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You're visiting the old OCF wiki.
While some of the information here is useful, much of it is very outdated.
For best results, consult our current wiki instead.
This document outlines the Policies governing the use of Open Computing Facility resources.
Except as otherwise noted below, these policies may be changed at any time by the OCF Decision Making Process as outlined in the OCF Constitution and governed by the OCF Bylaws. Nothing in these policies shall be construed as overriding the OCF Constitution or any applicable regulations of the University of California at Berkeley.
These policies can also be found on OCF machines in the directory /opt/local/share/OCF/Official_Documents/Policies
1 Policies governing all users
1.1 Eligibility for using OCF resources
The Open Computing Facility provides accounts and services only to people who meet at least one of the following eligibility criteria as verified by presentation of the specified documentation:
- UC Berkeley Students
- Student Picture ID or Current Registration Card plus photo id. (If the student does not have either of the above IDs, they may get a temporary Student ID at the Cashiers' Office. This ID has an expiration date and must be accompanied by a secondary photo ID.)
- The student's current registration status will be checked electronically.
- Faculty and Staff--Any Faculty or Staff Member who is directly associated with UC Berkeley
- Current UC Berkeley Staff or Faculty ID Card
- Post Doctoral, Visiting Scholars, Research Assistant, etc.
- Must have letter from their department on departmental letterhead stating(*):
- Name
- Appointment Length
- Departmental Support for the Computer Account
- Must have letter from their department on departmental letterhead stating(*):
- Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) Staff
- LBL Staff ID Card
- Graduate Theological Union Students (GTU)--Current Doctoral Students only! Masters program not eligible.
- Must show student ID card.
- ASUC Employees
- ASUC employees must show their emplyee ID card
- Math Science Research Institute (MSRI)--Postdoc Researchers or Research Professors.
- Must have letter from the department on departmental letterhead, stating(*):
- They hold a valid appointment with the University
- Departmental Support for the Computer Account
- Must have letter from the department on departmental letterhead, stating(*):
- UC Extension Faculty (Faculty Extension Faculty are usually instructors, and not titled "Faculty", primarily due to the part-time role)
- An appointment letter marked as independent contractor by agreement for a term.
- UC Berkeley Extension Students--Students enrolled in certificate programs (Note: A large number of Extension Courses do not lead towards Certificate programs) or concurrently enrolled in courses offered by UC Berkeley.
- Qualified UC Extension Students must show the following:
- Enrolled in a credit course (confirmed by copy of enrollment confirmation) for classes numbered 1 through 499, or
- Enrolled in a certificate program (confirmed by documents and/or receipts for the certificate program), or
- Enrolled in a UC Berkeley class concurrently (confirmed by a copy of paid and signed concurrent enrollment form).
- Qualified UC Extension Students must show the following:
- Employees of other University-affiliated organizations who work on the UC Berkeley campus (i.e. California Alumni Association, International House, Howard Hughes Medical Institute) or are closely associated with the Berkeley campus (i.e. Richmond Field Station).
- Must have letter from their organization/unit on letterhead, stating(*):
- Currently an employee of the organization
- Organizational Support for obtaining the Computer Account
- Must have letter from their organization/unit on letterhead, stating(*):
- Volunteers, contractors, and other individuals who work on campus supporting the University.
- Must have a letter from the sponsoring department on departmental letterhead stating(*):
- Individual is affiliated with the department.
- Department supports the individual's request for a Computer Account
- Must have a letter from the sponsoring department on departmental letterhead stating(*):
- Student groups, staff groups, or campus support organizations.
(Additional restrictions apply, see the Group Account Policy)
- Copy of a completed SAS form for student groups, or
- Letter on departmental letterhead(*) verifying departmental recognition of the group and supporting their request for a group account, or
- Sufficient documentation to establish that the group has been recognized by the Chancellor as a support organization and that the person making the request for the group account is authorized to make that request.
[per OCF Board decision, 3/10/97]
1.2 Obtaining access to the OCF resources
All OCF account-holders must sign a form agreeing to abide by OCF policies [per OCF Board decision, 2/23/89], and agreeing not to hold the University responsible for lost files or other misfortunes which may result from their use of OCF services [per Memorandum of Understanding].
No user may be forced to pay any fees for use of the OCF services. [per Memorandum of Understanding]
Membership in the OCF is not required for use of the OCF services, nor does it provide any special privileges or entitlement to OCF services. [per Memorandum of Understanding]
Each OCF user may have one and only one account on the OCF computers at any time. Each OCF user must use their own account and may not allow anyone else to use their account. Each OCF user will be held responsible for actions committed with their account. [per OCF Board decision, 2/16/89]
OCF users may choose their own account names, but they must be reasonably based on the user's real name. [per OCF Board decision, 10/10/91]
1.3 Acceptable Uses of OCF resources
Possession of password-cracking programs on the OCF is legitimate. Cracking passwords on the OCF is not a legitimate use of the OCF or of the aforementioned programs, and can/will be sufficient cause for staff to turn an account off. If staff sees somebody running a password-cracking program, staff may ask that person to explain his actions. He will have one week to explain them, and will not use the mentioned programs during that one week under pain of account termination. [per OCF Board decision, 10/24/91]
Use of the OCF for an ongoing business is prohibited. Notice of such use will result in such use being stopped.
1.4 Allocation of limited OCF resources
Each user shall be allowed to use up to 5 megabytes of disk space, including storage for files in home directories, mail spools, and files available via OCF servers [per OCF Board decision, 9/18/96]. Waivers extending this limit may be requested from the OCF Disk Usage Management Board [per OCF General Meeting decision, 2/28/96].
Each user shall be allowed to print up to 250 pages per semester. After this limit is reached, further printing privileges may be obtained via a procedure to be determined by the Site Manager. [per OCF BoD Decision, vie the Agency of OCF PIMP 2/21/2001]
2 Policies governing group accounts
[this section is per OCF Board decisions on 10/30/89, 10/14/93, and 10/18/94, an OCF Site Manager decision on 2/7/95, and Board decisions on 2/29/2000 and 3/14/2001]
Any group recognized by Student Activities and Services or sponsored by a university department may obtain a group account by contacting any OCF Staff Member. Other organizations require the approval of the Board of Directors.
However, this policy shall not be interpreted as overriding the requirements of section 1.2.4. In particular, the OCF Decision Making Process retains the right to grant only one account to a student group, even to a group that has registered as several organizations with the Office of Student Life, if the purportedly separate groups are substantially similar in membership and purpose.
Group accounts will be subject to a disk quota equaling the same amount as the regular user disk quota.
Because group accounts create an opportunity for anonymous malicious hacking, OCF rule violations done with group accounts will be handled much more strictly than with user accounts.
Group account passwords may not be distributed to people who aren't members of that group or who are not eligible for a personal OCF account.
Group accounts must answer any mail they get from the system administration within a week.
Group accounts must at all times have one user who is responsible for that group account, and must provide a non-email contact for that person (e.g., a phone number).
Group accounts must be listed in a public file maintained by the Site Manager, currently ~staff/Group_Accounts on OCF server.
Group accounts are intended to build a sense of community. Therefore, we also require groups to make the following information available either in their .plan files or on their web pages:
- Description of the organization.
- Ways to get involved with the organization.
- How to get in touch with the person responsible for the account.
3 Policies governing OCF Staff
Staff members shall be chosen by the OCF Decision Making Process. [per OCF Board decision on 4/13/89]
[the rest of this section is per OCF Site Manager decision on 5/22/92]
3.2 Flaming Policy
Staff members should not flame users within their capacity as staff members or as a result of staff actions. We've had cases when users who did not know what they were doing caused damage to the cluster. We've also had cases when users flamed staffers for staff actions. In both of these cases, while the temptation to flame back is high, the current site manager feels that it would be more beneficial to rationally address the user's concerns (or mistakes). This way, the user may actually understand why he was wrong, rather than be alienated by a flame.
Users should probably understand that this does not mean staff will never mail you and say "You really screwed up." It does, however, mean, that if we say you screwed up, we'll also try to make sure you understand how you screwed up. We'll also refrain from using terms such as "Steaming Pile of Excrement. . ." :-)
Please understand, also, that while some staff guidelines are absolute (staff members who delete your directory because they don't personally like you will lose staff and superuser privileges, and probably get their accounts turned off), this guideline is a recommendation. In other words, if a staff member does flame a user, the site manager will probably remind of the staff member of the policy, and repeated flaming could possibly get him gently shoved off staff.
3.3 Privacy policy
Staff all have pretty similar ideas as to when to use root to look in a user's account and when not to. Generally speaking, if the user is a possibly serious threat to the cluster (if a staffer has seen them cracking passwords, logging in from various strange places without explanation, etc. . .), staff can use limited root to give his account a cursory glance. Files, if possible, should not be read. Their mail box should never be read (a possible exception to this is the postmaster, but dpassage knows better than me the confines of his job, and staffers who remove strange characters in the mail box so it can be read, in which case, they should not read what is in the mail box). If a user asks us a question which implies that he is granting staff permission to look in his files, fine -- we will look in his files. In this case, however, we will only look in the relevant files. I realize this policy is vague. It is intended to be vague, so staff can have the freedom of movement to execute the job efficiently. Having a vague policy also means that staff can get away with more, and means that if I think a staffer abused the policy, probably nothing will happen to him. The first time. But I will make sure that staffer understands the limits of it, and that he never ever abuses it again.
3.4 Erasing Files
There are only two possible reasons to erase files:
- A) The user has asked us to erase them (he may have had problems removing them himself, if they're called '-*&" for example)
- B) The user has been over his quota for the length of time dictated by the current disk-quotas policy. In this case, his files will be removed, starting from the biggest to the smallest, until he is under his quota.
There should be no other reasons to erase files.
3.5 Maliciousness
The worst thing a staffer could do is abuse root privileges. Examples of this are improperly removing files, maliciously harassing users, maliciously logging people out, etc. In cases like this, when the site manager decides that a staffer has acted maliciously, that staffer will be squished. Hard.
3.6 Authorization
Staff is generally authorized to act independently of the SM in most situations. This is so decisions do not have to be delayed by the bureaucracy of having to ask the SM for approval for all decisions, especially when sometimes staff needs to do something immediately, and the SM isn't around.
There are some things, however, that always require SM approval. They are:
- Taking accounts off-line for more than the length of a reboot. That is, accounts should not be erased or backed up to tape and made unavailable to their owners without the authorization of the SM or the explicit request of the owner of the account.
4 Other policies
See Also
- The Constitution of the Open Computing Facility. Ratified February 3, 1989, and amended March 21, 1990; May 14, 1991; and November 21, 1991.
- Memorandum of Understanding between Apollo Computer Inc., U.C.B. Information Systems and Technology, and the Open Computing Facility. Signed November 21, 1988.


