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EL notes: Gorski keeps making gains
Division II product putting together solid starts for B-Mets
By David Driver / Special to MLB.com | May 8, 2012 6:29 AM ET
"You don't get that often for one of our pitchers," said Blum, now in his 10th season as Kutztown's head coach.
Gorski was drafted in the seventh round by the Mets in the 2009 Draft and made his pro debut that same year with Brooklyn in the New-York Penn League. He led the Class A Advanced Florida State League with a 2.08 ERA last year while going 11-3 in 26 games, including 21 starts.
Gorski, the No. 19 prospect in the Mets' system, made the jump to Binghamton this season and is off to a fast start in the Eastern League.
"Once you get in to [the Minors], everyone is on the same level, whether you were a high school pick or Division I," Gorski said. "You have to go out there and get guys out regardless. Once you get up here, everyone is on an equal playing field.
"So far I'm headed in the right direction, you could say. I feel good about how it is going," he added.
In a great pitching matchup at home on Saturday against Harrisburg, Gorski went six innings and allowed two runs -- one earned -- but took the loss in a 2-1 setback against fellow lefty Daniel Rosenbaum. Gorski lowered his ERA to 2.27 while Rosenbaum, one of the top pitchers in the Minors, pitched a complete game and improved to 4-0 with a 0.81 ERA.
While Rosenbaum played at Xavier, Gorki attracted attention coming out of high school from fellow Division I, Atlantic-10 schools such as Saint Joseph's and LaSalle but opted for Kutztown.
"I liked the coach, he's a really good guy, and I liked the program they ran. I just liked the atmosphere. I didn't realize how storied the program was. It was an added bonus to compete at that level," said Gorski, who is a few credits shy of a degree in sports and leisure studies.
Gorski came to Kutztown after Ryan Vogelsong, an All-Star with the Giants, had already left and been drafted (fifth round) in 1998.
Gorski throws a fastball, slider and change and said he has not adjusted his approach under Binghamton pitching coach Glenn Abbott, who threw for Oakland, Seattle and Detroit during his 11-year Major League career.
Gorski said he has not seen much difference in the Eastern League after the jump from the Florida State League.
"You have to attack guys and you have to get ahead. It is not really too much different," he said.
Taking a break: Altoona manager P.J. Forbes was bothered by a sore back last week and was unable to coach third base, according to The Altoona Mirror. Hitting coach Mike Ryan took over as the third-base coach. "He's done an outstanding job," Forbes told the paper. The Curve came back from a six-run deficit to beat Richmond, 8-7, on Friday at home.
Turnaround in CT: In 2010, New Britain was 44-98 under manager Jeff Smith. "I learned two things that year. One, don't take things for granted. And two, when things are going bad, find a way to keep it positive," Smith told The Harrisburg Patriot-News. Things are a lot better this year as the Rock Cats were 18-12 through Sunday.
Akron on a roll: The Aeros improved to 19-8 on Sunday as Steven Wright (3-1, 1.13) threw a five-hit shutout to beat visiting Bowie, 5-0. He lowered the team ERA to 2.31, which leads the league by a wide margin. Harrisburg was second with a team ERA of 3.01 in games through Sunday.
David Driver is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.View More


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"We Are Lincoln Men" examines the significance of friendship in Abraham Lincoln's life and the role it played in his presidency. Though Lincoln had hundreds of acquaintances and dozens of admirers, he had almost no intimate friends. Behind his mask of affability and endless stream of humorous anecdotes, he maintained an inviolate reserve that only a few were ever able to penetrate. In this highly original book, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner David Herbert Donald examines, for the first time, these close friendships and explores their role in shaping Lincoln's career.
"We Are Lincoln Men" shows how Lincoln's experiences as a boy growing up in frontier Indiana made it hard for him to develop warm, supportive relationships later in life. Not until 1837, when he met Joshua Fry Speed, with whom he shared a room and bed for the next four years, did he learn the real meaning of friendship. These two young men confided everything to each other, and they even helped each other as they diffidently sought brides. After Speed returned to Kentucky, Lincoln developed a close relationship with his younger law partner, William H. Herndon. He became Herndon's mentor and hero, and Herndon's idealization of him satisfied one of Lincoln's basic psychological needs.
