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I think it would be nice to have a sticky?
Audio Physic
Real Traps Guide to room setup
GIK Setup Guide
Galen Carol Guide
Wes Lachot, acoustic designer elite
Sayers Acoustic Forum(invaluable reference0
Wall Bounce Calculator
Room Mode Calculator
Wavelength Distance Calculator
Room Analysis Software Primer V2.1
Revised August 2010
Room Analysis Software of decent quality has become very affordable. This has led to many attempting to use it to evaluate their studio or other listening room. The immediate results can be confusing and disappointing. To get the best from any tool, some understanding of the principles and some operating skills are needed. More importantly, let's back up a bit, I recommend that the basic room treatments be done before any attempt at measurement. Corner Bass Traps, RFZ, including Cloud. When these basics are in place let's then measure and tweak positions to get the absolute best from the space. This article is intended as a simple primer on how to do the measurements, and how to view them. As of Feb 2010 it has been substantially revised to accommodate new wisdoms, the results of practical experiments and discussions on the fora. Please remember it is a Primer, intended to help you get going quickly and easily. I have simplified a few issues in order to keep it tight.
What to expect
There is no silver bullet here unfortunately. Expect to see horrible looking graphs. Software can excel at comparative tasks, such as finding the best speaker and listener positions. However it takes an experienced brain to evaluate how a room sounds or errs, and what to do about it. Let's not expect a health check and a treatment prescription from these programs. They are tools not room doctors.
The Graphs
I will deal with only a few of the easiest understood graphs. For the rest, RTFM.
Frequency response is the most common and is easily understood. The Waterfall is a perhaps more powerful one. Most of our rooms are dominated by strong modes. Tuned by the dimensions of the room, these modal frequencies ring on longer than their neighbours. Conversely there are modal nulls which lead to missing information. These modes are powerful and they wreak havoc. They cause individual Bass notes to stick out or to vanish. This makes mix decisions regarding the bottom end, where most of the energy in music resides, very unreliable. The Waterfall plot displays this behaviour so graphically that it hardly needs explanation. It is like a series of Frequency response snapshots taken at short intervals. Like a cartoon, these snaps portray action over time.
Decay graphs such as EDT, T20,30 are to be regarded carefully. Even in Labs, decay measurements under 125Hz or so are quite uncertain. LF modes dominate in small rooms, so the Decay here is not at all random and diffuse like Reverb in a large space.
The concept of RT60 cannot even exist in small rooms.
REW has a Topt feature which tries to address these difficulties with some success.
FM3 has also improved greatly at Decay and now includes third octaves.
The BBC used third octave decays as an indicator of room quality. No third octave decay length was permitted to differ from it's neighbours by more than 10%. Note that this test will show up problematic modes. Any room passing this test would be a very fine one, IMHO.
Given time and experimentation, one learns how to interpret these different views of the room sound. Graph changes caused by say a change of speaker or listener position, are however very easily evaluated as an improvement or not.
The Microphone
You may well have a useable mic in your closet already. A multi-pattern condenser switched to omni will work fine. The frequency response bumps of say an 87 or 414 are tiny compared to the 30dB anomalies we find in real rooms. I recommend jumping in. Get a demo of the software and go for it with whatever mic you have at hand. Be aware that directional mics may have poor LF response compared to an OMNI. They can also underestimate some modes due to position and direction. With that caveat, most mics are OK for comparative tests. In time, if you develop a liking for measurement, you might want a more suitable mic or software. Measurement mics are omnidirectional Small Diaphragm Condensers. The best of these are optimised to have a very accurate and stable frequency response, unfortunately this is often at the expense of very poor noise figures. I recommend only the ones which are also quiet enough for recording. DPA and EarthWorks spring to mind here.
Sound Level Meter
SLMs, even cheap ones, are very useful for many purposes. They are well worth having around. There are many recent cheap units way better than the venerable Broadcasting Shed one. Many SLM's can output their Mic signal via the AC OUT socket. This is fine with decent units. Recent experience has shown it to be unreliable with cheap ones. Some have very skewed frequency response. Even worse, the AC OUT can have electronic noise or DC on it.
Not recommended.
It is not necessary to calibrate your rig to standard SPL's.
It is however, wise to optimise the S/N ratio.
Adjust your speaker volume to drive the room very well. You may wish to block your ears with headphones or earplugs. Watch out for overload lights on powered monitors, particularly at HF.
This puts our source signal well above background noise, computer fans, etc. Longer sweeps or multiple sweeps averaged can also be used to increase S/N ratio.
With a decent sweep level established, now adjust your mic pre gain using trial measurements and/or the meters on your interface. Get a decent level, graph peaks should end up within say
-6dBFS to OdBFS.
This is really just normal digital recording level setting.
As one becomes familiar with the Software, one may want to avail of some little sophisticated extras. It is possible to input a microphone correction curve to adjust a known mic response to flat.
e.g. If your mic comes with a printed frequency response curve showing -2dB at 100Hz, you can apply an automatic +2dB correction in the software. Similarly there is a loop back correction facility to automatically correct for sound card or interface anomalies including delay. FuzzMeasure has a Create Time Domain Average facility. It is essential to use the loop back correction for this to function properly.
Acoustic Analysis Software
I will only mention the free or cheap packages that I know. There are many out there, from Freeware to extremely expensive Lab standard. However this little group have democratised the process by being both competent and affordable.
ETF and it's current variations was one of the earliest programs. The Acoustisoft website has great walk-through tutorials on actual uses.
FuzzMeasure Pro is a similar product for the Mac. This one is very easy to use, but is fully competent. Another strength is it's very sophisticated averaging of measurements. e.g. Take measurements at several different listening positions, then average them to get a broader sense of the room's response.
REW now works with Mac and PC. It is very comprehensive, which results in a learning curve. It costs a nice round figure, 0. The manual deserves special mention, superb writing.
ARTA is PC only. It appears to be very comprehensive and reasonably priced. The manual is pretty much a text book, it explains the measurement techniques in hand to the very deepest levels.
Other Tools and Helpers
I use a collection of must haves together to achieve a holistic evaluation of the room.
A CD of reference Tracks. I bring mine with me everywhere.
The SoundCheck CDs by Alan Parsons.
LabMeter, a Mac Frequency meter from rustykat.com
A Room Mode calculator such as this one http://www.bobgolds.com/Mode/RoomModes.htm
There are many RM calcs, with different strengths. Test drive a few.
The free MiniRator and Test tones at RealTraps - Home
I use sine waves to drive the modes crazy. SignalSuite is nice and smooth. Try the Signal Generator plug-in in your DAW, sometimes the frequency jumps make this difficult. REW has a unique Sweep follows Graph feature on it's Signal Generator. This has a wonderful smooth action.
I use an ancient steam driven analogue one with a real sweep dial.
Oneself- the body can generate tones of varied pitch and duration, and most importantly can easily alter the source (and listening) location. This human moving tone generator uniquely reacts to the results of its own output. No loudspeaker has this ability to move about, provoking and reacting to room response. Short pitched tonal bursts such as grunts, barks, or vowels, can very strongly stimulate the booms honks and rings. Because of the variable stimulus location, we can identify exactly where they live. Labmeter can show the frequency. Handclaps are excellent for finding Flutter echo, or single slap echoes, again by moving into the actual paths and hot spots.
You might want to be alone when doing all of this!
A sound absorbent panel, temporarily held in place by a friend or mic stand, can categorically prove the paths of these flutters and such. This will coincidentally show exactly where to put treatment. Lastly, a caveat; some software graphs allow clicking on, say a peak, to identify it's frequency. The resulting decimal point readout suggests great accuracy. I have found them to be way out, they are not meant to be accurate. For example P-z shows a 10 percent error at 100Hz. I wouldn't use these readouts while mixing or to create a Room Eq. for instance.
How to do it
I am assuming a rectangular room, with speakers at the narrow front wall. Identify the zones at 3/8 (38%) of room length from the front wall and ditto from the back wall. These zones mathematically should have the best balance of room modal activity. Another rule of thumb suggests there is little Low Bass at the room centre. These are useful, often but not always correct, guidelines. However Measurement always trumps Theory. Use these guides only as suggested starting points. Prove by measuring. Be ready for surprises. Using masking tape, label the floor at all significant listening spots, e.g. Engineers seat, Producers seat, Couch. Use descriptive names and numbers for your chosen spots. I use names like L38FC (Left Speaker Front Centre), L38BL (Left Speaker Back Left) and so on. Establish your own system and stick to it. 8 or so spots seems appropriate in a small room. Don't be afraid to change your spots in response to the graphs. Mount the Microphone or SLM on a stand or tripod. Seated ear height is good. If you use a Mixing Desk and like to prowl around, then include standing ear height. Mix and match heights if you like, but do remember to use fully descriptive labels. I tie a thread with a small weight to the microphone or tripod. The dangling weight over the marked floor spot guarantees repeatable location and height.
There are conflicting views on the following, which gives rise to confusion.
This will all clear up shortly as my world domination plan takes effect.
I point the mic directly at the tweeter. This will give the best result in the vast majority of situations. You may see mics pointed at the ceiling, particularly in the USA. The issues behind this are quite complex so I have dealt with them herehttp://www.gearslutz.com/board/7257133-post1.html
Simply put, if you have a normal Free Field measurement or recording mic, point it at the tweeter. If you are using the internal mic of a USA ANSI standard Sound Level Meter, or any other Diffuse Field Mic, point it at the ceiling.
For Frequency Response and ETC drive one speaker only. (Or 1.1 with the Sub)
For Waterfalls and Decay measurements drive both or all speakers. This is more likely to get all the modes going. A Y lead may be needed, I use a Mono switch on my controller. You could drive the modes even better by placing the speakers in the floor tricorners.
Feel free to use the graph tools. I like to use smoothing to view trends, e.g. the slope of a curve, the biggest anomalies in a Waterfall. Without smoothing HF on graphs can be an unhelpful mess. Later on, when searching forensically for individual anomalies, use little or no smoothing, in combination with zooming.
On Waterfalls, limit the Frequency Range to 300 Hz to see the modes clearly.
A human body close to the mic causes strong midrange errors. Up to 6dB around 400Hz. So stay at least a metre away from the mic. Similarly keep the mic at least 1 metre from surfaces.
If you see a suspected problem, e.g. a dip or peak perhaps caused by a reflection from your desk or floor. Try temporarily covering the reflecting surface with an absorbent or diffusing panel. If the problem vanishes, your suspicions were correct.
Some of the default view settings can be a bit odd so I recommend over-riding them.
Adjust the Window setting to the same length as your Sweep and Graph.
For Waterfalls set the duration to say 1000mS for an untreated room, 500mS for treated. Tweak to fill the screen nicely. The lowest visible level threshold interacts with this. Set it to say -50dB. Again tweak to fill the screen nicely while ensuring that the end tails of the Modes submerge nicely down into the noise floor.
Be aware that many mix rooms are quite noisy due to fans and such. 45dBA is common, so use that lower limit control as you would a noise gate.
How to view it
Optimistically! Take a look at the Frequency Response, third octave smoothing.
Ideally this should be a nice even slope from say +3dB around 100Hz to perhaps –3dB around 10K or so.
Next restrict the viewing frequency range to say below 300Hz. Lighten the
smoothing or turn it off entirely. Observe the Peaks and Nulls.
Remember 40/80Hz is around the low E on electric Bass and electric Guitar.
Kick Drum and Bass action is hot from 40-120.
Now let's expand the spectrum again, say up to 18K.
Look for signs of comb filtering. This will have a repeating series of dips and spikes,
thus the comb. Experiment, use the view changing tools of Smoothing and Zooming,
to see right into areas of interest.
Don't panic
The curves almost always look awful. Frequency response graphs show scary peaks and dips. Waterfall plots will often show one very low extremely long decay accompanied by a confusing array of peaks and dips up through the spectrum. For some perspective let's take a real world example.
This room was from hell. It has mostly concrete surfaces, it is asymmetrical, and worst of all it has alcoves. It is a tuned indoor swimming pool.
The Green Before curve shows the room with elementary treatment; the Red After curve is with much more considered treatment, of considerable quantity and quality. We did the lot; four corners, alcove corners, Ceiling Cloud, RFZ. Sadly, the After curve has a very similar shape to the Before. Disappointing and very common. Let's look closer focussing on the musical crucial 100 Hz zone. Here we find a broad 6dB improvement. Now, consider if you were to eq a full mix with such a broad 6dB boost….. This is a big and welcome change. This room is used every day professionally, with great success. Perhaps the curves generated by software are not great at fully describing a sonic experience. A survey of Engineers gave this a 9. The graphs however deliver very clear warnings. E.g. Be careful of Bass decisions in the 100Hz zone. Try to find workarounds. Find the listening spot spots in the room where the graph is flattest. Perhaps refer to top quality headphones to hear the mix without any room or speaker.
Octave Reverb Time Measurements varied a lot with position, some were zero. The modes were so clearly so overpowering that these Decay views were of little use.
The Waterfall plot told another story. On a cursory glance the After again looked very similar to Before in shape, just generally shorter. Not very impressive.
However, with focus we find the good story. Before, the Waterfall showed a 1.3 Second long boom at 37Hz. After, it was reduced to 0.7 S. Go SuperChunks. Sonically, this changed a Kick drum from a chest massage to a nice 'subby' thump. Note there is almost no sign of this huge anomaly in the averaged Frequency Response graph. Waterfalls are IMHO the most useful of all the graphs.
Software alone cannot evaluate a listening space. It does however bestow great certainty when making comparative choices. When treating a room there is simple clear advice on the usual websites as to where to put treatment and why. They all agree on the basics; Broadband or Bass Traps in the corners, a Ceiling Cloud, Side Reflection points. This is not voodoo and it doesn't change from room to room. Treat the Room first, then use Software to make comparative choices such as best speaker position, best seating positions, best speaker eq settings, etc.
Dan FitzGerald AMIOA MAES
Irish Acoustics
Sound Sound - Homepage