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Seattle Center
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Talking Seattle Tattoo Expo With Damon Conklin
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Best Summer Vacation Activities In Seattle
After months of rain, wind, mist and cold, the Seattle skies open up and grace us with beautiful warm sunshine. Check out these family- friendly activities that are sure to enhance your summer fun.
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Seattle has many family-friendly activities and this list provides the best for a Father's Day out with the kids.
Guide to Memorial Day Weekend Fun in Puget Sound
Hanging around Puget Sound for this 3-day weekend? There's plenty of activities right here all weekend long.
Memorial Day Ceremonies
Memorial Day is this Monday and it's a time to honor those military service members who gave their lives in service to their country. Here's a round-up of some of the Puget Sound area's biggest […]
Seattle Center Hosts Monthly "Best Damn Happy Hours" Starting in February
Starting Thursday, February 21, 2013, you're invited to join in on Seattle's Best Damn Happy Hours at Seattle Center! Happening the third Thursday of every month, those 21+ can enjoy great food, drinks, music and games at Seattle Center!
Best of This Weekend in Seattle January 18 – 20
From fun and fitness for kids to model trains, Seattle Market Week and more, this 3-day weekend is full to overflowing with activities in Seattle. Put the kids in the car and head out to do something together!
Congrats, Seattle! City Sets World Record For Snowball Fight
Seattle residents won a place in the Guinness World Records for the largest snowball fight.


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|Property type
|Minimum Stay
|7 - 30 nights
Brand new, superb and generous house on 2 floors, decorated with taste by designer and within walking distance from one of 10 golf course - the Golf of Saint Martin - of the area (all within a 3 Miles range). In immediate proximity of the typical old village of Valbonne and Mougins, and only few minutes away from all the top international schools of the area (3 within a 2 Mi radius).
The villa is surrounded by a sophisticated garden planted with typical Mediterranean trees, roses and plants articulated in 3 levels, staged on stone terraces. For the many sunny days, the house opens on two broad terraces, one overlooking the tennis court and the swimming pool, the other, more secluded, features a fountain and provides a great place to welcome friends and enjoy the long summer evenings.
Very sunny and bright, with a strong bias for white. It also features a 1/2 tennis court and a pool equipped with reverse stream swimming facility.
amidst 'classic' top riviera sightseeing: located in the immediate proximity of the old village of Valbonne, the house is surrounded by no less than 10 golf greens in a 3 miles radius. Other great riviera highlights are just within 10 minutes driving distance, such as the historic center of Antibes, where you can taste the unabridged enjoyment of Provence markets or the pleasure of the beaches, or just 5 minutes away from the center of the old village of Mougins, a very picturesque and famous village, featuring great art dealers and top restaurants.
a sophisticated design house for a relaxing stay: The villa has been decorated with great care and attention to detail, with a deliberate bias for the 'white' color. The decor will provide a relaxing atmosphere to the distinctive traveler who can enjoy all the contemporary comfort away from the daily stress or answering emails on one of the 2 terraces, overlooking the children at the pool or playing tennis. Only a throw stone away from a British grocery store....
Golf clubs in immediate surrounding: Victoria Golf Club
Domaine du Val Martin, Chemin du Val Martin, 06560 Valbonne, France
Royal Mougins
424 Avenue du Roi, 06250 Mougins, France
270 Route Cannes, 06130 Grasse, France
Golf Country Club Cannes Mougins
175 Avenue du Golf, 06250 Mougins, France
Club Med Opio en Provence, France
Domaine de la tour, Chemin de la Tourreviste, 06650 Opio, France
Golf de la Grande Bastide
761 Chemin des Picholines, 06740 Châteauneuf-Grasse, France
Golf Opio Valbonne
Hôtel du Château de la Bégude, Route de Roquefort les Pins, 06650 Opio, France
Golf Country Club Cannes-Mougins
175 Chemin de la Bouillide, 06250 Mougins, France
We spend a wonderful week at Cathi's house. We like the modern white style of the whole house - especially in the livingroom and kitchen. There is big garden with a tennis court und pool as well. We spend our next holidays in spring there. Thank you very much Cathi!!
Wir waren zum ersten Mal in Valbonne und hatten unsere beiden Kinder mit zwei Enkelkindern eingeladen. Dadurch dass das Haus über sehr großzügige Räumlichkeiten und eine intelligente Raumaufteilung verfügt hatten wir nie das Gefühl der Enge. Im Gegenteil, in diesem Haus ist an Alles gedacht worden, bis hin zur Espresso Maschine. Eine so schöne Ausstattung von der Bettwäsche bis zum Geschirr und den Gläsern war alles vom FEINSTEN. Der Pool war temperiert die Gegenstromanlage eingestellt. Wir wurden auch nicht allein gelassen, sondern hatten zu jederzeit einen Ansprechpartner. Besser geht einfach nicht. Wir waren zuvor für drei Wochen bereits in Ihrem herrlichen Appartment in Nizza und waren auch dort begeistert. Aber dieses Haus toppt alle Erwartungen.Wir werden dieses Haus an alle unsere Bekannten weiterempfehlen und auch gerne wiederkommen. Die herzliche und liebenswerte Art der Eigentümer ergänzt diese Villa auf ideale Art. Wir können nur sagen: das ist eine professionelle Performance mit Herz auf höchsten Niveau.
We stayed here at the beginning of October and the weather was beautiful.
The house is spacious, new, tastefully decorated and well equipped. The photos of the property are very accurate.
The gardens are flourishing and maintained regularly.
The owner pays careful attention to detail and was very helpful throughout our stay.
We enjoyed the tennis court and the pool as well as the gym equipment on the balcony.
The heated tiles downstairs were great and the wifi connection was good.
There was plenty of space for us and our teenage children.
The house is very close to Valbonne village, with Cannes, Grasse, Antibes a short drive away. The local area is very pretty.
Would love to visit again next year.
I Stay 5 days for a business trip. The villa was fabulous. Especially for the families with children would be very happy with pool , wood play house in the garden and miniature tennis court. All the decoration and quality of furniture perfect. You can find everthing that you can need in a house even much moore (powerplate).Villa is only 2 minutes drive to village Valbonne . Catherine was a perfect host . I will come back a holiday next summer with my family .
Excellent villa with a big garden and very elegant rooms that are arranged until in last detail. The reverse stream swimming pool and the tennis court has made a lot of fun.The renters are amiable and complimentary. Regrettably that the time is gone over so fast.
We will come back in the next years!
walking distance from Valbonne
Located within a 5 km radius of 10 golf courses.
Other Activities: jogging in the parc de la valmasque
Golf: 1.
Victoria Golf Club
Domaine du Val Martin, Chemin du Val Martin, 06560 Valbonne, France
Royal Mougins
424 Avenue du Roi, 06250 Mougins, France
270 Route Cannes, 06130 Grasse, France
Golf Country Club Cannes Mougins
175 Avenue du Golf, 06250 Mougins, France
Club Med Opio en Provence, France
Domaine de la tour, Chemin de la Tourreviste, 06650 Opio, France
Golf de la Grande Bastide
761 Chemin des Picholines, 06740 Châteauneuf-Grasse, France
Golf Opio Valbonne
Hôtel du Château de la Bégude, Route de Roquefort les Pins, 06650 Opio, France
Golf Country Club Cannes-Mougins
175 Chemin de la Bouillide, 06250 Mougins, France
Ski: Alpes du Sud
Greoliere 27 km
la Colmiane 89 km
Auron 110 km
Isola 2000 107 km
Valberg 100 km
|Rate Period
|Weekend Night
|Monthly *
low winter rates
Mar 1 - Mar 29
Changeover Day: Saturday
30 nights
Mar 30 - Apr 12
Changeover Day: Saturday
7 nights
eraly season
Apr 13 - May 31
Changeover Day: Saturday
7 nights
Jun 1 - Jun 28
Changeover Day: Saturday
14 nights
|Discounts: 14 nights or more: €413 Nightly
Jun 30 - Aug 30
Changeover Day: Saturday
14 nights
|Discounts: 14 nights or more: €629 Nightly
late summer
Aug 31 - Sep 28
Changeover Day: Saturday
14 nights
|Discounts: 14 nights or more: €557 Nightly
|No additional mandatory fees
|Refundable damage deposit
The price includes all utilities except the telephone for calls out of the homeline plan : all home lines in Europe and USA and end of stay cleaning ( 200€ - 300€ to be paid before leaving) and electricity over and above 200 euros consumption per month./ 50€ per week.
The lodging taxes are included.
A weekly maid service ncluded in the 2 weeks stay or more.
The check in time is after 4PM, the ch
a down payment of 25% of the rent is due to secure the booking
the balance of the rent is due 2 month prior to the arrival
the security deposit is due the week before the check in
* Approximate monthly rate. Actual rate will depend on the days of the month you stay.
Payment is usually accepted in the quoted currency (EUR) unless the currency and the amount is specifically agreed in advance with the owner / advertiser.


