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To elevate the Latino community through education, art and culture. To this end, proceeds from El Jolgorio Navideño will
support UMass Boston's TAG Latino Program, by supporting its mentoring initiative, the only Latino-focused mentoring program in Boston.
The success of this holiday institution for the New England Latino community rests on our sponsors and individuals like you. For sponsorship opportunities please contact firstname.lastname@example.com or call (617) 564-0787.
El Jolgorio Navideño is brought to you by the TAG Association's dedicated Executive Board and volunteer planning committee. Email us at email@example.com or call (617) 564-0787.
Our SPONSORS
Celebrating our Culture. Educating our Youth. Elevating our Community.
Last minute standing room only tickets available for sale at the door! Tickets are sold on a first- come, first-serve basis for 9:00 PM entry for $80 (cash) or $80 + credit fees. Please note these standing room only tickets do not include dinner, or seating.


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thanks to Huffington Post for the great show review click to read the entire article!
"Langhorne Slim (aka Langhorne PA's own Sean Scolnick) was up next on stage. Langhorne Slim's set list on Thursday night consisted mostly of songs off his last two albums, Langhorne Slim and Be Set Free. Langhorne Slim's voice is very reminiscent of New York stalwart Jesse Malin, but his music is very much his own. Slim's lyrics tell stories and his melodies go from being very beautiful to very rockus in the best way possible. And he has a real talented group of musicans that help him play those stellar melodies!
If Ha Ha Tonka made the Brooklyn Bowl crowd take notice, then Langhorne Slim had them wrapped around his little finger. He owned the place, charming the crowd with his amazing live performance and his stage presence."

subset: commoncrawl


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Safety and Immunogenicity of One Dose of an Inactivated Trivalent Sub-unit Influenza Vaccine Administered to Non-elderly Adult and Elderly Subjects
This study has been completed.
Novartis Vaccines
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Novartis ( Novartis Vaccines )
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: May 5, 2011
Last updated: December 6, 2011
Last verified: December 2011
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
No Study Results Posted on ClinicalTrials.gov for this Study
|Study Status:
|This study has been completed.
|Study Completion Date:
|June 2011
|Primary Completion Date:
|May 2011 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)


