals. If we can move forward getting stations up and running, which I don't think is the responsibility of the state, then state agencies will have opportunities to purchase those vehicles."
Like Mason, McCullough suggested it is far too early to say if Tomblin might raise the matter in his State of the State message.
"The purpose of the task force, of course, is to take the best ideas that industry and government and constituents who are advocating this have in mind," he said.
"I'm sure that the governor and his staff will take into consideration some of the recommendations that have been made. If there's some good sound policies to propose to the Legislature, I think that would be warranted."
Border states Virginia and Pennsylvania have opened natural gas stations, adding a degree of importance to the task force's research.
"West Virginia wants to continue to be a player, with our major Interstates, and provide continuity of travel," Mason said. "That's another reason the study is important."


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NORMAN — The final Crosstown Clash of the regular season in any sport takes place at 5:45 p.m. today when Norman High visits Norman North on the slow-pitch softball diamond. NHS claimed the season's first Clash on its diamond and will be going for the sweep today.
About a week remains in the slow-pitch regular season. Class 6A regional tourneys are on the slate for the second half of next week, with Norman joining Southmoore and Noble at Tecumseh, and Norman North headed to Broken Arrow, joining Sand Springs and Tulsa McLain.
— Clay Horning
For local news and more, subscribe to The Norman Transcript Smart Edition, or our print edition.


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Thursday, April 11th, 7:30pm
Whitney Humanities Center, 53 Wall Street
Twice a year in Cambodia, the Tonle Sap River changes course, while the river of life flows in a perpetual cycle of death and rebirth and of creation and destruction. Working in an intimate, verite style, filmmaker Kalyanee Mam, spent two years in her native homeland following three young Cambodians struggling to overcome the crushing effects of deforestation, overfishing, and overwhelming debt. A breathtaking and unprecedented journey from the remote, mountainous jungles and floating cities of the Cambodian countryside to the bustling garment factories of modern Phnom Penh, A River Changes Course traces a remarkable and devastatingly beautiful story of a country torn between the rural present and an ominous industrial future.
Followed by a panel discussion with filmmaker Kalyanee Mam, Ben Kiernan, and Youk Chhang, moderated by Roger Cohn
Having escaped war-torn Cambodia in 1979, lawyer-turned-filmmaker Kalyanee Mam (Yale College '99) seeks to combine human rights and law in creating documentaries that are both captivating and inspiring. Mam's past work includes the 2011 Academy Award-winning documentary about the global financial crisis, Inside Job, where she served as cinematographer, associate producer, and researcher, and her first documentary short, "Between Earth & Sky." She directed, produced, and shot this film, which follows the hopes and struggles of three young Iraqi refugees.
Genre: Documentary
Year: 2013
Running Time: 83 min.
Website: ariverchangescourse.com
Director: Kalyanee Mam (Yale College '99)
Producers: Ratanak Leng, Kalyanee Mam
Executive Producers: Youk Chhang
Director of Photography: Kalyanee Mam
Editor: Chris Brown
· A River Changes Course
· EFFY After Dark
· Elemental
· Gold Fever
· Installation: Sustainability Heard
· Installation: Young Photographers Exhibition
· More Than Honey
· Musicwood
· Shorts I: School's Out!
· Shorts II: Redemption
· Special Event: Documentary vs. Advocacy
· Special Event: Jazz Ecology
· The East
· The Fruit Hunters
· The Last Ocean
· Trashed


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Low mileage, 2-owner CA Mercedes-Benz 450SLC coupe. V8, auto, red leather interior, beautiful inside and out. Please inquire for more info.... More
Good running condition SLC, 76 Black on Beige, restored interior, Nardi Steering Wheel, cd player. A soon to be classic that could be a... More
..1980 Mercedes Benz 450SLC 4 Passenger Sport Touring Coupe Last Vintage of a Grand Classic For over 60 years I have been selling Mercedes Benz's and other... More
This rarely seen Mercedes started its life in Germany. This is a one year only European version that was imported into the USA. This... More


