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Did Your Vote Matter?
Tomorrow come join the George Washington Liberty Society at 11:00 in University Yard while we host a Barbeque as the Student Association elections go on. Also, Thursday night we will be hosting a talk at 8:00 in the Marvin Center Fedex Room with Institute For Humane Studies' Isaac Morehouse to give a talk on Public Choice Theory!
Why I am a Liberaltarian
At the beginning of college I was sure I was going to be a life long democrat. My dad had always looked up to individuals like Bill Clinton, and tried to instill in me a strong sense of social justice. Hoping that good policy would promote a society that has a strong welfare state in order to enable an opportunity society.
However, at the same time I was going through my first economics class with a professor named Jason Hockenberry. I remember his missing teeth, and the way he presented some of the material- especially through creating a prisoners dilemma by accusing students of cheating on the midterm. It was with his class that I began to think about economics more. Though, even as my interest in economics grew, I was adamant in campaigning and exuding the merits of then senator Obama. Naturally the year ended with hate groups for me forming on Facebook calling for a stop to the "Obamanazi."
My sophomore year had me taking classes on labor politics with a socialist professor, macroeconomics with a professor from Zimbabwe, and the financial crisis in full swing while I watched the investment club's portfolio plummet week after week. I started to champion free trade after taking a class on Economics of China and India, and wanted to move the direction of College Democrats, which I was then president of, away from campaigning and towards talking about policy and why it matters.
When I transferred to George Washington University I started taking the blunt of my economics courses, and came to disagree with some of the basic foundations the theory I was learning. During this time that I became disenfranchised with the College Democrats and initially joined the GW Liberty Society as a means of talking more academically about policy and it's effects. I came to see the vast amount of policies- from both sides- as counter productive, or like using a sledge hammer to put together a model airplane, in which sweeping reform often missed the targets that actually needed to be adjusted
During the summer I read Milton Friedman's Capitalism and Freedom, and to date the most influential book on my development, Eric Beinhocker's Origin of Wealth, which opened me up to a method of analysis that stressed the complex system of interdependent individuals whose interactions leads to emergent, spontaneous order. It was from this point that I started to understand the limitations of institutions to affect the economy, which was predominately driven by the individual decisions of billions of people acting independently- and perhaps most humorously counterproductively.
It was around then that I finally started seeing myself as a liberaltarian rather than as a liberal Democrat. It was a slow progression, starting out as a hardcore democrat, a campaigner for Barack Obama- during which I got to be a media placement and talk to him briefly- to a member of the executive board of a nationally recognized libertarian organization.
My progress has not been brought out through political philosophy nor moral philosophy, but a quest for what sort of policies I think will be best to bring about a prosperous society. A society that will enable the poor to become rich, and provide for the common well being of all, just like the morals my dad years ago instilled in me. And it has, after nearly four years of soul searching, paper reading, and vivid and sometimes livid debate, made me settle quite comfortably as a liberaltarian.
Economic Development and the Liberal Economy
Much has been said on the topic of economic development. For the most part, we know a few things, like institutions matter. There is a strong divide between a lot of economists though, some promote ideas of poverty traps, like economist Paul Collier, while another group focuses on issues relating to incentive alignment, in making people care about improving their standard of living from the bottom up through all of society. These include economists such as William Easterly. I tend to side with people like Easterly, and see a small improvement through removing the rent seeking power of government agents in developing countries.
Despite this, I still pull some of my inspiration from the other side. The world is converging, for most of us. At least, that's what Paul Collier claims in his book the Bottom Billion. It is hard given his data to dispute this fact, though I may disagree with his context of a poverty trap (especially since he claims roughly 78% of those countries suffer from a bad governance "trap"). In his book Collier argues for the vast majority of countries, long run growth shows us moving together. For the poorest 58 countries, however, they are actually moving away from the pack- diverging in fact. What is interesting is to compare this pack of 58 countries to the World Bank's Doing Business Index. For the most part, the bottom 58 lie at the bottom of the index, and probably for good reason.
China, which is now growing at a breakneck speed, ranks in at a measly 79th- but that still puts it ahead of 104 other countries, making one of the more business friendly countries in the world! This is of course coming from a country who had to start arming market regulators with bullet proof vests after one got stabbed when commandeering someone's bicycle cart. This is also the same country where almost no indigenous entrepreneurship has taken place, and when it has the Communist Party has tried to squash in favor of party insiders and foreign investors.
If this is the state of the world, then I am not surprised that many supposedly "capitalist" countries are squandering so much. After all, the Doing Business Index covers issues like, ease
to start a business, obtaining a building permit, registering property, getting credit, paying taxes, international trade, enforcing contracts, and closing a business. Even the United States, often heralded as a free market, ranks below most of "socialist" Europe in many categories. A self-proclaimed communist country, which routinely tries to take property rights from people, and when those individuals don't move they either build around, or try to claim land as unused, is somehow better than most of the world.
What then is the issue? Well, signficant work has been done on government agencies and rent seeking. Government agents will often either look out for themselves, especially with cronyism and corruption are heavily imbedded in the system, or for specific groups that benefit the ruling government often at the cost of others. The result is regimes that will tax and regulate for their own benefit, rather than the promotion of economic growth, often to an excessive extent. It is hard for me to side with Mugabe of Zimbabwe, when he lives in opulent wealth and his people starve.
Here is a good example on the issue of starvation in North Korea, which is excluded from the Doing Business Index. All grain production done by farmers have to be sold to the state at an official price, not onto the open market. The state then can turn around and decide to sell it at a higher rate, and pocket the left over money for it's own interests. This is a massive disincentive to farmers to expand production to meet societal demand and stop starvation in ravaging the country further. There is clearly a higher price to be gained from the market, given the historical precedents, but they are cut off from it by government agents.
Furthermore, Easterly in his book The Elusive Quest for Growth points out the failure of foreign aid to promote economic growth by itself, since much of it is lost in the bureaucratic apparatuses. He notes that many economists, politicians, and humanitarians have wished to believe simply by lobbing money at failing countries would go into investment and end up promoting growth, rather than held by rent seeking individuals and never seen by the society at large. unfortunately the models and ideas fell far short of the incentives to simply pocket cash, or buy food instead of save, invest, or start businesses.
Lets face it, incentives are what matter. Institutions set up externally that people have no control over will often get in the way of those incentives. Government institutions in general can be imposed on developing economies with no oversight or put in place by governments whose sole purpose is to extract the mineral resources of the country with no care for agriculture or industrial development. There is no reason for people to go out and start businesses if there is no profit to be made, just like educational attainment is likewise wasted if there are no jobs for individuals with engineering and new technical degrees.
As we've seen, through the large body of literature provided by the World Bank, Collier, and other economists, the poorest countries have some of the worst institutions available when it comes to enabling market access, consensual exchange, and enabling incentives to take hold and promote growth. No longer is international trade alone a sufficient clause for development in these countries, and substantial reorganization, shrinking, and shearing of government agencies needs to take place in order to enable people caring for the future to come.
Breaking Windows on a Friday Afternoon
By Jason Kwasnicki
The clock had just struck twelve, and as Friday morning classes let out they release unsuspecting students into Kogan Plaza where shear insanity awaited…well at least purposeful insanity. Students would stroll upon a curious little setup: a large tarp hanging behind a small wooden frame. We came that day to smash windows. And smash we would.
As we scrambled about with the weapon of choice in hand, a tennis ball, students were enticed with the ability to create a job by throwing the small green sphere through a frame. Break a window, the window maker has a job. Makes sense, no?
Eventually, after several bouts of rage and frustrating near-hits, panes began shattering. The sound rang like a gun-shot across Kogan. Crowds came to see what was going on. However, while the tension before had been undeniable, the excitement faded after the window lay broken. Where was the fabled job?
This is the Broken Window Fallacy, put on display by GWU's Liberty Society. We attracted would-be window smasher's with the common misconception that destruction can create, and the most satisfying part was seeing their minds click when they realized the disconnect in that belief. Someone might say that a war creates jobs and reduces unemployment, but no one ever accounts for the costs associated with wars destructive nature. It's a net loss, not gain.
An even more relevant example we used is the economic stimulus packages so popular in modern legislation. Government is not looking at the hidden costs which will turn out to yield a net loss rather than a net gain for the US economy.
This event shows that, in addition to being academics and furthering the ideas of liberty, perhaps every now and again we should take a moment to break down the big concepts for those who haven't studied it as deeply. From this event, I definitely learned there are more people ruled by common sense than one might think.