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The Independent Games Festival (IGF) is a celebration of gaming's hidden gems. On March 27th, five games will compete to win the Seumas McNally Grand Prize. Every weekday until then, Shacknews will be highlighting a finalist, exploring what makes each game so unique.
This is one of the most humbling experiences I've seen in games. Richard Hofmeier's Cart Life tasks you with running a retail cart--albeit with a lot of personal baggage along the way. Whether you play as Melanie, a recent divorcee that lost her job, or Andrus, an immigrant in search of a new life, you'll have to overcome the struggles of everyday life as you try to scrape on by with your meager earnings.
Cart Life does a great job of conveying the stress of operating a cart, through timed exchanges, having to manually calculate and distribute change, and hilarious typing exercises that distill the banality of cart set-up. But, it's the human aspect that makes Cart Life so special.
As with all simulators, there is a certain addictive quality in maximizing profit, looking for growth opportunities, and operating the best business you can. But, don't forget that Melanie needs to pick up her daughter from school every day. Watch out for Andrus' cat, who must be hidden away from the motel operator. Don't forget to take care of your characters, as they must eat, sleep, and unwind with a drink and smoke (or two).
Although the cheerful chiptune music may mask it, Cart Life is an overwhelmingly heavy game that places a tremendous burden on your shoulders. There is hope for these characters, even if it means taking the bus, foregoing a meal, and worrying about paying your rent on time.
Cart Life is now available on PC. A freeware version is available direct from the developer. A special edition is available for $5 on Steam.
Ubisoft has released a few assorted Might & Magic games since it bought the series from the defunct 3DO in 2003, but the core RPG series that started the whole lot was left fallow. It's back now, though. Ubisoft today announced Might & Magic X Legacy and yes, it's still first-person and turn-based.
Might & Magic X will give you a party of four to adventure around with, battling monsters, delving into dungeons, plundering treasure, disarming traps, and all that classic RPG jazz.
The story follows on from events in Might & Magic Heroes VI, from the turn-based strategy side-series previously known as Heroes of Might & Magic. The city of Karthal is in political turmoil, or somesuch, and apparently "Your actions will determine the fate of the city."
The game will be on show at PAX East this weekend, so hopefully we'll learn more. Trailer!
This week, we are offering StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm multiplayer tips. Yesterday, we focused on the Zerg and their race-specific strategies. Today, we look at a few tips for playing the Terrans. Be sure to check out our single-player and multiplayer reviews for the game.
Create Walls: Every base has a ramp (or at least a choke point) that leads down from your base to the rest of the map. You can use two supply depots and a barracks to wall that area off and ensure that Zerg players can't destroy you with the dreaded Zerg Rush (ditto for Protoss Zealot rushes.) With supply depots in the way, the Zerglings will have to try to chew their way through while one or two marines slowly pick them off. If the Zerglings seem like they might get through, no problem, just bring a few SCVs over to repair the wall. Later in the game you can stall the enemy army by building a wall of supply depots at your expansions. These can be lowered to allow your army to pass, or raised to block the enemy.
Complement Marines and Marauders with Medivacs: The best tool a Terran player has in their arsenal is the Medivac. They both heal units and also provide a great transport option which you can use to drop your troops inside your enemy's mineral line. More importantly, they can be combined with the Stimpack ability to create an incredibly powerful force. Marines, Marauders, and Medivacs (called an MMM build) are the most popular Terran composition. Stim juices them up to do huge damage, while the Medivacs heal the damage they take.
Stutter Step Your Marines: If you let your marines stand still while shooting Zealots or Zerglings then they'll get eaten up quickly. You can extend their life by shooting, then quickly moving back a few steps, then shooting again (repeat forever.) Marines have a brief pause between their shots that you can use to put some distance between you and your opponent (without losing any of your damage output.). After targeting an enemy unit, right click to make your marine(s) run away. Then press "S" to make them stop. They'll automatically target the enemy unit that is in range. Run, stop, shoot. Run, stop, shoot. Master this maneuver and your marines and Marauders will be much more dangerous.
Check back tomorrow for tips on playing the Protoss, as well as some Heart of the Swarm-specific strategies.
The wizards, warlords, Winter Orbs and Whippoorwhills of Magic: The Gathering are returning once again this year in a new downloadable Duels of the Planeswalkers game. This year's instalment, Magic 2014 - Duels of the Planeswalkers, is adding a new platform to its hand, coming to Android as well as PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3.
The 2014 iteration will bring 10 new decks, 15 new encounters, 10 new puzzles, and one mysterious new game mode. It'll have a sampling of the cardboard game's 2014 'Core Set' too.
Duels of the Planeswalkers, if you've missed it, is an adaptation of the immensely successful and staggeringly long-running collectible card game. It's faithful and provides enough Magic to scratch the itch of recovering addicts, but doesn't let you create your own decks from scratch. Instead, you unlock decks and extra cards to customise them by beating opponents.
The announcement trailer introduces Chandra Nalaar, one of the five planeswalkers who'll appear in the 2014 Core Set. It's fair to guess we'll see her and the others in DotP, then.
Ooh, I don't know, these comic books today, introducing new characters like there's no tomorrow. Why can't we stick with the characters we all know and love, like Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man, Krypto the Superdog, and Matter-Eater Lad. No, no, we need to introduce new people, apparently! So things will be with DC Comics fighting game Injustice: Gods Among Us, but the DLC season pass announced today will at least offer four DLC characters for the price of three.
The $15 season pass will be available for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 at launch, but not Wii U. On top of the aforementioned yet unannounced four extra playable characters, you'll get the exclusive Flash Point Skin Pack with alternate costumes for Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Deathstroke.
Developed by the Mortal Kombat reboot gang at NetherRealm Studios, Injustice is coming to Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii U on April 16.
Hey, here's a recent trailer introducing the magical Raven:
Our last extended look at Beyond: Two Souls displayed the title's ability to deliver the sort of high-octane thrills ordinarily reserved for Jerry Bruckheimer films. From its foot chase atop a speeding train to its exploding gas station, the preview provided more adrenaline-pumping moments in a few minutes than Heavy Rain did in its entire running time.
During a recent visit to Quantic Dream's Paris studio, however, the highly cinematic game showed us a decidedly different side; one that yielded a surprisingly strong survival horror vibe, complete with monster-in-closet moments and the reveal of a potentially significant--and possibly supernatural--plot point.
Our hands-on session begins in a car, where stars Jodie Holmes and Nathan Dawkins (played by Ellen Page and Willem Dafoe) chat en route to some sort of top secret research facility. Sadly, we're unable to listen in because, well, Quantic won't let us; their conversation apparently contains major spoilers, so we're not allowed to put our headphones on until they've exited the vehicle and walked to the building. Despite the absence of audio, however, it's obvious the pair isn't out for a casual stroll; walking to the facility--which, by the way, is on fire--they pass heavily armed military personnel as well as some terrified-looking folks in hazmat suits.
At the entrance, Jodie appears to receive some encouraging words and a pat on the shoulder from Dawkins. The scientist then leaves, we're given the go-ahead to don our headphones, and Jodie enters the burning building. With a push of the left stick, we direct her toward an elevator, passing plenty of broken glass, blood stains, and sparking electrical fixtures along the way. The foreboding atmosphere is affective. So much so that we half expect a virally-infected canine to come crashing through a window, Resident Evil-style. When we arrive at the lift, we're introduced to what designer David Cage earlier in the day referred to as a "discreet, intuitive, fluid UI." Like Heavy Rain, Beyond incorporates a fully contextual interface. Unlike its predecessor's potentially immersion-breaking prompts, however, Beyond's inconspicuous cues won't be accused of pulling players from the experience.
The foundation of this seamless, streamlined control scheme is built on players simply doing what seems obvious or natural, with occasional guidance coming from tiny white dots placed near interactions. One such dot, for example, sits near the elevator's control panel; a push of the right stick toward the dot begins an interaction. In this case, we learn the elevator is stuck, leading us to call on Jodie's supernatural sidekick Aiden for help. A press of the triangle button puts us in control of the entity, while using the dual sticks controls the character and camera just as they would in a first-person shooter.
From this perspective, we push Aiden through the door and down to the jammed elevator car below. Upon passing a fresh corpse on the floor, we discover a crate's keeping the door from shutting. We lock onto the object with L1, then pull back and release the two sticks--sort of like shooting a slingshot--to knock the object out of the way. With the puzzle tackled, we again assume the role of Jodie and call the elevator. It still doesn't line-up perfectly though, so we use the DualShock's six-axis feature to trigger her jump down.
With a bit more help from the contextual dots, we access the laboratory level, where a seemingly dead guard uses his last breath to warn Jodie of the danger ahead. The moment provides a modest scare, but pales in comparison to what comes next. As Jodie passes through an air-locked hallway, which wouldn't look out of place among Doom's hell spawn-cluttered corridors, a corpse briefly rises in her wake. Shortly after this shock, she's confronted by the white-eyed stare of another ghastly figure peering through a window. We're told by the Sony rep overseeing our demo that these ghouls aren't zombies, but hallucinations used to convey Jodie's fragile mental state.
The corridor's exit door is locked, but we're again able to exploit Aiden's ethereal skills to pass through it and open it from the other side. Now in the bowels of the research lab, Jodie discovers a corpse and we're introduced to Aiden's ability to channel the last living moments of the dead. Upon aligning a pair of glowing blue orbs hovering above the body and then tethering them to Jodie, we see a flashback of the man's grisly end; the brief, black and white cinematic is difficult to decipher, but it's obvious his death was delivered with swift violence.
Following a short puzzle, which sees Jodie and Aiden collaborating to remove a ceiling grate and navigate a ventilation duct, we get a clearer picture of what felled this unfortunate victim. Now navigating a room engulfed in flames, we utilize our Aiden to tap into the final moments of a fireman's life. The potentially story-spoiling scene (you've been warned) sees the firefighter and his partner brutally slain by piercing tentacles; you know, the sort of snaking, spiky limbs usually used to scare our pants off in sci-fi horror films.
On top of this nightmarish reveal, the flashback displays the location of a fire extinguisher dropped by one of the men while having his ribcage rearranged by the ... monster? Leveraging this intel, we have Aiden push the object through a wall of fire, toward Jodie's feet. We extinguish the flames, but our progress is halted by a plate glass window. We toss a chair through the glass by gesturing the controller to the right three times, but we're told we could've also overcome the obstacle by having Aiden hurl a table through it.
We're asked to relinquish our headphones and controller just as a screaming man, engulfed in flames, flails and falls before Jodie. It's an abrupt end to a largely linear and directed demo. Its affective horror vibe, intro to fresh mechanics, and imagination-piquing narrative beats, however, already have us anxiously awaiting our next outer-body experience with Beyond.
Shooting men in the face can be fun but what if it hurts people's feelings, and why can't we be friends? Thankfully, Warframe has the answer: co-op missions against AI (which is probably not advanced enough to suffer distress). The free-to-play third-person shooter from The Darkness II developer Digital Extremes launched into open beta today, so we can all enjoy nice, safe face-shooting.
Warframe plops you into the eponymous Warframes, mighty ancient combat armours. They're essentially classes, each with different powers and attributes. In them, you'll go marauding around with your chums on missions, from raiding artifacts and wave defense to rescuing hostages and capturing VIPs. Along the way, you collect loot to upgrade and unlock stuff.
Monetisation will come from selling instant unlocks of, as far as I can tell from a quick look, upgrades, weapons and warframes which can mostly be unlocked slowly for free too.
Hit the official site for more information and to play.
There isn't really a dearth of highly scripted linear first-person shooters. Yet, 4A Games manages to create something truly engrossing with its follow-up to Metro 2033. Metro: Last Light doesn't captivate by innovating--instead, it shines through sheer polish, offering best-in-class visuals, satisfying battles, and an intricately detailed world to explore.
Last Light takes place one year after the events of 2033, with Artyom once again looking for the Dark Ones. And although there is quite a bit of backstory to wade through, newcomers and fans alike will be able to instantly appreciate the unique setting of Metro--a post-apocalyptic world where nuclear war has forced Russian denizens to seek shelter in underground subway systems.
4A brings the Metro universe to life with absolutely stunning visuals--on a high-end PC, at least. (We didn't see the console versions demoed.) What really sells the experience isn't necessarily the tech, however. You can simply absorb the world by looking around. Pay attention, and you'll notice how everything in the world has been jury-rigged from garbage and scraps to accommodate humanity's new lifestyle. From gates to boats, humanity has come up with rather interesting solutions for living underground.
The world feels alive, and during your expeditions to the game's many towns, you'll feel tempted to simply watch how NPCs interact with one another. In one part of the game, you'll walk through a cabaret show. I saw one complete act, and decided to move on as the second act was beginning--but I wondered: how long could I have stayed there?
While it's easy to get tricked by life in the "streets" of the Metro underground, there's quite a lot of turmoil to deal with. Above-ground, nuclear fallout is responsible for horrifying mutants--and poisonous air that kills without an air filter. The irradiated fallout provides Metro some of its most exhilarating moments. As you traverse the destroyed Russian cityscape, you'll be constantly pressed for air filters. Lasting only a few minutes, the game forces you to be mindful--and incredibly resourceful, scavenging bodies and searching hidden corners for every last filter you can find.
Although there are some knuckle-biting moments fighting mutants, I found myself enjoying the challenge of fighting against human enemies far more. While the monsters overwhelm with brute force, the human opponents of Metro are much more cunning. The AI feels incredibly responsive to your actions. If you're ever detected, you'll see the AI moving foes into cover, looking for opportunities to flank you. As their numbers whittle down, you'll see them adjust their tactics. One time, I was especially impressed to see that two enemies were scanning the area with their flashlight, as they walked around backs against each other. Seeing the AI constantly engaging with new tactics makes combat utterly satisfying.
With a beautiful distopyian sci-fi setting, and an interesting mix of human and mutant enemies to fight, Metro: Last Light perfects the formula that Valve introduced in Half-Life. And given the studio's silence on Episode 3, Last Light may be the closest thing we'll get to a proper Half-Life follow-up. That's not meant as a mark against 4A's talent--rather, it's proof that Metro: Last Light is shaping up to be something rather remarkable.
With PAX East kicking off tomorrow, half of this week's news has revolved around the expo organised by Penny Arcade, the games you can see there and the games you can play. Most fitting of all is the debut trailer, however, is the release of the debut trailer for Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 4, the retro RPG created by the webcomic gang and made by Cthulhu Saves the World developer Zeboyd Games.
Zeboyd's going a bit more open-world and non-linear for its second entry in the series, which it took over from Hothead Games, with alternate routes and secrets. The studio also had a bit more influence on its story, as this time it wasn't already planned before it started.
This time around, you can recruit and train monsters to fight for you too. Gotta catch 'em all!
PAOTRSPOD4 is due to launch this spring on PC and Xbox Live Indie Games, priced at $5.
Hey, you! Have you played Natural Selection 2 yet? If you fancy giving the FPS-RTS a go, today's your lucky day, as it'll be free for all and sundry to try and play on Steam from this morning until Sunday. To put a cherry on top, developer Unknown Worlds is cutting the price by 50% for the weekend too, bringing it down to $12.50.
From 10 a.m. PT today, everyone will be able to download NS2 through Steam and play until 1pm PDT on Sunday. The 50 percent discount will run all the way through to 10 a.m. PT on Monday.
Unknown Worlds released NS2's biggest update ever at the end of February, so if you heard about the game during its long pre-order beta period or at launch, hey, it's a bit different now.
Here's an exciting new trailer to celebrate the event:


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The new Knox Nexos Sport Touring motorcycle gloves look like a stylish way to protect yourself this year. They've got relatively subtle logos and details, so you're not limited to wearing them on the latest sports bike or looking like a bit of a plank. But at the same time, they've got all the armour and specs that you might expect by now.
The Knox Nexos are made from tough cowhide leather uppers, with softer, more flexible goatskin on the palms. You also get elasticated stretch panels at the finger joints. So there should be plenty of feel and flexibility. The fingers also have seamless, wrap-around ends, which means less pain from an annoying join digging into the end of your pinkies.
To keep the gloves secure on your hands, you get the latest L6 Boa closure system and wrist support, which means they're consistently fastened and micro-adjustable. So that means you can get them nice and comfy, but also shouldn't have them come loose or undone if you're unlucky enough to have an accident.
On the top of the glove is a three-part kuckle guard built from memory foam and impact-absorbing honeycomb gel under a soft, deformable TPU kuckle shield. So you get protection without having hard plastic either making it hard to move your hands, or digging into them. And you also get the patented Knox Scaphoid Protection System to protect your wrist bones and prevent hyperextension when sliding – there are also sliders built into the top of the fingers.
The Knox Nexos Sport Touring motorcycle gloves are available in either Black/White or solid Black. The plain colour in particular means you won't stand out wearing them on any road bike, including a classic or a modern retro. The only real indicator that they're a new glove is that closure system. And the problem of saying Knox Nexos quickly 20 times. The Nexos are available in sizes Small-XXL, and will cost you £129.99.