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View the article online at http://citywire.co.uk/new-model-adviser/article/a636029
HMRC criticised over £10.2bn backlog of 41,000 avoidance cases
by Daniel Grote on Nov 21, 2012 at 07:54
The National Audit Office (NAO) has criticised HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) over a backlog of 41,000 avoidance cases it is investigating relating to £10.2 billion of tax.
The NAO said in a report on HMRC's efforts to tackle tax avoidance had not demonstrated how it would tackle this backlog, and that its tax avoidance disclosure regime was failing to curb the 'persistent' use of highly contrived schemes.
'HMRC must push harder to find an effective way to tackle the promoters and users of the most aggressive tax avoidance schemes,' said NAO head Amyas Morse.
'Though its disclosure regime has helped to change the market, it has had little impact on the persistent use of highly contrived schemes which deprives the public purse of billions of pounds,' he added.
'It is inherently difficult to stop tax avoidance as it is not illegal. But HMRC needs to demonstrate how it is going to reduce the 41,000 avoidance cases it currently has open.'
9 comments so far. Why not have your say?
Nov 21, 2012 at 09:44
Mr Laffer had the answer to tax avoidance.report this
Nov 21, 2012 at 10:06
Keith, you are right, but nobody in a position to make a change is or will be listening!report this
Nov 21, 2012 at 11:17
Well, whatever stick the HMRC gets for a backlog of 41,000 avoidance cases, it will I think pale into insignificance compared to the brickbats it will get over the fiasco of the Glasgow Rangers Employee Benefits Trust case decided yesterday in the Tax Tribunal.
HMRC lost.
Big time.
For years HMRC had been hounding Rangers for supposedly millions of unpaid tax which HMRC claimed was unlawfully avoided by the use of EBTs.
It petitioned for Rangers liquidation and it achieved its goal – Rangers as was, a national Scottish and football institution, went for an early bath.
Only now it seems that its tax planning was not unlawful, as its designers argued all along, and that it was HMRC that got it wrong.
So what redress do the real creditors, shareholders and fans of Glasgow Rangers have now? To whom do they complain about the wanton destruction of such an institution?
There is a great deal of beating of breasts and gnashing of teeth about the immorality of not paying tax. Why should anyone pay tax they do not lawfully need to pay? How can adhering to the law of the land be morally repugnant?
What can be more morally repugnant than a governmental agency with almost unlimited power abusing those powers, and being encouraged to do so by the elected politicians (whose financial morals are of course without blemish – Aye Right ! ), to pursue relentlessly a company or an individual who is organising their affairs within the letter of the law?report this
Nov 21, 2012 at 11:55
Alasdair - I thought HMRC forced RFC into liquidation over £9m in unpaid VAT and PAYE ? The "big" tax case was certainly a large shadow looming over them, but it wasn't the basis for liquidation, as the FTT decision wasn't published until after administrators, and then liquidators, were appointed.
Anyone tempted into moral indignation over the treatment of RFC should read the full judgment, including the - in my view more legally sound and cogently reasoned - dissenting opinion. I waded through it last night, and it didn't leave me with a higher opinion of Baxendale-Walker, "Mr Red", "Mrs Crimson" or any of the other key players.report this
Nov 21, 2012 at 12:44
@ alasdair
Well it appears that your plea for Rangers under the ' Why should anyone pay tax they do not lawfully need to pay? How can adhering to the law of the land be morally repugnant?' ticket is falling upon deaf ears.
Making certain arrangements in order to avoid payment of tax that would have been used (however badly) for the benefit of society is morally repugnant if the arrangement has no other reasonable benefit.
I guess, in this case, the tribunal narrowly decided there is a tenuous reason for the avoidence scheme, although with dissent.
However if the club had been run properly, and not witheld money to the VAT and PAYE, it would not have gotten into the mess it did.
It is unusual for a lawyer to claim a moral superiority with an argument about a lack of morals being acceptable practice. It just shows that a lot of lawyers have little concept of what morals are.
If you feel that most of your professional actions should in some way benefit society before the individual, then you probably have a decent set of morals.
If your actions are to deliberately hurt society in order to feather your own nest, then you do not have a decent set of morals.
Therefore thieves, fraudsters, benefit cheats, tax avoiders, certain Scottish football clubs and their corporate lawyers have shown a lack of morals.
Generally HMRC hold the moral high ground, and probably countless sums of taxpayers money will have to be spent, once again, to close this particular loophole. But who judges the HMRC? Lawyers.
HMRC should be able to demand the avoided tax in advance when a legal challenge to its decisions is instigated. if found to be in the wrong, HMRC could then make a refund. This is the way to benefit society.
But that would take a lot of work away from lawyers, and that may not be morrally correct, or would it?report this
Nov 21, 2012 at 16:34
Recent events (Starbucks, Celebrities, Rangers, et al) show the whole UK tax system needs an overhaul with a major injection of simplification.
(simplification in the true meaning of the word not as in 'Pension Simplification')report this
Nov 21, 2012 at 17:06
@ Nick White
As I understand it, HMRC petitioned for liquidation on the basis of the outstanding VAT and PAYE only because it couldn't base a claim on the other.
As is now clear why.
And until and unless HMRC successfully appeals and secures the quashing of that decision by judicial review or otherwise then that decision will stand to the effect that the EBT strategy is legal. It will no doubt be relied upon as precedent.
The law is written and judicially interpreted in an objective manner. It applies to all. Whether the individual wishes to arrange their affairs to comply with the law in a manner that minimises their tax liability is an entirely personal choice. If they abide by the letter of the objective law in doing so then what they do is lawful and appropriate.
The issue of morality is subjective.
If the law as it stands and as it has been interpreted produces a result that society does not like then that is an entirely different matter. Society can and ought to change it. It is that simple.
But God help us all, and the rule of law, if the applicability of that law is determined by notions of the variable and subjective morality of Joe Public.
@ Hickky
As ever, an interesting contribution.
"Making certain arrangements in order to avoid payment of tax that would have been used (however badly) for the benefit of society is morally repugnant if the arrangement has no other reasonable benefit"
Any arrangements to avoid paying tax can and do have only one benefit – to leave more of the individual's earned income in their own pocket. Why? So that they are less of a burden on the state at a later date.
You ever heard of an ISA? Very popular with some people.
You will have heard of pensions? Not so popular nowadays since Gordon Brown raided their tax benefits, since George Osborne reduced and seems likely further to reduce the maximum tax allowable annual contributions.
A person can lawfully re-arrange their affairs and write their Will to minimise the IHT their estate pays to the Exchequer so as to maximise the estate passed on to their family.
So do tell me -when is lawful tax avoidance morally repugnant?
I cannot but wholly agree with you that the club would not have landed in court if it had paid the VAT and PAYE that was lawfully due.
You do seem to have a very strange notion of what a lawyer's function is:
"If you feel that most of your professional actions should in some way benefit society before the individual, then you probably have a decent set of morals."
I could tell you that it is to argue the client's case without fear of or favour to anyone – particularly the State – to the best of his ability irrespective of how repellent that person may be and how repugnant the subject may be.
Do try to bear that in mind if ever the FSA come to call or if ever you are charged with an offence.report this
Nov 22, 2012 at 12:45
@ Alasdair - of course, when acting for a particular client, one acts in that client's interests. But…. we're not acting for particular clients in this discussion. As an educated observer, and based on my experience in my own area - pensions taxation - and of some of the more aggressive schemes deployed to avoid such taxation, I have no problem saying some of those schemes are morally repugnant. Far from celebrating them as championing the rule of law, I say that they ultimately threaten the rule of law by undermining the willingness of society as a whole to respect it.
Re your original assertion that the FTT result was a "fiasco" for HMRC, and bearing in mind (i) Rangers/Murray companies did not exactly have a perfect record for meeting tax liabilities and cooperating with tax authorities (ii) liquidation was as a direct result of unpaid VAT and PAYE, not the disputed EBT assessments (iii) the Scottish media already reports that over 30 of the EBT cases were anyway conceded by the appellants as being liable to income tax (iv) the decision was by majority, with a strongly dissenting judgment (v) the majority judgment only finds in favour of those contested arrangements that were executed sufficiently carefully, but some were not and were therefore found to be caught as emoluments/earnings (vi) even the majority judgment is heavily critical of the obstructive behaviour and unconvincing explanations given by key actors, with key evidence only emerging as a result of seizure of documents by police……. what exactly did HMRC do wrong ?report this
Nov 28, 2012 at 08:52
HMRC has a backlog of 41,000 cases and no obvious means (to the NAO) to deal with those cases.
I suggest that HMRC is very happy to have such a backlog and to increase that backlog daily, such that any taxpayer who undertakes any type of legitimate tax planning will be subject to an enquiry.
Why would HMRC wish to follow such a policy? To my mind simply because being subject to a tax enquiry strikes fear into any law abiding taxpayer who may, for the first time, feel the force of the executive in their life. For many if not most, it will stop them from undertaking any further such tax planning until such time as the enquiry process is completed.
This is a strong and powerful lever that HMRC can pull at relatively little cost to achieve their aim of minimising structured tax avoidance without need for legislation or establishing case law precedent. They can and do prevaricate and delay the enquiry process, change personnel on the enquiry, raise new queries and request further voluminous information many months after the initial comprehensive information has been supplied and reviewed with all questions answered. Some enquiries are not managed on a sample basis but every taxpayer is required to supply similar voluminous information to HMRC. Enquiries from 2009 are still open at the end of 2012. The approach is unco-ordinated and looks very much hit and miss still, despite the information that the DoTAS regime must be providing where such planning is undertaken by taxpayers.
Whilst the taxpayer can always submit a closure notice where they believe the enquiry process has come to an end with no conclusion from HMRC, the costs of taking the matter to the FTT are still a huge barrier in both time and cost for all but the most wealthy taxpayers.
So is justice being done by delaying these enquiries? Is HMRC being fair to taxpayers as they expect taxpayers to be fair to them? Or are they just playing a game with taxpayers to please their political masters? Whatever one's view on structured tax avoidance justice and fairness are appropriate to everyone in a democracy.report this
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Lloyds fined £217m over Libor failings
by Michelle Abrego on Jul 28, 2014 at 13:59