When he was elected President, Lincoln had no close personal friends in Washington until Illinois Senator Orville H. Browning arrived. Browning became his confidant and, under Lincoln's skillful guidance, served as his strongest supporter in Congress. This useful friendship dissolved when the two men disagreed over emancipation, and Browning became further alienated when Lincoln three times passed over the opportunity to name him to the United States Supreme Court.
In his greatest triumph of friendship, Lincoln won over his powerful, opinionated Secretary of State, William H. Seward, who thought he was better qualified than the President for his job. With psychological insight and charm, Lincoln gained Seward's friendship and secured his loyal support.
Lincoln's closest, and most genuine, friendships while he was in the White House were with his private secretaries, John G. Nicolay and John Hay. Always at his best when dealing with young men, he served as a role model, and they, in effect, were his surrogate family. He won their devotion, and they became his most ardent supporters and, ultimately, his official biographers.
Professor Donald's remarkable book offers a fresh way of looking at Abraham Lincoln, both as a man who needed friendship and as a leader who understood the importance of friendship in the management of men. Donald penetrates Lincoln's mysterious reserve to offer a new picture of the President's inner life and to explain his unsurpassed political skills.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
David Herbert Donald is the author of Lincoln, which won the prestigious Lincoln Prize and was on the New York Times bestseller list for fourteen weeks, and of Lincoln at Home. He has twice won the Pulitzer Prize, for Charles Sumner and the Coming of the Civil War, and for Look Homeward: A Life of Thomas Wolfe. He is the Charles Warren Professor of American History and of American Civilization Emeritus at Harvard University and resides in Lincoln, Massachusetts.Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:
Chapter Two: "He Disclosed His Whole Heart to Me": Lincoln and Joshua F. Speed
The first time Lincoln met Joshua Speed was on April 15, 1837. Admitted to the bar just six weeks earlier, he rented a horse, thrust all his belongings into the saddlebags, and rode into Springfield from New Salem, ready to begin a new phase of his life. Speed later told of their meeting so many times that he could repeat it by rote: Lincoln came into the general store of Bell & Co., on the courthouse square, to price the furnishings for a single bed -- mattress, sheets, blankets, and pillow. Speed, who was part owner of the store, took out his slate and calculated the cost at $17.00.
Lincoln said, "It is probably cheap enough; but...I have not the money to pay. But if you will credit me until Christmas, and my experiment here as a lawyer is a success, I will pay you then." He added, in a tone of deep sadness, "If I fail in that I will probably never be able to pay you at all."
Moved by his visitor's melancholy, Speed suggested a solution: "I have a very large room, and a very large double-bed in it; which you are perfectly welcome to share with me if you choose."
"Where is your room?" Lincoln asked.
"Up stairs," replied Speed, pointing to the stairway that led from the store.
Without saying a word, Lincoln picked up his saddlebags, went upstairs, set them on the floor, and came down, his face beaming, and announced: "Well Speed I'm moved."
This charming story, which Speed recounted over and over again in the years after Lincoln's assassination, has been repeated by nearly every Lincoln biographer, and it is essentially correct. But a little background information is needed to explain why a Springfield merchant should offer to share his bed with a total stranger who happened to wander into his store.
First, as Speed told his friend Cassius M. Clay, his initial conversation with Lincoln was a good deal more extensive. As Speed gave the price of the mattress, the blankets, and the other furnishings, Lincoln walked around the store with him, inspecting each item, and making a memorandum of the cost. In the course of their conversation, Lincoln explained that he had recently been admitted to the bar and had come to Springfield to become John Todd Stuart's partner. He hoped to fit up a small law office and adjacent sleeping room. Indeed, he had already contracted with a local carpenter to build him a single bedstead.