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Can U.S. foreign aid food, education, roads, health care and training win hearts and minds? Above all can such aid win over the youth of the Muslim world who are being recruited each day by extremists wanting to launch a global jihad?
This is the question many ask when they see massive U.S. aid sent to Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen and other countries where Americas popularity may be below that of Osama Bin Laden.
The answer based on decades of U.S. assistance is that aid has in some countries at some times changed hearts and minds. But it is mainly effective in places where there is no ongoing conflict or U.S. occupation. Some lessons learned follow.
U.S. higher education grants plant deep and lasting roots of affection. In Sanaa, Yemen, recently I was approached by a man in the old city who asked where I came from. I was reluctant to answer at first since there were thousands of Yemenis all around every man with a dagger in his waistband --and not one single soldier or policeman. So I finally took a deep breath and said American.
Wonderful, said the man. U.S. aid sent me to university in Beirut in 1960 for a degree in management, and I worked my whole career in the government here afterwards. Thank you. Thank you. The US used to offer higher education to 20,000 people a year. Now we give less than one tenth of that.
The Marshall Plan won hearts and minds it rebuilt Europe after World War II and paved the way for economic and political cooperation that led to the European Union. The $13 billion aid program halted the slide towards communism in Greece and the rest of Europe. The United States supplied bulldozers and materials but the European countries supplied the skills and organization.
A whopping five percent of the funds went to public affairs in the recipient countries to be sure people understood where the reconstruction funding came from and the need to work together to avoid future wars. The Marshall Plan staff hired top local directors, writers and actors to create films that spoke to the ordinary public, setting the past behind and looking forward to a new era of cooperation, jobs and achievements.
After the 2004 Great Tsunami off Indonesia, U.S. military and civilian aid changed many hearts and minds. The main newspaper in Aceh where 200,000 people perished ran a front page photo of the U.S. carrier Abraham Lincoln under a headline saying Thank You. The ships helicopters saved many people, supplied water and food to isolated towns and brought the injured to hospitals. Before the Tsunami aid arrived, Osama bin Laden was more popular than America. Afterwards, that was reversed. Polls show that the bounce in opinion remained although it was eroded by relentless anti-American propaganda disseminated by extremist schools, Islamist political groups and funders of terrorism in the Gulf.
And a year later, after a massive earthquake killed 75,000 in northern Pakistan, U.S. Chinook helicopters were called Angels of Mercy, hauling tons of flour over mountains and destroyed roads. A recent study showed that Pakistanis closest to the fault line who received the most aid and contact with aid workers were most likely to have their hearts and minds changed by the events.
But in countries with insecure leaders and strong anti-American currents, the United States often removes branding labels and simply provides food and other aid in unmarked bags or with only credit given to the local government. As a result, the impact on hearts and minds is diminished.
In Egypt, for example, despite more than $25 billion in U.S. aid since the Camp David agreements in 1979, most Egyptians are unaware of any significant U.S. aid. When informed of the size of the aid, they said it was probably stolen by the Egyptian government; or else the aid was given to buy Egypts compliance with U.S. geopolitical goals such as peace with Israel. Others said U.S. aid made them feel shame.
So the dilemma is to publicize the U.S. assistance without making the local recipients feel they are being humbled or used.
Finally, in Afghanistan, where the battle for hearts and minds is at its peak, Taliban fighters have destroyed U.S. aid projects such as schools, and they have killed Afghans who cooperate with aid programs. So aid may be popular but people are too intimidated to speak out or send kids to schools.
Back in 2004 I asked an Afghan farmer near Jalalabad what he thought about U.S. aid in the form of seed and fertilizer given in his town. He did not say thank you, thank you. Instead his response was subtle and informative. We destroyed our own country to defeat the communists, he said. Now you the Americans are the only superpower. Its only natural that you will help us.
This was a powerful insight into how Afghans saw aid and how we should communicate our largesse. It spoke of a need for mutual respect and a need to downplay the gross power of the U.S. economy in the poor but proud Afghan nation. It was a lesson too often ignored.
The former U.S. aid chief Andrew Natsios told me recently that the best way for aid to win hearts and minds and undercut Islamic extremism is to support radio stations, independent news, information and democracy. Fighting poverty alone wont protect us from the 9/11 terrorists who came from well off and well educated families.
The battle for minds must be won with knowledge, logic and mutual respect for other cultures. The battle for hearts must be won with friendship and demonstrations that people from all religions and levels of development share the desire for partnership and progress on our shrinking planet.
Ben Barber has written about the developing world since 1980 for Newsday, the London Observer, the Christian Science Monitor, Salon.com, Foreign Affairs, the Washington Times and USA TODAY. From 2003 to August, 2010, he was senior writer at the U.S. foreign aid agency. His photojournalism book GROUNDTRUTH: The Third World at Work at play and at war is to be published in 2011 by de-MO.org. He can be reached at email@example.com.


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Vin Crosbie | December 12, 2008 | Comments
Captains of newspapers, magazines, television, and radio have struck an iceberg. Will they sink with their ships?
The worst symptom of hubris in a captain of business is the belief that a problem can be fixed at any time. If you hear a senior executive of your company make any of the following pronouncements...
"Its business model hasn't yet been perfected, so let's wait until that happens."
"We need to study it more but not yet do anything substantial about it."
"It will never get as bad as they say, so let's not worry about it."
"Our management collectively has centuries of experience and can deal with anything new."
...then grab your curriculum vitae and jump ship, because you're crew on the Titanic, and it's racing headlong into danger.
Most captains of newspapers, magazines, television, or radio whom I've met this year are stunned that media environmental challenges they had thought would be navigable are instead hitting them with the force of a trillion ton iceberg.
All have long known that the media environment was changing, but most thought they'd have more time in which to deal with these changes. Some even thought they were such masters of the universe that they could wait until the last minute -- whenever that would come.
"Nothing endures but change," Heraclitus observed 25 centuries ago. Unfortunately, it isn't schedulable. It doesn't take meetings. It doesn't wait to be further studied. Plus, I hate to break this news to people who say the rise of the Internet is just like the rise of radio or of television -- change is new every time, and no amount of managerial past experience is an indicator of competency to deal with a new change.
Moreover, change has two insidious characteristics that often aren't taught in schools of business or media: The pace of change isn't smooth and, indeed like ice on roads after freezing rain, it can appear suddenly without warning.
On blackboard diagrams in business schools, change is generally taught hypothetically as something straight and smooth. A business is slowly or steadily losing market share or viewership or circulation.
Examined that way in isolation, those declines might seem manageable (if you want to manage decline). Yet in reality, a slow or steady decline can suddenly and unexpectedly turn into a plunge off a cliff, which happens when other factors collide with that decline, such as cable and telephone companies installing broadband access into most of the nation's homes.
Like water changing to ice, change occurs so suddenly that it can cause even the steadiest media companies to lose control. Water halfway between boiling and freezing doesn't half freeze; it freezes suddenly when it reaches freezing temperature. That freezing temperature is the inflection point when whatever might have been steady declines suddenly produces a dramatic change.
Captains of newspapers and magazines who thought they were navigating a slowly changing media environment have now suddenly collided with, or at best are trying to navigate around, icebergs they think have appeared out of nowhere. Captains of broadcast networks or stations will soon face the same predicament.
Whatever flags they're flying, most media captains have thought that the change will never get as bad as has been forecast; there's still enough time left for them to deal with it; their past experiences are enough to deal with whatever it is; or they can simply wait until the perfect business model has been developed for whatever it will bring. They were wrong.
Newspaper captains are the first to find themselves sinking with their ships. In "Beer a Better Investment Than Newspapers," I wrote that $10,000 spent three years ago on kegs full of beer would have given you a two-times better ROI (define) than the same money invested in newspaper company stocks. It's now become a three- to four-times better ROI.
Among the top 10 U.S. newspaper publishers, The New York Times Company has lost 66 percent of its market capitalization during the past 52 weeks; Gannett Company, 78 percent; The McClatchy Company, 90 percent; Media General, 93 percent; Lee Enterprises, 97 percent; and Gatehouse Media and the Journal-Register Company each 99 percent.
The Tribune Company, helmed by Sam Zell, the Captain Ahab of media, and aided by a menagerie of officers he inherited from when Tribune was a publicly traded company, filed for bankruptcy Monday. Earlier in the year, Zell had thought that selling Newsday, its Long Island newspaper, would be enough to keep the venture afloat long enough to complete his quest for a great white whale of profit.
Most major magazine companies are in the position newspaper companies were only two years ago: steadily declining circulations are suddenly beginning to plunge and advertising revenues are sliding off deck discernibly quicker than can be accounted for in the cyclical storm of a recession.
Then there are the broadcasters. A graduate student asked me last week, "How could a big company like CBS, with all its money and brand name, be in any jeopardy?" It's a good question and, when not punctuated with a question mark, is the type of declaration that senior executives infected with hubris at CBS have long been making. Yet no amount of cash, goodwill, brand name, size, or tradition is a shield against change.
CBS has lost 70 percent of its market capitalization during the past 52 weeks. If ABC, CNN, NBC, and Fox weren't part of larger conglomerates and had to report their values independently, you'd find the same types of losses.
Embrace change. Change is tumultuous, but brings a stream of progress and the winds of opportunities. Actively seek out its directions. Don't rely on experiences of the past. Prepare even for the worst forecast.
Act. Don't just study. Don't wait for others to show you the way or perfect the business models. Start before it is too late.
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As managing partner of Digital Deliverance LLC and publisher of the "Digital Deliverance" newsletter, Vin Crosbie advises news media worldwide about new media strategies and tactics. As adjunct professor of visual and interactive communications and senior consultant for executive education in new media at Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, he teaches that wisdom to graduate students and media company executives. "Folio" magazine called him "the Practical Futurist." "Editor & Publisher" magazine devoted the overview chapter of its executive research report "Digital Delivery of News: A How-to Guide for Publishers" to his work. And his speech about new media to the National Association of Broadcasters annual conference was one of 24 orations (including some by President George W. Bush, Condoleezza Rice, Hilary Clinton, and Barack Obama) selected by a team of speech professors for publication in the reference book, ">Representative American Speeches 2004-2005."
June 23-25, 2015
July 9, 2015
August 4-6, 2015
August 10-12, 2015
September 8-10, 2015
Gartner Magic Quadrant for Digital Commerce
This Magic Quadrant examines leading digital commerce platforms that enable organizations to build digital commerce sites. These commerce platforms facilitate purchasing transactions over the Web, and support the creation and continuing development of an online relationship with a consumer.
Paid Search in the Mobile Era
Google reports that paid search ads are currently driving 40+ million calls per month. Cost per click is increasing, paid search budgets are growing, and mobile continues to dominate. It's time to revamp old search strategies, reimagine stale best practices, and add new layers data to your analytics.
June 10, 2015
12:00pm ET/9:00am PT