Poverty Reduction in Urban Areas: A Case for Deregulation
Perhaps one of the greatest issues of our time is poverty reduction. As of the early 2000's urban poverty was significantly higher than non-urban poverty, this is true among all demographics and family make up. As a result, tackling urban poverty rates would do a lot to bring down the total number of people living in poverty. Policy makers must think then both what causes this higher level of poverty, and secondly how to solve it.
I'm going to propose a thesis; Urban regulation relating to starting business is a deterrent for growth. The land use policies relating to zoning and licensing have become barriers to entry so that those who are already disenfranchised from the system are unable to start businesses that might move them out of poverty. Zoning laws have made it harder for businesses to open in markets in urban areas where there is real demand, and licensing laws continue to be barriers of entry for poorer individuals who are staved off by quotas and latent regulation.
The first case is a classic issue firm placement, in the coming example of grocery store location in urban areas. Since I live in Washington, DC, most of my examples will stem from DC licensing and zoning laws. Grocery stores should typically be near residential districts, this enables shorter walking time between people and their food carrier. In contract, fast food places, and other secondary delivery markets, can be closer to business centers, work places, and more dispersed in location. The aim of a food market is to be convenient to families who need to buy daily and weekly consumption, meats, bread, milk, etc. The aim of fast food places is to take advantage of people on the go.
However, according to DC law, both grocery stores and fast food places are zoned commercially. Specifically, grocery stores are zoned C-1 only (out of 5 commercial zoning possibilities), making them ineligible to be in all other forms of commercial real-estate, and removed from mixed commercial-residential districts! In contrast, fast food locations are zoned for three commercial areas and mixed commercial-residential zoning, making them by far more plentiful, and easier for consumers to come across.
Why then is this a contributor towards poverty? The vast majority of US firms are quite small, and are more often based on small shops providing local needs. This is especially true in urban areas, where local cafes, bookstores, and shops can be quite profitable. Furthermore, local individuals are more perceptive to local needs. Several groups on my campus have illustrated the lack of markets in poor areas issue, and tried to find ways to create farmers markets which deal with less stringent regulation. By removing or lightening these laws, local people will have greater ability to start businesses that provide goods and services to their communities.
As is, zoning laws create a premium on land values and raise costs in general. This has been studied quite extensively. The first way has dealt with whether or not housing regulation has raised housing costs (pg 57 for graph), and the second has been whether or not zoning specifically has increased home premiums (the paper I'm using is not public). In both cases the answer has been yes, regulation has raised home values through increasing construction costs, while zoning has created a consumption premium that has raised prices. Furthermore, as I have illustrated above, they lower the ability for businesses to be near local demand.
A policy program that either liberalized or removed zoning laws would go a long way in promoting economic vibrancy among potential entrepreneurs in urban areas. The same policy would do this in two ways, first it would lower start-up costs, and make it easier for poor individuals to get loans and register businesses. The second way is that it would enable businesses to be closer to target demographics, which will have a positive societal welfare benefit as well. A policy that continues a heavily structures and differentiated zoning regime makes it harder for poorer families to start local businesses, and ensures that certain firm types are more prevalent than might have been otherwise ideal.
Licensing is perhaps even more visible a deterrent to starting working in a small-scale mode. Taxi cabs for example are a basic job that most immigrants can usually easily break into. In New York City though the number of Taxi Cabs is lower today than it was at the turn of the century, with the number almost stagnant since the middle of the 20th century. Even within that market, most are created into professionally coordinated fleets run in long-term lease contracts, rather than individual owners. Food trucks in DC have become popular, but came under fire for new regulatory interference and the creation of new "provisions governing vending licensure, vendor operations, the designation of sidewalk and roadway vending locations, public markets, vending development zones." Much of this is covered in the Small Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Council's Small Business Survival Index, and work done by the Institute for Justice, who note;
Street vending is a quick, convenient and cheap way to get food to consumers on the go. And, because a food cart can have much lower startup costs than a brick-and-mortar restaurant, opening a food cart can often be someone's first foray into business. But outside of a narrow geographic area, the District enforces draconian regulations that stifle entrepreneurial drive and restrict consumers' food choices.
Even in activities that span the city, outside of location issues such as zoning, licensing and regulations are a major deterrent to indigenous business. Again and again these practices favor established businesses that have more disposable income to deal with regulation, employ lawyers, and gain benefits from the system for bringing in a hire expected job base than small businesses. In the process though, poor families that might otherwise be able to take out loans or get outside financing to start a small business are strangled out of the market. Taxi cabs, food carts, DC tours, and even home based businesses are regulated by the DCRA.
Zoning laws and heavily regulated licensing makes it harder for people to see markets that they can enter with their own ideas, and contingent upon outside entities to create jobs and employment opportunities. These same laws though make it harder for demand for services to meet the supply, as shown under the grocery store issue through zoning restrictions, and deter companies from opening up in less than ideal areas. As a result, poverty resists in urban areas higher than it does in rural areas, where there are typically less stringent regulations both on businesses and land use.
Liberalism and Open Source « The Technology of Liberty
Liberalism and Open Source « The Technology of Liberty.
By liberty society member Andrew Hirsch.
A point that I didn't address in my last post was Open Source. Open Source software is a subject that is dear to me in many ways, and a point I'd like to make in coming up with at liberal theory of computing.
First, for anyone who doesn't know, open source software (sometimes known by the acronym OSS) is simply software where the source code – that is, the part of the program that programmers read and write – is distributed freely. Of particular interest – and not differentiated for the rest of this post – is Free and Open Source Software (FOSS, or FLOSS for Free Libre Open Source Software), where the user is permitted to do almost anything with the software. He may not be allowed to sell it for money without letting people know about the free version, or to make a closed-source modification, and is almost never able to claim it as his own, but besides that, usage is free game – including redistributing it at any price they choose.
The question this post will attempt to address is the intuitive one: what should liberals think of FOSS?
As a bit of a disclaimer, I got into Open Source and liberty at the same time. In my sophomore year of high school, I was on a trip to Austin for a JSA convention – the same one where I heard then-Executive Director of the Texas LP Wes Benedict talk and heard the word "Libertarian" for the first time – a friend of mine gave me his laptop running Ubuntu Linux to play around with. At this moment, I don't believe my computer is running any software that is not FOSS.
To some of the free market persuasion – mostly conservatives rather than libertarians – Open Source seems like communism. And indeed, some communists have claimed that open source is proof that their ideas work. However, I will dispute that claim, and claim that in a liberal society, open source would have a strong place in society.
First, a note. One, that even the most free-market among us doesn't want us to get rid of at least one type of commune: the family. Families often have many things that are considered to be communally owned. And indeed, it's rare, if not impossible, to find one that has nothing that is not communally owned. Not only this, but in a liberal society, freedom of association would demand that communes be allowed. For some, they may even be the best way of existing. That is for the individual to decide. So, even if the apparent relation to communism were to be accepted on face value, this does not contradict a free society, as long as software is made free voluntarily.
However, this also means that, unlike what some of the FOSS community would have us do (notably Richard Stallman, often considered the father of the open source movement), we should not have completely open source programs. And I say that as somebody who has no closed-source programs running on my computer. However, I also have a tab open to Facebook (which is horribly insecure, but oh well) and Pandora radio. Having the ability to do so is important in a free society to create incentives for entrepreneurs.
It is also important to note that, to contradict Eben Moglen, having closed-source code is not analogous to having closed-source math. Unlike mathematics, computing is an engineering discipline. What is being hidden is a build formula, not universal truths.
And even if it was, it's not like there is no collection of "closed-source" mathematics. Companies and people have long kept mathematical and statistical truths hidden in order to use them to greater personal effect. This gives incentives for people to discover mathematical truths, even if we're not all motivated by the greater good.
Then comes the debate about intellectual property. This is an area where many sincere liberals disagree. For instance, Ayn Rand and Milton Friedman both believed in intellectual property. However, the Austrians (who I more or less get my libertarian philosophy from) make a good case against intellectual property, as it creates a government-granted monopoly, which can cause "market" failure. For more, see mises.org. This is a point that Friedman agrees with to some degree in a Cato interview.
If one does not believe in intellectual property, than closed-source code is the only way that money could be made off of programs, as the entrepreneur has no control over what he has sold after selling it. However, open source seems to be the natural child of this point of view. From a liberal perspective, this means allowing competition between open-source and closed-source programs.
So, now that we've recognized a place for open-source software in a liberal society, is there a particular reason why liberals should use open source? While a commune may be allowable in a liberal societies, most liberals would not want to live in one (discounting of course, the liberal's family – which may be less communistic than most).
