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Publishers Weekly07/07/2014
Though we know how the story ends, British Archaeology editor Pitts's step-by-step account of the improbable discovery of the skeleton of the last Plantagenet king of England, Richard III, is as gripping as any detective fiction. Richard died at the battle of Bosworth in 1485 and was vilified by Tudor writers Thomas More and William Shakespeare in the 16th century. Still, he had his fervent supporters over the years, Philippa Langley among them. After much research, she came to believe that Richard was buried at the site of Greyfriars friary—now a parking lot in Leicester—and spearheaded the campaign for excavation. Pitts introduces the major players, each of whom worked toward their own ends. Archaeologist Richard Buckley and his colleagues had little interest in a dead king but had long wanted to dig up Greyfriars. British Channel 4 was excited about a potential high-concept show. The Leicester city council saw the potential for a tourist bonanza. Only Langley believed that Richard would be found. On the dig's first day, the remains of a man with a twisted spine were uncovered, spawning a media circus. Pitts's book is proof that one doesn't need to be fascinated with Richard III to be enthralled by the story of his body's discovery. (Nov.)

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The heal component of NV isn't what people use it for (PVE perspective) - it's a nice bonus, no doubt, but it's not what it is for. And even if I can use it 3 times as often with a 1 min CD, it throws our rotation out of whack which is what most of us are worried about.
Actually, you will want to use it on cooldown. So long as you use NV within a ~7 second window of it coming off CD, it will continue to align fine with our 3 minute burst.
Right now, we can "time" our CDs at the start of a Lunar all times by delaying all of them by a few seconds if we're not in Lunar yet. The problem with the 1.5 min CD is that if you're caught in early-mid Solar, then your rotation for the next CDs also is screwed up. What are the chances of that? Pretty darn high. Or quick movement right before hitting lunar or needing to tranq etc.
Right now, ALL our CDs get delayed, or none do. With smart play, we can almost always time so that we get maximum burst for our CDs. Does that mean delaying using all of them at times for 10-15 seconds (for e.g. just before Lei-Shi is about to cast hide etc)? Sure. But breaking it deliberately because ferals are causing too much damage is just plain stupid.
@ Cyous - I like the DoC idea about spores, but not sure if 20% damage will be overkill or not. But yea, a general idea is nice. I kinda like how the different brews work for Monks. Taking this for DoC from the monk spellbook(I'm listing Balance druid suggestion only):
When you cast rejuvenation on yourself, you gain a spore each time it heals, stacking up to 20 times. (so we gain a spore per TICK of Rejuv). When at maximum stacks, casting rejuvenation will consume up to 10 spores, increasing your damage done by 1% per spore consumed, (damage buff) lasting 30 seconds.
It's a slightly changed version of your idea, but less burst (not 20%), and more sustained overall damage. Would that probably make it better than NV? Yea I think so. But you can change it to 10 stacks / 5 stacks consume for a 5% overall damage boost instead of 10%.
@Halfatree: Yea, hurricane, or in general our AOE and the way it interacts with NG is really stupid. I go from 160k DPS in AE hurricane while NG is up to less than 70k under no-eclipse stages. This spike is far too much and we really need a lot more control over our Eclipse states. AC on the move will help us tremendously, but blizzard is just not willing to listen on that part.
As much as I like your idea, I have been inspired to make some suggestions of my own.
Guardian:I actually really like this idea, and it got me thinking. Why not drop glyph of moonbeast, and make DoC the 'heal in all forms' talant? Rejuv now costs rage, mana or energy depending on form...granting you buffs for its use, and so does healing touch...but does not drop form.
For balance having rejuv crits also grant shooting stars procs, grant feral a bonus proc chance to clear casting and add in your suggestion for a buff to resto wraths.
When you cast rejuvenation on yourself, you gain a spore each time it heals, stacking up to 20 times. (so we gain a spore per TICK of Rejuv). When at maximum stacks, casting rejuvenation will consume up to 10 spores, increasing your damage done by 1% per spore consumed, (damage buff) lasting 30 seconds.
So, there's a slight issue with that.
5 ticks of Rejuv over 13sec. In order to reach 10 stacks, it will take me 26sec. I can game Rejuv by removin the buff at 9 stacks, and sit on the buff just before Lunar Eclipse, or line it up as I leave Solar Eclipse for the same result.So, if the buff lasts 30sec and i can apply in every 26sec, I have to use it within 4 seconds of the first Rejuv failling off to maintain 100% uptime.
Also, my Spores idea is an execution. Each time you reach Eclipse, you gain +1%. THe second time you reach Eclipse this buff goes to +2%. At 10 Eclipse cycles, you'll be at 20%. It typically takes 45sec to cycle Eclipse. This means you'll be doing 22.5sec Eclipse swings. If a fight lasted 6min, you'd have 8 Cycles. It might be a little to quick to maximum stacks, but using a number like +0.75% damage by stack would work out nicely.
Also, my Spores idea is an execution. Each time you reach Eclipse, you gain +1%. THe second time you reach Eclipse this buff goes to +2%. At 10 Eclipse cycles, you'll be at 20%. It typically takes 45sec to cycle Eclipse. This means you'll be doing 22.5sec Eclipse swings. If a fight lasted 6min, you'd have 8 Cycles. It might be a little to quick to maximum stacks, but using a number like +0.75% damage by stack would work out nicely.
Ahh - sorry, that makes a lot more sense now. Yup, heaps better than mine lol :)
90 Troll Druid
I think that your idea for DoC over-synergizes with the new SoTF. I like the idea, but I think it would be too obvious of a choice if it was just a stacking buff.
Or they could just give us a 90 talent that gives us an execute.
90 Worgen Druid
Ah, so there *is* a thread here!
Lots of interesting posts so far (though I skimmed most of the new talent ideas -- they're generally less valuable than feedback on how things actually are/will be).
Reserving judgment on the NV changes until the PTR. I'm not as adamantly against it as some people seem to be, but I want to know just how much it's going to throw our timing off. As it is, I often have to wait between half to a whole eclipse cycle to use my CDs again. Not sure that using NV twice as often is going to throw things off too badly. But again, I'm waiting until I can actually test this.
Really liking the SotF changes. Even though it's not a huge change over the current design, it makes it much more balanced on both sides of the eclipse bar, and a more reasonable choice for fights that are not CD friendly, like Lei Shi.
Displacer beast change seems more directed at resto, since they could dispel dots and vanish. If that really is the reason it's been changed, it would be nice to see the target/focus drop come back without the stealth (similar to feign death).
Overall though, as long as HotW and DoC remain in their current state, NV will continue to be the DPS talent of choice in T6 for moonkin (unless it's gutted to the point where HotW's passive int bonus is more DPS than NV is).
Hey guys! I often pop onto the forums to gauge what my fellow Moonkin brothers and sisters are feeling about the current state of affairs, and I couldn't agree more with what you are all saying. Changes need to be made, and a few of them they have specifically made for feral make absolutely no sense to carry over into Balance. I've thoroughly enjoyed reading all of the ideas posted here, there really seem to be some fantastic ones. I figured I could throw my two cents in as well.
The SotF change is a great step for that talent. I'm excited to see how the actual numbers parse out when it comes to fruition, as I tend to prefer stable, long-term dps to burst in PvE (personal opinion, even with seeing our huge crits). I can definitely see mastery becoming far more valuable, as it will be easier to transition between the two states.
DoC and HotW need reworked or scrapped completely. Even with the impending NV change, it will most likely still be the best and easiest to manage 90 talent we have. I'll be a little more excited to try DoC with the SotF changes, but I still think it is hard to waste Nature's Grace time on a Healing Touch. It would be absolutely amazing if HT extended the time on our NG by 5 seconds or so upon casting it, allowing the use of this talent to be far more viable. As for HotW, it's hard to think of decent alternatives to the current state (although some of the ones on here are very interesting). I personally enjoy the concept of the talent, but not the execution. Reduce the cooldown and allow it is grant another ability or two depending on what you need. Give us swiftmend if we want to heal, rip while in cat, or savage defense in bear. They could give the other specs starfall or sunfire if they want to cast. Of course it would take balancing, but it would be FAR more enjoyable to use.
If they can't be fixed, just remove them. I know that druids in general are iffy about shrooms, but an improved shrooms talent would be amazing at high levels. Something along the lines of:
Altered Wild Mushroom:
Allows three Wild Mushrooms to be placed at once 5 yards apart from one another. Mushrooms last 5 minutes. Detonate CD increased to 1 minute. Effects change depending on spec.
Balance- This would be a good place for Cyous's spore effect. The spores build as long as we are within shroom area of effect, and can be moved if needed. Detonating increases Haste by 10-15% for 15 seconds.
Guardian- Spores occasionally coalesce on the druid, increasing armor by x%. Detonating triggers a stronger Tooth and Claw Effect.
Feral- Spores attach to the cat's claws, increasing bleed damage by x%. Detonating increases movement speed and allows use of stealth abilities for 5-10 seconds.
Resto- Spores energize friendly targets, healing them for x amount (like healing stream totem). Detonation triggers a more powerful heal.
Note: I know feral/guardian don't have shrooms, but they could access them with this talent. And if you like old shrooms, then just don't take it.
