text:
Pilot Projects
Info Society
Study Groups
of rural communities and low-income urban settlements
by Mr. Lars Qvortrup, Telematics Project, Odense University,
Vice-Chairman of CTSC International
In many parts of the world, rural society is undergoing radical changes. Still, rural economy primarily depends on agriculture,
forestry, mining and fishing. However, today these activities can support only a limited number of people, and need access to external markets in order to survive. Thus, if we want to preserve rural society as an indigenous society, the rural economy must be diversified, i.e. it must attract new businesses and have better access to external markets, to decision makers and information providers. A further condition for the development of rural society is easier access to training and education as well as to
public and private services.
As one reaction to the problems of rural society people move to low-income urban settlements. Also here, however, they confront unemployment, poor educational and social services, and economic problems. Therefore, solutions to the problems of rural society will serve urban regions as well.
Provision of adequate teleservices is one condition to help solving these problems. Telecommunications give access to markets and decision makers and is an essential condition for economic diversification. Telecommunications are also a means of providing training, education, and public and private services. However, many rural regions do not benefit fully from the potential wide range of teleservices, and particularly in developing countries low-income urban settlements and rural communities have virtually no access to telephony and other teleservices.
"Community Teleservice Centres" (CTSCs), or "telecentres" is one way of bridging this gap.
CTSCs are multi-purpose centres aimed at providing computers and telecom facilities and support for local communities in remote, rural regions and in low-income urban settlements. Normally, they contain an office, a public area with access to computers and telecom services, a class-room providing both computer training and general training and education supported by computers and telecom, a meeting-room, work facilities for users (pupils, teleworkers, local farmers, businessmen, etc.), and a small kitchen with a coffee-machine. Typically, a minimum staff is a full-time director (the so-called "CTSC manager") and a part-time assistant who run the centre, serve the users, arrange training courses etc.
Hardware and telecom services vary between
centres, but typically include a photocopy machine, personal computers and printers,
access to ordinary telephone network or ISDN, modems for data communication (databases,
electronic mail etc.), and a telefax machine. CTSCs support both individuals (telephony,
distance education, computer-training, village hall facilities) and local small
enterprises (business information, office facilities, professional training). As a matter
of fact, while many centres are publicly owned or supported, some of the telecentres
themselves work as small enterprises.
The first two CTSCs were established in 1985, and
in November 1993 there were more than 200 centres in eleven countries all over the world.
After a start in Europe, centres have been established in Canada and in Australia, and the
first CTSCs have recently been built in Brazil. Here, early results indicate that CTSCs
will have an even more important role in the developing world.
The success of CTSCs is due to the fact that they
are means of overcoming the four barriers that currently hamper access to teleservices in
rural and low-income areas: The network barrier, the service barrier, the cost barrier,
and the qualification barrier.
Many parts of the world, and particularly rural
regions and low-income urban settlements, lack access to telecommunication networks for
plain telephony, not to speak of more advanced teleservices. This is the network
Secondly, there is a service barrier.
Even where the connection to the telephone network has been established, the variety of
services available is sometimes limited, and the teleservices are very often based on the
demands of the urban population, and are not related to the needs of rural societies.
Thirdly, there is a cost barrier. For a
small farm or a small family-based enterprise, computers, including software, technical
support, continuous upgrading etc. are still quite costly, and the cost of access and of
teleservice terminals is often too high for infrequent users (i.e. small enterprises) to
justify individual connection.
Finally, there is a qualification barrier. Still,
skill requirements for using computer programs and advanced information and teleservices
are high, and not always met by people in the rural regions. Furthermore, the general
attitude to new IT is very often quite sceptical.
Not all these barriers are met by teleservices per
se, but some of them are better met by teleservices provided at CTSCs.
The answer to the network barrier is that where
individual connections to the network are not financially viable in a rural village,
provision of access to teleservices at one single place in such a village - i.e. at a CTSC
with communal use of the facilities - may be cost-effective.
The answer to the service barrier is to provide
not only telephone services, but also computer- and multimedia-based services such as
access to databases, to distance training courses, etc., and to do so in a context where
these services can be better oriented towards local needs.
The answer to the cost barrier is to provide the
rural community inhabitants with communal access to IT equipment, thus reducing the
individual costs - i.e. to offer the teleservices at a teleservice centre.
Finally, the qualification barrier is met by
integrating on-the-spot training courses and advisory services into the activities of the
The establishment of CTSCs in rural communities
and in low-income urban settlements seems thus to be a very cost-effective solution which
allows teleservices to be brought deep into the countryside and to provide not only
telephone services for public use, but also other telecommunication and data services, as
may be required in the specific community. In particular, the fact that a teleservice
centre is run by a trained, competent person (the CTSC manager) means that the centre
provides much better service to the public than would an isolated coin box or pay phone or
a computer terminal owned by the individual local enterprise.
The Background of the Present Document
This report is based on a global survey,
distributing a questionnaire to all known CTSCs world-wide, and sending out a list of
questions to all known national CTSC associations, public authorities responsible for CTSC
programmes etc. Answers have been received from most national associations and public
authorities covering Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany,
Ireland, Norway, Sweden, and the UK, and from 65 CTSCs in eight of those countries. Most
of the information below is based on this survey. Furthermore the report is based on
existing literature, on personal contacts, and on visits to several of
the CTSCs world-wide. Finally, the demand for teleservices in general and particularly for
CTSCs world-wide has been estimated by analysing global statistics on the penetration of
telephones and by analysing global statistics on postal services.
1. CTSC: Definition and Current Penetration
1.1. Definition
Generally speaking a community teleservice
centre (CTSC) may be defined as a staffed multi-purpose centre aimed at providing
computers and telecom facilities for a local community in remote, rural regions and in
low-income urban settlements, so that these facilities can be used by all people in the
community. CTSCs support both individuals by providing access to telephony, distance
education, computer-training, village hall facilities, and local small enterprises by
providing business information, office facilities, professional training, etc. In fact,
some of the telecentres themselves work as small enterprises. A CTSC is different from
e.g. a local commercial telefax shop or from a hotel's business centre by offering public
access and by combining access to computer and teleservices with provision of training and
education. Most CTSCs receive financial support from public authorities, nationally or
locally, covering part of their costs. This support may be provided directly or
indirectly. As an example of indirect financial support, many CTSCs sell training courses
to the local educational authorities. All CTSCs covered by this report are recognised by
public authorities or by national CTSC associations.
1.2. Global Overview
The first CTSCs were established in
Härjedalen in Sweden and in Lemvig in Denmark in 1985. Since then the number of CTSCs has
grown explosively. In November 1993 there were approximately 200 recognised CTSCs in 11
countries world-wide, and if the definitely planned CTSCs are included, there will be 237
CTSCs world-wide in the beginning of 1994. Of these 200 CTSCs, 65 have answered and
returned the questionnaire distributed for this analysis, cf. table 1. Of these 65 CTSCs
there are 36 (55.4%) private CTSCs (including as well business driven CTSCs as community
organized centres, both often publicly supported) and 29 (44.6%) public CTSCs (normally
run by local or regional public authorities such as the local school, library, or town
1.3. The Nordic Countries
In late 1990 there were ten CTSCs in Denmark, five in the rural municipality of Egvad, one in the rural municipality of Lemvig, one on
the small island, Fejø, one in the small suburban village Jelling, and finally a bigger
teleservice centre, Datariet, in the provincial town Vejle with 43,500 inhabitants. In
Denmark, the centres are focusing on educational and advisory services.
All the centres were established as the result of
a national programme for rural telecommunication which ran during 1986-1989. After the end
of the programme and its financial support, three of the centres have been closed, while
two new centres have been started. One of these recent CTSCs is a so-called
"computerbus" which goes from village to village offering training courses and
information services for local people using computers and telecom facilities.
Since the inauguration of the first CTSC in
Härjedalen in 1985, approximately 40 CTSCs have been built in Sweden. During 1989 the
CTSC movement was in a crisis and was forced to decide whether to operate as private
businesses or to apply for continuous public support. At the lack of public financial
support, most Swedish CTSCs decided to work as small local enterprises. Currently, 23 of
the Swedish business-oriented centres are preparing the establishment of a co-operative
network of centres, and a "CTSC sales-office" in the capital of Stockholm has
been opened. Still, however, a small number of the Swedish CTSCs are non-profit centres
and integrated in or related to local grass-roots organisations.
In late 1990 there were more than 10 CTSCs in
Norway. While in Southern regions of Norway some of the telecentres have recently been
closed, in Finnmark, the Northern most district of Norway, nine proposals for CTSCs have
been considered, and the first three projects have recently been launched. In late 1993
there are approximately 5 CTSCs in operation.
In December 1988 the first four CTSCs were
established. In 1989, a national initiative was taken to support the establishment of
CTSCs all over Finland, and 70 CTSCs were built. Some of the Finnish teleservice centres
are part of local folk high schools and aimed at educational activities, while others are
more oriented towards business services. The public financial support was finished by the
end of 1991, but after a short crisis the situation has stabilised, and in November 1993
49 CTSCs are still in operation.
1.4. The UK and Ireland
In Scotland, in September 1989 the
Highland and Island Development Board and British Telecom North of Scotland District
invited to a conference in order to evaluate the need for Scandinavian type CTSCs in
Northern Scotland. At the conference, both organisations confirmed that they had a role in
providing some structure to help "pump prime" the development. The first six
pilot centres were established in the early 1990s. One of the centres has developed a
highly successful telework scheme.
England, North-Ireland and Wales
In England, North-Ireland and Wales CTSCs,
or, as they are called here, "telecottages", have developed rapidly during the
latest years. In the late 1980s, none existed; by mid 1992, approximately
30 organisations were identified as CTSCs or telecottages, and in late 1993 there were
50 telecottages.