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"Hey! Is that a bottle of formula you're giving your baby? Right on!"
"Here, let me clean the house to your standards (or at all would be nice) and fix dinner. Why don't I go ahead and throw a load or two of laundry in the wash while I'm at it. You just go rest, dear."
Anyone else wanna play?

subset: commoncrawl


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UMass Hockey Inks Baxandall
July 1, 2013
AMHERST, Mass. - UMass hockey has announced that 6-2, 205-pound defenseman Brennan Baxandall of the Drumheller Dragons of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) has signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Minutemen. Baxandall, a native of Calgary, Alberta, joins Marc Hetnik, Alex Wakaluk and Brandon Wahlin as the fourth member of the squad's Class of 2017.
"Brennan Baxandall is a veteran and versatile player who will bring a good amount of grit and competitiveness to our blueline," said UMass head coach John Micheletto. "He is a veteran who played 174 games of junior hockey with 74 points over the course of that junior career and well over 300 penalty minutes, certainly showing his ability to get after it and add tempo. He's worn a letter in his last two years at Drumheller, something we look very much towards implementing into our leadership corps over the course of his years here. Brennan is a great character kid who is going to add a tough but skilled element to our back end and we're excited to welcome him to our family."
Baxandall played in a total of 159 regular season games and 15 playoff contests over the course of four seasons for Drumheller and totaled 74 points on 22 goals and 52 assists, including four game winners and eight power-play tallies. The blueliner finished third on the Dragons' squad in assists and sixth in points in 2012-13 and was a finalist for the AJHL's MVP award. Baxandall served as Drumheller's captain this past season and was an assistant captain in 2011-12.
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Green spaces found to increase birth weight, says new research. If you live near a green space, your baby will weigh more than if you lived in a concrete tenement or similar apartment complex with a view of more concrete buildings and streets. The new study, "Green Spaces and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes" recently appears online in the journal, Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Mothers who live near green spaces deliver babies with significantly higher birth weights, says the findings.
A team of researchers from Israel and Spain, including Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), evaluated nearly 40,000 single live births from a registry birth cohort in Tel Aviv, Israel to determine the impact of green surroundings during pregnancy and birth outcomes.
"We found that that overall, an increase of surrounding greenery near the home was associated with a significant increase of birth weight and decreased risk for low birth weight," says Professor Michael Friger, according to the July 28, 2014 news release, "Green spaces found to increase birth weight -- Ben-Gurion U. researcher." Friger is with BGU's Department of Public Health. "This was the first study outside of the United States and Europe demonstrating associations between greenery and birth weight, as well as the first to report the association with low birth weight." You also may wish to check out a commentary or its abstract, "Do mothers living in greener neighborhoods have healthier babies?" It's published online since June 3, 2014 in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
The abstract of the commentary on that study noted the study corroborates recent findings from the USA, Spain and Germany. In these settings, researchers have consistently found that surrounding greenness or tree-canopy cover is related to fetal growth, but that associations with pregnancy length or complications are absent or inconsistent. And while effect modification by area-level deprivation has not been addressed elsewhere, the Spanish studies report strongest relationships between surrounding greenness and birth weight for mothers.
So if you're pregnant or planning to be, being in a green or tree-canopy covered area is one holistic way to increase the birth weight of your baby and your baby's health. It's also a healthy place to be with all those trees giving off fresh oxygen and breathing in the air pollution and carbon dioxide in the environment from heavy traffic or manufacturing.
An analysis of neighborhood socioeconomics also reveals that the lowest birth weight occurred in the most economically deprived areas with lack of access to green spaces
Who lives in areas without green spaces? Unless you're talking about large urban sky scraper apartments and condos costing in the millions, most people living in tenements and apartment complexes without access to green spaces come from low-income areas because they can't afford to live in residences that have access to green spaces. And people with low incomes in deprived areas often have less affordable nutrition and exercise choices unless they work out in the green spaces of urban farming, growing their own vegetables, which gives them some access to green spaces during the spring through autumn seasons. Green spaces include public park access, not only backyards of private homes. People with backyards that are shady gardens or vegetable farms on a small scale have access to green spaces. But how are green spaces defined?
Green spaces -- parks, community gardens or even cemeteries -- were defined as land that is partly or completely covered with grass, trees, shrubs, or other vegetation. "The application of remote sensing data on surrounding green areas enabled our study to take small-scale green spaces (for example, street trees and green verges) into account, while the Open Street Map data determined the major green spaces," Friger explains, in the news release. You have some people so eager for green spaces and quietude to think or meditate that they spend an afternoon in cemeteries just to have access to being around the shade of green trees and flowers. Others may hang out in hardware or garden/nursery stores that have working fountains and trees in containers for sale on display in an outdoor garden area.
The point of this study is that if you're planning a pregnancy, also plan to have access often to green spaces, whether it's strolling through the park, assuming the park isn't mostly concrete tennis and basketball courts, or having a backyard or rooftop garden where you can stroll among green plants and trees. Beaches weren't mentioned in the study of green spaces. For those without a car and using public transportation, there needs to be more access to public parks and gardens that don't charge fees that are beyond the budget of low-income people. Not everyone around the world has access to the countryside.
Professor Friger mentored the lead researcher, Dr. Keren Agay-Shay, Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona for the study, which was the result of collaboration between researchers in Israel and Spain. The Israel Environment and Health Fund supported the study. You also may wish to check out the site, American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.