One more observation: As Balance druids, our two eclipse states should feel more.... balanced. We all know that lunar is far superior to solar, and it would be nicer to bring them a little closer together. I can only hope, but I'd love to see Insect Swarm make a return, but as a CD this time. You would place it in an area (Think Earthquake for shamans) and it would do damage over time, reduce chance to hit, etc. It could have a cooldown similar to Starfall and can be reset upon entering solar eclipse.
Feel free to tear this apart, I just enjoy thinking about new things that would make our class more exciting to play.
please see here for more wild mushroom madness ideas
90 Troll Druid
I have quite an aversion to that talent. It just seems to me that an imitation of our firelands set bonus shouldn't be the right way to go about presenting an option for sustained Dps. The way it is, it really only is a significant boost to your sustained damage when you're able to free cast from one eclipse to the next with minimal interruption. It does nothing for your dots, aoe, movement, etc.
It's probably silly to say anything about the changes without even the ptr up, but my guess is unless the gutted synchrony of our CDs proves to be quite impactful, we'll for the most part ignore sotf like we have been. Except for the occasional peek-a-boo boss where you can't burst reliably.
90 Troll Druid
I know this thread has been mostly about the pve changes for NV and our lack of non clunky aoe / movement dps.
But with Ele Getting getting a second major defensive cd when will it be our turn? Barkskin is just not enough when we are getting trained. ( For pvp obviously )
With the displacer nerf those of use who can't put symbiosis on a lock are just going to fall over like we did in cata.
Edited by Forestoreo on 12/28/2012 10:37 AM PST
Dont think it matters much tbh. We have our "niche" fights that we can top the meters, but on 80% of the fights (raiding) you can play like the best boomkin on the planet and if you have a somewhat competent warrior, mage, warlock, (or a few more classes) you'll still get smoked anyways. If youre a boomy and constantly topping the meter the rest of your group must be pretty bad. Balance druids are a support class. Plain and simple. Our single target dmg is very poor, but if youre good balance druid you'll practically never need direct heals. Barkskin, symbiosis, Might of ursoc, healthstones, NS / HT, I use all of those every fight multiple times. These changes in 5.2 are definetely not enuff to get us out of the cellar of class parses, so I dont really care too much.
I want to see a buff/redesign to damage shrooms (GC hinted at a redesign for shrooms in a tweet, but that was in the context of healing iirc) and a more mobile Moonkin.
I suggested this during Beta, but it didn't get much attention. If Blizzard redesigned Starsurge to always be instant cast and have three charges, Moonkin would have an option for short term movement in Starsurge-charge saving and would not have to resort to placing mushrooms or spamming sun/moonfire (/shudder). DoT crits would have a 100% chance to knock off four seconds of Starsurge's CD.
This suggestion comes from my general disdain of proc spells and my love of abilities with charges. Not only would it give Moonkin an option for short-term movement, but it would also give them some on-demand burst (assuming they're in an eclipse state). It also stays true to Blizzard's crit-centric design of Moonkin this expansion.
90 Human Monk
If Starsurge remained as your highest DPCT spell, you wouldn't have any charges available when you needed to move because you'd (still) cast it on CD.
As long as you aren't sitting on three charges, the CD would not be wasted. I mean, you'd probably want to cast them during eclipse/trinket procs/whatever else, but yeah. I dunno, man.
It was the least disruptive change to Blizzard's design that I could think of. Though I suspect three instant cast, back-to-back Starsurges would be a lot of burst in PvP. Or something. I don't know anything about Moonkin PvP.
firing 3 Starsurges...if one of those crit with cooldowns running, you'll kill someone.
As much as I would love to see a buildup of starsurge charges, there would never be a way to balance that ability without such a severe and disappointing damage nerf to the ability.
Starsurge, as a result of dot extension, would be a great ability to give a +100% crit chance +crit damage modifier (kind of like chaos bolt). That is more of a wish, while prioritizing changes to 90 ability's should be the druid communities goal right now.
90 Night Elf Druid
At level 90 with an ilvl of 476!!!! I am doing around 42k dps!! WTH???? Any and all advice would be awesome at this point. I have done everything askmrrobot suggests ...I am so disappointed.
If you have WOL parses for us to look at, we'll be happy to help. If not, it's going to be a lot of work, on your part, to describe exactly how you open, how you refresh your DOTs, when you prefer Hurricane (number of targets), and much more.
Feel free to make a post on the druid forums inside the Moonfare sticky (Moonkin thread), or make your own thread.
90 Night Elf Druid
LOL were not some of you panning my tread a month ago when I raised this as an issue and said we were going to be nerfed? Idiots!!!
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Aurora Branch Relocating to Buckley Road and Iliff
Our Aurora branch is moving! We are relocating to a more modern and efficient facility at 17200 E. Iliff Ave., Unit #A3, Aurora, Colorado 80013 . Once it opens in April, 2015, the new location will replace the current Aurora branch at Mississippi and Chambers. We will be introducing a new efficient feature, the Sooper ATM. This ATM will be available in our lobby 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for your convenience. "We are excited to bring this new technology to our members in Aurora. It is an innovative response to our member's needs," stated Dan Kester, President and CEO. To learn more about this exciting Sooper ATM, click here.
Sooper Announces New CFO
Sooper is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Carrie Langgard to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) position at Sooper Credit Union. Ms. Langgard recently completed a BS in Business Accounting and serves on the Denver Area Chapter of Credit Unions Board of Directors as Treasurer. Learn more about Ms. Langgard here.
CEO Dan Kester Awarded MWCUA 2014 Distinguished Service Award
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Ken Schles, born in Brooklyn in 1960, has been making photographic books for over a quarter of a century. Now, his portrayal of his own home shows in 40 black and white photographs a gritty and penetrating view of 1980s New York's Lower East Side.
Review of Drawn by Light, Media Space, The Science Museum, London
In 1853 The Photographic Society of London was founded "to promote the art and science of photography" and converted into The Royal Photography Society in 1894. Today the Society has more than 11,000 members ranging from world famous documentary, portrait, landscape and fine art photographers to amateurs and students, and it is the UK's largest photography organisation. Drawn By Light at the Science Museum's Media Centre, showcases the extraordinary breadth of the Society's collections, both historical and contemporary.
Human Nature, Flowers Gallery, London
Three photographers, Nadav Kander, Boomon and Mona Kuhn, explore a complex and personal relationship between mankind and the landscape, reflecting upon our connection with, and impact on, the surrounding environment.
Chu Enoki: Enoki Chu, White Rainbow, London
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Aesthetica Issue 63 February / March Out Now
Issue 63 of Aesthetica hits shop shelves 1 February. In the February / March edition we explore innovation through experimentation with the new. Moving outside of comfort zones can be invigorating. It's in these moments that we have the opportunity to embrace fresh ideas and apply them to everyday life. Drawing upon a range of influences can create something entirely original and interdisciplinary. Each artist featured in this issue follows that ideology. Many of the practitioners are people that have backgrounds in other areas but have moved between art forms and disciplines cross-pollinating their output along the way.
5 To See This Weekend
Our 5 to See this Weekend provides plenty of opportunities to interact with the artists, whether it's discovering the quiet life of photographer Vivian Maier, whose work was encouraged by the children she'd cared for as a nanny, or catering to Bruce Asbestos' marketing whims. There's also the chance to meet Alec Soth at his Songbook exhibition in New York on Saturday 31st January, or discuss DIY culture with Graeme Durant in Newcastle, and Pep Dardanyà's exhibition at MACBA includes a QR code to encourage the further discussion of his work with visitors.
Anna Parkina, Contemporary Life & Avant-Garde Russian Art in Aesthetica Magazine
Anna Parkina's work defies categorisation; appropriating the human ephemera of modern day culture and society, she creates works that reflect the human experience and environment. A Russian contemporary artist who grew up in one "country" (under two very different ruling classes, that of the Soviet Union and Russia under Yeltsin), social agitation and revolution were part and parcel of her youth and thus of her development. When faced with her work one immediately recalls to mind the propaganda posters and art works of the Russian constructivists, film noir of the 1940s and 1950s, and Pop Art, with the collages of pop artists such as Richard Hamilton.
We Could Be Heroes, The Photographers' Gallery, London
In 20 bittersweet photographs taken over the last century from master photographers, this exhibition explores youth culture and the various rites of passage towards adulthood. We Could Be Heroes reflects the rebellious bravado of the 'teenager,' a character which appeared during a new wave of post-war freedom, as younger western generations seized their opportunity to turn away from tradition and assert new attitudes and subcultures.
Realism in Rawiya: Photographic Stories from the Middle East, Impressions Gallery, Bradford
Six female photographers Myriam Abdelaziz, Tamara Abdul Hadi, Laura Boushnak, Tanya Habjouqa, Dalia Khamissy and Newsha Tavakolian comprise Rawiya, the first all-female collective to emerge from the Middle East. With this exhibition they hold a specific focus on gender and identity, depicting the contradictions, stereotypes, social and political issues of a region in flux.