There are several reasons why liberals should use open source. First, naturally, the price is right. There is no popular open source project – indeed none I have ever heard of – that you must pay to get. But, more deeply, the programs that are produced in an open source manner tend to be better programs. This is because of a Software Engineering rule known as Linus' Law, named after Linux inventor Linus Torvalds. It tells us thatgiven enough eyes, all bugs are shallow. That is, the more people look at source code, the more likely they are to find a place where the program is wrong and fix it.
Also, open source programs are also good for the same reason "open-source" math is good: research. New programming techniques have been pioneered in open source (such as distributed source control in git ( if you don't understand what that means, don't worry it's a technical matter – if you're an interested techie gohere)) and may do so again. Also, many programmers, myself included, use open source to hone our skills and learn new techniques while also creating a usable product.
Then, there is the security argument. With Facebook, I have no idea where there are any security flaws, as I do not work for Facebook, and so have no access to it's source code. Not only that, but I can't find a version of Facebook where any built-in weaknesses are taken out. I once had one of the leads on Google Chrome jokingly tell me "don't worry, all the code that steals your bank info is open-source". But, because I'm using the open-source version of Chrome, Chromium, I know that if there was any code that steals my bank info, I could find a version of Chromium without that code. This is important for groups in countries hostile to the ideas of freedom – I don't want any backdoors in my code. And the more people I have looking over it, the better.
I do not stand with Planned Parenthood. « orcselocin
via I do not stand with Planned Parenthood. « orcselocin.
By Liberty Society member Nicole Scro, from her blog Orcselocin.
I do not stand with Planned Parenthood (in their attempt to get federal funding at least).
…and I assure you it is because I want to condemn countless women in this country to undiagnosed cancer, unintended pregnancies, and untreated illnesses. (No, not because of that – just kidding!)
Though really, I do not stand with Planned Parenthood…and I do not think it means condemnation. I want every woman (and man too I guess) no matter what income to be able to receive the best quality of care possible and for each person to achieve his or her optimal potential of health. Condoms for everyone!
Seriously though, I have this goal in mind and yet I do not stand with Planned Parenthood in their petition against the current bill.
Let's think about this:
1. Republicans believe it is their God-given duty to end abortion.
See link just in case you have any skepticism (…but really just because its fun to laugh at how silly Republicans can be – and by silly I mean stupid.)
What does this really mean though? They are redefining "rape", "victim", etc all in this wild crusade to end abortions and they are only gaining ground with their take over of the House.This crusade is not going to end any time soon. If they are not able to cut Planned Parenthood's funding, then they will likely try to control it.
Planned Parenthood is playing into this perfectly by playing victim and highlighting how absolutely dire it is for them to get funding from the government.
2. Do you really want the government to control this service anyway? Because in effect, providing funding that will apparently destroy the company is essentially controlling it. (If the government provides no funding for Planned Parenthood, it won't destroy it by the way.)
All of these funds will eventually be so wrapped up in the Republican religious crusade that they won't most effectively be helping those that need it most. In January of 2009, Obama lifted restrictions that stated that, "no U.S. government funding for family planning services could be given to clinics or groups that offer abortion services or counseling in other countries."(1) Controls such as these are likely to be implemented again in the future. Think about the women in Africa – all liberals will unite under women's rights in Africa, yes? And think about how they tried to change the definition of "rape"? Really Republicans?
Anyway, what I am saying is that Planned Parenthood and other "family planning services" should be able to give their services to whomever they want. And you know ironically how they would be able to do this? … by not accepting government funding!
I say this is the perfect time for Planned Parenthood to literally say, "Screw this!" and abort the government from its belly. It can't afford it! Planned Parenthood would be able to freely operate as the "trusted health care provider, informed educator, passionate advocate, and global partner"(2) that it claims to be!
3. No government funding does not mean no Planned Parenthood.
This is an important misconception. Planned Parenthood may take a loss, of course, they are losing approximately $80 million (3) (a quarter of the $370 million Title X money) in federal aid (4) – (which is only a third of their budget). However, according to Facebook at 2:44 AM February 23rd, 2011: 536,426 people (and the number is only growing) shared the link to Planned Parenthood's "Stand with Planned Parenthood" petition. If each of these people simply donated $150 to Planned Parenthood, it would have more than enough money to compensate for the lost government revenues!
Think about it guys – it is only $150 – what else are you going to spend it on? A new purse or maybe shoes? How about alcohol this weekend? Who needs grocery money for the next week or so? – "countless women are being condemned to undiagnosed cancer, unintended pregnancies, and untreated illnesses!" (5)
Really though, how can you condemn these "countless women" who rely on Planned Parenthood for basic care! As Rep. Jackie Speier (D) of California put it, "Planned Parenthood has a right to operate. Planned Parenthood has a right to provide family planning services. Planned parenthood has a right to perform abortions. Last time you checked, abortions were legal in this country." (6) You heard her – Planned Parenthood has a right to operate! Better start writing the check.
On the Need for a (Classical) Liberal Theory of Technology and Computing « The Technology of Liberty
On the Need for a (Classical) Liberal Theory of Technology and Computing « The Technology of Liberty.
Written by Liberty Society member Andrew Hirsch, from his own blog Technology of Liberty.
When starting a new endeavor, whether it is a new business, a new area of research, or even a new blog, it is customary to state why such an endeavor is necessary. It is my intention in this post to address this question for the (Classical) Liberal theory of Computing, and, implicatively, this blog.
First, as a matter of terminology, I will refer to Libertarians, or Classical Liberals as either of those names, or by Liberal. Modern Liberals, I will refer to as Progressives or Modern Liberals. More specific names may be used as is appropriate.
So, then, the question is posed: why should there be a liberal theory of computing? This question, it turns out, is really two: why should liberals be interested in computing; and why should there be a theory of computing that is specifically liberal?
There is an obvious answer to the first: everybody should be interested in computing. These days, it is difficult to think of an area of our lives in which computing hasn't had an effect. It has freed our time, made us more productive, and has put more of us in communication with each other than ever before. However, the simple answer does not seem significant to answer the spirit of the question.
There are several reasons why specifically liberals should be interested in computing. Computing, especially with the advent of the internet, is a great source for communication. I have, sitting to next to me, a DVD given to me yesterday by Liberty Fund, Inc. that contains 1000 full texts of the liberal tradition; and that doesn't even require the internet. With the internet, I can not only publish this blog and make it available to anyone who wishes to read it, but I can go over to facebook and speak with my friends, discussing these ideas before even posting them.
The first point to be made for liberals paying attention to computing, is so-called "citizen journalism;" a point that is rightly stressed in the liberal community. Liberals (not to contrast with progressives and conservatives) have found the blogosphere to be one of their refuges; for a group without much of a traditional media backup, this can only be a good thing. Many is the libertarian who has had his ideas refined and rethought because of blogs (such as the mises.org blogs, which have opened me to the works of Mises, Hayek and Rothbard, coming originally to Liberty from a more Randian prospective). It also gives the liberal a way to communicate his ideas in a way that he hasn't before; no longer are we forced to meet only in prescribed meetings or small groups of friends, and no longer have to try to convince are non-libertarian close friends that it's okay to listen to us rant about liberty all the time, it's completely normal.
Besides the benefits for existing and seeking liberals above, blogs and other citizen journalism formats also fill a role in a recurring theme explored in this paper: openness in government. The recent outrage about busts in the drug war (common though they have been for a long while, perhaps my whole life) are driven at least partially by concerned bloggers. These are not only liberals, they are neighbors and friends, husbands and wives, fathers and daughters, concerned only for those close to them. And yet, they have helped liberals advance a dear issue to them.
At this point, it seems clear to most that technology can help to undermine the government. The spread of a video depicting a gentleman on a motorcycle who had a gun pulled on him by a man which only later identified himself as a state officer, and other such sunshine activism (including many government-exposing websites that show us, for instance, how our congresspeople have voted), there is right now in the world a growing recognition of social media as a use for social change. First of all, awareness of issues and sunshine spread even faster through social media. But, there is a bigger issue.
At the time of this writing, the people of Egypt have overthrown a dictator in a long, peaceful rally in Cairo. While there are many trepidations in the circle of liberty about what the people of Egypt will chose to do now with their politics, it is interesting to note how this happened. It started as a youth group on facebook, with many more opposition forces joining in. These uses of social media to start peaceful revolutions have been predicted by futurists and technologists, but now they are happening and changing the world, and will likely continue to do so.
One of the technological challenges that should be of particular interest to liberals is in secure social networks. We want groups in places like China, Iran and North Korea to be able to work together, to blog and to act, especially if they share our ideals. And while that's no different than with any other country in the world, they do face some of the biggest challenges to doing so, more so if they don't want to be subjected to cruel punishment.
Leaving that for the moment brings us to the next question: why should their be a specific liberal theory of computing?