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Today, social media has taken over our daily lives. It has not only changed the way that we communicate with our friends and family members, but it has also changed the way do business, and because people are so busy with their careers they barely have enough time to date the traditional way. However, online dating has made things easier for us to meet our future spouses.
Although it has made things easier, it has made us become more cautious. We have all heard about the catfish stories, but what is this about people being used as experiments?
Founder of OkCupid, Christian Rudder, wrote on the dating site's blog "We Experiment Human Beings" in defense to human experimentation by stating:
"Guess what, everybody: If you use the Internet, you're the subject of hundreds of experiments at any given time, on every site. That's how websites work".
We already know that Facebook uses user's photos and data for surveys that they conduct, and have been doing so before their users were publicly made aware. So, it shouldn't come to no surprise that a dating site would do the same, right?
There are three main experiences that OkCupid conducts. Two of which are revolved around user photos, no surprise there, and one on how users on a dating site interact with one another. I guess the second test would have to be conducted so that these sites can determine an "accurate" success rate of daters.
One test that was done back in January 2013 was "Love is Blind Day", where the site temporarily removed all users' photos to see how it would affect their interactions, and of course the sites traffic went down significantly. However, those that did use the site during that responded to first messages more often and exchanged contact information more quickly…until the photos were restored which caused conversations that had started "blindly" fade away.
This study shows that people are very superficial, at least the majority are. As humans, we like what we like. So when it comes to dating, we tend to first look at a person's physical appearance before approaching that person…in both real life and online.
People want to seen with someone who compliments them in an attractive way. This can also factor down when it comes to reproduction. As individuals we usually tend to be more attracted to the physical attributes of someone because we want beautiful offspring.
In addition, the experiment also found that men and women who actually tried out a "blind" date reported having a good time regardless of how attractive their date was. Women who participated in these dates with more attractive men were reportedly less satisfied than those who went on dates with less attractive men.
Rudder stated that the reason being is because "hotter guys were assholes more often", which can be true to a certain extent depending on the person, and vice-versa for "prettier women".
This goes to show that in the dating world, we cannot keep relying on looks, which is probably the main reason why so many men and women complain about it being hard to find a good mate. We have to learnt to let our guard down a little and spend more time getting to know a person's personality, their interests, beliefs and other more important things that are only revealed as we get to know a person internally.
The last photo-focused experiment consisted of deciding whether there was a correlation between how users scored each other for looks and personality.
"The thinking was to see whether users would positively rate a user's personality, even if they didn't positively rate a user's personality, even if they didn't rate their looks", Rudder explained.
The results found that looks still trumped other factors and users positively-rated the users of the people that they found attractive, even if the rest of their profile was empty.
"So, your picture is worth that fabled thousands words, but your actual words are worth…almost nothing", Rudder said.


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The Jazz.com Blog
August 31, 2009 · 0 comments
The Best New Music of the Month
Five days per week, jazz.com highlights an outstanding track from a recent release as part of its Song of the Day feature. These tracks are drawn from the hundreds of new CDs coming out each month, with the goal of pointing site visitors in the direction of some outstanding current music they might otherwise miss. The featured tracks come from a wide range of sources—high profile releases from major labels, small indie projects, self-produced CDs, imports from distant lands, and even an occasional foray outside of the jazz realm into blues, world music or other areas where some hidden gems might be found.
Below are links to the tracks featured during the month of August, and the cover a wide swathe of territory. Names such as Terence Blanchard (today's featured artist), Bill Frisell, the Heath Brothers and Christian McBride will be familiar to jazz fans, and they each have new CDs on the market. The Frisell release, Disfarmer is an especially interesting project, and ranks with this artist's finest work. But there are other first rate artists on the list whose names will almost certainly be new to you.
The Gretchen Parlato CD is creating quite a buzz, and deservedly so. This is one of my favorite jazz vocal albums of the year. I have always been a fan of understated, whispery phrasing—putting on Chet Baker and Astrud Gilberto CDs while others reach for stronger brews—and Parlato is the great new champion of the low-key. Singing with this degree of relaxation is often (in my experience) accompanied by intonation problems, but not with this engaging artist, whose notes and phrases are picture perfect. I especially like the understated production, which is well suited to Parlato's style.
We usually throw in some odd outliers in our song choices, and this month's winner for outré performance goes to Joe Higham and Al Orkesta, whose music reviewer S. Victor Aaron describes as a cross of "Sun Ra, Miles Davis circa Get Up With It, Gong, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Balkan folk dance beats and Arabian flourishes." Runner-up is Fanfare Cioc?rlia, which I summed up as "what the Dirty Dozen Brass Band would sound like if its members had grown up in northeastern Romania instead of New Orleans."
In other words, there's something here for every set of ears. Each review comes with a unimpeachable testimony from one of our team of reviewers, full recording info, a score from 0 to 100, and a link for (legal) downloading.
Happy listening!
Terence Blanchard: A New World
Reviewed by S. Victor Aaron
Fanfare Cioc?rlia: Cioc?rlia
Reviewed by Ted Gioia
Luis Bonilla: Uh, Uh, Uh...
Reviewed by Ralph A. Miriello
Judy Niemack: Beautiful Love
Reviewed by Scott Albin
Gretchen Parlato: Butterfly
Reviewed by Ted Gioia
Joe Higham and Al Orkesta: Simple Dan(ce)
Reviewed by S. Victor Aaron
The Monterey Quartet: Treachery
Reviewed by Ted Gioia
Dee Alexander: This Bitter Earth
Reviewed by Scott Albin
Bill Frisell: Disfarmer Theme
Reviewed by Ted Gioia
Louis Sclavis: Aboard Ulysses's Boat
Reviewed by S. Victor Aaron
John Primer: Moanin' at Midnight
Reviewed by Ted Gioia
The Heath Brothers: The Rio Dawn
Reviewed by Ted Gioia
Miroslav Vitous: Variations on W Shorter
Reviewed by S. Victor Aaron
Will Matthews: Count on Swingin'
Reviewed by Bill Barnes
Warren Smith: One More Lick for Harold Vick
Reviewed by S. Victor Aaron
Matt Wilson: That's Gonna Leave a Mark
Reviewed by S. Victor Aaron
Andy Milne & Benoît Delbecq: Divide Comedy
Reviewed by Mark Saleski
John Surman: Haywain
Reviewed by S. Victor Aaron
Sacri Delfino: Luna de Hortaleza
Reviewed by Bill Barnes
Christian McBride: Theme for Kareem
Reviewed by Ted Gioia
Tim Kuhl: King
Reviewed by Bill Barnes
Donny McCaslin: Uppercut
Reviewed by Ralph A. Miriello
This blog entry posted by Ted Gioia
Comments are closed.


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The History of Elmbridge Borough Council
The concept of local government started with the creation of County Councils under the first Local Government Act in 1888. Soon after, the Local Government Act of 1894 provided for smaller units of local government within the County Council framework, most of which were Parish Councils, but, District Councils also emerged.
Urban District of Esher and the Dittons
One of these councils was the Urban District of Esher and the Dittons which held its first ever meeting on 6th May 1895. It comprised three wards, each with six members (councillors) and was based at Brabant Villa on the Portsmouth Road in Esher. By the end of that first year, the council had expanded, with Claygate becoming a separate ward, creating three more councillors.
Move to Sandown House
Twenty four years later, in 1919, the number of Claygate councillors doubled, bringing the total to 24. The council now had to seek new premises. In 1923 the council bought Sandown House for £4000. It was officially opened on 6th February 1924 and was home to the Council for the following 50 years.
Esher Urban District Council
In 1933, the Esher and Dittons Urban District Council, Urban District of East and West Molesey and the parishes of Cobham and Stoke D'Abernon, including Oxshott, merged to form the Esher Urban District Council. This council had eight wards and was served by 33 councillors.
Elmbridge Borough Council
The early 1970s brought more local government re-organisation, when it was recommended that Walton and Weybridge and Esher should merge. As a result, Elmbridge Borough Council, as we now know it, was born on 1st April 1974. The new Coat of Arms was formed out of symbols taken from all the boroughs towns and villages, with the simple motto "Dum Defluant Amnes" meaning "Till the rivers cease to flow".
Civic Centre
One result of this merger was that there were now two civic centres in use neither of which were big enough for all the new staff. It was decided in the 1980s that staff and services should be centralised and so this new Civic Centre was built, at a cost of £18 million, and opened in December 1991.
So, that brings us to where we are today - one of 11 borough councils in Surrey, who together with Surrey County Council provide local government services to more than one million people. Elmbridge covers an area of 23,803 acres and looks after more than 124,000 people.
|What is the background of the Crest?


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Change Festival:
2011 LA Asian Pacific Film Festival
2012 LA Asian Pacific Film Festival
2013 LA Asian Pacific Film Festival
2014 LA Asian Pacific Film Festival
2015 LA Asian Pacific Film Festival
2016 LA Asian Pacific Film Festival
Directed by: Nadine Truong 2013 | 80 min.
Section: Narrative Nominees
Premiere: Los Angeles
Film Website
Countries: United States
Languages: English
Genres: Asian American, Cult, Drama, Industry, Social Issues
Community Co-Presenter:
UC Irvine Asian Pacific Student Association
Charlie is a thirtysomething high school teacher and failed writer in the midst of an epic emotional breakdown as he comes to grips with what was once a life predestined to succeed and now has become a little less than what he'd dreamed of. In a desperate attempt to make sense of it all, Charlie reconnects with his old high school buddies. Luke is a handsome movie star, seemingly living a charmed life but struggling with dire marital issues. Danny is a gregarious, salacious rich boy who is quite obviously burying some personal conflicts underneath his false bravado. The three friends have an obligatory night out on the town where they meet Bonnie, beautiful and intent on hooking up with Luke, Eli, charming and underaged and Chu, Bonnie's friend who's reluctantly caught up in the shenanigans. The boozed up crew eventually bring the festivities back to Luke's hillside home and as L.A.'s shimmering sea of lights glow beneath them, the night quickly spirals out of control.
In SOMEONE I USED TO KNOW, director Nadine Truong, working from a smart and penetrating script by West Liang (who also portrays the character Charlie), deftly handles this character study with delicacy and bite. She has elicited the talented cast to deliver the earnest and heartfelt performances that is imperative to such closed quarter proceedings. While making a gentle nod to films such as THE BREAKFAST CLUB, ST. ELMO'S FIRE, and LESS THAN ZERO as well as recalling the more recent THE ANNIVERSARY PARTY and such classic films like WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOLF?, SOMEONE I USED TO KNOW delivers the same dramatic punch while providing some new insight into the modern experience. Truong's film is filled with tense drama, biting wit and moment after moment of genuine revelation into the lives and minds of its characters. These lost souls somehow found themselves for one night, in a house atop the Hollywood hills, sequestered by their reluctance or fear to face their own reality. But with a little help from old friends, strangers, alcohol and some garden-variety hallucinogens, everything begins to make some sense, but is too late?
Synopsis written by: Joel Quizon
The LOS ANGELES ASIAN PACIFIC FILM FESTIVAL presented by LEXUSa VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS production © 2016. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.www.VCONLINE.org | (213) 680-4462


