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Jewish Community Center of Silicon Valley10am-12pm
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Comment on and Discuss the Automated Electronic Records Management Report and Plan
We, with significant assistance from the Electronic Records Management Automation Working Group, have completed a draft report and plan to satisfy Managing Government Record Directive Goal A3.1. This draft is available here (.pdf) for your review, suggestions, and discussion.
We decided that it would be most useful to satisfy the goal by drafting two things, a report and a plan.
The report addresses categories of suitable approaches for automating ERM and discusses their outcomes, benefits, and risks. Our goal is to finalize the report in May 2014, incorporating the comments you send now.
The report covers the goals of electronic records automation, what the project has accomplished to date, NARA's stance on DOD 5015.2, and a framework of 5 suitable approaches to automation that the Federal government can pursue.
The plan, on the other hand, will remain a living document. It will be revised at least once a year as we complete initial tasks and assess the feasibility of the four major initiatives we will start exploring in the first year.
The plan is still basically an outline – we need input to flesh it out. We hope you, both Federal agency staff and information management experts outside the government, will work with us to refine it. You can help by commenting here on the blog now and continuing to provide input over time.
Some of the questions you should consider as you read this draft are:
- What should the long term future look like to achieve vastly improved access to government information?
- What steps could we take to get there?
- Are there points (in the report or plan) that need clarification?
- Are these the right goals?
- Are these the right initiatives in the plan?
- Are these the right tasks? Are there missing tasks? Who could do these tasks?
- What stakeholders would need to be consulted? What stakeholders are already working in these areas that we should coordinate with?
- Are you in a good position to help with any of the tasks?
Comments are due by April 25, 2014
Update: To leave a comment, please visit this more recent posting. Thank you.
Kathleen Williams March 14, 2014 at 3:58 pm
What is the best way to get comments to you, and possible edits?
An early comment – I couldn't get the link to the Working Group's wiki on OMB MAX to work (p. 7 of report), and I have an OMB MAx account already, so take a look at this.
Arian Ravanbakhsh March 17, 2014 at 9:57 am
Hi Kathleen. We have fixed the wiki, so you should have access to it now. If you have comments, you can leave them here on the blog or email them to the PRMD mailbox at email@example.com.
Mark Mandel March 28, 2014 at 1:05 pm
The key concept that is missing from this draft and from most discussions about these issues is that fact that Records Management is not a stand-alone function or product. It is found today as a component of a larger Enterprise Content Management solution that includes document management, search, access controls, legal holds, and much much more.
Any discussion of Records Management absent this context is too constraining to be very useful.
For example, many of the RM automation tools available today in organizations such as the Department of Interior involve a holistic approach to Information Governance. RM is a key component of this solution; however the solution includes many other moving parts that all have to work together to be successful.

subset: commoncrawl


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Heitkamp bemoans Senate gridlockNorth Dakota senators travel the state during recess to talk energy, farm bill and health care.
By: TJ Jerke, Forum News Service
BISMARCK, N.D. — North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp said Monday there is something wrong with the process in Washington when three Senators can keep Congress from passing a budget.
"We need to get back to regular order," she said. "The rules of the U.S. Senate are not working for America."
Heitkamp's reference to the ongoing issue between the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives and Democratic-controlled Senate was part of a list of issues facing the country she laid out during a 25-minute address to the Bismarck Lions Club.
Heitkamp, the state's sole Democratic official in Washington, only expects the battle between the House and Senate to continue when they return from their fall recess break, expecting little movement on key issues such as the federal farm bill and budget.
"It's not that we don't get along, we sometimes have fundamental disagreements on how the country should move forward," she said about the two main political parties.
Heitkamp is spending her recess break traveling the state talking and meeting with officials mainly about energy, banking, housing and what the next phase of healthcare reform is going to be.
She will meet Wednesday with the director of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and area bankers.
U.S. Sen. John Hoeven also is traveling around the state during the recess break. He will meet today with Bismarck area agriculture leaders, the Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce and bankers to discuss the farm bill and business-related issues.
Republican Rep. Kevin Cramer will continue his weekly town hall radio show on Wednesdays, take part in a Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce forum and two ribbons cutting ceremonies in Minot later this month.
Tags: farm bill, crops, agribusiness, updates


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You can now invite anyone to meet at your favorite Starbucks.
Limited-time feature
24 year old woman | Shoreview, MN, USA | Seeking men 24-33 within 50 miles of Saint Paul, MN
What's life without a little fun?
I decided to give Match a try because I've never really been into the bar scene and neither have my friends. Kind of hard to meet people that way. On to the hard part, then. I'm a laid back kind of girl and very shy for the most part, unless I'm around friends. Then I can be really outspoken and opinionated (and somewhat stubborn), depending on the topic. I love to laugh and try to find the humor in everything. I speak sarcasm fluently, love playing games of any type (card, board, video, outdoor), and enjoy spending time outside. I can be competitive, but mostly I enjoy just having a good time. I am kind of a nerd. I like video games, although I'm not very good at them; I have collectibles from my favorite books and movies (and don't let others touch them); and I know what a LAN party is (and attended a few in college). My favorite music depends on my mood; I'll listen to anything from classical to hard rock to electronica, but I'm not into country. I also don't really listen to rap or R&B. I love action and animated movies, think most of the romantic comedies are too cheesy, and find horror films boring (not that I don't watch all genres). Books are one of my downfalls. I'll need a library of my own one day to hold them all. Fantasy and non-fiction science books are the bulk of my reading list, but I do have a shelf of children's books that I read to my nephew. I have watched my nephew since he was 8 weeks old. It's fun but exhausting trying to keep up with a three year old boy! Watching him has made me realize that I would really like to work with children, though. I'd like to go back to school to get a degree in elementary school teaching. Family and friends are important to me. We do a lot together, although I'm not someone that needs to have someone around every hour of the day. I am introverted, so I need to be alone and recharge every once in a while. My family has a cabin up north; it's my favorite place to be. I'd live there if I could. I love riding the ATVs, building fires, swimming, tubing, and just relaxing. Fishing is fun; I'm horrible at it, but the point is to feed the fish, not catch them, right? I live with three dogs right now. One is mine, one I sort of inherited, and the other is the family dog. Cats seem to love me, although I'm allergic to them and can't really be around them. What am I looking for in a partner? I'm looking for someone who can make me laugh, get me to try new things, and just be friends with. Friendship is the foundation of a solid relationship. That doesn't mean that we need to share every interest, like all of the same foods, or do all things together. It just means that I'd like to enjoy hanging out doing nothing together as well as going out. Ask me anything else you might want to know. I subscribe to Match right now, so emails on here are great.
Camping , Coffee and conversation , Cooking , Dining out , Fishing/Hunting , Gardening/Landscaping , Hobbies and crafts , Movies/Videos , Museums and art , Music and concerts , Exploring new areas , Playing cards , Shopping/Antiques , Travel/Sightseeing , Video games , Wine tasting
Bowling, Cycling, Other types of exercise, Swimming, Walking / Hiking
I exercise 1-2 times per week.
I don't believe in astrology
I have Dogs, Fish, Other
I like Exotic Pets
I love dogs! I live with 3 small dogs, although only one is mine. I'd like a big dog some day. Sadly, I'm allergic to cats (anything with fur or feathers, really), but they still seem drawn to me even though I can't really give them attention.
My cabin up north is my favorite place to hang out. There's always something to do, rain or shine. And nothing beats watching the sunset on the lake. If I'm not up north, I hang out at a friend's or, more likely, just at home.
Anoka-Ramsey Community College, Coon Rapids, MN
I switch between watching shows like Game of Thrones and Through the Wormhole. Current faves are The Blacklist, Lost Girl, and Grimm. I love Olive Garden's Alfredo, a wine that is no longer available, watching Disney movies, and reading, too!
I love hanging out with friends, reading, watching movies, going up north, playing any game (board, card, video, or outdoor), or doing pretty much anything except watching sports.
I read more than one book at once, so I'll go with favorites. Normally, I read fantasy and scifi books, with a sprinkling of non-fiction on the side. My favorite author is Melanie Rawn (kind of obscure), with the runner up being Carol Berg.
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|What she is looking for
|5'6" (167cms)
|5'6" (167cms) to 6'11" (210cms)
|Body type:
|About average, Heavyset, A few extra pounds, Stocky
|Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Green, Hazel
|Auburn / Red, Black, Light brown, Dark brown, Blonde, Dark blonde, Platinum, Bald
|No Way
|No Way
|Social Drinker
|Social Drinker, Moderately
|Other profession
|No preference
I nanny my nephew and love it. He's two and a half, and I can barely keep up with him! It's so much fun watching him learn new things. I plan on going back to college when I can, but it's not in the cards right now.
|I'll tell you later
|No preference
|Never Married
|Never Married, Widow / Widower, Divorced
|Have kids:
|Yes, and they sometimes live at home, No, Yes, and they live away from home, Yes, and they live at home
|Wants kids:
|Definitely, Someday, Not sure
|White / Caucasian
|White / Caucasian
I'm about 7/8 Norwegian, which is very evident in my blonde hair and blue/gray eyes. My great-grandparents immigrated from Norway, but we're still not quite sure where one of my great-grandmothers immigrated from.
|Agnostic, Atheist, Spiritual but not religious, Other
I was raised Lutheran, and my parents and extended family remain Christian. Religion is not my thing, though, and I don't attend church anymore.
|Some college
|Some college, Associates degree, Bachelors degree, Graduate degree, PhD / Post Doctoral
I plan on going back to college when I can, even if it's one class at a time. Continuing my education is very important to me.