There are many areas of research interest in computing and the related mathematics that are very interesting. A mathematical understanding of the systems that people tend to form, as has been studied in the social sciences by Mises, among others, is just being formed. For instance, a Swedish Mathematician named Oskar Sandberg recently completed his Ph.D. studying small networks and what he calls the "small world phenomenon."
Sandberg's main claim to fame is actually in computing itself, though. He has used his mathematical models to contribute to the Freenet Project, which allows for people to communicate in a completely secure and anonymous way. The applications for this are staggering. Theoretically, even in the most abusive and oppresive regime, freedom advocates can continue to learn and organize, and there's nothing that any government organization can do about it.
Besides that, the most liberal area in computing is probably security, specifically cryptography. In his great book Crypto, Stephen Levy describes how Cryptography was illegal in the United States, and indeed, much of the world, until the late 70′s. The theory, has been set back greatly for this spate of illegality, has made a great comeback, and is considered to be one of the greatest dangers from the citizens by most nations. The use of cryptography is designed to do one thing, which is of particular interest to liberals: preserve privacy. In cryptography we are interested in making it so that if Alice and Bob are talking, Eve can listen to everything being said without understanding anything.
Distributiveness is another big research area in Computing Science right now that could easily have a liberal focus. Right now, much of the World Wide Web is based on a couple of servers located in the United States. This means that a single directive by the American government could stop potentially large portions of the web. This is something that any liberal would presumably be against, and having more distributed systems would seem to avoid this situation, and make it technically, even if it is not legally, difficult for a government to shut down portions of the communication network, even for its own citizens, not to mention the whole world.
However, there is another good reason to look into distributiveness. As the insidious PATRIOT act taught us, technology, like a gun, is just a tool, which can be used for good, but can also be used for evil. Overreaching governments are very interested in collecting information on their citizens, including information that citizens may not be so inclined to share with the state. Distributed, anonymous databases are a potential solution to fighting this without losing services.
It is important to note that all of these technologies that have been discussed have an aspect of security in them. There is an important reason for this: liberals need to understand that, especially in the developing world, where liberty is so desperately needed, it is difficult to use technology to our advantage (or to use anything else to our advantage, for that matter), without potentially having dire consequences. Even here in the United States, there is the possibility that any of us could be stopped on a plane because we said something online that the government thought might mean terrorism. That means that we must put computer security into the hands of the people, and it is in our interest as liberals to develop it.
This post, however, will focus on the positives. In that spirit, I would like to end with a small discussion of three important liberal computing projects.
The first, which all should be familiar with, is Wikipedia. Founded by Objectivist Jim Wales, Wikipedia was founded partially on the principles of Friedrich Hayek, who believed in distributed knowledge that may be brought out with markets. Between Wikipedia and John Stossel's beloved Intrade, Hayek's theories of knowledge have much more weight.
The next is right now very "in" in liberal and some progressive circles. (I am sure there are some conservative groups where it is also popular. I just don't know of any.) Wikileaks was founded by self-identified libertarian Julian Assange, with the express purpose of exposing government activity. It has released videos of the consequences of the never-ending war in the middle east, and has released diplomatic wires that seem to show that the US government has been conspiring with other governments behind the American people's collective back. Wikileaks is the current poster child for sunshine via the internet.
The third, the Freenet Project, was already mentioned in this post. Freenet is a distributed, secure, and anonymous alternative to the world wide web. The mathematics of the small world phenomenon have made it into a "darknet," whereby the only direct connections a person should have are to others that they already trust. While the technical details can be a bit sticky, (interested technical people should go tofreenetproject.org) in layman's terms the project achieves this by using a distributed model for servers, rather than the monolithic model that we now have.
Having now done what I hope is an adequate job answering why there should be a Liberal Theory of Computing, I hope that we can start exploring the areas outlined here, and exploring the spirit I have presented here to expand these arguments to other areas. Developing such a theory would give another area of Liberal philosophical superiority, and would also support production in a way that liberals should appreciate.
I look forward to reading your comments.
Social Welfare in the 21st Century
Last Friday Liberty Society attended a debate at the Cato Institute between Michael Tanner, a senior fellow at Cato, Isabel Sawhill, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, and Peter Edelman, a professor at Georgetown University Law School. Each of the three speakers had their own opinions, though a common theme shared the evening.
The three panelists largely agreed that the most important issues to care about in order to help minimize poverty were education, work, and the family. Tanner later would also posit helping families save is important, which Sawhill agreed with, commenting that it turned her "three legged stool into a four legged chair."
Peter Edelman started off the debate by saying many modern poverty statistics. Roughly 44 million people are poor, though federal poverty statistics are often lower than they should be. The two main groups that are poor are African Americans and Latino's, both with a 24% poverty rate, and unmarried women have a 30% poverty rate.
To Edelman many of the solutions were in helping people find good jobs and wage supplements like the Earned Income Tax credit, aiding in income equivalences like healthcare, childcare, and housing, and finally providing a safety net through increased unemployment benefits.
Isabel Sawhill stressed an opportunity society. Challenging that we should care about the process of success, and why people are poor. She stressed that there was actually less income mobility in America than often believed, and that individuals who have a high school education, work full time, and delay child bearing only have a 2% poverty rate.
Her solutions were in more pre-kindergarten programs, better teachers and charter schools, and better college counseling. She, like Edelman, also supported wage supplements and greater career and technical education. Finally, while Sawhill stressed the importance of holding off having children, she saw it as a role for civil society.
The last of the debaters, Michael Tanner, wanted to highlight the unintended consequences of welfare programs to encourage out of wedlock birth and discourage finding work. Tanner believed that if the benefits were greater than the effort and value of work, people would stay on welfare.
Tanner's solutions included increasing the amount of private schools, deregulating and lowering taxes on businesses, and remove laws that take people out of the marriage pool like drug laws. Finally, and most importantly, was Tanners suggestion that current welfare programs punish savings, and need to be changed to allow individuals more free use of welfare money.
Video of the debate can be found here.


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Reporter: Mark Kelly l Videographer: Parker Slaybaugh
Lynchburg, VA - The colder temperatures did not stop die-hard baseball fans from opening night. Friday, City Stadium was packed with people cheering on their Lynchburg Hillcats.
Fans had several options on warming up to the colder temperatures. In fact, the weather didn't bother really anyone. They were having too much fun to complain.
A little cold snap couldn't stop the Bowen family from the start of baseball season.
"We were going to come anyway. It's opening night! You don't want to miss it," said Jennifer Bowen.
The Bowen family made the drive from Farmville to watch their first home opener.
"We're usually here in July and August when it's 100 degrees, so this is sort of nice," said Bowen.
"I remember home openers that were much colder, much colder. So cold we had scarves around our faces. We would sit there and shiver the whole night, so this is good," said Wanda Padgett.
Wanda Padgett gathered up all her grand kids for the game. And made sure they were ready for the elements.
"I did bring blankets and hats and gloves, so we are all prepared," said Padgett.
Padgett wasn't the only one thinking ahead. Just about every aisle had a blanket, sweatshirt, and people still having a good time.
So, this is one of the colder home openers in recent Hillcat history. So cold, the hoodies are flying off the shelves. They're selling so fast, Laura Dale, working the Catty Shack gift shop, is doing her darndest to keep up.
"Unbelievably busy. I mean, unbelievable busy!" said Laura Dale.
The Catty Shack clothing store can't complain though. The register's been working hard all night.
"They're not even batting an eye. That's what's cracking me up. We're having $100 sales left and right, and they're not even batting an eye," said Laura Dale.


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By Bethany Cianciolo
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SSC- Minutes & Principal Report Nov. 4, 2010
School Site Council, November 4, 2010
(download unapproved minutes here: SSC Minutes: November 4, 2010)
Principal Report
Principal Comments
Since our last SSC meeting on 9/23/10 one of our Reading Club teachers resigned and we hired Lori Chambers. Reading Club is now in full swing, with both Ms. Chambers and Ms. McCollum giving direct reading intervention to K-4 students who need extra support.
School Site Council News- online
New online, web page and iContact, Heather School Site Council News is now being posted online, both on our web site as well as being emailed out using the new iContact distribution list. We are now posting official agenda and minutes, but also "Agenda at a Glance†and promoting the fact that SSC is open to the public and is the venue for learning about school and district programs and policies, as well as giving input.
Homework Center, the Homework Center grant program was just approved by the County and will be provided to districts and sites for application this month and if accepted and approved, Heather's HW Center could be open in January 2011.
Parent Teacher conferences are scheduled for the week of January 15.