Interview with Christopher Wilmot-Sitwell on Art Fund and cazenove+loyd's Inspired Journeys
The Art Fund has teamed up with one of the most respected names in the travel industry, cazenove+loyd, to offer audiences insightful and luxurious art tours to international destinations. The Inspired Journeys programme unites industry experts with art lovers in various locations across the globe, offering them a behind-the-scenes look at revered artistic locations. Some of the trips in 2015 will see Princess Xenia Hohenlohe present the hidden treasures of Bavaria; Director of Wilfredo Lam Centre of Contemporary Art, Jorge Fernandez, uncover the cultural heritage of Cuba and artist Olivia Dalrymple explore the creative history of India. We speak to Co-founder and director at cazenove+loyd, Christopher Wilmot-Sitwell, about the initial idea behind the tours and his favourite destinations.
Simon Norfolk: Stratographs, Benrubi Gallery, New York
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Alec Soth: Songbook, Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco
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5 To See This Weekend
There's plenty to get involved with this weekend in the art world. Ronchini Gallery, London, is home to the UK's first solo exhibition of Pier Paolo Calzolari, an influential figure in the Arte Povera movement. The works of Michelangelo Antonioni are compiled with new contemporary photography to explore themes of voyeurism and media theory from the 1960s to the present day. Meanwhile, the Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2014 showcase is still available to view, using a plethora of new media to explore current affairs, human nature, and desire.
Max Neumann: New Works, Bruce Silverstein Gallery, New York
"The strange thing about heads is that the more you leave out, the more intense the expression becomes. In a different way than in portrait painting. It has absolutely nothing to do with that. These figures are just that to me: figures. They're sexless, they have no special attributes. They are specters, shadows. What's very important to me is the intensity, the presence. What that does. What it does in the painting. What it does with the viewer." – Max Neumann.
Highlights of London Art Fair, 21 – 25 January, 2015
The UK's premier fair for Modern and contemporary British art opens for its private view today. Situated in the Business Design Centre, Islington, the 27th edition of the London Art Fair will be on view to the public 21-25 January. With 128 exhibtors from across the world, the fair gives a unique overview of the art world and has an exiting programme of curated exhibitions, talks, films and performances. There are a number of highlights at this year's event, including the inaugural Art Projecs Artist Award and the premiere of William Mackrell's North South live performance on 22 January.
Q&A with Sophie Hall, Gallery Director at Flowers Gallery, London
In the build up to its 45th anniversary, Flowers Gallery brings a diverse showcase of international practitioners to the London Art Fair. Established in 1970 by Angela Flowers, the family run gallery was one of the first to open in London's East End – now known as the capital's most vibrant art scene. Growing into two spaces in London and one in New York, Flowers prides itself in its dynamic programme of all media by both established and emerging artists. The gallery is also an active publisher of prints and multiples. Aesthetica speaks to Sophie Hall, Gallery Director at Flowers, about the upcoming art fair and the gallery's plans for 2015.
Laurie Simmons, The Arts Club, London
Ahead of new museum exhibitions in the USA, The Arts Club in London presents a selection of work spanning the career of American photographer Laurie Simmons. Born 1949 and working in the same period as Cindy Sherman and Barbara Kruger, Simmons uses photography to expose and critique media representation of women. Gender and sexuality are recurring themes in her work and she is notorious for using dolls and miniature objects to create staged realities.
In Conversation with Anna Vogel, in Aesthetica Magazine
Living and working in Düsseldorf, Germany, artist Anna Vogel (b. 1981) transforms found photography with painting techniques, such as varnish, acrylic, ink and pigment, to manipulate the reality of the natural landscape into a surrealist scene with exaggerated elements. Her work recently appeared in a solo exhibition at Sprüth Magers, Berlin, from 8 July until 30 August 2014, and a set of new photobased works are currently on display at CONRADS, Düsseldorf.
Two Hundred Years of the Kingdom of the Netherlands: The Atlas Van Stolk, Kunsthal Rotterdam
This spring, Kunsthal Rotterdam presents Two Hundred Years of the Kingdom of the Netherlands: The Atlas Van Stolk until 8 March. The exhibition includes hundreds of prints, drawings, photographs, cartoons and posters from the Atlas which illustrate the lives of the Dutch people during two centuries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and show how they have viewed themselves over the years.
Nástio Mosquito: Daily Lovemaking, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham
This is a bold, provocative exhibition of the work of emerging artist, Nástio Mosquito. Exciting, contemporary and devoid of delineation, his work defies categorisation and points towards a new culture of art that combines pop, performance, fine art and politics. Hailing from the broadcast industry, where he worked previously as director and cameraman, this is Mosquito's first solo exhibition.
5 To See This Weekend
Help yourself to our selection of the best in international art with our 5 To See. 2015 is a time to look forward to contemporary innovations, as well as reflecting on the iconic past. The Guggenheim Bilbao explores key themes of the last 20 years in its Art of Our Time exhibition, celebrating the changing movements of contemporary artwork. Across in Penarth, Sanja Iveković's politcal work at Ffotogalley condemns those social activists who are still left without a voice. Meanwhile, looking to the new in London, the Thomas Dane Gallery presents Walead Beshty's latest work, which takes a new approach to his signature cyantoype process.
Kevin Cooley: A Thousand Miles an Hour, Ryan Lee Gallery, New York
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Hugh Arnold: Agua Nacida, Mead Carney Fine Art, London
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During December 2014, the small fishing town of Kochi in South India's state of Kerala, was besieged by the international art crowd as the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2014 (KMB) opened its second edition. India's first and currently only biennale of contemporary art, the first edition saw a total of 400,000 visitors (just 60,000 less than the Venice Biennale) over its three month run, giving this hotly awaited second edition a lot to aspire to. Unveiling a multi-venue exhibition of 100 works by 94 artists from 30 countries, not including the numerous collateral projects initiated by independents, KMB's second edition began with a very promising start.
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London Art Fair is the UK's premier Modern British and contemporary art fair. The 27th edition of the fair is set to feature 128 galleries and will take place at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London. Running from 21-25 January 2015, there will be a special display in partnership with Pallant House Gallery called The Figure in Modern British Art. The fair will also feature Photo50, an exhibition of contemporary photography featuring 50 works, which is guest-curated by Sheyi Bankale. The showcase, Against Nature, explores the possibilities of how viewers relate to renewed storytelling within photography. We take a look at five of the stands to visit at the fair next week.
Shirin Neshat: The Home of My Eyes, YARAT Contemporary Art Space, Baku
Guest curated by Dina Nasser Khadivi and featuring a major new commission, produced following Shirin Neshat's time in Azerbaijan, alongside two earlier works – the seminal video installations Soliloquy (1999) and Passage (2001) – this exhibition marks the opening of YARAT Contemporary Art Space in Baku.
Interview with Photographer J. Shotti on Project, Every Two Weeks
Bronx-based photographer J. Shotti works at the intersection between life and art. His first solo project, a collection of instant film images entitled EVERY TWO WEEKS is due to be released in book form in 2015. The work is a series of over 220 instant film images shot during a two week period using two automatic Polaroid Land cameras. The images serve as visual diaries that detail Shotti's story for these 14 days and the stories of those he came into contact with. We speak to the photographer about his interest in humanity and his newest project.
Ori Gersht: Don't Look Back, Towner, Eastbourne
The practice of photographer and film maker Ori Gersht addresses post war trauma by documenting the landscapes that have witnessed it. Don't Look Back revisits three bodies of work that capture landscapes that have been the scene of atrocities; their their beauty and serenity sitting in juxtaposition with these previous horrors.
Get 50% Off Aesthetica in the January Sale: 12 Month Subscription for Just £12 Plus p&p
Subscriptions to Aesthetica are now available from as little as £12 in the January Sale, providing readers with a chance to save 50% on subscriptions in the new year and enjoy 12 months of the latest news in contemporary art and culture, direct to their home.
Transmitting Andy Warhol, Tate Liverpool
Transmitting Andy Warhol is a dazzling exhibition which enables the viewer to discover more about the Pop Art pioneer and founder of the influential Studio 54 movement, whose radical designs transformed the modern art world.
Temporal Measures: Futo Akiyoshi, Kouichi Tabata and Takahiro Ueda, White Rainbow Gallery, London
Berlin-based Japanese artists Futo Akiyoshi, Kouichi Tabata and Takahiro Ueda hold the first group show to take place within White Rainbow gallery. Each artist used their own signature medium to create works surrounding the themes of time, space and psychology: Futo Akiyoshi with minimal images of spaces; Kouichi Tabata through motion paintings; and Takahiro Ueda utilises naturally occurring phenomena with a series of constructions built around quartz crystals.
Who Do We Think We Are, Impressions Gallery, Bradford
In the culmination of the Hidden Schools Tour, an innovative two-year project working with young people across Bradford, pupils from 12 schools take over Impressions Gallery with photographic tableaux re-imagining the past, and playful contemporary portraits which explore history and social identity.
Ponte City: Mikhael Subotzky and Patrick Waterhouse, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh
Featuring the work of South African photographer Mikhael Subotzky and British artist Patrick Waterhouse, this photographic project documents five years in the lives of the inhabitants of Ponte City: an iconic Johannesburg landmark and the tallest residential skyscraper in Africa.
The Plot Thickens, 35th Anniversary Exhibition, Fraenkel gallery, San Francisco
Comprised of 100 photographs acquired and assembled over the last five years, The Plot Thickens celebrates the 35th anniversary of Fraenkel gallery. The exhibition revels in the richness of the photographic medium through works by its greatest masters interwoven with prints by the unknown, the majority of which are being exhibited for the first time.