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Jonesboro man charged with fracturing baby's skull
JONESBORO, Ark. (AP) - Police in Jonesboro say a man faces a felony battery charge after a 4-month-old baby was treated for a fractured skull.
Authorities say 28-year-old Paul Martin Suchey of Jonesboro was arrested Monday night after a detective was summoned to St. Bernards Medical Center.
Police say Suchey told an investigator the baby may have hit his head on his knee while being rocked. Suchey then said the infant may have hit his head on a door frame.
The baby's mother told police that the infant had another unexplained injury about a month before when she noticed a bruise on his back.
Police say the baby is at a Memphis, Tenn., hospital and is expected to recover.
Suchey has an Oct. 31 court appearance. Bond was set at $10,000.
Information from: The Jonesboro Sun, http://www.jonesborosun.comCopyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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On 16/07/12 20:08, Claudio Freire wrote: > On Mon, Jul 16, 2012 at 3:59 PM, Mark Thornton <mthornton(at)optrak(dot)com> wrote: >> 4. The most efficient way for the database itself to do the updates would be >> to first insert all the data in the table, and then update each index in >> turn having first sorted the inserted keys in the appropriate order for that >> index. > Actually, it should create a temporary index btree and merge[0] them. > Only worth if there are really a lot of rows. > > [0] http://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/bradrui/index_files/parareorg.pdf I think 93 million would qualify as a lot of rows. However does any available database (commercial or open source) use this optimisation. Mark
Next: From: Tom Lane Date: 2012-07-16 19:18:53 Subject: Re: [PERFORM] DELETE vs TRUNCATE explanation Previous: From: Claudio Freire Date: 2012-07-16 19:08:14 Subject: Re: very very slow inserts into very large table


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Cronut Inventor Does it Again
Dominique Ansel, the creator of the buzz-tastic cronut, a cross between a croissant and a doughnut, has come up with a new creation — a Frozen S'More. It's made up of vanilla custard ice cream covered in chocolate feuilletine wafers for crunch and encased in a large marshmallow. Once you order it, you wait while the dessert is individually finished by being torched to caramelize the marshmallow's outside, and it's then served on a branch smoked over applewood chips to give it a campfire smell. The heat speeds up the melting of the ice cream, so the center is soft and crunchy when you bite through the marshmallow. As for the cronut, it's still going strong, with people continuing to line up more than two hours before Ansel's Manhattan bakery opens to get one. Only 200 cronuts are made each day, and each person is only allowed to buy two of them at a time.


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Vienna (Apr. 15)
The Jewish community here passed the first days of Passover in a depressed atmosphere. Although no ritual agitations disturbed the Jews this year, the economic crisis, aggravated by the impossibility of emigrating, upset even the Seder joy of thousands. The Zionist position, resulting from the Inquiry Commission's report, also kept many from enjoying Passover to the full.
The crowded synagogues reflected the moods. The Polish Synagogue was so jammed that the police had to close the doors and refuse admittance to many who sought it.


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The New York Film Festival is proud to present the latest work by Jafar Panahi, the Iranian auteur known for films such as Crimson Gold (NYFF '03) and Offside (NYFF '06).
Documentaries are rarely so urgent; in the self-reflective style of much great Iranian cinema, the making of This Is Not a Film is, in a way, its own subject. It chronicles a day in the director's house arrest as he awaits the appeal of his six-year prison sentence. In addition to possible incarceration, Panahi is banned from making films, talking to the press, and traveling out of the country for 20 years. The director participated in the 2009 anti-government protests in Iran and, in 2010, was arrested for conspiracy and spreading propaganda against the regime. His imprisonment is only one of the more famous examples of Iran's continuing repression of its own artists and thinkers, not to mention more ordinary dissidents.
This Is Not a Film was made with great risk; its co-director, Mojtaba Mir Tahmaseb, was arrested last month and the film itself (despite its title) is a potential violation of the ban. The film comes to America on the heels of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad's latest appearance at the UN General Assembly in September, which caused walkouts at his remarks about 9/11, among other things. Relations between Iran and the United States continue to sour: this week, the US accused the Iranian government of conspiring to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in Washington, which Iran claims is an attempt to deflect attention from Occupy Wall Street.
Works such as This Is Not A Film and NYFF's other Iranian entry, A Separation, present the reality of life in Iran to the rest of the world. Steve Dollar writes in The Wall Street Journal that "the work is both a passionate protest and a nuanced intellectual discourse on politics, aesthetics and human nature," in an article on the political documentaries at NYFF. Richard Brody talks about the importance of the non-film's iPhone sequence – "the most extraordinary sequence in this extraordinary film" – in a post for the New Yorker. In Capital New York, Sheila O'Malley heralds This Is Not a Film as "one of the most powerful political films ever made."
For more about the film's background and critical reception, read our NYFF Spotlight. Tickets are available online and at the Alice Tully Hall box office for the film's only screening on October 13 at 6:00pm.


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Intel's Haswell - An HTPC Perspective: Media Playback, 4K and QuickSync Evaluatedby Ganesh T S on June 2, 2013 8:15 PM EST
Video Post Processing and HTPC Configuration Options
Our HTPC reviews over the last few years have used the HQV 2.0 benchmark to estimate and compare video post processing quality of the GPUs. We are at a stage where almost all GPUs end up scoring around 200, leaving very little differentiation. Put bluntly, the HQV 2.0 benchmark is dated, and presenting scores from it delivers no practical value to readers. That said, the tests themselves are relevant, but, instead of the HQV 2.0 Blu-ray, we used clips from Spears & Munsil's HD Benchmark (2nd Edition).
Intel has been paying particular attention to video post processing (courtesy of the pressure put by AMD's high scores in the HQV benchmark during the Sandy Bridge era). Haswell manages to clear common deinterlacing, chroma upsampling and cadence detection tests without issues, as shown in the gallery below
The disappointment comes in the form of the revamped Intel Graphics Control Panel. While the changes in appearance can be excused as migrating to be friendly with the Windows 8 touchscreen devices, the distribution of the various configuration options makes no sense at all. For example, it is only fair for users to expect the 'inverse telecine' option to be present under the Video category. However, it makes its appearance under the advanced display settings. Input range (Full / Limited for 0 - 255 / 16 - 235) is under advanced video settings, but the YCbCr / RGB setting is under the Display settings. It would make sense to have both settings under one category as users usually modify both when trying to calibrate and ensure that their setup is working optimally.
As I found out when trying to calibrate using Spears & Munsil's HD Benchmark, the mixture of settings in the control panel makes it very difficult to calibrate the correct output color space (amongst other things). For example, there is no way to choose YCbCr 4:2:2 / YCbCr 4:4:4 / Limited RGB / Full RGB. This is just one of the missing features in the configuration utility. I hope Intel's engineers try to calibrate a few displays by driving them using an Intel GPU and using the HD Benchmark 2nd Edition calibration disk (just to understand how badly the layout of the control panel is designed).
Andrew at Missing Remote also brings out the fact that clipping issues still exist. In addition, the current control panel completely removes the ability to create custom resolutions (in any case, the previous feature was also not very user friendly compared to NVIDIA's solution). The drivers and UI / UX still need work, but Intel hasn't been as responsive as we would like (partly due to the fact that casual HTPC users don't really care about these issues).
Note of Thanks:
Thanks to Spears & Munsil / Oppo Digital for providing us with an evaluation version of the HD Benchmark 2nd Edition Blu-ray
95 Comments
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mindbomb - Sunday, June 02, 2013 - linkThe current version of madvr does support dxva native actually. Reply
gevorg - Sunday, June 02, 2013 - linkThe near $300 price of i7-4765T is extremely price prohibitive for HTPC use. Majority of users will find AMD's Trinity APUs to be perfect for HTPC job.
Also, unless Intel handicapped it, you should be able to downclock any i7 Haswell CPU to be near i7-4765T speed/TDP. This is possible with Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge chips. Reply
meacupla - Sunday, June 02, 2013 - linkthe only problem with trinity is the rather limited choice of mITX mobos and rather high power consumption and thermal output, which makes them not ideal for compact HTPCs...
Although, granted, for $300 for the CPU alone, I'd much rather buy an xboxone or PS4. Reply
HisDivineOrder - Tuesday, June 04, 2013 - linkYou just listed four problems while saying, "the only problem with trinity." That's the real problem with AMD's options. There's like "one problem" for everyone. Reply
Spunjji - Tuesday, June 04, 2013 - linkExcept for those of us for whom there are none, and/or are prepared to live with limitations to not have to shell out $300 on a CPU. Reply
vnangia - Sunday, June 02, 2013 - linkVery true. The SNB low-TDP parts were within spitting distance of their equivalent regular-TDP parts (about $25-50 more), not $200 more. Reply
JDG1980 - Sunday, June 02, 2013 - linkIf you can wait six months or so, you're probably going to be better off going with Kaveri. AMD is going to be substantially increasing the GPU power of their APU and switching to a homogenous memory architecture so everything uses GDDR5. What little I've heard (which may not be reliable) seems to indicate that the GPU in Kaveri may be about on par with the discrete 7750. I don't know if they can pull that off, but if they even come close then they will have basically rendered all sub-$100 discrete GPUs obsolete. Reply
lmcd - Sunday, June 02, 2013 - linkInaccurate. $100 GPUs will have improved by Kaveri's release. And AMD's drivers won't necessarily meet the expectations set here either. Reply
medi02 - Monday, June 03, 2013 - linkThis driver FUD is getting old... Reply
Spunjji - Tuesday, June 04, 2013 - linkVery old, but don't expect it to stop. Reply