New TB/Background Check Requirements
New law going into effect, any casual walk on coaches and volunteers need to be fingerprinted and have background checks; any volunteers that work on a regular ongoing basis, or work with students on their own, outside of the classroom; HC Tutor program needs to be redone, as it was done in the City of SC system, and has to be done in the district. The advice to us is, "to apply a reasonablenessâ€; exemptions include: volunteers working in a classroom with a teacher, lunch time volunteers, field trip volunteers, as well as special events, one time activities, i.e. book fair, walk-a-thon, etc. After school programs, vendors, and all other volunteers working with kids on a regular basis need to have background checks on file with the district; TB tests also are applied and need to be on file (good for 4 years).
Dr. Lesley Martin, Wellness Coordinator, has been collecting parent feedback on "What challenges do our kids face on the road to a healthy lifeâ€; she spoke at the October PTA meeting and some of the concerns included social skills, bullying prevention practices, safe routes to school, especially on Melendy Drive in front of the schools, frequency of PE classes, student lunches & nutrition, and 5th graders attending middle school with 7th and 8th graders; If you have any comments/suggestions which you think will help children towards a healthy lifestyle, please contact Dr Lesley Martin at email@example.com.
Movie Policy: Proposed DRAFT (as of 9/27/10)
The district is working on several policies, developing new ones or revising existing ones for board approval this year. One such policy is the Use of Movies/Videos in Classrooms.
Sites have been asked to share this policy draft at School Site Council meetings and bring submit any feedback from parents or staff for further development/revision of the policy. I will keep a copy in the front office and inform parents via our SSC News that parents can come in to see it and leave me feedback.
The proposed Movie Policy DRAFTÂ is available in the school office for parent and staff review. Please feel free to give input either by sending Principal Jasso an email or leaving a note with Karen Sanchez in the office for the principal. Your input will then be forwarded to the committee for consideration.
Heather Leadership Team
Heather L.T. is a team of teachers, representing each grade level or grade level cluster. The role of L.T. is to analyze student achievement data and to develop a proposed Site Plan for Student Achievement to the SSC and to the rest of the teaching staff. The L.T. also can take staff issues and discuss them in a smaller group before bringing it back to the whole staff, which can expedite the process of decision or to bring an issue or idea forward. It also supports the ideas of presentation of ideas to staff by staff. Brandon Roslin, Heidi Geiges, Lynn Dames and Sheila Sevilla are our L.T. members and we are currently looking for another K-2 teacher to join the team.
Teacher Leadership Council
The T.L.C. is a district curriculum and instruction council with teacher representation from each school for ELA and math and covering all grade levels K-8. Brandon Roslin (ELA) and Heidi Geiges (math) are Heather's reps. They are currently working on surveying teachers about their curriculum and instruction needs in order to plan out for professional development for the district and individual sites. Two topics that have risen to the top are 1.) support for implementing the new math program, Every Day Math and 2.) revising the report cards, especially in the area of math.
Our process in analyzing and working with our student achievement data.
Tonight's school board meeting (11/4/10) is going to address the district's STAR reports and trends across the district, at individual sites and across grade levels. The principals will then report out on what we do next after we have collected our data. I will be talking about our DATA Organization tool, that teachers use at the beginning of the year to collect all sources of performance data from kindergarten assessments, DIBLES, DRA, CELDT, MARS, Writing, STAR/CST and from their use it to identify our target students, or our students who are performing below grade level.
Then Elizabeth Veal and John Triska will talk about two other tools that we use or will use in grade level teams to collaborate on the strategies to use to support our target students. Steve Kaufman will talk about the SST process, and then the middle school principals will discuss their work around student data.
Due to time constraints we will table the discussion of the process we use for supporting our high achieving students for another SSC meeting.


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Comments: Easy to use and very accurate. Good to go right out of the box!
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Comments: I'm very satisfied with the tester, has a lot of features. One thing that I do have to say is that upon opening and reading the instructions you learn that when storing you need to store it in the hannah instruments cleaning solution when ever its not in use. I did not purchase any of this and it doesn't even come with a small packet of it. It also does not come with any calibration solution, unlike my Milwaukee controller which at least came with a sachet of PH 7 solution.
Comments: The product is great, easy to use, convenient and saves time. The only doubts I have is that it gives a higher reading value than the manual test kit. I recommend the use of this product because it's handy and you can check your pH everyday if you want to, especially if you got aquarium problems.
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The NHL has already undergone an incredible amount of change on the ice, most of which came after the NHL lockout during the 2004-2005 season. For better or worse, over the past ten years, the NHL has added the shootout and the "loser point", added the trapezoid behind the goaltender, enforced more interference, hooking and tripping penalties to free up the offense, and took away the two-line pass. All of these moves have helped to add more scoring to a league that had morphed into defensive battles nearly every single night. While this added a new level of excitement to the casual hockey fan, many hardcore fans feel that the NHL has evolved into something completely different than the sport we knew growing up.
As I sat and thought about what should change over the next decade, I wanted to try and find a way to bridge the gap between what hardcore fans desire and what will still appeal to new and casual fans. The NHL is already one of the best sports leagues in North America in reaching out to fans and getting them involved with the sport. It's a very intimate atmosphere between the league and the fans, and there is potential there for an even better relationship. Here are what I feel should change over the next ten years for the NHL:
The NHL will pass a standard for all illegal hits, and the ensuing punishments.
Perhaps the biggest charge against the NHL right now is how one person, Colin Campbell, is in complete control of all discipline for the league. Now that's not entirely different than how other sports operate, yet it's the NHL's "Wheel of Justice" that truly brings out the ire of fans and the media. Without a set standard for punishments and illegal hits (and specifically, what a legal hit entails), every determination of punishment is completely arbitrary.
The NHL maintains that this is so every incident is treated separately, since every hockey play and hit are never the same. Yet if there were an established standard for what constitutes an illegal or dirty hit, then the punishments should never be called into question. The NFL has adopted a similar standard: any helmet-to-helmet hit is illegal and punished according to severity and past transgressions on an escalating scale. The same with illegal hits on quarterbacks and personal fouls.
No system is perfect (the NFL is accused, just the same as the NHL, with favorable attention towards star players), but with a set system in place, the NHL would no longer face accusations of being completely baseless with a number of these punishments. No longer will one hit be frame-by-frame scrutinized next to a similar hit; they would all be treated the same if they fall under the specific criteria for punishment. This will also take out the "if the player is injured the hit is worse" mantra the NHL has apparently adopted.
The trapezoid will go away, and goaltenders will be treated the same as any other player.
There were a number of changes on the ice the past ten years, all with the intent of opening up the offense and scoring. Before, goaltenders had the ability to roam anywhere in their zone to play the puck and do their best to counter an aggressive forecheck. With the trapezoid, the goaltenders have become much more limited as to where they may play the puck, and it's negated the development of some truly exceptional puck handling goaltenders.
If the trapezoid was taken away (and it came close at the last general managers meeting), then goaltenders would once more be free to play the puck in the corners of their own zone. One argument against this is that in the past goaltenders could play the puck at will, yet were protected from any physicality from opposing players. With this new rule, once a goalie left his crease area to play the puck he would open to the same type of hits a defensemen would; while he could play the puck all he wanted, goaltenders would be much more careful as to when and how they did so.
The NHL will once again embrace fighting, and the instigator penalty will actually be enforced.
This one is tricky. There's no doubting that the NHL is wary of its reputation as an overly-violent sport and wishes that the fighting that takes place would just slowly go away, never to return. Yet hardcore fans claim that the lack of fighting has taken the 'self-policing' aspect away from the players. These dirty hits we're seeing more and more of would be punished not only by the NHL's new rules (see above), but also by the players on the ice. While I don't foresee the triumphant return of the 'enforcer' type player, I also believe that this league is in some serious need of attitude towards those that disrespect others. Can you imagine what would have happened to Sean Avery in 1992?
That being said, I don't want the NHL to become a real-life version of "Slapshot". The instigator penalty is there for a good reason, yet is rarely enforced (or punished) as it is spelled out in the NHL rulebook. While I want more policing among the players, I don't wish for things to get out of control to the point that the league falls back into the realm where the NHL is nothing but fights and no skill.
Fighting is exciting. The fans love it. There are sites that are entirely dedicated to this aspect of the sport.
Roll with it.
The NHL will find a way to properly market the sport on television.
This is by far the biggest issue with hockey today. Since 2004, the only people watching the NHL on television are diehard fans of their local teams and those lucky enough to actually have Versus. Love them or hate them, ESPN controls the popularity of sports in the U.S. (witness the improbable rise of poker...poker!) and right now the NHL is getting less airtime than NCAA women's softball. Seriously. No offense to women's softball, it's a great sport.