What is more important for understanding the story, it was probably true that Lincoln had not met Speed up to this point, but the storekeeper knew perfectly well who Lincoln was and, indeed, had a good deal of information about him. Speed had heard Lincoln speak in a celebrated 1836 debate in Springfield. He was so effective that George Forquer, a wealthy Springfield resident who had recently left the Whig party to join the Democrats and had been appointed register of the Land Office as a reward, felt it necessary to take Lincoln down, ridiculing him in every way he could. Lincoln, in reply, referred to the lightning rod Forquer had just erected over his splendid Springfield house and told the audience: "I would rather die now, than, like the gentleman change my politics, and simultaneous with the change, receive an office worth three thousand dollars per year, and then have to erect a lightning-rod over my house, to protect a guilty conscience from an offended God." Speed must also have known that Lincoln had served two terms in the Illinois state legislature and was one of the most prominent Whig politicians in the state.
Even so, the two young men were not personally acquainted when they first met.
Initially, Speed and Lincoln seemed to be unlikely friends. Lincoln was twenty-eight. Speed, who was born in 1814, was five years younger. Slim and trim, he had, in the days before he began wearing disfiguring whiskers, a handsome face with regular features. The son of a wealthy Kentucky planter, he had been brought up at Farmington, one of the great historic houses of Kentucky, just outside Louisville. A member of a large and caring family, he revered his father, adored his mother, and was fondly affectionate to his numerous brothers and sisters. Carefully educated at the best private schools in the West, he had attended St. Joseph's College in Bardstown for a while before he decided to make his own way in the world. After clerking in a large Louisville store for two or three years, he set out in 1835 for Springfield, where he bought a part interest in the general store of Bell & Co. Though far from Kentucky, he kept up an affectionate correspondence with his father and mother, writing them regularly and informing them, in his somewhat heavy-handed style, that "nothing gives me more pleasure than a consciousness that I have done nothing to forfeit the love or esteem of my parents."
Lincoln, in contrast, was thin and gaunt, and he was still very rough in dress and appearance. He brought to his friendship with Speed no record of distinguished ancestry, no history of education and polish. He had nothing to offer except innate good manners, an eager desire to please, and a sensitivity to the needs of others. Both men were drivingly ambitious -- Speed for wealth and comfort, Lincoln for fame.
For the next four years, Speed and Lincoln slept in the same bed, above the general store on the town square in Springfield. From time to time, they shared the big room above the store with Billy Herndon, who clerked for Speed, and with Charles Hurst, who also worked in the store. But much of the time, they were alone. The arrangement put Lincoln in closer contact with another person than any he had ever experienced.
As Lincoln settled in, he charmed Speed and his clerks with his endless fund of anecdotes, and, as the word spread, other unattached men in Springfield -- mostly young lawyers and clerks -- began to gather in Speed's store after hours, clustering around the big stove to listen to Lincoln's tales and jokes. They met so regularly that Speed called the group "a social club without organization." Soon the members began presenting their own stories and poems for criticism, and they engaged in informal debates.
When the stove grew cold and the other men went home, Speed and Lincoln were left together, to talk endlessly about everything. They discussed books and literature. Lincoln loved Shakespeare and Burns, some of whose poems he could recite from memory, while Speed favored the poetry of Lord Byron. They both had a taste for melancholy -- one might say morbid -- verse and liked to quote William Knox's "Oh, Why Should the Spirit of Mortal Be Proud?" At the same time they both had a lively sense of humor. Lincoln in these early years was given to burlesque, and his endless anecdotes always had a point; Speed's humor tended to be understated. They shared an intense interest in everything going on in Springfield and central Illinois. In 1841, when Speed was out of town, Lincoln sent him a long letter detailing the alleged murder of one Archibald Fisher, who lived in Warren County. The case fascinated Lincoln -- the fuller account that he prepared five years later revealed that Fisher was not murdered after all -- and he was so sure that Speed shared all his interests that he minutely described the investigation for his friend.
Much of the time, Lincoln and Speed talked politics; they were ardent anti-Jacksonians and supporters of Henry Clay. Complaining of the "trained bands" of Democrats, so well organized that they carried election after election, they signed and helped distribute an 1840 campaign circular announcing that the Whig Committee, to which they both belonged, planned "to organize the whole State, so that every Whig can be brought to the polls in the coming presidential contest." They discussed at length the value of internal improvements -- the building of canals and railroads with government funds -- which Whigs generally supported and Democrats opposed. Referring to the governor of New York who was responsible for the completion of the Erie Canal, Lincoln, usually so reticent about his political goals, confided to his friend that "his highest ambition was to become the De Witt Clinton of Ills."
