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What do we know about teen parents? Take a moment to make a mental list (or, if you're motivated to get out a pen and paper, I won't stop you) of all the facts and statistics you've heard.
In case you're coming up short, I'll give you a few:
You can read more here or here or here or watch any episode of 16 and Pregnant that features Dr. Drew. He'll usually cover most of these points before the hour is up – while interviewing young people who are actually parenting.
Beyond these "facts", we hear plenty of other messages on what The Candie's Foundation calls "the devastating consequences of teen pregnancy;" their print ads tell teens they won't move out of their parents house if they have a teen pregnancy; they'll be spending $10,000 a year on their baby; they'll have to breastfeed every two hours or come up with money for formula. The Candie's Foundation isn't the only organization putting out these types of messages – most teen pregnancy prevention, sex education, or public health organizations presume that their audience will immediately understand that teen pregnancy is harmful to young people, their children, and their communities as a whole.
Even the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy says that teen pregnancy is:
...risky for all of those involved. Compared to women who delay childbearing, teen mothers are more likely to end up on welfare. The children of teen mothers are at significantly increased risk of low birthweight and prematurity, mental retardation, poverty, growing up without a father, welfare dependency, poor school performance, insufficient health care, inadequate parenting, and abuse and neglect. (From Halfway There: A Prescription for Continued Success in Preventing Teen Pregnancy)
And if the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy says it's a huge problem, they must be right… right?
Well… not really. You might have heard the saying that "there are three types of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." When it comes to teen parents, the statistics' metaphorical pants are definitely on fire. First, we have to recognize that the young women who become teen mothers are different from some other young women. Not radically different, not different in a way that means we can marginalize or demonize them, but different in that: a) they chose to have sexual relationships as a teenager (most of them – some pregnancies are the result of sexual abuses or assaults; b) they probably didn't use birth control when they were having sex (maybe they didn't learn about it, maybe they couldn't access it, maybe they couldn't afford it, maybe they wanted to get pregnant, or maybe they did use it and it failed, as all methods can); c) they chose not to have an abortion (again, presuming they made this choice themselves, and had affordable access to safe abortion if they had wanted one).
Of all the teenaged women in the country, which young women are most likely to meet all of these criteria? Demographically, we know that it's women and girls who grew up in low-income communities that have the highest likelihood of becoming young mothers.
Why is this? As I said earlier, it takes money to avoid parenthood if you've decided to have sex: you have to be able to afford birth control (and/or abortion), and sometimes that can be really expensive. It also helps if you went to a good school with a comprehensive sex education program, and we know that schools in low-income communities rarely have the resources needed to give students the educations they deserve. (Surprisingly, not all teens know they can get a ton of free sex education here at Scarleteen – provided they can afford or access a computer.)
But there's also something else, and that's the extent to which young people have big plans for themselves that will conflict with parenthood. Are you planning on going to college? For some young people, the answer is an immediate "Yes!" because their parents went to college, their older siblings went to college, all their friends are going, and between their family and financial aid, they will be able to afford a post-secondary education that will help them pursue their dreams and find a decent job. However, for some young people, the answer is "I don't know" or an ambivalent shrug, or even a straightforward "no." Maybe no one in their family has gone to college, maybe their school doesn't have a college counselor that can talk to them about the application process and financial aid, maybe they just know they can't afford it or what it might be able to offer them. They see their parents working jobs that don't require a college degree. They expect to have a mid- to low-paying job, because that's the type of job everyone around them has.
Now imagine there are two 16 year-olds, one who knows she's going to college – she's got a whole plan mapped out, and she didn't even have to map it out all by herself. That's just what she expects because that's what everyone she knows does, and that's what her parents expect of her. Then there's the other one, who doesn't expect to go to college, but she does expect to work hard at a job so she can contribute some money to her parents. That's just what she expects because that's what everyone she knows does, and that's what her parents expect of her.
Both young women want to be mothers one day. Both are having sex with a boyfriend.
The first young woman has that college plan, though – and having a baby would really get in the way. It's really hard to go to college with a new baby, and she knows that. Plus, she doesn't know anyone who had a baby in high school. Her parents would be mortified if she got pregnant. Having a baby now would change the trajectory of her life. It's an unacceptable risk. One night, when her boyfriend's condom breaks, she goes to the pharmacy and buys emergency contraception. She decides if she's pregnant, she will have an abortion. She talks to her doctor about going on the birth control pill so that she won't have to worry should the condom break in the future.
The second young woman has a different plan. She's going to graduate high school and get a job in the preschool where she now works part-time, and maybe eventually become a teacher there. It's an hourly wage job, and she knows most of the women who work there already have children. Her cousin was a teen mom, and her mother had her older brother when she was 17 years old. She knows teen moms work hard and pinch pennies, but she's going to be doing that anyway. If she has a baby now, she can count on her parents' begrudging acceptance, and she knows that her mother would help with babysitting. She doesn't want to live with her parents forever, but she's not planning on moving out when she turns 18, anyway. One night, when her boyfriend's condom breaks, she decides to wait and see. She doesn't know much about emergency contraception, and she doesn't have $60 to spend on it anyway. She doesn't think much about abortion – she doesn't think she'd be comfortable with the idea, but since she doesn't know if she's pregnant yet, she won't stress about that at the moment. It's a risk she's willing to take: she definitely wants to be a mother someday, and if she is pregnant now, she knows she'll find a way to deal with it.
Not-so-surprise ending: A few weeks later, the first young woman breathes a sigh of relief when her period arrives on time. The second young woman takes a test, and the plus sign appears. She's pregnant.
Now, don't over generalize: if you're having vaginal intercourse, there's a chance you'll get pregnant, even if your dad has a vault the size of Bill Gates'. And, of course young women in low-income communities have hopes and dreams for their future. But the material privilege that a person has, the likelihood that they feel they'll be able to achieve their goals, and the examples provided by people in their community – each of these things contributes to the decisions that they'll make, the risks that they'll take, and the different paths they'll choose when faced with the same dilemma. We can conclude one thing very clearly and concretely: low-income women are more likely to become young mothers than middle and upper-income women.
What does this have to do with all those statistics we hear about teen pregnancy? It means that when we compare teen mothers to all other mothers and say, "Hey! Look how badly they're doing!" we're not really being fair. A woman who grew up in poverty in the United States is likely to live in poverty as an adult, too (despite what we hear about The American Dream) – and poverty itself is a huge risk factor for many adverse outcomes, including the outcomes listed in those statistics at the top of this page. When we compare teen mothers to older mothers, we're also almost always comparing poor or poorer mothers to mothers with more resources, and that's a problem. So, let's look at some better comparisons:
None of this means that being a teen parent isn't really, truly, incredibly hard. But hey – all parenting is a challenging. Newborns need to be fed in the middle night no matter how old their mothers are. Toddlers need to be constantly chased around just as much if their mom is 37 or if their mom 19. Some teenagers might not be up to the task – some adults in their thirties or forties aren't either. Let's not ridicule, stereotype or misrepresent young parents as a justification for preventing teen pregnancy!
So now you're probably scratching your head and asking: why, then, should we prevent teen pregnancy? For that, I invite you to stay tuned.
Gretchen Sisson is the author of Finding a Way to Offer Something More: Reframing Teen Pregnancy Prevention. You can follow her on Twitter @gesisson.
1. Furstenberg, F., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Morgan, S. P. (1987). Adolescent mothers in later life. New York: Cambridge University Press.
2. Geronimus, A. (2003). Damned if you do: culture, identity, privilege, and teenage childbearing in the United States. Social Science and Medicine, 57, 881–893.
3. Geronimus, A. (2001). Understanding and eliminating racial inequalities in women's health in the United States: the role of the weathering conceptual framework. Journal of the American Medical Women's Association, 56(4), 1–5.
4. Geronimus, A. (1996). Black/White differences in the relationship of maternal age to birthweight: a population-based test of the weathering hypothesis. Social Science and Medicine, 42(4), 589– 597.
5. Geronimus, A., & Korenman, S. (1993). Maternal youth or family background? On the health disadvantages of infants with teenage mothers. American Journal of Epidemiology, 137(2), 213–225.
6. Hoffman, S. (2008). Updated estimates of the consequences of teen childbearing for mothers. In S. Hoffman & R. Maynard (Eds.), Kids having kids: economic costs and social consequences of teen pregnancy (2nd ed.). Washington: Urban Institute Press.
7. Hotz, V. J., Williams Elroy, S., & Sanders, S. (2005). Teenage childbearing and its life cycle consequences: exploiting a natural experiment. The Journal of Human Resources, 40(3), 683–715.
8. McCarthy, J., & Hardy, J. (1993). Age at first birth and birth outcomes. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 3, 373–392.
9. Rauh, V., Andrews, H., & Garfinkel, R. (2001). The contribution of maternal age to racial disparities in birthweight: a multilevel perspective. American Journal of Public Health, 91, 1815–1824.
10. Rich-Edwards, J., Buka, S., Brennan, S., & Earls, F. (2003). Diverging associations of maternal age with low birthweight for Black and White mothers. International Journal of Epidemiology, 32, 83–90.
Information on this site is provided for educational purposes. It is not meant to and cannot substitute for advice or care provided by an in-person medical professional. The information contained herein is not meant to be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease, or for prescribing any medication. You should always consult your own healthcare provider if you have a health problem or medical condition.