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Professor Zimbardo was recently interviewed by The Independent outlining the parallels between his Stanford Prison study and incidents at Abu Ghraib. In the article (and his book The Lucifer Effect) Zimbardo provides interesting insights into the original study and the effect it has had on his life. "[Stanford] was a little week-long study," he says, "but it has affected my whole life." His thoughts are not all doom and gloom about human nature; where there are villains there are also heroes and his current interest lies in bringing out the good in all of us. Even Lucifer had the potential to be good as he was a fallen angel.
Maverick academic Philip Zimbardo says we are all capable of evil
March 14, 2008 by Cara Flanagan.
Post Info
Category: Psychology AS, Social Influence
Tags: Abu Ghraib, Zimbardo.
One comment to "Maverick academic Philip Zimbardo says we are all capable of evil"
Adrian Frost says:
I think Zimbardo is interesting as a psychologist… Alongside Carl, Sigmund, Jean et al he's reached that height where you get a first name as well as a surname. He's also one of the few psychologists whose work is presented with such a mixture of the personal and the academic… There's a distinct sense of 'narrative' about it all: his personal story entwined with the 'story' of his research and of the various victims, but also the story of psychology developing as a science and coming to terms with its' ethical dilemmas. Obviously this is linked to the nature of his research – you don't see many cognitive psychologists portrayed in such a fashion.
This sense of dramatic narrative is heightened by the way Zimbardo himself is presented in the media: the 'maverick' who is 'devoted to darkness' – and the beard always reminds me of the original 1970's version of the Master in Doctor Who (far superior to the current version methinks, but that's probably a debate for a different corner of the blogosphere!)
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Psychology Blog
Psychology: The Online Companion


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Creative Media || Project Management || Communications
The following is my second annual list of summer reading lists. Readers who enjoyed my 2011 list of summer reading lists may notice that many big media outlets such as the LA Times and Newsweek have yet to release lists, so be sure to check back here. I'll continue to update this page all month.
6/11 Update:
New lists have been added, including the LA Times list, which earns the award of Best Book List Format/Presentation from me again this year.
Books appearing on many lists this year include The Marriage Plot, The Art of Fielding, and Fifty Shades of Grey. Let the reading frenzy begin.
Human Rights (Amnesty International)
Green Living (Huffington Post)
The Atlantic's YA for Adults list
Children's Book Week/Scouting magazine
Arizona Governor's Reading Program
Minneapolis Star Tribune **NEW


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FORT DODGE, Kan. — Hugh McLaughlin, 90, died Saturday, March 3, 2012, at the Kansas Soldiers Home, Halsey Hall, Fort Dodge.
He was born June 8, 1921, in Barnesville, Ohio, the son of Joseph and Anna Robben McLaughlin. A longtime Dodge City, Kan., resident, formerly of Ohio and Colorado, he was a linotype operator and a machinist for numerous printing companies, including the High Plains Journal in Dodge City, retiring in 1983.
He was a member of St. Andrew Church, Wright and 4th Degree Member of Knights of Columbus Council 2955, Dodge City.
He served in the United States Army during WWII.
On April 25, 1945, he married Viola Reischman at Miltonsburg, Ohio. She preceded him in death Oct. 18, 2010.
Survivors include five sons, Paul (Dianne), of Wooster, John, of Yoder, Colo., Tom (Renee), of Colorado Springs, Joe (Debbie), of Montezuma and Karl (Teresa), of Colorado Springs; four daughters, Martha (Doug) Vandervort, of Lincoln, Neb., Rosemary (Frank) Pagano, of Philadelphia, Karen Worley and Linda McLaughlin, both of Colorado Springs; a sister, Mary Blanchard, of Gambier; a son-in-law, Bob Smith, of Castle Rock, Colo.; 29 grandchildren; and 26 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a daughter, Helen Smith; two brothers, Edward and William; and a grandson, Jason McLaughlin.
Vigil service followed by Knights of Columbus rosary will be 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 6, at St. Andrew Church, Wright. Funeral Mass will be 10 a.m. Wednesday at the church with the Rev. Fr. Robert A. Schremmer presiding. Friends may call from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday at Burkhart-Ziegler Funeral Chapel, Dodge City. Burial will be in St. Andrew Cemetery, Wright, with military honors by Howard Gotschall VFW Post 1714.
The family suggests memorials to Hospice of the Prairie, St. Andrew Church or the Kansas Soldiers Home all in care of Burkhart-Ziegler Funeral Chapel, 1901 N. 14th Ave., Dodge City, KS 67801. Condolences may be sent to http://www.zieglerfuneralchapel.com.Copyright The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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If you ask 10 people charged with IT at a small business to name their primary concern about going to the cloud, you're bound to find a lack of trust is dominant. After all, it's difficult for smaller organizations without great depth in IT to trust what they cannot see. At the same time, this group also wants IT to be simple, uncomplicated, and ideally, not their problem any more.
That dichotomy leads to an interesting challenge for cloud service providers trying to market to this growing segment. From what I've seen, most providers tend to lean toward simplifying their pitch and hiding as much of the complexity in cloud services as possible. The fewer questions you open up, the easier it is to sell.
However, there's one enormous drawback of this approach: The customers aren't forced to develop basic fluency with the services they're using -- and it's all too easy for your clients to develop inaccurate expectations around performance and reliability. Worse, an uninformed customer is unlikely to be able to separate the well-run cloud services from the fly-by-night operators common in any emerging market.
An understandable reaction might be to suggest that customers not fluent with cloud services should stick to the big, known providers who (one hopes) won't rip them off or lead them astray. However, these smaller businesses are precisely the organizations the big providers -- Amazon Web Services, for example -- aren't well-suited for. Amazon and its peers simply expose too much technical complexity. Typically, smaller providers that either act as a front end for larger clouds or run their own can provide the care and feeding needed by smaller businesses, especially those with limited or no IT staff.
Sadly, it takes just a few of these providers to give the cloud a bad name and ruin it for everyone. Whether due to financial instability, inexperience, or actual malfeasance, a small number of cloud hosting companies are the source of a large share of the horror stories you hear passed around. I recently had an opportunity to see how much trouble an undereducated, overtrusting customer can get into when lined up with an incompetent service provider.