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Research Topics
Tamas J Vidovszky
Affiliation: University of California
Country: USA
Detail Information
- Composite mesh migration into the sigmoid colon following ventral hernia repairE C Nelson
Department of Surgery, University of California, Davis Medical Center, 2221 Stockton Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
Hernia 15:101-3. 2011..Despite this, occasional complications may still present. We present the case of a 65-year-old man coming to our clinic 5 years after a third ventral hernia repair/revision with composite mesh...
- Robotic cholecystectomy: learning curve, advantages, and limitationsTamas J Vidovszky
Department of Surgery, University of California, Davis, California 95817, USA
J Surg Res 136:172-8. 2006..Initial studies showed significant set up time and operating time but no clear clinical advantage of the robotic involvement. We have investigated the learning curve, advantages and limitation of the procedure...
- Increased soluble leptin receptor levels in morbidly obese patients with insulin resistance and nonalcoholic fatty liver diseaseValentina Medici
Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, California, USA
Obesity (Silver Spring) 18:2268-73. 2010..In conclusion, increased SLR levels in morbidly obese patients with diabetes are correlated with the stage of liver fibrosis, and may reflect progressive liver disease...
- Comparison of robotic and laparoendoscopic single-site surgery systems in a suturing and knot tying taskDan Eisenberg
Department of Surgery, Stanford School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA, USA
Surg Endosc 27:3182-6. 2013..We compared a LESS system with a robotic single-site surgery platform in performance of a suturing and knot-tying task under clinically simulated conditions...
- Robotic cholecystectomy and resident education: the UC Davis experienceEric C Nelson
Department of Surgery, University of Tennessee School of Medicine, Chattanooga, TN, USA
Int J Med Robot 10:218-22. 2014..The popularity of robotic surgery highlights the need for strategies to integrate this technique into surgical education. We present 5 year data for robotic cholecystectomy (RC) as a model for training residents...
- 3-D telestration: a teaching tool for robotic surgeryMohamed R Ali
Department of Surgery, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
J Laparoendosc Adv Surg Tech A 18:107-12. 2008..This project aimed to develop a video algorithm to accurately translate a mentor's two-dimensional (2-D) telestration into a 3-D telestration in the da Vinci visual field...
- Single-site robotic cholecystectomy in a broadly inclusive patient population: a prospective studyTamas J Vidovszky
From the Innovative Surgery of the Alimentary Tract iSAT Institute, Department of Surgery, University of California, Davis in Sacramento
Ann Surg 260:134-41. 2014..To describe our initial experience with single-site robotic cholecystectomy (SSRC) and its applicability to a broad segment of patients...


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|Follow PSU Swimming & Diving:
|Follow @PennStateSWIM
Oct. 21, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State athletic communications department has released the 2010-11 Penn State men's swimming & diving team yearbook. The publication, produced in stunning color, includes records, historical notes, current player and coaches' bios as well as other information for every Penn State swimming & diving fan following Nittany Lions.
The yearbook features senior co-captain John Austin (Kennett Square, Pa.), sophomore diver Alex Marchinski (Shillington, Pa.), junior co-captain Scott Marino (Scotch Plains, N.J.), and junior All-American Brian Alden (Lansdale, Pa.).
Below is the flip-through graphic of the yearbook presented through Issuu. The yearbook can be downloaded in PDF format as well.


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Member since 7/10/2012
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Small Lump Between Breast and Armpit 3 Months After Breast Augmentation?
3 months ago I had saline breast augmentation, I have had a small lump in my right breast towards the armpit. It feels like a tiny metal ball. My surgeon says it is normal to... READ MORE


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Police are hunting a motorist who failed to stop after a collision with a pedestrian in Keighley last night.
A 49-year-old man was taken to Airedale Hospital with a head injury following the incident, near the Albert Hotel in Bridge Street.
His injury was not believed to be life threatening.
Police are appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident, which happened at about 7.40pm, or who has information about the dark-coloured saloon car involved to contact PC Tim Harding on 101.


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Ego Sonoro
Eliminate AC ground loop
The 90% pedal effects (distortion, overdrive, boost, delay etc) using a 9-volt DC power source. Typical sources used are 9V battery or 9V AC adapter. Standard AC adapters may introduce electrical noise interference on your signal and require a power outlet near you. With ZeroNoise power box you don't need any power outlet and your signal is perfectly clean for as long as 50 hours work.
- (2011-05-04) ZERO NOISE by Nazzareno Zacconi
- (2011-05-09) zero noise by Ego Sonoro
myFXDB user reviews
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Most recent forum threads
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You can post questions, reviews, etc. in the main forum or data and pictures in the data dump forum.
Link to this page
Here's some code to post a link with image on forums, eBay, websites,...
|BB Code
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(sites, eBay,...)


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The crocus is a symbol of rebirth and spring, as it is one of the first flowers to bloom after winter is over. With images of the most stunning flowers and most well-known plants in the world, these coins will go fast.
Coin Highlights:
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The Toshiba Encore WT8 has a micro HDMI port, so I'm considering getting that one. It's a difficult decision.
AT&T has been a real disappointment even before their dropping wireless Qi (e.g., untimely updates). I've really got to check out other carriers.
SuperSite for Windows
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Marketing, Movies, Products, Technology :: We Appreciate Your Business, Really
There is a reason why this is funny. And that's because it's true. If you own a fully paid for DVD, the publishers hold you hostage to 20 to 30 minutes of useless screens and trailers (of movies you either aren't interested in or have already seen). They even have the audacity to disable the skip or forward button. Really, that's how they show their appreciation for your business?


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Three Things to Do on the IBM Cloud
TonyPearson Tags: rad novell putty cloud test vdi nx mysql rational lamp ibm sles suse wavemaker kvm ssh apache rhel smash linux development websphere php rhev 5 Comments 14,797 Views
Are you tired of hearing about Cloud Computing without having any hands-on experience? Here's your chance. IBM has recently launched its IBM Development and Test Cloud beta. This gives you a "sandbox" to play in. Here's a few steps to get...
from Blog: Inside System Storage -- by Tony Pearson


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Labor is Not a Commodity tag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-542569 2014-05-01T20:49:13-04:00 The International Labor Rights Forum, SweatFree Communities, and USLEAP work together in a collaborative space for international labor rights solidarity. stLight.options({publisher:'91e08a1d-a78a-46d6-92d9-802d6bb8514c'}); TypePad 38.919211-77.037777http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.giftypepad/ILRF/international_labor_righthttps://feedburner.google.com May Day 2014: Build a United Struggle for a Just Economy, an Egalitarian Society and a Democratic Polity tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341bf90b53ef01a511aea730970c 2014-05-01T20:49:13-04:00 2014-05-01T20:49:13-04:00 By Gautam Modi, New Trade Union Initiative (NTUI), India May Day 2014 comes in the midst of the general election to the 16th Lok Sabha. With voting more than half-way through it is more apparent than ever before that the... Labor Rights

By Gautam Modi, New Trade Union Initiative (NTUI), India

May Day 2014 comes in the midst of the general election to the 16th Lok Sabha. With voting more than half-way through it is more apparent than ever before that the two dominant parties – the Congress and the BJP – and the vast swath of regional parties are not addressing the issues of livelihood, of social justice and democratic rights that concern working people most. The core issues of a living wage, of social security, of the right to join or form unions to voice grievances which goes with the fundamental rights of association and the right to free speech and the right to social equality between men and women and between uppers castes and discriminated castes are not issues before the election. And in fact the rights of those of the majority religion over those the minority religions, especially muslims, are being pressed while the right to dissent or to hold views differing from those of the BJP have come under attack. These actions are aimed at creating a communal divide in society in order to influence the electoral verdict. It must be our paramount task in the coming hours and days to fight this in order to defeat communal and right wing forces and to be able to sustain this struggle in the months and years ahead.

Along with Hindu majoritarianism the BJP offers an 'alternative' that in fact seeks to shift the economy further to the right through wider opportunities for private sector expansion and while reducing funds for social security and social protection. This is no alternative but merely a stronger commitment to neo-liberal policies and a stronger dependence on imperialist powers. The economic crisis, we are in, is a product of the very structure of the domestic economy that is dependent on external investment and therefore a persistent compromise with imperialist forces. This has contributed to a political crisis with a greedy capitalist class on whom the dominant section of the polity and bureaucracy are dependent and a restless middle class that is swinging towards majoritarian politics. The period of economic growth has collapsed into a phase of high inflation and declining growth resulting in enormous misery to all working people. Despite this, there is a consensus on economic policybetween the two dominant parties – the Indian National Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party and almost all regional parties irrespective of whether they are aligned with the United Progressive Alliance or the National Democratic Alliance or not.

Human Needs before Profits

Economic development remains the political rhetoric within the mainstream. Yet, over the last two decades, government supported and subsidised private sector expansion has resulted in a sharp widening of income inequality. In these 20 years both income and asset inequality between the rich and the poor has widened enormously. The profits of the present model of economic growth have been appropriated by capital and a small minority of people while the costs have been borne by the working class. Jobs that earn a living wage and an eight hour working day and access to health care, pensions, education, decent housing, public transport, drinking water and electricity are not a part of the dominant political discussion. The absence of decent jobs and the lack of access to basic civic amenities is the source of enormous deprivation and misery for the vast majority of working people.
 Low wages dragged down further as workers are forced to migrate in search of jobs, the lack of employment opportunities and increasing income inequality have contributed to rising social marginalisation. Women, dalits, adivasis, other oppressed castes and religious minorities, in particular muslims have been pushed to the margins of the labour market, if not out of it. They are not just losing opportunities of employment but also the opportunity of social mobility from one generation to the next. Low incomes and irregular jobs have affected access to adequate healthcare and a quality education, both of which constitute the key recognised necessities for intergenerational social mobility. The lack of opportunity is leading not just to further marginalisation but also to rising discrimination. Social inequality is increasingly contributing to discrimination, differentiation, prejudice, violence and hate crimes in society on grounds of gender, caste, religion, race, region and language.
Freedom for People, Not Corporations

The inability to grow the home market has resulted in the failure to create jobs while destroying the livelihoods of those dependent on land. This has caused the spread of movements against land acquisition in rural areas especially amongst small and marginal peasants. Correspondingly in urban and new industrial enclaves the increasing employment of contract and other forms of irregular labour has contributed to united trade unions of both regular and contract workers. Increasingly all efforts at collective action and the exercise of right to freedom of association, even in the private sector, are being seen as acts of violence and criminalisation against the state and have been met with the force of the police. Democratic dissent and the assertion by peoples of their fundamental rights, including the freedom of speech, have come to be seen as anti-state and anti-development and are being violently put down. This constitutes a serious attack on fundamental political rights of citizenship.