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Part of Women's Festival
Giddha Sansaar
Tuesday 8 March 6:45pm
London , The Nehru Centre
Book by phone: 020 7491 3567
Giddha Sansaar is a popular ladies dance troupe, part of Birmingham based Nachda Sansaar supported by sampad's Creative Leap professional development programme.
Lokh Naach is folk dance from the Punjab specifically for women. It is derived from an ancient ring dance, which was performed by Punjabi women at social gatherings. Like its male counterpart Bhangra, Giddha is a bright, colourful and energetic dance which is usually performed to rhythmic clapping and Boliyan (traditional folk songs).
- Part of Women's Festival


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Tapping facile stereotypes of teachers often promoted in popular media, a Los Angeles judge recently ruled against teacher tenure, conservasplaining that following due process before firing teachers violates the constitutionally protected right to an equal education for all. In reality, tenure is merely a contractual obligation which prohibits the firing of veteran educators without due process. More importantly for our (or any) democracy, which depends on scientific inquiry and free speech for its very survival, tenure helps insulate educators from both personal and political attacks:
"'Let's be clear: [Vergara v. California] was never about helping students, but is yet another attempt by millionaires and corporate special interests to undermine the teaching profession and push their own ideological agenda on public schools and students while working to privatize public education,' Dennis Van Roekel, president of the National Education Association," told the Washington Post.
Education Policies Examiner, Charles Ferris, reminds us that not long ago in a pre-tenure world, "married women, and certainly pregnant women, weren't allowed to teach in public schools. Any teacher not towing the correct political line, or refusing to do any number of not so good things for those in power, were very likely to be fired."
Defending tenure and teachers at the recent Save Our Schools March, Matt Damon rebuked a libertarian reporter for lying about tenure while interviewing him.
Foes of tenure and teacher unions, such as this judge, reporter and sitting Republican Governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, have a long history of exploiting media stereotypes of teachers to drum up support for privatizing public education or using public schools to indoctrinate students with myopic corporatist or Evangelical-Christian world views.
One such idealized caricature of teachers commonly exploited by foes of tenure is the teacher-as-savior ideal, based most famously on a real-life mathematics teacher, the legendary (and late) Jaime Escalante.
Most people recognize the media caricature of this superhero teacher who singlehandedly overcomes all odds -- including systemic challenges to learning, such as an allegedly bureaucratic and dysfunctional public education system, poverty and racial inequality -- helping even the most recalcitrant and under-prepared students grow to love learning and kick some serious academic butt.
Foes of tenure and public education argue that the savior-teachers all work at charter and private schools, leaving behind nothing but the impotent burnouts and dictators dragging down the public schools; remember the Propofol-like economics teacher putting students under in John Hughes' iconic 1986 film, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," or Paul Gleason as Principal Richard Vernon, the bumbling, uncoool and abusive dictator of Saturday detention in 1985's "The Breakfast Cub"?
They are what you get at public schools, the foes of tenure would have us believe. Never mind that Los Angeles' Garfield High School, where Escalante did his "magic" in 1988's "Stand and Deliver," is a public school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest public school system in the nation; only the New York public school system has more enrolled students.
The caricature of teacher-as-savior, however, does not apply even to the teacher who had done more than anyone in recent history to inspire it. Escalante's teaching style was far from perfect, according to a Los Angeles Times Education Writer, Amy Pyle. In 1998 she reported that his penchant for harshly scolding students and never planning lessons at Sacramento's Hiram Johnson High School in the 90s likely lead to serious problems for him as a teacher and for his students, problems such as parental resistance, low enrollment and high student attrition rates in his classes.
Pyle inferred that perhaps his teaching methods, which worked well with a mostly Latino student body and community at Garfield High, the school where he allegedly helped and inspired hundreds of students a year to take the AP Calculus test, made it hard for him to "connect with a very different crop of students … at Hiram Johnson, [where] the student body [was] an amalgam of working-class white, Asian, black and Latino" students.
Hence, even the real-life model for the savior-as-teacher ideal, Jaime Escalante himself, might easily lose his teaching job in the era of accountability via standardized testing, despite the currently endangered due process that tenure and union representation contractually ensure.
Imagine a dystopia in which activist school boards -- unrestrained by the due process ensured by the tenure system and teacher unions -- replace educators who teach the science of climate change with those who teach climate-change denial. Imagine replacing those who teach evolution with those who teach "Young Earth Creationism," the unscientific belief that the god of Judeo-Christianity created the universe and all life between 5,700 - 10,000 years ago, empirical evidence proving the Earth to be much, much older, such as radiometric dating, be damned.
If the foes of tenure keep scoring legal victories like the one in California, public education is in serious trouble.


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Egypt has reported its first confirmed case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in a 27-year old man who had recently returned from Riyadh, Saudia Arabia. The Kingdom currently stated that 313 people there have already been diagnosed with the (potentially) deadly virus. So far there have been 90 deaths. The Egyptian patient is currently being treated at a hospital in Cairo for pneumonia, and is listed in stable condition.
MERS is viral respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus called MERS-CoV. Most people who have it develop severe acute respiratory illness including fever, shortness of breath and coughing. While the virus is generally spread through close contact with infected people it has not been "seen to spread through communities in any sustained way according to international health officials, who report that as of April 16, 2014, MERS-CoV cases have been reported in a number of countries, including Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Tunisia, as well as the Philippines, and now Egypt. No cases have been found in the US as yet.
Originally believed to be spread by African and Australian bats, recent studies have traced coronavirus infections in dromedary camels (possibly transmitted by bats). In fact, a report published in the August 9, 2013 issue of the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases stated that "100% of blood serum from Omani camels and 14% from Spanish camels had protein-specific antibodies against the MERS-CoV spike protein." As a result, The Qatar Supreme Council of Health has warned especially vulnerable people including those suffering from heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, respiratory disease, weakened immune systems and the elderly to "avoid any close contact" with the animals when visiting marketplaces or on farms. Those that do touch camels are also advised to wash their hands thoroughly afterwards.


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Show your spirit this season with a selection from our Air Force Falcons mens clothes, ties and accessories. All of our officially licensed clothing and gear are stitched from the highest quality materials to ensure years of durable wear, with the team colors staying vibrant wash after wash. We offer football fashion apparel for every setting, from tailgate parties to the office. Wear Air Force jerseys on game days, or grab a tee shirt, hoody, sweatshirt or slippers for every day.


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This web project is specific related to Jeanne d'Arc, also known as Joan of Arc (1412-1431)
A recognized Saint of the Roman Catholic Church.
This online exhibition will show through out collection of books, sculpture, posters, comics, photographs, paintings, medals, coins, porcelains, manuscripts, etc.... - to explore how the same historical facts can create so many Jeanne d'Arcs.
To tell the story about her life, her achievements, and her death, as attested on oath in the original trail documents, one of the most celebrated documents of medieval history.
Girl and soldier, saint and heretic, savior - since the time of her death, Jeanne has inspired thousands of historians, poets, and painters. Each of them tells a different story. Guided by what she thought were divine voices, Jeanne revived French fortunes in the Hundred Years' War.
She played a major (and somewhat mysterious) role in rallying the flagging forces of Charles VII against the English occupier in 1429, leading her troops to breaking the siege of Orléans and having Charles VII, the Seventh, the king of France officially crowned king in Reims the same year.
Girl and soldier, saint and heretic, savior - since the time of her death, Jeanne has inspired thousands of historians, poets, and painters. Each of them tells a different story. Guided by what she thought were divine voices, Jeanne revived French fortunes in the Hundred Years' War.
She played a major (and somewhat mysterious) role in rallying the flagging forces of Charles VII against the English occupier in 1429, leading her troops to breaking the siege of Orléans and having Charles VII officially crowned king in Reims the same year.
She was later captured and sold to the English, who burned her at the stake for heresy and perjury in 1431, in Rouen France. Her death only made her more powerful.
She was only 19 years old
Sixteenth-century France made her a national heroine.
The men of subsequent centuries took her story for their plays and poems, her image for their statues. She became the spirit of France, the maiden, the holy warrior, the Republican and Napoleonic symbol for opposition to the English and for those who would protect France from foreign domination.
In the Second World War Charles de Gaulle used her standard, the Cross of Lorraine, as the symbol of Free France. In 1920 she was canonized as a saint by Pope Benedict XV.
This online collection focuses on Jeanne d'Arc and the role she played in the Hundred Years' War. This war started, with interruptions, from 1337-1453, and began as a dynastic conflict between the English and French royal houses which both laid claim to the French throne. Initially this war went badly for France; the Dauphin, later King Charles VII, had to withdraw for safety to the Castle of Chinon from the English and their allies, the Burgundians.
In 1429, the country lass Jeanne d'Arc (1412-1431), managed to reach him at the castle, led by divine inspiration. This started her military successes: with a small army she marched on Orleans which she managed to rid of the English. Her success was a powerful momentum for French national consciousness. New successes at Patay and Reims followed. The performance of the Pucelle (Virgin) d' Orleans led to a change in the war in favour of the French.
It culminated in the coronation of Charles VII in Reims cathedral on 17 July 1429, in which Jeanne d'Arc held her standard above Charles's head. A complete English defeat seemed unavoidable, but the siege of Paris in September failed, due to lack of the necessary means. In May 1430, she fell into the hands of the Burgundians, who delivered her to the English.
In February 1431, a trial began against her in which she was condemned as a witch. On 30 May 1431, she died at the stake on the Place du Vieux Marché in Rouen.
Jeanne d'Arc has inspired artistic and cultural works for nearly six centuries. Portrayals of Jeanne d'Arc are numerous. For example, in 1979 the Bibliothèque Municipale in Rouen, France held a gallery containing over 500 images and other items related to Jeanne d'Arc and Schiller's play inspired at least 82 different dramatic works during the nineteenth century, and Verdi's and Tchaikovsky's operatic adaptations are still recorded and performed. Most of the others survive only in research libraries.
As another example, in 1894, Émile Huet listed over 400 plays and musical works about Jeanne d'Arc. Despite a great deal of scholarly interest in Jeanne d'Arc no complete list of artistic works about her exists, although a 1989 doctoral dissertation did identify all relevant films including ones for which no copy survives.
Part of this web site is only partly build, and will be in a constant state of development. New items and information about Jeanne d'Arc will be added and updated on a continuing basis as they are discovered, and as time permits. Some of the pages are experimental, and only with few pictures; some are still under construction and/or may be replaced with expanded versions.