When the NHL was coming out of the lockout ESPN decided it didn't want to pay as much for the rights to air the games, and the league went to the highest bidder. Unfortunately, that bidder was The Outdoor Life Network, a channel that less than half of the country actually received and even less even knew existed. Hockey enjoyed an incredible rise in popularity in the United States, and you could almost directly relate that rise to the fact that the sport was carried on ESPN or ESPN 2 most nights during the week. ESPN 2 even tried producing hockey in the summer to jump on the popularity. Anyone remember Pro Beach Hockey?
While Versus and NBC have vastly improved their presentation of the sport in the last five years, the fact still remains that the NHL is still not getting the national attention it deserves and used to get. Right now the NHL is about as exciting as it's been in a very long time, yet they are still having issues marketing the sport to not only current fans but new fans as well. What's more alarming is that Versus is currently not carried on DirecTV, removing more potential viewers who could watch the nationally televised games.
The contract with Versus runs through the 2010-2011 season. The NHL should consider weighing whether it would be best to pocket more money for the television contract or find a better solution for marketing the sport on a national level.
Forget the ice girls and theatrics; make the focus be on hockey itself.
Every team markets themselves to local fans differently, and some place more emphasis on certain aspects of games more than others. Yet one thing is abundantly clear: the NHL has lost a lot of the focus on the actual game of hockey.
The Winter Classic is great for the NHL and it's great for hockey. It's incredibly popular among fans and the NHL has managed to turn each game into a popular event for all sports fans. Yet the game itself, the one that is played on the ice, has increasingly turned into sloppy and messy affairs. The first issue is that hockey is just not a sport that translates well during the day. The players are thrown off their schedule, it's not a normal occurrence and the game is not played at the same level it needs to be when a national audience is tuning in. If the NHL desperately wanted to turn new fans on to hockey with these games then exciting, clean and high-paced games are what they need.
The same principle should apply locally as well. Where once you went to hockey games to actually watch the game on the ice, now there are a number of distractions to take the focus away from the ice. "Ice Girls" in skimpy outfits come out to clear the ice during breaks; bars and restaurants are open during the game. Not every team has issues like these, but too often are team's resorting to cheap tricks in order to draw fans to the arena.
The teams and the NHL should be focused on making the sport better and building an atmosphere among the fans in the arena. Not every team has thousands of rabid fans, but if the focus was squarely on the sport and team, then the fans would be much more into the game. It's understandable that losing teams need to find ways to bring the fans in and fill the seats, but there's no excuse for not teaching them to love the sport itself while they are there.


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Promo images and preview clips for FALLING SKIES, episode 2.08, "Death March".
The 2nd Mass pushes on to Charleston, but some are still grieving the group's recent losses. Weaver learns more about Tector's background before the invasion. And Matt begins to bond with a harnessed girl who was found recently.
Featuring Will Patton, Mpho Koaho, Peter Shinkoda, Moon Bloodgood, Noah Wyle, Maxim Knight, Drew Roy.


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From Frenship Independent School District:
Frenship Independent School District is proud to announce two Frenship teachers have been awarded the Beaumont Foundation's 2013 Newton Excellence in Education Award as part of the Foundation's ongoing commitment to support education.
Frenship I.S.D.'s 2013 recipients are Joy Burkhalter, a first grade teacher at Crestview Elementary, and Cheryl Mosher, an eighth grade science teacher at Frenship Middle School. Burkhalter is in her eighth year in the teaching profession, spending the last six at Frenship I.S.D. Mosher is in her fifteenth year as an educator and fifth year with the district. Burkhalter and Mosher were selected from a collection of impressive teacher nominations from the Lubbock region.
"Joy is a master teacher who connects with her students as well as develops connections among students to each other," says Stacy Davis, Crestview Elementary Principal. "Her dedication to make a difference in the lives of her students is evident every day."
"Impacting lives is Cheryl's mission, and she impacts them in every way she can," states Jerry Jerabek, Principal at Frenship Middle School. "She holds herself and her students to the highest of standards and truly stands among the finest educators I have ever known in this noble profession."
Each teacher will be honored and receive a $10,000 check during the Awards Gala on Wednesday, May 8 at Texas Tech University's McKenzie-Merket Alumni Center.
According to the Beaumont Foundation website, the Awards were created to celebrate and recognize superior contributions of teachers whose leadership and dedication inspire a spirit of learning. The program provides public recognition and financial rewards to educational professionals who are furthering excellence in education.
In the first four years of the Newton Excellence in Education Award's existence, Frenship I.S.D. teachers have been eligible for 12 possible awards. Out of the 12 possible awards, the Beaumont Foundation has selected 10 different Frenship I.S.D. teachers as Newton Award winners.
Below are the 10 Frenship I.S.D. teachers who are Newton Excellence in Education:
Joy Burkhalter, Crestview Elementary School
Cheryl Mosher, Frenship Middle School
Joy Field, Crestview Elementary School
Karen Holt, Frenship Middle School
Courtney Ferguson, Frenship High School
Karen Conder, Crestview Elementary School
James R. Crites, Frenship High School
Saundra Wimberley, Crestview Elementary School
Kristina Janeway, Terra Vista Middle School
Janet Flusche, Frenship High School
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More From Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.)
Senate passes short-term extension of highway bill to...
Posted by Equipment World Staff on Mar 30, 2012
Just days before the latest extension of the current highway bill – Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A ...
Do you want some tips to stay safe on the job site?
Equipment World has created an entire section devoted to safety.
Here are the most recent tips we've posted:
Hauling headaches: Know your load limits when trailering equipment
One-man machines: The operator should be the only person on a wheel loader


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Get ready for some good ol' fashioned fall fun at an upcoming festival.
Early next month, the "Riverside Fly Shop" will host the "Sipsey Trout Annual Fall Festival."
The event will be held November 2nd from 9-3 p.m.
The cost is $10.
The event will be held at Riverside Fly Shop, located at 17027 Highway 69 South in Bremen.
Click on the above video for more information.


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LIVINGSTON, N.Y. – New York State Police are investigating a one-car accident that left one man dead.
On Saturday, Dec. 31 at approximately 1:30 a.m., the NYS Police responded to State Route 9 in the Town of Livingston for a 911 call of an automobile accident.
Investigation at the scene revealed that a 2003 Toyota driven southbound by Thomas Griffin, 19, of Germantown, N.Y. exited the roadway and struck a utility pole. The rear seat passenger, Max Kelly, 21, of Germantown, N.Y. was extricated from the vehicle by Livingston Fire Department and treated by Northern Dutchess Paramedics prior to being transported to Albany Medical Center with extensive injuries, in critical condition.
The operator, Griffin, was charged with DWI and Vehicular Assault in the 2nd-Degree, a felony. He was arraigned in the Town of Greenport and Released on his own recognizance.
Kelly later succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation into this matter is continuing with the assistance of the Columbia County District Attorney's Office. Further charges are anticipated.
341 Northern Blvd., Albany, NY 12204
Telephone: 518.436.4822
Can't find something?
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2014 Young Broadcasting of Albany, Inc. A Media General Company.


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Brain Tumour UK is the leading, caring charity committed to fighting brain tumours by providing support, funding research and raising awareness.
Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research is the only charity in the UK dedicated exclusively to researching blood cancers and disorders including leukaemia, Hodgkin's and other lymphomas, and myeloma.
beat is the leading UK charity for people with eating disorders and their families. beat is the working name of the Eating Disorders Association, and we continue to build on the strong foundations of the past 20 years of work. Eating disorders are a serious mental illness affecting 1.6 million people in the UK. beat provides helplines for adults and young people, online support and a UK-wide network of self-help groups to help people beat their eating disorder. beat's vision is simple: Eating Disorders will be Beaten.
Event details
22 January 2013
Please note Virgin Money Giving isn't responsible for the content fundraisers post on their pages, but if you see something you feel is offensive or inappropriate, please let us know and we'll look into it.
Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive!
A soft voice spoke from my heart, it inspired me to take off around the world, whilst documenting the journey and all the people, places & synchronicites my life flows to.
This is a journey about trust. It's about the simplicity of Being, and allowing all good to come into my life to guide me and create my path.
In the past 2 years I've created a new life for myself, and I've grown to understand my experiences. Through addictions and various other destructive habits I've learnt some valuable lessons. In being grateful for everything I have, I've opened myself up to an abundant universe that is powered by love.
The changes I've made have inspired me to reach out, to venture out, and share my infectious energy. In doing so, I aim to motivate others to take responsiblity for their own lives and see what the world brings them!
If we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change!
The plan is to travel, to follow my heart, and follow what feels right. The trip is indefinite. It's a journey about doing what I love, sharing experiences with the people I meet and bringing you with me for the ride!