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"Women Are Just More Emotional"
Filed under: Opinion, Politics, Post by: Sarah M, Women's Health
"Hey, the 1950s called, they want their stereotype back," I said during a somewhat intense debate last night. I was asking a new friend, let's call him Adam, what he thought of Garance Franke-Ruta's recent article in The Atlantic called "Why Isn't Better Education Giving Women More Power?"
If I'm being honest, I probably already knew his response; I just really wanted it to be different, because… I like him. The article is basically about how even though women are generally more successful in school, the same behaviors and tools that helped them to succeed in the academic arena, don't necessarily translate into the workforce. The article gives statistics on the disparity between genders and points out that studies show women in the workplace are criticized more, make less money, and are generally judged more negatively. But, the most important piece of this essay, and the part that I am most interested in, deals with the root of the problem: "The university system aside, I suspect there is another, deeply ingrained set of behaviors that also undermine women: the habits they pick up—or don't pick up—in the dating world. Men learn early that to woo women, they must risk rejection and be persistent. Straight women, for their part, learn from their earliest years that they must wait to be courted. The professional world does not reward the second approach. No one is going to ask someone out professionally if she just makes herself attractive enough. I suspect this is why people who put together discussion panels and solicit op‑eds always tell me the same thing: it's harder to get women to say yes than men. Well, duh. To be female in our culture is to be trained from puberty in the art of rebuffing—rebuffing gazes, comments, touches, propositions, and proposals."
Bingo. This makes total sense to me. I am a woman. I have all too well mastered the art of rebuffing. It's March: Women's History Month. There are signs in stores that are supposed to be "celebrating" women. They read: 60% of our employees are women! But, it's a party trick. "Hey, look over here!" Because when you look at upper management, it's only 4% female. Now, Adam's initial response to this article was to also look at the numbers. He's very logical. He's very smart. I like him. He would like to see the holistic ratio of employees in business. He's had a 50/50 ratio of male to female bosses. Then, he gives me a word problem: If there are 100 employees in the office and 10 are women, and there are 10 spots to move up from that 100, then 1/9 women should be promoted and 9/90 men should be, too. His point being that no one thinks about the actual numbers, they only look straight to the top and see that there are 9 male bosses and 1 female boss. I acknowledge that he is speaking from a place of privilege, and in my mind, this isn't the problem either. The problem is much deeper; it's much bigger. The problem is that there are only 10 women who are employees going after that promotion in the first place. The problem is that we (women) have been taught all of our lives to accept our position, to be submissive, and to self-objectify. These behaviors and states of being are so deeply ingrained that sometimes I'm not even aware that I'm participating in this dynamic. From a very early age, we lose belief in our own political and social efficacy. We learn to see ourselves and value ourselves how the media and the collective consciousness see us.
BUT… still, the real problem is even more insidious and subtly woven into our social makeup. The REAL problem is that we still exist in a time and place that perpetuates an accepted culture of violence against women. At some point in our debate, Adam says that men and women ARE different, right? He brings up the obvious difference: our physical traits. This is the in. Yes, I think, herein lies the issue at the core of our patriarchal power dynamic. Our physical traits have been held against us and kept us repressed since the beginning of time. This is usually where I lose my male readers. They hear sexual assault/domestic violence and distance themselves, because they would never do that, so this part doesn't apply to them. This is where we're all wrong. Let me give you a scenario that most of the women in my life can relate to:
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Sarah Marcus on Feminism, Publishing, and Teaching Activism
Filed under: Interview, Poetry, Post by: Sarah M, Post by: Sheila M, Reviews
The following is an interview with Sarah Marcus, author of BACKCOUNTRY, feminist, past StS poetry reader, regular StS guest blogger, teacher, and VIDA Count intern.
Sheila: Why is feminism important to you? What does it mean to you?
Sarah: Feminism is responsibility. I believe that I am responsible for being an effective advocate. Like Steinem, I think that a "feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men." Being a feminist means subverting an accepted culture of silence. As such, feminism is vital to creating civic-minded, educated humans and consumers. I spend a great deal of time thinking about ways to win hearts and minds. I lesson plan and write and start conversations and show my face in my community. I support other feminists— I think we have a duty to be role models for young women and men. I am painfully aware of my words and actions and how they impact those around me. I am overwhelmed by the cultural backlash to feminism that surrounds us on a daily basis: reality television, violent and degrading (always present) pornography, the Republican's war on reproductive freedom, etc. It is important for me to remember that I am (we are) the example. People are always watching us. We are educators and guides, and being a feminist means having integrity. It means being in healthy relationships. It means modeling how to be with a respectful partner. Having self worth and refusing to wallow in self-pity. It means not looking in that bathroom mirror, hallway mirror, car window, etc. and saying, "I look disgusting," because I never know who's watching me. A student? A child? A friend? It means not judging someone's clothing or lack thereof. Today, I am accountable for giving what I never had.
Being a feminist in today's academic culture means publishing my students, teaching equality in the classroom, and talking about gender identity and sexual violence even when it's uncomfortable—even when no one wants me to have the conversation. During college I was a sexual assault/rape crisis counselor and victim advocate for Butler County, Ohio. Being a feminist means positively impacting our communities. Gloria Steinem has always been my hero because she represents fearlessness. She revolutionized the presentation of our emotional lives. She represented the uninhibited. She was apt to unwomanly assertion, passion, and individualism. Through her example and the example of so many others, (Adrienne Rich, Elaine Showalter, Eve Ensler, Betty Friedan, Susan Brownmiller) I learned that being brave and strong doesn't mean that you don't have a difficult time or make mistakes, but that you walk through them with dignity and grace. I learned to embrace femininity. I think that forgiveness (true forgiveness conquers the dutiful martyr) is principally feminine.
Today, I feel this communal attitude that we are only allowed to publicly call ourselves feminists within certain limits. We are not supposed to be aggressive or appear angry. We should know how to communicate and operate and advocate for change within the realm of our context—within what the current patriarchal hierarchy has deemed acceptable—what they feel comfortable with. This model feels submissive and repressed and ironic to me. Sexual and angry—we are threatening; we are dangerous. I think that our discipline is self enforced and kept in check by society's incessant scrutiny.
I do not pretend to speak for or represent an entire movement or even a small part of a movement. I'm not sure that I would even feel comfortable aligning myself with a particular wave of feminism. Although, I do have a soft spot for second wave hardliners… I am a feminist operating within a tradition of trailblazers. I am also a feminist who loves and appreciates chivalry (I have received unfortunate, collective gasps for this statement). I hate that some people would like to kick me out of the club for this. Yes, please open my car door and do kind things. I do not expect this, but I certainly cherish it. I respect it. It's not because I don't know how to open my own door. It's not because I need a man (or anyone else) to help me. I value the concept because it's caring, because it epitomizes the idea that we should be of maximum service to our fellows. It was a beautiful day in my life when I realized that I was finally becoming the kind of man that I was told I should marry (Steinem's description of self-actualization).
Q: Your first chapbook, BACKCOUNTRY, is now available for pre-order from Finishing Line Press. What do you hope BACKCOUNTRY teaches us, argues for, and inspires us to do?
A: In the 7th grade, Mr. Simeone told our class that patience plus perseverance equals survival. This is a math equation that makes sense to me. I hope BACKCOUNTRY inspires us to be ferocious. I am arguing that the act of entering someone or something (a landscape) physically and emotionally is a type of violence. It's violence even when it's beautiful. This is a violence because some boundary, some border, has been irreversible crossed. A barrier is broken. I think love is a type of violence. People describe themselves as love-sick (so the body experiences a violence). Perhaps these instances should be called small violences. Everything about our human nature is voyeuristic, intense, and wild. When you enter someone, you must also at some point leave them. (This is a violence.)
"This I Believe": Starring 3 Inspired Young Women
Filed under: Lesson Plans, Nonfiction, Opinion, Post by: Sarah M, Starring Local Feminists
I asked Anna, Marissa, and Catherine what they could take with them into the world from this first year advanced composition class:
"It's important to write about something that I am passionate about and to be confident in my writing." -Anna Rothstein
"I learned how to express myself in this class. I know that I will take that gift out into the real world." -Marissa Rossi
"It is really great to write about current issues in the world and your opinion on them. This motivates me to want to make a change! Critical reading has opened my mind to so many other perspectives." -Catherine Cassidy
These students remind me that to inspire others, one must first be inspired. I really loved the following personal narratives written for an essay assignment by these three brave young women. After reading their work, my motivation to help support, guide, and educate students to become responsible global citizens who can positively impact the communities around them was renewed. I am encouraged that these women dare to dream and continue to foster a challenging, supportive, and safe community of empowered voices.
May we all be so loving, kind, and compassionate with ourselves and others throughout this season and this new year. I can't wait to see what amazing things these feminists will do next. We should do everything in our power to support and empower our students. Our future depends on them.
This I Believe Official Guidelines: http://thisibelieve.org/guidelines/
This I Believe My Guidelines for Advanced Composition Essay Prompt
Catherine Cassidy-The Wisdom of Fear
Cultural Critique & Gender Identity
Filed under: Lesson Plans, Opinion, Post by: Sarah M, Starring Local Feminists
How do we identify ourselves amidst the incessant negative images and messages perpetrated by our ever-loud media culture? I think about this a lot. I show my advanced composition students the Missrepresentation documentary, and I ask them to write a cultural critique based on an advertisement of their choosing. From a pedagogical standpoint, in a world where sexism is so blatant, I feel responsible for guiding students in their analytical quest to uncover what is overt and implied. Again and again, I come to the construct of gender. I come up against that dreaded statement: "That's so gay." As teachers, how do we have these conversations without alienating the students who need to hear this message the most? How do we create a safe, inclusive space for everyone? I believe the conversation must be made personal. Political and social efficacy must come from within. We are the roots of the weed. I believe the unspoken social contracts of acceptability must be defined in order to be broken and freed.
I challenged my students to make it personal. I really loved David Bache's essay; I wanted to share it with you.
A brief description of the assignment.
Courage Is The First Step Into Nonconformity by David Bache
Every time we gather around our television screen, we are bombarded by advertisements for America's finest products. Each of these ads has an agenda to not only sell their product but to form societal rules for its viewers. Nearly every commercial that hits the air features beautiful people, in beautiful clothes, living their beautiful lives with the aid of the company's product, of course. The constant visual assault of what the media deems normal and beautiful has had an extremely negative effect on it's viewers. One ad campaign in particular, Old Spice, targets men who don't fit into society's definition of masculine, by exclusively representing a muscular, womanizing type of man. Old Spice targets these men by assuring them that after the use of their product, they too will be as masculine as "The Old Spice Guy" and, therefore, be rich, famous, have sex with beautiful women and, on occasion, defy the laws of physics. Unfortunately, what Old Spice, and the general population of the United States, do not understand is that being masculine has nothing to do with being a man; a man is quite simply a human being who identifies as male.
Men today are belittled by the media. Every father and son who are subjected to today's advertisements are being subliminally told that if they do not look, act and talk a certain way they will live a less than satisfying life. Old Spice pitches in on this objectification in the form of promotions for their mens grooming products. In the television commercials, the muscular and 'manly man', Isaiah Mustafa, informs the female audience that unless their man uses Old Spice products, he will never be able to live the exciting and adventurous life that a man who does use the products could. Another depicts a young man with little muscle mass, who starts using Old Spice products. The young man is instantly blessed with large biceps and a beard and eventually goes on to "cure all the worlds problems". This over exaggeration has become extremely detrimental to the vast majority of men in our country.
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Radical Revisions: Impacting our Communities
Filed under: Lesson Plans, Post by: Sarah M, Starring Local Feminists
Breaking Boundaries of Textual Space
Before I returned to academia for my M.F.A., I worked in communications and public relations for two and a half years. Through this experience, it became exceedingly clear to me that the skills learned in the writing classroom need to be translated into "real-world" writing. I am an advocate for encouraging and assisting students in publishing their own work, because I believe this instills a sense of confidence and accomplishment even in the most inexperienced students. My hope is to help produce informed and capable global citizens. To me, this principal is at the core of feminism. These students have already begun to make a difference in their communities. They are socially aware. I am so proud of their ambition and passion. In the classroom, I strive to foster a type of character culture, because I believe that learning and writing flourish in safe, open environments. I want to be a teacher who creates a space that inspires individual creative writing and learning. I also think we should all feel responsible for offering students the necessary tools they will need to survive and succeed in the American academy and beyond.
*Disclaimer: I did not come up with this assignment. I stole it. It most likely came from some combination of my pedagogy classes, colleagues, and mentors.
The Assignment: Take one of the formal papers you've written this semester and turn it into something completely different! In this process you will take apart your writing and reassemble it in a new form. I want you to revise to the point that your revised text is so different from the original that you may think it is near failing. I am encouraging you to push the composing envelope. Systematically stretch your writing to the limit!
Then, you will write a story of what you learned during this revision process. This should be in a narrative essay that will accompany your final presentation to the class of your radical revision project. I believe this assignment teaches writing as a writer experiences it.
You must reach an audience OUTSIDE of this classroom. Consider the following when approaching this assignment: Audience, Meaning, Clarity, Style & Form, Development & Depth, Purpose, Organization, and Context.
Please, take a look at how these incredible students are impacting their communities!
XO Sarah


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Algerian solders killed twelve terrorists in two separate operations, APS reported on Saturday (February 23rd). Four terrorists died Friday in Boukaal Medajadji, in Chlef. Eight others were killed Saturday morning in the Boumerdès town of Timezrit. According to the defence ministry, three wanted criminals were among the dead.
The army defused bombs and seized weapons, grenades, ammunition and other equipment during the operations.