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CHEVROLET ( 12V388000 )Publish Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2012 06:00:00 EST
Vehicle Make / Model: Model Year(s): CHEVROLET / EXPRESS 2003-2004 GMC / SAVANA 2003-2004 Manufacturer: GENERAL MOTORS LLC Mfr's Report Date: AUG 07, 2012 NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 12V388000 PE11040 NHTSA Action Number: PE11040 Component: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP Potential Number of Units Affected: 9,389 Summary: General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vehicles, equipped with a left side cargo door, and originally sold or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. Water and road contaminants may become trapped in the protective conduit that covers the fuel filler pipe and may cause the pipe to corrode. Consequence: Significant corrosion may allow fuel to leak during refueling, and in the presence of an ignition source; there is an increased risk of fire. Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install a new fuel filler neck, free of charge. GM has not provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact the Chevrolet owner center at 1-866-694-6546 and GMC at 1-866-996-9463.


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Formula 1 2009 World Champion Jenson Button has confirmed his attendance at the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed, according to a press release from Goodwood on Thursday, May 29. The British driver is currently eighth in this season's drivers' championship in the worldwide racing series.
According to Goodwood, Jenson Button is the third ex-Formula 1 World Champion to confirm his attendance at this year's Festival of Speed. He joins fellow Briton John Surtees and Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi – who will celebrate 40 years since McLaren's maiden drivers' world championship by driving the M23 in which he claimed the 1974 title.
Button is no stranger to the Festival of Speed and has attended 14 times previously, driving machinery as diverse as a 1970 Can-Am McLaren M8D, a P1 supercar and Alain Prost's 1986 title-winning grand prix car. This year, McLarens attending the event include M23, MP4/2 and MP4-26 Formula 1 machines.
Button entered Formula 1 just three years after first getting into a race car, according to Goodwood. His 253 World Championship grand prix starts for Williams, Benetton, Renault, BAR, Honda, Brawn and McLaren have delivered 15 victories, eight pole positions, eight fastest laps and 50 podiums.
About the celebration of speed held in his home country every summer, Button commented, "Goodwood is one of the highlights of my season. I've had the chance to get behind the wheel of some incredible historic racing cars there, which I'd never have been able to drive otherwise, and to meet some of the most enthusiastic fans, who have given me a tremendous amount of support over the years. I'm really looking forward to it."
The 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed takes place at the Goodwood Circuit in Chichester, England June 26-29.
Suggested Links
- Historics: Goodwood Festival of Speed to feature Rauno Aaltonen, Mini
- Historics: Brian Redman to drive Porsche 917 at 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed
- Historics: Goodwood releases statement on Sir Jack Brabham passing
- Historics: Lyn St. James to 'double' Pro-Am, Formula Atlantic at SVRA Brickyard
- Historics: SVRA announces Pro-Am pairings, cars for Brickyard Invitational


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Butterfly on the ground / floor
some (experienced) duellers will know this: the butterfly, where you don't leave the ground, but slide across the floor while performing a butterfly.
this attack is, however, extremely effective, cuz it's hard to be noticed as bf early enough.
my question is: what is the safest and easiest way to perform it?
I have heard different versions, but it only works in a few lucky cases.
You can do a butterfly off a platform or higher ground and when you should be doing the jumping, you'll be in the air. That's the only one I know of and it works all the time for me.
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Kristin Varela, senior family editor at Cars.com, has compiled a list for the holiday season of how to safely transport Thanksgiving dinner in the car. The list includes tips and gadgets that get food safely to its destination, keep the dish hot or cold and help bring leftovers back home after the big meal.
"Most Americans worry about holiday traffic and keeping the kids happy in the back seat during long drives to the relatives," said Varela, Senior Family Editor at Cars.com. "Hardly anyone considers how to avoid cleaning cranberry sauce off the back seat or how food insecurely packed can become dangerous when you're rushing to get to dinner on time."
To ensure safe travel of family and holiday dishes, Varela put together a list of gadgets and tricks to get food back and forth easily. Some of her Cars.com family tips include:
"While spilling food is certainly not ideal, safety should always be the biggest concern," said Varela. "According to a study by Safety Research and Strategies, projectiles in cars are responsible for 13,000 injuries per year."
To see all of Cars.com's tips for transporting Thanksgiving dinner, or any food, click here.
Cars.com was recently named the "Best Overall Customer Experience" by Keynote Systems, the leader in internet and mobile cloud marketing. Cars.com is an online destination for car shoppers that offers information from consumers and experts to help buyers formulate opinions on what to buy, where to buy and how much to pay for a car. With price listings, side-by-side comparison tools, photo galleries, videos, unbiased editorial content and a large selection of new- and used-car inventory, Cars.com puts millions of car buyers in control of their shopping process with the information they need to make confident buying decisions.
Launched in June 1998, Cars.com is a division of Classified Ventures LLC, which is owned by leading media companies, including Belo (NYSE: BLC), Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), The McClatchy Company (NYSE: MNI), Tribune Company and The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO).
For interview requests and media inquiries only, please contact:
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If you have a question not related to media relations, please call customer service at (888) 780-1286 or contact us here.


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Jan 28, 2010 10:21 AM
Get carried away and add a bit of drama to your outfit...innocently! The BCBG Max Azria Scarf Shoulder Top ($188) is a cool aqua and blue ombré print with tiny hearts aflutter. And this sleeveless silk blouse has a dramatic scarf-like detail at one shoulder with a gorgeous rhinestone butterflies ornamented elastic belt.
If you've got a product or service that you'd like to promote on Outblush, click here to find out about our advertising opportunities.
Outblush is a blog for girls who love to shop. Our staff digs up the best clothes, home stuff, beauty items, and more. New items are posted every day — bookmark us and check out:


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Rossi 66 at the 2013 Woodward Dream Cruise
Via CorvetteVideos.TV It's been a while since we've had a Rossi 66 sighting, but here is a Pearl White Rossi 66 cruising Woodward Blvd in Detroit during August 2013′s DreamCruise. Although the concept for the Rossi appeared first back in 2008, it took another two years for an actual car to be built. We believe […]
Comments | By Keith Cornett - August 22, 2013
Corvette-Based Endora SC-1 Heading for Production
Content provided by Keith Cornett of CorvetteBlogger.Com Time and time again we see custom supercars built around the C6 Corvette. The Rossi 66 and Bertone's Mantide are two that have successfully made the jump from vaporware to production. And last week we learned German-based Endora cars is planning on using the C6 Corvette as the […] More »


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Plans for an open cast mine at Clayton West 'will not scar the landscape', as feared by a community action group, says the agent acting on behalf of mine applicant Gordon Harrison Ltd.
Mark Barrett has refuted the claim made by members of Skelmanthorpe Community Action Group (SCAG).
The group is opposed to the mining firm's plans to extract 190,000 tonnes of coal and 40,000 tonnes of fire clay from land on Litherop Lane.
Full story in this week's Darton edition.
Most read news stories


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Bjs Pizza House Coupons
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- Cuisine: Pizza
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March 27, 2009
then you have to visit Carrabba's. The food is fresh and excellent like it should be in the Italian tradition. If you've been to the Olive Garden before you've had Carrabba's you'll most likely never go back to the Olive Garden which I'm sure most Italians turn their nose up to.
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Bjs Pizza House Coupons - 540 Stilley Rd Pineville, LA
Coupons for Bjs Pizza House and it is a Pizza restaurant with a location at 540 Stilley ... A New York Pizza House. Monday - Saturday; 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Sunday; 12 p.m. - 9 ...
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A Teacher's Story from Promise International on Vimeo.
Founder of the Kihonge Community Development Center, David Tumisume, is demonstrating his forward thinking as he is implementing many programs that target the needs of the community in the Kihonge area:
He has started a Micro-Finance programs that enables funding of entrepreneurial efforts within the community.
David is coordinating with Eric Kutagika of the Uganda Private Vocational Institute, to offer vocational training and help with Kihonge's computer needs. This project is in the beginning stages and we are thrilled about development.
David has also addressed the problem of teen pregnancy in the Hoima area, with programs working with teen girls.
Also, the ongoing Adult Literacy programs continue to help the Kihonge population to be fully prepared to prosper.
Our mission team reported that David's excitement about all of these programs is contagious!