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Quick Tips: Exercising Safely With Arthritis
Get started
Exercise is one of the best things you can do to help keep your muscles strong and reduce joint pain and stiffness. And it can help you reach and stay at a healthy weight.
But you want to make sure that you don't hurt your joints when you exercise. Before you get started, ask your doctor what kind of activity would be good for you.
These tips can help you exercise safely:
- Pace yourself, especially if you haven't exercised for a while. Start slowly, and don't push yourself too hard. Then work your way up to where you can exercise for a longer time or do the exercise with more effort.
- Manage pain. If your joint pain gets worse after exercise, try using ice on the joints that hurt. You may want to take an over-the-counter pain medicine before you exercise, such as acetaminophen (for example, Tylenol) or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as ibuprofen (for example, Advil or Motrin) or naproxen (for example, Aleve). Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label.
- Rest your joints if they are swollen. For example, if your knees are swollen, don't use the stairs for a few days. Walk a shorter distance, and switch to swimming or riding an indoor bike.
Know when you have sore muscles and not joint pain. If your muscles are sore, you can safely exercise through the soreness. (You could exercise through joint pain too, but it's not safe to do so.)
If you have joint pain that lasts for more than a day after you exercise, you need to:
- Rest the joint until your pain gets back to the level that is normal for you.
- Exercise for less time or with less effort.
- Try another exercise that doesn't cause pain.
Health Tools
Health Tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health.
|Actionsets are designed to help people take an active role in managing a health condition.
|Osteoarthritis: Exercising With Arthritis
Other Places To Get Help
|American Occupational Therapy Association
|4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220
|Bethesda, MD 20824-1220
|(301) 652-2682
|(301) 652-7711
|Web Address:
The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) is the nationally recognized professional association of approximately 35,000 occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, and students of occupational therapy. AOTA's mission is to advance the quality, availability, use, and support of occupational therapy through standard-setting, advocacy, education, and research on behalf of its members and the public.
|Arthritis Foundation
|P.O. Box 7669
|Atlanta, GA 30357
|Web Address:
The Arthritis Foundation provides grants to help find a cure, prevention methods, and better treatment options for arthritis. It also provides a large number of community-based services nationwide to make living with arthritis easier, including self-help courses; water- and land-based exercise classes; support groups; home study groups; instructional videotapes; public forums; free educational brochures and booklets; the national, bimonthly consumer magazine Arthritis Today; and continuing education courses and publications for health professionals.
|National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), National Institutes of Health
|1 AMS Circle
|Bethesda, MD 20892-3675
|1-877-22-NIAMS (1-877-226-4267) toll-free
|(301) 495-4484
|(301) 718-6366
|(301) 565-2966
|Web Address:
The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) is a governmental institute that serves the public and health professionals by providing information, locating other information sources, and participating in a national federal database of health information. NIAMS supports research into the causes, treatment, and prevention of arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases and supports the training of scientists to carry out this research.
The NIAMS website provides health information referrals to the NIAMS Clearinghouse, which has information packages about diseases.
Related Information
|Healthwise Staff
|Primary Medical Reviewer
|Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine
|Specialist Medical Reviewer
|Joan Rigg, PT, OCS - Physical Therapy
|Last Revised
|April 8, 2013
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Last Revised: April 8, 2013
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review: Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine & Joan Rigg, PT, OCS - Physical Therapy
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Unsung Hero - 1973 ChevelleWritten by Johnny Hunkins on March 16, 2006 Contributors: Steven Rupp Tony Lloyd takes the path less traveled with his big-block- '73 Chevelle.
Long before we espoused the virtues of the '73 Chevelle and Laguna body styles in the story, "9 Cars You Need To Build," Tony Lloyd of Aurora, Colo., had been busy working on his vision of this overlooked musclecar. Tony's journey to these pages started back in 1986 when he picked up the heavy Chevy for the meager sum of three hundred bucks. He was only 15 and it wasn't long before he was driving it around as his daily ride and occasionally hitting the drag strip over the next few years. Eventually, other life priorities took over and the '73 sat neglected. Over time the car became a storage bin for boxes and even had to suffer the indignity of being a refuge for local rodents. His wife, Joey, even took to calling it the "mouse house." This travesty persisted until three years ago when Tony decided the time was right to get to work on his ride. But not everyone shared Tony's vision. As Tony puts it, "I've always been a Chevy man, but I didn't want another '69 Camaro. This car is completely different, yet still cool as hell. Everybody, including my friends and family, always played down the car. They thought it was ugly, too big, too heavy, whatever. They thought I was crazy, but I like to prove people wrong." The more people questioned his choice, the more determined he was to turn his forgotten zero into an asphalt hero.
The body was pulled from the frame and received new floor pans and quarter-panels. After the side marker lights were deleted and the body was made suitably straight, Wright Weldon of Castle Rock, Colo., shot the car in the two-tone custom silver and black sand mica paint. The entire underside was then sprayed in Speedliner sound deadener. With the bodywork done, it was time to tackle the frame and suspension.
The complete frame for the '73 was stripped, then powder-painted in gloss black. The stock control arms got new PST poly bushings and the factory spindles were ditched in favor of Bell Tech two-inch drop versions. Since Air Ride Technologies didn't make a specific kit for Tony's vintage Chevy, a Camaro kit was modified to work. ShockWaves up front and air springs out back combine with rear KYB shocks to make for a comfortable ride and let Tony nail the perfect stance and still be able to navigate less than ideal roads. A 1.25-inch front sway bar from PST helps manage the body roll, but as an old street racer, Tony says this ride is more at home blasting down the straight and narrow. When it comes time to dissipate speed, Tony counts on his Baer Track brake system with 13-inch front and rear rotors. Chromed Bon Speed rollers in 17x8 up front run inside Nitto 245/45R17 tires while in the rear massive 235/30R17 Nitto drag radials are wrapped around 17x12 hoops. Tony did all the suspension work himself and feels that even though the car is more of a straight-line brawler, it still handles curves light years better than it did.
In an effort to completely purge the "mouse house" moniker that his wife, Joey, had bestowed on the Chevelle, Tony even ditched the stock mouse motor in favor of rat power. The 496 cubic-inch torque monster was bored .30 and stroked .250 inches. Other than some of the machine work, Tony (a mechanic by trade) did all the engine work himself. SRP pistons in a pump-gas friendly 10:1 compression ratio were connected to the SCAT crank by way of matching SCAT con rods. A hydraulic COMP camshaft is turned by a COMP double-roller timing chain to ensure precise timing. Topping off the short-block is a set of ported and polished GM rectangular port high-performance iron heads with 2.25-inch Manley intake valves. The heads also sport COMP springs and pushrods along with Harland Sharp roller rockers. To fuel the big-inch engine, Tony went with an Edelbrock Victor Jr. intake topped with a Demon 850 annular-discharge carb. The timing is set at 22 degrees, which is perfect for the high elevation of Tony's hometown, but was a bit too much for the Nevada desert, where we experienced mild detonation. MSD controls the ignition and a Milodon pump and oil pan keeps the engine well-lubed.
The big-block breathes in through a K&N filter and out through a set of Jet Hot coated Hooker headers mated to a 3.5-inch exhaust system with a pair of 40-series Flowmaster mufflers. The car was finished just before its date with our cameras so no dyno numbers yet, but Tony is confident that they will come in around the 550 horsepower range. To get all this power to the pavement in a reliable manner, Tony opted for a built-up TH350 three-speed automatic transmission with a 10-inch B&M 2,500-rpm stall converter. A stock driveshaft spins back to the stock posi rear end loaded with 4.10 gears. This combination makes for violent acceleration, but is nearly unbearable on the highway. Plans call for a Gear Vendors overdrive unit to find its way under the Chevy in the not too distant future.
Finding reproduction parts for a '73 Chevelle is about as easy as convincing a shark to go vegan. Not being one to let a lack of new parts get in his way, Tony set out to refurbish and recover all the factory interior parts. Auto Trim Specialist in Denver, Colo., repaired and recovered the stock dash pad, then stitched up the back seats and headliner in a mix of black cloth and vinyl. Pro Car front seats keep occupants firmly in place and a welded S&W roll bar provides an extra measure of safety along with a place to mount half of the four-point harness system. AutoMeter carbon fiber gauges keep tabs on the various systems while a B&M ratchet shifter helps Tony slap his way through the gears. A steering wheel by Billet Specialties dresses things up a bit and helps keep the torque-producing Chevelle under directional control. Tony and his wife love their tunes and they love them loud. A Pioneer head unit feeds the signal into a 300-watt amp for the Infinity midranges and tweeters while a 600-watt sub amp thumps a 12-inch MTX sub-woofer mounted in a custom enclosure. This all works together to create an interior that's comfortable enough for an extended cruise and safe enough for a pass down the dragstrip.
As previously stated, Tony's Chevelle had just been completed when he trucked it all the way form his high-altitude home in Colorado to the bright lights of Vegas. Actually, the car was done ahead of his original planned completion date. Tony told PHR: "I was taking my time and finishing the car at an even pace. I had the unfinished body bolted to the frame and I just dropped the engine in it when I received the May 2005 issue of PHR. I read the 'Bangin' Gears' section by Hunkins entitled 'The Forgotten Cars' where he talked about rides like my '73. This got me pumped up and I went from three to four nights a week in the garage to five nights and weekends wrenching on my car. I knew I needed to get the car done and I wanted everyone to see my vision." It wasn't easy for Tony to get it all completed, but he did and was the first guy to respond back to that editorial. This all led us to a meeting in the middle of nowhere where Hunkins got to shoot a car that he has coveted while others have forsaken. Hopefully, many others will see what's possible with some vision and a lot of hard work.