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Retaliating the zero tolerance policy of BJP government, Goa's tourism minister has said that his government will free the state of drugs. Goa tourism minister Dilip Parulekar said that this is the New Year's Resolution of the government.
He was asked questions about police seizing drugs from venue of Sunburn and the other popular electronics and dance music festival. In reply he said that it is very difficult to stop someone from selling drugs near the venue especially when there is shortage of police.
Dilip Parulekar added that there is not sufficient police force to take on the drug mafia but still his government is trying its level best. The state do not need rave parties, drugs or flesh trade to attract tourists.
Goa government is trying to improve the image of state as family friendly destination. Some high profile rape cases and drug menace has in the past dented image of Goa tourism.
But since BJP government has come in power, it has done a lot to ensure security of tourists. Various steps have been taken including deploying additional police at popular beaches.
In the meantime, industry estimates that there will be more than 15 lakh tourists visiting the state during holiday season.


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Enrique Iglesias has been dating Anna Kournikova for the past 12 years, but he's yet to introduce the retired tennis pro to his famous father, singer Julio Iglesias. What's keeping them apart? "My kids are very independent and it is difficult to see Enrique because he is all over the world," the 70-year-old living legend tells the U.K.'s The Mirror. "But Anna is very beautiful—they have good taste, my kids."
Julio, who vows to never retire from music, tells the newspaper, "I have to tell the truth—I have never met Anna. Yes, my wife, and my kids and his brothers have, but I have never met her, no, no, never."
He may not be privy to his son's love life, but Julio is "very proud" of Enrique's accomplishments. "He is a super guy," he raves. "You know, it's not as easy to follow in the same steps as that of the father. Like if you play tennis, normally the kid doesn't play tennis like the father. But Enrique is in the same class of guys like [Kirk Douglas' son] Michael Douglas and [Judy Garland's daughter] Liza Minnelli."
VIDEO: Does Enrique Iglesias have a secret child?
Enrique has been burning up the charts with a number of club bangers, which are unlike his father's famous songs. "The music is very different to mine and he has gone his own way...I don't have to say whether I like it or not," Julio says. "He is doing very well, he is a clever guy and he is very charming."
NEWS: Enrique Iglesias jokes about his small penis
Because he grew up with a famous father, Enrique prefers to keep his private life, well, private.
"I think it comes with the territory," he told E! News in March. "I understand why people ask, 'Are you married? Do you have a girlfriend? Do you have kids? Do you have kids that we don't know about?'"
For Enrique, it's about balance. "When I go back home, I want to make sure that whatever goes on in my house, it's just for me and my loved ones that are with me right there," he said. "I need that."
PHOTOS: Look back at Enrique Iglesias and Anna Kournikova's romance


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Health Care
Medicare Advantage plan costs rising for 2015 due to Obamacare
Veterans voice concerns about healthcare at VA town hall meeting
Terry McAuliffe, Virginia governor, proposes limited health care expansion
Hackers break into HealthCare.gov
Federal government spends $6B a year on medical care for undocumented immigrants
Boost for vets' health: Obama signs new VA law at Ft. Belvoir
What's included in the veterans health care overhaul bill?
Congress approves VA, highway funding bills, not border measure in race to summer break
Satanists use Hobby Lobby decision to play devil's advocate
House approves VA health care overhaul
Probe exposes flaws behind HealthCare.gov rollout
Veterans Affairs: List of proposed new VA medical facilities
Obamacare confusion: Va. federal appeals court rules subsidies legal, conflicts with D.C. ruling
Federal appeals court in Virginia rules in Obama administration's favor on health subsidies.
Federal appeals court deals new blow to Obamacare
A federal appeals court has delivered a serious setback to President Barack Obama's health care law, potentially derailing subsidies for many low- and middle-income people who have bought policies.
White House: Health subsidies not halted by court ruling
The White House says health subsidies under the Affordable Care Act will continue to flow for the time being despite a major setback delivered by a federal appeals court.
Veteran dies waiting for ambulance in VA hospital
A veteran who collapsed in an Albuquerque Veteran Affairs hospital cafeteria, 500 yards from the emergency room, died after waiting 30 minutes for an ambulance, officials confirmed Thursday.
Paramjit Singh Ajrawat, Sukhveen Kaur Ajrawat of Potomac indicted on alleged health care fraud charges
Two doctors who owned and operated pain management clinic have been indicted on charges of health care fraud.
House votes to allow vets with long wait times to get VA-paid outside treatment
The agency has contacted 50,000 veterans awaiting appointments and plans to reach 40,000 others to accelerate care, letting them choose VA treatment or local non-VA health care providers.
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Book your room at Page 10, Hotel
Superior StudioMax Occupancy: 3 guests (up to 1 child)
Deluxe StudioMax Occupancy: 3 guests (up to 1 child)
Get an overview of this hotel4-star Pattaya hotel in Pattaya Beach Road with 2 restaurants
Located in Pattaya Beach Road, this hotel is within a 10-minute walk of Central Festival Pattaya Beach, Ripley's Believe It or Not, and Pattaya Memorial Hospital. Royal Garden Plaza and Hard Rock Cafe are also within 15 minutes.
Hotel Features
This hotel features 2 restaurants, an outdoor pool, and a fitness center. WiFi in public areas is free. Other amenities include a poolside bar, a snack bar/deli, and coffee/tea in the lobby.
Room Amenities
All 79 rooms feature thoughtful touches like bathrobes and slippers, along with conveniences such as sofa beds and refrigerators. Free WiFi and balconies are standard, as are LCD TVs with cable channels. Private bathrooms are not ensuite.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
Page 10, Hotel features an outdoor pool and a fitness center. Dining is available at one of the hotel's 2 restaurants. The property also offers a snack bar/deli. A poolside bar is on site where guests can unwind with a drink. Public areas are equipped with complimentary high-speed wireless Internet access.
This Pattaya hotel also offers tour/ticket assistance, coffee/tea in the lobby, and laundry facilities. For a surcharge, a roundtrip airport shuttle (available on request) is offered to guests.
- 24-hour front desk
- Airport transportation (surcharge)
- Total number of rooms - 79
- Number of floors - 8
- Babysitting or childcare
- Breakfast available (surcharge) buffet
- Coffee/tea in lobby
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Elevator/lift
- Fitness facilities
- Airport transportation
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Free WiFi
- Laundry facilities
- Limo or Town Car service available
- Parking (limited spaces)
- Poolside bar
- Porter/bellhop
- Snack bar/deli
- Year Built 2010
- Number of restaurants - 2
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
- Outdoor pool
Family Friendly Amenities
- Outdoor pool
- Free Wi-Fi
- Rollaway/extra beds available
- Snack bar/deli
- Laundry facilities
- Babysitting or childcare
- Sofa bed
- Refrigerator
- Microwave (on request)
- DVD player
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Parking (limited spaces)
Room Amenities
- DVD player
- Balcony
- Air conditioning
- Phone
- Refrigerator
- Minibar
- Coffee/tea maker
- Microwave (on request)
- Free bottled water
- Daily housekeeping
- Bathrobes
- Hair dryer
- In-room massage available
- Slippers
- Separate bathtub and shower
- Iron/ironing board (on request)
- Desk
- In-room safe
- Sofa bed
- Rollaway/extra beds available
- Private bathroom (not in room)
- Cable TV service
- Free WiFi
- Room service (limited hours)
Where to Eat
Cross Bar - This restaurant serves breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. Guests can enjoy drinks at the bar. A children's menu is available.
Room service (during limited hours) is available.
Nearby Things to Do
Recreational amenities at the hotel include an outdoor pool and a fitness center.
Children under 10 years old are not allowed in the swimming pool or fitness facility without adult supervision.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
- Golfing nearby
- Parasailing nearby
Spa Services
- Massages
To make requests for specific accessibility needs, complete the "Special or Accessibility Requests" section of "Trip Preferences" when you book your hotel.
- Accessible bathroom
- Accessible path of travel
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at 2 PM
Check-out time is Noon
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Rollaway/extra beds are available.
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
We should mention
This property offers transfers from the airport (surcharges may apply). Guests must contact the property with arrival details before travel, using the contact information on the booking confirmation. A resort fee is included in the total price displayed. Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms.


