text:
How will Qualcomm technologies improve Daimler, Mercedes and other connected cars in the future?
As a partner of the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One team, Qualcomm works closely with them to help ensure their cars are amongst the most connected in the sport. The team has dominated F1 this year and communication technologies are key to that success.... >>
11 best electric and hybrid supercars: Over 1,300hp from an electric? It's here
Electric and hybrid supercars are well and truly here. Hypercar level hybrids from Ferrari, Porsche and McLaren are already plastering the walls of many teenage boys' bedrooms the world over. So what's next? There's even more excitement to come with new... >>
The cars of Formula 1 2015, in pictures
Formula 1 is set to speed off for a new season 2015 beginning on 15 March in Australia. Most of the cars have now been revealed for the new season. But what's changed? New rules and regulations, as is an annual expectation, have meant changes to all the... >>
Formula 1 2015: What's new, cars, rules and changes explained
The 66th season of Formula 1 will kick-off in Australia on 15 March 2015 with new rules, teams, cars and drivers. Manufacturers are already unveiling their new cars that will be powering their drivers around the tracks. As is the case year after year... >>
Detroit 2015 motorshow in pictures: Ford, Mercedes, Porsche and more show off their new cars and concepts
The North American International Auto Show – known locally by its acronym of "NAIAS" or to you and I as the Detroit motorshow – sweeps the entire car industry off to frozen Detroit each January. Increasingly Detroit feels like a sideshow to... >>
Future car tech: Sci-fi cars are closer than you think
Cars have been featured at consumer electronic shows with increasing frequency in recent years, causing some to comment that those shows are becoming car shows. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, it's the motor car that's becoming gadgetised.... >>
Driver-less car design: Are we sleep-walking into the future?
It's hard to criticise tech-led culture without appearing anti-progressive. But when it comes to autonomous car design, are we sleep-walking our way into the future? There is something hugely appealing about the driver-less car. Even the most gear-headed... >>
Mercedes-Benz's gorgeous new concept vehicle is the self-driving car you've always wanted
Mercedes-Benz is at CES 2015 in Las Vegas and has unveiled a self-driving concept car that'll make you forget all about Google's golf cart-like autonomous prototype. The car is aptly named F 015 Luxury in Motion, likely because it is the epitome of luxury.... >>
Germany's top car companies don't want Google in the driving seat
Android Auto is a focus of Google, with recent news that Android M might be a more robust Android Auto offering, designed specifically for car integration. The report from Reuters, citing unnamed sources, says that Google's plan is to step beyond integration... >>
Mercedes-Benz AMG GT: No gulwing doors, can V8 powerhouse fill SLS's boots? (hands-on)
The Mercedes-Benz AMG GT was originally shown at a private event in Stuttgart, but the first public chance to see the car is at the Paris Motor Show 2014. The GT is significant because it effectively replaces the gulwing-door SLS and becomes Mercedes-Benz's... >>


text:
York, Pa.-area obituaries for Thursday, March 20:
Luther W. Orwig, Stewartstown
David Taughinbaugh, York
Lorraine R. Downs, Hanover
James E. Williams, Lower Allen Twp.
Marjorie L. Snellbaker, York
Helen M. Elicker, York
Cora E. Deller, York Twp.
Liliana N. Lunsford, Hanover
James H. Krepps, Dover
Lonnie L. Emig, Dover
Mildred L. Kunkel, York
Charmaine A. Senft, Thomasville
John P. Sponsler, York
Harold R. Ruhland, Seven Valleys
Robert F. Kline, Sr., New Freedom
Melinda S. Walker, Harrisburg
Kathryn M. King, York
Rev. Laverne E. Stough, Dover
Gregory D. Botizan, York
Paul A. Strausbaugh, New Oxford
To learn more about the lives of those who have passed, or for information about service times and locations, click here.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Cathleen Morgan
- Filed Under
The ninth-largest school district in the state has one of the smallest number of board members.
That has the potential to change next year if the Legislature allows Lee County voters to increase the number of board members from five to seven.
"It's a huge county and a lot of kids," board member Cathleen Morgan said. "I just feel that there aren't enough of us to speak effectively to the community about our schools, our programs and what we're doing for kids." ...


text:
We've always been at war with Eastasia...
We've always been at war with Eastasia...
my guess - pressure sensitivity response, but with no need for added thickness/weight for real pressure sensing electronics or parts.
basically - this technology would be used to detect level of distortion of a fingerprint pattern due to amount of pressure applied by the user. more distortion = more pressure.
pressure can be a very useful input. emotional music for one thing. or, faster scrolling with a harder push? endless possibilities.
I am reminded of this patent reported on patently apple:
Your article mentions that it can work from underneath a protective layer, so perhaps it will be under a screen or trackpad. This would be great for things like a fast/secure unlock or NFC based payments, i.e. "Just swipe to approve payment." They could even integrate a password manager into Safari where you just swipe to enter login and password on a site.
There's a scene in The Avengers where Tony Stark is setting up the lab with Bruce Banner. He holds his finger stationary on an on-screen button for several seconds while it verifies his identity. In the meantime, a pie chart fills up denoting the amount of time requires (kinda like how Xbox Kinect makes you hover on top of an icon you want to select)
I could see a similar thing with iPhone. A quick tap could lead to a lot of false positives.
I could see a similar thing with iPhone. A quick tap could lead to a lot of false positives.
WHOOP, prior art. Apple can't use it now.
Old thread I know, but as some other previosuly mentioned.. I think this would be great if this would actually going to serve as a combination "swipe to unlock" *and* the authorization? It would be completely seamless to the user.
( Assuming this sensor was fully integrated into the main screen )
That would be beyond awesome....
You could even keep the existing pin access method to but enhance it with fingerprint identification, so that with each quick touch, the sensor could get slightly different data to get a more sophisticated amount of data from your fingerprint. So instead of just getting one fingerprint, you'd actually get 4 or 5 or whatever of the same finger at slightly differing positions.
Giving the program multiple opportunities to weed out bad samples, and the user would never know.
This bot has been removed from circulation due to a malfunctioning morality chip.
This bot has been removed from circulation due to a malfunctioning morality chip.