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I am running Ubuntu 12.04.1 LTS i686 on VirtulBox. Every time I check the updates, there's a new Linux kernel. If I install the new kernel, I have to install the Virtulbox Guest Additions again and reboot the server. I don't want to do this every week. I know I can manually uncheck the kernel packages from update manager, but is there a way to skip the kernel update automatically? I found an answer here, but it's for Ubuntu 10. Thanks.
APT (Advanced Packaging Tool) is the system that Ubuntu uses to manage all of the software installed on a system. It allows you to "pin" a package to a certain version, so that it won't be updated when you the Update Manager runs.
To pin your kernel packages, first you must determine what version your kernel is. One way to do this is to open the Synaptic Package Manager in System > Administration.
Type in "linux-generic" in the Quick search text field and hit enter.
Make a note of the number listed in the "Installed Version" column. We'll use it in the next step.
Next, we need to edit the file /etc/apt/preferences. Open it by pressing Alt+F2 to bring up the Run Application window and entering in:
This will open up a gedit window. Most likely the window will be blank, unless you've played around with APT before.
In the window, type in the following, replacing the version number with the version number you found in the Synaptic Package Manager.
Save the file and close gedit. If you open the Update Manager, you should see that the Linux kernel updates are now hidden!
Blocking packages with APT/DPKG
Remember the package name of your kernel from above.
Open a terminal and run:
And hit enter.
Enter your password for sudo:
Now run:
To remove pin from Apt/Dpkg:
Open a terminal
Replace kernel_package with the package you want to pin.
Now run:
What you're trying to do is called pining. The sources i gave you above, have the essentials on what you must do to accomplish your tasks in hand.
In relation superlexx's suggestion: that line will miss the "headers" package:
So how about simply using the following:
The one-liner by Christoph doesn't take the extra package into account (e.g. linux-image-extra-3.13.0-45-generic). Rather use this one:
for i in $(dpkg -l "*$(uname -r)*" | grep image | awk '{print $2}'); do echo $i hold | dpkg --set-selections; done
In one line it is:
This will set kernel's image state from install to hold and thus will prevent updates.


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Product 17/116
A set of full sized, dirty and grungy textures for all your paper needs! Add color, other overlays, brush them up, dress them any way you like! You can see an example of these textures colored using various settings such as overlay, soft light, luminous, and more ! 300 DPI
Designer: Designs by Veronica A
Product model: lynnea-dirty
File Size: Megs
This product was added to our catalog on Friday 17 January, 2014.


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Running a marathon is a great way of improving your health and fitness and your self-confidence. Running on behalf of a charity is a effective, fun way of giving back to the community. The money you raise goes to a great cause of your choice and will make you feel good doing it.
Join the Maratona di Roma Charity Program: take on the challenge of running for something and raise money for charity. Click here for a list of the charities involved in the Rome Marathon 2013 (a special welcome to the first 6 Italian NPOs who have joined the program this year).


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It's a reference to a reference. DK referencing Orwell.
Printable View
It's a reference to a reference. DK referencing Orwell.
Ha! ^^^^^^
It depresses me how few people get the DK reference. :(
Buy some Kennedy's stuff, mah peepies, they rocked big-time.
It occurred to me tonight that really, it's a reference to a reference to a reference. "Flashback 1984" is a line in "We've Got a Bigger Problem Now," which is a re-do of "California Uber Alles" done up to be about President Reagan instead of Gov. Jerry Brown. "California Uber Alles" refers to Orwell with its 1984 reference, but also because the year 1984 was just a few years away.
I assumed this was in reference to the book.
But the word "flashback" to me could reference the band, although they formed in '83, they began picking up a following in '84.


text: Add understated luxury to your bedroom with our crisp all-white sheeting set, sewn of the finest 100% linen by a family-owned company in Italy. The linen is stone washed for exceptional softness and a naturally wrinkled finish that gives the bedding its relaxed appeal. The sumptuous sheeting layers well with an unlimited range of bedding.


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The classic story of Pinocchio is both touching and memorable, with fun songs and dramatic situations. With the Child's Pinocchio Costume, your son or daughter can become the ill-fated puppet, who escapes his fate and becomes a real boy, only to find that the real world isn't all fun and games like he thought it would be. This costume features puppet strings, a pointy green hat, a red vest, a black and white jumpsuit, big white gloves, and a pair of big brown shoes. You'll want to get some brown makeup, so you can draw on the joints in your child's elbows and knees, to make him really look like a puppet. Dress yourself up as Gepetto, Pinocchio's creator, and hold his strings for a great costume duo.
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These full and frank independent North Wessex Downs holidays reviews are from travellers who have booked directly through our-land.co.uk. They are not edited by us or any of the companies we work with. Find the real story, from real travellers below.
You can trust our-land.co.uk reviews because, unlike many other schemes, reviews can ONLY be written by people who we have verified have been on the holidays. In addition, we don't run these holidays ourselves - our only interest is giving you the best independent advice.


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From Edmunds.com
Curious as to which vehicles topped the sales chart last year? Here are the models most likely to have wound up in a driveway (or commercial fleet) near you in 2005. Full-size trucks continue to dominate; no surprises there. What is surprising, though, is the fall of the mighty Ford Explorer. A perennial top 10 favorite, the ute saw a notable drop in sales last year. As a result, the Chevrolet TrailBlazer is the only sport-utility vehicle to crack 2005's top 10 list.
Copyright Edmunds.com, Inc. All rights reserved. First published on www.edmunds.com and excerpted with permission.


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Large spider
Revision as of 02:35, January 15, 2013 by Hunnie Bunn (Talk | contribs)
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- "An arachnid that can be generally found in treetops, weaving its web to catch birds and monkeys."
- —Folio Bruti[src]
The large spider is a type of spider that shares its home with an even larger species of spider - the treetops. It eats birds and monkeys, hence its habitat. This type of spider is vulnerable to Vermillious, Verdimillious and Incendio.


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Jonathan Demme
Birth Name: Jonathan Demme
Born: 02/22/1944
Birth Place: Baldwin, New York, USA
Born: 02/22/1944
Birth Place: Baldwin, New York, USA
Born on Feb. 22, 1944 in Baldwin, NY, Demme was raised by his father, Robert, a public relations executive for the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami, FL, and his mother, Carol, an actress. After his parents moved to Florida when he was five, Demme began carving out a career as a veterinarian by working at a local vet cleaning cages and caring for the animals. But when he was unable to master the most basic concepts of chemistry at the University of Florida, Demme gave up his dream of becoming a veterinarian and began writing film reviews for the college's newspaper, The Alligator. After writing a rave review of "Zulu" (1964), his father arranged an introduction to the film's producer Josep... Continue Bio >>
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Search Swinburne Research Bank
Home List of Titles Enhanced coupling to whispering gallery modes by two-photon absorption induced by a highly focused field
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/5391
|Download PDF (Published version) (Adobe Acrobat PDF, 170 KB)
- Title
- Enhanced coupling to whispering gallery modes by two-photon absorption induced by a highly focused field
- Author(s)
- Kuriakose, Smitha; Morrish, Dru; Gan, Xiaosong; Chon, James W.; Gu, Min
- Abstract
- The authors report on enhanced coupling to whispering gallery modes in fluorescent polystyrene microspheres using two-photon absorption induced by a highly focused field. Due to the highly confined excitation nature under focused evanescent illumination achieved by a circularly obstructed beam, the whispering gallery modes can be excited within a small volume near the perimeter of the microsphere. As a result, the visibility, the Q factor, and the degree of polarization of the fluorescence spectra induced in the microsphere are enhanced by 60%, 37%, and five times, respectively.
- Publication type
- Journal article
- Research centre
- Swinburne University of Technology. Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences. Centre for Micro-Photonics
- Source
- Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 89, no. 21 (2006), article no. 211125
- Publication year
- 2006
- Keyword(s)
- Whispering gallery modes; Two-photon spectra; Fluorescence; Optical polymers; Optical focusing; Q-factor; Light polarisation
- Publisher
- American Institute of Physics
- 0003-6951
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BULA Men's Basic Beanie
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Product Details
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I am struggling to level up and then finally with the help of some kind people I manage to get to lvl 220.
And then this stupid Crow is coming making jokes of me D: muahhhh
Who on earth is Crow Ohbel? Tell me so I can kick his **** and eat his cheese.
Ohbel where are you??? arrgggg !!!