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With a 44.7% sales increase over last year, Jackson County's housing slump could be coming to an end.
A builder is planning a 61-lot housing tract in Santa Clara, a significant project given the local housing market.
An abandoned water and subdivision project in Yachats has residents picking up the slack.
Despite Adams' optimism, issues lie ahead for the Oregon Sustainability Center project.
Eugene developers with stalled projects could get an extension from the city council.


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One Ring to Find Them, One Ring to Bring Them All and in the Darkness Bind Them.
I mean seriously people, this isn't the damn Labyrinth we're talking about! And if David Bowie isn't waiting for me pelvis-out in a beautiful codpiece when I go through a door, well then I don't want to go through that door at all! - Matty Malaprop


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The ugly violence witnessed at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj here on Thursday was a manifestation of simmering tension among warring parties engaged in gurdwara politics in Delhi and as per observers the interference by the Delhi Government on the issue of conduct of gurdwara elections has only added fuel to the fire.
A little before the Punjab Assembly elections, the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) had won the gurdwara elections in the State and this was cited as a major reason by the Congress leaders as a cause of their loss to the Akalis in the polls for the Legislative Assembly.
Same mistake
With elections to the Delhi Assembly due later next year, the Congress does not want to repeat the same mistake. The party has been supporting the Paramjit Singh Sarna-led Delhi Akali Dal in Delhi.
The Delhi Government had thus on October 8 this year approved a proposed amendment to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara (Amendment) Bill 2012. As per the proposal, every voter would exercise two votes, one for electing a member to the DSGMC and the other for electing the president directly.
The Congress believes that there is no Sikh leader in Delhi big enough to match the status of Mr. Sarna in gurdwara politics and so he stands a better chance in winning a direct contest. So once this proposal is placed before and passed by the Delhi Assembly and notified it would almost turn the tables in the Congress' favour.
On the other hand, the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), which also enjoys the backing of the Bharatiya Janata Party, is seen as a more formidable force and so if the elections are held as per the existing norms, then it can pose a major challenge to the Congress aspirations.
However, the proposed amendment has not gone down well with the Sikh community at large which see it as interference in their internal affairs.
A delegation of SAD (Badal) led by Balwant Singh Ramoowalia had earlier met Lieutenant-Governor Tejendra Khanna and described the proposed amendment as a conspiracy to interfere in the religious affairs of the Sikhs for political gains. He had also expressed concern that attempts were being made to ignore the Supreme Court order for holding the DSGMC polls before December 31.
The argument of the SAD in favour of polls in the existing format is that when the President, the Prime Minister and even the Chief Ministers are elected by the elected representatives, why change the existing rules of DSGMC.
The move has also been opposed by various Sikh bodies such as Patna Sahib, Talwandi Sahib, Anandpur Sahib and Singh Sabha gurdwaras.
Keywords: Gurdwara Act, gurdwara politics, gurdwara elections


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We were out and about last night looking for the best new HotSpots' so we can report back to you guys. Our newest recruited Hollyscoop girl had heard about Hollywood's next hot new hangout Bridge which is the battle zone for paparazzi because its right across Koi...but before get into Bridge, let me introduce you guys to the newest addition of our mini entourage...Dee!
We figured there was too much peroxide with us blondes and we threw in a brunette for good measure.
Here's the background check on Dee...she's an aspiring on air reporter with a background in journalism who is trying to make it in this damn cruel industry...we're ecstatic about the newest addition to our group. We're officially now a triple threat!
Now back to Bridge; not only are there amazingly hot Hollywood-ish hipsters loungin around, but the place itself is a work of art! Its a restaurant with a great lounge/bar...totally recommend it!
We headed out to a friends birthday afterward and were overwhelmed with the support we got about the site...we LOVE what we do and we couldn't be more thrilled that you guys enjoy the site, we're surprised people actually read our site...we love you guys, Rock on!


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FORT WORTH -- Fort Worth is on the map for its museums, its stockyards, its steaks, and now, its table tennis.
'We have a pretty huge reputation,' Matthew Mayfield said.
A reputation as one of the most feared and revered dynasties in the game.
'They hate us and they want to beat us,' said head coach Jasna Rather.
This April, while many were praying the Mavs and the Stars would simply make it into the playoffs, the Texas Wesleyan Table Tennis team was busy winning its 11th national championship in a row.
'It was very nerve-wracking,' Rather said. 'I was hiding behind the bleachers in the final match.'
Out of more than 40 teams, it came down to a tie-breaker game against Mississippi College.
'It was a crazy moment for us. Our head coach was crying,' said Mayfield, a freshman.
Emil Santos, a sophomore from the Dominican Republic, was in that winning game.
'We have already 11 titles in a row,' he said. 'I've been part of two of them, so I feel very proud right now.'
Santos is part of a 26-member, international co-ed team, with a former Olympian as their coach. Coach Rather said her team's secret is lots of training and good recruitment. Team members practice table tennis two hours a day and train also in the gym.
This isn't the ping pong you played growing up with your friends.
The paddles make for a faster game; they create more bounce and you have to have a lot more focus to succeed. Santos said they can cost up to $300.
'You have forehand, backhand, pushing, underspin, top spin, side spin,' Mayfield said, describing the team's arsenal of shots.
But as sweet as win number 11 was, the top dogs of table tennis already have their sights set on number 12.
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Table tennis is serious business at Texas Wesleyan
The Texas Wesleyan Table Tennis Team just won the national championship, and it wasn't their first or second title. They've been national champs eleven times.
FORT WORTH -- Fort Worth is on the map for its museums, its stockyards, its steaks, and now, its table tennis.


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Top Definition
City located in Arizona in which the main campus of Arizona State University is located.
"Lets go to Tempe and pickup chicks fellow Riddle Rat."
بواسطة Flight Team [mofo] ديسمبر 27, 2004
3 more definitions
Rural city in Arizona, contains rougly 170,000+ citizens. Is the location of Arizona State University (ASU) where a whole bunch of partys happen! Also has one of the highest STD rates amongst colleges in America
Let's go to the party at ASU this weekend!
بواسطة Eric يناير 12, 2005
1. n. derivative: a distinct temperament of a temple - a small yet powerful ray of sunshine within a dark curtained temple.
2. the most fresh street word used for, tempting or temptation.^
2. the most fresh street word used for, tempting or temptation.^
بواسطة your Miss Emmy فبراير 9, 2010
is a food from Indonesia.. made from soy beans
My favorite foods are tempe
بواسطة elf_911 مايو 23, 2010


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SEC Notebook: Sankey to replace Slive on MondayArkansasCommentsMay 29, 2015 8:05pm
FAYETTEVILLE — The final day of Southeastern Conference media days resulted in a number of changes and announcements that will affect both the league's and teams in the league's future.
Digest for 5-29UAMCommentsMay 29, 2015 8:05pm
Dollarway announces youth football camp
A football camp for ages 5-13 sponsored by the Dollarway School District athletic department will be held June 15-17 from 8-10 a.m....
Offensive changes coming Cardinals' wayHigh SchoolCommentsMay 29, 2015 8:05pm
Early indications point to the 2015 Dollarway football team displaying an offense quite different than the one the Cardinals employed this past season.
Despite losing seven starters on...
World No Tobacco Day observedArea DigestCommentsMay 29, 2015 8:05pm
To honor World No Tobacco on Sunday, May 31, Stamp Out Smoking is joining forces with the World Health Organization and partners to focus on ending the harms caused by the illicit trade of tobacco...
Response to frustrated parentsLettersCommentsMay 29, 2015 8:05pm
Editor, The Commercial:
On May 24, David Hutter of the Pine Bluff Commercial wrote an article describing the frustration parents feel about not being able to transfer to another district if...
Wildcats searching for depthHigh SchoolCommentsMay 29, 2015 8:05pm
Under second-year coach Jared Dutton, the Watson Chapel Wildcats have a lot of key areas to fill for a team that finished 5-6 last year.
"We're trying to find depth on offense and defense...
Anger led to looting, riotingLettersCommentsMay 29, 2015 8:05pm
Editor, The Commercial:
The rioting and looting in Baltimore is about more than Freddie Gray being killed by police. This is anger that started with how bad Africans were treated as slaves...
Covenant Recovery, others offer helping handLettersCommentsMay 29, 2015 8:05pm
Editor, The Commercial:
Everyone has a time in their life that they really need some help. I just had that when somebody torched my parents' home in the Dollarway area in December 2013....
Thank you JRMCLettersCommentsMay 29, 2015 8:05pm
Editor, The Commercial:
Thank you to the doctors and staff of 2nd floor rehab and 3rd floor center west for the care you gave my husband during his stay in the hospital (JRMC) in January...
Clean your own neighborhoodsLettersCommentsMay 29, 2015 8:05pm
Editor, The Commercial:
Citizens of central Pine Bluff, why do you need someone to come into your neighborhood to clean up? You should clean up after yourselves and stop littering. After...