But mostly they talked about themselves. Analyzing his roommate, Lincoln concluded that he was "naturally of a nervous temperament," which, he judged from Speed's confidences, he probably inherited from his mother. For his part, Speed noted both the kindness of Lincoln's heart and his "nervous sensibility." Once he remarked that Lincoln's mind was "a wonder," because impressions were easily made upon it and were never erased. "No," replied Lincoln, "you are mistaken -- I am slow to learn and slow to forget....My mind is like a piece of steel, very hard to scratch any thing on it and almost impossible after you get it there to rub it out." Summarizing their friendship after Lincoln's death, Speed was sure of their total intimacy: "He disclosed his whole heart to me."
Inevitably questions arise about the nature of this friendship and the influence that it had on Lincoln. Lincoln's letters to Speed in 1842 and 1843 (Speed's letters for these years have unfortunately been lost) make it clear that the two young men shared their most personal feelings, especially about courtship and marriage. It may well be true that, as Lincoln's official biographers, John G. Nicolay and John Hay, asserted, Speed was "the only -- as he was certainly the last -- intimate friend that Lincoln ever had." But Speed himself was careful to make no great claims that he influenced Lincoln's ideas or policies. After Lincoln's death, he explicitly denied reports that he had helped draft some of Lincoln's speeches, and when Herndon questioned him, he made it clear that he saw the President infrequently during the Civil War years and did not think of himself as a White House intimate. Herndon's verdict on this point is sound. Jealous when other biographers claimed that Lincoln "poured out his soul to Speed," he correctly pointed out that Speed had little, ...
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| » Weekend Weather: Riptides, high surf expected
DECO DAYS: There's a lot to do on Labor Day weekend, which is a great holiday in our country. It's a time to take three days off work to sit around in lawn chairs and complain that labor unions are ruining the country by taking little nibbles into American corporations' profits, which is the definition of socialism, right?
Also, there's the Queen Mary Art Deco Festival, coming to the totally Art-Deco'd ship for the eighth time today through Sunday. It's a thorough inundation of all things Art Deco (with a side of Streamline Moderne), with lots of seminars, lavish parties meant to evoke the good times of the 1920s and '30s, ship tours, an Art Deco Ball, a Sunday tea dance, an Art Deco bazaar, a vintage car show and a lot more.
Much of the event, including seminars and the bazaar and cars display, is included in the ship's boarding admission of $29.95. Dances and parties cost extra. For the complete schedule and all sorts of other details, go to www.queenmary.com.
A LOAD OF ALOHA: Next, we sail off to the islands for the annual E Hula Mau celebration of Hawaiian culture today through Sunday in and around the Terrace Theater at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center, 300 E. Ocean Blvd.
Like the Art Deco fest, this one sprawls all over its subject, with hula and chant competitions, seminars and workshops and a big Saturday night Mahalo Bash.
There's arts and crafts, music and dance, and plenty of Hi'wi'an chow, which ranges from great to poi. Most of the event's activities are free. Tickets for the Maholo Bash are $35. You can buy them online, and score more festival facts at www.ehulamau.org.
IT'S ALL GREEK: One of the city's longest-running events, the Greek Festival, comes, for the 63rd time, to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church, 5761 E. Colorado St., in Long Beach from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday through Monday.
This thing is huge, with the entire days packed with Greek food, Greek wine, Greek beer, dance performances, dancing lessons, live Greek music by the Olympians, a full-on carnival with rides, specialty shops and cooking classes. And it's darned near free, with admission just $3; kids under 12 free. Monday admission is free to everyone (though you might want to bring a wad of 20s for the carnival rides, food and drink).
There's free parking at Cal State Long Beach's Parking Lot 11A on Palo Verde Avenue, south of Atherton Street, with free shuttles to the festival.
For more, check www.lbgreekfest.org.