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Reclaim the Holy Land in the name of England this Halloween with this authentic Crusaders Knight ensemble. Made for men with a wide girth, the Plus Size Men's Crusader Costume comes with a headpiece with an attached collar, tunic, tabard and a belt. The headpiece is a blue and gray cap and attached to the cap is a gray collar that covers the shoulders. The tunic is navy blue and drapes down over the front and black leaving the sides open. A gray full length tunic that is a shirt and pants. The tabard is navy blue and comes down in the front and in the back and features an emblem of a white shield and swords. This costume is finished of with a matching silver belt. You may want to pair this costume with a shield and sword to get the full effect. Storm the party like you would a castle with the Plus Size Men's Crusader Costume.
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Vol State Offers Home Inspection Course
Submitted on March 31, 2011 at 3:47 PM
Home inspection can be a personal business, but you need to have the training and be able to obtain a license to work professionally. Volunteer State Community College Continuing Education has a Tennessee approved, pre-license, home inspection education course coming up. The course can prepare people for the State license exam. Lecture, field experience, and exam preparation are included. Participants can learn about residential construction, the codes of ethics, systems and fundamentals (foundation, structure, roof, and exterior), advanced inspection techniques, the business aspects of home inspection, liability management, and marketing. The course runs Monday through Sunday, April 25-May 1 from 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m.; Friday, May 6, from 6 p.m.-10 p.m; and Saturday and Sunday, May 7-8, from 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m. The fee for the course is $1,995. For more information and to register call 615-230-3358, or visit www.volstate.edu/ContinuingEd
A service provided by the Office of Public Relations.


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With some polls showing that the U.S. Senate race in Maine is tightening, the campaign of Independent Angus King today went after GOP rival Charlie Summers, accusing him of flip-flopping on the abortion issue. At a press conference in Portland this morning, King's wife Mary Hermon stressed that her husband's pro-choice position has been consistent from day one.
"My husband Angus King and I have shared values, shared concerns, and shared priorities," Herman says. "And we've been married for 28 years, and there wouldn't even have been a second date if I hadn't known from the outset that he shared my concerns and priorities for women's reproductive rights and for the healthcare needs of women, children and families."
But Herman and others in the King camp say Charlie Summers' position on women's rights has changed noticeably over the last few years. Anne Haskell is Democratic state representative from Portland who's backing King in the Senate race. She says she doesn't think Summers can be trusted as a aenator to support Roe v. Wade, the landmark court case that established a women's right to abortion.
"He has in the past said that he is pro-choice without any restrictions," Haskell says. "However when he's answered the papers recently, he's been saying that it is not with government funds - there's a restriction; only in the case of rape, incest or the life of the mother. That's a very big change from a pro-choice position."
"I don't think there's anything to suggest that," Summers says. Speaking on MPBN's Maine Calling program, he defended his record on abortion as consistantly pro-choice.
"I've voted pro-choice. I have a pro-choice voting record," he said. "I don't think that federal funds should be used for abortions, but in my state Senate days where we're dealing with state issues, I've had a very strong pro-choice voting record."
He describes Roe v. Wade as the "law of the land," and says it will remain so unless the Supreme Court overturns it. As for his belief that abortion should only be considered in the case of rape, incest or a threat to the life of the mother, Summers did refer to those conditions back in April, in an interview with MPBN radio during the Senate GOP primary.
"Well I've always voted pro-choice because I think there are times such as the life of the mother, or incest or rape when abortion may have to be something that would be considered," he said then.
But Summers insists that he never meant to say that those conditions were the only grounds to justify legal abortions. Summers was asked today by MPBN's Keith Shortall to clarify his position.
Charlie Summers: "I am pro-choice specifically for three reasons: rape, incest, life of the mother. I think that those are instances that, among others, when something like that may be necessary. I think all one needs to do is look at my voting record in the Maine Legislature, and I have a solidly pro-choice voting record."
Keith Shortall: "So it's those conditions, and others, is what you're saying?"
Charlie Summers: "Well, sure. Someone asked me why, and, initially, it's issues like that."
Meanwhile, the only woman in the Senate race, pro-choice Democrat Cynthia Dill, has released a policy statement called "Women ust Vote Their Values." Despite Summers' assurances that he remains pro-choice, she warns that "women's personal freedoms, as upheld in Roe v. Wade" are under attack from what she calls a "right-wing Republican Party agenda."


text: A sprinkling of high-quality salt can make any dish simply sing. For its flavorful finishing salts, Jacobsen Salt Co. gathers water from pristine Netarts Bay, on the rugged Oregon coastline. Using custom methods perfected by company founder Ben Jacobsen, the water is slowly evaporated until it naturally forms light, delicate salt crystals, which are hand harvested, dried and mixed with bits of Italian white truffles, prized for their heady perfume. The salt's bright minerality and notes of garlic, forest and mushroom make it a natural with meats and mashed potatoes, and it transforms the flavor of popcorn. The salt is sold separately or as a set with a Jacobsen logo-stamped stoneware salt cellar, hand thrown by a small ceramics studio in Portland using local clay and food-safe, lead-free glazes.


text: Celebrating the art of film-making on your phone Culture 15 April 09 by Jeremy Hart A girl films on her mobile phone http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonathanbeard/3368126037/Flickr: CC (jonathanb1989); Subway girl by Udono Videos: Mobile movie-making tips | Professor Fujihata on the Pocket Film FestivalTokyo: From papyrus to paperback, it took the book centuries to evolve, and from cave paintings to Banksy, art advanced almost as slowly as homo sapiens himself. Film, though, has progressed from the first celluloid film in 1888 to movies filmed on mobile phones in little more than 100 years.The Pocket Film Festival is the Oscars of the mobile phone movie world. This year, dozens of fans and film-makers gathered in Japan to celebrate the art of making movies using only a mobile phone and some editing software.The festival, held in Yokohama, was founded by Professor Masaki Fujihata after he saw a similar event in France, but he says there are significant differences between the event."French people focused on showing their pocket films on the big screen, but my interest was slightly different," he says. "I was more concerned with showing films on a small screen, on the mobile phone's small display panel, in fact. I wanted to see many different types of family films and see which one is best. And to see the mobile used in a more creative way."Fujihata, head of the School of Film and New Media at Tokyo University, spends his days teaching students to use the mobile phone as a unique street camera, not a happy snappy version of a 16mm Technicolor camera. His basic tips are to avoid trying to be Cecil B. DeMille or Spielberg, and instead to shoot from the hip."A good pocket film means recording personal happenings, or someone's personal way of observing the world," he says. "Normally people try to imitate the big Hollywood films but to make a really good short pocket film make sure [you] start collecting many images. A month or so later you can start to edit them and see what you did."Fujihata invited two winners from the 2007 festival, Daisuke Kobayashi and Toru Oyama, along to show me the techniques. I brought along an INQ1 from 3 – a phone whose USP is that it's wired specifically for uploading content straight onto the internet.BankArt NYK, an art space on Yokohama's quayside, is their chosen set. The only limitations they are given are to keep the scenes in the shoot to no more than five. Simplicity is key. It is that method that helped them claim the Grand Prix for their street film 720/24 – as in 720 minutes in 24 hours – two years ago.They use time as the theme for this masterclass too. "It is now 12.08," Toru declares as Daisuke, bedecked in fur flying hat and goatee beard, pinches the cameraphone between thumb and forefinger and spins it about like the hands on a clock. As each minute passes, the camera will turn to signify the passing of time. This method, using images from their native Tokyo and showing council estates, playgrounds, subway stations and other urban imagery, is what won them the big prize.In BankArt NYK they home in on the minutiae of the concrete mausoleum. Pieces of art, the LED lift indicator, the lift doors closing and even a bus parked on the dockside for variety.They never shoot anything more than a few metres away. That range is the camera's best operating environment. "The good point of making a movie with a mobile phone is that the people making it and the people watching it are very near each other," they advise. "Normally, if you're using a regular camera then the distance between the viewers and the cameraman is very far away." They make the most of each other's movement and Daisuke includes Toru in his clips.Toru gives me another tip: keep the clips short and simple. Some pocket film-makers shoot with the phones only for the imagery to be viewed on a cinema screen. Not these guys. What they see through the phone's screen is exactly how and what they want their audience to see."You must always think about the audience," says Toru. "How are they going to look at the film on the mobile, and how will they feel about seeing film on their mobile? When I think about winning the Pocket Film Festival and why we won, I think it's because we always paid attention to the fact that the film was going to be shown on a very small screen."Daisuke flits about the building in search of new shots. The obvious ones I see, like a great iron fire escape hanging from the outside wall and a bank of TV screens on the floor, he generally dismisses. Instead we walk through the bus, followed by a traditional film crew, whose kit (the latest HD TV gear) seems so bulky by comparison. They film each other. Daisuke does not explain why my ideas are not flyers. But then he's the award winner and I'm not. But he does explain his general thought processes that go into making a mobile movie."By using mobile phones you can make very spontaneous films," he says. "For me the traditional movie is more like fine art, almost like a painting, but a mobile phone movie is more like a sketch or a memo."Compared to Ben Hur or Gone with the Wind, these guys' technique is more like a note on a postage stamp. Size does not matter though: most mobile films are not more than five minutes long.Both believe that the future of film is mobile. In Japan, TV episodes are going mobile with specific soaps made for the pocket. DVD's are being scaled to fit mobiles too, but the ultimate adaptation of film for phones is to record and watch them on the same device, as we have done."These are exciting times," says Toru, interrupting himself to call out the final time reference for the movie – "it's 12.16" – before continuing. "It often feels like we're at the beginning of a revolution here, where everyone is their own publisher. These are revolutionary times when we can showcase our work to many people. Now you've got amateurs alongside professionals as equals. A phone like this one is not only the eye on the world, it is the messenger too. Movies are now truly mobile." For more examples of mobile phone culture in Tokyo visit www.3Snapshots.com Edited by Mike Hills Latest on wired.co.uk