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Springfield, Mass. - February 11, 2010 - The Springfield College women's basketball team rattled off its fifth-straight victory as it took down Coast Guard, 75-56, in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) contest on Wednesday evening. Amelia Sapowsky notched a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds in the win for the Pride.
With the win, Springfield ups its overall record to 13-9, and 11-4 in league play. Coast Guard falls to 5-15 overall, and 3-12 in the conference. The Pride has now won nine of its last 10 games, and is in second place in the NEWMAC.
Sapowsky, a junior center from Ware, Mass., had a fine game for SC. Besides her 12 points and 10 rebounds, she also had three assists, three blocks, and three steals, and was 6-of-12 from the floor. She was, however, just one of four Springfield players who scored in double figures. The others were junior guard Abby Connors (Douglas, Mass.) with a team-high 15 points, freshman guard Meghan Biondolillo (Levittown, N.Y.) with 12 points (including 4-of-6 from the floor and 4-of-5 from 3-point range), and sophomore guard Kelly Murphy (Mechanicville, N.Y.) with 10 points. Sophomore forward Kelly Slattery (Somers, Conn.) had seven points, and was 3-of-4 from the floor.
Coast Guard, as usual, was led by senior forward Melissa Martinelli (Vero Beach, Fla.) with a game-high 24 points. The league's leading scorer, Martinelli was the only Bears' player in double figures. Scoring nine points was senior guard Sabrina Taylor (Lake Worth, Fla.). Scoring six each were freshman guard Karli Collins (Delavan, Wisc.) and junior guard Jessica Anderson (Schoolcraft, Mich.).
The Pride shot an even .500 from the field (31-of-62), while Coast Guard shot .388 (19-of-49). The Bears outrebounded the Pride, 36-28. But a big difference came in the turnover category. SC had just 11, while forcing 22. SC also had 13 steals to just four for Coast Guard.
Springfield never trailed in this game. Biondolillo, who hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to win a game at Wheaton (59-56) last Saturday, began this game right where she left off, draining a three to give SC a lead 16 seconds into the contest. Coast Guard would get as close as one point (9-8) on a Martinelli lay-up with 14:08 remaining. But Springfield outscored the Bears, 21-13, the rest of the half to take a 30-21 lead at the intermission. A lay-up by Slattery with six seconds left upped the margin to nine.
In the second half, Coast Guard twice cut the lead to seven points, the last (35-28) on a lay-by Martinelli with 17:00 to go. But in the next 3:47, SC outscored Coast Guard, 16-4, to make it a more comfortable advantage. Biondolillo and Connors each had 3-pointers in that run, and SC led 51-32 with 13:13 left. SC would eventually lead by as many as 25 points (72-47) on a 3-pointer by freshman reserve guard Colleen Dignum (Albany, N.Y.) with 3:50 to go.
The Pride will play its final regular-season home game of the campaign when it hosts Clark on Saturday (Feb. 13) at 1:00 pm. It will be Breast Cancer Awareness Day, as well as National Girls and Women in Sports Day on the SC campus.