text:
Thoughts on Varnishing
October 30, 2011 by Larry
Filed under Sounding Technical
This is the first article for the new section on materials and technique, "Sounding Technical". The first thing I need to say is that I'm no expert about the technical aspects of painting. What I hope to offer is a non-partisan centralized source of knowledge and opinion to help in the learning and promotion of sound painting principles.
Naturally there are many resources online to learn about specific technical concerns related to painting, too many resources actually, I'd like to find and share the most useful and informative sites related to the issue focused on. My focus will generally not be to advocate any particular method but rather look at the best arguments from differing opinions about any one subject. Eventually, I'd also like to hold interviews with painters and others about specific technical issues as well as encouraging guest writers to speak on a technical matter when possible.
Practical, sound advice is all well and good but I also relish reading about the controversial, the offbeat, and the contrarian points of view. I'd like to offer topics that incites or inspires discussion. Many times when I'm reading online Op-Ed columns the comments are often more interesting than the article itself. I'm certain that many readers here hold a vast knowledge base as well as strong opinions,if shared, could offer an important resource for painters.
My first article will take a look at some thoughts on varnishing oil paintings both pro and con.
It would be most curious to see the results of a survey showing what percentage of completed contemporary paintings are varnished. My guess is that it would be on the low side. Modernistic oil painting on traditional supports has often sought a less precious, matt, rough or complex surface texture where a shiny varnish could significantly detract from the desired look. Some might even say a glossy varnish makes the painting look too slick or makes the painting difficult to see from the glare. Some painters may fear a varnish might make the painting look too "traditional" or fear the painting won't been respected enough as a flat surface and the varnish suggests more of a glassy window onto the world rather than the modern notion of a richly textured object covered with colored glue. But all flat object are going to collect dust and face environmental risks that over time will damage the unprotected painting.
On the other hand, many painters prefer the look of the glossy varnish and the way it tends to deepen and saturate the color and appreciate the way it unifies the surface and may not feel the painting looks complete until after varnishing. No doubt there are a wide range of opinion regard the use of varnishing and it is interesting to hear some thoughts both pro and con.
It is commonly written that oil paintings should be varnished anywhere from 6 months to a year after completion, using any number from a wide variety of varnishes in order to protect the paint surface from environmental damage such as smoke, pollution, etc, help even out the surface and eliminating any "sunken-in areas", restore the "wet" painting look, enhance the vibrancy and unity of the colors and to give "finish" to the painting. (actually varnishing doesn't really eliminate sunken-in areas or the uneven sheen that results from oil being leeched out of the paint – it will make the sunken-in matt areas more glossy but will also make the glossy areas even more glossy – defeating your purpose. I've heard it is better to "oil-out" the sunken in areas long before applying the varnish or better yet to prevent sinking-in by better preparation of the ground. Here is a link to a Winsor-Newton video that discusses dealing with "oiling-out" the "sinking-in" of colors in a painting.
I would venture to guess that most painters today prefer to use the modern synthetic varnishes as they are less apt to yellow or darken, are easier to apply successfully and will allow for relative easy removal with less risk to underlying paint layers. Modern varnishes offer a wide variety of solutions to protect the painting from dust, scratches and other such harm. They also offer a range of finishes from glossy to matt.
Some painters still prefer older varnishes made of organic resins for a number of reasons such as a preference for the look of the aging painting's patina of an "old master" look such as a fine crackling or they simply prefer materials that have been in use for centuries rather than decades. There are so many sites offering extensive expert information about varnishing so I won't go into detail with a discussion of specific types, brands and purposes here. I will show a Winsor & Newton and Gamblin you tube video on varnishing that discusses the basics, you may want to avert you gaze from the actual painting he's varnishing but it does offer some helpful basic information. At the end of the article I'll also provide a several links to site with specific information related to brands, types of varnishes as well as recipes, etc.
Right now I'm more interested to examine the less discussed case for not varnishing at all and how some important painters since the mid 19th century became adamantly opposed to varnishing, artists such as Cezanne, Monet, Cassatt, Pissarro among many others. Picasso and Braque were oppose to varnishing their paintings for a number of important reasons, primarily aesthetic. Monet and Pissarro abandoned the use of varnish on their work after 1880, but for different reasons: "Pissarro because of his desire for a matte finish; Monet lest it discolor his effects"
The painter and art historian Anthea Callen discusses the politics of varnish at length in a section in her The Art of Impressionism: Painting Technique and the Making of Modernity Sadly this amazing book is out of print but there are still used copies available for a price. Note: If you do buy this book please use this link to Amazon, by doing so will help support this site.
This book is perhaps the most comprehensive study of Impressionist techniques written. Her exhaustive research studies all aspects of Impressionist painting that are of great interest to painters who want to know more about the historical context of painting directly from nature. She also has a smaller but popular and still published book, Techniques of the Impressionists
from the publisher:
"Drawing on scientific studies of pigments and materials, artists' treatises, colormens' archives, and contemporary and modern accounts, Anthea Callen demonstrates how raw materials and paintings are profoundly interdependent. She analyzes the material constituents of oil painting and the complex processes of "making" entailed in all aspects of artistic production, discussing in particular oil painting methods for landscapists and the impact of plein air light on figure painting, studio practice, and display. Insisting that the meanings of paintings are constituted by and within the cultural matrices that produced them, Callen argues that the real "modernity" of the Impressionist enterprise lies in the painters' material practices. Bold brushwork, unpolished, sketchy surfaces, and bright, "primitive" colors were combined with their subject matter—the effects of light, the individual sensation made visible—to establish the modern as visual."
Here is an embedded version of the free google ebooks version of it, that has significant portions available for reading. Of particular note is the table of contents which is clickable and goes to a partial view of the chapter topic.
From Anthea Callen, The Art of Impressionism: Painting Technique and the Making of Modernity
"For the Impressionists, varnish was not applied automatically or arbitrarily to a painting. The physical and optical effects of varnish on the oil paint layer are immediate and irreversible. Not only is mattness replaced by an even, glossy skin but colours are enriched, appearing more saturated, and the paint layer is made more transparent. It also produces a darkening in tone, exaggerating light-dark contrasts, which is exacerbated with age as the varnish yellows, darkens and further distorts the paint layer colours. Varnish was intimately associated with the Academy, with academic practice and fini, and with the false 'chic' of the Paris Salons. Rejecting varnish was not just technically sensible, it actively subverted the reactionary ethos of the Academy. In addition to changing a painting's physical appearance, varnish, and therefore the lack of it, carried an ideological message: the decision not to varnish signaled not only the work's modernity, but that of the artist, too. A history of the debates around picture varnishing forms the context in which a more detailed analysis of Impressionist paintings can be located. Examining contemporary art criticism, treatises on technique, the opinions of dealers and artists, and the paintings themselves, a pattern of views emerges that gives new significance to the problem of varnish." …
"The art of Italian painters before Raphael provided an exemplar at once practical and aesthetic to modern painters: newly discovered, the luminosity, chalky bright colour and shallow pictorial space of early Italian painting offered an alternative to the rich, patinated surfaces characteristic of official clair-obscur oil painting. There was, therefore, a politics of varnishing, of gloss versus matt effects – art practice, aesthetics and ideology are intimately linked."
Vernissage,(Paris), 1866.
Interesting Wiki link on Vernissage
In marking the completion of paintings for display in the official Salon, vernissage was the rite of passage from private to public, from studio to gallery. The glazing of paintings was forbidden at the Salon; varnish, like the regulation gilt frames, was compulsory until the I880s, when the impact of avant-garde methods provoked a change in official practices. In the Academy's view, varnishing imposed uniformity on the exhibition while simultaneously linking it to a tradition of 'great art' of the past – varnished paintings embodied the notion of dignity and nobility in grand art; the picture was set in aspic, embalmed. Varnish on painting, then, carries layers of meaning beyond the pragmatically physical. On both the literal and metaphoric levels, varnish imbues painting with a heightened clarity, unity and coherence. The varnish film seals in the matière of painting, unifies the surface, slicks over its rough edges, its visual inconsistencies, even intentional contradictions; glossing it over, varnish subdues the coarseness of matter and the animated, scattering luminosity characteristic of a rugged, matt surface. Varnish had a normative function: it made vanguard art look more like academic art. Sameness and uniformity were reassuring.
E. H. Gombrich, Dark Varnishes: Variations on a Theme from Pliny, The
Burlington Magazine, Feb., Vol. 104, No. 707, 1962, pp.51-55 [Trapp
From E. H. Gombrich's essay:
In 1638, Junius made the story available to English readers in his book on The Painting of the
Apelles … who was wont to be very moderate in all things that concerned the Art, because he would not offend the eyes of the spectators with too much cheerefulnesse of gay and flourishing colours, did by an inimitable invention anoint his finished workes with such a thinne kinde of inke or vernish, that it did not onely breake and darken the clearnesse of the glaring colours, but it did likewise preserve them from dust and filth … [p.285]
In 1691, Filippo Baldinucci gave a lecture in the Accademia della Crusca on the subject of ancient and modern painting within the context of the quarrel between the Ancients and Moderns. One of the points in favour of the moderns was, for him, the invention of oil painting, and one of his arguments to
prove that the ancients lacked this technique was precisely Pliny's story. His point is that this technique of toning down excessively luxuriant colours was precisely the one used by Italian Trecento painters who worked in tempera:
… they spread a varnish over their panels which was a certain mixture that gave their pallid paintings a certain effect of greater depth and greater strength and, toning down the bright surface a little, brought it closer to natural appearance.. .
It might be argued that modern painters also use such varnish on their oil paintings, but I would reply that this usage, which only few adopt, does not serve to counteract any shortcomings of oil paintings as such, that is, to give depth to the darks and to tone down the lights more delicately, for oil painting does not stand in need of such aids. It is used rather to remedy some accidental mishap that sometimes occurs because of the priming, mastic or other, which is applied to the canvas, or that originates in the panel or canvas itself, that is, when it attracts the liquid of the oil so strongly that it almost draws it out of the colours and dries them up in some places to such an extent that this accident alters their appearance on the surface. It is then that by use of another fatty substance, that is, by means of the varnish applied where there is too little oil on the surface, one is able to bring out (and this is the salient point) what is already in the oil painting rather than something that is not there at all—which was precisely the effect that the varnish of Apelles achieved to some very small extent.[10] There is nothing in this description of the oil painters' practice of bringing out a passage that had `sunk in', which would refute Mr Ruhemann's contentions. It merely shows how difficult it is to make a hard and fast division between paint and varnish
From a MOMA conservation article about varnishing and Pablo Picasso's painting Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907)
"Paintings that have been varnished are also cleaned, or more accurately, devarnished, when the varnish discolors over time and thus distorts the original colors of the painting. Finally, some paintings should not have been varnished at all, and a varnish can compromise the essential aesthetic." In this case, a painting that may be de-varnished, not to be re-varnished once the cleaning is finished, what steps do you take to help conserve the painting without using varnish?
The presence of the varnish on a painting, which the artist did not intend to be varnished, does not preserve the painting. Indeed it can do much to diminish the essential quality of the painting. To protect the surface of an unvarnished painting from dirt and grime there are, if necessary, a number of things we do. In some cases the paintings are framed with glass or Plexiglas to protect the surface. This not only provides a physical barrier from airborne grime but also provides a buffer against any climactic changes and (in the case of Plexiglas) protection from damaging UV light. In the case of a painting the size of Les Demoiselles d'Avignon we might decide to place a barrier in front of the work to prevent visitors from approaching too closely. Under these circumstances the only treatment necessary would be a routine dusting with a soft brush once a month or so.