Build United Front of all Progressive Forces – We Can and We Shall

The NTUI recognises that these challenges will not be addressed in one stroke or in one general election and as we play our part, as we must, in this election the struggle has to go forward beyond it too.

We know that none of the dominant political parties are reflective of the economic, social and political crisis and the necessity for advancing national development rooted in self-reliance and sustainability that can meet the needs and aspirations of the working class. Defending democracy and advancing democratic rights must be our primary task. This is imperative to build a struggle for a just and egalitarian society and advancing the rights of the working class. We cannot influence this outcome or effect change by ourselves alone. This is the time for the widest possible united front of all progressive trade unions and other forces and we commit ourselves to it. As we build our struggles we shall continue to stand in solidarity with struggles against repression and exploitation in other countries and strengthen our alliances with those we share a common purpose with. For it is only through our unity that we can build democratic militant union power.

Protect Right to Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining

Wage Commission for all to Guarantee a Living Wage

Equal Wage for Equal Work

Universal Health care and Indexed Pension for all

Mandatory Reservation in Private Sector

Protect Livelihood Rights for all

Regularise all Contract Workers - Regularise All Honorarium Workers

 http://laborrightsblog.typepad.com/international_labor_right/2014/05/may-day-2014-build-a-united-struggle-for-a-just-economy-an-egalitarian-society-and-a-democratic-poli.html International Women's Day: It's About Women's Wages & Women's Voices tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341bf90b53ef01a3fccfd1f1970b 2014-03-08T17:04:24-05:00 2014-03-08T17:22:18-05:00 By Judy Gearhart, International Labor Rights Forum Many versions abound about how International Women's Day came to be, but all stories lead back to 1908 when 15,000 women marched through New York City protesting violence against garment workers and demanding... Labor Rights

By Judy Gearhart, International Labor Rights Forum

Many versions abound about how International Women's Day came to be, but all stories lead back to 1908 when 15,000 women marched through New York City protesting violence against garment workers and demanding better pay, better working conditions and voting rights. Their slogan was Bread and Roses – signifying the need for better wages and a better quality of life. In 1909 women workers marched again in Chicago, officially kick-starting a National Women's Day. The next year, European women proposed building on the US idea and agreed to make March 8th International Women's Day. This is one of the great manifestations of international solidarity among workers and women in particular.

Today, International Women's Day is celebrated all over the world, but its popularization has left many unclear about its origins and significance. We need to reclaim the meaning of this day to help change the fact that: women in the US earn 77 cents to the dollar compared to men; women in Bangladesh make up 85% of the workforce for an apparel industry, which is quite literally killing them; and malnourished and underpaid garment workers in Cambodia who faint from exhaustion on the job are accused of "women's hysteria". Women need equal pay for equal work and the ability to bargain for better wages. Too many women have to endure violence or risk their lives just to make a living.

More than 100 years later, garment workers continue to suffer attack when they raise their voices at work and far too many have died in this past year simply trying to make a living. Today we remember our sisters in Pakistan and Bangladesh who were lost, or survived with debilitating injuries, the horrendous fires that ripped through apparel factories in 2012 and the gut-wrenching collapse of Rana Plaza in Bangladesh in 2013. We remember our friend Reba who survived the Rana Plaza factory collapse and traveled throughout the US, despite her injuries, to help educate US students, activists and policymakers. Reba told us that her co-worker was slapped when she objected to the manager telling them they had to go into the factory that day, despite the visible crack in the building. These deaths are unacceptable and this abject disregard for women's voices – for any worker's voice – is appalling.

We need to reclaim International Women's Day for its original purpose: to advance women's wages and working conditions and to give us all a voice in society.

Today, more than ever before, women around the world are critical to economic growth and development. The World Bank recognizes this, as do many development experts, yet their drive for improving women's economic participation is weak when it comes to improving women's ability to organize, bargain collectively and have a stronger voice in society. Women have entered the formal sector workforce in droves over the past fifty years and their economic earnings have increased – marginally. Meanwhile, despite their pay checks, women's right to participation has not gained as much ground. Industries with a majority of women in the workforce continue to have lower wages and fewer organized workplaces. Meanwhile few societies have changed the balance of household responsibilities, leaving most women facing the double workday.

Today we want to give a shout out to all the women around the world who are rising up to secure better wages and working conditions and to end the violence against women that keeps their voices down. This coming April 29th, we are proud to be honoring women leaders from Honduras – Evangelina Argueta and Vilma Gomez from the Central General de Trabajadores – who are leading a cutting-edge initiative to improve workers' rights in apparel factories there.

Women are taking action in the streets in many places around the world today, including:

Women workers in Dhaka from multiple unions marched and formed human chains demanding safe conditions.

In Phnom Penh, garment workers are raising their voices for a living wage and taking action even though police block their International Women's Day forum. This powerful, new video gives insight to the workers' struggle.

Please help us support these women workers' demonstrations and to build momentum behind them. Please join ILRF in celebrating and supporting women workers' struggles today and throughout the months of March and April. Here are some ways to get involved:

March 25: 103rd Triangle Factory Fire Commemoration
From Triangle Shirtwaist to Bangladesh: The Garment Industry, Tragedy, and Workplace Safety Reform

April 24: Pay Up! Global Day of Action, calling for justice for Rana Plaza survivors

April 29: "Women's Rights in the Apparel Industry: Ending Violence, Empowering Voices" Conference
2014 International Labor Rights Defenders Awards Ceremony

 http://laborrightsblog.typepad.com/international_labor_right/2014/03/international-womens-day-its-about-womens-wages-womens-voices.html KMU slams death threat vs. Mindanao labor leader tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341bf90b53ef01a73d6ab7ef970d 2014-01-30T11:15:38-05:00 2014-01-30T11:15:38-05:00 Media Release Jan. 30, 2014 Reference: Elmer "Bong" Labog, KMU chairperson, email@example.com National labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno condemned today the contractor of a Japanese banana company for harassing and issuing a death threat against a union leader in southern... Labor Rights

Media Release

Jan. 30, 2014

Reference: Elmer "Bong" Labog, KMU chairperson, firstname.lastname@example.com

National labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno condemned today the contractor of a Japanese banana company for harassing and issuing a death threat against a union leader in southern Mindanao.

 Vicente Barrios, president of the Nagkahiusang Mamumuo sa Suyapa Farm (Namasufa-National Federation of Labor Unions-KMU), was fired upon and held at gunpoint by Jesus Jamero, contractor of Japanese banana company Sumifru.

 Barrios was leading about 100 of Sumifru's workers in a picket-protest in front of Jamero's residence in Compostela Valley when the contractor came out carrying a gun.

 "We condemn Jamero for issuing a death threat against KMU leader Vicente Barrios. We condemn the Aquino government for emboldening and tolerating capitalists and their minions who make dire threats against workers," said KMU chairperson Elmer "Bong" Labog.

 The incident was immediately reported to the local police but the latter, instead of arresting Jamero, questioned the workers for holding a protest.

 KMU said workers cannot help but treat such death threats seriously as leaders of progressive organizations in the region have been targets of extra-judicial killings. Barrios himself is a survivor of an ambush in 2006.

"The workers of Sumifru have every right to protest, especially after the company failed to comply with its compromise agreement with the union. The police officials who refused to act on the crime committed by Jamero should also be held accountable," Labog said.

 He added that the police officials' response to the workers' complaint reflects the Aquino government's disrespect for workers' rights.

 Workers of the banana plantation conducted the picket-protest after Sumifru failed to pay them the first payment of five days' basic salary last January 25 as stated in the company's compromise agreement with the workers' union.

 The agreement was a result of the victorious strike held by Sumifru workers in December last year.

 "Trade-union repression and grave violations against workers' rights remain rampant and become even more more blatant under the pro-capitalist Aquino government. We demand justice for Barrios and all workers of Sumifru," Labog said.

 http://laborrightsblog.typepad.com/international_labor_right/2014/01/kmu-slams-death-threat-vs-mindanao-labor-leader.html Police and employers together threaten union activists for organizing brick kiln workers in Bhilwara Rajasthan tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341bf90b53ef01a5115ad658970c 2014-01-27T12:46:05-05:00 2014-01-27T12:46:05-05:00 By Sudhir Katiyar, on behalf of the Rajasthan Pradesh Int Bhatta Majdoor Union Madan Vaishnav, Secretary, Rajasthan Pradesh Int Bhatta Majdoor Union, along with three other union organizers – Shanti Lal Meena, Ratan Lal Bheel, and Shaitan Singh Raigar –... Labor Rights

By Sudhir Katiyar, on behalf of the Rajasthan Pradesh Int Bhatta Majdoor Union

Madan Vaishnav, Secretary, Rajasthan Pradesh Int Bhatta Majdoor Union, along with three other union organizers – Shanti Lal Meena, Ratan Lal Bheel, and Shaitan Singh Raigar – was served a notice by the Sub Division Officer Mandal under Section 107/116 restraining him from undertaking provocative activities viz. organizing brick kiln workers. Mandal town has almost 100 brick kilns in its vicinity mostly employing inter-state seasonal migrants from UP and Bihar. The Rajasthan Pradesh Int Bhatta Majdoor Union was registered last year to organize these workers so that they can get minimum wages and other rights. Last year the workers had gone on a strike for three days demanding higher wages. During the strike the owners had attacked a procession of workers. Finally there was a settlement leading to higher wages.