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Healing the divisions in postelection America
Of course, Warren said in an interview, what matters far more than her daughter-in-law's political preference is her heart - and her love for Warren's son.
Besides, her son has now informed her, both he and his wife consider themselves independents.
"I feel very optimistic about the fact that the next generation perceives itself as independents ... the focus being on, `Let's you and I talk about issues that matter to us and not identify ourselves as Democrats and Republicans' ... with all the baggage that that entails," she said. "Perhaps there is some hope."
Just outside of the town of Appomattox, past the rolling hills where American once fought American, is the monument that gives this community its place in history. National Park Service Ranger Ernie Price's office window looks out over the house where Lee and Grant arrived at the terms of surrender.
Price understands clearly the relevance between what divided Americans then and now: The many questions over government's role in our lives, and ongoing disputes over racial inequality and freedom and individual rights over the greater good of the nation.
He also sees lessons that today's leaders might take from what happened at Appomattox in 1865, in the cordiality exhibited by the two generals, and the compromises they were able to reach. In the respect bestowed by one-time enemies when each army saluted the other as the rebel troops laid down their arms before their Union adversaries.
"Just days before these guys were shooting at each other," he noted.
The metaphor can hardly be missed.
Within hours of this election, Romney and Obama and Republican and Democratic leaders in Washington were talking about unity and compromise, about promising to do their part to find bipartisan solutions to the many problems facing the nation. But only time will tell whether our long-standing gridlock ends with some sort of deal and a collective salute.
In the meantime, what of the rest of us? Can we, too, if not erase our many lines in the sand find reason enough to cross over them every now and again?
Some see that as unlikely, fearing the animosity that has been growing across parties and among people these past years will only worsen over the next four.
Bryan Baine isn't one of those.
There were no Romney or Obama signs gracing the windows and walls this election year at his bookstore on Main Street. Rather, his shelves are filled with books by Rachel Maddow, host on left-leaning MSNBC, and Rick Warren, the evangelical pastor. There's a memoir by former Republican President George W. Bush, and biographies of Bob Dylan.
Baine knows how most in town might label him politically, but he prefers nowadays to just not say one way or the other - or even talk politics with his neighbor-customers.
"There so much I'd rather talk to you about. What music you listen to. What your family's like. What literature you read. Those are much more interesting to me than who you vote for or what you think about abortion or gay marriage or whatever the hot button issue is," he said. "In small towns we have to live with each other, and I think most of us are able to look at the person who has a different position and still move on."
His Thursday open mic nights are the perfect example. "You'll be sitting there and there'll be people that you can peg as pretty conservative or as a hippie, and one might be playing bass and one's playing mandolin.
"Democrats and Republicans. Together," he said. "Just not talking politics."
Pauline Arrillaga, a Phoenix-based national writer for The Associated Press, can be reached at features(at)ap.org
The Associated Press


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Aga Muhlach: Ready for change
Aga Muhlach, who's running for Congress (Camarines Sur 4th District): "If I win, I'll be more choosy [and make only movie and TV] projects that will help promote my causes. I can't leave show business. Things will just be a little different. A lifestyle change is always tough but I'm ready for it." Marinel R. Cruz
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Days Inn Safford
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Travel, travel, travel!
- Woke up and ready to get back on the road!
- Still had quite a few snacks left, so i just filled up my tank and grabbed some ice
- Back on the road and headed for New Mexico!
- After a little over a 4 hour drive I arrived in SoCorro, NM
- Tired from the drive, I just relaxed in my car
- I played some guitar for awhile and then read my book
- I had a few more of my snacks for dinner then went to sleep
History means HIS story
... he had done come to life. It made the history matter so much more. I bought his book, had him sign it, and shook his hand. If nothing else happened to me this day, I had already had one hell of a day.
I am an aircraft buff. I've studied military aircraft all my life...since I was a little kid. I've read so many books and spotters manuals Laurie sometimes thought me obsessive. We wandered the 80 acre site and it's buildings, ...
So Young, So Brave!
... occupied air strip, he also shot down that American plane. The first pilot to shoot down planes in both theatres during the war. We walked through the museum inside and outside and all the 3 hangers with planes from the pacific and European fight. A bus trip through the plane and helicopter boneyard. Finished up the hangers and then off to our next ...
A Few Odds and Ends!
... Scott and looked just as he passed over a rattlesnake. The snake was apparently moving down along the line between the road and plants. As Scott's front tire passed it went under his pedal and pack, then began to coil as I passed it. I swear it was as big around as my wrist. Scary. We had a couple of terrifying days after we left Superior. No shoulder, terrible drivers and tunnels ...
One place to visit!!
... place to be free a long way from work. See the view of Mt Graham as you walk around the lake, the view is also nice from the hot tub. Even if your only down for the day come in at 6:00 a.m. till 10:00 p.m. you can't beat all this park has to offer for the price. The only thing bring drinking water. For further information on Roper Lake State Park go to their website at azstateparks.com. By Randy Ortega Sent from my ...


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Hello all,
I am sorry not to have updated my blog in a while, but work has been getting in the way. I have a deadline of 30th December for LADY OF THE ENGLISH and I've been preparing the final draft. I want to get it handed in by mid-December so I can do the Christmas thing with my family so I've had my head down working. The good news is that I am on the final, final draft and it will be off to my publisher within a week to 10 days. I have also been shown a STUNNING cover rough for both this one and for the UK paperback of TO DEFY A KING which takes the hardback cover and give it a new crop suitable to commercial sales. I'll be posting pictures as soon as I get the go ahead from my publisher.
Once I hand in 'LADY', I hope to return to more regular posting.
I was very interested this week to see a piece about a tunnel that has just been discovered at Lincoln Castle. Alison King, my Akashic consultant 'saw' this about 6 months ago when we were conducting some research into the siege of Lincoln Castle in 1141. I said to her at the time that there weren't any tunnels at Lincoln Castle as far as I knew. And now this has turned up. Irrespective, it is a very interesting piece of archaeological discovery. I wonder what else will turn up as they continue. http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/environment/Tunnel-vision-reveals-buildings-castle/article-2935933-detail/article.html
Okay, to celebrate the UK re-issue of The Leopard Unleashed, I am running a giveaway on the blog. Unfortunately this time it is limited to UK readers only, but I will certainly run the next draw internationally.
For those of you in the UK, my publisher Sphere is giving away a first prize of copies of THE WILD HUNT, THE RUNNING VIXEN and THE LEOPARD UNLEASHED and two runner up prizes of just THE LEOPARD UNLEASHED on its own. All you need to do is send an e-mail to me at email@example.com and I will forward all the names to Hannah at LittleBrown who will select the winners. I will ask the winners for a postal address, no need to send one at this stage - unless you want to. The draw is open as from now and I'll close it on Monday 13th December. You can find an excerpt from 'Leopard' here.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
A few sundry bits of news and a UK prize draw
Posted by Elizabeth Chadwick at 22:56
4 comments:
- Beadyjan said...
Oooh how super - I've sent in my details - wonder if being first will be lucky for me?
- 9:40 a.m.
- Mystica said...
Can I enter if I have a friend in the UK who is willing to send it on to me (in case I win of course!!!)
- 1:00 a.m.
- Carla said...
Congratulations on being so near to finishing!
- 7:26 p.m.
- Marg said...
Can't wait to see the new covers! Fingers crossed that you get everything done early.
- 6:17 a.m.
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Sami Hamwi,* the sole gay Syrian writing from inside that benighted country, has issued a call for gay people to join the fight against the Assad regime.
Hamwi, who is known to the author, writing for the website Gay Middle East (GME), says that many gay Syrians he knows have been reluctant to join the demonstrations racking the country not just because of the violence surrounding them but also because they think they are better off under the current regime.
An officially secular country, where homosexuality is illegal, Syria has a reputation as being tolerant of 'discrete' gays.
But Hamwi cites numerous instances where the regime has attacked gay people.
Cruising areas are where gay men often meet and where Hamwi first met other gay men and, he says:
"I was often harassed by policemen and/or secret police, who have always tried to intimidate young people to fulfill their sick needs of control."
"In 1998, I personally witnessed a raid on a park in Aleppo. It was horrifying. People were beaten and dragged to police cars. I remember thinking that I have to run in order not to be identified as a "regular cruiser". Unfortunately, it wasn't the only raid I have witnessed."
Many raids have happened since Assad was 'elected' in 2001. Hamwi says these amounted to campaigns in 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2010.
The campaign last year was "their most vicious campaign."
"More than 35 men were arrested in a single gay party and were exposed to their families and communities. The lucky ones managed to escape to other countries, and the rest were left to face the social punishment."
Amongst those who fled was a gay Palestinian who had spent four years in prison and "was severely tortured on trumped-up charges because he was gay," according to Michael Luongo quoting Neil Grungras, the Executive Director of ORAM, the Organization for Refuge, Asylum & Migration.
However, writes Hamwi, when the 'Arab Spring' first broke out:
"Some of my gay friends shocked me with their ignorance of what had been happening to us, gay people, in Syria, and with their little remembrance of what has been happening to gay people over the last decade. Most of them have always known my political views and some of them stopped or at least avoided being in contact with me."
"The last seven months have also revolutionised my homophobic friends' views on homosexuality with more gays and lesbians joining our group of activists. I preferred to keep my sexuality hidden from them for years, and at some points I regretted it, especially now when I hear the words "gay" and "lesbian" spoken with lesser hate and more acceptance."
"Nevertheless, I still find it too soon to dream of acceptance by those people who I admire for their courage because homophobic jokes and statements are still being made in the absence of other LGBT people. Yet, it is a dream this revolution has revived as well as many other long lost dreams."
Hamwi writes that gay Syrians follow the lead of lesbian Syrians "who have more resilience to fight against this oppressive regime" which should be followed.
"Gay people of Syria should follow the lead of Syrian lesbians who have been fighting for freedom. It is the time for dreams, even though the most desired dream is yet to be accomplished."
*Sami Hamwi is a pseudonym. Apart from his GME contributions, he blogs at Syrian Gay Guy.
Read more: basher al-assad, gay, lgbt, syria
Picture ElvertBarnes
Thanks for the article.
Thank you for posting this. I send blessings and support to this brave man and hope that step by step we can move towards a world of peace, with acceptance and understanding for all the glorious diversity of expressions of love that humanity is capable of.
Typical. The ZIONIST Elite know exactly what they are doing. Yes they will use even the marginal people of society like Gays to create desent. These Illuminati are the most cunning of devils you will ever meet. Long ago they have decided that all those countries in the Middle East will be beholding to the mighty valueless US dollar so they can manipulate the whole world by printing Fiat money out of nothing, bankrupting every nation as they print more or make a computor entry which avoids having to print it or even issue the folding or hard cash. Wake up my dear US friends and neighbours we are all being taken for suckers, misinformed, indoctrinated ,lied to and eventually they will cull the lot of us bar a few who are allowed to be their faithfull slaves and live off a few crums untill they don't want you any more.Do I make myself clear???????
Syria is fighting for its economic, political rights. Goodness knows when its social rights will ever bee addressed.
Good luck to them!
If the LGBT community in Syria fears oppression under both the current regime and under the populist movement that is trying to displace it, then it sounds like a place that does not offer much hope to them. Whether the current crisis represents an opportunity to affect positive change for the Syrian LGBT community, I do not know, but that is perhaps the question that needs to be considered.
Does he expect gay Syrians to fare better under the kind of Islamists NATO would install in power in Syria as they have in Libya?
Thanks for the information.
Good luck and never give up all gays and lesbians
This brave lone voice deserves all the help he can get......God help him in his quest.
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
THANKS FOR sharing
Hopefully more and more people will realize that it's not okay to mistreat animals for any reason, and…