Of course 19th and early 20th Century artist who avoided varnishing to preserve the matt appearance didn't have the variety of modern synthetic varnishes that we have today. Unless the paintings is protected with a varnish layer or some other means it will collect dirt in the interstices, which can rarely if ever be removed without damaging the paint layer. Dusty, dirty paintings are likely to be particularly problematic in direct painting where impastoed brush marks makes for an uneven, irregular surface where cleaning would be more difficult.
Some painters in order to avoid using a varnish to preserve the matt surface and other reasons have opted for framing their oil paintings behind glass. I've read this practice has been particularly prevalent in Great Britain. With new picture glasses on the market such as Museum Glass and it's anti-glare properties perhaps make this solution even more appealing if not for the high-cost. Especially for larger paintings where the weight of the glass also becomes a major factor.
In our post post-modern era, for better or worse, there no longer seem to be any hard and fast rules about techniques such as varnishing. Both abstract and representational painters may have many valid reasons for varnishing or not varnishing. My suggestion in this regard is to make sure your decision is based on the best solution for preserving the look of your work, not varnishing shouldn't just be a rationalization to avoid the hassle or conversely you varnish just because you heard that is a rule you're "supposed" to follow.
If you feel strongly about not having a varnish applied for aesthetic reasons then it's suggested to write on the back of the painting – Do not varnish. Or if you do varnish you can also write when you last varnished and with what type – which will be helpful to anyone in the future wishing to remove and reapply varnish.
Ultimately it is imperative to remember the obvious, but often overlooked, concern that will protect the painting and enhance longevity more than any varnish might offer, is that you make your painting strong enough visually so that people will want to care for it long after you're gone and to avoid the painting's death by dumpster.
Comprehensive resource on all things related to varnishing oil paintings from Amien (The Art Materials Information and Education Network) Varnish Forum topics from Amien
Basic info on varnishing from Winsor & Newton
fairly good video from Dick Blick about varnishing but the soundtrack is a little grating!
Video from Gamblin discussing the application of Gamvar and cold-wax medium. (I prefer to use Gamvar when varnishing and I also like the use of the cold-wax medium for a more matt sheen.)
Conservation Wiki article on varnishing
Good article at Spaces Between the Gaps article on Varnishing
Wayne Thiebaud on Morandi, light, color, shadows << Previous Post - - Next Post >> Nicole McCormick Santiago
Comments13 Responses to "Thoughts on Varnishing"
Larry thanks you so much for this informative new section "Sounding Technical". Varnish is a subject that I have been rethinking recently. In my early 60's art school, color field painting, years varnish was not on the menu. Subsequently, as an art conservator, I began to appreciate the range of pros and cons to the use of varnish. Only in the last ten or so years have I varnished my own work but I am not resolved on this matter. However, I do not think a well done, good painting, is made better by the "unifying" aspect of varnishing. On the other hand, for some the varnish is an integral part of the intended outcome, the final result of a well done work. I now believe that, although varnish can be a crutch, it is really a personal choice of aesthetic and of technique.
Your article, Larry, was thought provoking, informative, and timely. Thank you.
Mamie Walters
Hey Larry,
Nicely researched article. I think that for most contemporary artists that sell work, it's a matter of time rather than a considered decision. The work is rarely finished 6 months in advance so one can't really put the varnish on. A friend recently delivered a wet painting to his dealer in order to have it in his show. Hard to varnish that. I love that you put the horse in front of the cart by saying make good work first. The rest will sort itself. Thanks again
Thank you for this informative article. I was particularly interested in the "oiling out" process which can be used instead of varnish. I happen to dislike to glossy look of varnish on an oil painting–any painting–but I've found that oiling out can actually be used instead of varnish. I wonder if the impressionists, who disliked varnish, used a version of oiling out. The book you refer to, The Art of Impressionism, doesn't mention this. This book, by the way, is one of my most pr4ecious possessions. I've had it since it first came out over ten years ago, and I wouldn't give it up for anything. Not even for the current price–over $500 on Amazon the last time I checked.
Varnishing = yuck, in my view. Paintings are made out of paint and paint is what I like to see, not shiny gloop. While I can understand a conservational case for it, as described in this very informative article, The Old Masters understood varnishes and expected their work to be varnished, so for Old Master paintings its okay but from Manet onwards most artists have been opposed to it. Certainly no modern paintings should ever be varnished. Soap and water will do for surface dirt (or spit, human spit; that works well too).
The absolute worst examples of varnish abuse I've ever seen are at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. All their Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings are (a) stuck into ornate fake Rococo frames, (b) hung in strong artificial light and (c) absolutely slimy with varnish.
They gleam, they shimmer, they shine; they look nothing like how the artists intended them to look. The paintings look like reproductions of themselves. In the Van Goghs the varnish on his ridges of impasto make irritating little points of light that bounce back at you and distort your viewing.
All the Barbizon School paintings, the Corots and Millets, are not only varnished but they're glazed as well. The MFA says this is all to do with curation and preservation, I say its vandalism. Memo to curators: did the artist stick this picture in an elaborate golden frame and put glass over it? Did the artist slather it with shiny varnish? If the answer is no, then it should not be done –ever – because you, museum person, don't know what the artist intended better than the artist did.
I'm at a loss to recall the exact passages, but I found quite a lot of technical, conservation material in "Modern Paints Uncovered: A Symposium Organized by the Getty Conservation Institute, Tate, and the National Gallery of Art."
One issue that the conservators discuss is that not all varnishes stay soluble indefinitely, which is a problem because even the best varnished paintings will likely need a cleaning/revarnishing every 50-100 years. Many of the modern, petroleum-based varnishes seem to become difficult if not impossible to remove with solvents after several decades. Dammar varnish, interestingly, has a reputation of staying soluble to turpentine for centuries, which is a good thing as dammar yellows more easily than most modern varnishes. Quite a few Rembrandt paintings that had nearly been lost under dirty dammar varnish for centuries are now cleaned, revarnished and looking brand new.
Another issue was that it may actually be more critical for acrylic paintings to be varnished than oil paintings. The microscopic surface of acrylic films have similarities with that of a sponge, which makes it very easy for dirt and grime to attach. Oil films are much smoother as well as harder and more resistant to scratching than acrylic. Ironically, because acrylic is inherently more "modern," it seems fewer acrylic painters varnish than oil painters.
Also, conservators really get anxious about cleaning the varnish off a painting that has passages of thin glazing on the final layer (it is possible to accidentally take the glaze off with the varnish). Alla prima painting (what I'll call "juicy" painting without getting overly impasto) is much more durable under such cleanings.
I personally try to dammar varnish my paintings after a year (and label the backs of the painting with technical information). I use a lot of coldpress linseed in my paints and I have noticed that my paint films seem to dry much more matte (dark colors really lose their saturation and value) than when before I used coldpress linseed. I also "oil in" often, which can lead to weird splotchy surfaces if I don't oil in the whole painting each session. A thin coat of dammar varnish has really helped fix these problems for me without creating the super-glossy surfaces everyone associates with salon paintings.
A follow up:
Thanks Larry for your response. Regarding using dammar in artist mediums and varnishes, yes this could be problematic, especially as the medium is probably used partly because of its good glazing properties, meaning it will be in thin films directly below the varnish layer. Also, dammar is VERY brittle. For a single, thin coat of dammar varnish, this brittleness is not too bad, but something like alla prima painting with dammar in the medium is inherent vice.
For those painters who don't mind getting a little into chemistry, there are some interesting small conservation articles on varnishes here at Conservation Online:
These conservators make a big emphasis not just on natural vs. synthetic varnishes but also whether the varnish has a high or low molecular weight. Higher molecular weight varnishes are *usually* synthetic and have a lower refractive index, making them more matte. Varnishes like dammar have a low molecular index (and a higher refractive index > glossy). The problem is that high molecular weight varnishes can crosslink with paint films and can become increasingly insoluble. The worst of these are methacrylates (aka acrylic varnishes) which display reduced solubility after ten years. PVA, polyvinyl acetate, another matte varnish, does not appear to have this problem and may be a better synthetic alternative. Incidentally, PVA is often used for sizing paintings (a synthetic substitute to rabbit skin glue). Also, conservators note that high molecular weight varnishes are trickier (thicker and quicker to dry) to coat and tend to attract more dust, but that may be the price to pay if you want to avoid a glossy surface.
There is also discussion on UV filtering agents, especially a class of chemicals called Tinuvin. It seems that very small additions of these agents into the dissolved varnish can exponentially expand the life of the varnish, protecting the painting from fading, the varnish from yellowing and potentially from becoming more brittle (though, like all varnishes, it will do little to prevent oxidation). The exact form of tinuvin, percentage of tinuvin to varnish resin, type of varnish resin used and thickness of the varnish coat (by the nanometer) all have complex interactions, only improving the varnish when the formula is *just* right.
The more I read about synthetic varnishes the more I think they are likely superior to natural varnishes when done right. The problem is "right" could be a very specific chemical formulation and application method that requires significant research and testing. For someone who wants a low-tech varnish that is more forgiving, I still think dammar is a decent choice. As long as you wait a year and a apply a single coat with a big, soft brush while the painting is flat on the floor in a clean room you (or someone else whom you trust, should you no longer have possession of the painting) can't really mess it up. Leave the synthetic varnishes to conservators and truly scientific painters (Old Master alchemy isn't very helpful here).
I'm curious if anyone here is using Golden Paints varnishes or GAC Acrylic Specialty Polymers as a varnish. If I was to quit dammar for synthetics, I'd probably start my search there. I would also note that Golden's website have very thorough technical notes on these products as well a section of research articles that have recently been focused on the issues of using acrylic chemicals (sizings, primers, varnishes) in conjunction with oils and traditional oil painting methods.
So, to varnish an acrylic painting with temporary varnish I would need a coat of something else first, so that later on I would be able to safely remove/clean the varnish. Which exact material is this coating/brand? Thank you.
Thank you for this article and the interesting discussion. I have to admit that since my training and disposition tends toward the modernist, varnishing has not been on my radar for my own work. However, I have recently done interviews with students from a conservation training program and many of their questions are around this issue. In thinking through my answers it became apparent that the question of varnishing or not is as much ideological as it is technical.
I think that the technical aspects of building paintings have real implications for the meanings that paintings produce. One of the best "art history" books that I've read recently was "Willem de Kooning: the artist's materials" by Susan F. Lake, under the auspices of the Getty Conservation Institute. Her rigorous analysis of the materials and techniques of de Kooning's practice held very interesting insights into his aesthetic of constant adjustment and metamorphosis on the surface of the painting. Another catalogue that integrates conservation/scientific insight is "Matisse: Radical Invention,1913-1917" by John Elderfield and Stephanie D'Alessandro.
On a practical note, I would echo Brian Kelly in recommending the Golden Paints site for info on synthetic varnishes, the articles are very informative.
You can prevent the problem of having shiny and dull areas, by adding a little bit of very fine marbledust to your mix.
But what he does in the oiling out video is good practise. You can also use linseedoil for that. That gives a lovely satin shine, and doesn't darken or yellow if you don't use too much.
I have a very small painting — maybe 4″ x 4″ Given to me by an old friend who died about 10 years ago — I think he had the painting for maybe 30 years — and he was a very heavy smoker. The painting was very dark when I first got it — and that has continued — Any suggestions – how I might clean this painting. (It's a portrait — and it does look like it was varnished.
Thanks — firstname.lastname@example.com
Question: I have used a glazing medium (Liquitex) in my oil painting on the last layer and I find it is too shiny now. The subject (a horse) has the glazing on it, the background doesn't.
Will a mat varnish get rid of the shiny glazing on the horse and make the background and the subject the same matt texture?
I really appreciate it if you could get back to me, because I don;t know what to do and the painting was a commission for a client so I don;t want to mess it up! And any ideas on what kind of varnish I can use?
greetings from the Netherlands!
Please share your thoughtscomment here...
if want to show your picture with your comment, go get a gravatar!