This year, the Union has given a call for a public meeting on 25th January. It is currently meeting workers who also stay at the brick kilns. This year the employers have erected large brick walls around their kilns virtually imprisoning the workers. On 18th January, when the Union team went to a brick kiln to meet the workers, the brick kiln owner got very upset. He collected a large number of employers who then went to the police station Mandal and lodged a complaint making allegations that Union is instigating the workers. The police regsitered a case under section 107 and 116 restraining the union activists from doing any unlawful activity. The owners also gave a memorandum to the local SDM saying that permission should not be given for holding the meeting on 25th. The Union has also given memorandum to the police and district authorities seeking protection during the meeting.

Overall the situation remains tense. The brick kiln owners want to make sure that the public meeting does not succeed. They are likley to adopt all possible measures. Probability of violence against union team also looms large.

 http://laborrightsblog.typepad.com/international_labor_right/2014/01/police-and-employers-together-threaten-union-activists-for-organizing-brick-kiln-workers-in-bhilwara.html Burmese workers in Thailand organize, negotiate and win! tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341bf90b53ef01a3fc7df6e0970b 2014-01-20T09:07:22-05:00 2014-01-21T06:42:46-05:00 By: Abby Mills, International Labor Rights Forum, from Mahachai, Thailand. Protestors shutting down Bangkok to force the current government from power have grabbed international headlines this week. Meanwhile, efforts for a quieter revolution to improve the power dynamic between millions... Labor Rights

By: Abby Mills, International Labor Rights Forum, from Mahachai, Thailand.

Protestors shutting down Bangkok to force the current government from power have grabbed international headlines this week. Meanwhile, efforts for a quieter revolution to improve the power dynamic between millions of migrant workers and their Thai employers took a significant step forward an hour south of Bangkok in Samut Sakhorn, one of the primary seafood processing areas in Thailand. Workers from one of the largest shrimp factories here have negotiated a settlement with their employer and developed an agreement for a representative labor committee within the factory. The workers collaborated closely with the Migrant Workers Rights Network (MWRN), and had support from ILRF.

The issue started when MWRN, through previous engagement with the employer, learned that management was about to issue an ultimatum. The shrimp disease ravaging the industry had cut supply to the point that the employer wanted to demand workers take an additional day off, but was not going to offer the 75% salary mandated by Thai law for such forced work stoppage. The employer was going to ask workers to voluntarily sign away the right to the additional pay. Those who didn't would be terminated.

MWRN pulled together a group of 30 workers to come up with a plan. They arrived in the bed of a pick-up truck around 8 p.m. on a Saturday night. They had worked all day, and their shift would start again at 6 a.m., but they stayed until midnight, discussing their options. They did not want the employer to move forward, as they thought many in the factory would sign to avoid losing their jobs. They talked through the potential fall-out if they or their colleagues were laid off for standing up to the employer. Some thought they should just sign and not make waves. Others argued that doing so would not only be bad for their plant, but for others across the industry as managers saw it was OK to force workers to give away fundamental rights. They came to the conclusion that the only option was to engage with the employer before the mandate was given and try to come to more beneficial terms. If they could not reach a settlement, they would continue to fight, encouraging the workers to protect the rights to which they are legally entitled.

The negotiations turned out to be beneficial all around. Workers at the factory can agree to take the additional day with a monthly support payment that makes up for about 50% of the lost wages, or they can agree to leave with severance pay. No worker that agrees to stay under the new conditions will be fired against his or her will. When the disease has passed and production picks up again, workers will resume their standard six-day week and the monthly support payment will come to an end. Management acknowledged they had not communicated well with the workers, and apologized in an all-staff meeting. In addition, the workers will form a labor committee within the factory composed of representatives the workers select themselves. Management will be able to take into account worker views quickly when making decisions and reach agreements to streamline plant operations. When workers have concerns, there is a body to which they can take those concerns, and an understanding that management will work to rectify them.

Most of the workers at the plant, like most of the workers in the Thai seafood industry, are migrant workers from Burma. Faced with frequent discrimination and unaware of their rights, these workers are vulnerable to abuse from employers and police alike. MWRN is an organization founded and led by migrant workers that educates their peers about their rights under Thai law and empowers them to stand up for those rights.

In this case, the the factory owners with which they were negotiating saw the benefit of positive worker relations. MWRN had worked with them in the past, and even been allowed to conduct a worker rights seminar at the factory during work hours. That relationship allowed not only a positive discourse on this particular issue, but a plan for more frequent engagement to smooth the way when problems arise in the future. This is an important step forward for the industry, and one that should be followed by others. When workers and employers work together to improve working conditions, everyone wins.

 http://laborrightsblog.typepad.com/international_labor_right/2014/01/burmese-workers-in-thailand-organize-negotiate-and-win.html How the U.S. Government Can Follow Its Own Advice to Be a Responsible Consumer tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341bf90b53ef019b0382e849970d 2013-12-23T06:10:10-05:00 2013-12-23T09:04:31-05:00 By Bjorn Skorpen Claeson, International Labor Rights Forum Today, the New York Times reports child labor, blocked fire exits, unsafe buildings, forced overtime and a range of other illegal, unsafe, and abusive conditions for garment workers in factories in Bangladesh,... Labor Rights

By Bjorn Skorpen Claeson, International Labor Rights Forum

Today, the New York Times reports child labor, blocked fire exits, unsafe buildings, forced overtime and a range of other illegal, unsafe, and abusive conditions for garment workers in factories in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Haiti, Mexico, and Thailand. These factories have at least one thing in common: the United States government is a customer. That means these abuses take place with the support of our tax dollars and are carried out in our names. It also means the Obama administration "flouts its own advice" to private sector companies to use their purchasing power to improve working conditions in overseas garment factories.

Because the U.S. government is the world's single largest buyer it could create a significant push for safe and decent working conditions in supplier factories across the globe by practicing what it preaches. How would it do that?

First by establishing that illegal and abusive conditions are in fact unacceptable for purchasing by the U.S. government. Today, most of the abuses uncovered by the New York Times do not cause any alarms to go off for US contracting officers. Presidential executive orders from 1999 and 2012 prohibit only forced child labor and human trafficking in government contracting, but tacitly permit other illegal and abusive behaviors.

Here are 10 steps the U.S. government should take to be a responsible consumer:

1. Set Labor Standards for Overseas Procurement

Apparel and other products should be off limits for the U.S. government if the factories and other high-risk points in the supply chain do not comply with applicable laws and regulations and internationally accepted labor standards. These standards include workers' right to protect themselves by organizing unions, negotiating legally binding collective bargaining agreements, and, if necessary, refusing dangerous work. The U.S. government should also ensure that supply chain workers earn enough wages to lift themselves and their families out of poverty.

Procurement labor standards would be more than just another voluntary and non-binding "code of conduct" adopted by the private industry. They would be part of the contractual commitment of U.S. government suppliers, and, as such, legally binding and enforceable.

2. Make Sure Domestic Suppliers Follow the Law

Most apparel purchased by the U.S. government is made in the United States. But, domestic production does not necessarily mean decent and legal conditions.

On December 11, 2013 U.S. Senator Tom Harkin and the Center for American Progress released reports on widespread worker safety and wage violations in U.S. government contractor facilities that are located in the United States. That means the U.S. government must closely track pay and benefits, and the legal compliance of domestic contractors. It must also implement remediation requirements to make sure all U.S. workers who make products for the U.S. government work in lawful conditions.

3. Insource Services

Consistent with the law, the U.S. government should actively consider opportunities for in-sourcing services that are closely associated with inherently governmental functions or are poorly performed by private contractors. Similarly, the U.S. government should not contract out services performed by federal employees.

4. Identify the Factories that Supply the Government

The New York Times exposé of abuses in overseas U.S. government contractor facilities was no small feat because these facilities are hidden from public view. If these facilities continue to operate in the dark, without US government oversight, nothing will change.

Therefore, the U.S. government should require that bidders disclose the names and addresses of all factories that will perform work under a subcontract prior to the contract award. In addition, contractors and subcontractors must be required to share what they know about working conditions in those factories. They must be required to release all social audits and inspection reports to the U.S. government. They should also share these reports with workers to make sure workers know about workplace dangers and labor violations and can protect themselves as necessary.

5. Address Root Causes of Labor Violations

Complying with the law is not only the factory's responsibility. Sometimes the root causes of labor violations go back to the prices, order schedules and other purchasing requirements imposed by the buyers. Low prices can mean that factories lack essential resources to maintain safe conditions. Emergency orders can result in extreme production peaks, excessive overtime for workers or unauthorized subcontracting to facilities that operate illegally.

The U.S. government should require contractors to establish and implement responsible purchasing practices as a matter of human rights due diligence. Absent responsible purchasing practices, contractors will not have the ability to guarantee labor compliance in their supply chains.

6. Recognize that Labor Compliance is a Process

Good working conditions are never easy to realize. They require ongoing work.

Consequently, contractors should not simply be required to certify to using "good factories." Instead, they should be required to present their work plan for good conditions, a compliance plan similar to the plan required under Executive Order 13627 (Strengthening Protections Against Trafficking in Persons in Federal Contracts). The work plan should address all steps necessary to prevent illegal and unsafe conditions, including responsible purchasing practices, labor rights education, indendent inspections, and an effective grievance process for workers.