Jonathan Monk: I ♥ 1984, Lisson Gallery, London
British artist Jonathan Monk replays, revises and re-examines works of Conceptual and Minimal art by acts of witty, ingenious and irreverent appropriation.Through wall paintings, monochromes, ephemeral sculpture and photography he pays homage to leading figures of the art world such as Sol LeWitt, Ed Ruscha, Bruce Nauman and Lawrence Weiner, reflects on the tendency of contemporary art to devour references and asks of it "what next?"
Maria Friberg: Communicate Over Vast Distances, Pi Artworks, London
For Maria Friberg's first solo exhibition with Pi Artworks, the gallery has curated a selection of photographic and video works that span the last 10 years. Friberg belongs to a generation of Scandinavian artists often referred to as the Nordic Miracle, a name coined in the late 90's after a seminal survey exhibition at the Musee d'art Moderne, Paris.
Penelope Umbrico: Sun/Screen, The Photographers' Gallery, London
This new work by award-winning New York based artist Penelope Umbrico continues her exploration into the consumption of photographs online, particularly focusing on the persistence of sunset imagery.
Nicolás Muller: Traces of exile, Château De Tours, France
Organised by Jeu de Paume in collaboration with the City of Tours, and curated by Chema Conesa, this is the first show in France dedicated exclusively to Hungarian photographer Nicolás Muller; bringing together a hundred images and documents from the archives kept by his daughter Ana Muller.
Murray Fredericks: Recent Works, Hamiltons Galleries, London
For his latest series Australian photographer, Murray Fredericks, travelled alone with a bicycle and trailer, carrying his large format camera and supplies to capture a vast area of Southern Australia in severe weather conditions; taking both a physical and mental toll in order to capture the perfect frames.


text:
Spider-Man in India 358
from the spidey-sense-is-tingling dept.
We've improved Slashdot's video section; now you can view our video interviews, product close-ups and site visits with all the usual Slashdot options to comment, share, etc. No more walled garden! It's a work in progress -- we hope you'll check it out (Learn more about the recent updates).
And what's with the bottoms? American spiderman doesn't ware suit pants. Is this to make him look more Indian or would there be a cultural backlash against tights?
Maybe he can use human pyramids of well-wishers instead? Plus there has gotta be some good use for several cows looped together with spidey-thread.
I'm kind of worried about people living around Mumbai airport in tin-roof huts and stuff. I wouldn't want Dhoti-man or his evil nemesis jumping on those. Besides, dhotis are not meant for high-velocity displacements. They tend to be left behind in such cases..
He's going to swing on the hundreds of thousands of outsourced jobs, broken promises, and shattered dreams of American tech workers. Oh wait Spider-man? I thought we were talking about George W. Bush's re-election.
Is this to make him look more Indian or would there be a cultural backlash against tights?
I imagine it's similar to how most female comic book superheroes have extraordinarily large breasts. It's best to appeal to your target demographic.
...And probably a TERRORIST to boot!
Oh yeah, that reminds me of this [superman.ws]. Best superman spinoff ever. I love the hammer and sickle instead of his S!
One of the regular sketches involved a very patriotic Indian man and his young son. Whenever the son mentioned something, the father said it was Indian, had been done first in India, or was done by an Indian.
In one sketch, the small boy was reading in bed before going to sleep. His dad was watching over him. He was reading about Superman.
"Indian," his father kept saying.
"Superman can run faster than a train!" enthused the boy.
"Of course he is Indian," exclaimed the father, "Where else can you run faster than a train?"
I'll get my coat....
Of course, a movie called "Constantine" that's loosely based on this character has a September release in the USA. The charact
Pat Lee and others have done Superman in the art style of Japanese print manga, but that was in english for American audiences. Was there an actual Superman created for Japanese audiences?
The tao that can be tar(1)ed is not the entire Tao. The path that can be specified is not the Full Path.


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Part Time Jobs in Dawsonville, Georgia ( GA )
If you're looking for part time jobs, student jobs or jobs for teens in Dawsonville, Georgia, you've come to the right place! Chances are that GrooveJob.com has the right job for you and wants to be your only source for finding part time jobs in Dawsonville, Georgia.
We've got plenty of part time and summer jobs in Dawsonville, Georgia. Check out the list of employers below who are accepting applications for part time jobs in your town. Remember to check back with Groovejob.com on a regular basis. We add new part time job listings to our database every week, so you'll find new opportunities every time you check back with us.
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Hourly Management
…In conjuction with the salary positions, this position has the up most responsiblity for day to day operations of the...
Dawsonville, GA
Part Time
We are looking for flexible folks to work lunch and dinner...
Dawsonville, GA
Retail Project Merchandiser Part Time
…push up to 50 pounds, stand, stoop and bend for long periods of time , potential use of cleaning chemicals and work in environments...
Dawsonville, GA
Store Manager
…store; reports directly to the District Manager. Manage a store team of approximately 10 part - time and full- time store associates...
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Home Workers Wanted: Part Time /Full Time (Data Entry, Work From Home Positions)
…are dependable and looking to make as much as $350-$1,200 per week, or more working part time or full time . You work on your own...
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Part - Time City Driver (CDL-A)
Part - Time City Driver (CDL-A) A City driver's responsibilities vary depending on the current need at our Service Centers. You may be...
Lawrenceville, GA
Hourly Management
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Dahlonega, GA
Customer Care Specialist- Part Time
…design manager and design consultants. Bassett administrative associates are typically compensated on an hourly basis. Part time ...
Buford, GA
Groundskeeper- Part Time
The Part - Time Groundskeeper of a MAA community provides prospective residents with their first impression and current residents with a...
Gainesville, GA
Full and Part Time Security Officer
…we welcome you to apply! Universal Protection Service currently seeks both Full and Part Time Security Officers for a several...
Gainesville, GA
Groundskeeper- Part Time
The Part - Time Groundskeeper of a MAA community provides prospective residents with their first impression and current residents with a...
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Event Specialist Part Time Sales
Event Specialist Part Time Sales Are you outgoing, friendly and enjoy meeting new people? Our part time Event Specialist jobs for...
Cumming, GA
Restaurant Crew - hourly
…Can't make Biscuits? Can't Cook? Don't worry, we'll teach you how! Looking for a part - time job after school? Okay! Available for...
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The part - time Leasing Consultant position is an exciting position to hold within MAA. Often the Leasing Consultant is the first contact...
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Event Specialist Part Time Sales
…and informatively with consumers. Independent and motivated team player. Ability to work part - time retail schedule. Ability to stand...
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Fine Jewelry Sales Associate, Part - Time , Belk Colonial Mall
…keeping keys on or about person, showing only one piece of merchandise at a time , not leaving any merchandise unattended, and locking...
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Delivery Driver ( Part - Time ) North Fulton
Job Description NAPA Auto Parts is seeking a skilled, enthusiastic and hard working part time Delivery Driver to join our growing team...
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Joint Thankgiving Eve services set
The four ELCA congregations of Jamestown -- Atonement, Immanuel, Trinity and St. John's -- will hold a joint Thanksgiving Eve Service at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at St. John's Lutheran Church, 424 First Ave. S.
The Rev. Leon Zavadil of Trinity will preach with the Rev. Suzanne Orlopp of St. John's presiding. Holy Communion will be celebrated within a liturgy called The Bread of Life.
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3 Apartments for Rent in the South Minnesota Metro
You found 3 apartments for rent in the entire South Minnesota, Minnesota metro. Refine your search by viewing 1, 2 or 3+ bedroom apartments in South Minnesota as well as cheap apartments, pet friendly apartments, apartments with utilities included and more. Use our customizable guide to narrow down options for apartments in the South Minnesota, MN metro and find your perfect South Minnesota apartment today!
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Le Sueur ApartmentsExact - 411 3rd St North Le Sueur, MN 5605844.463663 -93.910265
Le Sueur Apartments offers spacious 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments for rent in Le Sueur, MN. Located within walking distance to downtown Le Sueur and daily conveniences. Apartments feature onsite laundry rooms, secure entrances, an outdoor play area, patio, onsite management and all utilities are included in rent. Se habla en Espanol.
- Spacious 1, 2 and 3 Bedroom Apartments For Rent
- Walking Distance to Downtown Le Sueur
- On-site Laundry Rooms
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- All Utilities Included in Rent
- Se Habla Espanol
- Outdoor Playground & Patio
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- Housing Vouchers Welcome
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- Extra Storage Available
- Management On-site
East Manor ApartmentsExact - 853 E. Bellview St. Winona, MN 5598744.037937223911 -91.620526313782
East Manor Apartment Homes has studio, 1, & 2 bedrooms for rent in Winona, MN. Spacious units have large closets, plenty of storage, dishwasher, carpet flooring, balcony or deck, & air conditioning. Community has laundry centers within each building, off-street parking, professional on site managers, and garage parking available. Water, sewer & trash included. Adjacent to Winona Lake, parks, disc golf course, and trails. Minutes to Hwy 61 & 14. Close to Amtrak station & Winona State University.