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Visit The Sign Gallery
Check out some of ForSight's projects in a variety of industries.
Do you have a question about a specific project, sign, environmental art piece or architectural element? Or would you like to learn more about ForSight Creations? Feel free to give us a call or fill out the form below and we'll be happy to contact you.
ForSight Creations
3838 East Foothill Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91107
(p) 626.449.8990
(f) 626.449.9219
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The erhu also called nanhu (南胡, "southern fiddle"), and sometimes known in the West as the "Chinese violin" or "Chinese two-string fiddle," is a two-stringed bowed musical instrument, used as a solo instrument as well as in small ensembles and large orchestras. It is the most popular instrument in the huqin (胡琴) family of Chinese bowed string instruments, together with the zhonghu (中胡), gaohu (高胡), banhu (板胡), jinghu (京胡), sihu (四胡), and numerous others.
The first Chinese character of the name of the instrument (二, èr, two) is believed to come from the fact that it has two strings. An alternate explanation states that it comes from the fact that it is the second highest huqin in pitch to the gaohu in the modern Chinese orchestra. The second character (胡, hú) indicates that it is a member of the huqin family. The name "huqin" literally means "barbarian instrument," showing that the instrument may have originated from regions to the north or west of China inhabited by non-Han peoples.
The jing erhu (京二胡) is a variety of erhu that is used in Beijing opera.
Various dense and heavy hardwoods are used in making the erhu. According to Chinese references the woods include zi tan (紫檀 red sandalwood and other woods of the genus Pterocarpus such as padauk), lao hong mu (老红木 aged red wood), wu mu (乌木 black wood), and hong mu (红木 red wood). Particularly fine erhus are often made from pieces of old furniture. A typical erhu measures 81cm from top to bottom, the length of the bow also being 81cm.
The parts of the erhu:
Most erhu are mass produced in factories. The three most esteemed centres of erhu making are Beijing, Shanghai, and Suzhou. In the collectivist period after the establishment of the People's Republic of China, these factories were formed by merging what had been previously private workshops. Although most erhu were machine-made in production lines, the highest quality instruments were hand made by specialist craftsmen.
The erhu has some unusual features. First is that its characteristic sound is produced through the vibration of the python skin by bowing. Second, there is no fingerboard; the player stops the strings by pressing their fingertips onto the strings without the strings touching the neck. Third, the bow hair is never separated from the strings (which were formerly of twisted silk but today are usually made of metal); it passes between them as opposed to over them (the latter being the case with western bowed stringed instruments). Lastly, although there are two strings, they are very close to each other and the player's left hand in effect plays as if on one string. The inside string (nearest to player) is generally tuned to D4 and the outside string to A4, a fifth higher. The maximum range of the instrument is three and a half octaves, from D4 up to A7, before a stopping finger reaches the part of the string in contact with the bow hair. The usual playing range is about two and a half octaves.
In the 20th century, there have been attempts to standardize and improve the erhu, with the aim of producing a louder and better sounding instrument. One major change was the use of steel strings instead of silk. The move to steel strings was made gradually. By 1950, the thinner A string had been replaced by a violin E string with the thicker D string remaining silk. By 1958, professional players were using purpose made D and A steel erhu strings as standard.
Outside China, manufacturers of erhu are able to issue their own CITES licenses with approval by governments of their respective countries. Such exports are legal as they have been made from legal skin sources.
Other solo pieces include Er Quan Ying Yue (1950, Moon Reflected on Second Spring) by A Bing, Sai Ma (Horse Race) by Huang Haihuai, Henan Xiaoqu (Henan folk tune) by Liu Mingyuan, and Sanmenxia Changxiangqu (1961, Sanmen Gorge Rhapsody) by Liu Wenjin. Most solo works are commonly performed with yangqin accompaniment, although pieces such as the ten solos by Liu Tianhua and Er Quan Ying Yue originally did not have accompaniment.
In addition to the solo repertoire, the erhu is also one of the main instruments in regional music ensembles such as Jiangnan sizhu, Chinese opera ensembles, and the modern large Chinese orchestra.
The erhu is also used in the music of the Cirque du Soleil show O. Even fusion progressive rock groups like The Hsu-nami have incorporated the erhu into their music and it is their lead instruments. It is also incorporated in the Taiwanese black metal band ChthoniC
The erhu (played by George Gao) is also featured prominently in the soundtrack for the TV series Earth: Final Conflict.
The erhu is almost always tuned to the interval of a fifth. The inside string (nearest to player) is generally tuned to D4 and the outside string to A4. This is the same as the two middle strings of the violin.
The erhu is played sitting down placed on the top of the left thigh.
The bow is held with an underhand grip. The bow hair is adjusted so it is slightly loose, tension is provided by the fingers of the right hand. Bowing techniques include la gong (pull bow, equivalent to the "down bow" technique used on western bowed string instruments), tui gong (push bow, equivalent to the "up bow" technique). The bow hair is placed in between the two strings and both sides of the bow hair are used to produce sound, the player pushes the bow away from the body when bowing the A string (the outside string), and pulls it inwards when bowing the "inside" D string.
Aside from the usual bowing technique used for most pieces, the erhu can also be plucked, usually using the index (second) finger of the right hand. This produces a dry, muted tone (if either of the open strings are plucked, the sound is somewhat more resonant) which is sometimes desired in contemporary pieces.
Techniques include hua yin (slides), rou xian (vibrato), huan ba (changing positions), etc.
With the founding of the PRC and the expansion of the conservatory system, the solo erhu tradition continued to develop. Important performers during this time include Lu Xiutang (陆修堂, 1911-1966), Zhang Rui (张锐, 1920- ) Sun Wenming (孙文明, 1928-1962), Huang Haihuai (黄海怀), Liu Mingyuan (刘明源, 1931-1996), Tang Liangde (汤良德, b. 1938), Zhang Shao (张韶), and Song Guosheng.
Liu Mingyuan (刘明源) (1931-1996) was born in Tianjin. He was known for his virtuosity on many instruments of the huqin family, in particular the banhu. His compositions and arrangements include Henan Xiaoqu (Henan folk tune), and Cao Yuan Shang (On Grassland) for zhonghu. For many years he taught at the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing.
Tang Liangde (Tong Leung Tak, 汤良德, b. 1938) was born in Shanghai into a famous Shanghainese musical family. He won the "Shanghai's Spring" erhu competition and continued to be the soloist for the Chinese Film Orchestra in Beijing, his composition and solos can be heard throughout the Nixon to China documentary movie. Tang was the soloist and performed at the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, then went onto music broadcasting and education for the Hong Kong Government's Music Office making worldwide tours, and was named Art Educator of the Year in 1991 by the Hong Kong Artist Guild.
Wang Guotong (王国潼, b. 1939) was born in Dalian, Liaoning. He studied with Jiang Fengzhi, Lan Yusong and Chen Zhenduo, and in 1960 graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. He performed the premiere of Sanmenxia Changxiangqu (Sanmen Gorge Rhapsody) composed by Liu Wenjin. In 1972 Wang became the erhu soloist, and later art director, with the China Broadcasting Traditional Orchestra. He returned to the Central Conservatory of Music in 1983 as head of the Chinese music department. He has written many books and articles on erhu playing and has performed in many countries. Wang also worked with the Beijing National Instruments Factory to further develop erhu design.
Min Huifen (閔惠芬, 1945- ) was born in Yixing, Jiangsu. Min first became known as the winner of the 1964 fourth Shanghai Spring national erhu competition. She studied with Lu Xiutang and Wang Yi, and graduated from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in 1968, and became the erhu soloist with the Shanghai minzu yuetuan (Shanghai Folk Orchestra).
Yang Ying (杨英, b. 1959) was the featured soloist for the Chinese National Song and Dance Ensemble (中央歌舞团) of Beijing from 1978-1996. She was a national erhu champion, frequently recorded for the Chinese film and record industry, and is listed in famous persons of China.
The erhu is featured along with other traditional Chinese instruments such as the pipa in the contemporary Chinese instrumental music group, Twelve Girls Band. They perform traditional Chinese music as well as Western classical and popular music.
A few groups have utilized the erhu in a rock context. The Taiwanese black metal band ChthoniC uses the erhu; they are the only black metal band to do so. The New Jersey-based progressive rock band The Hsu-nami plays a variety of rock sub-styles including metal, psychedelic, prog rock, and funk. An amplified erhu takes the place of lead vocals.