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|Inside Athletics » News Releases
Rin Siebert Elected To NIRSA Board of Directors as Region III Vice President
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Rin Seibert, CRSS, Director of Recreational Sports/Assistant Director of Athletics at Valparaiso University, will begin her term as Region III Vice President of the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) in June. Seibert was elected to this two-year position on April 3 during the 2009 NIRSA Annual Conference & Recreational Sports Exposition in Charlotte, N.C.
As Region III Vice President, Seibert will be one of 11 members on the NIRSA Board of Directors and will assist in governing the national association. The NIRSA board will be leading a financially sound and growing organization that administers a $3 million annual operating budget and has a wholly-owned, for-profit subsidiary, the NIRSA Services Corporation.
"Rin is a truly valued member of our association," said NIRSA Executive Director Dr. Kent J. Blumenthal, CAE, CRSS. "Her many years of experience, and her multitude of contributions to not only our association, but also the collegiate recreational sports field, make her an outstanding leader."


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Artists using Strata are a unique and varied breed. That they are creative, resourceful and detail oriented is obvious. What's not so obvious is that they're everywhere.
Strata 3D has been a staple of desktop illustration for so long that it's roots extend to just about every facet of the design community.
What we present here certainly isn't the breadth of the Strata experience. It includes the lush realism of Chris Tyler, the stunning surrealism of Edward Tuttle, the whimsy and character of Matt Rousell, the technical brilliance of Chris Szetela, and the architectural vistas of Ahmad Johari.
More artists and designers are waiting for you to discover.
See how Strata 3D is used in "the real-world" to give clients more than they expect and designers the tools they need.
From powerhouse names like Kraft®, to small regional projects - art and commerce meet in the third dimension.
See how it's done »
Here at Strata, we know that the stars of the show are really you, the artist. No matter how good the product is, if great work wasn't produced with it, we'd be nowhere.
We like to feature notable artists in the Strata community on a regular basis with feature articles and interviews.
Check out the featured artist page »