- Spacious 1 & 2 Bedroom Apartments
- Adjacent to Winona Lake
- Large Closets & Storage Space
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- Carpeting Throughout
- Water, Sewer, & Trash Included
- Off-Street Parking
- Professional On Site Managers
- Close to Parks & Trails Around the Lake
- Minutes to HWY 61, Amtrak Station & Winona State
Valley Manor ApartmentsExact - 52 Links Lane Winona, MN 5598744.019238 -91.607552
Valley Manor Apartments offer spacious 1 & 2 bedroom apartments for rent in Winona, MN, surrounded by beautiful bluffs and overlooks a golf course. Valley Manor Apartments for rent in Winona, MN are next to the Mississippi River and provide easy access to Rochester or Wisconsin. Valley Manor Apartments feature air conditioning, ceiling fans, dishwasher, disposal, large closets some walk-in, extra storage & on-site laundry facilities. Garage Parking is available. Professional Management on-site.
- One & Two Bedrooms Available
- Quaint Water, Sewer and Trash Included
- Garage Parking Available
- Dishwasher, Garbage Disposal
- Large Closets, some Walk-In Closets
- On-site Laundry Facilities
- Extra Storage
- Heating and A/C
- Neighborhood Along the Mississippi River
- Professional On-site Manager
- Nearby Recreation & Golf Course
- Easy Access to Rochester, Minutes to Wisconsin
Your Search Returned 3 results.
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Le Sueur ApartmentsLe Sueur, MN
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Il Sogno di Pandora Bed and Breakfast - Castellana Grotte
Via Andrea Angiulli 15 - Castellana Grotte1-877-662-6988
Searching for bed and breakfast accommodation in Castellana Grotte? Take a closer look at Il Sogno di Pandora Bed and Breakfast!
This Castellana Grotte bed & breakfast offers free Wi-Fi and laundry facilities.
Knowledgeable staff are available at the front desk 24 hours-a-day and can provide tour/ticket assistance.
The welcome is warm, the rooms are clean, very spacious, with a retro charm and we...Venere Guest, France
These reviews have been left by customers who actually stayed at this hotel
Check Availability at Il Sogno di Pandora Bed and Breakfast
Breakfast at Il Sogno di Pandora Bed and Breakfast
A free breakfast is served between 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM.
Bed and Breakfast Facilities at Il Sogno di Pandora
- Limousine service
- Shuttle service
- Shuttle service from and/or to the airport
- Entire property is non-smoking
- Laundry room
- Pets accepted
- Internet/Email services
- City tour
- Front desk - 24 hour
Know before you go
- Cash transactions at this property cannot exceed EUR 999.99, due to national regulations. For further details, please contact the property using information in the booking confirmation.
- This property offers transfers from the airport (surcharges may apply). Guests must contact the property with arrival details 48 hours prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation.
- A resort fee is included in the total price displayed.
Check-in: after 4:30 PM.
Check-out: before 11 AM.
PolicyExtra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
- No onsite parking is available.
City tax and/or any other fees charged by the hotel
The following fees and deposits are charged by the property at time of service, check-in, or check-out.
- Fee for English breakfast: EUR 10 for adults and EUR 8 for children (approximately)
- Airport shuttle fee: EUR 50 per vehicle
- Pet fee: EUR 10 per night
- Crib (infant bed) fee: EUR 10 per night
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.
Il Sogno di Pandora B&B reviews
- June 2014
- Venere Guest
- Couple
- France
The welcome is warm, the rooms are clean, very spacious, with a retro charm and well located in the old town charm.
- August 2012
- Venere Guest
- Couple
- Italy
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- December 2014
- Venere Guest
- Couple
- Italy
- November 2014
- Venere Guest
- Couple
- Italy
- June 2014
- Venere Guest
- Not Specified
- Italy
- June 2013
- Venere Guest
- Couple
- Italy
- August 2014
- Venere Guest
- France
Il Sogno di Pandora B&B reviews by TripAdvisor
Room Details
Book your pet-friendly accommodation at Il Sogno di Pandora Bed and Breakfast, offering 4 guest rooms with climate control. Guests can unwind at the end of a long day and enjoy 34-inch TVs with digital channels. Business travelers visiting the Castellana Grotte area will have access to free wireless high-speed Internet access. Guest rooms are individually furnished, making each stay a unique experience. A good night's sleep in comfortable beds with down comforters will have visitors waking up refreshed and well-rested throughout their vacation or business trip. Private bathrooms are outfitted with showers, rainfall showerheads and bidets. Additional guest comforts include air conditioning, free bottled water and blackout drapes/curtains.
Accommodation Services
- Air conditioning
- Individually controlled air conditioning
- Wireless Internet access
Distances from Bed and Breakfast Il Sogno di PandoraIl Parco dei Dinosauri - 1.2 km / 0.7 mi
Castellana Caves - 1.9 km / 1.2 mi
Carnival of Putignano - 5.3 km / 3.3 mi
Castle of Conversano - 10.5 km / 6.5 mi
Trullo Sovrano - 12.1 km / 7.5 mi
Casa Pezzolla Territory Museum - 12.6 km / 7.8 mi
Oil Museum - 12.7 km / 7.9 mi
Craft Museum - 12.7 km / 7.9 mi
Parco Belvedere Lama - 12.8 km / 8 mi
Museum of Contemporary Art - 13.2 km / 8.2 mi
Statue of Domenico Modugno - 13.2 km / 8.2 mi
Cala Paura Beach - 13.3 km / 8.3 mi
Cathedral of Romualdo Museum - 13.5 km / 8.4 mi
Cathedral Basilica of SS. Mary of Madia - 13.5 km / 8.4 mi
Abbey of Our Lady of La Scala - 13.9 km / 8.7 mi
The preferred airport for Il Sogno di Pandora Bed and Breakfast is Bari (BRI-Karol Wojtyla) - 43.9 km / 27.3 mi.
Distances are calculated in a straight line from the property's location to the point of interest or airport and may not reflect actual travel distance.
Distances are displayed to the nearest 0.1 mile and kilometer.
Transportation services Il Sogno di Pandora Bed and Breakfast
- Limousine service
- Shuttle service
- Shuttle service from and/or to the airport
We have the accommodation you need, all over the world
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†Calls are charged at the same rate as a standard landline call when dialling from a fixed line. Calls to this number are also accepted as part of inclusive call minutes from most major mobile phone operators.
Capquest Debt Recovery Limited, Capquest Investments Limited and Capquest Investments 2 Limited are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for accounts formed under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 (amended 2006). Capquest Mortgage Servicing Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority


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BEST WESTERN PLUS DFW Airport Suites
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We are winding up our trip to Dallas and have spent the time with Simon and his family. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday has meant beautiful weather with daytime temperatures reaching 21 degrees and very sunny. We have visited a number of parks and done a few good walks. Sunday we went to Lewisville. We miss the coffee shops attached to the parks we have back in Australia. On Monday Steve and Christine went to Grapevine Mills DFO to try and retrieve the taxes ...
From Limited to Limitless
This week has been relatively quiet for me. I have pretty much gone to work, and returned home; anything outside of that has been few and far in between. It's the beginning of the year. So, with that comes reflections. Many people go on consecrations and fasts; most do not have lasting effects of that consecration and fast beyond 30 days. It usually is characterized by lots of social media posts announcing to all followers their significant sacrifice ...
Ray Roberts Lake State Park
Today was a trip to a State Park about 1 hour's drive north of Coppell. Whilst most of the drive was along freeways we passed through farming country with horse ranches and cattle before entering the park. Ray Roberts Lake State Park has a 29000 acre reservoir supporting many water activities. The weather was nice and sunny but the wind kept it cool - about 16. The park has many camping sites allowing for walking and ...
Antigua to Dallas. Another very early start rising at 4.30am for a 5am pick up. Antigua is a 45 minute drive to Guatemala City airport. As the roads get incredibly busy it is advised to leave as early as possible as later in the day the trip can take up to 2 hours. We had breakfast at ...
Tyler Dallas
... of a sore head. As time went by he deteriorated quickly, and when we reached the car he was crying and quite warm. I suspected he was coming down with what Adalia had. I was pretty certain he was unwell when we got home and he didn't want to eat any chips for lunch! He did manage some cake, but cake always has medicinal purposes. I gave him some nurofen and he chippered up quite quickly! After lunch ...


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Since its founding in 1964, the journal Demography has mirrored the vitality, diversity, high intellectual standard and wide impact of the field on which it reports.
Demography presents the highest quality original research of scholars in a broad range of disciplines, including anthropology, biology, economics, geography, history, psychology, public health, sociology, and statistics. The journal encompasses a wide variety of methodological approaches to population research. Its geographic focus is global, with articles addressing demographic matters from around the planet. Its temporal scope is broad, as represented by research that explores demographic phenomena spanning the ages from past to present, and reaching toward the future.
Published bimonthly, Demography is the flagship journal of the Population Association of America, reaching the membership of one of the largest professional demographic associations in the world.