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Bubbles Quilt
Overview & Details
- Ruched quilt for kids.
- Matching sham available.
- 100% cotton kids' quilt.
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- Machine wash.
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- Quilt available in Twin or Full/Queen sizes.
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Lush life! Our feminine and frilly girls' quilt features an abundance of lush ruching to create a textured and comfortable quilt, perfect for a girl's pretty bedroom. Quilted by hand, our Bubbles kids' quilt is made from 100% cotton that's pre-washed for softness. Matching sham is also available for a coordinated look. Pretty, cozy and perfect for year-round use, our handmade Bubble girls' quilt and optional matching sham help turn any bedroom into a truly comfortable space for sleep, study and play. Available exclusively at Company Kids.


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Hand-Hooked Holiday Pillow Cover
Overview & Details
- • Hand-hooked wool holiday pillow covers.
• Seasonal patterns bring the festive holiday spirit into your home.
• Coordinates with our Hand-Hooked Holiday Runner (sold separately).
• 20" sq. pillow insert sold separately.
• Spot clean.
• Handcrafted in India.
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Add these festive pillow covers to a guest bed, sofa or armchair to give a quick seasonal update to your home. Patterned with exclusive holiday motifs—holly berries, wreaths and roosting birds on snowy branches—these holiday pillow covers look extra-festive when grouped together. The covers are hand-hooked of pure wool, with a hidden zip closure. What better way to set a merry mood for friends and family?


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May 6, 2016
Tuesday October 16, 2012
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) -- Aaron Murray's Georgia-red shirt relayed a message of reassurance:
"Keep Calm. We've got Gurshall."
Gurshall is the nickname for No. 13 Georgia's freshmen tailback duo, Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall. Each ranks among the Southeastern Conference's rushing leaders.
Murray says his mother made the shirt he wore to Tuesday's news conference. Asked why the shirt didn't bear his name, he smiled and said "I wouldn't want to wear that shirt, that's why."
The junior quarterback and the freshmen couldn't lift Georgia's offense in a 35-7 loss at South Carolina on Oct. 6. The loss ended the Bulldogs' school-record streak of five straight games with more than 40 points, and Murray passed for the fewest yards of his career.
Murray and Georgia will look to bounce back at Kentucky on Saturday.
Copyright 2012 Associated Press
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Hello all,
I was wondering why it is that some people skip straight from being ordinary beings to Arahants without going through the stages of Stream-Winner, Once-Returner and Non-Returner? Also is it possible to skip 1 or 2 stages (eg. from Stream-Winner to Non-Returner)? What are the reasons for this?


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In addition to credit cards, we also accept Paypal.
Ordering for a Team?
Let our Team Division Help!
Item has a Minimum Qty
The circumference is 24".
Answered by SwimOutlet.com on 10/8/2015
Happy with my last hat!
I've got eye problems & have to wear a hat when out in the sun! Picked up a vintage straw hat at an estate sale - it hurt since it was so stiff! Purchased another hat from Amazon - love it but I have a small head and it's too big! Thought I'd try one more time to find a hat I don't mind wearing & this was it! A bit confusing how the black thread should go around the hat - but I've got it where I like it & will be wearing it all Summer - love it - and it gets gusty here and it will stay where it's supposed to - on my head! Thanks for helping me out!
Roxie P.
Steamboat Springs, CO
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Poor Quality
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Sun seeker
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Wife loved it
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Loved the LARGE brim and the idea for chin adjustment strap. However, the grommet on one side fell out of the hat and started to rip the hole larger and larger :-(Called and swim outlet refunded hat and I didn't have to stand in line at PO to mail and ship back! Thanks so much!! :)PS Hope Sun N Sand can come up with a sturdier grommet for the adjustable strap.
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Get an alert when we add new styles of Sun N Sand! Simply sign up and we'll notify you.
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On YourFirst Purchase


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Watch out for the Ghostbusters and their pesky ghost zapping vacuums this Halloween. When you're Slimer, the lovable, fat, laughing ghost, you won't scare people, but you will sure annoy the heck out of them. This Child's Ghostbusters Inflatable Slimer Costume comes with an inflatable jumpsuit with a battery operated fan to keep it inflated and keep you cool, a headpiece, sleeves, and gloves. The whole outfit is green, and the headpiece gives you the maniacally laughing face of a chubby, slimy ghost. It might get hot in that big jumpsuit, so check out the cold vests we sell on this site that keep your body cool under heavy layers. Purchase this boy's and girl's Slimer costume, and put a spin on a traditional ghost costume, this Halloween.
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text: This beautiful board is designed to ensure a perfectly stable work surface – no matter how vigorously you're chopping. A wooden lip on either side of the board, attached with handsome dowels, anchors the piece securely on your countertop. One side of the board has a well to collect tasty meat juices.