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On June 5, Californians for the first time will vote in an open primary.
The top two vote-getters in a race will move on to the November general election, whether they are from the same party or not.
In addition, this will be the first election with the new congressional, state Senate and Assembly districts approved last fall by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission. They officially take effect in January. You can look at the new districts at this website.
The Contra Costa elections department website is here. Below are the races people in Contra Costa County will see on their June ballot.
Patch will provide more coverage of these races between now the primary.
11th District
The new district is primarily in Contra Costa and includes Walnut Creek, Richmond, Pinole, El Cerrito, San Pablo, Kensington, part of Martinez, Concord, Clayton, Lamorinda, Pleasant Hill, Danville and Alamo.
There are four candidates in this race.
Democratic Congressman George Miller was first elected to Congress in 1974. He is a lifelong Contra Costa County resident who is outspoken on environmental and health care reform issues.
Democrat Cheryl Sudduth is a Richmond resident who lists herself on the ballot as a director of contracts and compliance. A website for Sudduth's campaign is still "under construction."
Democrat John Fitzgerald is a Concord resident who lists himself as a contractor. On his website, Fitzgerald is quoted as saying global warming is a scam and further investigations are needed into the Sept. 11 attacks and the Oklahoma City bombing.
Republican Virginia Fuller is a registered nurse who lives in Pinole. She lists herself as an advocate for children's health who wants to build jobs in inner cities and offer school choices to parents.
5th District
The new district includes Lake Sonoma, Napa, Solano and Contra Costa counties - including Martinez, Pinole, Hercules, Crockett and Rodeo.
There are three candidates on the ballot.
Democratic Congressman Mike Thompson was first elected to Congress in 1998. He's a former state senator and a Vietnam veteran who was awarded a Purple Heart. The St. Helena resident is also a small vineyard owner who describes himself as a Blue Dog Democrat.
Republican Randy Loftin is a Napa resident who works as a financial planner. No website could be found for Loftin.
Republican Stewart John Cilley is listed as a certified public accountant who lives in Rohnert Park. No website could be found for Cilley.
15th District
This new district includes San Ramon, Livermore, Dublin, Pleasanton, Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, Union City, Hayward and part of Fremont.
There are three candidates in this election.
Democrat Congressman Pete Stark was first elected to Congress in 1972. On his website, he says he has led "the fight to protect Social Security and Medicare, enact health reform, promote peace rather than war, and standing up for working families."
Democrat Eric Swalwell is an Alameda County prosecutor who also serves on the Dublin City Council. Swalwell grew up in Dublin and graduated from Dublin High. He's offering himself as a moderate alternative to Stark.
Christopher Pereja lists no party preference and no job description on the ballot. On his website, he criticizes career politicians and says he wants to build strong economy. The Hayward resident is the owner of B2B Power Exchange and LeadGenaires, companies that help businesses find new opportunities
7th District
The new district includes Walnut Creek, Concord, Clayton, Dublin, Pleasanton, Livermore, San Ramon, Danville, Alamo, Lamorinda and East County.
There are two candidates.
Democrat Mark DeSaulnier was first elected to the state Senate in 2008. He's also businessman who has served on the Concord City Council and Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors.
Republican Mark Meuser operates a civil litigation firm that represents both individuals and small businesses. As a youngster, Meuser picked cherries and set up a roadside stand to sell them. He owned a pizza restaurant while studying law. He was campaign manager and chief of staff for Sen. John Loudon of Missouri before starting his law practice.
3rd District
The new district includes Martinez, Benicia, Vallejo, Fairfield, Vacaville, Davis, Woodland, Napa, Sonoma, Petaluma and Rohnert Park.
There's only one candidate on the ballot in this race.
Democrat Lois Wolk was elected to the state Senate in 2008. Wolk was in the state Assembly from 2002 to 2008. She lives in Davis. She's also been a mayor and county supervisor.
9th District
The new district includes San Leandro, Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, Albany, El Cerrito, Richmond, Pinole and Hercules.
There's only one candidate in this election.
Democrat Loni Hancock was elected to the state Senate in 2008. Prior to that she served as assemblywoman and mayor of Berkeley.
14th District
The new district includes Concord, Clayton, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Benicia and Vallejo.
There's only one candidate running in this race.
Democrat Susan Bonilla was first elected to the Assembly in 2010. Prior to that, she served on the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors and on the Concord City Council. She's also a former high school English teacher.
11th District
The new district includes Benicia and Martinez as well as a large part of Solano County and the Delta.
There are six candidates in this race.
Democrat Jim Frazier is the mayor of Oakley who has been a small business owner for 21 years. On his website, Frazier says he will put "people before politics." During his political career he has focused on health care issues, job creation and highway improvements.
Democrat Patricia Hernandez is a Rio Vista resident who lists herself as a professional negotiator who helps negotiate contracts for the Union of American Physicians and Dentists.
Democrat Gene Gantt is a retired Benicia fire chief who currently is the interim executive director of the California State Firefighters Association. He describes himself as an avid conservationist and outdoorsman.
Len Augustine lists no party preference on the ballot. He a retired USAF colonel and the former mayor of Vacaville. On his website, Augustine says during his 16 years on the City Council, he helped bring business to Vacaville and revitalize the city's downtown. He is a member or former member of more than a dozen community groups.
Republican Mike Hudson is Suisun City's vice mayor and a local business owner. Hudson spent 10 years in the U.S. Navy submarine service. He has owned Hudson Business Networks since 2001. On his website, Hudson says his priorities in his second term on the council are public safety and a balanced budget.
Democrat Charles Kingeter lists himself on the ballot as a programmer/artist. No website could be found for Kingeter.
16th District
The new district includes Walnut Creek, Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin, the San Ramon Valley and Lamorinda.
There are two candidates in this race.
Democrat Joan Buchanan was a San Ramon Valley Unified School District board member for 20 years. She was first elected to the Assembly in 2008. Education is one of her primary issues.
Republican Al Phillips lives in Livermore and is a union construction superintendent. He says on his website that he favors reducing regulations and streamlining government. His focus is on pension debt, the budget deficit and school performance.
2nd District
The district includes the San Ramon Valley, Lafayette, Moraga, Orinda and part of Walnut Creek.
There are three candidates.
Candace Anderson is the mayor of Danville. She's been on the Town Council for 10 years. She holds a degree in public policy.
Sean White is a solar energy professor who lives in Canyon. He has a Facebook page that lists himself as a "Green/Democrat." On his website, White says his main reason for running is to "furthur expose the effects that money has on politics."
Tomi Van der Brooke is a Contra Costa Community College District trustee who has worked for Fortune 500 companies and run a small business. She lives in Orinda.
3rd District
This new district covers much of East Contra Costa County as well as the eastern portion of the San Ramon Valley.
There is only one candidate.
Mary Nejedly Piepho is the incumbent. She is a Discovery Bay resident who has served two terms on the board.
5th District
This new district covers northern Contra Costa County, stretching from Pittsburg to Hercules.
There is only one candidate.
Federal Glover has been on the board since 2000.