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2015 Darwin 400 Packages Now Available – Book Now!
All eyes will be on Hidden Valley Raceway, Darwin as the V8 Supercars roar in & take over the town for an action packed, ground shaking, adrenaline pumping 3 days! However, our packages are more than just a ticket to Hidden Valley Raceway and accommodation! We offer you the ultimate V8 Supercars Darwin 400 experience including the most fierce and competitive racing in any category; rock concerts with some of Australia's best known artists; hotels in highly sought after locations; an EXCLUSIVE race preview function; the best sunsets in Australia, plus much more!
The 2014 edition of the race didn't disappoint with a weekend of fantastic racing that saw reigning champion, Jamie Whincup, take the opening 2 races. Whincup was denied an unprecedented trifecta across the weekend's three races by arch rival, Ford Performance Racing's Mark Winterbottom who battled Shane Van Gisbergen right to the finish line for a thrilling climax to the weekend! Whincup also joined us for a fantastic evening at Skycity Casino for Sportsnet's EXCLUSIVE Darwin V8 Supercars Function! However, this year we've decided to change things up a bit and will be staging our exclusive function at Crocosaurus Cove – home of the world's largest display of Australian reptiles!
If you're interested in joining Sportsnet in the Top End for the 2015 Skycity Triple Crown Darwin 400, please select a package below and complete the enquiry form at the bottom of the package page to have one of our friendly consultants call you shortly to discuss the package and your travel requirements further.