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New York City and the United Nations:
Towards a Renewed Relationship
Report by the Special Committee on the United Nations
New York City will inaugurate a new Mayor on January 1, 2002, in the midst of very difficult times. Given the scale of the human and physical devastation from which the City must struggle to recover, and the profound economic difficulties that must be overcome, improving the City's relationship with United Nations would not likely be high on a new Mayor's priorities. Yet the World Trade Center attack imposes substantial new responsibilities on the City regarding the UN, and now more than ever, the City should look to take best advantage of the benefits that flow to the City as result of the presence of UN headquarters here.
The United Nations is the central institution in the world for promoting international peace and security and the rule of law, and the United Nations Charter is the legal cornerstone of international relations. The Association of the Bar of the City of New York[1], the American Bar Association,[2] and many authorities on international law,[3] have repeatedly called upon the United States to pay its dues to the United Nations, on time and in full, as a treaty obligation under the Charter. In this report, we urge a renewal and strengthening of the relationship between the City of New York and the United Nations, to support the United Nations in its important work, and also for the benefit of the people of New York City.
The UN might well have located elsewhere, and came to have its headquarters in New York largely as a result of substantial inducements. The organizational meeting of fifty countries took place in San Francisco in 1945, and the first meetings of the UN General Assembly and the Security Council both took place in London in January 1946. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. offered to contribute $8.5 million (about $75 million in year 2000 dollars) to purchase a six-block tract on the East River, already assembled by private developer William Zeckendorf, [4] and this offer was accepted by the General Assembly in December 1946. New York City contributed additional land along the East River and rights to the waterfront, and made alterations to the surrounding streets and land valued at about $20 million (about $143 million in 2000 dollars). [5] In 1948, the US provided an interest-free loan of $65 million (about $465 million in year 2000 dollars) for the construction and furnishing of UN headquarters. [6]
After consulting with the City and the State of New York, the United States government signed an agreement in 1947, providing that the UN headquarters would be under the control and authority of the United Nations and "inviolable." [7] The UN may not be dispossessed of its headquarters property, or removed from its headquarters, except by its own decision. [8] To the extent requested by the UN Secretary-General, appropriate American authorities (local, state and federal) must provide public services, including police and fire protection, utilities, telephone, and refuse and snow removal. [9]
New Yorkers, and Americans generally, took pride in the newly created United Nations. Eleanor Roosevelt, a delegate to the founding conference of the UN and leading proponent of its Universal Declaration of Human Rights, served as the first Chair of the City's UN Committee. The American relationship with the UN has deteriorated over the past half century, driven by concerns over preserving national sovereignty, isolationist attitudes towards international law, negative attitudes towards certain countries and social systems, disagreements over UN efficiency and cost, and the frequent minority status of the US in the General Assembly. [10] So too has the UN's relationship with the City of New York deteriorated, sometimes because of similar concerns, but often because of minor concerns. The importance of the United Nations to the world community, and the benefits its presence brings to the City, have earned little note, and local complaints regarding the burdens of hosting the UN headquarters, such as parking and traffic problems, have become dominant.
City residents, particularly on the east side of Manhattan, have long complained about privileged diplomatic parking, illegal parking, and traffic congestion and street closings resulting from UN sessions, and their complaints have been reported widely in the news media. In recent years, the City has been fiercely protective of what it sees as its interests. The approach has often been confrontational, with repeated public disputes about the collection of parking fines and real estate taxes.
For its part, the UN community has often seemed isolated in its East River enclave, indifferent to the concerns of City residents, and uninvolved with the City. Member State diplomats, being focused on multilateral relations with each other's governments rather than on bilateral relations with the host country, are probably less involved in the social and cultural life of New York than would be their counterparts in a national capital such as Washington.
This resulting stand-off finds the City unappreciative of the benefits of the UN's presence, unable to take better advantage of the UN's presence, and mired in relatively petty disputes over parking and local taxes. Our study concludes it is in the fundamental interest of the City, the United States and the United Nations to improve this relationship. A better relationship between the City and the UN will help to advance the essential work of the UN in the world, to advance American foreign policy objectives widely shared by New Yorkers, and bring economic, cultural and educational benefits to the City. Moreover, the UN Headquarters complex is due for a substantial renovation, and the new City administration can make a lasting contribution to the City and the world by assisting and helping to shape this project.
A. Direct Economic Benefits
A series of studies were performed during the Koch Administration in 1977, 1981 and 1989 on "The Economic Impact of the Diplomatic Community on the City of New York." The 1989 study, performed in collaboration with Chemical Bank, concluded that direct UN expenditures in the City in 1988 totaled $486,562,000, the expenditures by UN Missions in the City totaled $233,645,000, and expenditures by Consulate General offices totaled $138,090,000, for a total of $867,301,000, excluding additional expenditures by nongovernmental organizations. [11] The 1989 study estimated the costs to the City for education of the children of UN staff and diplomats, at $3,900,000, and the revenues lost to the City, primarily as a result of real estate property tax exemptions and also uncollected parking and towing fines, at $21,957,000, for a total of lost expenditures and lost revenues of $26,502,000. [12] Subtracting these costs and lost revenues from the estimates of UN economic benefits produced an estimate of $830,799,000 as the net economic benefit of the presence of the UN and its related diplomatic community in New York City in 1988.
Another study was commissioned by the City in 1995, based on survey data collected by the NYC Commission for the United Nations, and economic analysis performed by the NYC Economic Development Administration using the Regional Input-Output Modeling System (RIMS II) developed by the U.S. Commerce Department. [13] This study found that the UN headquarters, agencies, missions and consulates directly employed 16,400 people, and the extended UN system employed a total of 30,700 people, directly and indirectly, making it one of the twenty largest employers in the City. The study also found that the UN extended system paid a total of $850 million annually in salaries, and that the total of direct and indirect salaries generated in the NYC area by the UN extended system and its "ripple effect" was $1.2 billion annually. The study further found the UN headquarters, agencies, missions and consulates directly spent approximately $1.5 billion in the NYC metropolitan area, and concluded that the total direct and indirect spending related to the UN extended system and its employees was $3.3 billion in the economy of New York City in 1994. [14]
The 1995 study was later disowned by the City. [15] City officials we spoke with disparaged the study, arguing it claimed economic benefits for the UN's presence while ignoring the economic costs to the City of the UN's presence. In fact, the 1995 study listed categories of costs and loss revenues connected with the UN-sales and income tax exemptions, unreimbursed "routine" police costs, and public schooling for diplomatic children-without stating their cost. Yet we note from the prior 1989 study that costs and lost revenues associated with the UN equaled only 3% of the amount of positive economic benefits derived from the presence of the UN. [16]
The 1995 study was apparently a casualty of the City's 1997 public row with UN diplomats over unpaid parking fines, because it contained a statement that "diplomats are not required to pay for parking tickets." [17] This misleading statement was correctly withdrawn, but as the parking controversy escalated, the City began to cast doubt on the economic value of the UN, claiming greater economic potential for the UN headquarters site if the UN were to leave New York. [18] It is unfortunate that this posture has affected the City's view regarding the economic benefits of the UN to the present day.
The 1995 study is in any event out of date, and the new administration should want to reexamine the costs and benefits associated with hosting UN headquarters. There is no question however that the UN is an enormous economic enterprise, whose revenues come from national governments around the world, including a major contribution by the United States, but are spent largely in New York City. [19] The General Assembly session every fall is alone comparable to a major international convention or sporting event, a diplomatic Olympics, on a scale that most cities' visitors bureaus would be happy to attract even once, much more every year. Visitors attending UN conferences held in New York infused $27 million into the City's economy in 1994. [20] Moreover, public international expenditures are not particularly affected by economic recessions, so these large expenditures will be made each year, in bad times as well as good. The UN provides a continuous large boost to the NYC economy, and the City should be duly appreciative.
Finance and international trade are the most profitable sectors of the New York City economy. New York is in competition with London as the leading center of world finance. The City enjoys a distinct symbolic advantage in this competition as the host city of the United Nations. Everything possible should be done to build on the presence of the UN in promoting New York as a location for international businesses. [21]
Tourism is a major industry in New York. In the year 2000, 37.4 million visitors came to New York and spent $17 billion dollars while here. However, the number of visitors dropped by 5.4 million to 32 million in 2001, a 14% decline. [22] The City lists the UN as one of the major tourist attractions in the City. [23] Since 1952, approximately 37 million visitors have taken the guided tour of UN headquarters buildings. The traffic on the tour route reached its peak in 1964 with over 1.2 million visitors, but the attendance now fluctuates at around 400,000 visitors a year. [24] Perhaps with a greater interest in foreign affairs, and much better promotion, these numbers can be increased. The UN envisions building a new Visitor's Center on First Avenue at 48th Street, and the City should be supportive of this effort.
The current crisis enhances the concern for all Americans and all New Yorkers for accomplishing the relevant national security and foreign policy goals of the United States. New York has the responsibility and the opportunity, as host city for the United Nations, to play an important role in achieving those objectives.
Both the General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations quickly and forcefully condemned the terrorist attack on New York, [25] and the Council mandated a strong program of anti-terrorism measures binding on all 189 Member States. [26] Speaking to the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Terrorism on October 1, 2001, NYC Mayor Rudolph Giuliani hailed "the Security Council's unanimous passage of Resolution 1373, adopting wide ranging anti-terrorism measures in the international community." [27]
The UN General Assembly has adopted four different Conventions against terrorism in the years 1973-1999, [28] some eight other Conventions against terrorism were adopted under the auspices of specialized agencies, [29] and a comprehensive new anti-terrorism convention is near completion. Formation of a new government for Afghanistan and relief efforts for that country are all under the leadership of the UN.
The UN's presence in New York creates an inherent solidarity with New Yorkers in a time of peril from terrorism. The reaction in the General Assembly and the Security Council might not have been quite so overwhelming or so sustained had the violence of September 11 happened in a place distant from the UN. UN diplomats again shared the fears of New Yorkers when AA 587 crashed in Queens and UN headquarters were sealed off.