text: Ben Affleck shared his tips for how to win an Oscar pool. Steven Spielberg hoisted an elaborate floral centerpiece off his table so he could better see his fellow lunch guests (including the youngest lead actress nominee, Quvenzhané Wallis). And 66-year-old uber-producer Frank Marshall ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button") deejayed the whole affair.


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Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent John Deasy will ask the Board of Education Tuesday to restore the district's 180-day school year and rescind all furlough days for the 2012-13 school year—all thanks to the passage of Proposition 30.
"With their strong support of Proposition 30, the voters of Los Angeles
County made it clear they want the LAUSD to do what's best for our youth," Deasy said Friday. "Restoring the full calendar and keeping our employees in the schools is a pivotal step in this effort."
The district's labor unions—including United Teachers Los Angeles—
had reached an agreement providing for employees to take 10 furlough days during the coming school year.
UTLA President Warren Fletcher hailed Deasy's decision.
"Our teachers took a risk last year, approving the jobs restoration and
furlough agreement, which included up to 10 furlough days," Fletcher said.
"As always, they put students first. And now, we are on the cusp of
having those furlough days canceled and being able to provide our students with a full year of instruction. I once again thank UTLA members and the voters of California."
Proposition 30 will increase the sales tax by a quarter-cent on the
dollar for four years and raise the income tax on annual earnings over $250,000 for seven years. The increased revenues from Proposition 30 will result in an increase to the minimum guarantee for schools and community colleges under terms of Proposition 98, approved by voters in 1988.
Revenue generated by Proposition 30 will be deposited into the state's
newly created Education Protection Account. Of the funds in the account, 89 percent will be devoted to schools from kindergarten through 12th grade, and the other 11 percent to community colleges.
Each school district will receive at least $200 per student in funds
from the account and each community college district at least $100 per full-time student.
The additional funds cannot be used for administrative costs. School and
community college boards will decide how the funds would be spent.
The additional tax revenues generated by Proposition 30 could also be
used to fund other programs in the state budget.
Proposition 30 will generate an additional $6 billion in state tax revenues from the 2012-2013 through 2016-17 fiscal years, according to an estimate from the state's Legislative Analyst's Office and Director of Finance Ana J. Matosantos. Smaller amounts would be generated in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 fiscal years.


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When it comes to cufflinks and leather goods, Jan Leslie nails the classics, but she also knows how to have a little irreverent fun. cocktail glasses and skulls to plain studs, classic mother of pearl ovals, and her signature bee design, Leslie's links tackle all manner of motif — but do so gracefully and with elegance. Top-quality components, meticulous craftsmanship, and hand-finished detailing define her entire collection of jewelry, wallets and card cases, charms, collar stays, and more. Jan Leslie's jewelry and accessories will give even the most conservative business suit a much needed punch.
Accessories with personality to complete your summer suited look.
Everything you need to look sharp at the office or for a night on the town
Everything you need to look sharp at the office or for a night on the town
Whether it's the subtle glint of an expertly crafted cufflink by Zegna or the rakish charm of one of Chan Luu's leather bracelets, every guy should embrace the opportunity to bring a little something extra to the sartorial table. Find your way to do it here, with smart, stylish jewelry and links by a host of great designers.


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Are You Feeling Crafty?Nov 28, 2012
Gifts for Good will be starting back up again today! We will meet in the CCE (Scott 110) at 6pm to make crafts to sell in the UC. The proceeds will go to an organization to be decided on at the meeting.
In addition, students are encouraged to make crafts on their own time to sell in the UC at lunch on Friday, Nov. 30th and Monday, Dec. 3rd.
Posted by Shandra Swilling (email@example.com) on Nov 14, 2012 at 1:23 PM


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Thanks to Harold for sharing this photo. He's now been entered into this week's Community Photos contest.
How would you caption the picture? Tell us in the comments below.
Each week we're giving away a Patch gear prize pack to one winner selected at random from the readers whose photos are featured Monday through Saturday. The winner will be announced Sunday. Photos uploaded to the Featured Photos articles or to one of our neighborhood galleries qualify.