text:
Good Morning to all the Craftymonkeys out there this morning! Hope you all had a good weekend and got lots of crafting time!! I'm trying to colour whilst I'm sitting still healing and it's lovely playing with the new TEDDY BO & CO Digis that have been released today!!
I chose the Digi with the Asian feel to it, I came up with this birthday card for a dear friend who loves Teddy Bea and she wore an outfit just like this for her Daughters wedding in July, so I think that she will love it! Hope You like it too, pop over to the shop to see what a huge choice of these fantastic little bears and their buddies there are to choose from. Crafty Hugs Woo xxx
Image TeddyBea_274
Colours - Promarkers & Copics
Fur - E31/33/35
Outfit - promarkers Mulberry /Cerise / Copics - RV 02/04/06
Sand - Ginger / Honeycomb / Mustard
Die Cuts - Tim Holtz Doily
Go Create Fancy Oval
X-Cut Oval
Backing Card Bazzil Black
Ebosser Embossing Folder & Wow Embossing Powder


text:
Originally posted by Merlin Chen: In the Book,it says: Since there is only one physical file on disk, it is tempting to consider making the DvdFileAccess class a singleton�coding the class in such a way that only one instance of DvdFileAccess can exist at any given time. However, a lot of work can be performed in parallel if multiple clients are working on a multiple-CPU system, for example, converting between a DVD value object and the bytes on file, or searching through the data file. In addition, if we were to make the DvdFileAccess class a singleton, any class that uses the DvdFileAccess class would have to be coded differently than if it is a standard class�if we were to later decide that this same class can be used to process multiple data files (with some simple modifications), we would have to modify all the classes that use DvdFileAccess. Therefore, this class is not a singleton. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- but in the source code,the DvdFileAccess class is still static .
public class DvdDatabase implements DBClient {
private static ReservationsManager reservationsManager
= new ReservationsManager();
private static DVDFileAccess database = null;//<-----HERE
I'm not quite understand about this.Is my understanding on the words "singleton" is wrong.


text:
Project Management and the Technical Communicator
Presented by Liz Herman
There is a strong connection between the project manager and the technical communicator. The skills that we refine over time as technical communicators have a critical place in project management: communicating content, identifying audience needs, extracting knowledge from subject matter experts, and ensuring quality deliverables. Many technical communicators can step into a project manager role using these highly transferable, existing skills.
What are the transferable skills? How can you work toward a broader role in your organization? What is project management? Why is project management important to the technical communicator? Project Management and the Technical Communicator helps you explore your existing skill set, shows you the applicability to project management, and provides you with best practices that complement both roles.
This online course enhances your understanding of project management and prepares you to step up successfully for project management assignments and roles in your career. Formal presentations with key takeaways will be complemented by interactive discussions leveraging your existing knowledge and experiences.
Session Descriptions
Session 1: What Is Project Management and What Does It Have to Do with Technical Communicators?
In this session, you will learn:
- Definition of project management and what it means in context of technical communicators and this certificate course
- Overview of project management and technical communication synergies and skill overlap
Be prepared to share the synergies you see between technical writing and project management, your own experiences with project management, and the key takeaway you'd like from the course.
Session 2: Building the Project Management Framework: Communication
In this session, you will learn:
- How to be the voice of the project
- How to identify stakeholders, owners, implementers, and evaluators
- Communication best practices
- Putting your existing people skills to work
Be prepared to share an example of organizational communication (good or bad).
Building the Project Management Framework: Organization
In this session, you will learn the importance of:
- Project charters
- Schedules
- Touch-base meetings
You will also learn about how to allocate resources and how to initiate project work. Be prepared to talk about tools that can be used to facilitate the organization of a project.
Building the Project Management Framework: Implementation
In this session, you will learn:
- How to status project management work
- How to fulfill duties of a project manager (reminder of expected roles and responsibilities)
- Triple constraint (cost, scope, schedule)
Be prepared to talk about how project management roles and responsibilities align with technical communicator roles and responsibilities. There will be some advance work assigned to help you understand the triple constraint before this session.
Building the Project Management Framework: Evaluation
In this session, you will learn:
- Why it is important to evaluate the inputs and the outputs
- When to escalate issues
- How to communicate issues
Be prepared to role play some different communication scenarios.
Building the Project Management Framework: A Sample Project
In this session, we will combine all of our learning from previous sessions and apply the framework to a sample project. This will, once again, be an interactive session where you will provide input into the sample project related to communication, organization, implementation, and evaluation.
Presenter Biography
Liz Herman, PhD, PMP, CPTC, is a communications leader with 20 years of project management and technical communication experience. She has worked extensively in the healthcare industry as a policy expert and prides herself on being able to transform complex knowledge into accessible, understandable, bite-sized pieces of business intelligence that drive performance. She a long-time advocate of technical communication as a career path and received her Certified Professional Technical Communicator designation in February 2014.
Liz currently directs project management and business development activities in Battelle's health and analytics business unit in the Washington, DC, metro area. Liz is originally from Dubuque, IA. She earned a bachelors degree with honors in journalism and mass communication from the University of Iowa. She went on to complete a masters degree in English (rhetoric, composition, and professional communication) from Iowa State University and a doctor of philosophy degree in applied management and decision sciences (knowledge management) from Walden University.


text: It is tragic that so many people have lives adversely affected by the issue of abortion, or rather, the point at which a developing organism becomes a human life. There needs to be a legal definition of when human life begins and, in my opinion, it can be found in the exact opposite situation ... when life ends. Modern medicine tells us that life ends when all vestiges of brain activity cease to exist. The natural opposition to this position is that life "begins" at the very onset of any brain activity. Certainly modern medicine has determined this state with reasonable certainty. With the onset of any fetal brain activity a new human life would have emerged and to "delete" that life after that threshold would be morally, if not legally, wrong. Taking this position would, in my opinion, provide a "window of opportunity" to extract the developing organism without suffering a torrent of guilt. On the other hand, to violently oppose abortion "because," is equally wrong, in my opinion. Bob Kaiser, Newcastle


text:
Thanks for redeeming.{{else}}
Success! Thanks for repurchasing.{{/if}} {{else}} {{#if Expired}}
Increase my visibility!{{else}} {{#if IsMultiPack}}
{{#if HasMultiPack}} You have {{MultiPackCount}} top spot(s) left. Now loading you into the search listings... {{else}} You have used all top spots. Now loading you into the search listings... {{/if}}{{else}}
We are loading you into the search listing pages...{{/if}} {{/if}} {{/if}} {{/if}}
{{Current}} just saw you!{{/if}} {{#if LastTopSpotPurchaseIsMulti }} {{#if HasAnyTopSpot}}
{{#if HasFreeTopSpot }} {{ UnclaimedTopSpotFree }} Free {{/if}} {{#if HasPaidTopSpot }} {{#if HasFreeTopSpot }} & {{/if}} {{ MultiPackCount }} Top Spot{{#if Plural}}s{{/if}} Left {{else}} Top Spot{{#if Plural}}s{{/if}} Left {{/if}}{{else}}
0 Top Spot{{#if Plural}}s{{/if}} Left{{/if}} {{else}} {{#if HasFreeTopSpot }}
{{ UnclaimedTopSpotFree }} Top Spot{{#if Plural}}s{{/if}} Left{{/if}} {{/if}} {{else}} {{#if HasResults}}
{{Current}} see you now!{{else}} {{/if}} {{/if}}
40 year old woman | Philadelphia, PA, United States | Seeking men 33-42 within 100 miles
the teacher is in...
i believe in God. i believe in family. i believe that in relationships there are several key principles - honesty, trust, communication, laughter, sexual compatibility, zest for life, patience, forgiveness, and a very big bed i'm open minded. i'll go anywhere, try anything once. life is about experiencing what's out there...not living in a box. summer is my favorite season. spring and fall tie for second place and although winter comes in last, don't mistake that for hating. i appreciate it for it's beauty and all the fun it has to offer. i just can't tolerate the cold as much as i used to. (bring on the long-johns!) i'm flirty, sarcastic, hopeless romantic, and like to make people laugh. doing little things for others to help them out or just to make them smile...means alot to me. i guess that's my favorite hobby.
Coffee and conversation , Cooking , Dining out , Fishing/Hunting , Gardening/Landscaping , Hobbies and crafts , Movies/Videos , Museums and art , Music and concerts , Exploring new areas , Nightclubs/Dancing , Playing sports , Religion/Spiritual , Travel/Sightseeing , Volunteering , Watching sports
Billiards / Pool, Bowling, Cycling, Dancing, Swimming, VolleyBall
I exercise 3-4 times per week.
I have Cats, Dogs
I like Fish, Horses
my pets are a huge part of my heart and i love them all dearly. they have pulled me through some tough times and i will always appreciate that.
i love the beach and going to Shadybrook farm in the summer for ice cream knoebel's amusement park....and no matter how many times i visit i still am never sure of the spelling.
bbq-ing in the summer with friends and family, going to the beach, and star gazing in a grassy field and wiffle ball. and dont forget roasting marshmallows! watching a good movie with someone special on a rainy night.
concerts and amusement parks are my top picks. going to the beach, playing with the dogs and kids in the snow, snowtubing, horseback riding, movies, plays, going for ice cream, or just visiting the animal shelter love warmer weather
Fifty Shades trilogy....very HOT! my favorite author is chuck P. his book haunted is by far my favorite.
Z{{Cta}} {{#if HasMoreInfo}} ?{{CtaSecondary}} {{/if}}
|What she is looking for
|5'1" (154cms)
|5'8" (173cms) to 6'8" (203cms)
|Body type:
|Athletic and toned
|Blue, Brown, Grey, Green, Hazel
|Dark brown
|Black, Light brown, Dark brown, Blonde, Dark blonde
|No Way
|No Way
|Social Drinker
|Social Drinker
|Administrative / Secretarial
|No preference
|I'll tell you later
|No preference
|Never Married, Widow / Widower, Divorced
|Have kids:
|Yes, and they live at home (More than 3)
|No preference
|Wants kids:
|I'll tell you later
|Someday, Not sure, No
|White / Caucasian
|White / Caucasian
|Christian / Catholic
|Christian / Catholic
i go to church regularly
|High school
|Some college
i'm always interested in learning something new