In Ireland, the first teleservice
centre, the Information Technology Centre, was established in the North West of Ireland by
the County Donegal V.E.C. in 1988. Since then, five more centres have been established.
The Telecottage Association
In 1992, the British and Irish
"Telecottage Association", which is a support organisation for teleworkers,
telecottages and telecentres, was established with the aim "to improve the
opportunities and choice in employment, training and services for people living in rural
areas and the development of local economies through the use of information technology and
telecommunications, including shared facilities in local centres". During its time of
existence there has been an explosive development of telecentres and telecottages, and
according to the association's fact sheet from mid 1993 there are now 57 telecentres in
the UK and 6 in Ireland, (at a seminar in October 1993 the figure of 70 telecottages was
mentioned) with approximately 24 commercial telecentres and 36 community telecottages.
1.5. Germany and Austria
In Germany, a very active CTSC movement
has developed with good relations in both Germany and Austria. In total 47 centres are in
operation or have been planned, of which more than 20 centres have already been opened. Of
particular interest, CTSCs have been established in former East Germany were they
compensate for the poor telecom services. Here, 9 centres have been established in 1991
and 1992 on a private basis, while 13 so-called tele-offices have been established by the
telephone company.
In the survey, all German CTSCs
represented are private enterprises with public support. Still, there are two different
types: Some CTSCs are very big centres (like the centres in Kassel or Norden, the latter
with 10,000 m2
and 60 staff persons) which do not characterize themselves as local service centres, but
rather as instruments for transfer of new technologies for regional enterprises etc. Also,
they are not particularly oriented towards problems related to rurality or unemployment.
However, other centres in Germany are much more related to the rural community teleservice
centre concept reflected in the current report.
In Austria, five CTSCs have been built
in small villages in the mountains, and a sixth centre is currently under establishment.
1.6. Australia
In Australia, the Department of Primary
Industries and Energy in May 1991 published the report Telecottages: The Potential for
Rural Australia. Since then, the same department launched its "Telecentres
program", and the first CTSC was officially inaugurated in 1992.
By November 1993, 3 CTSCs have been established,
and 17 CTSCs have received grants form the national telecentre programme. In addition, 6
CTSCs have been established by local communities, and
20-25 CTSCs will have been approved under the national telecentre programme by 1995.
Currently, in Queensland approximately 30 so-called Open Learning Centres are in
operation. As they concentrate on distance learning only, they have not been counted in
this report. They may however extend their services, thus qualifying as CTSCs.
1.7. Brazil
In order to support the building of CTSCs in
developing countries the non-governmental organization "International Association of
Community TeleService Centres", CTSC International, was created in February 1989.
CTSC International has assisted in preparing projects in Sri Lanka, Benin, and Brazil.
Currently, the first project has been started in Brazil, run by the Brazilian Telephone
Company, Telebras, with support from UNDP. It covers a pilot project with a limited number
of CTSCs. The first four centres have been implemented in 1992 and 1993, the first one in
the 60,000 inhabitants town Brusque in Santa Catarina, and the second in the rural town
Toledo in Paraná, both in the southern part of Brazil. They will be used as reference
models for CTSCs in other parts of Brazil, and may be used as a reference for projects in
other South-American countries as well. For 1994, Telebras has planned to build 35-40
telecentres with at least one centre for each of the state-based operating companies.
These centres will then be the second phase reference models, and the final aim is to
built approximately 13,000 centres (more information about the CTSC programme in Brazil is
given in section 5 below). In Brazil, the ownership model is different: here the centre is
run by the telephone company, while the services are provided by independent public or
private entities.
1.8. Canada
In Newfoundland and Labrador in North-East
Canada following the conference "Bridging the Distance" in May 1990 it was
decided to establish teleservice centres in a number of remote villages and towns,
benefiting from the information services of the Enterprise Network and from a big number
of open-university courses which have been set up based on the interactive audio
teleconference system TCS. In late 1993, business information services are provided from 7
regional telecentres (located in Clarenville, Trepassey, Forteau, St. Alban's, St. John's,
Stephenville and Baie Verte in the regions of Newfoundland and Labrador) connected to the
ACOA/Enterprise Network. In addition there are 3 so-called "mini-centres" in the
same area.
The Canadian project began as a European idea
which then went through a process of "technology transfer", thereby developing
new approaches and services. Currently, the approach is as much to foster
"information seeking behaviour" among small and medium sized enterprises as it
is the diffusion of technology or the application of information. Regarding services, the
parallel and integrated establishment of both telecentres and an on-line service
represents an important distinction from the European model. Actually, the presence of an
on-line e-mail and file transfer service together with other communications services have
proved to be very helpful.
1.9. Forthcoming Projects
In addition to the above-mentioned CTSCs,
projects are currently being considered in Benin, Greece, Hawaii, New Zealand, and Sri
Lanka, and interest has been expressed by Bhutan and Tunisia. In Benin, detailed
feasibility studies have been made, and plans are being discussed to build four pilot
CTSCs, giving access to basic teleservices like telephony, telefax and information
services .
2. CTSCs: Current Viability and Contribution to
Development of Rural and Remote Regions
2.1. Facilities Available at CTSCs
The components of a community teleservice
centre include premises, staff and equipment. Often, the centres are located in schools,
libraries, local authority buildings, or converted houses, and they normally contain an
office, a public area with access to computers and telecom services, a class-room
providing computer training and computer and telecom supported training and education, a
meeting-room, work facilities for users (pupils, local farmers or businessmen), and a
small kitchen with a coffee-machine. A minimum staff typically is a full-time CTSC manager
and a part-time assistant.
Equipment items vary between centres, but may
include the following:
· photocopier
· personal computers, typically 2 to 5 in number
· printers, typically 1 or 2
· scanners
· access to ordinary telephone network or ISDN
· modems, for data communication (databases,
electronic mail etc.) via the telephone network
· telefax
· video-production and editing equipment
· sometimes facilities for broadcasting of local
radio or television
· sometimes even facilities for videoconferencing
· ancillary equipment such as reference books and
teaching aids.
Actually, according to the CTSC survey, technical
equipment at CTSCs is distributed as follows:
As can be seen,
80-100% of all CTSCs have personal computers, printers, scanners, and a photocopy machine,
and access to ordinary telephony and a telefax. This can be defined as the first
generation CTSC equipment. Between 40-80% of the CTSCs have access to more advanced
teleservices which within the CTSC context represent the second generation of facilities.
The number of CTSCs with these facilities is currently growing fast, and the experience
from Canada where CTSCs and on-line services have been established in parallel and have
been carefully co-ordinated, particularly demonstrates the future importance of these
services. 20% of the CTSCs have access to ISDN, while only a limited number have
video-communication facilities.
In most centres a wide range of software products
are provided, which may include word-processing and desktop publishing programs;
spread-sheets and integrated packages; graphics and computer aided design; programs (word
processors, simple programming languages, training programs) for educational purposes;
computer games; accounting packages; farm data recording and livestock management
programs; etc.
Within each centre, the personal computers usually
are linked together in a network. Also, the centres within a region or at least a local
community usually are networked, allowing shared access to software and to specialised
(technical) service, and communication between centres.
2.2. Services available at CTSCs
The services provided vary considerably
between countries and between centres within countries, but the following basic services
are provided by most of the CTSCs:
· Information services: access to regional,
national and international databases (regional library files, local authority information,
· Telecommunications facilities: telefax,
electronic mail, etc.
· Data-processing services: word-processing and
desktop publishing programs. Professional programs (business accounting programs,
agricultural programs, etc.). A wide selection of other programs.
· IT-consultancy: the management is undertaken by
the CTSC manager, who also assists local businesses and organizations.
· Training and education: introductory computer
courses, and "Open University" type on-line tutorials.
· Village hall facilities: rooms and facilities
for meetings, municipal and county information, etc.
· Distance working facilities: some of the CTSCs
provide work-stations for distance working.
· Some of the CTSCs hire out video-production
equipment and provide access to editing facilities.
· Some of the CTSCs provide facilities for local
entrepreneurs who need (infrequent) access to computer and telecommunication equipment or
who want to set up a new information-based business without too big initial investments.
Some of these services have been recorded in the
CTSC survey with the following distribution:
As can be seen, the
most popular services are computer training, photo copying, telefax service, access to
office facilities, and desk top publishing. Thus, CTSCs are typically used as centres for
computer training, and they are used by private and small enterprise people for ordinary
office and communication purposes. Secondly the are used for hiring office facilities and
for distance work, which implies that CTSCs directly support newly established small
information based enterprises in rural and remote regions.
In addition, from the table it can be seen that
information technological services offered by private CTSCs are used more intensively than
similar services at public CTSCs except from distance training and "other"
services. The reason seems to be that private CTSCs are more often used for
"specific" services, while public centres have a more general function,
including services (meeting facilities, social services etc.) not directly involving
information technology (and thus not counting in the statistical report).
2.3. Number of Users and Staff
As was said above, the CTSC management is
typically undertaken by a full-time or part-time CTSC manager and an office assistant.
They take care of buildings and equipment, they run training courses, and they assist
local businesses and organizations. The users registered are both private persons, using
the training facilities occasionally or on a more permanent basis, and local enterprise
representatives using the facilities for business purposes or even hiring technical
equipment and offices at a more permanent basis.
It should be noticed
that staff figures represent as well full time as part time staff. A typical structure is
that a centre employs a full time director plus 2-3 part time assistants.
As regards the number of users it must be noticed
that quite a portion of the CTSCs are open only part of the day or only some of the week
days. In addition, while some of the users visit the centres for short time purposes (to
use the fax machine etc.), most users come for training courses, or they work at the
centre, hiring office facilities etc. on a permanent basis. Many of these persons visit
the centre several times per week, even though they are only registered as one user.