BRUCE BITES: Summer, happily, stretches into Tuesday before it's gaffed and hauled aboard and whacked on the head until it becomes autumn. Fred "Alfredo" Khammar has been unspooling film classics (thanks to Charter Communications and Long Beach Cinamatheque) all summer long at his Alfredo's Sunsets on the Beach at Granada Beach (5101 Ocean Blvd.), and on Tuesday he's got the beachiest classic of them all: "Jaws." Bring chairs and blankets and, now that fall is falling, perhaps a jacket or sweatshirt. You can buy food and refreshments there, or bring your own.
FRIDAY PLAYLIST: The only labor you need to do this weekend is plug in your iPod, or something with YouTube, and watch and listen to these fine worksongs - which reminds us, we forgot to put REM's "Finest Worksong" on this list. Something we'll rectify right now. Sayonara, "9 to 5" by Dolly Parton.
1. "Nine Pound Hammer," Townes Van Zandt
2. "Work to Do," Isley Brothers
3. "Workingman's Blues #2," Bob Dylan
4. "Cumberland Blues," Grateful Dead
5. "Working Class Hero," John Lennon
6. "Do You Want My Job?" Little Village
7. "Salt of the Earth," Mick Jagger & Keith Richards
9. "There Is Power in a Union," Billy Bragg
10. "American Tune," Paul Simon
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Findings of GSA's FY 2005 Audit
Mr. Chairman, and other distinguished members of the Subcommittee, I am Kathleen M. Turco, Chief Financial Officer of the General Services Administration (GSA). I am pleased to have this opportunity to appear before you today to discuss the findings of GSA's Fiscal Year (FY) 2005 audit as well as GSA's efforts to improve the overall financial management of GSA.
I would first like to thank this Subcommittee for their efforts to improve financial integrity throughout the Government and my testimony will address the issues that you raised in your letter of May 23, 2006 to David L. Bibb, GSA's Acting Administrator:
- The issue arising in the FY 2005 audit process that led the auditor to issue a disclaimer of opinion;
- The status of efforts to improve internal financial controls and comply with the revised OMB Circular A-123;
- GSA views on the Office of Management and Budget's financial management line of business initiative;
- The status and operations of GSA's shared services center; and
- An update on the implementation of GSA's planned financial systems framework.
The General Services Administration - Background
In order to fully appreciate what happened in GSA's FY 2005 audit, an understanding of GSA and its business is helpful. GSA recorded $18.5 billion of revenues in FY 2005 and employs 12,455 employees (as of May 2006). GSA is primarily funded by three revolving funds that conduct 17 lines of business (see Appendix A). Additionally, GSA has three other revolving funds, ten general funds, nine special funds, and thirteen miscellaneous receipt/deposit funds (see Appendix B). In FY 2005, we paid 1.4 million vendor invoices and issued 475,000 billings to Federal customers.
I should note at the outset that our proprietary accounts (i.e., revenues, expenses, assets, liabilities, and equity) in ALL GSA funds did receive clean opinions. Only the budgetary accounts in two GSA funds received disclaimers of opinion. To summarize, GSA's FY 2005 audit opinions were:
Primary GSA Fund
Proprietary Accounts:
Budgetary Accounts:
|Federal Buildings Fund
|Unqualified (Clean)
|Unqualified (Clean)
|Information Technology
|Unqualified (Clean)
|General Supply Fund
|Unqualified (Clean)
The reason for the disclaimer on two funds is because the Federal Technology Service (FTS), which is primarily funded by the Information Technology Fund (ITF), funded its professional services line of business through the General Supply Fund (GSF). Because we could not determine how much of these unfilled customer orders (UFCO) belonged in the GSF as of September 30, 2004, the GSF received a disclaimer opinion on their budgetary financial statements as well. In other words, while UFCO and obligation issues exist throughout GSA, the significant internal control breakdowns that lead to the disclaimer opinions existed in the ITF exclusively.
While the majority of GSA financial reporting was considered 'clean', GSA appreciates financial integrity to the point that we have chosen to embrace the qualified opinion and capitalize on the opportunity for further pursuit of financial excellence by strengthening internal control throughout all GSA's funds.