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Holistic psychology is an integrative approach to healing. Mindfulness is one aspect of holistic psychology which helps manage stress and a tool to live a more peaceful life.
It sounds like a tough concept, but it's actually very simple. Mindfulness is simply achieving a heightened awareness of all of everyday experience by intensely focusing your attention on your present reality. Cultures have used mindfulness as a healing technique for hundreds of years, and it's a valuable tool for new mothers. People all across the globe are incorporating mindfulness into their lives today as scientific research confirms what ancient civilizations always believed: that positive intention and mindfulness makes a profound difference in how a person feels on a daily basis.
Modern medical and scientific research has revealed some amazing things about mindfulness: not only can it ease some of your stress on a daily basis, it reduces severe anxiety and depression. New research has even shown that mindfulness and positive intention can help your body heal faster from physical conditions or illnesses.
As you transition into motherhood, mindfulness can (and should) play an even bigger role than ever before. Everyone struggles with self-doubt and negative emotions like stress and anxiety, but the big transitions in your life that occur as you become a mother can magnify all of those issues. Don't judge yourself- everyone experiences these emotions! Instead, work on developing mindfulness as a tool that can make your life easier and take some of the fear out of dealing with negative emotions and stressors.
Mindfulness, when practiced properly, can reduce the hormones that cause stress- that has a whole host of health benefits that new mothers are dying for. Better sleep, healthier eating habits and help with managing substance issues are all positive side effects of mindfulness. Even relying on substances that aren't illegal, like caffeine or alcohol, can decrease as you practice mindfulness and become more in tune with yourself.
Living fully in the present moment without judging yourself or others is one of the healthiest lifestyle choices you can make, and it's also one of the most effective lifestyle changes you can make as you become a mother.
Don't worry that you won't be able to achieve mindfulness; it's something that we're all capable of with the right assistance from those around us!
Instead of judging negative emotions or immediately reacting to them, observe them calmly and with compassion. That small behavioral change can make you a much better communicator with yourself and those around you.
For an exercise in mindbody medicine and more on mindfulness, visit the BirthTouch blog.
Stay tuned for Part Two, about the research behind mindfulness and Part Three, a mindfulness exercise.


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WASHINGTON -- Last year, American proved it could do it. This year, it was supposed to do it.
The two distinct types of pressure yielded the same result: Fans again stormed the court, players again cut down the nets, the Patriot League trophy again was paraded at midcourt, Garrison Carr again was the tournament MVP -- and, yes, the Eagles were again on their way to the NCAA tournament.
And, this time, they might be the only team from the D.C. area to get there.
Carr scored 24 points, launching momentum-swinging 3-pointers whenever his team needed them, and American's defense suffocated Holy Cross in a 73-57 victory Friday in the Patriot League title game.
"This year is even better -- because the second time around is harder," said Carr, one of seven seniors on the team. "As juniors, it's good, but you always have another year. And now that we're seniors, we're not going to have another game here at AU, and this was the best way to go out."
In front of a standing-only Bender Arena crowd of 3,123 -- including Mayor Adrian Fenty, who beamed with pride in his embroidered, blue AU jacket -- American ensured that the D.C. metro area wouldn't be shut out of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1978.
With Georgetown, George Washington and George Mason not in the mix and Maryland on the bubble, coach Jeff Jones' Eagles flew the local banner by riding a roster of veterans to a title in a season in which anything else would have been a huge disappointment.
American (24-7) earned its first NCAA Division I berth last year and lost 72-52 to Tennessee as a No. 15 seed. Only one school -- Bucknell in 2005 and 2006 -- has won while representing the Patriot League in the NCAA tournament.
With all that history in mind, Jones had a different perspective than Carr when comparing the two titles.
"For me, last year was a hell of a lot more pressure-packed and more emotional," said Jones, the former Virginia coach in his ninth season at AU. "It was like a relief, the frustration from getting close and not being able to do it, the 40 years or whatever of never being in the tournament. Both of them are pretty daggum good, but [this year] clearly is a different kind of feeling."
In his postgame locker room message, Jones told the players: "There's still more out there." He remembered watching some of them "play afraid" when he viewed the replay of the loss to Tennessee, and he'll work hard to make sure that doesn't happen again when practice resumes next week.
"The message that will be delivered on Monday," Jones said, "will be much stronger than it was presented a year ago."
Brian Gilmore added 18 for the Eagles, who shot 71 percent in the second half, but there was little doubt AU won because it didn't give conference rookie of the year R.J. Evans and the rest of the Crusaders (18-14) much room to breathe for the first 30 minutes.
Holy Cross shot 32 percent for the game, including 4-for-22 in the first half, and found itself in a 20-point hole early in the second half. Evans, often shadowed by Carr, finished with 16 points on 7-for-16 shooting. Pat Doherty added 13 points for the Crusaders, who were seeking a record sixth Patriot League title.
The Patriot final is always as tense as can be because the runner-up is almost usually done for the season. This one was no exception, and it showed in the passionate play by both teams -- and the expressions on both sets of players' faces afterward.
"It's death," Holy Cross coach Ralph Willard said. "You lose and you're dead. It's a lot of pressure on these kids. But, hey, I'm a firm believer that, especially in a league like ours, you learn a lot of great life lessons, and I think our guys learned."
The final was a fitting one, pitting the conference's top two seeds, both ranking among the national leaders in scoring defense. Top-seeded American ran its winning streak to 13 games -- the second-longest in the country -- and avenged its only loss of 2009, a 71-62 defeat at Holy Cross on Jan. 24.
Points, therefore, were hard to come by, especially in the first half. Holy Cross went more than 7 1/2 minutes without a field goal, a stretch that included three offensive fouls by three different players.
The drought allowed the Eagles to go on a 9-0 run that gave them the lead for good. AU led 28-18 at the half, and Carr helped pushed the lead to 45-25 with a back-to-back 3-pointers in an 8-0 run early in the second half. Holy Cross then tried to make a game of it, going on a 9-1 run to cut the lead to 12.
The Eagles, though, always seemed to have an answer, whether it was a three-point play from Gilmore or another 3-pointer from Carr. Holy Cross never closed within single digits in the second half, and soon the AU cheerleaders were running on the floor unveiling a "We're Dancing" banner.
"We want to do more," guard Derrick Mercer said. "We want to add more to this winning season. We don't want to go out like we did last year."


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Dear Editor,
After reading Alan Cheah's column in the Dec. 20 Sierra Star, I have one thing to say to him -- please wake up.
The financial hole this nation is in just keeps getting deeper and deeper. The chances of our future generations having anything like the "American Dream" are becoming more and more dismal. The Senate (Democrat majority) has not passed a budget in four years, let alone a balanced one.
We've got a high speed rail costing billions that nobody wants. Our president's family takes multi-million dollar vacations while we struggle to get food on the table. We pour more money into countries that hate us than we give to help our own. It makes no sense.
Americans are crying for fiscal responsibility from their elected representatives. They are sick and tired of the irresponsible actions of everyone in Washington, D. C. and Sacramento. But no one has the courage to take a stand against such irresponsible spending because of the kind of mindless criticism wannabe intellectuals like you heap on them.
I may not like some of the choices being proposed, but I'm glad at least some are making an effort to start the dialog before it becomes too late. But you call them Scrooges. That is twisted and illogical. If we don't act now, making the hard choices and taking strong steps to curb the outlandish spending habits of our federal and state legislatures, pretty soon there will be no money left in the till and everyone will be suffering far worse hardships than the steps being proposed now.
To quote an old adage, "If you're not part of the solution then you're part of the problem." You, Mr. Cheah, and those like you, are part of the problem.
Steve Hall, North Fork


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Breaking down the Heat's Game 5 loss
Breaking down the Dallas Mavericks' 112-103 win over the Miami Heat:
Two things that went right for the Heat
1. Mario Chalmers (15 points, four rebounds) came off the bench and nailed four first-half 3-pointers, including a desperation heave at the end of the first quarter. He finished the first quarter of Game 3 the same way. In all the Heat bench produced 22 points in the opening half and had 30 through three quarters.
2. They pounded the boards at both ends of the floor. Chris Bosh tied for the team lead with 10 rebounds, including six at the offensive end, as the Heat outrebounded the Mavericks by 10 but still found a way to lose.
Two things that went wrong for the Heat
1. Dwyane Wade suffered a left hip contusion after a first-quarter collision with Mavericks forward Brian Cardinal. Wade retreated to the Heat locker room and was initially listed as "questionable" to return. Even when he did come back – after missing roughly six minutes of game action – Wade moved pretty gingerly. He did not start the second half but returned with 4:33 left in the third — a double Willis Reed — and gutted out the rest of the game to finish with 23 points, eight assists and two rebounds. His status for Game 6 will be a huge issue, obviously.
2. After struggling from deep throughout the series, the Mavericks finally got their 3-point game going. Five different players hit threes, with undersized guard J.J. Barea (4 of 5) a particular revelation, as the Mavs finished 13 of 19 from deep.
Three stars in the game
1. Dirk Nowitzki, clearly over the 101-degree fever that bothered him in Game 4, opened fast with 16 points in the first half. The Mavs' 7-footer continued his strong work when it counted most, scoring eight of his game-high 29 points in the fourth.
2. LeBron James, coming off an eight-point embarrassment in the Game 4 loss, responded with a strong all-around showing without trying to force the issue. He had a triple-double by the middle of the fourth quarter but again struggled to score down the stretch. He had a layup in the final minute but still has just 11 fourth-quarter points in these Finals.
3. Barea, making his second straight start and just his fourth all season, drove the Heat nuts with his penetration, playmaking and shooting. Barea had scored just 21 points the first four games. He had 17 on Thursday.
Grading the Heat
Offense: B-plus
Even with Wade's injury-related absences, they found ways to hang around against a hot-shooting Dallas group. The Mavericks' zone didn't bother them as much this time because their 3-point threats (Chalmers and Mike Miller) kept them honest. Sixteen turnovers didn't help.
Defense: C
The Mavericks shot 66 percent from the field in the first half, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range, and finished at a still-sizzling 56.5 percent. For the first time all series, the Heat struggled to keep up with the slick passing of the Mavs (25 assists on 36 field goals).
Coaching: B
Erik Spoelstra tried to convince his team Game 5 was a "golden opportunity" to regain control of the series, and he coached that way with Wade hobbled. Spoelstra got six points out of little-used Juwan Howard. Even Eddie House made a rare cameo (three minutes), but it wasn't enough.
Your thoughts on the Heat's ability to clinch the title with two more wins on their home court?
How did you think LeBron did tonight?
How worried are you about Wade?