Finally, there is a marked difference between
centres in Europe and in developing countries (the Brazilian CTSCs are not represented in
the present survey). In the latter countries people use the CTSCs for telephony etc.
Consequently, the number of users is typically many times as high as in table 4 (cf.
section 5.2. below).
2.4. Geographical and Social Context
By definition, CTSCs are centres placed in a
geographically remote or socially deprived region. By this is meant that CTSCs may serve
both people in small rural villages, and people in less-favoured regions of towns and
Through the CTSC survey it is now possible to get
a picture of the location of CTSCs. It appears that 11.5% of the CTSCs in the survey are
located in towns or cities with more than 10,000 inhabitants, while 26% are located in or
within a distance of 10 km's of such urban regions. However, more than 60% are placed more
than 20 km's outside a 10,000+ town. For almost 15% the distance is more than 100 km's,
and in Canada and Sweden two CTSCs are 350 and 360 km's from the nearest town. Here, of
course other geographical barriers (like water, bad roads, traffic congestion etc.) have
not been reflected.
Regarding the social
context, a dominating portion of the CTSCs are placed in regions dominated by industries
based on agriculture, forestry, fishing, or mining, with public services as the second
sector in terms of number of employees. Thus, the general centralisation of economy, the
increasing productivity of the traditional extractive industries and their dependency of
external enterprises is very much felt in these regions, and the need for attracting new
industries, with particular focus on information industries, is evident.
This is reflected by the very high rate of
unemployment. The average rate of unemployment in the regions (defined as the local
municipality) with CTSCs is 16.6% ranging from an average of 10% in the Austrian CTSC
communities over an average of 20% in the Finnish and Irish CTSC communities to more than
40% in some of the Canadian CTSC communities.
2.5. Life Cycle
Most of the CTSCs analyzed in the CTSC survey
have been established during the 1990s. Thus, very little can be said about a
"typical" development curve of these centres.
However, the Nordic countries have a longer
tradition of CTSCs, and here a general pattern seems to be identifiable.
In all these
countries (and actually in most countries reflected in this report) CTSCs are launched as
a result of a national public support programme. As can be seen, such financial and
knowledge support results in the quick establishment of a big number of centres. However,
in the life cycle it seems that after three years there is a crisis of CTSCs. This is
typically a result of the stop of initial public funding, or it is due to the fact that
some of the CTSCs have been started under unrealistic conditions (for example that a small
CTSC with very limited resources is expected to solve major social and economic problems).
Preliminary conclusions from this statistically
insignificant basis may be that it is important:
· to be as realistic as possible during the
initial phase (and to support a careful local problem identification) so that the CTSC
actually matches the local problems. Here, almost 10 years of experience should help us to
avoid some of the problems experienced by the pioneers.
· to realize that some kind of "natural
selection" after the initial period's peak point is a natural part of such programmes
(even though it must of course be limited as far as possible).
· to plan the public support programme carefully.
If the programme is time-limited (and 3-5 years seem to be a typical time frame) the
CTSCs must be well prepared to manage the transition to private business. Alternatively,
publicly supported CTSCs can be considered a long-term aid programme for remote regions
which is both cost-effective (because many different public service may be concentrated at
a CTSC) and stimulating for local indigenous development.
· to combine financial support with other types
of help, for example by providing management training courses to CTSC managers,
establishing relevant databases for the network of CTSCs, etc.
· to provide continuous and easy accessible
support to CTSCs, for example by establishing an electronic help-desk function for CTSCs.
· to avoid looking at a CTSC programme as an
isolated activity. Such programmes must be integrated with telecommunication development
programmes as well as with programmes for development of agriculture, local business,
education, etc.
In addition, recent experiences from Germany and
the UK indicate that is vital to establish some kind of national association of CTSCs. In
these countries such associations have been extremely beneficial in stimulating the CTSC
development, and it seems that they well suited to support self-reliance. However, it
remains to be seen whether they can better avoid the crisis which normally seems to come
after 3-4 years of CTSC activities.
2.6. Financial Viability
Of the 65 CTSCs represented in the CTSC
survey, 36 (55.4%) are private CTSCs (including as well business driven CTSCs as community
organized centres, both often publicly supported) and 29 (44.6%) are public CTSCs
(normally run by local or regional public authorities such as the local school, library,
or town hall).
As can be seen from
table 7, even though a majority of the CTSCs are privately owned, a majority was started
through a public initiative, a majority were initially financed publicly, and a majority
received their income in 1992 from either public or mixed public and private sources.
However, this is not necessarily a result of direct support, but may be due to indirect
support; often, CTSCs sell services to public authorities, for example through running
computer classes which are supported by the national department of education or by local
or regional educational authorities.
Regarding the financial viability, 50% of the
CTSCs indicate that 1992 balanced economically. 27.5% say that 1992 yielded a profit,
while 22.5% say that 1992 resulted in a deficit.
2.7. Estimated Contribution to Social
As the last question in the questionnaire, the
CTSC representatives were asked to evaluate the impact of their telecentre on the local
community. There were four possibilities: big impact (4), average impact (3), small impact
(2) and no impact (1).
This is obviously a very subjective assessment of
the social and economic impact, and it needs to be complemented with detailed
case-studies. Still, it is evident that the educational role of the CTSCs in the local
community is the most significant one for as well private as public CTSCs. It is also
interesting to note that the public CTSCs assess their role in a more positive way than
the private CTSCs. This may be a result of the fact that private centres have to consider
their own business, while the public centres are legitimated through their support to the
local community. While the public centres do not differentiate between their economic,
employment, cultural and social services impact, there is a clear difference for the
private centres. Next to education they see themselves as playing a role for the local
economy and for social services, while they estimate to have little impact on local
employment and culture.
3. Rural Development and Telecommunications
3.1. The Necessity of Rural Development Projects
"The trend towards a mono
culture is as dangerous for a society as it would be for an ecological system. A mono
culture cannot innovate, because it cannot see alternative ways and goals." (Rolf
Jensen, Director of the Danish Institute of Future Research, 1993)
It seems that telecommunication
projects are popping up in remote areas all over the world. However, such activities don't
develop automatically. Both initial and follow-up support is needed.
But why is it, after all, necessary to support the
remote regions? Why not just concentrate on the cities as centres of economic, social and
cultural development? Examples from Scandinavia and from the rest of rural Europe may
illustrate the problem.
The dominating problems of rural society in the
Scandinavian countries are the problems created by economic centralisation. As an example,
in Denmark this problem is especially felt by the agricultural sector. In 1950, 465,000
people were employed by this sector with more than 200,000 farms. In 1980 the employment
figure was only 160,000. Today, in Denmark there are some 70,000 farms left, half of which
are owned and run by people with another main occupation, leaving only 30,000 full time
farms. The total employment figure in the agricultural sector is approximately 100,000.
With 30,000 farms spread over the total rural area in Denmark, many traditional functions
in the small villages (local shops, craftsmen, schools, public libraries, post offices,
etc.) will disappear. This, again, means that one has to attract jobs and businesses to
the rural areas.
According to the EEC Bulletin The future of
rural society, this is a general European - and, with few modifications, a global -
problem. Everywhere in the European community, rural society is undergoing radical
changes. The total utilized agricultural area is being reduced, the number of farms and
people employed in agriculture is declining, and there is a tendency towards polarization
between large farms and very small farms.
Consequently, the problem of rural society is a
challenge to all European societies. But the problems outlined are not just problems for
the rural regions, they are of a more general societal nature. For our rural areas are not
"just" places where people live and work. They have vital functions for society
as a whole. Here our provisions are produced, here our ecological equilibrium is
maintained, and here our cultural identity is based. A society without its thousands of
rural village communities would be fundamentally different. Also from an urban perspective
the effects of rural society is important. Often, the biggest social problems are
consequences of the concentration of people in deprived urban and sub-urban regions, and
one way to tackle these problems is to make life in rural communities more attractive from
a social and economic perspective.
This means that the countryside must be preserved.
Not just as agricultural production areas or as recreational areas, but as areas with a
multitude of business and cultural possibilities based on the social structure of village
communities. Consequently, one has to support the existing farms with services and
training, one has to attract new jobs and businesses to the rural areas, and one has to
maintain the variety of private and public services. This is vital, not just to
"preserve" the rural society, but to reproduce the social complexity, thus
counteracting the trend toward a monoculture.
3.2. Why telecommunications?
This dominating and irreversible concentration
of agricultural business and of economic and social activities in general means that the
future of rural society very much depends on the diversification of rural economies. One
has to attract small and medium-sized enterprises to the rural communities.
But experience has shown that the attraction of
small and medium-sized enterprises is hampered by difficulties which are not only a matter
of their small size and lack of resources, but which are also a matter of such factors as
geographical and socio-cultural distance from markets and decision-centres, lack of easy
access to information, lack of appropriate services (public services, training programmes,
etc.), lack of training facilities for the workforce, and lack of links with other firms.
Of course one has to take a number of different
political initiatives if one wants to solve the problems of rural society, and access to
high quality telecommunication services is only one of the multitude of answers. Still,
however, telecommunication is important: good telecommunication facilities will diminish
the distance from decision-centres, will increase the amount of accessible information,
will support the availability of services and training and will help to re-establish the
missing link to distant firms and markets.
Will telecommunications automatically lead to
stimulation of the rural economy, of the employment situation and of socio-cultural
conditions in rural communities?