On my way I will be writing and recording an audio blog. This is my way of letting you into my world of adventure, enthusiasm and surprise, and allowing you to see what an incredibly compassionate and loving world we live in.
I know in doing this I can also raise awareness about the world we live in. Which led me on to my decision to raise money for 3 charities close to my heart:
Having had an eating disorder for almost 15 years I felt immensely passionate about inspiring those who are currently suffering and so chose B-eat.
Four years ago my father died of a brain tumour and this was the motivation to help others going through the ride of anticipation, apprehension and acceptance.
In August, a beautiful, bright, shining-light of a friend died suddenly of leaukaemia. In just 7 days, and only 32 years old, Claire left this world and rocked the world of many.
This trip is self-funded so if you're putting your hand in your pocket for the charities, why not also spare some of your disposable income and keep this trip going.
You can transfer straight into my paypal account with the email address: firstname.lastname@example.com to support me on my way.
I am immensely grateful to everyone who is showing their openess to help and make this a journey we can all share.
Any amount you donate is appreciated. Any help you can give to spread the word and help raise the £100,000 is priceless.
We live in a beautiful world. The more we can do to help each other, and to show each other our deepest qualities of love and compassion, the more the world will be filled with happiness, peace and people who touch our hearts xxx
Recent donors
Mark Bristow £100.00
13.11.11 All the best for your trip Sophie, you are an inspiration to others
James Male £20.00 (+ £5.00 giftaid)
09.11.11 Soph, You are quite a trooper. A brilliant cause and i have huge admiration for you applying yourself to this. Good luck and big love. James xx
Mike Ellison £20.00 (+ £5.00 giftaid)
Essential signs & print £50.00
Clarita £100.00 (+ £25.00 giftaid)
29.10.11 You are inspirational! xxx
Tidal Energy Limited £100.00
27.10.11 Dear Sophie, Good Luck from all at Tidal Energy Limited
24.10.11 Bonne chance mon ami
Sarah Robinson (Oliver) £20.00 (+ £5.00 giftaid)
24.10.11 You go girl, loads of luck xxx
Anonymous £100.00
24.10.11 Hey Sophie, I'm glad you're not letting fear keep you from what feels right.
Lou Morana £20.00 (+ £5.00 giftaid)
14.10.11 AMAZING! Good luck and cannot wait for updates and news! xx
Katy Lewis £10.00 (+ £2.50 giftaid)
05.10.11 Good luck Sophie and well done for taking on such a challenge! x
tors £30.00 (+ £7.50 giftaid)
05.10.11 masses of luck soph! this sounds a-maaaazing! what an adventure and great charideees xtx
Lois £10.00 (+ £2.50 giftaid)
03.10.11 Have a great journey Soph - I'll give more when I can :) xxx
Sophie Smyth £30.00 (+ £7.50 giftaid)
22.09.11 Go Soph! Lots of love from across the world xx
Sarah Dempster £5.00 (+ £1.25 giftaid)
22.09.11 Good luck lovely girl, I'll help to spread the word Ps. You're a little bit nuts :) x
Kelly Joseph £10.00 (+ £2.50 giftaid)
22.09.11 Good luck Soph, I'm sure Claire will be with you on your journey xx
Iain Aitchison £5.00 (+ £1.25 giftaid)
22.09.11 sorry its only a fiver x
Jess x £20.00 (+ £5.00 giftaid)
22.09.11 Wow amazing Sophie. You'll have an absolute scream!! Good Luck.
Angela George £20.00 (+ £5.00 giftaid)
20.09.11 All causes close to my heart, suffering from Bullemia myself and know that there was never much support out there for sufferes also my sister having lymphomia she has been in the clear now for many years. Good luck with your adventures. x
Nicky Minter £20.00 (+ £5.00 giftaid)
03.09.11 You are truly a shining star!! Good on ya - great cause and a bril adventure as well as fulfilling!


text:
With less than 24 hours before National Signing Day, Notre Dame is still in on several top notch recruits and could see its class improve drastically if a few dominoes falls its way after all of the ink is dry on all of the letters of intent.
Here's a quick look at all of the remaining possibilities for Notre Dame as we entered the final stretch.
- Matt James (OT) – James visited this past weekend and by all accounts the visit went very well for Notre Dame. His high school teammate Luke Massa visited with him and committed to Notre Dame during the trip. Notre Dame has a huge need along the OL in this class and James would fill that need very nicely. Of all of four star recruits still considering Notre Dame, James is the most likely to sign with the Irish on Wednesday.
- Seantrel Henderson (OT) – Henderson has been right at the top of Notre Dame's recruiting board for a long time now, but as Signing Day approaches, the chances he ends up in South Bend seem to be dwindling by the day. Most feel Ohio State or USC will end up with Henderson and right now it looks like it would be a bigger surprise for Henderson to land at ND than it was for Manti Te'o last year.
- JR Ferguson (DE) – One of the more impressive recruiting jobs by the new staff has been keeping Notre Dame right in the race for Ferguson. The Irish are battling Miami, Florida State, LSU, Cal, and now Texas Tech after Ferguson's defensive line coach from Hargrave Military Academy was hired by new Tech head coach Tommy Tuberville. Miami could be the team to beat here after Ferguson's official visit this past weekend.
- Christian Jones (OLB) – Keeping in the race for Christian Jones has also been a pretty impressive feat by the new Notre Dame staff. Tony Alford developed a great relationship with Jones throughout the process though and Notre Dame finds itself still in the race. Most have felt that it would be tough to pull Jones out of Florida, but Notre Dame has at least a fighting chance here. Florida State got the last say here with Jones making an unofficial visit to Tallahassee this past weekend.
- Jeremy Ioane (S) – The high school team of current Irish sophomores to be Manti Te'o and Roby Toma visited Notre Dame this past weekend and it looks like Notre Dame has a good chance to land the hard hitting safety. Boise State and Washington are the other players in this race. Ioane would be an excellent addition to this class given the need at safety. He has also already become a fan favorite on the message boards thanks to his highlight video featuring a ton of devastating hits.
- Dietrich Riley (S) – The Notre Dame staff visited Riley last week and by all accounts it was a good visit, but its looked like a two team race between UCLA and USC for a while for Riley. If Riley were to pick Notre Dame on Wednesday it would be considered a pretty big upset for the Irish.
- Kona Schwenke (OLB/DE) – Schwenke was another visitor for Notre Dame this past weekend and could be another strong possibility for this class. After deciding to visit Notre Dame, the former BYU commitment had his scholarship offer revoked by the BYU staff. This puts Notre Dame is a great position, but Washington is also in the race even though Schwenke never visited there.
- Corey Cooper (S/WR) – At one time Cooper was considered one of the top recruits on the Notre Dame board, but the news on Cooper has cooled over the last few weeks. Cooper, however, still lists Notre Dame as one of his top schools along with Nebraska, Illinois, and Arizona.
Adding a few playermakers like Jones and Ferguson on the defensive side of the ball would really elevate this class and put to rest some of the rumblings about this staff's recruiting abilities. Landing an elite offensive lineman such as James or Henderson would also give this class a big boost.
If Notre Dame could close with James, Ioane, Schwenke, and then one of either Jones or Ferguson this class will have ended up about as good as anyone could have hoped for. If Notre Dame could catch lightning in a bottle two years in a row and land a recruit like Henderson and there will be Notre Dame fans all over the country grinning from ear to ear Wednesday night.
Comments to this Article
IrishChan commented on February 2nd, 2010 at 12:00 pm
I'm starting to really, really like this Jeremy Ioane kid from Hawaii. He would be a great fit for our defense. This kid hits like he hates anyone who may touch the ball. If you have time check out his highlight video. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn-0TcChGJY ) He appears to have the ability to play the run, near the line of scrimage, and has the ability to close space while the ball is in the air.
I would hate to compare him to anyone yet, but his style of play from his highlight video reminds me of a guy like Troy Polomolo (at least on the high school field), who seems to be everywhere on the field at once.
We need some more kids like him on defense who loves to hit, and punish everyone on the opposing team.
He appears to be a workout animal, with a 400 IB bench, squat and deadlift. He's pretty quick, running a 4.5 40 and could fill out nicely over the next couple of years.
Man, I'm starting to think that ND may be builiding a defense that can compete. I would be overjoyed if Kelly can bring this kid in!
DeltaIrish commented on February 2nd, 2010 at 12:34 pm
I certainly liked last years serving of Hawaiian Punch…a couple more would be really nice.
stamina commented on February 2nd, 2010 at 1:11 pm
I thought it was Ego Ferguson, not JR (who is an old name to many of us). I sure hope it is Ego. I can't think of a better first name for a defensive player!