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Decentralized ideas are drool-worthy. However, not all of them are able to add business value to the world. I really wish one of these projects give their better counterparts a run for their money.Read More
OpDarknet is a new operation of Anonymous. In this operation, the Anons have promised to purge the hidden web of caches of child pornography. Till now, many users of child pornography forums have been identified many of these sites in the DarkNet have been attacked by DDoSs. An Anon called 'arson' agreed to be interviewed by Techie Buzz and the interview follows.Read More


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American Research Institute in Turkey
Turkish law requires foreign scholars to obtain official
permission to carry out research at institutions in Turkey for each calendar year. In general,
researchers should seek permission to carry out research from the director(s) of
the institution(s) where they intend to work; this includes researchers who wish
to work in libraries housed in Turkish museums. A letter of consent from the host institution should accompany an application for a research visa to the Turkish Consulate.
LIBRARY and ARCHIVE PERMITS: For library or archive research with tenures of less than three months, most foreign scholars may enter Turkey on a tourist visa and
apply for research permission from within Turkey. Permission for work at a museum library, such as Topkapı or Istanbul Archaeology Museum, may also require permission from the Ministry of Culture in Ankara and therefore require more time to process. With this in mind scholars hoping to work in these locations should begin the application process well in advance of their arrival in the country.
Scholars wishing to carry out research in Turkey for terms longer than three months should apply for the research permit from the institution, and in addition secure a research visa through the Consulate prior to entering Turkey, and a residence permit from local authorities within 30 days of arrival. Non-U.S. researchers should consult the Turkish
Consulate for specific procedures.
MUSEUM COLLECTIONS PERMITS: Those who wish to work in any collections in museums
other than library need both a research permit and a research visa. In some cases museum researchers may make use of a tourist visa (confirm with the museum director). Researchers should submit their research permit applications to the Ministry
of Culture and Tourism, General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums (Kültür
Varlıkları ve Müzeler Genel Müdürlüğü, or KVMGM). Applicants should send a
copy of the application also to the directors of the relevant museums. To expedite the process the application should contain specific and complete information about the material for study. In addition, if the material they wish to work with is part of an excavation or survey, researchers must submit a letter with their application that is signed by the project director giving permission to carry out the research. Names and addresses for the institutions or
directorates will be provided by the
Turkish Embassies and Consulates. A descriptive list of state and private museums is accessible on the website of Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The application
regulations and research permit application form
(.pdf format or .doc format) for researchers are posted here.
For more specific information, please contact the ARIT directors in Istanbul and Ankara.
For more specific information, please contact the ARIT directors in Istanbul and Ankara.
T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı
Kültür Varlıkları ve Müzeler Genel Müdürlüğü
II.Meclis Binası Yanı
Ulus, Ankara 06110
Turkey Tel: (90 312)
508 60 00
Fax: (90 312) 508 60 47
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı
Kültür Varlıkları ve Müzeler Genel Müdürlüğü
II.Meclis Binası Yanı
Ulus, Ankara 06110
Turkey Tel: (90 312)
508 60 00
Fax: (90 312) 508 60 47
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
RESEARCH VISA: Instructions for requesting a research visa are posted on the Turkish
Consulate website.
RESIDENCE PERMIT: Applications for residence permits, which are usually based on the research visa, should be made within 30 days of arrival in Turkey. Information about residence permits for long-term stays is also accessible on the Consulate website.


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Introducing Dr. Butler!
What is your position at MOSCOT?
I am the Senior Optometrist at MOSCOT.
How long have you worked for MOSCOT?
My 5 year mark at MOSCOT will be in two months. It's crazy how the time flies.
What is your favorite thing about working for MOSCOT?
My favorite aspect of working at MOSCOT is getting to know my patients, and then seeing them on the streets of NYC wearing a MOSCOT frame!
What is your favorite thing to do when you're not at work?
I have a secret passion for baking. I treat baking as a science project. When every ingredient is measured, weighed and timed just right, you know the final product will be a success.
What is your favorite MOSCOT frame and which one do you wear?
My favorite MOSCOT frame is The DANNEE. I have it in almost every color, including a custom color.
Where would you take your favorite MOSCOT Sun on vacation?
I would take my MOSCOT frame to London for vacation this summer. That way I could watch the Olympic games in style.


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A. J. Parker Maritime Archaeology and Ancient Trade in the Mediterranean (Oxford Centre for Maritime Archaeology, Monograph 6) edited by Damian Robinson , Andrew Wilson (eds) 230 pages, 85 colour and 36 b&w illustrations, 11 tablesOxford Centre for Maritime Archaeology, Institute of Archaeology, 36 Beaumont Street, Oxford OX1 2PG, 2011, £40 (hbk), ISBN 978-1905905171 International Journal of Nautical Archaeology 42
Article first published online: 4 FEB 2013 | DOI: 10.1111/1095-9270.12008_6
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February 16, 2005 5:20 PM PST
Microsoft to give developers a new look at Longhorn
- Related Stories
Microsoft: Longhorn beta will arrive by JuneFebruary 7, 2005
Microsoft revamps its plans for LonghornAugust 27, 2004
Microsoft plans laptop tune-up with LonghornMay 5, 2004
Gates trots out LonghornOctober 27, 2003
In an e-mail to developers on Wednesday, Microsoft said it would offer a new developer preview release of Longhorn at the company's Windows Hardware Engineering Conference, April 25-27 in Seattle.
The company has also updated its WinHEC site with a preliminary list of tracks--many of which are devoted to Longhorn.
The track descriptions suggest a number of the areas in which Longhorn will be seeking to improve on today's Windows, including enhancements to printing, improvements in power management and a new feature that will allow Longhorn-based PCs to connect directly to cellular phones. Other topics include enhancements that Longhorn will bring to mobile computing, including support for secondary displays.
Microsoft lists a session devoted to the hardware requirements for Longhorn. "This session explores the components that define a Windows Longhorn-ready PC and covers core system requirements, marketing considerations, and the timeline for customer awareness leading up to Windows Longhorn PC availability," Microsoft said on the site.
The updated developer preview software will be the first look at Longhorn since the software maker announced plans last fall to scale back several planned features of the OS.
The company announced last August that it would make changes to all three major pillars of Longhorn. The company pulled out the new WinFS file system feature, while changing the Indigo Web services and Avalon graphics engines so that they would work with both Longhorn and Windows XP.
The company has served up a couple of prior developer preview versions of Longhorn already, but those editions predated the Longhorn changes.
In addition to the new developer preview, Microsoft said earlier this month that it plans to have a more full-featured beta release of the OS by the end of June. The final release of Longhorn is planned for the second half of next year, Microsoft has said.
A Microsoft representative was not immediately available for further comment.
11 commentsJoin the conversation! Add your comment
- Microsoft Corporation.................
- Can't believe a journalist would put their name on the line to report *anything* positive about a grossly dishonest company with a track record.
- Like Reply Link Flag
- why don't you try north korea?
- US Steel, Standard Oil, Microsoft: testaments to capitalism. If you don't like the country you live in, try somewhere else, somewhere more fair, somewhere like north korea, where everyone is "equal", and large corporations only exist in storybooks.
- Like Link Flag
- We may not like them but...
- Lets face it most PC user's don't like Microsoft, we don't trust them and we don't feel we get our money's worth from them.
However, like them or not they are still important to most PC users and so are the next versions of Windows. I am by no means a fan of Microsoft and Mr. Gates but I do have to say that to date Windows XP has been the best and most stable version of Windows we have had.
Now I don't think that speaks well of previous versions but it is the best we have had. I for one am looking forwards to Longhorn in the hopes that it is atleast ten percent better that XP.
- Like Link Flag
- If you look....
- an over-horned bull in the ass, just what are you likely to get???
- Like Reply Link Flag
- i hear a lot of whining...
- i hear a lot of whining, yet no suggestions to alternatives. the majority of consumer software (from every conceivable genre) is available only on the microsoft platform. until that changes, which it won't, because the market (that's you), hasn't widely adopted any alternative, we haven't need to complain.
to all those out there who hate microsoft (cause they write software for the devil or whatever), why don't you recompile every bit of software out there for microsoft's platforms, such that it will run on linux, unix, what have you, then get their respective owners to ok it, and redistribute it, and perhaps then, you might have a leg to stand on.
- Like Link Flag


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Green Up Keene
Submitted by Garett Kopczynski
As the piles of snow recede, litter and other trash that has accumulated over the winter, comes into view. Working together across the community, we can make a great stride toward cleaning up the city of Keene.
Green Up Keene brings together individuals from a variety of organizations, other interested citizens, and the city government in a team effort to beautify Keene. The main event will be focused around the clean-up day on Saturday, April 14th, 2012, from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon, coffee and other refreshments included, with some groups helping on April 13th or 15th depending on availability. Last year alone, Green Up Keene volunteers picked up approximately 2 tons of trash! Green Up Keene is looking for any volunteers and all are welcome! Businesses that elect to participate prior to the weekend may arrange to pick up bags ahead of time at the Keene Department of Public Works, 350 Marlboro Street.
We hope that your organization will be a part of Green Up Keene to help clean up our beautiful community! Please choose a section of the city, or a street or two, to which you are willing to send volunteers to pick up trash. We want to cover as much of the Keene area as possible, with a focus on those areas that seem to accumulate the highest volumes of trash. Even a few volunteers, giving an hour of time, can cover a lot of ground!
Please contact Garett Kopczynski if you are interested in helping or if you would like to sign up for a section of the City to clean up. Visit the City of Keene website for more information and keep up to date on our Facebook page to find out more how you can help and contribute to the planning process!


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This forum aims to serve as a platform for knowledge-sharing on the latest developments in the carbon market and how the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and other mitigation mechanisms can be successful in Africa. By bringing together main actors and stakeholders from the carbon markets, it promotes matchmaking and deal facilitation sessions, where carbon project developers can showcase their projects to investors and carbon buyers. Participants at the Forum can expect to:
- Be updated on recent developments in the international carbon market and new challenges associated with global climate change;
- Participate in discussions between project developers and technical specialists in a wide range of sectors and technologies on best practices and lessons learned for the implementation of CDM projects in Africa
- Attend sessions with experts from the public and private sector on strategies and measures promoting the benefits of the CDM in Africa emphasizing the new Programmatic CDM approach;
- Be given opportunities to showcase CDM projects to private sector representatives; and
- Build networks and find partners throughout the Forum.