In my opinion the answer is: No, not
automatically. Even though telecommunications are a necessary precondition for rural
development, it is not a sufficient precondition. In some cases, telecommunications may
even become counter-productive in relation to the intended objectives. In 1985 professor
Cees Hamelink in his paper "Selling the Canoe without the Paddle" pointed out
that it is too optimistic to believe that new and better social structures will
automatically be created or local economies of relatively isolated rural regions will be
strengthened just by introducing new information technology. It must be kept in mind that
telecommunications are a means for two-way communications. It may help a small rural
enterprise to increase sales abroad, but it certainly also enables foreign firms to
penetrate the local rural markets.
An example from the USA can illustrate the
problem: the penetration of fast food chains at the cost of local restaurants has been
partly based on the availability of good telecommunications facilities, because such
chains depend on co-ordinated goods delivery, centralised economic administration etc.
Here, telecommunications have been a tool for competing the local rural economy and for
changing the local cultural habits. Similarly, rural branches of national or international
banks are processing most of their economic transactions in centralized, automatized
locations, thus eliminating jobs from many rural communities. Such examples suggest that
the adoption of information technologies in rural communities is not a guarantee of
economic growth or of strengthening of socio-cultural conditions. On the contrary, these
technologies can, in the words of Dillman et al., as easily be used to ship jobs out of a
community as to bring them in.
Recently, W. H. Melody once more emphasized that
it is both superficial and counterproductive to think that economic development and social
benefit will automatically be achieved if new information and communication technologies
are introduced into less developed regions.
But of course it is just as superficial to
conclude that telecommunication and information technology in themselves have the opposite
consequence, i.e. that they lead to economic and social centralisation. The important
lesson to be drawn from the above examples is that rural teleservices must be organized
and provided in such a way that they support the rural communities instead of giving
large, external companies a competitive advantage over local interests. Experience shows
that one way to organize teleservices in a way which is beneficial for indigenous
development of rural regions is through CTSCs. In the following section this argument will
be elaborated.
4. CTSCs: a more efficient Utilization and
Distribution of Teleservices
4.1. The Uneven Distribution of Teleservices
Statistics collected by the
ITU and others provide indisputable evidence of the poor or complete lack of access to
even basic telephony in rural regions of the developing world. In 1984, the Independent
Commission for the world-wide telecommunication development in its report The Missing
Link emphasized that even though the world telecommunication network at that time
served 600 million telephones (instruments), more than half of the world's population lived in countries with
fewer than 10 million telephones, most of which were in the main cities, making the
situation of remote regions of developing countries particularly bad. As a result, the
report documented that two-thirds of the world population had no access to telephone
services at all.
In order to prepare the present
document, the analysis of statistics regarding access to teleservices has been updated.
Even though some progress has been made, the situation outlined in The Missing Link
report has not improved significantly since 1984. Still, the lack of teleservices in the
developing world is serious. Looking at world statistics on the penetration of telephones
(main lines), in 1990 we had the following situation:
Regions dominated by developing countries
Regions dominated by developed countries
The total number of
telephones (main lines) in 1990 was about 600 millions in the world. The potential demand
has been studied using the socio-economic method mentioned in the ITU-TS (former CCITT)
manual GAS 10. Assuming that the demand is saturated when all households have a telephone
and adding 25%, representing the demand of business telephones (a value based on
statistics) we arrive at a potential demand of between 1400 and 1500 million lines, i.e.
about 8-900 million more lines in the world than have been established today. This
figure is based on 1990 statistics; still, the world population grows, and adding to that,
as time goes on this "saturation value" will increase as family sizes decrease
by increasing wealth of the family and there will be more users having more than one
telephone per household.
4.2. The Network Barrier and the Role of CTSCs
In many parts of the world, and particularly
in remote regions, the basic barrier of getting access to telephony and to other
teleservices is the lack of telephone lines within acceptable distance. When ITU in
1984-85 presented the Report The Missing Link to the world, it drew attention to
the above-mentioned facts and formulated the objective (or hope) that "by the early
part of the next century all mankind would be brought within easy reach of a
Reflecting this objective, many developing
countries have prepared plans for extension of their networks. However, instead of aiming
at reaching every single household, often the more realistic objective to give access to
teleservices to bigger social units has been articulated. For example, India formulated
the objective to have a telephone in each village by the year 2000.
It is obvious to suggest that the concept of CTSCs
be integrated in such network plans. Not only can the CTSC function as the common access
point, but in addition more advanced services can be provided through the CTSC, thus
getting higher advantages from the telephone network.
To establish a CTSC in a rural area which has not
yet been provided with any form of telecommunication service will require the addition of
a transmission link which connects the CTSC with the national telecommunication network.
Thus, in such regions the building of CTSCs must be carefully integrated into the general
long-term network planning activity.
If more advanced services are needed at the CTSCs,
these centres may need to be connected to high quality transmission circuits, including
data communication networks, which most existing analogue networks will not support. In
the overall network planning, the benefits of giving big sections of the population
communal access to a wider variety of teleservices at the CTSCs must be compared with the
higher network costs.
However, today several options can be considered,
such as using a VSAT connection (which is not distance dependent of costs), or using fixed
circuits on cellular radio systems, point-to-point digital radio link systems or combining
fibre optic cable transmission on rural power distribution routes. All these systems are
now available as solutions to reach rural areas at reasonable costs, and the costs for
such equipment are continuing to go down (as an example, today a VSAT terminal costs about
When planning for CTSCs in remote areas, the
overall planning of future telecom services in the areas concerned should be considered
both at the short-term and long-term basis. Planning the future CTSCs and rural exchanges
should be part of the long-term strategy for development of the national long-distance
network. Particularly, it may be necessary to speed up with temporary solutions, e.g.
using a VSAT connection to precede the physical implementation of a national transmission
system. Once the national system is there, the VSAT terminal (or fixed cellular radio, or
other temporary solution) can be moved to another place, and used again.
The general conclusion to the network barrier is,
however, that if there will be any chance of providing teleservices world-wide also to the
rural and low-income areas, the use of communal services seem to be an answer that make
teleservices available for most of the people who live in rural areas or who can not
afford paying for individual services. The answer to the network problem may thus be that
even though individual connection to the network is not always possible in less-favoured
regions, as for example in rural villages, it might still be possible to provide access to
teleservices at one single place in such a village - i.e. at a CTSC.
4.3. Additional Barriers
In addition to the fundamental network barrier
there are however also other barriers to benefiting fully from the wide range of existing
teleservices which will be briefly discussed below.
The service barrier: Even though the
connection to the telephone network has been established, the variety of services
available is sometimes limited, and the teleservices available are very often based on the
demands of the urban population, and are not related to the demands of rural citizens. For
example in England the new value added network services are dominated by advanced services
with relevance for example to the finance sector in London, but with less relevance to
small industries in rural communities.
The cost barrier: For a small farm or a
small, family-based enterprise, computers, including software, technical support,
continuous upgrading etc. are still quite costly, and the cost of access and of
teleservice terminals is often too high for infrequent users to justify individual
The qualification barrier: Still, skill
requirements for using computer programs are high, and are not always met by people in the
rural regions, where the general attitude to new IT is very often quite sceptical.
Providing not only telephone services, but also
relevant computer-based services such as access to databases, to distance training
courses, etc. through the CTSC contributes to reducing the service barrier. Furthermore,
within a CTSC context these services can be better oriented towards specific local needs.
Providing the rural community inhabitants with
communal access to IT equipment by means of a CTSC contributes to reducing the cost
barriers, either through public provision of these services or through cost sharing
Finally, integrating distance learning and local
training courses as well as advisory services into the activities of the CTSCs contributes
to reducing the qualification barrier. Here, the presence of a CTSC manager is
particularly important.
4.4. The Potential Global Demand for CTSCs
A detailed assessment of the potential global
demand for community teleservice centres that would satisfy a large part of the people
living in rural areas and/or living in low-income areas, rural or urban, has been made for
this report, based primarily on statistical material from ITU, UNESCO, and UPU.
Statistics on the world-wide number of post
offices for rural and urban areas have also been analysed. Using the available statistics
on postal services, it is estimated that a CTSC centre would be required per 10,000
The potential demand in different regions of the
world of community teleservice centres is shown in the table below.
Demand of CTSCs
Urban & Rural
Central America
North America
South America
Asia (excl. Middle East)
Middle East
Ex-USSR countries
World Total:
In addition, the
estimated number of CTSCs for the countries with the more important potential demands for
such centres has been identified. In the graphs below, the regions Africa, Asia and South
America are shown as examples:
If a world-wide effort were to be made to
implement such community teleservice centres, it may be estimated that the demand of CTSCs
would represent investments of the order of tenths of billions of
US dollars. Considering that one centre will cost between US$ 50,000 and 200,000 to
implement, and knowing that one centre will reach about 10,000 persons (average), each
centre represents an investment of 5-20 US$ per person.
A project of this scale should be initiated by
pilot projects in each country, like what is actually already being done in a number of
countries. An outline of such a pilot project is provided in section 5 below.
4.5. Conclusion
In conclusion of this section, the
establishment of CTSCs in less-favoured rural and sub-urban communities seems to be a very
cost-effective solution which allows teleservices to be brought deep into the countryside
and to provide not only telephone services for public use but also other telecommunication
and data services, as may be required in the specific community. In particular, the fact
that a teleservice centre is run by a trained, competent person, the CTSC manager, means
that the centre provides much better service to the public than would an isolated coin box
or pay phone or a computer terminal owned by an individual local enterprise.