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South Florida's waters are the site of an underwater paradise just waiting to be explored. On this excursion, you can choose to jump right in and snorkel with the beautiful subtropical marine life at a coral reef, or observe from above in a glass bottom boat. One of Sea Experience's 45-foot, fully-outfitted catamarans will take you from Fort Lauderdale to one of the area's most beautiful snorkeling sites at the Fort Lauderdale Twin Ledges.
Glass Bottom Snorkel trips depart daily at 10:15a.m. and 2:15p.m. Included with your ticket are a snorkel, mask, fins, and a snorkel vest. Beverages and snacks are sold on board, and beginners are just as welcome as pro snorkelers, and those just happy to stay aboard and look through the boat's large glass observation window at the vivid scenery below.
From above, you'll see the white sandy bottom through clear water, as well as vivid coral that makes up Fort Lauderdale's own reef. The waters off Fort Lauderdale offer some of the best diving on the continent, and by default, some of the best snorkeling as well. It's not uncommon to see sea turtles, rays, and if you're lucky, perhaps something more, like a snorkeler (keep your eyes peeled). This stretch of shoreline is the closest to the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, meaning the temperatures are generally conducive to comfortable snorkeling and a gentle breeze will cool you off when you're on deck in the sun.
The Sea Experience I and II boats are U.S. Coast Guard certified vessels, and contain spacious decks and passenger amenities including a fresh water shower, toilet, a beverage cooler, rinse buckets, and twin outboard engines that make for silent cruising. Don't forget to bring sunblock, your bathing suit and a towel!
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
Comments about Smart Destinations :
Would recommend the Glass Bottom Boat Sea Experience. My husband, daughter (11), and myself enjoyed the snorkeling and saw tons of fish. My youngest daughter (6) panicked a little and didn't like the water. So she sat with the captain on the side of the boat throwing snacks into the water for the fish to eat. She still had a great time watching all the fish come to the surface. The Captain and Josh were great with the kids!
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
Comments about Smart Destinations :
the staff and captain were amazing, this is a great tour everything about it is nice the one and only thing is i wish they had the snorkels that dont let water in so u can breath with out getting sea water in ur lungs
[3 of 3 customers found this review helpful]
Comments about Smart Destinations :
It was good for 2.5 hours, but don't have high expectations. The glass bottom part was very small, and you could hardly see anything. The snorkeling was just ok in that the area we stopped wasn't that exciting and only had minimal small fish. It was just refreshing to be in the water and out of the hot Miami weather more than the actual snorkeling. Also, it took a very long time to get off the boat to snorkel as efficiency and order did not seem to be a high priority.
[4 of 5 customers found this review helpful]
Comments about Smart Destinations :
We enjoyed the snorkeling portion of this trip. The glass bottoms in the boat are very small and very far down from seats. Gave most people a quezy feeling to look through. Visibility was good when we went in Feb. Water temp comfortable. Variety of fish seen was awesome and so close to shoreline, about 1/2 mile out is all. Good 2 hr use of time.
[3 of 4 customers found this review helpful]
Comments about Smart Destinations :
Aims and Jason were great to have as crew, I'd do this trip again anytime. Thanks guys - (The guy who caught the fish with his hands)
[3 of 3 customers found this review helpful]
Comments about Smart Destinations :
This was such a breath-taking experience in a life-time! It was fun for the whole family! My kids loved it! Nothing can replace the exotic memories we had.
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text:
The Tuesday Count: Gambling measure makes 2014 ballot in Nebraska
April 8, 2014
Edited by Brittany Clingen
1 certification
72 measures for 2014
Unlike Kolowski, those at Ho-Chunk Inc., the economic development arm of Nebraska's Winnebago Tribe, will be checking the "approve" box at the polls. The measure furthers the group's plans to build a gambling venue at the former site of Atokad racetrack. "I think the average Nebraskan realizes that every state around us has some form of gaming. I think it's a positive first step. There's still a lot of hard work to be done," said Ho-Chunk President and CEO Lance Morgan. In September 2012, the financially-strapped Atokad racetrack was acquired by Ho-Chunk, which has its sights set on ultimately implementing Vegas-style gambling in the state, if permitted by lawmakers. Those opposed to the horse racing measure, including Sen. Beau McCoy (NP-39), argue the gambling devices in question are nothing more than slot machines.[5]
|2014 Count
|72 measures
|Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming
Quick hits
Georgia Democrats have opportunity to advise party with primary ballot questions: On May 20, 2014, Democratic Party primary voters will have the opportunity to answer four advisory questions in Georgia. The questions deal with the minimum wage, Medicaid expansion, an ethics commission and an education budget. The measures are meant to gauge how party constituents feel about those issues.[6] Georgia has an open primary system for party candidate nominations for elections. This means that any registered voter, no matter what their party affiliation, can vote in any party's primary. On primary election day, Georgians may select either a Republican or a Democratic ballot at their polling places. Those who select a Democratic ballot will vote on the advisory questions, while those who select a Republican ballot will not. The Republican Party did not submit any non-binding advisory questions for their party's primary ballot.
Nebraska Sen. advocates initiative after minimum wage bill fails: Sen. Jeremy Nordquist (NP-7) sponsored a bill to increase the hourly minimum wage in the Nebraska Senate. His bill was ultimately defeated. Now, Sen. Nordquist is discussing a minimum wage increase initiative with activist allies. The measure would increase the state's hourly minimum wage to $9 over three years. He stated, "It's just a matter of pulling the resources together. It certainly is something we can accomplish."[7] Proponents would need to collect 80,000 valid signatures by July 4, 2014 to get the initiative on the general election ballot in November.[8]
Marijuana will not be on the ballot in California in 2014: The last marijuana legalization initiative campaign for 2014, the Marijuana Control, Legalization and Revenue Initiative, ended their effort on April 7, 2014. They cited a lack of funds to conduct signature gathering as the primary cause of the campaign's dissolution.[9] In January 2014, Allen St. Pierre of NORML viewed California as the next potential battleground for marijuana legalization.[10] While California may not be voting on marijuana legalization in 2014, marijuana legalization will be on the ballot in Alaska in August.
Updated April 9, 2014
Five local measures across four California counties in today's election: Proposition A in Long Beach creates civil war among pro-marijuana activists:
Proposition A was put on the ballot by the city council in conjunction with a plan to re-legalize the retail sale of medical marijuana in the city of Long Beach after essentially banning it through repealing an ordinance in 2010. This measure, which is driving a wedge of contention between medical marijuana supporters, would authorize the city to impose a sales tax starting at 6%, with a maximum rate of 10%, on all medical marijuana sales. It would also authorize an annual tax of at least $15 - with a potential maximum of $50 - per square foot for pot plant cultivation spaces in marijuana dispensaries.[11]
The tax measure is receiving a mix of support and opposition from activists in favor of legal medical cannabis. Some say the tax will provide motivation for the city council to go through with its announced plan to bring the operation of medical marijuana dispensaries and collectives back to the city and would provide important revenue for Long Beach. Others say the measure is a money-grabbing scheme that overtaxes medical marijuana users and takes advantage of patients.[11]
The most outspoken support group is found in the Long Beach Collective Association (LBCA), whose attorney wrote the official arguments in favor of Prop. A. LBCA Boardmember Adam Hijazi said, "The majority of the people we've talked to do not seem to have a problem with the [proposed] tax. And if it's going to help public funding—whether it's police, fire, parks, potholes, whatever it is—I think everybody is kind of okay with it."[12]
Some, however, have even stronger feelings of opposition towards the tax. Seventh District council candidate and dispensary manager Larry King wrote, "This new measure was hastily pushed through Council to create an issue for this election and is ill conceived. No other prescribed medicine is taxed in California. And no other business in Long Beach has even been taxed on both gross sales and square footage combined. […] A tax on marijuana would be acceptable for recreational purposes, just like alcohol. But this is MEDICINE, which is not taxed in California."[12]
California April 8, 2014 election ballot summary: The following local measures are being decided in California today:
- Proposition A: City of Long Beach Medical Marijuana Sales Tax (Los Angeles County) - Seeks to authorize a sales tax and cultivation tax on medical marijuana.
- Measure UUT: City of Sierra Madre Utilities Tax Question (Los Angeles County) - Seeks to authorize a 10% utility tax.
- Measure A: Novato-Pacheco Valle Community Facilities District Bond Issue and Parcel Tax (Marin County) - Seeks to authorize $600,000 bond issue and a parcel tax amounting to $6.58 per month for condo/townhouse owners, $20.67 per month for single family homeowners and $325.5 per month for commercial building owners.
- Measure J: Coast Life Support District Parcel Tax (Mendocino and Sonoma County) - Seeks to authorize a $74 per unit parcel tax.
- Measure A: Bodega Bay Fire Protection District Parcel Tax (Sonoma County) - Seeks to authorize a $50 parcel tax.
To see the results of these measures later this evening go to: April 8, 2014 ballot measures in California
Voters in Springfield, MO, decide the fate of a sales tax dedicated to the city's pension fund, officials warn that city services would be cut if the tax is repealed:
In Springfield, Missouri, an old public safety pension fund no longer in use by new hires faces a critical decision by city electors today, who are casting votes on a ballot measure asking if a 0.75 percent sales tax supporting the fund should be repealed. Going forward, officials have estimated that the tax would provide about $9.7 million per year to the pension fund, money that would have to come out of the city's general fund if the tax were repealed. The ballot question is required by law every five years and is phrased in such a way that a "no" vote renews the tax and a "yes" vote ends it.[13]
Before this tax was implemented, the pension fund was 36 percent funded, with $200 million in unfunded liabilities. This means the fund had only 36 cents in assets for every dollar of obligations. As of 2014, the sales tax has helped to bring the fund up to 67 percent funding. The city website reports that, if the tax is renewed, the pension fund could be 100 percent funded by 2019.[13][11]
As of March 2014, there were 900 city employees participating in the pension fund system in question. Five hundred had retired and four hundred remained active. No new employees are being added to this pension fund system because, in 2006, the city moved all future new hires to a new pension system called L.A.G.E.R.S, leaving the old pension system to expire.[14]
The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) is one of the chief supporters of the tax and is strongly urging voters to say "no" - thereby voting "yes" - to this measure. It has been instrumental in forming the campaign committee "Keep Springfield Safe," which has run ad campaigns attempting to keep voters from repealing the three quarter cent tax. The IAFF has pointed out that the pension system must be 100 percent funded to be sustainable and self-reliant because it is a closed system, meaning no new employees are entering and paying into the fund.[15]
Those who support the renewal of the tax and advocate a "no" vote on this measure assert that without the tax the city will still remain obligated to fulfill its promises to retired public safety officers and would need to pull $9.7 million from the city's general fund to provide for pension needs. They argue that this would require a reduction in essential city services. Springfield Fire Chief David Hall said, "So we are getting there, the tax has been an integral part of that but there's still a ways to go. Still we have 25 percent of the liabilities are still unfunded. About $9.7 million this next year we would have to pay into the plan from general fund so we'd have to cut the general fund expenses by that amount so we can make it into the pension."[14]
To see the results of the measure later this evening go to: City of Springfield Police/Fire Pension Fund Sales Tax Measure, Question 1 (April 2014)
See also
| 2014 ballot measures
|Tuesday Count • 2014 Scorecard
- Ballotpedia's Tuesday Count for 2014
- 2014 ballot measures
- Local ballot measure elections in 2014
- Potential 2014 ballot measures
- ↑ Nebraska Legislature, "Legislative Resolution 41CA," accessed March 6, 2014
- ↑ News Times, "Proposal to expand horse racing in Nebraska fails," April 3, 2014
- ↑ Daily Journal, "Proposal to put historic horse racing on Nebraska ballot in November approved by lawmakers," April 7, 2014
- ↑ Nebraska's PBS and NPR Stations, "Voters To Be Asked About "Historic" Horseracing; Ban On Sex Orientation Job Discrimination Fails," April 7, 2014
- ↑ Sioux City Journal, "Nebraska voters will weigh in on historical horse races," April 8, 2014
- ↑ The Augusta Chronicle, "Georgia Democrats includes questions on primary ballot," April 8, 2014
- ↑ Nebraska Watchdog, "Will minimum wage increase go on Nebraska ballot?," April 7, 2014
- ↑ Nebraska Secretary of State, "Nebraska Initiative and Referendum Guide," accessed April 7, 2014
- ↑ LA Weekly, "Marijuana Legalization Proponents Throw in the Towel for 2014," April 7, 2014
- ↑ PolicyMic, "Where Will Marijuana Be Legal Next? This Map Points to 5 Specific States," January 26, 2014]
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Press Telegram, "Marijuana tax going to April ballot in Long Beach," January 8, 2014
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Random Length News, "Long Beach's Proposed Medpot Tax: Legitimate Revenue or Mere Money-Grab?" March 11, 2014
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Springfield elections division website," accessed January 14, 2014 (dead link)
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Ozarks First, "Still Have Questions About Police, Fire Pension Tax?," March 13, 2014
- ↑ IAFF website," accessed January 14, 2014
- Original news reporting, Brittany Clingen, 2014
- Original news reporting, Josh Altic, 2014
- Original news reporting, Ryan Byrne, 2014
- 2014 ballot news
- 2014 front page news
- Ballot measure legislation news
- April 2014
- Tuesday Count
- Nebraska 2014 news
- Georgia 2014 news
- California 2014 news
- Petition drive articles, 2014
- State ballots, 2014


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VBPD: Armed suspect at large after robbery, hostage let go
Two suspects let a hostage go unharmed after a robbery in Va. Beach Friday. One suspect is at large; another was shot by police.
Two suspects let a hostage go unharmed after a robbery in Va. Beach Friday. One suspect is at large; another was shot by police.
A Norfolk resident is fighting over a wetlands board violation for the way she tried to develop her waterfront property.
There's a new campaign to bring awareness to the fight against Lyme Disease — and it started right here in Hampton Roads.
After his 3rd visit to the facility, Sen. Mark Warner says the Hampton veterans hospital still needs progress in reducing wait times.
A mother in Camden County was arrested Friday, after she was accused of boarding a school bus and assaulting a 7-year-old student.
A report released Friday shows the economic impact tolls have had on the city of Portsmouth over the last 15 months.
Norfolk State was eliminated from the MEAC Tournament after losing to Bethune-Cookman, 12-1.
The decision could bring the nation's first post-911 execution of a terrorist, though the case will likely go through years of appeals.
The U.S. Navy announced the final disciplinary actions taken against the civilian personnel assigned the night Petty Officer Mark Mayo was k…
Kevin Anthony Boone, 56, of Grafton was charged with DUI manslaughter and several other charges.
Suffolk fire-rescue crews put out flames at the Southeastern Public Service Authority Regional Landfill Friday afternoon.
Deputies arrested a tackle shop employee accused of stealing money from the business whenever someone showed up with a winning lottery ticke…
Regent University is adding nearly 40 degree and other programs in what it calls a new strategic initiative to sustain the growth of the fai…
DEA officials set up a large perimeter near Kerry Lake Drive in Newport News Thursday after receiving a tip about potentially hazardous mate…
Officials have reopened E. Pembroke Avenue after a gas leak in Hampton, Friday.
A judge has rejected a request to delay the attempted murder trial of a Charlottesville man who is also charged with the murder of a Univers…
A grey seal found malnourished and dehydrated is returning to the sea after a period of rehabilitation in Virginia Beach.
Chesapeake police are investigating an armed robbery at the Captain D's restaurant on Battlefield Boulevard, late Thursday night.
A work truck driver has been charged after police say he crashed into a school bus in Suffolk Friday, sending three people to hospitals.
A preliminary state report says all of the fatal teenage overdoses in Virginia during a four-year period could have been prevented.
Today we started with some cool air and nice weather. Temps bottomed out in the 40s and 50s early.