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Libby's Story
Once we again we caught Country Bank (CB) with its fingers in the cookie jar, this time a few days ago. By that what we mean is CB's habit of illegally denying a homeowner a mortgage modification required under the federal law known as HAMP. This most recent transgression by CB which we unearthed involves Libby. However, before we get into Libby's story, an understanding of why banks are financially incentivized not to work with homeowners in helping them succeed in paying on their mortgages is necessary.
The reason this is so is found in the way the bank is compensated by the loan's owner for collecting the monthly payments, otherwise known as "servicing" the loan. The bank's fees are not based upon the amount collected in monthly payments on the loan, but rather on the unpaid balance of the loan. In other words, late fees and other charges added to the loan increases the balance owed, which in turn increases the bank's fees. This results in a monetary incentive for the bank to drag its feet in offering, or simply deny altogether, a mortgage modification, even if federal law requires it.
BC has been caught in this sort of illegal conduct many times in foreclosure cases across the country. The facts of Libby's story present a slight variation on the theme. Even before she was sued for foreclosure, Libby reached out to BC for mortgage help, only to be turned away. After the foreclosure was filed in October 2012, the bank, for the first time, finally offered her a HAMP modification reducing her $1,600 monthly payment of principal, interest, taxes and insurance, to $1,300 in June of this year. The problem was that offer did not comport with HAMP requirements. With a gross monthly income of $3,100, Libby clearly qualifies for a payment of no more than $1,000 a month, $300 less than that offered.
The spotlight was turned on the Bank's misdeed with respect to Libby at a recent mediation in her foreclosure case. With all the relevant documents in on the table in front of us, the bank's representative could not answer the mediator's direct question as to why Libby's monthly payment wasn't reduced to $1,000. Put in a corner with no way to save face, the only way out of the dilemma for BC was to ask the mediator for additional time to "reconsider" the proposal. Without question, when it does, Libby's payment will be reduced to the $1,000 required under federal law. All told, that will reduce her payment almost 40%, allowing her to stay safely in her home. And once again, the Bank got caught with its fingers in the cookie jar. Has your bank done the same to you?
Note from the author: If you have questions or comments- regarding this or any Foreclosure Story article, please visit www.mcgookeylaw.com or visit us on Facebook.
Kate Eyster and Lauren McGookey contributed to this article.
Copyright 2013 Daniel L. McGookey


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Hello everyone, my sister got a blue weimaraner puppy for her birthday from her boyfriend. She wanted help picking out his name and I was suggesting Ruger, Remington, Savage, etc because her boyfriend is a taxidermist. Well her boyfriend suggested Luger...the German gun. Brilliant, I thought.
So Luger is his name. He will be eight weeks old on Saturday. My sister wanted me to take pictures of the little guy. I agreed to do so, but our weather hasn't been the best. Today the high was twenty-four, that's a bit chilly. Especially for a little short haired puppy. I bought him a blue bandanna. I originally wanted red but blue turned out great on him. My sister also has a little green sweater for him.
I did get some decent pictures. It was difficult as he always stayed very close to me and wanted to be picked up and cuddled with. He then spent the other half of the day being a lazy bum sleeping on the bed. I'll be taking more pictures of him for the next couple days. Just to see what other pictures I can get. Thank you for looking.
So without further ado...Luger
His Green Sweater
All Tuckered Out From The Cold.
Back Outside In The Cold Evening Light.
Having Him Sit And Stay Is Like Asking For A Miracle!
Wanting To Be Picked Up From The Cold.


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"Caught Up" is an R&B song by American singer Usher. The song was written by Ryan Toby, Andre Harris, Vidal Davis and Jason Boyd, and was produced by Dre & Vidal for Usher's 2004 album Confessions.
The song was released as the fifth and final single from the album. The single peaked at number eight in the United States, the only single released from Confessions without topping the Billboard Hot 100, and generally below top ten on most charts worldwide. It received positive reviews from contemporary critics.
"Caught Up" is an upbeat R&B song. The lyrics are constructed in the traditional verse-chorus form.
"Caught Up" received positive reviews from contemporary critics. Andrew McGregor of BBC called the song "meaty" and "hip-grinding". Jon Caramanica of Blender magazine referred to the song like a "Southern marching band performing late-'80s R&B". He characterized Usher's voice playing like a rhythm instruments. Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine complimented Dre and Vidal for producing an old-sounding music without sampling records, calling it "super-tight" alongside "Follow Me", another song from the album. Andy Kellman of Allmusic complimented the song as one of Usher's best moments in the album, together with "Burn". Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times called it a "thunderous song" from the album, adding that it gave Usher "a chance to do two of the things he does best: strut and pander".
Outside the United States, responses from music markets were relatively similar. "Caught Up" debuted and peaked at number nine on the United Kingdom, remaining on the chart for also nine weeks. It reached number ten in the Netherlands, and under top ten on the rest of European countries; much lesser in Finland where it only stayed for one week compared to other charts, remaining for several weeks. In Australia and New Zealand, the single reached number fifteen and twelve respectively. In the aggregate tally of the United World Chart, "Caught Up" reached number six, becoming its highest position.
The music video debuted on MTV's Total Request Live on January 10, 2005 at number ten. The video remained on the countdown for thirty-four days.
|Chart (2004)
|Australia Singles Chart
|Austria Singles Chart
|Belgium Singles Chart
|Finland Singles Chart
|Germany Singles Chart
|Ireland Singles Chart
|Netherlands Singles Chart
|New Zealand Singles Chart
|Romanian Singles Chart
|Switzerland Singles Chart
|UK Singles Chart
|U.S. Billboard Hot 100
|United World Chart


text: Publications Search Results Users may wish to consult What's Included in the Bibliography. Results 1 - 1 Results per page: 25 50 100 Sort by: Pub Date (newest) Title Recent Additions Author Clear All Pub. Year Citation 2004 Drentea, P. Work and activity characteristics across the life course. Advances in Life Course Research. 9, 303-329. Full Text Options: DOI Worldcat Google Scholar Export Options: RIS EndNote XML [1]


text: Ballistic Publishing - Call for Entries tired flight attendantI modeled her in about one week to try to archive this tired and burned out look after work. Copyright (C) Philip Hartmann 2007 All Rights Reserved No unauthorised duplication or distribution without explicit permission from the copyright holder. Artist Name: Philip Hartmann Artist Country: DE Entered for: Software used: Autodesk - MayaAdobe - Photoshop About us | Contact us | Privacy Policy Copyright © 2003 Ballistic Media Pty. Ltd.


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Entries with no category
Hey folks. I'm pretty sure the title speaks for itself, so let's get to it. These are the features I'm hopin' and prayin' will be added to WWE '13
1. Midcard Superstars
Now let me first say that I believe THQ did a great job with the WWE '12 roster. With that said, I was a little bit disappointed with the lack of midcard talent in the game. Now I understand that people are
So obviously the title speaks for itself: this is a list of the young WWE stars that are the future of the company. Here are the rules:
-they cannot be Divas, obviously
-they have to have been in WWE for less than 5 years
-they cannot have held either the WWE or World title
-tag teams count as one spot
-FCW stars can be used
Hey again folks. Here we go with yet another chapter of the most sporadic writer of all time, Chris Masterpiece.
Let's get right to it. Brock Lesnar's return is big. Hell, it's huge. And everyone's talking about it, both the good and the bad. And here's where we find our topic.
I was watching some highlights from this past RAW and saw that one of the comments said something
After a hiatus, don't worry folks, ChristMasterPiece has returned. Be jealous.
Alright, so, here's the deal: I'm gonna be doing a four-part series on ways the WWE could change their product for the better (in my opinion, of course). So this is Part 1: The New School. Let's get to it.
I guess the first thing you're wondering is, who in the bluest of blue hells is the New
Hey guys! My third-ever blog. Throw a party.
Okay, here are ten teams that I'd love to see in the WWE.
5. Skip Sheffield and Mason Ryan
I think these two would be a really interesting duo, because it's been a while since we've seen a team of purely strength-based competitors. I also think Sheffield's charisma could take him far in the 'E once he returns from that ankle
Hello and welcome to my second-ever blog! Woot.
Okay, let's just get right down to it. CM Punk has coined this the "Reality Era." Now, I'm a huge Punk fan; in fact, he's my favorite Superstar on the roster, for various reasons (I could write about why he's my favorite, but let's save that for another blog). Now I pose my question: Is the Reality Era just a one-time thing,
© 2011 eWrestlingNews, All Rights Reserved.