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Vestavia Hills is a step closer to building a pedestrian bridge at McCallum Park.
The City Council recently approved a resolution putting up $50,000 as matching funds to build the bridge. The council's action will hold until the Vestavia Hills Parks and Recreation Foundation denotes those matching funds. The foundation has pledged up to $100,000 for the bridge project.
The matching funds will be added to a $50,000 grant for the bridge project from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.
The bridge will connect McCallum Park to 35 acres on the opposite side of Little Shades Creek, which runs through both properties. The Fresh Water Land Trust owns 17.5 acres of the 35 areas and the city the other half.
Vestavia Hills officials hope to build a trail system on its part of the property. The trail system would led to Vestavia Hills High Schools which sits nearby. Vestavia Hills officials have already been informed the city stands to receive $50,000 to build a 1.25 mile walking trail. The trail is expected to cost $120,000 and the bridge more than $200,000.
McCallum Park is named after former Mayor Charles "Scotty" McCallum, who during his tenure from 2000 to 2008 led the city's efforts to acquire more than 300 acres of green space. The park is about five acres and sits off Rocky Ridge Road at the end of Rosemary Lane.


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Archive for June, 2010
Idea Lab In The Library
Librarians like to talk about innovation. We want to be innovative, we believe innovation will lead to a better library future, and we even have a journal dedicated to it so we can write more articles about innovation. Despite all of our talking and writing about innovation, we may be overlooking a more obvious way […]
Posted: 15 June, 2010 in Creativity & Innovation.
Tags: idea_lab, innovation, library_workspace
Comments: 3
The "Thinking" In Design Thinking
Here's is some more good reading that helps librarians to better grasp what design thinking really means – although there's one aspect of this post with which I'd quibble. What I like about it though is that it does a good job of pointing out that the "thinking" in design thinking really refers to a […]
Posted: 10 June, 2010 in Design Thinking.
Tags: design_thinking
Comments: -
Want Magazine Will Help Us Learn How Designers Think
I had seen the advance announcements about Want Magazine, and was eagerly looking forward to the debut of issue one (a/k/a Release 001). Now we can all read Want Magazine. The first issue became available just recently. Want Magazine looks like it will be a valuable learning source for those of us who want to […]
Posted: 1 June, 2010 in Articles, User Experiences.
Tags: user_experience, want_magazine
Comments: -


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Fairfield schools gets large gift from local man, in honor of his late wife
The gift means that one Fairfield senior will get a scholarship every year "for basically forever" says financial adviser.
One local man's generous gift to Fairfield Community Schools means students will be getting scholarships for a long time.
Ernie Sailor donated $50,000 to Fairfield in honor of his late wife Maxine Sailor, who graduated from Fairfield High School.
Sailor's financial adviser, Matt Szynal of Edward Jones, said the gift will keep on giving.
"The endowment will fund ongoing scholarships for Fairfield students for as long as possible through diligent investing," Szynal said Friday, April 4.
A scholarship of $2,000 will be awarded to one senior each school year, he said.
Follow reporter Lydia Sheaks on Twitter at @LydiaSheaks
TagsGIFT, FAIRFIELD COMMUNITY SCHOOLS, ERNIE SAILOR, MAXINE SAILOR, FAIRFIELD SCHOLARSHIPS


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Contact Information
Phone: (906) 635-2231
Email Me
Advising Area
- Michigan Counties
- Lapeer
- Lenawee
- Livingston
- Macomb
- Monroe
- Oakland
- St. Clair
- Washtenaw
- Wayne
- Ohio
- Southern Ontario
I grew up in northwest Detroit, and currently reside in the Ann Arbor area. I earned a BA from Oakland University. I've worked in student affairs for about 3 years. Presently, I work with students in southeast Michigan, Ohio, and southern Ontario. I enjoy being able to assist students in reaching their educational goals.
I am a fan of sports and the outdoors. I enjoy writing, and presently I am working on projects to help people tell their stories.
I believe LSSU is an excellent academic institution in a beautiful natural setting. The small size is an outstanding advantage for students. I am available to answer questions that you may have about LSSU.


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It takes two
Zachary James and Alexandra Lee make great music — together and apart
By Chris Baker 07/07/2011
Childhood dreams can seem idealistic, even naive, through the more weathered lens of adulthood. The adolescent make-believe of hair-brush microphones, tennis-racket guitars, and thousands of cheering stuffed-animal fans, more often than not gives way to far more tangible and much less risky pursuits. For a rare few, however, these blissful visions of stardom act not as simple juvenile delusions but as intuitive glimpses of things to come.
When a 5-year-old Alexandra Lee picked up her first classical violin, few could have pictured the journey that would see her tromping her way through the L.A. punk scene and test-driving a handful of various sonic incarnations en route to becoming the gritty, soulful and sultry songstress she is today. It was in that same scene that she would meet a kindred spirit in Zachary James. Although James had also cut his musical teeth in a more conventional manner, taking an interest in classical guitar as a middle school student, it hadn't taken long for him to trade in the hollow bodies and nylon strings of tradition for the wire and wood of rock and roll. As teenagers, the two played in separate bands, eventually losing touch in the ebb and flow of an ever-changing industry. "We didn't start hanging out again until three or four years ago," says Alexandra. "I needed a bass player and Zach started filling in." James would eventually move from bass to guitar and become a full-fledged member of Alexandra and the Starlight Band while continuing to play and sing for his other project, The Thunder Boys. When that effort morphed into a more solo-focused endeavor, Alexandra returned the favor, sharing vocal duties in Zachary James and the All Seeing Eyes.
Harkening back to an era when the fun-loving, soul-stirring and even heart-breaking emotion of a song was adorned, but never overshadowed, by glittering sheer scarves and rhinestone-encrusted guitars, both bands serve as a dramatic departure from their punk rock predecessors. And though cut from the same cloth, each has been woven into its own unique retro design. James' raw brand of rock and roll evokes images of The Rolling Stones, David Bowie and even a hint of Alice Cooper. His onstage bombast is matched only by his obvious song-writing prowess, raw guitar mastery, and in-your-face style. Alexandra, while clinging to her no-holds-barred rock and roll roots as well, leans toward a more soul-influenced style. Her emotional lyrics and heartfelt vocals fit hand-in-sequined glove with the likes of Tina Turner and Joss Stone, placing her among the current music industry best.
Although Zachary now splits much of his time between opening for hip-hop juggernaut Lil Wayne as the guitarist for Porcelain Black, his love for The All Seeing Eyes, as well as playing more intimate venues, is still very much intact. "I had as much fun playing Zoey's a month ago as I do in the huge arenas," James says. Not to be outdone, Alexandra is also working overtime, putting the final spit-shine on her yet-untitled album, for which she employed the talents of a plethora of industry greats, including Grammy-winning producer Bob Cuterella (Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Michael Jackson, Slash, Madonna) and composer Lou Forestieri, who has lent his skills to such talent as Tori Amos and Lena Horne.
Zachary will be on Late Show with David Letterman in mid-July with Porcelain Black. The band will again open for Lil Wayne beginning in September. Zachary James and the All Seeing Eyes have their sights set on releasing an album and following it up with a mini-tour upon his return. Alexandra is looking at a late summer/early fall release for her upcoming album. Both bands will be playing the Bombay Bar and Grill in Ventura on Friday, July 8. For more information, check out www.zacharyjamesband.com and www.alexandraband.com.
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Bosnia and Herzegovina
Alberta, Halifax, Hamilton, Montreal, Ottawa, Peterborough, Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria,
Czech Republic
Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Delhi, Mumbai,
New Zealand
South Africa
United Kingdom
Belfast, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hull University, London, Nottingham, Sheffield, University of Leicester, University of London, York
United States
Athens GA, Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbia MO, Columbus, Denver, Des Moines, Duke University, NC, Durham & Chapel Hill, East Lansing, Flagstaff, AZ, Houston, Iowa City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Lubbock TX, Manhattan KS, Muncie IN, New Orleans, New York City, Oneonta, Pittsburgh, Plattsburgh, Providence, Richmond VA, San Fernando Valley, San Francisco, Twin Cities, West Georgia (University)
By D. Kumar
I've been dating this pretty sweet guy for a few months now. We talk, have a lot of fun and we both feel incredibly connected to each other. Since I'm not a Disney princess, the relationship has its issues. Now this guy… He isn't a misogynist but he isn't a feminist either. And, I'm pretty sure I'm his first brush with feminism. Ever.
We tend to have these arguments every once in a while where my inner raging feminist (I'm pretty calm in non-patriarchal situations) comes alive. For example, yesterday saw us fighting over my photographs being public on Facebook.
This is an excerpt from yesterday's conversation:
Him – "You know your photographs on
Facebook are public? I just had a random friend call me after he checked you out on-line."
Me – "Really? Ya, I do have a few pictures public."
Him – "Secure your profile. People can stalk you. My friend saw all your pictures."
Me – "I really doubt that. And I don't appreciate being told if my photos should or shouldn't be public. That's my call."
Him – "I'm just saying this because I care about you and I don't want people to stalk you. I'm just trying to protect you."
Me – "I get your concern but I really don't think this is a way to care about somebody. You didn't just tell me the pictures are visible. You told me to change my privacy settings without even engaging in a conversation about it."
Him – "Have you always been this rebellious?"
And that went on for a while. So, how do you negotiate ownership of yourself in personal relationships? This sense of entitlement over another person is bound to come in at some point in close relationships. I've had similar conversations with boyfriends, friends, brothers, parents and other well-wishers over the years. And every single time, I sense control in the garb of 'care'.
'You shouldn't be out that late.'
'You should get someone to drop you back.'
'You shouldn't be wearing that in Delhi.'
And, I get it. I get where they're coming from. I get the 'prevention is better than cure' argument. But, when this prevention is forced, it isn't care. You don't want someone you love to get hurt. But, when that need to save those you love curbs their individual freedom, where do you draw the line?
I started going through Wikipedia (where else?) and came across this wonderful post about Personal Boundaries. It said,
"Personal boundaries are guidelines, rules or limits that a person creates to identify for him- or herself what are reasonable, safe and permissible ways for other people to behave around him or her and how he or she will respond when someone steps outside those limits. They are built out of a mix of beliefs, opinions, attitudes, past experiences and social learning."
I also learnt how different people have different types of personal boundaries, ranging from soft to rigid to flexible. I think that summed it up brilliantly for me. It's different for different people. When another person's concern overpowers or limits your own individuality, that's when it shifts to control. That's something each one of us should decide for ourselves.
What happened with the fight, you ask?
Excerpt – Part 2
Him – "Am I not supposed to care about you or worry about you getting hurt?"
Me – "It's one thing to worry, it's another to tell me what to do."
Him – "I never forced you to do anything."
Me – "I know that but there's a difference between asking me and telling me."
After the initial anger subsided, he heard me out and I heard him out. After a few hours of both of us being completely distraught and incredibly tired, we reached a semi-conclusion. I set my boundaries and he set his and we're going to try our best to respect them.
Author comments are in a darker gray color for you to easily identify the posts author in the comments
[…] Hollaback! Chandigarh addressed an important question: In a relationship, "When does care become control?" […]
[…] been dating someone, let's call him Y, for a few months now, and every now and then we have these fights on patriarchy. Now, Y is someone who has never really heard of feminism or gender rights and he's grown up with […]