5. CTSC - a Vision
5.1. CTSCs in Developing Countries
No doubt, CTSC will play an important role in
many different contexts, from providing training facilities in remote regions to giving
social support in low-income urban areas. So far, most CTSCs have been established in
industrialized countries. However, in my opinion the most important function of CTSCs in
the years to come will be their support for developing countries. Currently, the best
empirical evidence regarding the role of CTSCs for economic, social and cultural
development in this context is Brazil, which was the first developing country that
implemented CTSCs. Also in other respects the project in Brazil can serve as inspiration
and as a reference model for CTSC projects in developing countries. Consequently, in this
final section I have tried to outline the potential future contribution of CTSCs for
development by combining current trends in Brazil with the global demand estimates
presented in section 4 above.
5.2. CTSCs in Brazil
In 1990, a delegation from the Brazilian
telephone company, Telebras, visited a number of the Nordic CTSCs, and immediately after
the visit the concept was "translated" into the Brazilian context, and a
development plan was elaborated, starting with a pilot project phase which should then
lead into the full implementation of CTSCs in all the 26 Brazilian states. Based on the
current administrative division of Brazil at the municipal level with 4,500 municipalities
and 8,900 districts, i.e. 13,400 administrative units, and on experience with 22,000
already existing Brazilian so-called "service posts" (centres with coin boxes,
telephone services, etc.), the final goal is to establish approximately 13,000 CTSCs, i.e.
a figure close to the statistical estimate presented above (cf. table 11).
During 1992 and 1993 the first four pilot CTSCs
have been built in:
· Brusque, in Santa Catarina
· Toledo, in Paraná
· Mossoró, in Rio Grande do Norte
· Juazeiro do Norte, in Ceará.
Even though the Brazilian CTSCs
have used the Nordic telecentres as their model of inspiration, in many respects they are
different. The pilot CTSCs are run by the telephone company, while the services are
provided by independent public or private entities. Thus, the ownership model can best be
described as an association of partners with governmental support. Furthermore, the
centres are bigger than the normal European CTSCs (in average the Brazilian centres cover
an area of 450-500 m2), and they provide a wider range of services and a larger number of
potential users than do most similar centres in Europe. As an example, the first pilot
centre supports the 60,000 inhabitants town of Brusque with access to:
· telephone boxes
· public services (water supply, electricity,
sewerage, and tax service, etc.)
· computer training
· business advice
· access to office facilities (computers, office
rooms, telefax etc.)
· access to database services
· etc.
Thus, the CTSC organizers have succeeded in
attracting most public authorities in order to support their jointly used CTSC to mutual
As a result of the services offered, and of the
general social and economic situation, the number of users has been much higher than what
has normally been achieved in European centres. As an example, the average number of users
from October 1992 to August 1993 in the telecentre in Brusque was 668 visitors per month.
Recent information suggests that the number of users has increased to an even higher
level, mentioning several hundred users per week.
In September 1993 an international seminar on
management of CTSCs was held with participants from several Latin American countries with
a general view to transferring the experience, and with the specific aim to train future
CTSC managers. Again, experience from the Nordic CTSCs was combined with analyses of the
specific local conditions, and during the seminar management models and business
strategies meeting local needs were elaborated.
For 1994, Telebras has planned 24 additional pilot
telecentres, i.e. one per state operating telephone company. In addition, five more urban
telecentres have been planned in Santa Catarina, and four in Paraná, and a network of
rural telecentres in the district of Toledo, served by the centre which is already in
operation, is being prepared. These 35-40 centres are then expected to function as
reference models for the future establishment of CTSCs, aiming at the above-mentioned
total of 13,000 centres in the beginning of the next century.
The total implementation costs of the existing
CTSCs in Brazil have been around US$ 70,000 per centre.
5.3. Future Global Perspectives
As indicated earlier in this document, the
estimated global demand for CTSCs is approximately 500,000 CTSCs. Based on existing
experiences, a project of this scale should be initiated by pilot projects in every
country, similar to the projects which have already been launched or which are being
planned in a number of countries. A pilot project would start with a number of centres
that should usually not be less than 4-5 centres in a country, and which should not exceed
1% of the estimated potential need (in Brazil, the number of pilot centres represent 0.3%
of the estimated total need). This would typically imply about 4-20 centres per country,
with exception for China and India, depending on the size of the country and the variety
of population structures and activities.
Based on estimations for individual countries, a
world-wide project, covering the pilot phase, would in total require about 1260 CTSCs,
approximately distributed by region as:
· Asia 530
· Africa 330
· Americas 220
· Ex-USSR 90
· Europe 90
· Total 1260
Such a project could be implemented during a
number of years, say 5-10, during which period also the training of CTSC managers will be
an important factor. It should be possible to benefit from the experiences gradually being
developed in the countries where CTSCs have been or are being implemented. Thus, it could
grow into a project where extensive support could come also from the developing countries,
where such centres have been implemented early.
Considering that a CTSC costs between US $ 50,000
and 200,000 to implement, a world-wide pilot project would require investments of US $
60-250 million. Once these pilot projects have been implemented, the countries will
continue to build additional centres, according to their long-term plans and based on
available financial resources.
However, such a broad development programme could
probably only be catalyzed by an inter-governmental organization like the ITU, and would
need the support of many development partners, including the private sector. Furthermore,
a global network among CTSCs, including access to help desk service, access to common
information, creation of a mutual, dynamic good practice database, etc. would enhance the
sustainability of such developments.
5.4. CTSCs - a Contribution for an Alternative
Experience shows that CTSCs contribute to
counteracting the geographically determined disadvantages of rural regions by making
teleservices available for local communities, thus enhancing business opportunities,
educational and social facilities, health care services etc. But CTSCs are not just
defensive tools for rural areas. They have also a visionary dimension. Instead of
concentrating economic, social and cultural activities in the cities, such activities
should also exist in the rural communities. Instead of restricting the functions of the
countryside into being the industrial regions' recreational areas, a multiplicity of
agricultural, entrepreneurial, social and recreational possibilities should be available
in the rural environment. Instead of specializing geographical regions, making them either
purely industrial, or agricultural, or holiday zones, social and economic diversification
within each region should be catalyzed. Instead of individualizing new information
technology with computer-assisted home working etc. in the private homes, these
information and communication tools should be offered for co-operative activities.
Telecommunications should not standardize the
different geographical regions, making rural communities small copies of urban
communities. Telecommunications should make it possible for people to stay in their unique
rural region. The aim is to limit the inequalities, not the varieties.
I wish to thank all CTSC associations and public
institutions as well as CTSC managers who have very kindly provided me with information
for this analysis within a limited time schedule. Particularly I want to thank Dr. Lars
Engvall, chairman of CTSC International, who has not only provided me with data regarding
the estimation of the current and future need for CTSCs world-wide, but who through his
work has inspired me to understand the basic idea and importance of Commun.


text:
GTA Online Livestreams this Week: GTAV Soundtrack's Bass Drum of Death Plus a Crew Battle
Tune in this week at the Rockstar Games official Twitch channel for:
Thursday Aug 7th 6pm Eastern *
GTAV Soundtrack Edition featuring
BASS DRUM OF DEATH ("Crawling After You" on Vinewood Boulevard Radio)
About to kick off their Fall Tour 2014, BDOD are celebrating the release of their brand new single "Left for Dead" off this October's Rip This LP and are swinging by Rockstar NYC headquarters to throw down in some GTA Online action live on our Twitch stream.
Friday Aug 8th 4pm Eastern *
Crew Battle featuring
Malicious Intentt VS Old School Punishers
These two hardcore Crews will vie to see which is the supreme squad at racing. We'll have a Rockstar player on each side as we livestream a special Playlist of Race Jobs with various vehicle types.
* Please note that with all livestreams, dates and times are very much subject to change.
Follow twitch.tv/rockstargames and twitter.com/rockstargames to get live notifications of when streams begin. And stay tuned for many more Rockstar livestreams in the weeks ahead to be announced.
- on August 8 2014, 7:46pmThanks everyone who tuned in and joined us in chat for yesterday and today's streams!
If you missed them, you can check out the archived recording of our special cast with GTAV Soundtrack guest Bass Drum of Death here:
and here's the Racing Crew Battle between Malicious Intentt and the Old School Punishers:
As a reminder, all ideas and thoughts and wishlists for future GTA Online update consideration should be sent to firstname.lastname@example.com where our dev team actively reviews player feedback.
Stay tuned as we'll have more streams and of course more game updates coming soon!
- 3 weeks, 2 days agoSeems like everybody is telling you to join they're crew and the only person it's benefiting is them. If you join up with GTA V Money Cartel we're all about the crew, we help you rank up, and get your bread up. You need people to help you with heist or missions, we gotcha. We only have 2 rules, rep the crew and be serious about your paper and have fun doing it. So join up with GTA V Money Cartel, can't find it then message me and I'll send you a invite.
- on April 25 2015, 2:44pmUNIQUEMENT PS4
Vous avez plus de 18ans aimez la moto les chromes et les grosse US
Venez rejoindre notre crew biker d'adultes qui jouent pour le fun , avec une ambiance sympa
dans le respect et en section privé
nos conditions: avoir un mic sur le psn
être co le soir (quand mme a fini de regarder plus belle la vie et que les mômes sont au pieux ^)
si tu te reconnait (avec ou sans mômes) :
fait ta demande avec une presentation :
Nous avons tous plus de 20ans non kikoo et wesh wesh gros !!!
nous geekons avec le mic en salon ou party chat
le soir a partir de 21H00
Nous souhaitons des membres actifs , mais nous vous demandons pas d'etre co 24h/24h
on a tous une vie en dehors de gta
si cela vous interesse : presenter vous via le groupe facebook avec votre psn à bientôt
- on April 13 2015, 2:20pmwir suchen Mitspieler GTA 5 PC
- on March 8 2015, 8:00pmHello comrades I am looking for new recruits must have a mic and be active our crew name is Spetsnaz Brigade we are a military based crew we do frequent crew battles but most people read our crew name and won't fight us lol. (No lie it's happened) so message my on x box 360 xxitzdlanxx (excuse the gt I made it back in Jr high) or message me on here. MUST BE 15 or older
- on March 2 2015, 4:00pmHelp make Stag power bigger on xbxo 360 only we are 107 members strong and growing
- on January 11 2015, 8:24amFck the rest join the best. worldwide hoodstars. Message mr_wat_a_pass on ps3. Ask around no other crew is online like we are day in an day out. Come join the best.