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Natasha Leggero 'not sorry' about Pearl Harbor, SpaghettiOs NYE joke
This is actually quite refreshing: after saying an offensive joke during New Year's Eve, comedian Natasha Leggero is not rattling off some canned apology or plagiarizing an apology (looking at you, Shia LaBeouf). In fact, she published an open letter with the bold statement: "I'm not sorry."
During NBC's "New Year's Eve With Carson Daly," Daly was interviewing Leggero, Jane Lynch, and Anthony Anderson about a tweet that SpaghettiOs sent on Pearl Harbor day -- a controversial tweet that pictured the food's mascot holding an American flag, with the caption, "Take a moment to remember #PearlHarbor with us."
Daly and Lynch were discussing why it was so offensive when Leggero responded, "I mean, it sucks that the only survivors of Pearl Harbor are being mocked by the only food they can still chew." Apparently Leggero has been receiving a lot of flack for her comment, and thus her open letter was born.
Read the full letter below:
On New Years Eve I made what I thought was a harmless joke http://dailym.ai/1crNs71
Here is my response:
Well hello America!
It's been a busy few days but rest assured, I have received all of your messages and have been busy sifting through the different creatively misspelled death threats, rape fantasies and most of all repeated use of the the C word. In the past few days I have been called a c*** so much I felt like I was in a British pub rooting for the wrong soccer team.
Click here to see some of my faves!
I wish I could apologize, but do you really want another insincere apology that you know is just an attempt at damage control and not a real admission of guilt? Let me just try instead to be honest.
I'm not sorry. I don't think the amazing courage of American veterans and specifically those who survived Pearl Harbor is in any way diminished by a comedian making a joke about dentures on television. Do we really believe that the people who fought and defended our freedom against Nazis and the Axis powers will find a joke about SpaghettiO's too much to bear? Sorry, I have more respect for Veterans than to think their honor can be impugned by a glamorous, charming comedian in a fur hat.
That's not to say I don't think comedians are a problem in this country, they are a financial drain on the people who date them and talk far too much about themselves. I'm thrilled to see how passionate (death threats against a five foot tall woman are always the height of passion!) people are about our country and our Veterans. I am too. My own father lost his hearing in the Vietnam War so the issue is pretty close to me too. So rather than apologize, let me offer another perspective.
On the one hand you have me, making a joke about how old people can't chew tough foods very well.
On the other hand you have Veterans who receive inadequate care upon their return from active duty, rampant sexual assault against female soldiers, staggering rates of suicide, traumatic brain injury, PTSD, substance abuse and depression among soldiers and political gridlock that prevents these problems from getting solved quickly.
Where do you think your outrage and action would be better served, calling me a c*** or doing something about the above problems?
For those of you that are currently doing both: Kudos!
To our vets: I love you. I truly hope you know that.
To SpaghettiO's: Let's do lunch.
To the Elderly: Chew!
To @nealrscott: It's spelled Human Excrement not Increatment.
To those looking for an active way to address the above problems, do what I've decided to do instead of apologize: Make a donation to the Disabled American Veterans foundation. (link http://www.dav.org)
Ever Yours,
Natasha Leggero
So what do you think of Leggero's non-apology letter? Do you agree with her or do you think she should actually apologize for the joke?


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TEXT + IMAGES Pierre Belanger
On December 31, 2002, Canada's largest municipal solid waste facility, the Keele Valley Landfill, received its last shipment of garbage from the city of Toronto. After 20 years of contentious operation, the closure of the site was celebrated by the town of Vaughan with a big party where thousands of locals turned up for fireworks, and for what would become a new picturesque park and an 18-hole Scottish-style golf course. After a decade of site studies, community consultations and conservative environmental politics that failed to find a solution to the GTA's waste disposal problem (think about the Adams Mine site near Kirkland Lake for example), garbage eventually began flowing south across the Canada-US border. In fact, America's third-largest importer of trash in the US next to Pennsylvania and Virginia was more than happy to pick up the slack. Recalibrating the laws of supply and demand, Michigan capitalized on the huge capacity of its landfills to essentially become a magnet for all the solid waste in the Great Lakes Region.
By the early 1990s, America's largest waste handlers were, not surprisingly, totally prepared for the imminent garbage crisis in big cities. When strict new environmental standards--such as the infamous Subtitle D Regulations--were enacted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 1991, small landfill operators were unable to sustain the capital investment required for engineering upgrades and simply shut down. The impact of this legislative vise-grip was so significant that from 1990 to 2000, the number of landfills in the US plummeted from over 10,000 to under 2,600. Exacerbated by the closure of the world's largest dump in 2002, New York City's Fresh Kills Landfill, the drop immediately created the perception that there was a lack of airspace--a logistical term that defines the maximum filling capacity of a site--throughout the country catalyzing an unprecedented reorganization of the municipal solid waste industry, especially on the Eastern Seaboard. Forced to radically consolidate their operations, large waste management corporations (Allied, Onyx, WMI and Republic known as the "Big Four") created supersize landfills to essentially achieve greater economies of scale. Seeking solid waste disposal contracts from neighbouring municipalities, most companies look beyond their borders for new waste streams to offset the rising costs of capital infrastructure. Like New York, Ohio, Wisconsin and Illinois, Ontario suddenly became Michigan's best friend. At the centre of this wasteshed--the region defined by garbage flows--are two of the largest waste handlers in North America that opened their gates to Ontario's waste with two megasize landfills ironically named Carleton Farms and Pine Tree Acres. From the air, the sheer magnitude of their operations is staggering: receiving approximately one tractor trailer every three minutes thanks to rapid-fire turnaround times and GPS-guided bulldozers, every single part of the process is optimized on a time-cost basis; nothing is wasted. By 2025, the size of these two landfills alone will cover an equivalent area of two square miles under a perfectly graded, 300-foot pyramid of garbage.
The rise of Michigan to the top of the garbage empire is both natural and predictable. Five advantages underlie its supremacy. The first is geology: Michigan is endowed with a thick, practically impervious layer of Devonian clay that covers almost the entire state, an advantage its northern and eastern neighbours, with their fractured bedrock, do not share. The second is location: Michigan is at the geographic centre of the Great Lakes Region, bordering on four states and the province of Ontario. Operators throughout the state capitalize on this proximity by situating large landfills as close as possible to the state borders. The third is scale: an abundance of airspace and the streamlining of operations have given the state a competitive edge, with rock-bottom landfilling prices. Dumping in Ontario was about US$100 a ton in 2006, compared to a cost in Michigan of about US$10. The fourth is NAFTA: like the 50,000 tons of hazardous waste (combustible fuels, bio-medical waste and low-level radioactive waste) exported from the US to Canada every year, garbage is considered a primary commodity and is protected by the North American Free Trade Agreement: state governments do not have the authority to halt the stream of garbage. The fifth advantage is the law concerning future use: operators in Michigan are only required to maintain landfills for 30 years after closure whereas in Canada, landfills must be maintained and monitored for at least a century, and in some cases, forever. All told, two-thirds of the more than 5 million cubic metres of waste that were shipped to the Midwestern United States in 2002--enough to fill a football stadium--originated from the province of Ontario. Compounded by a blaze that shut down the new pelletization plant at Toronto's Ashbridge's Bay Treatment Plant on August 22, 2003, the total figure has now jumped to over 11 million cubic metres of waste plus a 150,000-ton sludge surplus exported annually to a variety of landfills across the US-Canada border, en route to the Great Lake State.
Despite Michigan's predisposition to landfilling, the transboundary movement of waste along what is recognized as the longest, most undisputed border in the world has its opponents. Responding to public pressure, Michigan Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow have joined forces with Congressman John D. Dingell to end the legacy of what they call "Michigan as the dumping ground for ever-increasing amounts of Canadian trash," putting into question the foundations of the North American Free Trade Agreement. But for landfill operators like Norm Folson, site manager at the Pine Tree Acres Landfill in northeast Detroit, living in a state with the second-highest rate of unemployment next to Mississippi, yields a radically different view: "We love Canadian garbage. Tipping fees pay our salaries and pave our roads. Besides, Canadian garbage is really easy to compact because it's really dry. It's dry because Canadians compost almost everything. To us, Canadian garbage is like gold."
The contemporary challenge of mass-landfilling in Michigan effectively signals a tipping point in the handling of garbage in big cities. Unilateral solutions to garbage collection and disposal born from mid-20th-century centralized forms of planning and engineering can no longer deal with the magnitude and the complexity of urban waste streams. A challenge amplified by the reality that the construction and demolition industry in North America produces twice as much waste as the municipal sector (400 versus 235 million tons), a figure dwarfed by the mining industry which produces five to ten times more every year (2-3 billion tons). So, notwithstanding the environmental consequences, energy inputs and geopolitical costs of exporting garbage, how then can big cities avoid their reliance on large, privately owned, distant landfills?
Closing the material loop with multilateral strategies that include diversion, separation, recycling and composting programs may prove effective as durable alternatives. One of the best examples of the potential effectiveness of strategically integrated programs is a new, state-of-the-art composting facility on the site of a former tire manufacturing plant, contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and petro-hydrocarbons in the Hamilton Harbour. Built by a world-class public-private partnership between the City of Hamilton's Waste Division, Maple Reinders Constructors (a Canadian design-build company) and the Christiaens Group (a Dutch composting and mushroom technology expert), the 40-acre facility can process of up to 90,000 tons of compost every year, enough for a city of almost one million people. As the first and largest indoor facility of its kind in North America, the operative cost of composting is remarkably 25% to 35% less than landfilling, simultaneously offsetting the cost of bio-remediation (such as in-situ deep molasses injection). There are also plans to expand the facility with sorting recyclable materials that, on a per-ton basis, could generate 10 times more jobs than landfilling. If all of Canada's five million tons of durable goods now discarded into landfills each year were reclaimed through reuse, it is estimated that more than 50,000 new jobs could be created in this industry alone. This is where the recycling industry eclipses the landfilling industry through employment spin-offs, technological innovation, ecological recovery and land redevelopment. With the more than 250 million tons of municipal solid waste generated each year and the 350 million brownfields currently idling across North America, the evidence suggests that the unilateral dependence on garbage exports can be counteracted through new, previously unforeseen economic and ecological synergies that exist between public regulatory agencies, private turnkey enterprises, emerging recycling technologies and post-industrial lands--where it matters the most: at the source, in big cities.
Pierre Bélanger is co-director of the Centre for Landscape Research at the University of Toronto and an assistant professor at the Faculty of Architecture, Landscape & Design. This article is a summary of a photo-essay titled "Airspace: The Ecologies and Economies of Landfilling in Michigan" published in TRASH (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2006).
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