Frank Vitovitch replied on February 2nd, 2010 at 8:59 pm
JR Ferguson = Ego Ferguson. JR is a nickname.
The Sandman commented on February 2nd, 2010 at 1:21 pm
Feeling good on Ego and Jones in the countdown. Not so much on Sentrel See him going elsewhere unfortunately.
ChristianLP commented on February 2nd, 2010 at 1:23 pm
With 21 commits listed here after Spond, will any of the five early enrollees be counted with last year's class of about 17 to make room for more? Seems like there could be more than four commits still out there to go with this class, can't afford to lose a big one because of numbers game.
Frank Vitovitch replied on February 2nd, 2010 at 9:00 pm
The 25 per class number isn't the one we have to worry about, its the 85 scholarship max that we'll be pushing up against if we land a couple tomorrow.
joeyknuklehead commented on February 2nd, 2010 at 1:25 pm
I like that Kelly does his own evaluations and doesn't heavy rely on the scouting service rankings but question signing a 1 star guy with no other offers – when signing day is almost here and schlarships are limited. Coach Kelly will need to get used to every decision he makes being scuritized but ND fan and ESPN haters – I don't know which group is worse.
borromini commented on February 2nd, 2010 at 2:49 pm
I too thought early-enrollees didn't count towards the final recruiting…if so…in theory, the Irish could go for more than 25. Assuming Kelly felt it was necessary.
Erik commented on February 2nd, 2010 at 3:56 pm
This Ioane kid in my opinion could start from Day one… He plays within himself and he has all kinds of heart. Him and Teo on the same side scary…. Hope he signs with us!
Kyle commented on February 2nd, 2010 at 4:44 pm
From what I've read…Ioane heavily favors Boise State, but his parents are pushing hard for Notre Dame. We'll see what happens.
Henderson = Ohio State
Jones = Florida State
Ferguson = Miami
Cooper = Nebraska
Riley = USC
Schwenke = Notre Dame
James = Notre Dame (although Ohio State is right there)
fxm replied on February 2nd, 2010 at 5:54 pm
James would prefer Ohio State, but I am sure he knows Henderson has been given the Left Tackle slot. Better off at ND though he is probably too slow for the money job.
Gregg commented on February 2nd, 2010 at 5:24 pm
Ioane definitely couldn't start from day one, in my opinion. D-1A speed and strength compared to what he is used to in Hawaii is like night and day…not to mention the month he has prior to opening kickoff against Purdue to learn the 3-4 defense plus Freshman classes. Not a simple task. I think Jamoris Slaughter, Zeke Motta, and Harrison Smith will handle the Saftey position this year. Give the kid some time to grow. We'll see him on special teams for sure and mop-up duty, if it happens. GO IRISH!
Bill Meehan replied on February 2nd, 2010 at 8:37 pm
Thanks gregg,
You just reminded me of how pumped I am to see zeke motta next year. That kid showed quite a motor on special teams.
This class is really coming together a lot better than I expected it to.
IrishFan commented on February 2nd, 2010 at 8:35 pm
Schedule your day tomorrow boys:
Corey Cooper: 10am
Christian Jones: 10:30am
Jeremy Ioane: 11am
Kona Schwenke: 11am
J.R. Ferguson: 11:45am
Matt James: 11:45am
Seantrel Henderson: Somewhere between 2-5pm
Kelly's presser at 4pm.
Wyoirish replied on February 2nd, 2010 at 11:05 pm
Are those times EST?
Green Banshi commented on February 3rd, 2010 at 12:06 am
I can't tell you how pissed I was all last season at the missed assignments and missed tackles by Harrison Smith. Please dear god Motta or Slaughter, not Smith. SERENITY NOW!!!AHHHHHH!!!
VicPaul commented on February 3rd, 2010 at 4:48 am
Green, I couldn't agree with you more. Want to know the worst part? He could technically be with us for 2 more years. NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Oh I hope we get a couple more studs on D for this class.
jack commented on February 3rd, 2010 at 7:19 am
I know Harrison Smith had a bad year last year, but under new coach he could flourish. He is a good athelete. Lets not give up on him yet, maybe a new coaching staff and a fresh start is what he needs. He could also be used as a hybrid saftey-LB against spread offenses.
IrishChan commented on February 3rd, 2010 at 9:34 am
The big day is finnaly here…..GO IRISH
DocBinge79 commented on February 3rd, 2010 at 9:52 am
Harrison Smith is a good linebacker who played on a defense that was flawed in direction and purpose. He was third on the team in tackles and third on the team in tackles for loss in 2009. There will be no power struggles between coaches on defense with this new coaching staff. Most likely, there will be a rotation of about 7-8 players in the linebacking core in the 3-4 system, and he will be integral part of that rotation.
Shazamrock commented on February 3rd, 2010 at 10:12 am
Harrision Smith will benefit from having another year in the weight room. He will now bring good playing experience to the field. Add a coaching staff that will simplify the defensive scheme. That should help aleiveate his confusion on where he is to line up and who he has in coverage.
The d-coaches should get back to fundimentals. Proper tackeling and techique. And a little help from the D-Line would go a long way in his development as well.
DocBinge79 replied on February 3rd, 2010 at 10:15 am
What I like about this new coaching staff is that at 8:00 central time this morning, 18 out of 21 of our committed recruits already have their faxes in, and the other three recruits are two time zones away from South Bend, and I would expect them within the hour as well. No fence-riders in this crew.
kellygreenforever commented on February 3rd, 2010 at 10:22 am
ndnation.com has a twitter post saying that OL Matt James has committed to Notre Dame!!
A good win for the new coaching staff.
Let's see how the rest of the day goes.
But it is great to see that the original commits are holding strong. Very good show from the new staff!
Joe replied on February 3rd, 2010 at 10:38 am
kellygreenforever commented on February 3rd, 2010 at 10:22 am
My bad, it is Blue-Gray sky with the post not ndnation.
DeltaIrish commented on February 3rd, 2010 at 12:59 pm
Ego Ferguson just announced for LSU…oh well, good luck kid.


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It has becoming increasingly clear to me throughout the past two seasons that Aramis has quietly (though maybe not to us Cubs fans) become one of the best clutch hitters in the game. Today's home run was just another great example. Over the past two years I remember the homer against the Brewers, a two-run triple against the Reds that tied the game in the ninth inning, his late homer against the Pirates this year that gave us the lead (which we blew), the same against the Rockies, and the two-run double in Pittsburgh on Saturday.
I'm sure there are other examples, but my question is this. How many other hitters in the game today would you rather have up in a clutch situation? Maybe Pujols, but I can't think of any others. Is Aramis Ramirez the best clutch hitter around, I certainly think he is top-5, maybe top-3.


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Owl's Head is one of the more popular short hikes in the region due to its ease of access, outstanding views and family recreation opportunity. This peak is also an excellent full moon hike and a clear starry night snowshoe in winter. Owl's Head should not be mistaken for Owl Head Lookout in Elizabethtown.
Primary Trailhead: Leave Lake Placid on Route 73, follow Route 73 toward Keene. Continue for around 12-miles, to Owl's Head Lane on the right. Drive up this road to a fork, park here, the trail is at the fork.
This is a 0.6 mile hike, one way, over sometimes steep terrain. From the trailhead you will start hiking immediately on an uphill grade. The trail will soon sweep to the right to the first open view. As you continue to climb the views keep arising. A short low gradient area comes about half way up before the final steep scramble over open rock to the summit.
Elevation: 2120'
Family with Young Kids: Primary Trail - 3/4 hour to summit
Experienced Hiker: Primary Trail - 1/2 hour to summit
Out of Shape Hiker: Primary Trail - 3/4 hour to summit


text:
It was a big day for a lot of local non-profit agencies.
The Erie Community Foundation today awarded $800,000 in grants to agencies to address immediate and long term needs. The Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority funded two of the grants.
One of the largest awards, a grant of $100,000 was given to the Union City Family Support Center. Another large grant, $61,5000, was given to Stairways Behavioral Health Center for it's new art studio.
The grants are announced four times a year.


text:
SL(2,R)/SO(2,r)=H^2(2-dim hyperbolic space)
the questions below for scientific debate
1.how to understand SL(2,R)/SO(2,r)=H^2(2-dim hyperbolic space)
2.Let M be a compact manifold ,T compact lie group,what can we say about
M^T(the set of fixed points of M under the action of T),is M^T manifold?
how to argue?further,if T is torus,and M is T-set,how to see
Euler number (M)=Euler number (M^T) (This was a PM to me)
Re: group
These questions are not "Calculus and Analysis". I'm moving it to "Topology and Geometry".
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