- 52 Volumes
- 198 Issues
- 2,566 Articles
- 21 Open Access
- 1964 - 2015 Available between
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Conjuring the Ghosts of Missing Children: A Monte Carlo Simulation of Reproductive Restraint in Tokugawa Japan
Fabian F. Drixler (April 2015)
Retirement Timing of Women and the Role of Care Responsibilities for Grandchildren
Robin L. Lumsdaine, Stephanie J. C. Vermeer (April 2015)
Diffusion of Childbearing Within Cohabitation
Agnese Vitali, Arnstein Aassve, Trude Lappegård (March 2015)
- Journal Title
- Demography
- Coverage
- Volume 1 / 1964 - Volume 52 / 2015
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- 0070-3370
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- 1533-7790
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- Springer US
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text: http://ubuntuforums.org – After logging in with 13.04 the Unity side bar appears and I can interact with my computer fine. However, my desktop wallpaper never appears, and I am left with the frozen login screen in place of my wallpaper. I cannot right click on my desktop to open the usual context menu that appears there. Trying to change my wallpaper in Appearance Settings doesn't seem to help. Any ideas? (Hardware)


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Harriet Tubman Educational Doll Set
Harriet Tubman Educational Doll Set
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She couldn't read or write. But she outwitted bounty hunters and sheriffs and led her family and other people to their freedom by guiding them and inspiring others. They called Harriet Tubman the "Moses of her People."
- Harriet Tubman doll, dressed in historically accurate period outfit that she wore in one of the few photos taken of her.
- Harriet also comes with her cape and a wearable pouch, which is similar to what she might have used on her trips to carry food, water, etc
- Harriet Tubman biography: a 118 page book for ages 8 and up, with black and white photos.
- Harriet Tubman Activity Pack: more ideas for education and play to inspire your girl to reach for the stars!
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Harriet Tubman Poster
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Harriet Tubman Biography
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It's been a few months since Pizza Comedy was throwing out the sauce, but I'm happy to say the brick ovens are fired up and we're ready to go deep dish on
Where The Hell Are All The Posts, Pizza??
You may have noticed the lack of posts recently — and it's not because there's a shortage of people making stupid internet videos…
This Workaholics DVD Giveaway Is Totally Tight Butthole!
Our favorite Workaholics boys are back with more fully-torqued adventures, and now you can snag your very own copy!
The Future Of Pizza Comedy
Hi. I'm James. I write most of the stuff for Pizza Comedy…
Get Your Sexy On — Win An Amy Schumer Stand-up DVD!
We're keeping it sexy this week with one of the funniest new comedians working the scene today — and what?? She's a chick?!?
Unleash Your Mandroid — Win A "Chris Hardwick" DVD!
In the spirit of geeky karma, we're kicking it into warp drive — not one, but THREE LUCKY FANS will get to take home Chris Hardwick: Mandroid!
Win A Brand New "Anthony Jeselnik" DVD!!
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Draft BRAC's Microfinance Canvas: Sustainable Financial Services and Strategic Linkages Shabbir Ahmed Chowdhury* 75 Mohakhali Dhaka1212, Bangladesh Telephone # 9881265 Ext. 2300, 8824180, 8824051 Fax: 88-02-8826448 Email: firstname.lastname@example.com * Director, Microfonance, BRAC This paper is presented in the AHRC Research Network meeting on Microfinance, 14-15 May 2009, University Birmingham, UK Abstract The poor are a diverse group with diverse livelihoods, needs and potential, which change over time due to lifecycle, new opportunities and external shocks. This diverse and dynamic reality of poor peoples' lives forms the canvass within which BRAC conceptualises and designs its repertoire of development programs, in which microfinance is a core element. This paper through a few program experiences attempts to reveal the conceptual innovativeness embedded in the way BRAC thinks and acts about microfinance. It is not only 'microfinance the tool' that is a powerful poverty- alleviating weapon, but also the institutional framework of microfinance that is created in delivering microfinance. The extensive outreach, connection, knowledge and network, that the microfinance institution and the people running it at all levels possess and generate in their every day working engagements, is an extremely powerful asset in the fight to overcome poverty. We are only beginning to harness the power embodied in the institutional capital of microfinance institutions. This will be the second generation challenge for all poverty focused microfinance institutions and Bangladesh will again lead the way. I. Our Microfinance Canvas The poor have traditionally been denied access to the formal banking system, as they are unable to provide collateral for loans and typically deal in small amounts of money. These results in them having fewer opportunities to save, borrow, and invest. Moneylenders in the informal credit markets charge very high interest rates which also restricts the poor people's access to credit. We believe that making credit, which can be invested in productive activities, universally available is essential in reducing poverty. We hope to encourage the increase of income for the poor through the setting up and expansion of income generating activities and micro-enterprises. Our targeting strategy has been women, recognizing that they face problems by reason of their gender as well as by reason of their poverty. An average Bangladeshi woman lives 2 years less than the average man in a culture where from birth males get better care than females. Targeting the poorest in villages, including organizing into solidarity and mutual support groups, together with providing technical and financial services to widen opportunities remains our core approach. The poor are a diverse group with diverse livelihoods, needs and potential, which change over time due to lifecycle, new opportunities and external shocks. This diverse and dynamic reality of poor peoples' lives forms the canvas within which BRAC conceptualises and designs its repertoire of development programs, in which microfinance is a core element. If we map the various poverty categories we obtain from the literature (WB/BBS) onto BRAC's different microfinance programs, we get a picture like the one below: 2 Target group Urban (20%) Rural (80%) Better-off (27%) Progoti Unnoti Vulnerable non-poor (20%) Dabi Moderate Poor (17%) Extreme Poor (31%) IGVGD CFPRP/TUP Destitute (5%) Note: IGVGD= Income Generation for Vulnerable Group Development; CFPRP/TUP= Challenging the Frontiers of Poverty Reduction/Targeting the Ultra Poor; Progoti= Microenterprise Lending and Assistance; Unnoti= Enterprise Development Program signifies vertical entry, and signifies horizontal entry Before moving onto describing some core dimensions of this framework, which I intend to do through a few examples later in this paper, let me digress slightly—I promise that the digression will only help locating BRAC's microfinance imagination within a broader canvass. Marguerite Robinson in her globally acclaimed book, 'The Microfinance Revolution', on page 21,shows an interesting diagram through which she tries to define the microfinance market, more accurately, the commercial financial services, which she distinguishes from what she terms, 'subsidized poverty alleviation programs'. Let me share this diagram with you. 3 Income Level Commercial financial services Subsidized poverty alleviation programs Standard commercial bank loans Lower middle and full income range of savings Interest services bearing savings Commercial accounts for Economically microloans small savers active poor Official poverty line Poverty progs for such purposes as food and water, Extremely poor medicine, and nutrition, employment generation, skills training, and relocation Source: Robinson, M., May 2001, The Microfinance Revolution: Sustainable Finance for the Poor, The World Bank and Open Society Institute, USA. Marguerite's diagram posits two sets of distinctions, which is worth noting. The first is the distinction drawn between commercial microloans and interest bearing savings accounts. Whereas, savings is shown to be an appropriate service for both lower middle income and economically active poor, this is not the case for commercial microloans, which is not appropriate even for the poorer among the so-called economically active poor. In other words, the poorer you are, the less appropriate are microloans as financial services. The second distinction is between commercial financial services and subsidized poverty alleviation programs. It is subsidized poverty alleviation programs, which are appropriate for the extreme poor and not financial services. The first distinction, i.e. credit is less appropriate the poorer you are gives rise to a whole set of issues and debates which I will not focus here. Let me spend some time with the second distinction centring on the extreme poor. Indeed, the extreme poor, being excluded from a range of services and opportunities and facing a complex structure of constraints, need approaches that rely more on protectional mechanisms and these will have to be subsidized. That is obvious enough. What is more problematic, however, is the conceptual separation between the agenda of microfinance and the appropriate 4 development interventions for the extreme poor. The debate is not really about whether financial services is an appropriate service for the poorest, but rather what happens if the agenda of addressing extreme poverty is eschewed from the microfinance imagination. BRAC as a poverty focussed microfinance providing NGO has been and is grappling with this question and though we do not have definite answers, we have some experiences to share. The core message is one of hope---- there are clever mechanisms through which strategic linkages can be created between what Marguerite calls, 'subsidized poverty alleviation programs' and 'commercial microfinance', and there is no need to conceptually blind out the extreme poor from the microfinance imagination. Let me now move on to sharing with you some program experiences that illustrate BRAC's microfinance canvass that I have already presented diagrammatically. The first set of examples demonstrates our experiences of building opportunity ladders for the extreme poor, those who tend to be left out from conventional microfinance programs. The idea here is to design subsidies in ways that provide a window of opportunity for the extreme poor. To strengthen the initiatives of the extreme poor so that they can over a period of time build the capacities to benefit from microfinance and other mainstream development programs. The second one is another example of BRAC using microfinance combined with other interventions to provide a new chance of new livelihoods to people facing sudden vulnerabilities. The third set of examples illustrates how BRAC uses the knowledge embodied in its institutional networks to provide financial services to new market segments. 2. BRAC's Experiences with Building Opportunity Ladders from Safety Nets: IGVGD and CFPR/TUP BRAC long realized the difficulties of reaching and addressing the needs of the extreme poor using conventional microfinance. But, instead of saying, 'Oh, too bad, these extreme poor need subsidized poverty alleviation programs before they can become fit for our services and let others bother with that while we run commercial financial services', the challenge for BRAC was thinking of ways of including the extreme poor within its programs in a way that is cost-effective and yet goes beyond transfers. 