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Under a new Victorian Life Sciences Computation Initiative, The University of Melbourne in Melbourne Australia will host a $100 million supercomputing program and facility dedicated to life sciences.
The initiative will develop the most powerful supercomputer and leading computational biology facility dedicated to life sciences research in the world.
Funding of $50 million has been provided by the Victorian State Government, as announced by the Victorian Premier John Brumby at Bio2008 in San Diego, USA overnight.
The Hon. Theo Theophanous, Victorian Minister for Industry and Trade, Information and Communication Technology, and Major Projects detailed the State Government's vision for the project at a special media announcement at the University of Melbourne today.
Vice Chancellor Professor Glyn Davis explained how Australia's first life sciences dedicated supercomputer will impact Victorian researchers and where the program will be located at the University of Melbourne.
"As part of the initiative, the University of Melbourne will develop a Life Sciences Computation Centre to undertake the peak computing operations and provide computational biology expertise to the institutions throughout the Melbourne Parkville Precinct," said Professor Glyn Davis, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Melbourne.
Professor Davis says researchers from the Parkville Precinct, Monash University and other leading Victorian research institutions will have access to the peak computing facility, encouraging a collaborative approach to medical research.
"We are tremendously excited about the potential for this initiative to expand dramatically the State's and the University's capacity in bioinformatics, computational biology and advanced biomedical image analysis."
"The far reaching vision and scale of this initiative will combine Victoria's already globally competitive biomedical research capability with computa
|Contact: Rebecca Scott
University of Melbourne


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Funk Keyboards - The Complete Method
(A Contemporary Guide to Chords, Rhythms, and Licks). For Piano/Keyboard. Musicians Institute Press. Funk and Instructional. Instructional book and accompaniment CD. Chord names, introductory text, instructional text and illustrations. 56 pages. Published by Musicians Institute Press (HL.695336)
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Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME
From molecule to ecosystem
Welcome to the homepage of the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME.
We are your partner for contract research in the field of applied life sciences from the molecular to the ecosystem level in the areas of pharmacy, medicine, chemistry, agriculture, and environmental and consumer protection.
Our reseach and development portfolio is focussed on industry, small and medium enterprises as well as the public sector.


text:
Richard Mabey | November 3, 2010 | Comments |
While the search engine market in the U.S. consolidates, competition in China is heating up between Baidu and Taobao in e-commerce search.
Cuil, the much touted search engine set up with such hope in 2008, finally gave up the fight and shut down its servers on September 17, 2010. At its inception, Cuil looked pretty good on paper. The VCs thought so too, investing $33 million in the company. The broad experience of the management team, which included ex-Googlers and IBM executives and their alternative approach to search had many believing Cuil could succeed in providing an alternative to Google.
So why did Cuil fail? Many reasons contributed to its lack of success but one truth is universal: in order to take market share from a giant in any market, the alternative proposition has to offer the consumer a real difference from what they already have without any drawbacks. Cuil did offer a true alternative in user interface. However, it fell down in one key area.
Despite having the money and the team and the 'Cuil' interface, it was unable to beat or even equal Google in its core competency of providing relevant search results.
State of Play
With Yahoo no longer having its own search engine and Cuil shutting down, the search market in the United States is consolidating. Likely only two search engines will be left. In contrast, the China market is moving in the opposite direction. Baidu currently holds around 70 percent market share and this seems to be on the rise. Google has just over 24 percent and others including Sogou, Soso, and Youdao have around 6 percent combined.
Me Too
With a search market worth an estimated $471 million and Baidu's stock price continuing to increase, it is no surprise that more companies want in, even though the market is looking rather crowded. The 'me too' model has worked well for many companies in China in the past but any company coming in now will not be taking on an ill prepared foreign company feeling its way. Baidu is well funded, local, and massively dominant. So how do these companies expect to offer something that will gain market share? Is a small share of the massive China market enough? How many niches are there to exploit?
Are We 'Cuil'?
Foreign companies have had their fair share of problems navigating the China market, frequently butting heads with the Chinese government. Google's issues have been reported to death so I won't cover them here, but it is certainly not alone. Microsoft is one foreign company that has been in China for some time and appears to understand it better than most. Of course, its interests are larger than just the search market, but from being nowhere with "Bing" it has been quietly plugging away furthering relationships and avoiding confrontations. For all its work, it has been rewarded in a number of ways. It is collaborating with Alibaba on its internal search tool 1688 and is now providing the organic search results for Taobao's new 'search engine' Etao.com. More on that below.
E-Commerce Search Battle Begins
In October, Taobao launched its own search engine called etao.com. Organic search results are available and powered by Bing but they are not in any position of prominence. Most of the results that appear at the top of the page relate to e-commerce. These e-commerce results come from Taobao itself. The main reason for Etao to exist is for e-commerce search and not to take on Baidu directly as a regular search engine.
Rather than challenging Baidu, the creation of Etao is Taobao's move to defend itself. In 2008, Baidu was fast becoming the main place for e-commerce search. When looking for consumer items, many organic results found on Baidu were coming from Taobao. No doubt, this was risky for Taobao. Baidu could easily start its own e-commerce site and divert traffic overnight to its new property. In a preemptive move, Taobao blocked Baidu's robots from indexing its website. This essentially forced customers searching for consumer items to visit Taobao directly. However, Taobao mostly focused on content inside the site. It does not really provide all of the elements one would expect from a real search engine such as access to comparison sites, forums, and other useful resources needed when making a purchase. The newly launched Etao does.
Baidu took time to get into the e-commerce space but now it has arrived. The joint venture announced with Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten means the resulting 'RakuBai' will compete head on with Taobao.
What's the Bottom Line?
There many other developments in the search engine scene in China, but I will cover them another time. My top line conclusions on Etao are as follows:
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Richard Mabey is founder and managing director of Hong Kong-based The Egg Company, a tech agency that specialises in SEO and competitive intelligence across Asia. The company was formed in Hong Kong in 1998 and now has offices in Guangzhou, Shanghai and Singapore. Clients include Salesforce.com, VM Ware, Elle China, and Lufthansa Airlines. Born in the U.K., Richard is a long-term China resident having spent 17 years in the region. He studied Chinese in both Shanghai and Beijing before moving to Hong Kong in 1996. Richard is a regular speaker at events such as Ad-tech in Beijing and Shanghai and is frequently quoted in publications such as the Chinese version of "Search Engine Marketing" by Andreas Ramos and Maggie Guam (McGraw-Hill / Tsinghua University Press 2009). Follow him on Twitter @RichardMabey.
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June 10, 2015
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ABCs of gardening
Simple approach makes gardening easy for everyone
McCarville cautions people to pass over the plants already in flower in 4-inch containers in favor of smaller versions in six-pack containers. "If you buy a 4-inch plant, in the long run it won't get as big as the smaller sizes," she said. "It's better to avoid impulse shopping and know what will work in your particular situation."
She also suggests planting vegetables and flowers from seed for a low-cost gardening approach.
"Radishes, carrots, cucumbers and green beans are simple and very rewarding," she said. "There are flowering plants like sunflowers that are very easy to grow from seed."
Making good choices
Kathleen Shawl Parkes loves gardening at her Oceanside house. Previously, she was an apartment dweller and had to confine her gardening creations to containers.
But even though she's enjoyed gardening for many years, her job as a representative for Monrovia Growers, one of America's largest wholesale nurseries, keeps her on the road much of the time. She balances work and gardening by concentrating on easy-care plants that are high-performing, but not high-maintenance.
Not surprisingly, shrubs are high on her list of must-have plants, and on top are Breeze dwarf mat rush (Lomandra longifolia) and blue flax lily (Dianella caerulea).
"I'm super excited about Lomandra," she said. "You kill it by overwatering. It's a quick, easy plant for landscapes or containers and doesn't care about the soil it's in."
This is a versatile foliage plant, grasslike in appearance. Use it in mass plantings where you want low shrubs or in dry places. It's a good choice for coastal regions because salt spray doesn't affect it.
Flax lily is another choice for coastal conditions. A dwarf, to 3 feet, it thrives in sun or shade, in almost any type of soil. Certain varieties, like "Cassablue" and "Little Becca" have blue-green foliage, blue flowers and showy purple berries later in the season. Versatile in landscapes or containers, they offer much for little effort.
In shady areas, camellias are easy plants, once established. However, they are a little fussier about the ground and need fertile, fast-draining soil. Their popularity is due, in part, because they flower in fall, winter or early spring, depending on the variety.
Consider day lilies, too. Be sure to select varieties like "Black Eyed Stella" and "Terra Cotta Baby" with inherent resistance to rust, a disease that can attack, even kill, these graceful perennials. Depending on variety, they grow big and tall, like "Frankly Scarlet" and "Time" or small and dainty like "Bitsy" and "Little Bobo," with blooms more than half of the year. Some are evergreen while others lose their strappy leaves in fall and winter. (For more plant recommendations, see related story on HX.)
Shawl Parkes likes to follow the concept "plant with a purpose." She evaluates every plant in her garden.
"I tell people to evaluate their space. If a plant doesn't have a purpose, what's it doing there?" she said. This points to a fundamental of gardening: It's all a matter of choice. Some gardeners love foliage, while others want lots of colorful flowers. Some houses look best with lush, tropical gardens, while others, like the California ranch style, look great when accented by California native plants or their hybrids.