- on January 9 2015, 12:00pmUp and coming crew join now recruiting to make it big http://socialclub.rockstargames.com/crew/gta_allstars_uk/gtav
- on January 6 2015, 12:19pmJoin my crew, i have friends joining tonight and you must have a ps4, be good at gta, and have a nice car. We all have zentornos. We expect atleast a fast sports car.
- on January 6 2015, 2:32pm@StormyThunder--- send me an invite account is stanlick99
- on January 14 2015, 5:44pm@Ross69 join my crew
- on January 6 2015, 12:19pmI am level 75 on PS4 with a 1.19 kd and have a good record in all game types. I am not too serious of a player but i am online for a few hours a night and want a crew to play with and do anything and everything in gta online. i was rank 56 in the gin crew then my rank was removed, so now i want to find a smaller crew with some structure to play with.
- on January 7 2015, 10:10am@Ross69 come join Street Kingz 434. New and upcoming crew. Do you have a Kingz swag?
- on January 4 2015, 5:50pmHi guys, I just wanted to ask if you wanted to join my PS4 crew - just a few hairy men. It may be a small crew but I think it would be great fun to play with a bunch of people.
message me if you Are interested
- on January 4 2015, 11:54amPOSZUKUJESZ EKIPY ? ZAPRASZAM DO NOWO POWSTAŁEJ $ POLISH KILLAZ $ POSZUKUJĘ LUDZI KTÓRZY CHCĄ WSPIĄĆ SIĘ NA SAM SZCZYT HIERARCHII EKIP W LOS SANTOS, RAZEM ROZBUDUJEMY TA EKIPE .. WSZYSCY W KILLAZ BEDA DLA CIEBIE BRAĆMI A WSZYSCY POZA EKIPA TO WROGOWIE KTÓRZY MAJA ZGINAC , TO PODSTAWOWA ZASADA. MUSIMY ZAPANOWAĆ NA ULICACH LOS SANTOS . JESTEŚ CHĘTNY PISZ NICK W GRZE KAMILLOS1991 . KILLAZ 4 LIVE
- on January 2 2015, 4:15pmWant to join a crew with members that are always on and ready to do missions or just run all other crew out the room well come find me MemphisMadeMex on ps3 we will be waiting
- on December 30 2014, 2:44pmHello. we are looking for members to recruit. on xbox one please message CPT Bartanowicz if you are interested
- on December 23 2014, 5:19pmHey anyone want to join a chill back but Good enough crew to fight off anyone who comes against us? Join The Banana Misfits the name is what it is. It is meant to throw off people If anyone is interested send me a message on here or on Xbox One. GT: ADUCKONQUACK456 and if u need to Kik:ayojoseee
- on December 21 2014, 11:49amI just bought a Ps4, who wants to be friends on Gta V. Add me, I want to play as teams.
- on December 6 2014, 9:27pmFree Roam Bikers & 1%ers
The Skull ---s aim to portray a realistic representation of an outlaw motorcycle club. Upon joining you'll be deemed a hang-around, you'll ride with the club, go to club functions and eventually if you're deemed worthy you'll be invited to prospect for the club. Prospecting typically last from 1 week - 3 weeks depending on your activeness.
Our club has role-play jobs. These jobs may require you to fly solo or get a group of guys together and complete the job using teamwork and communication. These jobs range from pimping, taking care of business, drug runs, etc.
We treat our characters as if they only have 1 life and each decision they make is carefully thought out. We abide by the traffic laws, and are very serious when it comes to our role-play.
The Skull ---s Motorcycle Club is an open recruitment crew. As stated above once joining you'll be deemed as a hang-around first. You'll need to complete jobs, hang with patched members and attend club events to get yourself known. Once you're well known enough and we feel you would make a reliable asset to the club we'll vote at church weather or not to "prospect" you.
We're looking for players for the long term. This is no short term, jump ship when things get rough crew. If you feel you can't handle that then simply don't waste either of our time and don't join our club.
Forums: http://scmc.freeforums.org/
Crew page: http://socialclub.rockstargames.com/crew/the_skull_crakers_mc
- on December 6 2014, 8:54pmDear people of Los Santos,
We are Old School Punishers [HERO] XBOX ONE GTAV Online crew that are looking for active members to do races, deathmatches, missions, and the whole shenanigans with. One of our only requirements is that you are 18 years old an mature. Another simple one is we do not kill anyone inless they try to kill us, and we dont kill crewmates, but that should be obvious, last you need a mic.
We were an active crew on 360 but people are slowly switching to xbone an would like to welcome them with new amazing members. Add me on xbone, my gamertag is: kdemarcus420, or comment your GT below and i will make sure to add you.
A little bit background on our crew. We are a social bunch of guys an girls who like to do things together whether it's crew v crews, doing missions or just hanging out in free roam. We have been in various crew v crews and been pretty successful with setting them up with other crews. We got a bunch of great racers, deathmatch'ers, and freeroamers so if you feel like this is what represents you, add me up
- on December 25 2014, 2:22am@kdemarcus The wife and I are looking for a good crew to run heists with once they drop, please add ArkAngel Wolf!

subset: commoncrawl


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Mississippi State hit a lull two weeks ago after it lost its second-straight Southeastern Conference series.
The Bulldogs lost a home series to Ole Miss a weekend after being swept by LSU on the road.Â
Since the loss to the in-state rival Rebels, the Bulldogs have turned things around. No. 20 MSU (27-15, 10-8) takes a five-game winning streak into a home clash against Texas A&M (25-17, 8-10) starting today.
"They're very fundamentally sound, (and) they have really good arms," State head coach John Cohen said. "In some ways, they're similar to our club because they pitch and they play defense, and they're very capable offensively. They are a pitch or two away from three or four more wins in league play."
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Emma Brockes column
A weekly column on culture and the American-British divide from Emma Brockes
The books and television shows from our formative years are a special kind of security blanket when you need to re-create a certain feeling
The newest way to show your love and affection for a friend's special day is a expertly curated video package documenting your relationship for all to see
Emma Brockes: Don't catch up on Serial. Do as God intended and watch a war documentary with your extended family as time slows to a crawl
Emma Brockes: At sea for two weeks with a bunch of vomiting hipsters and suddenly the back of Virgin economy on a full flight from Bangkok looks ideal
Emma Brockes: Welcome to the most wonderful time of the year ... because trust me – you do not want this food during the other 11 months
Emma Brockes: Does anyone piss you off more than classist snobs who send back food, yell at the waiter and blame it on their personality? 'Type A' isn't a type – it's the ultimate humblebrag
Emma Brockes: You never knew you needed to watch 34 straight hours of the weather report until you watched a weatherman turn into a prophet
Emma Brockes: Backing up everything will make you feel safe ... until trusting the precarious netherworld of online data storage with your precious memories drives you mad
Emma Brockes: Maybe the sheer banality of the web could induce the kind of fugue state that allows ideas to flourish
Emma Brockes: The whole point about this kind of food is that you're not supposed to tart it up
Emma Brockes: Brace yourself. There will be photos
Emma Brockes: What if literature's ultimate prize is a secret plot by the judges to make a curmudgeonly old man yearn for even more awards? What if he's not alone?
Emma Brockes: Ideas from the news are usually pretty stupid, but so is the entire sexed-up state of the holiday. Dress up as the ice bucket challenge? Sure. Everybody draws the line somewhere
Emma Brockes: The nostalgia for old tech is undeniable. Who doesn't want to go back in time to an era when your things just ... worked?
Emma Brockes: Forget those classist hedge-funders and their 300-page report on pasta water. What could be more authentically itself than Olive Garden?
Emma Brockes: Don't kid a kidder: you clicked on it, you liked it and you shared it. We can't help but get invested in the royals' progeny
Emma Brockes: Models in our midst! 'Events'! The mere fact of our breathing may seem like vulgar excess to the fashion crowd. But we doth protest too much
Emma Brockes: Good riddance to the sunny, lazy season. You know exactly what you're going to get with a rainy, productive day
Emma Brockes: Can't we agree there are some subjects that provoke such all-consuming rage that it's impossible to leave them alone?
Emma Brockes: Fitness trends rely on the assumption that women are so desperate to be thin that we will check our faculties at the door
Emma Brockes: It's never been easier to e-buy something. It's also never seemed so dangerous. But relax and ... just don't overbid on that Picasso
Emma Brockes: When it comes to British heir, the media behaves like that weirdo who goes on for too long about how cute your baby is
Emma Brockes: Maybe it's the World Cup. Or the Magna Carta. But the real national identity crisis is when patriotic Americans become self-deprecating and half-expect to lose
Emma Brockes: Clever management of those queues can manipulate people to reduce or even overcome their rage
Emma Brockes: Amazon's Fire phone is yet another example that the least impressive part of any new device is the human attached to it
Emma Brockes: Brits automatically regard American enthusiasm for 'soccer' as dubious and fake and too johnny-come-lately to be given much credence
Emma Brockes: Karl Ove Knausgård's work defies our hyperspeed culture so much that he has, inevitably, been taken up by hipsters for the kind of authenticity you just don't get anymore
Emma Brockes: Whatever the research says, most of us know that happiness is a sloppy food with parts that everyone else finds revolting
Emma Brockes: As summer sets in and beach dreams take hold, sometimes you realize you can't take a stand against everything
Emma Brockes: If Instagram photos are the new press release, the star sisters are beating the elevator conspiracy theories and teaching us all a (very British) lesson in passive aggressive conflict resolution
Emma Brockes: The joy of the mystifying song competition is that everyone's in on the joke, and nobody is on the outside sneering in
Emma Brockes: Questions we should be asking about the startup: isn't it just a course correction for a real-estate system stacked against us? Also: is someone having sex in my bed?