text:
About this Journal
Call for Papers
Review Criteria for Research Articles
Calendar of Events &Opportunities
Editorial Board
Post Your Comments
ITL Homepage
Lynne Celli Sarasin, Learning Style Perspectives: Impact in the Classroom
Atwood Publishing
www.atwoodpublishing.com )
112 pages
California State University, Dominguez Hills
The challenge of addressing the needs of students in our classrooms is a frequent topic of discussion among university faculty. As experts in our respective disciplines, we may teach in ways that we were taught when we were students. However, relatively few university faculty have had the benefit of specific study in the area of teaching and learning in order to explore other options. Sarasin's Learning Style Perspectives: Impact in the Classroom provides a quick overview of the theories of learning styles and specific strategies regarding how to reach and teach students with a variety of learning styles.
Learning Style Perspectives begins with a chapter explaining why it is important to acknowledge the multiple styles of learning that students bring to our classrooms. The chapter provides a brief discussion of the three types of learning styles that Sarasin identifies as critical: auditory, visual, and tactile/kinesthetic. Her descriptions are clear and concrete. A typical classroom, lecture-discussion format supports the auditory learner, a person who deals well with information presented through a listening channel. A visual learner is well supported in a class that provides multiple sorts of visual information as the lecture is being presented, such as graphic organizers, maps, charts, outlines of the lecture, or simply the use of overheads and PowerPoint slides to accompany the oral presentation. The tactile/kinesthetic learners need involvement with the material. They need to be doing as they learn. They need physical interaction and therefore benefit from lab activities, experiments, and role-playing. Videos and multimedia would assist both the tactile/kinesthetic and the visual learners. There is some controversy among educators about the importance of learning style and its perceived effect on learning. Many of our students benefit from learning about how they learn best and in what sort of environment. As they attempt to identify those strategies that they have used in learning situations where they have felt successful, they begin to develop their abilities to become more efficient learners.
A brief review of the literature on learning styles helps orient the reader to the language of the field as well as the overlapping assumptions of the main theorists. Sarasin presents a synopsis of the teaching of Ronald Sims and Serbrenia Sims, who suggest viewing learning styles from the perspective of how the individuals process information. They speak of cognitive, perceptual, behavioral, and affective learners. Bernice McCarthy identifies four quadrants of learning: proactive, creative, practical, and abstract. She also acknowledges that many individuals fall within more than one quadrant when approaching different tasks. According to John Harb, S. Olani Durrant, and Ronald Terry, learners can be classified according to three categories: reflective/abstract, concrete, and active. References to learning styles can be traced back about thirty years or so but gained some prominence in the 1980s as information processing theory became popular. A graphic organizer (Chart 2: Characteristics of Learners, page 18) helps the reader to see the similarities among the major contributors to the field. What seems important here is the exposure to this line of thinking and how it can be translated into effective university teaching.
The third chapter introduces issues related to the adult learner, active learning strategies, learning to learn, and metacognitive strategies. The information presented in this section is particularly relevant for university faculty members as we must acknowledge that adult learners bring unique needs to the classroom. Often they are inexperienced in the art of being a successful student and in identifying how they learn and what they need to do in order to be efficient learners. The discussion of active learning strategies is useful and provides examples that can be readily applied in various disciplines. The remaining chapters focus on specific discussions of the identified learning styles: auditory, visual, and tactile/kinesthetic. In each chapter learner characteristics are presented, followed by a discussion of classroom activities, assignments that will engage the various learning styles, and appropriate assessment techniques.
Perhaps the most useful chapter in this short text is the last one. Chapter Seven, "Significance of Learning Styles Research," presents a number of suggestions for multiple disciplines to assist the faculty member in implementing some of the strategies identified in the preceding pages. This chapter provides the readers with immediate concrete examples of what to do in their classrooms and provides suggestions regarding accommodating multiple learning styles simultaneously. Sarasin presents examples of holistic lessons that attempt to provide activities that engage auditory, visual, and tactile/kinesthetic learners. She stresses combining techniques. For example, a history professor can use graphic organizers and charts before presenting a lecture on the dates, and then can involve students in a simulation or the use of artifacts. If group activities are carefully selected and if the goals and outcomes are clearly stated, group learning tasks allow students with various styles to be accommodated, while providing students with the added benefit of observing different types of learning styles.
Learning Style Perspectives would be a useful text for new faculty members and for those who have not had any exposure to learning styles theory or to the pedagogy of the adult learner. For those more aware of this literature, this text may seem overly simplistic, adding little that is new. This is more a how-to book than a scholarly publication, but it has merit for the faculty member who wants both a quick introduction to learning styles research and an easy summary of ways to apply the theory to improve learning in different disciplines.
Back to


text:
Ursula woke the next morning to the sound of the cell phone ringing. She knew from the tone that it was the cell phone sent to her by the writer. She thought of all the wonderfully wicked things that she'd been doing at his command and how her compliance had resulted in numerous mind splitting orgasms.
She answered it and his voice was thick with lust already. "Hi sexy, better get moving; take that dildo into the shower and send some pictures of you; all nice and wet and enjoying yourself."
She did as she was told and even before she was pushing the dildo ever higher into her pussy, she was orgasming. She clicked several pictures and hit send. As her body continued to shake from the pleasure still rolling through every inch of her body, she let the water roll over her as she mentally tried to ready herself for her big day. She finally finished up showering and felt ready to go.
By the time she looked at the phone again, he had sent one simple text, "You are sensational!"
She smiled and ripped open the package he'd sent the previous day. She wasn't surprised to see a glorious set of lingerie. There was a garter belt, teddie and half slip; all in the same emerald green. The stockings were nude and the sheerest and softest she had ever touched. Just dressing was distracting as hell, but she knew she couldn't be late for the last meeting before the big presentation with the prospective client. By the time she stepped into the skirt and blouse, she was breathless with arousal and wondering how she was going to focus today. On the drive in, she wondered how the Voice, her nickname for her mystery caller, had obtained video of her masturbating in her office, but she pushed the thought deep into the recesses of her mind as she had to focus on the big presentation.
Before she was even in her office, Pete, the CEO, and Tony, the CFO, cornered her and were quizzing her on whether the team was going to be ready. She assured them with all the confidence she could muster that they were going to win this project, but she was very aware of Pete's eyes looking at her. She'd dressed in her most conservative, but stylish skirt and blouse and she was hoping he was okay with how she looked.
As he looked into her eyes, Pete said, "Nice choice in color with the blouse; green's the color of money, you know."
Tony laughed and winked and Ursula glanced down to check the button on her blouse as his eyes seemed to be saying that he approved of her green lingerie as well. After getting into her office and setting down her briefcase, she realized that the half slip was showing through the slit in the side of her skirt. She looked up and verified that the door was shut and undid the skirt so she could pull it up and out of the way. She fixed the half slip so the slit it in was on the proper side and she was about to pull her skirt back into place when there was a quick knock and Tony entered.
He quickly said, "Oh shit; sorry, but I was going to tell you that your slip was showing, but I didn't want to say it in front of Pete. Looks like you already figured that out"
He may have said sorry, but his eyes were devouring her and she felt her own attraction to him spike. She tried to laugh it off as she quickly pulled the skirt back down and he waved and left. The lust in his eyes haunted her until she was ready and rushing off to the scheduled run through of the presentation. It went great and the final production work looked incredible and she had a rush of adrenaline like she always did. She thanked the team for their outstanding efforts and then informed them all about the bonus that would be shared with everyone if the team was successful. There was even more energy in the team after that bit of news and she was starting to feel some of the confidence that she had faked when talking to Pete.
She went back to her office to have a few minutes of quiet before the prospective client showed up and that's when the cell phone rang. She thought about it ignoring it, but she couldn't.
In a timid voice she answered it and the Voice said, "Don't worry, I won't make you cum before your big presentation, but I'll call you later to help you relieve the stress of the day."
She quietly said thank you and was breathing hard as she hung up the phone. She quickly gathered her thoughts and focused; pushing her rising arousal aside for the moment. As her heels clicked on the tile floor, she knew it was going to be quite a day and a lot was riding on her shoulders. Pete gave his normal energetic and smooth introduction and then he turned it over to Ursula. From the minute she started speaking, everything came together. She had never felt more poised and more on her 'game' and she could feel the enthusiasm of the client growing with each passing moment. By the time she finished she felt like she'd nailed it.
She saw both Pete and Tony smiling and nodding their heads when the lights came on and then the questions started. The client asked a lot of questions and the tone seemed to grow a little more negative with each passing question. The general theme seemed to indicate that they were concerned that the commercial was too edgy. When they asked Ursula to see her other ideas, the whole room seemed to suck in their breath at the same time wondering what she was going to say.
She looked calmly at the prospect's management team and confidently said, "This is the best idea and we are confident that your target audience will love it. We won't be showing any other ideas. This is the one you want."
The CEO of the prospect appraised her silently for what seemed like an eternity and simply asked why.
This very direct question hadn't been covered in their earlier meeting, but after taking a deep breath, she laid out a very comprehensive answer. Not only did the prospect look impressed by her answer, but everyone from her team did as well.
There was some more quiet and then Tony surprisingly spoke up, "We obviously have a lot of trust in Ursula and her team and if she says this campaign will work, it will work. Heck, ask anyone here, I'm the most conservative guy in the company and this campaign really struck a nerve with me; a good nerve."
He paused for a moment and the prospect still seemed to be wavering. Tony asked the prospect for a minute and then leaned in and whispered in Pete's ear. At first Pete was shaking his head no, but then finally he smiled and nodded.
Pete then turned and looked at Ursula and then the rest of the team before looking at the prospect and saying, "In fact, we have so much faith in the concept that our team has come up with that we'll eat the production costs if you don't get the kind of response you were expecting."
The room was completely silent as they had just committed to paying for a multi-millionaire dollar commercial production; something they had never offered before.
Ursula's heart was pounding, but the prospect's CEO was smiling and stood and quickly shook Pete's hand as he said, "Your confidence in your team is admirable and your offer is something that I've never ever seen before. Let's work out the numbers, but we definitely want to work with you."
The team erupted in applause and the prospect's CEO quickly came over and shook everyone's hand and then whispered in Ursula's ear, "I may have to hire you away from here if you are always this impressive."
Before she could even respond Pete and Tony were by her side and playfully telling him that he better not be trying to steal their best creative person. All the attention from these powerful men was causing Ursula's pussy to throb with reckless abandon. She was blushing and her team was congratulating her and all she could think about was undoing the snaps of her teddie and coaxing her clit to the climax she knew was gloriously close.
Somebody wheeled in a catered lunch along with champagne and they all quickly had a glass with many toasts by Pete. The mood was electric, but she couldn't focus; her need was growing with each passing second. She whispered to one of her team she needed a moment alone and quickly walked the short distance to her office. She picked up the cell phone from the desk where she'd left it and sent a quick text, "We won! Thanks for everything you did for me. I don't think I could have done this without all the 'stress reduction' you provided. J"
As she impatiently waited for a response, there was a knock on her door and Tony was suddenly in her office. He gave her a big bear hug and she wanted desperately to press herself against him and feel his manhood against her. Unfortunately, the cell phone rang and broke up the moment. Tony told her to go ahead and she turned away from him to answer it.
She quickly whispered, "I can't talk now."
His response was whispered and she could hear the lust in it, "You can't text me and then tell me you don't have time for me."
She was nearly in tears as she wanted to do whatever lust filled thing the Voice was going to command, but she couldn't with Tony there.
Her voice was shaking as she whispered, "I'm really sorry, I'm not alone."
"Get rid of whoever it is" the Voice commanded.
She turned and tried to smile at Tony and said, "I'm sorry I can't talk now, I've got our CFO in my office and I need to take care of something."
She noticed that Tony was on the phone and as she started to turn away from Tony again, the Voice said in a much louder voice, "You deserve it; fuck him."
She shivered at the thought and then it hit her. She turned back around and Tony was smiling the most seductive smile. She couldn't process what her brain was telling her; Tony was the Voice. She must be wrong, but she was almost certain that she heard the words fuck him through both the phone and in her office. As she struggled with her attempt to understand this, Tony turned and locked the office door.
Her heart was pounding in her chest and she truly felt faint.
Tony put his phone in his pocket and softly said, "Yes, it's me. Hike up your skirt and up against the wall; we don't have much time."
Ursula was frozen in place, but not for long. Tony was next to her in a flash and firmly pushed her over against the wall as he undid her skirt and hiked it up above her waist. His hands were strong and warm and then pulled the slip out of the way and in a flash he opened the crotch of the teddy and two of his strong fingers were inside her. She groaned and fell against the wall as pleasure coursed through her body. His fingers knowingly pulled out of her pussy and teased her clit as she heard his pants falling to the floor.
She pushed her hips back in preparation and felt him crouch down, but nothing prepared her for his cock as it slammed deep into her pussy with one swift thrust. She felt like he'd lifted her off her feet and she tried to hold onto the wall as she felt like she was falling. Her orgasm started as soon as his cock slammed into her cervix. His thrusts were punishing and wonderful at the same time. Each thrust seemed more powerful and quicker than the last and after only a few glorious minutes of it, he pushed his lips to her ear, groaned and then came. The rush of his eruption along with his hand tenderly teasing her clit caused her to reach the pinnacle again and she melted her body back into his as she came again.
He thrust a few more times; long and slow thrusts to allow her pussy to completely milk out his seed and then he was stepping back and fixing his clothes. She nearly fell, but his strong arms cradled her and then fixed her clothes for her. As he snapped the crotch of the teddie closed, his fingers nearly made her cum again. He whispered that they would have time to talk later, but they needed to get back to the celebration. He kissed her ever so lightly on the lips and then he left first to avoid raising suspicion. Her mind was racing as she slowly walked back to the party.
© Copyright 2015zebo85 All rights reserved. zebo85 has granted theNextBigWriter, LLC non-exclusive rights to display this work on Booksie.com.