2.1 IGVGD Program: Including Those Left Out BRAC in 1985 approached the WFP, which was already providing a time bound food assistance to the extreme poor living in vulnerable areas under its Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) program, to implement a new linkage and sustainable model for the vulnerable group. The IGVGD program was thus designed to link extremely vulnerable women to mainstream development activities. Under this initiative, extreme poor women were organized into groups and provided with skill development training in the various sectors that BRAC had expertise in. In addition to training, the IGVGD women were also brought under the BRAC health services and networks. During the period these extremely poor women received food transfers, a savings scheme was developed and later small amounts of program credit was also provided so that the training they received could be more meaningfully used for a more secure livelihood. The whole program was focused on developing a systematic approach to take advantage of the window of opportunity in the lives of these extreme poor women while they received the food 5 transfers and the short-term security. To provide support so that they could stand on more solid grounds once the transfer period was over. An independent study by WFP found that through this strategic linkage, more than three quarters of those who receive the VGD card in every cycle end up becoming regular clients of BRAC's microfinance program. A study by CGAP found that the subsidy per VGD women is about $135, which according to the paper, '[…] represents a small subsidy, given the overwhelming majority of IGVGD women who graduate out of a need for continuous handouts'. Needless to say the greater the proportion of the VGD women who graduate to BRAC's microfinance program and the better the quality of graduation, the more the possibility that over a period of time this cost of subsidy is recouped. 2.2 CFPRP/TUP: Building More Solid Opportunity Ladders The possibility of creating opportunity ladders from safety nets for those who are left behind by conventional microfinance that BRAC's IGVGD approach demonstrated made BRAC even bolder in carrying out further experiments with this concept. We noticed that though for a great majority the IGVGD approach lead to increasing their abilities to benefit from our regular microfinance program, for a significant minority, this was not happening. More worryingly, those that failed to 'make it' were among the poorest and most vulnerable. We were also at times dissatisfied with the targeting carried out by the upazilla representatives who sometimes selected based on political and other motives. More importantly, the VGD women often failed to get the full benefits of the window of opportunity provided by the food transfer. This is because one VGD card was often unofficially shared between two or more. Sometimes, VGD cards had to be 'bought' and more often than not, this would mean advance selling of VGD cards to wheat dealers to raise the money for the 'payment'. We felt the need for a program where we would have more control over the processes and one where the window of opportunity will be specifically designed to build the solid ground for the extreme poor to move forward from. From January 2001 we started a new experimental program with these challenges in mind, called 'Challenging the Frontiers of Poverty Reduction: Targeting the Ultra Poor', or CFPR/TUP, for short. The core idea is similar to the IGVGD, though the elements are very different. There are two broad strategies in TUP, one, 'pushing down' and the other 'pushing out'. First, the Program seeks to 'push down' the reach of development programs through specific targeting of the ultra poor by using a careful targeting methodology that combines participatory approaches with simple survey based tool. Secondly, it seeks to 'push out' the domain within which existing poverty alleviation programs operate, by addressing dimensions of poverty that many conventional approaches fail to address. Specifically, this involves a shift away from the conventional service delivery mode of development programming to focusing on human capital, and the structures and processes that disempower the poor, especially women, and constraint their livelihood. It is an approach that puts social development, specifically a rights-based approach to health and socio-political empowerment, at the heart of the agenda. Program components in the 'pushing down' front include, a special investment program in the form of a grant of assets/capital in kind and stipend, a skills development training program, a program of essential health care and a social development program. The program covered 705,000 ultra poor during 2002-2006. The second phase from 207-2011 is covering another 860,300 ultra poor. 6 The whole idea behind the CFPR/TUP approach is to enable the ultra poor develop new and better options for sustainable livelihoods. And this requires: A combination of approaches --- promotional, such as asset grants, skills training and protective, such as stipends, health care services, etc. Attacking constraints at various levels --- household and the wider environments of institutions, structures and policies Working within a multi-agent framework, i.e. strengthening institutions of the poor that can leverage their own agency and poverty focused advocacy by institutions representing the poor, such as BRAC. The CFPR/TUP approach challenges itself to deliver on all these fronts and the hope is that the initial subsidy that this approach entails, which will be heavier than the IGVGD, will reap benefits by building a solid base from which the extreme poor can build on from. 3.0 Serving different Market Niches A lot of growth potential exists in the missing middle that can be facilitated through direct financial services provision. The entrepreneurs in this segment of the market tend to be owner- cum-operators, self-starters and innovative. Yet, they are typically underserved both by formal banks and microfinance institutions, and this often constrains the scaling up of their enterprises. The growth of such enterprises can have direct and indirect poverty-alleviating impacts through job creation and spillover effects in the backward and forward linkages. Good knowledge about this segment of the market is, however, necessary. Though some type of formal collateral may be available from operators in this market, the legal processes that would make this collateral effective may be extremely cumbersome. Forms of collective responsibility through joint liability, which has been so creatively used by conventional microfinance in replacing traditional forms of collateral, may not be very appropriate for this segment of the market. These are some of the reasons for which the missing middle exists. BRAC felt that given its strong local knowledge of the areas in which it operates and the extensive local network it has in place, it could serve this missing middle market segment. In 1996, BRAC started the Micro Enterprise Lending and Assistance (MELA) Program (now termed as Progoti) with the aim to provide larger loans to the more enterprising VO (Village Organization) members as well as non VO micro entrepreneurs to develop their own business. Progoti tries to stimulate the growth of small enterprise in the semi-urban and rural areas. The loans, starting from Taka 50,000, are enterprise loans based on careful but rapid appraisal of the enterprises. These loans are given to individual entrepreneurs and loans are repayable in monthly installments with rebate possibilities in case of early repayment. By Dec. 2008, more than Taka 75 billion has been loaned to more than 800,000 entrepreneurs across the country with an on- time repayment rate of 98 %. A carefully designed MIS provides entrepreneurs specific information at regular intervals to enable rapid follow up and action. The farm sector also suffers from a strong missing middle syndrome. BRAC has a good knowledge of this market segment and the 'progressive operators' in this market through its extensive network of the various sector programs. It makes use of this program knowledge to 7 target areas with specific potential under a program launched in October 2002 called Enterprise Development Program (EDP) now termed as Unnoti. These loans are farm enterprise loans for farmers owning more than 100 decimals of cultivable land. Loans start from Taka 15,000 Members of this program form groups of up to 40 called Village Organizations (VOs) and VO becomes functional once it has at least 10 members. Meetings are held weekly where members save at the rate of Taka 20 per week. For loan repayment before maturity, a 'rebate is available. By Dec. 2008, Unnoti had approximately 1.2 million members in more than 58,000 VOs with a total disbursement of over Taka 34 billion. The goal of this program is to provide financial services to meet specific needs of small and marginal farmers. 3.1 Addressing the issue of food insecurity: Soft Agricultural Loans and Loans for Agricultural Inputs The soaring cost of food is threatening millions of people in low income countries. World food prices have more than double in recent times, the highest recorded level since 1990. Bangladesh in a recent report of the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) as one of the countries that will be the hardest hit due the increase in climate change related disasters and changes in food consumption. The price of rice, the dominant staple in Bangladesh has doubled in within the last year, and food security is considered the number one development problem facing the country. BRAC's client groups of landless poor, marginal land owners and the rural non -farm operators will be the worst affected, as they usually spend half their income on rice. With the ensuing food insecurity crisis and the adverse affect of climate change on food production, BRAC has taken the initiative to explore large scale opportunities for increasing crop production, and training farmers and extension workers on innovative crop management technologies. BRAC has been providing grace period in irrigation, agriculture, and fisheries sectors for a long time. The special offer was provided in light with the fact that the output of the program does not come immediately after giving the input. The duration of the loan depended on the program's requirement giving enough time for the participants to grow and be fruitful. Similarly, interest free loans are also provided to them for the procurement of agricultural inputs and materials. Crop Diversification Loan was initiated by BRAC in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, GOB and Asian Development Bank for focusing on high value crop cultivation. The project, being implemented in the northern districts is supporting nearly 100,000 small farmers cultivate high value crop. 4.0 Addressing New Vulnerabilities: Globalization opens up new opportunities as well as new risks. Those who lose out, especially the poor are more often than not, left high and dry. In Bangladesh, no formal safety net exists that would provide a chance for a new lease of life for the poor who lost out due to the uncertainties created by the global market forces. BRAC has extensive coverage in the urban slum areas of Dhaka through the BRAC Urban Program (BUP) offering a wide range of development services, including microfinance. 4.1 BRAC's Social Protection Package for Retrenched State Owned Enterprise Workers The privatization of the large scale industries has resulted in retrenchment of a wide array of 8 workers employed in these industries. Discontinuation of employment has led to economic and social vulnerability of the workers and their dependents. This has posed as a challenging situation for them and they are very much unsure of their future. This uncertainty has brought various obstacles in future plans for these workers, especially regarding the optimum utilization of their retrenchment benefit or golden-handshake money. They require proper guidance and social support to get through this situation. At the same time, it is very important that these workers are reemployed or get themselves involved in income generating activities. But given the low level of education of these workers and the fact that they have a limited experience on a particular sector has also limited their accessibility in the job market as well as new business ventures. Keeping all the above in mind, BRAC initiated SPPRW (with DFID's Country Assistance Plan) with the vision of enhancing the social and economic capabilities of redundant workers of State Owned Enterprises (SOE) in a sustainable manner. The overall goal of this project is to enable the retrenched workers to build, secure, and use their assets to improve their well being, reduce their vulnerabilities and take advantage of new opportunities. The various components of this project are: o Counseling, o Skill training, o Savings and Credit, o Education support for children, o Health support, o Job information bank 4.2 Employment and Livelihood for Adolescents (ELA) In the rural areas, there is a limited opportunities for paid employment for young and adolescent girls. Together with, illiteracy, malnutrition, social inequity, early marriage, divorce, dowry, trafficking, etc. have all contributed to make adolescent girls insecure and helpless. ELA commenced in 2000 with the aim of providing sustainable economic activities for female adolescents and young women. The financial supports include savings and credit facilities up to Tk. 20,000. Through economic activities such as micro-credit and savings, the program seeks to increase the self sustainability of adolescent girls and women. A special loan component involving goat rearing is directed towards female adolescents of secondary schools. The program is carried out through small adolescent centers, where the members meet twice a week and participate in different socializing activities. For the members' future economic sustainability, BRAC also arranges for tailor made trainings on income generation activities. 