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|News » Archives
Valpo Battles Ohio State to 0-0 Draw
Friday, September 19, 2003Valparaiso registered its first result of the 2003 season on Friday afternoon in Columbus, Ohio, as the Crusaders battled to a 0-0 double-overtime tie with Ohio State.
Ohio State had one of the first chances of the match in the 20th minute, but Matt McCune's shot from 35 yards out sailed over the crossbar. Valpo its first opportunity of the contest 23 minutes in when Adam Newell (Indianapolis, Ind./Center Grove H.S.) received a feed from Owen Hoyt (Spring Grove, Ill./Prairie Ridge H.S.) at the top of the box, but was unable to get a shot off.
Nate Hyde (South Bend, Ind./Clay H.S.) gave the Crusaders a late opportunity, but his shot in the final minute of the half sailed high and wide of the goal as both teams went into the locker room scoreless.
The Buckeyes managed five shots in the opening stanza, while Valpo tallied just three. Neither team had a shot on net. Ohio State had five corner kicks, while Valpo did not have any.
Less than two minutes into the second half, Ohio State had a chance as Taylor Korpieski was all alone inside the box but fired the shot wide right. Mark McKeever went in on Jeff Oleck (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral H.S.) on a breakaway, but the sophomore keeper was up to the challenge and held on to the save to avoid the rebound.
Valpo had an opportunity midway through the second half as Mark Korba (Portage, Ind./Portage H.S.) took a free kick from 20 yards out following a Buckeye yellow card, but the Crusaders were unable to convert.
Ohio State had another opportunity with 20 minutes remaining but Sammy Tamporello's shot from the top of the box just missed high over the crossbar.
Hoyt had another outstanding scoring opportunity with just over 15 minutes remaining, taking a Korba cross and heading the ball just wide of the mark. Oleck again came up big in the 84th minute, making a leaping save of a Dan Morton opportunity.
Ohio State again had a flurry of opportunities in the 86th minute, with three straight corner kicks, the third just sailing wide of the far post.
Oliver Sanders (Cape Girardeau, Mo./Notre Dame H.S.) had a brief look at an open net in the 89th minute for the brown and Gold after Buckeye keeper Chad Brown punched out a long opportunity, but the shot went wide among heavy defensive pressure, sending the match to overtime.
Valpo won its first corner kick of the match three minutes into overtime, but the heading attempt went high. Derek Mackenzie of Ohio State had an opportunity in the 97th minute from 15 yards out, but his low shot went wide left.
Nathan Balfanz (East Peoria, Ill./East Peoria H.S.) took a free kick 20 yards out for the Crusaders after Michael McCarthy was issued a red card at the 98:08 mark, but the Ohio State wall blocked the shot away.
Playing a man down, the Buckeyes still drew the only real opportunity of the second overtime, but Tamporello's shot from ten yards out went high.
For the match, Valpo (0-4-1) registered just five shots, while Ohio State (1-5-1) tallied 16 attempts. Oleck made three saves for the Crusaders, while Brown did not have to make a stop. The Buckeyes had 11 corner kicks, compared with just one for Valpo.
Valpo is now 4-3-1 in its last eight matches against the Big Ten.
The Crusaders will return to action on Sunday afternoon when the Muskateers of Xavier (Ohio) visit Eastgate Field for a 1 p.m. match.
News Categories


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Live oaks
Magnificent live oaks define our landscape, offering poetic structure to our vistas, shade on scorching summer days, and shelter for myriad plants and animals. Many, such as the Angel Oak on John's Island, have survived for centuries, bearing witness to the collective histories of the Lowcountry and outlasting destructive forces of both man and Mother Nature. Here, we pay tribute to these mighty miracles with photographs by Dustin K. Ryan and quotes from local poets and authors