text:
Howard Dean: Part-Time CNBC Contributor, Part-Time MoveOn.Org Activist
Since former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean stepped down as the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, he has ventured into other opportunities.
One of those opportunities was to be a business pundit for the financial news channel CNBC, even though DeanŌĆÖs background prior to politics was in medicine. But just over a week later, in an e-mail dated April 2 to MoveOn.org mailing list subscribers, Dean wrote he was leaving
ŌĆ£During the election, President Obama proposed a health care plan that would give every American the freedom to choose between keeping their private insuranceŌĆöif they have anyŌĆöand choosing a universally available public health insurance option like Medicare,ŌĆØ Dean wrote. ŌĆ£But for-profit insurance companies and HMOs are already working hard to strip this public health insurance option from any upcoming health care bill. They don't want us to have a choice, and they'll stop at nothing to kill real reform. Trouble is, some in Congress are siding with the insurance companiesŌĆöand against what's best for the rest of us.ŌĆØ
Dean then likened his statement to a line in the sand and insisted that government-provided health insurance was the only way to give all Americans health care.
ŌĆ£Today, we draw a line in the sand,ŌĆØ Dean continued. ŌĆ£A public health insurance option is the only way to guarantee health care for all Americans. And to show that we mean business, we all need to tell Congress we won't settle for less.ŌĆØ
Dean encouraged subscribers to sign his ŌĆ£Stand With Dr. DeanŌĆØ petition, which he claims he will hand deliver to Congress should the petition get at least 250,000 signatures.
While Dean is not traveling the country, championing liberal causes, he appears on CNBC to comment about business issues.
ŌĆ£You are now a commentator governor,ŌĆØ CNBC ŌĆ£Squawk BoxŌĆØ host Joe Kernen said on March 23 on his introduction to the network. ŌĆ£And, IŌĆÖm not saying we want you to tone it down necessarily, but actually we donŌĆÖt because this is cable, so you need to ratchet it up a little bit if you can.ŌĆØ
When CNBCŌĆÖs ŌĆ£The Kudlow ReportŌĆØ host Larry Kudlow was in the rumor mill to be making a run for U.S. Senate in
ItŌĆÖs not yet clear whether or not this standard applies to Dean ŌĆō using CNBC as a platform to champion liberal causes favored by the Obama administration.


text:
Legal Aid
The WildCat Conservation Legal Aid Society is establishing a national network of pro bono attorneys to provide indirect legal services and assistance to other attorneys and organizations that are preparing or engaged in lawsuits that involve the protection of native and non-native wildcats and their habitats. WCCLAS in-house counsel will pursue lawsuits that protect and defend all native and non-native wildcats and their habitats, prepare amicus curiae briefs, work with state and federal enforcement agencies to ensure existing laws are enforced, and engage indirect and grass roots lobbying initiatives at the federal and state levels to strengthen existing laws and propose new legislation where needed.
Legal Professionals: For attorneys who are interested in providing pro bono services and to join our national network of pro bono attorneys, please complete our Attorney Application (Pro Bono Services) and return to WCCLAS. We will contact you upon receipt of your application. Questions regarding our Legal Aid program may be sent to: email@example.com.
Legislative Research and Resources
The legal staff of WildCat Conservation Legal Aid Society has researched and summarized existing federal and state laws affecting native and non-native wildcats which are provided below for your reference. The legal staff will continually update the summary reports when new legislation is introduced, with the status on pending legislation, and with new and final opinions of federal and state cases.
Law Library of Congress, Report for Congress:
Regulations Concerning the Private Possession of Big Cats (An International Law Survey)
The report surveys the different legal approaches taken by twenty-one counties and the European Union in regulating the private possession of big cats. The individual country surveys describe the legal provisions regarding keeping big cats in captivity, the requirements for licenses, and permission for breeding. Some surveys include a discussion on the procedures for zoo accrediation, trade in wild animals and pentalties for violations.
Proposed & New Federal & State Rules
September 2013: In conjunction with President Obama's Executive Order on Combating Wildlife Trafficking, the members of the Advisory Council on Wildlife Trafficking were announced. The Council will advise the Secretary of the Department of Interior, Sally Jewell, and members of the Presidential Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking, a federal interagency group, on ways to improve coordination and implementation of domestic and international efforts to fight wildlife trafficking and poaching. For more information see Secretary Jewell's Press Release
We recommend visiting ~ Annamiticus ~ an educational nonprofit organization that provides news and information about endangered species, illegal wildlife trade, and wildlife crime.
UPDATE: May 21, 2015: USDA/APHIS has not taken any action regarding the petition requesting amendments to the Animal Welfare Act prohibiting direct or physical contact with big cats, bears and nonhuman primates. On March 31, 2015, several wildlife NGOs sent a letter to Tom Vilsack, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Kevin Shea, APHIS Admininstrator, stating "The time for decisive agency action on this matter is long overdue." Petitioner's letter to USDA/APHIS
November 18, 2013: The public comment period is now closed. The USDA/APHIS received over 15,000 comments! In August, the USDA/APHIS received a petition requesting amendments to the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) regulations and standards which, in part, would prohibit licensees from allowing individuals (with certain exceptions) to have direct or physical contact with big cats, bears, or nonhuman primates of any age; define the term sufficient distance; prohibit the public handling of young or immature big cats, bears, and nonhuman primates; and prohibit separation of such animals from their mothers before the species-typical age of weaning unless it is medically necessary.
Comments are available for review through the Federal eRulemaking Portal.
Petition to Amend AWA ~ Prohibiting Public Contact with Big Cats ...
August 5, 2013: The USDA/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) received a petition requesting amendments to the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) regulations and standards which, in part, would prohibit licensees from allowing individuals (with certain exceptions) to have direct or physical contact with big cats, bears, or nonhuman primates of any age; define the term sufficient distance; prohibit the public handling of young or immature big cats, bears, and nonhuman primates; and prohibit separation of such animals from their mothers before the species-typical age of weaning unless it is medically necessary.
The petition is available to the public and APHIS is soliciting comments regarding the petition along with any additional issues that should also be considered. Comments may be submitted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal.
Or mail to: Regulatory Analysis and Development, Docket No. APHIS-2012-0107, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8,4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238.
The comment period is open until November 18, 2013.
Petition to Amend AWA ~ Prohibiting Public Contact with Big Cats ....
USDA's Animal Care program recently issued new guidance to its inspectors for evaluating the height of enclosures for lions and tigers at stationary facilities. This guidance is aimed at assuring that USDA inspections will be consistent when determining a facility's compliance with the Animal Welfare Act regulations.
USDA Height Enclosure Guidelines for Lions and Tigers
On July 31, 2013 USDA/APHIS issued a stay of regulations for the establishment of contingency plans and training of personnel for research facilities and dealers, exhibitors, intermediate handlers, and carriers. In the Federal Register notice, APHIS states they intend to conduct an additional review to further consider the impact of contingency plan requirements on regulated entities, unique circumstances and costs that may vary by the type and size of business. The stay is indefinite.
Federal Register Handling of Animals: Contingency Plans; Stay of Regulations.
July 30, 2013 - Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn) introduced a new bill, the Big Cats and Public Safety Protection Act, S. 1381. A similar measure was introduced in the House (H.R. 1998) in May and is pending review in the House Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs. The Senate bill was referred to the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works.
May 16, 2013 - Washington, D.C. "Today, Congressman Howard Buck McKeon (R-CA 25) and Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (D-CA 46) introduced H.R. 1998, the Big Cats and Public Safety Protection Act. The Big Cats and Public Safety Protection Act would prohibit private possession of big cats, such as lions, tigers, panthers and cheetahs, except at highly-qualified facilities, like accredited zoos, where they can be properly cared for and restrained. Additionally, since no agency, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), state agencies, or local first responders, currently knows exactly how many dangerous big cats are being kept in private hands, under what conditions, and in what locations, the bill would require any persons who currently possess big cats to register those animals with USDA in order to keep the cats they currently own. The bill would also outlaw the breeding of any big cat except at accredited zoos and research and educational institutions. Violators of the law could have their animals confiscated along with any vehicles or equipment used to aid in their illegal activity, and could face stiff penalties including fines as much as $20,000, and up to five years in jail."
WildCat Conservation Legal Aid Society fully supports this important initiative and urges the U.S. Congress to implement this urgent measure into law.
August 2013:
Commercial Filming and Similar Projects and Still Photograph Activities
A Rule by the Department of the Interior, the National Park Service and Fish and Wildlife Service. This rule implements legislation that directs the Department of the Interior to establish permits and reasonable fees for commercial filming activities or similar projects and certain still photography activities.
UPDATE ~ September 2013: Texas bill failed!
April 2013: Texas introduces new bills banning the private ownership of big cats and certain primates . . .
Legal and Legislative Archive
WildCat Conservation Legal Aid Society © All rights reserved