Emma Brockes: From James Franco to Salman Rushdie, the internet is breathing new life into the battle of wits between celebrities and critics
Emma Brockes: Filing to the IRS might be boring. But the side effect of tax season is the nostalgia of looking back at a year in your life


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America and its media love a sex scandal, but what happens when the figure at the center of it has been hailed as a hero (I've long referred to him as "St. Petraeus") for almost a decade, his failings, beyond the flesh, mainly overlooked?
If you've been busy this weekend with (take your pick) family, storm relief, football or other worthy pursuits, here are a few key updates (and more, all day, go here [1]):
• Michael Hastings [2] at Buzzfeed (remember, he was the journo who brought down Gen. Stanley McChrystal) on "The Sins of David Petraeus." And how he "seduced" the media. Hastings had gotten some criticism on this for tone and too-broad hits vs. other reporters. Others are linking to pieces critical of Petraeus in the past, including this one [3] from Gareth Porter in 2010 on abuse of Iraqi prisoners that was given fresh life by WikiLeaks.
Glenn Greenwald had weighed in earlier [4] on media "veneration" of Petraeus--and all things military. Even Howard Kurtz joins in [5]--if belatedly. Spencer Ackerman at Wired wrote an honest recounting [6] of how he was suckered into the "cult" of Petraeus.
• The name (and pictures) of the other "other" woman—who went to the FBI after allegedly receiving threatening e-mails from Paul Broadwell—emerged: Jill Kelley, 37, of Tampa. But despite the titillation, it's unclear if she was actually involved with Petraeus or merely accused of that (see photo of her [7] with Petraeus). Also, a: major media flub. AP, The Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times and others reported for hours that Kelley was "liasion" to the Joint Special Operations Command, surely an important job. Then changed that to "social liaison." Now, believe it or not, via AP: She "serves as an unpaid social liaison to MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, where the military's Central Command and Special Operations Command are located."
• Both the NYT [8] and WSJ [9] with new stories today on the tick-tock agreeing that, after the FBI was notified by Kelley last summer it took weeks for them to put it together, not knowing that Petraeus was involved with Broadwell at all until much later (he'd set up a separate e-mail account for their communications) Unclear if they ever monitored Petraeus's e-mail account. Broadwell ended up with some classified info but FBI seems convinced it did not come from the general.
• As one might expect, Jane Mayer at The New Yorker has terrific piece [10] on the unanswered questions, some "political," in the Petraeus scandal, including why Representative Eric Cantor—tipped off by an FBI "whistleblower"—didn't go public before Election Day. But she closes with this to chew on: "A final question, at least from my standpoint, is whether Petraeus had to resign at all. It appears that Clapper, who like Petraeus is a military man, saw it as a no-brainer. Within the military, there are rules about adultery. But within civilian life, should there be? The line of the day on the morning talk shows in Washington, seemed to be that Petraeus did the 'honorable' thing, or, 'he had to resign.' The old saw that if he wasn't squeaky clean, he could be subject to blackmail by his enemies, thus endangering national security, was mentioned again and again.
"To me, the whole Victorian shame game seems seriously outdated. Something like half the marriages in the country now end in divorce, and you can bet a great many of those involved extra-marital affairs. Is it desirable to bar such a large number of public servants from top jobs? It certainly seems fair to question Petraeus's judgement, ethics, moral fiber, etc. in this matter, but if infidelity wasn't treated as career-threatening, its value to black-mailers would be much reduced (the fear of a spouse is another matter). In this instance, evidently, there were no crimes. So why again did this blow up as it has? Fans of thrillers, like me, are waiting for more answers."
• See photo of Broadwell with Karl Rove here [11] and video I found where she flacks for [12] a major machine gun company and even fires off a few rounds herself.
• A related major uproar emerged last night. I was first to post the video below three days ago. I confess I had not watched most of it. Even if I had I would not have caught what Blake Hounshell at Foreign Policy Sunday night focused on as possibly quite explosive [13]: That Paula Broadwell in this talk revealed some classified info on the Libya consulate attack (involving US holding two prisoners which kicked off the whole tragedy—allegedly). "Now, I don't know if a lot of you heard this, but the CIA annex had actually, um, had taken a couple of Libyan militia members prisoner and they think that the attack on the consulate was an effort to try to get these prisoners back. So that's still being vetted."
The CIA now denies. More here [14].
My e-book on Obama-Romney race [15] has just been published. Tricks, Lies, and Videotape covers the contest right up to Election Night and the aftermath, and includes over 500 clickable links to the most important articles, blog posts and videos. Just $2.99, for Kindle, iPad, phones, PC.


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The Methot-Sedin Hit. Shanaban Worthy?
Thomas Drance
October 11 2011 08:49AM
Mid-way through the second period of Monday night's game between the Canucks and the BlueJackets - Mark Methot tagged Henrik Sedin, was called for boarding and it's possible he'll hear from the NHL's office of player safety as a result. The league has prioritized the enforcement of "a more stringent standard with respect to boarding," and boarding (rule 41) along with hits to the head (rule 48) were the two major rules that were altered this summer. Here's the Methot hit, courtesy The Score:
Tales of Truth: Don Cherry, Violence and the Modern Fan
Patrick Johnston
October 10 2011 09:58PM
Kids imitate what they see. Jon Roy's dad did this too.
Photo: Roger Gagnon/West Island Gazette
'Tales of Truth' is a new weekly column written by Patrick Johnston. The column will focus each week on a narrative which has cropped up. Patrick will go at the narrative from all angles, with the hope that the truth will be exposed...
So Don Cherry thinks we are all wimps, eh? He says that if we don't like fighting, or borderline checks or other acts of reckless violence, we should just suck it up.
You know what, Don? You should suck it up. To clean up the game means accepting a few things - that there are going to be some brutish suspensions to begin with. There are going to be players and managers who are unhappy. Some 'good guys' are going to be out of the game. Instilling responsibility in players for their hits, just as we try to do for their sticks, is appropriate and the game will be better for it.
You Know What I Hate?!
Cam Davie
October 10 2011 12:59PM
He's angry and so am I.
Today is the debut of a new weekly feature of me venting and raging on stupid crap happening with the Canucks, their fans and around the NHL. Two things about feature... 1) It will appear (hopefully) every Monday, and 2) It is blatantly ripped off from a stand-up bit from comedian Craig Anton. On either point, I make no apologies. Enjoy. Or don't.
In this week's debut, I rage on icing rules, Cooke apologists and everyone's "favourite" CBC employee.
Game #2 Preview: Canucks Attempt to Turn Down BJs
Thomas Drance
October 10 2011 12:54PM
Schneider gets the start for as the Canucks look for their first win of the season.
Game-Day Recon for Game #2 Canucks @ BlueJackets
The Canucks roll into Columbus having tied their first game of the year against Pittsburgh (and lost in the skill-contest). The team was great in the last twenty-five minutes on Thursday night, and will hopefully string together a solid effort for a full sixty on the road this afternoon. Columbus looks to avoid losing three games in a row to begin the season, so expect them to be a desperate squad (or, as desperate as a squad can be in the first week).
October 08 2011 03:30PM
The 2011-12 NHL season is officially underway and there is a whole bunch of good this week on NationRadio to celebrate. Former Oiler Sean Brown chats with Lowetide as does Timo Seppa - Managing Editor of Hockey Prospectus, Thomas Drance from CanucksArmy, Oil Kings play by play man Corey Graham and finally Matt Bugg from Dobber Hockey.
This is NationRadio.


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Seamlessly blending his two favorite forms of literary entertainment: comedy and detective fiction, Brian P. Borcky has been writing in various mediums of entertainment for over a decade, since penning his first screenplay at the age of sixteen. Graduating from screenwriting into acting, producing, editing and various other tasks, Brian penned his first novel: I'm Detective Clarke, in the summer of 2011.
The Clarke series marks a new direction for the classic private eye novel: R.D. Clarke is the anti-Sherlock Holmes. Though he has the initiative and the heart of the great private eyes in famous lore, Clarke's inexperience is often his downfall, leading him down hilariously dangerous paths.
Born and raised in the Philadelphia area, Brian now resides in northwest New Jersey and is working on several film projects -- shorts and features -- for Project Humanoid: the independent production company he co-founded.
Review by:
Lori Favata
on Aug. 30, 2011 :
I enjoyed this book. It is smart, clever, and intriguing. I look forward to more adventures with Det. Clarke, and eagerly await book 2 in the series. Well done Brian Borcky, I am a fan of your work.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)
Review by:
Jennifer Fincher
on Aug. 06, 2011 :
This book is a mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat, with twists and turns at every corner. You will be guessing through out the whole book on who did it. Each page brings suspense and anticipation you will not believe. Truly a well thought out and intense mystery. Can not wait for book 2 of the Detective Clarke series.
(reviewed within a week of purchase)


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MBBS course in a private college in Tamil Nadu costs Rs. 45 lakh, excluding hostel fee
Students aspiring for a medical seat have, by now, a fair idea which slot they will fit into. Those unable to get into a government medical college are looking at private self financing medical colleges – and their government quota or management quota seats. And their parents have started looking furtively at their savings, and getting application forms for bank loans.