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Shopping (2), Eating out (2), Business travellers, Relaxing, Weekend getaway
Stayed here during our wedding night. Had paid for a package that included breakfast, but were charged for it anyway (expensive and waaaay overpriced for cereal!) Other than that, good room, tiny bath... more
I based myself at Metropolis for two weeks this year, as I did last winter. It's perfect as a home away from home and the views over Auckland harbour from the top floors are amazing. No longer ope... more
My wife and i stayed here for our honeymoon. It was amazing. Great views, and in an excellent location. Pricey but worth it for this special occasion.


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Pub. date: 2003 | DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9780857020024
Print ISBN: 9780761971320 | Online ISBN: 9780857020024
Observation, overt and covert
Observation is a fundamental part of social life and is critical to many forms of social interaction and work. Thus, it is necessary to distinguish between observation done to accomplish everyday life and work and that done to understand them. Here again, observation is an inherent part of many types of research; it forms part of laboratory experiments as mice are observed in mazes or chemicals in test tubes. In social research there are two parameters along which observation can be categorised as a research tool. The more familiar typology is based on the degree of participation by the researcher in what is being studied; the other is structured around the level of awareness subjects have of being observed. In the first case the normal contrast is between unobtrusive and participant observation, in the latter, covert and overt observation, and the two sets of distinctions are related. In participant observation ...
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KIM partners with EFQM Excellence Model to drive competitiveness in Kenya
As part of driving competitiveness in organizations, the Kenya Institute of Management has partnered with the EFQM Excellence Model,the most popular quality tool in Europe, used by more than 30,000 organisations to improve performance, with an aim of exchanging information, best practices, benchmarking, knowledge, tools and expertise.
KIM through Organisational Performance Index (OPI) aims at driving excellence and competitiveness in organizations by benchmarking them against global standards and through this partnership, organizations participating in OPI will benefit immensely from knowledge sharing on best practices with organizations in Europe.
The partnership will see top EFQM Assessors join the KIM OPI Assessors in assessing selected OPI participating organizations inKenya from the last week of September to October.
Below: EFQM Assessors L-R Rafael Abajo, Livingston Musumba, Marina Velazquez, Wangeci Muriuki (KIM Head of OPI), Etienne Marchot, Adriano Ruchini


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food campaigning: 1/4 of 4
TAKE ACTION: Don't let the government back-track on UK marine protected areas
Ben Hudson
16th November, 2011Show the government you support the creation of a marine conservation network to protect the UK's threatened sea life more...
CAMPAIGN HERO: Vandana Shiva, anti-GM activist and head of Navdanya
Rosie Spinks
19th October, 2011Vandana Shiva explains to the Ecologist how the global anti-GM food movement resonates with the Occupy Wall Street protests more...
An international campaign to raise the price of food
Matilda Welin
5th August, 2010Are demands for higher prices the future of food campaigning? Pay the Price is a Swedish thinktank demanding more expensive food to cover the hidden costs of production more...
CASE STUDY: keeping local areas distinctive
Paul Kingsnorth
1st December, 2006The UK's most successful NGO is based in a Dorset village, with no members or PR team. Paul Kingsnorth meets the duo behind it… more...
food campaigning: 1/4 of 4
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Al Roker Will Stay Here No Matter What
The 'Today' show correspondent answers our usual 21 questions.
Name: Al Roker
Age: 55
Neighborhood: Who wants to know? [Ed. Upper East Side]
Occupation: Hand me the darts
Who's your favorite New Yorker, living or dead, real or fictional?
Langston Hughes.
What's the best meal you've eaten in New York?
The last one I had.
In one sentence, what do you actually do all day in your job?
Pinch myself that I'm not dreaming. [Ed: Also, this.]
Would you still live here on a $35,000 salary?
What's the last thing you saw on Broadway?
God of Carnage.
Do you give money to panhandlers?
Not every day.
What's your drink?
How often do you prepare your own meals?
Four to five times a week.
What's your favorite medication?
What's hanging above your sofa?
"The Couple," by Hughie Lee Smith.
How much is too much to spend on a haircut?
Anything more than $15 is a rip-off.
When's bedtime?
9:30 to 10 p.m.
Which do you prefer, the old Times Square or the new Times Square?
New Times Square.
What do you think of Donald Trump?
He is the greatest show on earth.
What do you hate most about living in New York?
That I don't slow down enough to really enjoy it.
Who is your mortal enemy?
Mother Nature.
When's the last time you drove a car?
Last week. My minivan.
How has the Wall Street crash affected you?
You need to ask?
Times, Post, or Daily News?
All of the above.
Where do you go to be alone?
The bathroom.
What makes someone a New Yorker?
The desire to stay no matter what.
Al Roker's new mystery novel, The Morning Show Murders, is out today from Delacorte Press.


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Plan would thin cougar numbers
Wildlife - Oregon would target areas of high density, but opponents question the proposal
The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission plans to vote today on a new plan to trim the state's burgeoning cougar population -- a policy that has both hunters and wildlife advocacy groups on high alert.
No cougar in Oregon has attacked and killed a person in the state's recent history, despite a growing population of both the predator and humans. Yet complaints about cougars -- also known as mountain lions, pumas and panthers -- have increased along with their numbers.
In the latest assessment, state biologists estimate Oregon has 5,100 cougars, a remarkable comeback from near extinction about 40 years ago.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife now wants to kill cougars at an increased level by targeting areas in the state with high densities of cats.
The department hopes to maintain at least 3,000 cougars statewide. But it has no intention of killing 2,000 cougars -- instead it will target only enough to manage the population, said Ron Anglin, the agency's wildlife division administrator. It's up to the commission to help set up the guidelines, he said.
Government hunters, who are allowed to hunt with dogs -- unlike sports hunters -- would do much of the killing. From 1995 to 2003, state-appointed hunters killed an average of 138 cougars annually outside of hunting season.
"We have had a lot of close encounters where cougars have been acting in a very aggressive manner," Anglin said. "It's a combination of the human population growing as the cougar population is growing."
Cougars rarely attack humans, but when they do, the strike is ferocious. They typically stalk their prey, then bite and snap the neck. Lions then stash their kill, returning to feed later. In 1991, in Colorado Springs, Colo., a cougar attacked and killed a jogger. In Orange County, Calif., in 2004, a cougar killed a bicyclist on a jogging trail.
Some opponents of the new management plan question the state's cougar numbers, saying they're based on faulty science. The Humane Society of the United States, the Sierra Club and Eugene-based Predator Defense argue against the increased killing of mountain lions.
But hunters are still fuming over the 1994 passage of Measure 18 that banned the use of dogs in hunting cougars. They object to increased hunting by government agents with hounds.
Duane Dungannon, state coordinator for the Oregon Hunters Association, said his organization wants a return to the use of hounds for sport hunting.
"We're left with the situation where the best we can do is hire government agents to manage the cougar population," he said. "We pay for that" -- through hunting license fees.
Sport hunters do continue to stalk cougars, albeit without the aid of hunting dogs. In 2001, hunters in Oregon killed 220 cougars; in 2002, they killed 230 cougars, and in 2003, the latest year with figures available, they killed 241.
The new cougar management plan, if adopted by the commission, would be the first one in place since Measure 18 passed, Anglin said. Currently, the state spends about $250,000 annually on cougar management. Under the new plan, those costs would climb to about $436,000 to $589,000 annually.
Brooks Fahy, executive director of Predator Defense, believes the new management strategy is bad news. He said he doubts the state accounting of cougars is accurate. As a result, the state could be hunting the cats to a level too low for sustainability.
"It sets a precedent. They will kill more animals," Fahy said. "From a biological point of view, it's not necessary. I'm against the hunting of an animal purely as a trophy."
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