text:
Booth C03
6 th – 10 March 2013
The Golden Thread Gallery, with the support of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, will be presenting Hidden in Plain Sight at the internationally renowned SCOPE 2013 art fair this coming March, as the art world congregates in New York.
The Golden Thread Gallery continues its unique support and profiling of the regions most exciting emerging visual artists, creating opportunities to showcase their excellence and innovation on the world stage. The presentation at SCOPE 2013, New York titled Hidden in Plain Sight, brings together selected works by Martin Boyle, Sinéad Breathnach-Cashell, Ursula Burke, Shiro Masuyama and Brendan O'Neill in a distinctly Belfast way; beautiful, complex, humorous, layered and unpredictable.
The Golden Thread Gallery began its non-for-profit artists' representation programme back in 2005 when its launched its unique Artist Support and Profiling programme. The initiative is focussed on investing in creating opportunities for local artists to gain national and international exposure and to kick start markets for the regions Contemporary Visual Art. To date the Golden Thread Gallery has presented work by over fifty artists working in Northern Ireland at celebrated Art Fairs in London, Berlin and New York. This project has been generously supported from The Arts Council of Northern Ireland, whose mission is to "place the arts at the heart of our social, economic and creative life".
SCOPE NY is renowned worldwide for presenting the most innovative galleries, artists and curators. SCOPE's extensive reach enables an unrivalled opportunity for networking with art patrons, creative professionals alongside the general public. http://www.scope-art.com/index.php/artshow/newyork-2013/press
Golden Thread Gallery http://goldenthreadgallery.co.uk/sales/
Arts Council of Northern Ireland http://www.artscouncil-ni.org/default.asp
For John Keats it was simple "Truth is beauty, beauty is truth. That is all you know and all you need to know". Hidden in Plain Sight asks us to balance up the merits of accepting beauty without questioning its core.
Hidden in Plain Sight will be on view at Scope New York between the 6th and 10th March 2013.


text:
- Equipment World - http://www.equipmentworld.com -
VIDEO: Mike Rowe opens up about opera, skilled trades and Dirty Jobs (EXCLUSIVE)
Posted By Wayne Grayson On March 11, 2014 @ 6:05 pm In Construction News | No Comments
All of the new machines are obviously the star of a show like ConExpo [2]. But one of the highlights for the Equipment World team last week at the show was getting to sit down with TV host and newly-minted author Mike Rowe for a conversation on the importance of skilled trades and vocational education.
Just in case you're unaware, Rowe is likely the foremost advocate for construction and the trades we have today. Rowe believes "We no longer equate dirt with success. But we should." [3] He has noted that the American education system undervalues vocational education and his mikeroweWORKS foundation is even giving $15,000 vocational school scholarships to students [4] who will take his SWEAT pledge.
In our interview, we discussed how Rowe got started, how his grandfather was the inspiration for Dirty Jobs and how opera is a lot like working in construction. We also discuss the country's "disconnect" from hard work and Rowe confesses his own. We also discuss the recent controversy surrounding Rowe and his TV spot for Walmart as well as his message for the youth of America.
Watch the full exclusive interview below.
Article printed from Equipment World: http://www.equipmentworld.com
URL to article: http://www.equipmentworld.com/mike-rowe-interview/
URLs in this post:
[1] Image: http://www.equipmentworld.com/files/2014/03/Mike-Rowe-ConExpo1.jpeg
[2] of a show like ConExpo: http://www.equipmentworld.com/tag/conexpo-2014/
[3] "We no longer equate dirt with success. But we should.": http://www.equipmentworld.com/mike-rowe-we-no-longer-equate-dirt-with-success-but-we-should/
[4] mikeroweWORKS foundation is even giving $15,000 vocational school scholarships to students: http://www.equipmentworld.com/mike-rowe-is-giving-high-school-seniors-15k-vocational-scholarships-first-they-have-to-sign-the-amazing-sweat-pledge/
Click here to print.
Copyright © 2012 Equipment World -- Development. All rights reserved.


text:
Arsenic Trioxide
Pronunciation: AHR-sen-ik tri-OX-ide
Class: Antineoplastic agent
Trade Names
- Solution for injection 1 mg/mL in 10 mL ampules
Arsenic trioxide causes morphological changes and DNA fragmentation characteristic of apoptosis in NB4 human promyelocytic leukemia cells in vitro. Arsenic trioxide also causes damage or degradation of the fusion protein PML/RAR alpha.
Pentavalent arsenic is reduced to trivalent arsenic by arsenate reductase. Trivalent arsenic is methylated to monomethyl arsenic, which is then converted to dimethyl arsenic by methyltransferase. Methylation reactions are done in the liver.
Excreted in the urine as methylated metabolite.
Indications and UsageAdults/Children
Refractory or relapsed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Safety and efficacy in children younger than 5 yr of age not established.
Standard considerations.
Dosage and AdministrationRefractory or Relapsed Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia
Induction (adults/children)
IV 0.15 mg/kg/day until bone marrow remission, do not exceed 60 doses.Consolidation (adults/children)
IV 0.15 mg/kg/day for 25 doses over a period of up to 5 wk. Begin 3 to 6 wk following induction.
General Advice
- Withdraw the desired dose from the ampule, using aseptic technique.
- Use a filter needle and dilute with 100 to 250 mL dextrose 5% or sodium chloride 0.9% prior to administration.
- Diluted solutions are stable for 24 h at room temperature or 48 h if refrigerated.
- Discard the undiluted solution within 24 h of opening.
- IV infusion over 1 to 2 h. Increase the infusion time to 4 h if acute vasomotor reactions occur, such as dizziness, hypotension, tachycardia, or flushing.
Store at room temperature. Do not freeze.
Drug InteractionsInsulin, sulfonylureas (eg, glipizide, glyburide, tolbutamide, chlorpropamide), glucagon, or diazoxide
May increase and decrease blood glucose levels, necessitating dosage adjustment of these drugs.Medications that prolong the QT interval (eg, thioridazine, antiarrhythmics) or that cause electrolyte abnormalities (eg, amphotericin B, diuretics)
Risk of arrhythmias may increase when arsenic trioxide is given concomitantly with these medications.
Laboratory Test Interactions
None well documented.
Adverse Reactions
Tachycardia (55%); QTc interval greater than 500 msec (38%); palpitations; other ECG abnormalities; torsades de pointes; edema (40%); chest pain; hypotension; flushing; hypertension.
Fatigue; fever; headache (approximately 60%); insomnia; rigors; paresthesia; anxiety; dizziness; depression; tremor; weakness; convulsion; somnolence.
Dermatitis; pruritus; ecchymosis; dry skin; nonspecific erythema; increased sweating; pallor; facial edema; night sweats; petechiae; hyperpigmentation; nonspecific skin lesions; urticaria; local exfoliation; eyelid edema; injection site pain; erythema; edema (10% to 20%).
Moderate potential for nausea and vomiting; abdominal pain (58%); diarrhea; constipation; decreased appetite; elevated ALT and AST; abdominal discomfort.
Vaginal hemorrhage (21%); breakthrough bleeding (13%); fetal harm possible; bone marrow chromosome defects in pregnant mice and neural tube defects in pregnant hamsters.
Leukocytosis (50%); thrombocytopenia; anemia; neutropenia (nadir 14 to 21 days); hemorrhage; disseminated intravascular coagulation; lymphadenopathy.
Rash (up to 5%).
Hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, hyperglycemia (up to 15% to 50%); hyperkalemia; weight gain; hypocalcemia; hypoglycemia.
Arthralgia; myalgia; bone pain; nonspecific back, neck, and limb pain.
Renal function impairment (up to 10%).
Cough; dyspnea; sore throat; epistaxis; hypoxia; pleural effusion; post nasal drip; wheezing; changes in breath sounds; hemoptysis; tachypnea.
Special Senses
Eye irritation, blurred vision, dry eyes, earache, tinnitus, painful red eyes (up to 10%).
Retinoic-acid acute promyelocytic leukemia (RA-APL) syndrome during induction in up to 31% characterized by fever, dyspnea, weight gain, radiographic pulmonary infiltrates, pleural or pericardial effusions. Mean time to diagnosis was 17 days after initiating treatment (range, 7 to 24 days).
WarningsCardiac arrhythmias
The risk of torsades de pointes depends on the extent of QT interval prolongation. Use with caution in patients with a history of torsades de pointes, preexisting QT interval prolongation, or CHF, and in patients taking medications known to prolong the QT interval or cause electrolyte abnormalities.RA-APL syndrome
RA-APL syndrome has occurred in 31% of patients treated with arsenic trioxide. If suspected (eg, unexplained fever, dyspnea, abnormal chest exam), administer dexamethasone 10 mg IV every 12 h for at least 3 days until symptoms resolve.
Perform baseline 12 lead ECG with serum electrolytes and creatinine levels.
Preexisting electrolyte abnormalities should be corrected prior to therapy. Electrolyte profiles monitored at least twice weekly and more frequently for unstable patients during the induction phase and at least weekly during the consolidation phase.
ECG obtained weekly and more frequently for unstable patients during induction and consolidation phases.
Discontinue drugs known to prolong QT interval.
Obtain a 12-lead ECG at baseline and at least weekly during therapy. Monitor serum electrolytes (eg, potassium, magnesium, calcium), and serum creatinine at baseline at least twice weekly during induction and at least once weekly during consolidation. Before starting therapy, correct any electrolyte abnormalities, and if possible, discontinue drugs known to prolong the QT interval.
Category D .
Arsenic is excreted in human milk. Decide whether to discontinue breast-feeding or the drug, taking into account the importance of the drug to the mother.
Safety and efficacy in children younger than 5 yr of age not studied.
Adjustment in renal insufficiency
Dosage reduction may be necessary in patients with renal function impairment; however, specific recommendations are not available. Use additional caution in these patients.
Extravasation risk
Arsenic trioxide is an irritant; mild injection site reactions have been reported (13%). Local irritation or phlebitis may occur. Refer to your institution specific protocol.
Common (50%) during arsenic trioxide therapy. Patients with higher baseline WBC (3,900 cells/mm 3 vs 1,200 cells/mm 3 ) may be at greater risk for developing hyperleukocytosis.
Convulsions, muscle weakness, confusion.
Patient Information
- Review dosing schedule with patient (ie, Induction Regimen and Consolidation Regimen).
- Advise patient that medication will be prepared and administered by health care provider in a health care setting.
- Instruct patient to immediately inform health care provider if fever, weight gain, difficulty breathing, or shortness of breath occur.
- Advise patient that follow-up visits and laboratory tests will be required to monitor therapy and to keep appointments.
Copyright © 2009 Wolters Kluwer Health.
More about arsenic trioxide
Consumer resources
Professional resources
- Other brands: Trisenox