A large portion of our business with the private sector is for 'time and materials' as opposed to 'fixed fee' projects. Therefore, we often are not completely certain when a project is considered financially complete because we do not entirely know when a vendor has billed us for all of its costs. This is important because this results in 'residual balances from completed projects', to which I will refer throughout this testimony. Additionally, with time and materials contracts, there is an incentive to retain funding when a project is perceived as complete just in case a vendor bills GSA for final and unexpected expenses. Appendix C illustrates the order of financial events and recordings made in GSA and customer agency general ledgers as well as how residual balances occur.
The FY 2005 audit and issues that led the auditor to issue a disclaimer of opinion
In August 2005, GSA's financial statement auditors informed me that they would not be able to rely on GSA's internal control over processing of certain budgetary activities, specifically: UFCOs and obligations. UFCOs are orders for goods and services, from our FAS customers, for which the good or service has not yet been provided. Obligations are amounts that are designated for a FAS specific endeavor/customer request and may be either undelivered or delivered. In other words, UFCOs are the spending authority GSA's FAS has from its customers and obligations relate to the GSA's use of our customer's budget authority. The auditors found residual UFCO and obligation balances from completed projects that were no longer valid. Additionally, they noted issues around incorrect amounts (e.g., '$10,000" instead of "$1,000") as well as the apparent lack of a bona-fide need behind some orders. A bona-fide need (that is, a need that is current, clear and defined within a given fiscal year) is required for a customer to validly obligate their budget authority. If no bona fide need exists, there cannot be a valid obligation or UFCO in GSA's or its customer's financial records.
A complete review of GSA records by year-end was impossible at that point-in-time (August 2005). However, GSA was ultimately able to meet the government-wide reporting deadline of November 15, 2005 and report statistically valid FY 2005 year-end numbers by reviewing over 1,200 files and statistically calculating the UFCO and obligation balances. Unfortunately, GSA was not able to statistically calculate these issues as of September 30, 2004, because GSA could not go back in time to recreate the populations of transactions that were needed for sampling. Therefore, GSA had valid FY 2005 year-end numbers but did not have reliable FY 2004 ending numbers. Since these were the same as FY 2005 beginning numbers, GSA was prevented from receiving its 18th consecutive clean opinion. The specific amounts that GSA adjusted its FY 2005 year-end numbers were:
|Numbers are in Millions
|Unfilled Customer Orders
* = Materiality is an amount that approximates a reasonable financial statement reader's opinion of the accuracy of the financial statements. This subjective amount can be calculated as 3 percent of the larger of assets or expenses per the Government Accountability Office's (GAO) Financial Audit Manual (section 230.11). GSA's overall materiality is $450 million that is the same as the Federal Buildings Fund (FBF) because the FBF has the vast majority of assets reported by GSA.
The problems I have described were ultimately allowed to occur because our primary system of financial record received summary information that could not be aged to identify the oldest and most suspect balances. Additionally, headquarters personnel in my office did not have access to the business systems feeding our general ledger. These contributing factors have been, or will be, corrected by fiscal year-end.
As I have mentioned, we are embracing the opportunity for positive change at GSA and have instituted a number of changes in FY 2006. GSA financial management is excited about the changes noted below and taking significant steps towards our mantra: "Good data in the system all the time!"
Status of effort to improve internal control and comply with OMB Circular A-123
The Office of the Chief Financial Officer and the financial community at GSA has undertaken a substantial revision to our financial and management internal control program during FY 2006. We are doing this both to address and resolve the material weaknesses identified by our external auditors as well as to improve our policies, operations and management oversight of GSA's financial activities for the future. We have a variety of management activities and control programs underway. I would like to discuss each of these programs.
Aging Reports
GSA has launched an aggressive effort to identify completed projects with residual balances and projects for which a bona fide need no longer exists. The primary tool to aid this effort is aging reports. As of today, GSA has developed reports that breakout UFCO, obligation, accounts receivable, and accounts payable balances by fiscal year and region. This allows us to focus our resources on the oldest and therefore most suspect balances and ensure our clean up effort is as effective as possible. The other and perhaps more significant feature of these reports is the identification of balances by region. GSA is comprised of one headquarters office and eleven regional offices. We are identifying which regions are doing the poorest job of cleaning up old balances as well as which regions are doing the best job and sharing that information publicly. This use of peer pressure is proving to be a highly motivating tactic.