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Cyfryngau Newydd
Ebrill 2008
Mobile Computing
Engaging Museum Audiences
Keeping the Focus on Learning in e-Learning
Mai 2007
Soliciting User Comments
It's been a while since I posted to the New Media blog, but plenty of work has been going into the blog system itself to fix bugs and add features. Building a blog server is less work than you may think if you have enough control over your CMS. For instance, pinging a blog site with your new content is easy using a XML-RPC call - PHP even has a helpful xmlrpc_encode_request function - and a site like Pingomatic will pass the message on to everyone for you
The remaining big feature for us is user comments - I'm not sure we're even a real blog till we enable this. Although the museums I've spoken to haven't experienced problems with comments, most still retain safe-guards. This might be through a registration/email verification system or pre-approving comments to appear on the site. One method favours the regular contributor, the other casual commenters. I haven't seen a system that lets the user decide which they group they belong to, but this might be a good way forward.
Of course, this work could be avoided by installing a blog server like WordPress but by integrating with our in-house content management system (the snappily named Amgueddfa CMS) this work will eventually find its way throughout our site. One of the projects we're working on will introduce lots of interesting articles and other content about our collections. We'd like people to discuss those themes too.
The Morgan Library and The Whitney Museum of American Art
Today I visited the Morgan Library, which has been recently refurbished. It's worth a visit to see the building not just their collections, which include manuscripts, early printed books, and old master drawings and prints.
Apart from their impressive galleries, they also have facilities to allow you to pour through their website. The website includes CORSAIR, the online website catalogue, as well as collection highlights and online exhibitions.
I also had the chance to visit Dina at the Whitney Museum of American Art. They have designed a superb resource for teachers in Learning@Whitney (www.whitney.org/learning). Teachers can either use the pre-prepared lessons (which are theme based) or print images and create their own lessons. There are even sections for kids and teens to develop their own online galleries.
Ellis Island Immigration Museum
Today I went to the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, and decided for the first time this trip to get the audio guide. This proved to be well worth it - I seemed to be more immersed in the tour, and be more interested in the collections and exhibition.
There were some touchscreens that had access to all the census information. In fact, I looked to see how many Welsh there are currently living in the US (942,377), you can even check the population density. There were also some terminals that allowed you to check names that entered the USA through Ellis Island
Following my trip to Ellis Island I visited the Skyscraper Museum, which was very small, detailing some facts about the world's (and New York's) tallest buildings. It also contained some documentary videos running off DVD boxes.
Museum of Television and Radio & Digital Knowledge Ventures
My visit to the Museum of Television and Radio was an alien experience to me. They explained as I entered how it worked - you could view screenings which are at certain times of the day, then visit their library of television shows and films. They also had a choice of 5 radio programs running on loop all day
This was very strange as there were no artifacts - at least none I'd seen. Unfortunately I missed the museum tour which started in the gallery downstairs. I ventured upstairs just in time for a show's screening. There are several rooms so you can pick and choose throughout the afternoon (it's only open from 12pm).
Later on I visited the library, which (as they explained) allows you to choose 2 shows or films to watch in a private booth. These booths were great - and they would be fantastic for any large film archive
I also visited Vivian at Digital Knowledge Ventures, which is part of Columbia University. They have done some great work for museums, including many websites and interactive touchscreens (using Director). I've got a lot to look at when I get back, especially one of their current projects for the Library of Congress.
Ebrill 2007
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Jewish Museum
I visited 2 museums today up on New York's Museum Mile (5th Ave). Not all museums are open on a Monday so it's worth planning beforehand. I visited the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Jewish Museum.
The Guggenheim is a stunning piece of architecture, but unfortunately I couldn't enjoy it's exterior much as the building is undergoing some renovations. Still there was plenty of art to enjoy, with some very famous paintings on display. The interpretive technology in the galleries is very minimal - a digital signage system in the foyer is about all I could find. There are some very striking audio-visual installations though, with all the technology carefully hidden. Unfortunately there was no opportunity to visit the Sackler Center, which is described as a 'learning laboratory'.
The Jewish Museum is currently holding an exhibition on new photography and video art. In one part there was an interesting use of large LCD displays on stands arranged into a circle, where you could sit in the middle and watch multiple streams of videos at the same time. Each system seemed to be running from separate machines, though still in sync! I like their Goodkind Media Center, which houses PCs with web-based access to new media and video archives.
Brooklyn Museum
Yesterday's visit to the Brooklyn Museum gave us much food for thought. We met with Nicole, who works within the exhibition department. They are finding effective ways of interpreting the collections without affecting the integrity of the exhibition. Projects like 'Graffiti' have been very popular within the community, as they have been incorporating social networking tools like Flickr.
Policing the comments must be quite hard work, but ultimately worth it. The online community they have built up is an important contact point for the Museum, and they are careful not to abuse this trust with too much marketing.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Today we met with Matt from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, who is the General Manager of the website. It was a very insightful meeting, and I think Chris and I gained much from speaking with him. Apart from discussing databases and user tagging, we also talked about the difficulties of developing web projects in a museum. It was quite refreshing to see that even one of the largest museums in the USA has some similar issues to us!
After the meeting we went for a wander round the vast museum and looked at one of the few interactives they have (a labelling system). The museum has a huge collection, with some very famous works of art on display (that even I recognised!).
Cyfryngau Newydd
Ffotograffau Hanesyddol (Esmee Ffairburn)
Linking Natural Science Collections in Wales
Project Sain Ffagan Amgueddfa Werin Cymru Project Creu Hanes
Ymchwilio yn Ynysoedd Falkland
cofnodion diweddar
A Window into the Industry Collections
'Made in Roath' take some of the Museum's specimens on a day out to Chapter


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BINKA LE BRETON runs the Iracambi Rainforest Research Center, lectures and broadcasts internationally on rainforest and human rights topics. She is also president of Amigos de Iracambi, and in her spare time writes books.
Binka Le Breton