text:
Listings |
Home | Success Stories |
Patty Day Realty |
Contact Us
Family Home
407 North 11th - Marysville
When you pull
into the drive you feel like you are home. A 2 story, 3 bedroom
and 1 1/2 baths. It has a large living room with vaulted
ceilings and a fireplace. It was recently painted with modern
color schemes. Nice size kitchen with lots of cabinets and
counter space and a dinning room that is large enough for
a table, chairs and hutch. There is a 1/2 bath on the main
floor. Open stairway to the 2nd floor. 2 of the the bedrooms
are large and the 3rd one would be great for a childs room or
den. There is a full bath with tub/shower combination and it
has had some updating done. Lots of storage space throughout
the home. The basement has a family room, utility room
and another room that has been used for a ping pong table or
rec. room. It has an attached garage, partially fenced yard and
patio area. It is 1/2 a block from the grade school, just a few
blocks from downtown and very nice neighbors. It may be the
home for your family. List price is $95,000.
610 Broadway | Marysville, KS 66508
� Copyright 1998, 2002


text:
Privatization panel can get lots of ideas from other states
HARRISBURG -- A panel that will consider selling state assets and privatizing services in Pennsylvania can get plenty of ideas from similar commissions in New Jersey, Arizona, Louisiana and Virginia.
Gov. Tom Corbett soon will appoint a commission to examine whether it is more cost-efficient to allow private companies to run some public services. The effort tracks similar panels in other states headed by GOP governors.
Multibillion-dollar deficits in states across the nation have sparked interest in farming out additional services. Pennsylvania contracts for billions of dollars of services, including road construction and computer technology.
Commissions in other states are recommending a step beyond that by considering the placement of entire agency services under contract. In Arizona last year, a commission recommended that a private company be allowed to run the state lottery.
A report delivered in July to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie included recommendations to offer long-term leases for private companies to operate state parks and to privatize turnpike toll collections, certain corrections services such as medical and food services, vehicle fleet management, child support services, state psychiatric hospitals and emergency service patrols on state highways.
The New Jersey commission identified $210 million in potential savings.
In Pennsylvania, Corbett places some limits on what should be privatized. He considers correctional officers a core service and off-limits, but he would look at ideas to privatize food services and additional programs within the prison system, said Kevin Harley, his press secretary.
"The bottom line is whether it is going to save taxpayers money," Harley added.
The Department of Corrections issues contracts for inmates' medical services, most of its halfway houses, and alcohol and drug treatment programs, said Susan McNaughton, an agency spokeswoman.
Corbett opposes the outright sale of state parks, but he would consider privatizing management services, Harley said.
A bill to sell state liquor stores, a concept Corbett supports, is pending in the House. A private study on the system's value is under way.
The criterion is whether an agency's services represent a "core function of government," Harley said.
"The reason privatization works is simple: it introduces competition into an otherwise monopolistic supplier of public service delivery," according to a recent report by the Commonwealth Foundation, a conservative think tank. That drives down costs and provides incentives for top performance, the report stated.
Matthew Brouillette, the foundation's president, was glad to hear Corbett would consider contracting for park operations while retaining ownership.
Asked what should be reviewed for potential privatization, Brouillette said "everything." The foundation called its report "Yellow Pages" because it suggests any state service or commodity available commercially should be considered.
Brouillette says the Pennsylvania Lottery and the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, the state's college loan agency, are examples of state services that Corbett's panel should review.
Those less than enthusiastic about privatization urge caution.
"There is this attitude in Harrisburg that 'If we say they'll be savings, there will be savings,'" said Mark Price, labor economist for the liberal-leaning Keystone Research Center. "There are always unintended consequences. Be careful and actually do some cost-benefit analysis."
Keystone does not take a blanket position against privatization. "There are certainly functions that can be privatized," Price said.
A study of privatization in the U.S. Department of Labor found "enormous costs" that had not been anticipated, said its author, Ellen Dannin, a professor at Penn State University's Dickinson School of Law.
A General Accounting Office report confirmed those findings in 2008.
Dannin points out that although it projects $210 million in savings, the New Jersey commission notes that its figures are not "precise."
The savings won't be fully known until after the competitive bidding process and because "New Jersey state government agencies have difficulty calculating with precision the full cost of functions currently performed at the state level," the report stated.
Christie's spokesman could not be reached for comment.
Show commenting policy
TribLive commenting policy
You are solely responsible for your comments and by using TribLive.com you agree to our Terms of Service.
We moderate comments. Our goal is to provide substantive commentary for a general readership. By screening submissions, we provide a space where readers can share intelligent and informed commentary that enhances the quality of our news and information.
While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderating decisions are subjective. We will make them as carefully and consistently as we can. Because of the volume of reader comments, we cannot review individual moderation decisions with readers.
We value thoughtful comments representing a range of views that make their point quickly and politely. We make an effort to protect discussions from repeated comments either by the same reader or different readers.
We follow the same standards for taste as the daily newspaper. A few things we won't tolerate: personal attacks, obscenity, vulgarity, profanity (including expletives and letters followed by dashes), commercial promotion, impersonations, incoherence, proselytizing and SHOUTING. Don't include URLs to Web sites.
We do not edit comments. They are either approved or deleted. We reserve the right to edit a comment that is quoted or excerpted in an article. In this case, we may fix spelling and punctuation.
We welcome strong opinions and criticism of our work, but we don't want comments to become bogged down with discussions of our policies and we will moderate accordingly.
We appreciate it when readers and people quoted in articles or blog posts point out errors of fact or emphasis and will investigate all assertions. But these suggestions should be sent via e-mail. To avoid distracting other readers, we won't publish comments that suggest a correction. Instead, corrections will be made in a blog post or in an article.
Most-Read Stories
- Pirates sign free agent 1B-OF Goebbert, RHP Webster
- Steelers notebook: Tomlin not grooming successor to RB Williams
- Committee says Senate should consider removing Attorney General Kane
- Derailment impacting Amtrak service eastbound from Pittsburgh
- Maryland man found with missing Ohio girl in Pittsburgh motel
- Buffalo man killed by truck in the West End Circle wanted 'a fresh start'
- Penguins' Perron returning to form
- Steelers kicker Boswell puts best foot forward
- Pittsburgh police chief reviewing use of force policies: Most 'quite satisfactory'
- Police find marijuana grow rooms in Castle Shannon
- Trib readers help families with Operation Santa Claus


text:
Massa says more overtaking unlikely
|By Michele Lostia and Pablo Elizalde
|Thursday, December 6th 2007, 11:52 GMT
Felipe Massa believes new regulations banning so-called driving aids will not help overtaking in Formula One and will only make the sport less safe.
You have viewed over 15 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.