Even if Al Queda is destroyed, other fanatical minds will continue to see New York as a tempting of target for violence and destruction. So long as the UN is based in New York, diplomats from all of the 189 UN Member States will personally continue to share the concerns of New Yorkers. This can only help to encourage the world community to take the strongest possible measures to deter and protect against terrorism.
Diplomats accredited by the United Nations live and work in New York on a daily basis. Their perceptions of America will be colored by what they experience interacting with New Yorkers and with the City of New York. Diplomats weighing their country's response to an American position in the General Assembly or the Security Council may be affected by whether they feel they have been treated fairly, kindly and helpfully by the City. [30] Important questions of state may be affected not only by the objective interests of nations but by the daily life experiences of their representatives.
The UN is an important posting for the diplomats of most countries, and over time many senior foreign diplomats rotate through a period of service in New York. Their perception of America may long be colored by that experience. It is in the interest of the United States that this important diplomatic community be treated with warmth. [31] As host city for the UN, New York should be open and welcoming to the accredited representatives of all member states, regardless of politics. [32]
D. Educational Opportunities
The United Nations is an enormous educational resource for the people of New York City. Using the UN as a basis for classroom instruction can bring to life academic subjects such as geography, politics and history, and teach related research, writing, debate and conflict resolution skills. In this most multicultural of cities, programs based around the UN can help teach mutual respect and understanding between different ethnic groups.
There are some excellent pilot programs underway to take advantage of the UN for enriching public education. We are not in a position to measure the effectiveness of each of these programs, but we would encourage the Board of Education to examine these programs carefully, and seek to expand those which are effective throughout the school system, and to develop additional innovative programs. We summarize some of the traditional programs, new pilot programs, and future possibilities for using the UN in the public schools:
An even more overlooked opportunity may exist in the area of cultural exchange and entertainment, both nonprofit and commercial. Of course, the Lincoln Center Festival, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and the World Music Institute already present a wide array of performances of dance, theater, music, opera, and circus from around the world. A much greater effort might be made to encourage UN Member States to bring their national music, dance and theater companies to New York. A new program might combine with one or more of the existing performance series, or an entirely separate "United Nations Festival" might be established. A special facility might be developed near the United Nations, or elsewhere in the city, to host performances and art, possibly for dual use with United Nations meetings during the fall general debate of the General Assembly. There might be not only a political season for the United Nations, but also a cultural season, perhaps using the same venue at a different time of the year. An international cultural festival would be not only a spiritual lift for the City, but a basis for increased tourism and revenues.
More might also be done to encourage greater exchange between the UN community and the City, on both a professional and a popular level. An effort could be made to encourage greater social interaction between the UN diplomatic and staff community, and the business, political and social communities in New York. It may also be possible to encourage, especially through cultural programs, greater contact between ethnic communities in New York and their countries of origin.
The City employs many policy analysts to devise public policy in housing, environment, economic development, transportation, healthcare, etc. The United Nations and its specialized agencies do so as well, often looking at urban problems from the perspective of many different cities. Greater exchange could benefit the work of policy development both in the City and the UN.
An excellent example is the program presented by the NYC Department of Health during the General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS in June 2001. The three-day program regarding the City's experience as one of the earliest epicenters of the epidemic in devising programs for prevention and treatment was very instructive for health officials from countries where the epidemic is burgeoning now.
On the other hand, the City entirely failed to participate in the major UN conference on human settlements, "Habitat II," including a summit of major cities, held in Istanbul in June 1996 to showcase and develop innovate approaches to urban problems, nor the "Istanbul + 5" follow-up conference held in June 2001. "Istanbul + 5" was held at UN headquarters in New York, and was attended by the Mayors of sixty major cities from around the world, who met with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on June 5, 2001. The City should have taken much greater interest in a conference this important and this directly relevant to our own problems.
In general,
the City should seek every useful opportunity to learn from the
work done at the UN and its specialized agencies, and to share the
City's policy expertise with the UN.
A. Security
UN headquarters was the target of a foiled terrorist plan in 1993, and obviously remains one of the most highly prominent targets for a potential terrorist attack in the world. Osama bin Laden himself described the UN as a "nothing but a tool of crime" that sides with Western "crusader" interests against Muslims. [34] Any future terrorists are also likely to fix on the UN as a target, posing great danger not only to the UN community but also to the entire City.
Baggage x-rays and metal detectors have been in place for some time, and security has been especially stringent since September 11, although diplomats remain exempt. The nearby streets, the FDR Drive, and the East River remain points of vulnerability, and have been shut down entirely at some times since the attack. The challenge will be to attain the highest possible levels of security while still keeping the UN headquarters open and accessible to the world.
The UN is working
at improving its security and emergency plans, and is impressed
with what it has learned from the NYC Office of Emergency Management.
[35] The City should continue working very closely with the UN in
devising the best possible security and emergency plans. The City
is obligated under the Headquarters Agreement between the United
States and the UN to provide police protection for UN headquarters.
There are substantial costs to the City in providing security, particularly police services, for the UN and the diplomatic community. The federal government reimburses "extraordinary" expenditures at the level of about $7 million annually, but "routine" expenditures are not reimbursed. [39] The City should continue to seek maximum possible reimbursement from the federal government in return for providing essentially a national service.
B. Traffic
The general debate in the General Assembly causes severe traffic congestion each September, when many Heads of State visit the City, and unusual security must be provided for their motorcades and each of their movements. At times the FDR Drive has even been closed.
There are no easy solutions to these traffic problems. One possibility that has been floated is to create a special facility on the Queens side of the East River, or on Governors Island, for use during the general debate. A better-located facility might also double as a hall for presenting cultural events at other times of the year.
By far the most publicized and discussed issue concerning the relationship between the City and the UN in recent years has been the City's difficulty in collecting parking fines from diplomats. The NY Daily News published approximately 30 articles on this subject in the first half of 1997, with comparable coverage in other media. Surely the new administration will want to avoid a repeat of the public brawl that took place between UN diplomats and the Mayor at that time.
The City has a legitimate interest in preventing obstructive and illegal parking, especially at hydrants, crosswalks, etc. The compromise eventually negotiated in 1997, allowing nonrenewal of diplomatic license plates if fines remain unpaid for more than one year, has helped, with the number of tickets issued to diplomatic vehicles dropping from 160,000 in 1996 to 52,000 in 2000. [40]
The City also has a legitimate interest in collecting unpaid fines, but it faces legal difficulties in doing so due to the diplomatic immunity provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations[41] and the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations. [42] So long as persistent illegal parking is discouraged, collecting a few million dollars each year in unpaid fines is not the most important concern. Other capital cities that are host to many embassies bear a similar burden.
A large portion of the unpaid parking tickets was issued to the diplomats from a small group of nations. Some intensive pressure should be directed at those Missions, perhaps with the aid of UN officials and the US Mission. Russian diplomats had been serious violators, receiving 32,350 tickets in 1996, but received only 251 tickets in 2000 after agreeing to lease garage space. Some diplomats claim, probably not entirely without reason, that parking enforcement personnel issue many unwarranted tickets to diplomatic vehicles, knowing that the tickets will go uncontested in court but will be credited nonetheless to the agents' performance records.
In any event, the City should strive to enforce its legitimate interests in compliance with parking regulations as diplomatically and constructively as possible. This relatively petty issue should not be permitted to overshadow the enormous present and potential benefits the City derives from the presence of the UN, and the important national and international interests in treating foreign emissaries warmly.
Each of the 189 UN Member States has one vote in the General Assembly, and unlike in the Security Council, the United States cannot veto a resolution. Many New Yorkers and public officials have been offended by some policy positions taken by the UN General Assembly, for example regarding Israel. [43]
It is important to remember that some policy conclusions with which many New Yorkers may disagree will inevitably result from any democratically constituted international organization. Policy positions taken by the UN General Assembly reflect the positions of individual governments around the world, not the institution itself. The presence of the UN in New York gives New Yorkers and organizations based here more opportunity to have their point of view heard by delegates to the UN, through New York news media and direct lobbying. Driving the UN away to Europe, Africa or Asia, would only diminish this opportunity.
Treating all accredited UN representative with courtesy and respect, regardless of their country's politics, is central to our role as host city for the United Nations. The Mayor-elect has already signaled that this will be his policy. [44]
E. UN Capital Master Plan
The principal UN headquarters buildings were designed by an international team of architects chaired by New Yorker Wallace Harrison, and including Le Corbusier and Oscar Niemeyer. [45] The cornerstone was laid in 1949, the Secretariat was completed in 1951, and the General Assembly and the Conference Building in 1952. Were these significant architectural buildings within American jurisdiction, they would undoubtedly have been designated as landmarks.
A team of architects and engineers thoroughly examined the condition of the UN headquarters complex in 1998-99. The study concluded that despite the high quality of the original construction, many building elements had deteriorated due to age, or do not meet current standards for safety and energy efficiency. The study concluded "the current condition of the Headquarters complex renders it unacceptable for continued use over the long term." [46]
The U.S. General Accounting Office reviewed the U.N.'s study, agreed with its assessment of building conditions, and determined the UN's planning for renovation of the complex was sound and professional. [47] The UN Secretariat offered the General Assembly options of renovating the complex over periods of three, six or twelve years. [48] A shorter time period would be the least expensive, due to lower construction costs and accelerated energy savings, but most disruptive to the UN, as perhaps half of the Secretariat staff would have to be relocated at any one time. The longer time period is most expensive but least disruptive, requiring only 10% staff relocation at any given time. The Secretary-General recommended the intermediate six-year option, but the General Assembly recently directed the Secretariat to present all three options in depth for final decision.