7. Go Beyond Industry Social Auditing Practices

The U.S. government should reject industry social auditing practices that have time- upon-time failed to protect workers from deadly safety hazards. Contracting officers should not accept industry social audits or certificates, often compromised by conflict of interest, as proof of compliance or as evidence of human rights due diligence. Instead, the U.S. government should arrange for inspections by independent experts have no relationship with the factories or their buyers. The Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh offers a good inspection model.

 8. Establish a Complaint-Driven Investigation and Remediation Process

The U.S. government should provide for a complaint-driven investigation and remediation process that allows any person or organization to submit a complaint that a contractor or subcontractor has been or is failing to comply with the terms of the contract or procurement policy. Contractors must be required to cooperate fully with investigations. Prime contractors should also ensure that each subcontractor cooperates fully with investigations.

 9. Make Workers Whole

The U.S. government should consider "remediation" from the workers' point of view. Ensuring that exploited workers have access to appropriate remedies and services, and are not left in situations that expose them to further exploitation, should be the top priority in any remediation process. The application of contractor sanctions, such as termination of contract or monetary penalties, should be subservient to the goal of making workers whole.

10. Set Up a System of Interagency Coordination and Multi-Government Collaboration

A collaborative body that pools federal agency resources can be tasked with developing a system to evaluate the integrity of contractor compliance plans and to coordinate monitoring and investigatory activities. A collaborative effort on verification and compliance would provide far greater efficiency to all agencies than a go-it-alone or outsourced approach. A standardized approach across government agencies would also mitigate confusion among contractors and suppliers. Federal procurement authorities should also join with state and local government efforts to pursue responsible purchasing, pool resources, share supply chain information, and coordinate monitoring and other enforcement activities.

Bjorn Claeson is a senior policy analyst at the International Labor Rights Forum and the executive director of the Sweatfree Purchasing Consortium.

 http://laborrightsblog.typepad.com/international_labor_right/2013/12/how-the-us-government-can-follow-its-own-advice-to-be-a-responsible-consumer.html Justice for Workers on International Migrants Day tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341bf90b53ef019b033abcbd970d 2013-12-18T11:45:04-05:00 2013-12-18T15:17:48-05:00 By: International Labor Rights Forum December 18, International Migrants Day, is a day to reflect on the growing impact of worker migration and urge policies to protect these often vulnerable workers. The global economy is fueling a rise in workers... Labor Rights

By: International Labor Rights Forum

December 18, International Migrants Day, is a day to reflect on the growing impact of worker migration
and urge policies to protect these often vulnerable workers. The global economy is fueling a rise in workers leaving their homes in search of better opportunities. Also on the rise, sadly, is gross exploitation of an often vulnerable population, far from their homes and networks of support, and often reliant on their employers for their very right to remain in country.

Migrant workers are subject to labor abuses such as wage theft, failure to pay the minimum wage, or being deprived of legally-mandated benefits. Yet they often lack the power to speak out. More serious abuses are also common. In many parts of the world, being a migrant worker is a risk factor for human trafficking. The ILO estimates that there are 21 million forced laborers in the world today, and of them, more than 40% migrated from their home into the forced labor situation.

Governments can make a difference to protect migrant workers. That is why the International Labor Rights Forum supports broad ratification of the U.N. International Convention on the Protection of Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. The Migrant Workers Convention provides the first comprehensive definition of an "international migrant," and identifies the protections that are essential to migrants and their families, such as the same rights to education and healthcare as national citizens. It extends fundamental human and labor rights to all migrant workers and members of their families, both documented and undocumented. Unfortunately, only 46 countries have ratified the Migrant Workers Convention to date, and the United States is not one of them. (Click here for a petition asking the U.S. to join!) We urge more countries, particularly those that receive large numbers of migrant workers like the United States does, to adopt this convention and begin changing national laws to fulfill its mission of justice and equality.

We have worked particularly closely with migrant workers' groups in Thailand, which is home to an estimated 3 million migrant workers, 80% of whom came from Thailand. Since the late 1980s, these workers have irregularly crossed borders to work in mostly dirty, dangerous and demanding jobs in Thailand thereby, significantly contributing to Thailand's economy and providing billions of dollars in remittances to support relatives in origin countries. These workers continue to face significant exploitation and confusing piecemeal government migration policies.

Two important ILRF partners -- the Migrant Worker Rights Network (MWRN) and State Enterprise Workers' Relations Confederation of Thailand (SERC) -- have been vocal in protecting these workers' rights. They issued a statement marking International Migrant's Day and asking the Thai government to take the following steps to protect migrant workers there:

• Migrants should be treated equally to national workers. Migrants are entitled to equal protection under the law without discrimination on any grounds as a principle enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Migrants should be protected by related laws governing labor protection, social security, health coverage and work accident compensation.

• An understanding by migrants of the right to association and collective bargaining under ILO Conventions 87 and 98 should be ensured to foster migrants' participation as members of trade unions. Membership in trade unions will enable all migrant workers to have wage and welfare negotiations with employers and provide a means for migrants to enhance their quality of life.

• Clear policies and guidelines for a long term migrant workers administration plan should be created, particularly regarding registration, nationality verification and increased efforts by the State and all its officials to work concertedly and connectedly to promote migrant wellbeing.

• The migrant import (MoU) process should be simplified to facilitate employers to file an application to employ migrants from overseas without relying on brokers. This will promote investment, reduce costs for migrants and prevent exploitation and trafficking.

• Migrants should have freedom to change their employer, as the current overdependence on employers make migrant workers more likely to become victims of forced labor, debt bondage and trafficking.

• A regulation requiring migrants' workplaces to include childcare centers should be created to ensure workers can maintain a healthy work/life balance and to prevent migrant children from being open to exploitation as well.

 http://laborrightsblog.typepad.com/international_labor_right/2013/12/justice-for-workers-on-international-migrants-day.html Bangladesh garment factory crisis is a women's crisis tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341bf90b53ef019b02c05253970d 2013-12-12T15:43:27-05:00 2013-12-12T15:43:27-05:00 By: Judy Gearhart, executive director International Labor RIghts Forum The crisis in the Bangladesh Apparel industry is really a women's issue and something all advocates of women's rights and equality should be deeply concerned about. To be clear, we are... Labor Rights

By: Judy Gearhart, executive director International Labor RIghts Forum

The crisis in the Bangladesh Apparel industry is really a women's issue and something all advocates of women's rights and equality should be deeply concerned about. To be clear, we are not talking here about individual cases of discrimination at work and the need for more equitable labor justice – although there is a need for improving that as well.

Our focus here is on systemic, society-wide discrimination and development strategies that have further entrenched that discrimination. These issues echo around the world in industry after industry built primarily on women's labor. But they have been brought into stark relief in Bangladesh, where more than 1,200 workers – most of them women – have died during the last year due to negligence and disregard for their welfare.

Bangladesh has industrialized at an incredibly rapid rate and its garment industry is the second largest exporter in the world after China. The Bangladesh apparel sector employs 4 million workers and accounts for 80% of the country's exports; 85% of the workers are women.

Growing the apparel industry has been so important for Bangladesh; yet there are laws on the books designed to minimize workers' organizing for better wages, benefits, and working conditions. These limit workers' ability to speak up. And because the industry disproportionately employs women, women's ability to participate in society is disproportionately limited.

So although some development economists argue that bringing women into formal sector employment is good for development, they are not necessarily looking at whether or not these women are able to develop to their full potential as a result. I got my start working on women's rights in the Mexican Maquiladoras, where some similar issues prevailed:

Women's role at work changed, but their role in society remained subservient, creating the double work-day;

women found that income brought them certain liberties, but violence against women increased;

there were significant increases in single-women headed households in maquila dominated cities like Ciudad Juarez;

community break downs; and

youth violence emerging as a result of idle youth with too little parental guidance.

In Bangladesh, we are at a critical juncture. We hope to work with allies in Bangladesh and around the world to find ways to leverage this moment and continue reshaping development policies to view women's rights as an end, not a means to development.

The tragedies of the past year – which have cost the lives of 1,500 workers in Pakistani and Bangladeshi apparel factories – have been a wake-up call for the apparel industry and there is real impetus for change.

ILRF and our allies – BCWS, CCC, and WRC – have been documenting these tragedies since the Spectrum factory collapse killed 64 Bangladeshi workers in 2005. In case after case, workers have told us how their concerns were disregarded, even when they smelled smoke or saw cracks in the wall. One woman we've met, Nazma, broke her back jumping from a third-floor window at Tazreen. She saw her manager locking the gate to the exit on her floor. She reached through and grabbed him by the collar, beseeching him to unlock it, but he pulled away, even as the smoke was coming onto their floor. The mother of three, Nazma has already had to pull her 14-year-old son out of school to work because the little compensation she got was wiped out by medical expenses. She is one of thousands with a similar story.

We have the attention of development aid agencies and global apparel brands from around the world, but many of them are focused on the need for a technical fix; they are hiring more auditors and more trainers, but not changing their overall approach. They are talking about 'worker-centered' solutions, but not necessarily about 'worker-driven' solutions. We need to put workers in the driver's seat so they have a role in deciding the improvements and safeguards needed as well as in the governance and implementation level of inspection programs being put in place.

ILRF is part of a coalition of NGOs, trade unions and global brands that have developed the Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Accord, which has as its central pillars: transparency, a binding commitment by the brands to ensure worker safety; and meaningful trade union participation at the governance and implementation levels.

We are up against a coalition of US companies, called the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, which does not address the role of workers and trade unions in any meaningful way.

So for us this is a critical moment to be able to argue how ensuring workers' – especially women workers' -- leadership in the solution is essential to ensuring effective improvements and to advancing women's role in society.