4.3 Disaster Rehabilitation In a natural disaster prone country like ours, BRAC has various relief and rehabilitation activities designed for times of natural calamities. Restructured disaster loans are provided for income generation activities for the affected population for their future economic sustainability. At the same time, the fact that we could also benefit from increasing the amount of disaster preparedness throughout the organization, BRAC has established a permanent disaster preparedness and climate change department. Since many disasters are also the outcome of global climate change, our initiative will have a component related to community adaptation to climate change. 9 5.0 Addressing the issues of Sustainability and Outreach: Sustainability has many definitions. One definition is related to environmental sustainability, others to economic, social, and political sustainability. In our eyes, the term means that benefits flowing from a development program or project will be maintained after extern al interventions or donor funding has ceased. Sustainability in these terms is dependent on the degree of self reliance developed in targeted communities and on the social and political commitment in the wider society to development programs that support the continuance of newly self reliant communities. The need for sustainability is one of our core guiding principles. Our first sustainability strategy is grounded in the idea of empowerment of the poor learned through effective planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of their own development actions. The Village Organizations are the result of these strategies. The insistence of group members' own resource mobilization through compulsory weekly savings is an important self reliance strategy that reduces our dependencies on external agencies. Another strategy for sustainability has been to create a sustainable dynamic in various sub- sectors. Our poultry program is a key example, where we have devised a self sustaining program for vaccination of chicks to cut mortality. Instead of employing our own staff for the vaccination, we trained a large number of women from our Village Organizations and provided free vaccines to the trained vaccinators (free vaccines provided by Directorate of Poultry and Livestock, GOB). These vaccinators provided vaccination services to the poultry rearers for a fee which gave them a regular income and motivation to continue. This developed system is self sustaining as BRAC neither provides the vaccines nor the vaccination. Similar examples are the fisheries and livestock program, together with agricultural inputs where farmers are provided with high yield seeds to gain the maximum production. A third sustainability strategy has been to build effective linkages among various agencies and organizations associated with rural development. These linkages form the political and economic environment in which the poor and landless communities exist. The Village Organizations have been linked to the food-for-work program so that the members understand how to utilize the resources of the programs to contribute to economic projects of their own choice. The strategy to build District wise Village Organization linkages will enhance the program participants' capacity to bargain with and exert pressure in relevant agencies to enhance the availability of required economic and social services. We do not want to the benefits generated by our village interventions to depend on the continuous presence or the availability of donor subsidies. We recognize that self reliant village development interventions are likely to be sustained as long as they are based on locally supported or linked into a supportive national development network backed by effective infrastructural improvements. The field based managers actively engage with government agencies to improve rural services and the senior management concentrate technical services to overcome constraints and break bottlenecks in relevant economic sectors. We recognize and acknowledge the fact that creating institutions large enough to provide essential services on a sustained self financing basis is imperative and this has lead us establishing various Program Support Enterprises to support various income generating activities undertaken by our program participants. 10 Our vision of sustainability is to develop programs on a sufficient scale to convince people at the highest levels, that the national-level programs can be effectively designed and managed in the interest of the poor. The support and sharing of resources with both, North and South, must continue and should be effective and efficient. Outreach in BRAC means expanding programs as rapidly as possible. We do not consider our principle job is to build and demonstrate development models. Our essential job is to reach as many rural poor as possible, and as fast as possible, with interventions that can positively change their lives. We have learned (and still continue to) how to do rural development, and because we have the structural base and resource capacity to expand rapidly, and more so there is such need. Rapid and large scale outreach may not be appropriate for all development organizations, but in the context of Bangladesh's huge population and overriding needs, increased outreach is essential. Rapid scale up always entails problems and risks, but the opportunity costs of not scaling up are too great for the rural poor to bear. The issue of outreach has been in our focus since our early days and our Outreach Program was designed to treat the limits of what the landless poor could accomplish using only their own resources or local resources that could be tapped through existing channels. An underlying principle was that, Outreach should not give any economic assistance to the groups, thus forcing the members to focus on ways in which they might mobilize existing resources, including their own savings. The program combined functional education, training, savings, problem-solving meetings, and logistics support to obtain inputs from the government agencies. Eventually Rural Credit and Training Program (RCTP) was launched emphasizing on the growing awareness of credit for the poor. The RCTP conducted the same activities of the Outreach, but in addition provided credit opportunities to the VO members. BRAC has continued to scale up more and more rapidly and continues to have the capacity to manage effectively. We feel that if we continue to build support services at the same or faster rate than our outreach, continued growth is possible. 6. Impact of BRAC Microfinance Program At BRAC, we like to think of ourselves as a 'learning organization'. A great deal of our learning comes from our program experiences, and sharing of ideas and communicating with colleagues at various levels of the organization. However, there is no substitute of careful research to complement and focus our efforts. BRAC's Research and Evaluation Division (RED) has been working since early 1990s to develop a comprehensive Impact Assessment System (IAS). The assessment of the programs not only gives BRAC the measurement of program success, but also helps to evaluate impacts of the program in raising the socio-economic status of the participants and to identify the pitfalls and challenges. The following findings on the impact of BRAC Microfinance Program were reported in BRAC's Impact Assessment Study II: Eighty percent of BRAC loan were used for productive investment, asset purchase and for housing. Only 3% of loans were used for household consumption. Since joining BRAC, nearly four percent of member household graduated from landlessness and shifted to different landholding groups. 11 About 45% of BRAC members are now themselves directly involved in any income generating activities. Before joining BRAC the percentage was only 28%. BRAC member households owned 50% higher net worth than non-BRAC members. BRAC member households had two times more savings than the comparison households. Average per capita calorie consumption and total food and nonfood expenditures were significantly higher for BRAC member households. Ratio of non-food to total expenditure was also higher for BRAC, which mainly increased with increase in the household income. BRAC members were found significantly better off than the comparison households in term of value of their dwelling places and per capita floor space utilization. Level of education, adult literacy and primary school enrollment of the group members significantly improved after joining BRAC. 7.0 Conclusion The first example demonstrate our experience of building opportunity ladders for the extreme poor, those who tend to be left out from the conventional microfinance programs. The idea here is to - design subsidies in ways that provide a window of opportunity for the extreme poor - strengthen the initiatives of the extreme poor so that they can build the capacities to benefit from microfinance and other mainstream development programs. The second one is an example of using microfinance combined with other interventions to provide a new chance for building new livelihoods for the poor facing sudden vulnerabilities. The third examples illustrate how BRAC uses the knowledge embodied in its institutional networks to provide financial services to new market segments. None of the Programs undertaken by BRAC has its own internal logic divorced from the broader needs picture. The design and implementation strategies of each of the programs can be understood only when viewed in relation to the whole complex of interlocking needs of the village poor, and to the other programs that have been designed in response. As the histories of various BRAC Programs have illustrated, to be a learning organization requires shared vision, expertise, and flexibility from all concerned. Most important, to be characterized as successful, learning strategies must result in effective activities that bring positive changes in the lives of the program participants. Another important findings from the illustration above is that it is not only 'microfinance the tool' that is a powerful poverty-alleviating weapon, but also the institutional framework of microfinance that is created in delivering microfinance. This is especially true in the context of Bangladesh, which is home to so many successful microfinance providing institutions. The extensive outreach, connection, knowledge and network, that the microfinance institution and the people running it at all levels possess and generate in their every day working engagements, are extremely powerful asset in the fight to overcome poverty. We are only beginning to harness the power embodied in the institutional capital of microfinance institutions. 1. Part of this paper of the author was first published in Attacking Poverty with Microcredit edited by Mr. Salehuddin Ahmed and M.A.Hakim, publisher The University Press Limited, First Published in 2004. ISBN 984 05 1692 2 2. This paper was compiled using various resources, including: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty by Catherine H. Lovell 12
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