The Secretariat also considered a reactive approach, making repairs and improvements only as building elements failed. Over a period of 25 years, this would be nearly as expensive as complete renovation due to continuing high energy costs, and would still leave the UN with antiquated buildings. It thus appears neither economical nor sensible. [49]
The Secretariat further considered demolishing and rebuilding the headquarters complex. Using the present site, this would cost several hundred million dollars more than renovation, and would be highly disruptive to the UN. [50] Reconstruction of the UN on Governor's Island has also been suggested, bringing considerable security and traffic advantages, and freeing the East River site for commercial development. [51] While the new administration should be free to explore this imaginative idea with the UN, we would caution against it. The current buildings are of landmark quality and have come to symbolize the UN to the world. A proposal to abandon them might weaken the institution, and damage the psychological ties that bind the UN to New York, leading to consideration of a move to another city. [52] Further, we would like to encourage greater interaction between the UN and the City, which would not be aided by a move to a less accessible location.
In summary, the UN General Assembly is likely to choose, and the City should support, a plan for the UN to thoroughly renovate its present headquarters complex over a number of years. The primary consequences for the City will be the need to accommodate the UN's need for "swing space" to relocate meetings and staff during renovation work, to make improvements to nearby roads, and to assist with financing the renovation.
Depending on the time period for the renovation, anywhere from 10% to half of the UN Staff will have to be relocated at any given time, [53] as will major meetings and conferences. Options for securing swing space include commercial leasing, leasing of a building purchased or constructed by the United Nations Development Corporation (UNDC) (see section III.B. below), or new construction on the UN site. [54]
One space need not considered by the UN's Capital Master Plan is for additional office space to house nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Consultative status for NGO's is provided for in Article 71 of the United Nations Charter, and the number of accredited NGOs has steadily increased. Currently there are 2091 NGOs in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), some 400 NGOs accredited to the Commission on Sustainable Development, a subsidiary body of ECOSOC, and 1,672 NGO's are registered with the UN Department of Public Information. [55] The City may want to encourage the growth of NGO's, both for economic development purposes, and to enrich the processes of the UN, and a new facility would help. A building constructed by UNDC as swing space for the UN during renovation might later be leased to NGO's. Another imaginative idea to explore is construction of a new conference hall for meetings and conferences during renovation of the UN headquarters, and later using the space as a cultural venue and/or as a location for the fall general debate if the new location affords easier high-security access for Heads of State. (see Section II.B. above).
Some roadway improvements might be worthwhile for improving security and access to the UN, and enhancing the UN headquarters district. These might include directing First Avenue traffic entirely underground and creating a pedestrian mall in front of the headquarters. Assistance from the federal government would be welcome if it could be negotiated. [56]
Some UN member states may well look to the US government, and to the NYC and state governments, for assistance in paying for the capital master plan, due to the economic benefits derived from the presence of the UN, and likely to be derived from construction expenditures. Congress might also have expectations of the City. [57] The severe local economic circumstances would certainly seem to preclude any direct contribution, and the City should be prepared to resist any such expectation. The City must point out that it will continue to incur substantial costs for security, education of the children of diplomats and UN staff, and for other City services, while foregoing various real estate taxes, income taxes, sales taxes and parking fines.
The most important assistance the City and State of New York can give to the UN Capital Master Plan is the assistance and financing power of the United Nations Development Corporation (see III.B. below).
A final decision by the General Assembly on implementation of the UN Capital Master Plan is not expected before the summer or fall of 2002. The new City administration should quickly become involved in the planning process to advocate solutions that are in the best interest of the City as well as the United Nations. In doing so, the administration will have an opportunity to make a long-lasting contribution to the City and to the world community.
III. Public and Private Vehicles for Working with the UN
The New York City Commission for the United Nations, Consular Corps and Protocol, a mayoral agency, was established in 1962. [58] The Commission is the principal representative of the City in dealing with the UN, foreign Missions and consulates, and state and federal agencies concerned with the UN. The Commission provides pro bono legal and practical advice to diplomats and to the public, advocates for the City with the UN and foreign Missions and consulates, and coordinates meetings between foreign representatives and City officials and businesses.
The US Mission to the United Nations also has an Office of Host Country Affairs, which together with the City Commission, meets with the General Assembly Committee on Relations with the Host Country, traditionally chaired by the Ambassador of Cyprus. [59] Many issues between New Yorkers and the UN community are resolved quietly through the assistance of the Commission.
The Commission also has an economic development function, assisting international businesses to locate here, and a Sister City Program. These programs should be reviewed and probably enhanced. The Commission should look for ideas to the programs of other UN Host cities, particularly Geneva.
Careful consideration should also be given to the choice of a new Commissioner. Given the increased importance of multilateral relations and of the United Nations as an institution in dealing with terrorism and peacekeeping, and the increased responsibility for New York as host city to the UN in dangerous times, the next Commissioner should have a deep background in international affairs, and substantial knowledge of the United Nations and of the City and its government. Moreover, given the opportunity of the new administration to make a substantial and long-lasting contribution to the manner in which UN headquarters are renovated, the next Commissioner should be knowledgeable concerning real estate and development issues and able to work constructively with the Board and staff of the UNDC.
Further, an imaginative Commissioner can be a catalyst and coordinator for encouraging the sorts of education and cultural programs, and policy interchanges, suggested in this report. Some administrations have chosen this Commissioner based on political ties and contributions, with the functions seen as largely social, and the salary often a dollar a year. These times call for a full-time Commissioner with professional expertise, and it will probably be necessary to pay a salary.
The United Nations Development Corporation (UNDC) is a not-for-profit public benefit corporation established by New York State law in 1968, with the support of the City, to provide commercial office space and other facilities for the United Nations community in New York. [60] The statute also established a United Nations Development District, for which UNDC has planning and development responsibility. [61] The UNDC is governed by a fifteen member Board, of whom eight members serve at the pleasure of the Governor, and five serve at the pleasure of the Mayor, together with the City Planning Commission Chair and the NYC Commissioner of Housing Preservation and Development, who serve ex officio.
The UNDC has made an enormous contribution by constructing five buildings of architectural distinction greatly needed by the UN community. Construction proceeded in three phases. In Phase I, UNDC completed construction of a 39-story office building-hotel at One UN Plaza and buildings at 763 and 765 UN Plaza. In Phase II, UNDC completed the 40-story office building-hotel at Two UN Plaza in 1984. In Phase III, a 15-story office-residential building at Three UN Plaza was completed in 1987. In a Phase IV, the UNDC acquired 17 floors of the 633 Third Avenue office condominium property. [62]
Most of the properties built by the UNDC have been sold, and the remainder are in the process of sale. The properties were sold during the years 1997 to 2001, a strong period in the City's real estate market, and most were sold at a substantial profit. UNDC has thus been a financial success as well. [63]
Although it will shortly hold no properties, given the need for assisting the UN with its Capital Master Plan, the UNDC should certainly not be disbanded at this time. It is an open question whether UNDC should itself construct and manage any new buildings, or should merely put its financing power at the service of the United Nations. Either way, the UNDC is likely to have an indispensable role in accomplishing the UN capital master plan and building any new facilities that may be needed.
The UN looks to UNDC to likely build or purchase, and then lease to the UN, building(s) for swing space needed during the renovation of UN headquarters. [64] The UNDC might also be employed to build NGO offices, UN conference facilities, or even a UN-related cultural venue, as contemplated in this report.
The UNDC has the power to issue tax-exempt municipal bonds. Interest on these bonds is substantially lower than on commercial bonds because the interest payments are generally exempt from federal, state and local income tax. Subject to the quality of any development proposals and the response of the bond market, the UNDC thus has the power to carry out very substantial real estate developments on behalf of the United Nations at lower cost than private developers. The UNDC no longer has power however to issue tax-exempt bonds directly on behalf of the UN, as the Tax Reform Act of 1986 treats the UN as a private business ineligible for tax-exempt financing. [65] Congress would have to reverse this provision as to the United Nations. [66]
C. Private
Cable television pioneer Ted Turner gave $35 million to help satisfy U.S. dues arrears to the UN, and has pledged a gift of $1 billion to the UN over ten years, administered through a new UN Foundation. [68] Private companies based in New York might also be encouraged to collaborate directly with the UN on projects. [69]
The UN Capital
Master plan does contemplate the possibility of voluntary private
contributions, but assumes they would be "relatively minor."
[70] In fact, there may be many people around the world willing
to contribute to renovating the home of the United Nations, or for
the development of related facilities, such as an NGO office building
or a cultural venue. It is not known if the UN would tolerate the
American custom of naming buildings for their donors, but related
facilities could certainly be build with such recognition for the
donors. Foundations, and NYC businesses which benefit from the UN's
presence, might also be supportive.
IV. NYC and the UN: Time for Renewal
This study does not purport to thoroughly cover all issues regarding the relationship between the United Nations and the City of New York. Some of the more imaginative proposals require hard-headed economic analysis. We have worked largely from public documents, together with interviews of some officials. The new administration, once in office, will be in a position to probe deeper and utilize confidential information.
We hope our central conclusions provide some useful guidance. Hosting the United Nations is an enormously valuable service to the world community, and it is in the interest of American foreign policy that we do so with grace and warmth. The UN happens to provide very substantial economic benefits to the City, and these greatly outweigh its costs and burdens. Very substantial benefits for education, culture and policy development in New York are possible as a result of the presence of UN headquarters, and these possibilities have never been adequately explored. Especially in these times, the City should attempt to make the most of these potential benefits.
There are legitimate concerns with security, parking, and traffic problems related to the UN, but these should be managed constructively and should not be allowed to overshadow the much more important benefits of hosting the United Nations. The new administration has an opportunity not only to greatly strengthen the relationship of the City with the United Nations, but to leave its mark on New York by helping to shape the renovation of UN headquarters and the possible development of related facilities.
Special Committee
on the United Nations
December, 2001
Emily M. Bass
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------* Principal author of the Report.
Recused from participation in the Report.