Because at the core of the debate is how to ensure the solutions being brought forward will address the root cause to the problem, which is that women's voices and ability to act have been disproportionately repressed.

 http://laborrightsblog.typepad.com/international_labor_right/2013/12/bangladesh-garment-factory-crisis-is-a-womens-crisis.html Workers Give Message to RSPO: Don't Certify Abuse! tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341bf90b53ef019b01137054970c 2013-11-14T10:47:17-05:00 2013-11-14T12:45:42-05:00 By Eric Gottwald, International Labor Rights Forum Medan, Indonesia—This week hundreds of oil palm workers and their allies crashed the 11th annual meeting of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), a multi-stakeholder organization that promotes "sustainable" palm oil, to... Labor Rights

By Eric Gottwald, International Labor Rights Forum

Medan, Indonesia—This week hundreds of oil palm workers and their allies crashed the 11th annual meeting of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), a multi-stakeholder organization that promotes "sustainable" palm oil, to protest the organization's failure to uphold its own labor standards.

Arriving in colorful rain jackets on motorbikes and small pick-ups, the protesters braved a torrential downpour to deliver a blunt message to the RSPO: Stop certifying worker exploitation.

The protest was organized and led by Serbundo, an alliance of unions and community organizations whose members and supporters have been impacted by the country's powerful palm industry. Indonesia is already the world's largest palm oil producer and it plans to double the number of hectares dedicated to palm by 2020.

After thirty minutes of chanting "end outsourcing" and other slogans, the protest leaders were escorted inside the locked gates of the Santika Convention Center for a hastily arranged meeting with the RSPO Secretary General Darrell Webber, where they read a prepared statement and presented him with a list of demands.

Serbundo's official statement noted that despite the Indonesian government and corporations' claims that palm expansion helps generate employment, most workers on palm plantations earn poverty wages with little hope of advancement. On many plantations the majority of workers are casual laborers who have no job security, benefits, and often are paid well below the legal minimum wage. These workers must buy their own tools and protective gear, further depressing their wages and unnecessarily exposing them to toxic pesticides. Most work under unreasonably high target quotas (with wage deductions and other penalties), forcing them to bring their children and spouses to work.

The protesters also highlighted the gap between RSPO's public statements, which include a commitment to require its members to uphold fundamental labor rights, and its track record of sidelining workers and labor issues in general: Despite their essential role in generating wealth for the industry, workers have never been represented on the RSPO's executive board, which has twelve seats for palm oil industry companies and four for environmental and social organizations. The lack of worker involvement has meant that none of RSPO's grower members have faced even a single complaint for violating the labor standards in RSPO's "Principles & Criteria."

Serbundo's claims are supported by three new case studies published today by International Labor Rights Forum, which document labor trafficking, child labor, poverty wages, and hazardous work on two RSPO-certified oil palm plantations in Central Kalimantan and North Sumatra.

While it's too early to tell if the protesters' bold action will result in any greater commitment to labor rights by the RSPO, Serbundo and its partners are determined to keep up the pressure on.

 http://laborrightsblog.typepad.com/international_labor_right/2013/11/workers-give-message-to-rspo-dont-certify-abuse.html PALEA Back as Regular Workers in Pact with PAL tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341bf90b53ef019b011371f7970d 2013-11-14T10:07:05-05:00 2013-11-14T10:10:34-05:00 By Philippine Airlines Employees' Association The union Philippine Airlines Employees' Association (PALEA) hailed a settlement agreement signed today with the management of Philippine Airlines (PAL) that provides for the re-employment of some 600 members as regular workers. In a private... Labor Rights

By Philippine Airlines Employees' Association

The union Philippine Airlines Employees' Association (PALEA) hailed a settlement agreement signed today with the management of Philippine Airlines (PAL) that provides for the re-employment of some 600 members as regular workers. In a private ceremony in a downtown hotel in Mandaluyong at noon, officers of PAL and PALEA signed the agreement.

"Resistance saved PALEA's regular jobs. If we had accepted rather than fought the outsourcing scam implemented in 2011 then we would have become contractual workers trapped in an endless cycle of 6-month endo jobs. Or worse we would have become unemployed in this jobless growth economy. Instead we will be returning to our regular jobs in the next few months." said Gerry Rivera, PALEA president.

The agreement provides for an improved separation package of 200% per year of service and P150,000 in gratuity pay for PALEA members. Within three months PAL shall process the applications for re-employment of PALEA members who will be given priority for hiring in regular positions.

"We owe this hard-won victory to the steadfast fight of PALEA members and the fervent solidarity of workers, community and Church groups both here and abroad. PALEA's victory is the victory of all workers," Rivera explained.

He added that "We thank PAL management led by President Ramon Ang for recognizing that an amicable settlement is preferable to continuing labor strife. We hope to build on this agreement and the protection of job security it provides towards rebuilding labor management relations in the flag carrier."

At 5 pm today, hundreds of PALEA members will gather in the protest camp outside the PALInflight Center near Terminal 2 to hear a thanksgiving mass to be celebrated by Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo. Tomorrow representatives of PAL and PALEA will proceed to the other protest camp near the Mactan International Airport in Cebu to meet the concerned workers there.

Rivera noted that "We pledge to the riding public that as regular workers we can better provide quality service and safe travel. We call on our supporters to lift the boycott PAL campaign as PALEA's demands have been substantially met."

PALEA is planning a victory march, program and concert at the protest camp later this week. Last November 8 at the height of super tyhoon Yolanda, some 550 PALEA members out of the 600 affected, assembled and voted to ratify the draft agreement negotiated by its officers.

For background on the workers' struggle, watch this video.

 http://laborrightsblog.typepad.com/international_labor_right/2013/11/palea-back-as-regular-workers-in-pact-with-pal-.html


text:
Birdathon Trip: Newport Hills & Coal Creek Trails
$25 Birdathon donation required on this special birding trip. Limit 7 people. Registration required.
May 14, 2012
from 06:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
|Event Location
|Meet at the Newport Hills P&R
|Contact Name
|Sharon Aagaard
|Contact Email
|Add event to calendar
This is a 6-mile, one-way walk geared for birders who like to combine walking with birding.
We'll leave cars at each end of the walk and bird 6 miles one way at a pace slow enough to hear and see as many birds as possible. We'll start on a local trail in Newport Hills and end at Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park. After walking about 3 miles, we'll cross Coal Creek Parkway where it intersects with Forest Drive, and soon join the Coal Creek Trail, hiking another 3 miles before crossing over Lakemont Boulevard to return to our cars at Cougar Mountain. We'll then carpool back to the other cars we left at the beginning of our walk.
At any time of year, the trails can be wet and muddy, so waterproof shoes/boots are a must. Hiking poles are not required but may be useful to some. Dress in layers and bring a day pack with snacks and liquids.
Meet at the Newport Hills P&R (I-405, exit 9), north end of lot, by 6 a.m. We'll return by noon. Carpool $2/passenger. Make $25 Birdathon donation online or bring cash or check. Email Sharon Aagaard at email@example.com with questions and to register. Call (425) 891-3460 on day of trip only.


text: The purpose of this site is to offer a comprehensive Unit of Study, or series of lessons, that focuses on the documentary photography at Manzanar, a Japanese American Internment Camp in Owens Valley, California. I believe the future of art education must include teachers who see themselves as artists and researchers. Please teach these lessons and if you have suggestions or questions, do not hesitate to contact me.


text:
Pi life: Stephen Hammill, vocals and guitar; Alastair St. Hill, vocals and guitar; Mark Bustin, bass; Kevin Pytlak and Cristian Ripoll, drums.
Recordings: Sunrise with Seamonsters, 2003; Pyrrhic Victory, 2005; and a new full-length, Genuine Fake, is due out soon.
A variety of morsels: Life of Pi serves up a flavor for every occasion. Songs go from light and ambient to heavy and richly textured.
All-star band: Since forming in Tampa in 2003, the band's lineup has changed considerably. Hammill is the sole original member, and his bandmates have earned prestige in other local acts — Bustin in Pagan Saints and Vera Violets, St. Hill in Incredible Crisis, Ripoll in the Semis and Pytlak in Dumbwaiters. Hammill says they mesh well, and there are no conflicts of ego. He answered a few questions about the band.
Two drummers? Just for now. "Cristian just had a baby, well, his girlfriend did. He's a little tied up with that, so we recruited Kevin to fill in for the next couple of shows, and he's been super cool. But we love Cristian — member for life."
Why Life of Pi? "It's a long story, but essentially we named the band after a song I wrote which was inspired by the book (of the same name). I was working at a local bookstore at the time and had read the advance copy of it. I never expected it to do so well, but I'm glad it did. I got to meet (author) Yann Martel at one point and tell him about the band. He was pretty excited."
The new album: "The sessions began last year, with a different lineup, so the process has involved reworking some of those songs and recording some new ones. I'm happy to say the album is finished: 10 songs. As for a CD release, we've considered latching on to a small label for this one, as opposed to releasing it ourselves, which is what we did with the first two. We'll see how that pans out."
Mood-making: "Sad songs have always meant more to me than typically happy ones. I guess you could say I like to explore the darker edges of seemingly mundane and ordinary things, and the happier aspects of typically sad things."
A tune called Eat a Rainbow? "Yeah. Alastair wrote that and another one (This Time) for Genuine Fake. I think it's important to have another songwriting voice in the band, and he's a really good singer. Anecdote: I actually recruited Alastair after seeing him perform at an open-mic night in St. Petersburg. He did a They Might Be Giants cover. I thought I was the only person in town who would do that sort of thing. I had him on my radar from that point forward. I don't think he knows that story."
If they could play a celebrity's private party: "David Bowie's 65th birthday party."
Hear 'em: 10 p.m. Friday at New World Brewery in Ybor City. They play first, before Soft Targets and Mirror Pal. $6. myspace.com/lifeofpi.