Getting into a self-financing medical college means a huge financial outflow for the family. The sums involved will have a middle class family tussling with every known and unknown source of income. Beginning with capitation fees (for management quota seats) and going on to the annual spending for the next five and a half years, it is going to be a very expensive haul.
Every year, it gets a little more expensive. This year, the going rates in Tamil Nadu are: capitation fees Rs. 45 lakh to Rs. 80 lakh; annual fees Rs. 5.5 lakh to Rs. 9 lakh.
In comparison, the cost of education in a government medical college is not in excess of Rs 12,000 per annum.
This, despite the existence of a committee to regulate fees in the State! The Justice Balasubramanian Committee fixes the fees for private self-financing medical colleges in the State every year and the colleges are bound to follow these rules. Last year, the committee fixed the fees at Rs. 2.5 lakh. This year, the fee is supposed to have been raised by Rs. 10,000. "But the committee only fixes the tuition fee," explains a parent, whose daughter has landed a seat under the state quota of a private medical college in the city.
"The college specifies that sum as tuition fees, but over and above that, they charge other fees, under heads such as infrastructure, lab fees, and uniform. The receipt is only for the legitimate sum of Rs. 2.6 lakh and Rs. 75,000 towards hostel expenses. My expense, however, is upwards of Rs. 4.5 lakh," he laments.
And therein lies a big problem. Many parents depend on a bank loan to cough up the fees. "If they give a receipt only for the basal sum of Rs. 2.6 lakh, the family has to somehow mop up the remaining amount of nearly Rs. 2 lakh," says J.P. Gandhi, educationist.
In rich families, it is not a problem, but there are many students in these colleges whose families have saved for their education, and their nest egg has fallen far short of these charges.
"Banks want to know the commitment for the next five years. But the college prospectus only mentions the "legal fees" and loans are sanctioned accordingly," he explains.
Coming up with Rs. 2 lakh every year for five years is very tough for most middle class households. "Many parents who come for a consult say they have to pledge their property or take personal loans. Some have even borrowed from money lenders at exorbitant interest rates," he said.
In government medical colleges, one needs to pay annual fees only four times, since the last year is counted as the period for house-surgency. On an average, students in a government medical college pay under Rs. 50,000 for their five-and-a-half-year course (hostel expenses are extra) and they are paid a stipend by the government in the final year.
In a self-financing college, students pay fees five times, and the total runs up to about Rs. 45 lakh (extra for hostel) for a student who has not paid capitation fees. If you count capitation fees, the student may be spending up to Rs. 1.2 crore on an MBBS degree.
"Even studying in Russia or China will be cheaper, though not advisable. A student completes the five-year course in Russia or China within Rs. 20 lakh," says Mr. Gandhi.
As per rules, no private self-financing medical college can deny a meritorious candidate a seat simply on the basis of his or her ability to pay. A government health official explains, "No college can give a seat to a student who has say, 194.25 marks cut-off, if a student with 195 marks too has applied, in principle." It is the practice of this rule that is in question.
Why do colleges charge so much? R.Gunasagaran, Dean, Saveetha Medical College, attempts to explain the costs involved. "There are huge running costs in setting up, and running a medical college. The initial expenditure for setting up a college itself requires Rs. 100 crore at the least, and there is additional cost for buying land," he says.
Average emoluments for faculty, nursing and other support staff every month are huge. In addition, there is the cost of running a hospital attached to the college (mandated by MCI).


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Oakland, Berkeley, And East Bay News, Events, Restaurants, Music, & Arts
An Asian-foods supermarket with (live) fish, tofu, and meat sections, and specialties like bitter melon and mochi ice cream.
Features the nation's most expansive produce section, with an in-house restaurant at the opposite end.
Features the nation's most expansive produce section, with an in-house restaurant at the opposite end.
A small cooperatively owned grocery store by UC Berkeley.
Not to be confused with Trader Joe's, Farmer's is a natural grocery with friendly staff and an ample selection of organic packaged goods, baked goods, produce, and more.
Features name-brand staples and delicacies and lots of wine and beer marked way, way down.
Help People's Community Market create a full-service neighborhood food store, health resource center and community hub that supports West Oakland families to attain healthier and more socially connected lives. There are no full-service grocery stores in West Oakland and as a result, the inconvenience, time and cost of these shopping trips lead many residents to regularly shop at nearby corner stores that carry mostly processed, poor quality foods sold at high prices causing 3x the rates of obesity and diabetes compared to Alameda County. California residents can help by buying shares in People's Community Market's enterprise and become Founding Shareholders in the entrepreneurial solution we're creating for the nutritional and social wellbeing of West Oakland families. This is not a donation. It's not a Wall Street investment. This is a real local investment that makes a positive social impact while earning a return of 3% annual interest + 1% store credit.


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Lowrance Anglers Dominate 2015 Bassmaster Classic
GoFree™ Now Available on Lowrance® HDS® GEN3 and HDS GEN2 Touch
Lowrance Announces The All-New HDS® Gen3
Hanseboot Ancora Boat Show
Join NMEA Conference & Expo, the largest conference in the industry
Monochrome 83/200kHz Dual-Search sonar. 4.5" diagonal 240Vx240H Film SuperTwist display. 1500 watts peak-to-peak power.
All-new Lowrance Dual-Search (DS) 83/200 kHz technology produces the best in expanded fishfinding excellence thanks to new applied technology in an incredibly easy-to-use and easy-to-afford complete sonar package.
Film SuperTwist LCD with 4-level gray scale Compact Dual-Search 83/200 kHz Skimmer® with dual beams producing up to 120 degrees of wide fishfinding coverage
This product is discontinued.
No software available.


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Khasab Hotel
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Day trip to Oman
After an exciting night we had an early wake up call for our day trip to Oman. The bus arrived at 5:50am to collect us which was torture after drinking the night before. We arrived at the border of Oman at about 9am and then had to go through the process of getting a stamp in our passport. After the visa process we were off on windy roads for about 45min until we reached our destination.
The boats reminded me of old stripped pirate ships. It was ...
Version fran�aise plus bas
October 22nd Mussandan
Christine wanted to go there and I am glad we did!…already, that made us leave and stop working, but the scenery is special… rocks and rocks everywhere made me long for greenery… yet, those mountains seem to hold a lot of history… their austerity and quietness tell tales of long past events.
It was special to eat in ...
Asea with Me
... each night with the oft mentioned Roz, Sue, Norman and Laurence along with Russell and Merriam from Palm Beach, Tony from Calgary and David and Julia who are also from the U.K. I met the Fab Four for champagne and snacks at the Champagne Bar around 6:30 and then we made our way to the Crown and Anchor Society reception at 8:15 where more champagne was poured. We hooked up with Tony there; he had commandeered a booth next to the dance floor.
It is agreed at ...
Days 1-5 - Kayak Trip Maps
... br>
Also, at the hotel, in the corridor, a map was framed. It was published by the UK Ministry of Defense in 1974. This map ...
Day 5 - Clown Fishes on the Way Back to Khasab
... rocky coast. And since it was low tide we could go under some rocks.
Then at the entrance of the Bay of Sham, we stopped for snorkeling. There were two great clown fishes.


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Cullen & Dykman Sees Colleges Calling for Title IX Help v
"Damages" in an Injury Lawsuit: An Introduction for Lay People
Your Deposition: What to Expect
Trial by Jury: Why It Matters in a Democratic Society
The Burden of Proof -- What must plaintiffs prove to win their case?
Bringing a Lawsuit to Find Out What Happened and Why
Subrogation: Piggyback Claims by Health Insurers in Injury Lawsuits
Who Can Sue the U.S. Government for Injuries? A Legal Primer
Why Secret Settlements of Injury Lawsuits Are Bad (for Everyone but the Defendant)
How Big Tobacco Handles Lawsuits -- Attrition and Wait for Deaths
The Evolution of Informed Consent in U.S. Courts
How Auto Defects Can Cause Passenger Injury
What patients misunderstand about their right of informed consent
Blecker: GM Recalls Show Need for Harsher Penalties for "Red Collar" Criminals
Attorney Client Privilege
Proximate Cause - An Important Practice Tip for Personal Injury Lawyers
Understanding Supplemental Spousal Liability Insurance in NY
The Integrated and Coordinated Approach to Title IX Compliance
Hailey French's Story – When millions barely cover the bills.
What happens if more than one person is responsible for an accident?
The Court of Appeal has reversed a nonsuit in favor of Amcord based on an epidemiologist's testimony that a hypothetical worker who poured a bag of gun plastic cement would be at an increased risk for developing mesothelioma....more
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text: bridges Schumer calls for more inspection of railroad bridges By Catherine Loper • Apr 10, 2015 Alan Kotok / via Flickr Sen. Charles Schumer says the federal government needs more railroad bridge safety inspectors. The New York Democrat says that while the federal government is responsible for the safety of bridges it owns, many others are owned by private rail companies. Schumer says while there are 3,000 of those bridges in New York state, there is only one inspector assigned to audit them, in addition to the bridges in 13 other states. More federal money sought for rural bridges By Ryan Delaney • Jun 19, 2014 Sen. Charles Schumer wants to add about $50 million to funding that comes to New York for upkeep and repair of rural bridges. The federal government provides the state with $71 million a year right now to maintain the thousands of bridges that don't fall under federal purview. That number is tied to a 2009 transportation bill. There are efforts in Congress to continue to cap that amount through 2020. The Democrat says continuing to cap the fund will lead to further deterioration of rural bridges. Schumer wants better GPS systems for trucks By Ellen Abbott • Sep 26, 2012 U.S. Senator Charles Schumer is calling on the federal government to change the regulations for GPS systems used in trucks and buses. He believes truckers using systems meant for cars is the reason that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of trucks ramming into low bridges in New York state in recent years.