File Reviews
With the aid of the aforementioned aging reports, we are reviewing all significant files at GSA. Specifically, for the Federal Buildings Fund (FBF), we are reviewing 75% of all obligations as well as 100% of any FY 2004 and prior UFCOs with no financial activity in the last 12 months. In the GSF, we are reviewing the files as well and already completing correction on $47 million of the estimated $58 million problem with their obligations as well as $26 million of the estimated $33 million problem in their UFCOs. For the ITF we have completed reviewing 95% of all FY 2005 and prior UFCOs and are on track to return over $600 million in invalid UFCOs by fiscal year-end. Finally, we are reviewing all obligations with their five largest vendors that comprise the majority of ITF obligations. Additional reviews applying the new streamlined deobligation policy (described below) are also underway in each Service.
Revised Policies
We have issued three significant polices as a direct result of our FY 2005 audit results:
- Streamlined Deobligations – This policy gives business managers and accountants the authority to deobligate any balance under $100,000 that is not certified as valid, in writing, by a Contracting Officer. Previously, the authority to deobligate funds from our accounting system primary rested with Contracting Officers who are guided by Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) as opposed to Federal Accounting Standards. This policy is in compliance the FAR and was jointly issued by GSA's Chief Acquisition Officer and myself. The need for this policy was a lesson learned as GSA wrestled with the question: "Who has responsibility for obligations in the accounting system; Contracting Officers who record obligations or Accountants who report financial information?"
- UFCO Certification – This policy requires Project Managers and/or Contracting Officers to certify, in writing, balances larger than specified amounts and older than specified time periods. The balances and time periods requiring certification vary depending on assessed risk levels, past results, and fund size.
- Obligation Certification – This policy requires certifications similar to UFCO certifications but for obligations instead.
Both UFCO and obligation certifications will be validated by "A-123 testing teams" established in FY 2006 to strengthen our compliance with the requirements of OMB Circular A-123, Management's Responsibilities for Internal Control. We believe the certification policies and the validation of their effectiveness by A-123 testing teams will be highly effective controls that will prevent residual balances from existing in GSA's financial systems ever again.
Reconciliations of Business Feeder Systems to Core Financial System
Also noted in our auditor's report was the fact that GSA services were not adequately reconciling their business systems to our primary financial system. When the reconciliations were adequately performed in FY 2005, a $500 million (i.e., material) adjustment resulted. While we were able to correct this issue in FY 2005, the fact that a material adjustment was required indicates that our primary reporting system could not produce timely or accurate information on a day-to-day basis without significant, manual correction and therefore was a far cry from "Good data in the system all the time!"
This fiscal year GSA will begin reconciling all business systems contributing material financial information to GSA's core financial system's standard general ledger by the GSA services and the OCFO Regional finance centers reconciled on either a monthly or semi-annual basis. Currently, there are eleven systems and/or sub-systems that must be reconciled:
- Common Oracle Dababase (CODB) - Monthly
- Integrated Task Orders Management System (ITOMS) - Monthly
- Order Management Information System (OMIS) - Monthly
- GSA Preferred (GSAP) – Monthly (to be withdrawn)
- Reimbursable Work Authorization (RWA) - Monthly
- Sale To Agency Report (STAR) - Monthly
- Federal Supply Systems Payment System (FEDPAY) - Monthly
- FSS Automated Supply System (FSS–19) - occurring now - will be semi-annual
- Requisitioning, Ordering & Documentation System (ROADS) - occurring now - will be semi-annual
- Customer Supply Center (CSC) - occurring now - will be semi-annual
- Centralized Procurement Sourcing Application CPSA - occurring now - will be semi- annual
Account Analysis
GSA is currently comparing budgetary and proprietary accounts that move in-synch to ensure our budgetary and proprietary accounts both contain accurate financial information. For example, we are comparing the proprietary Accounts Receivable to the budgetary equivalent Earned Reimbursements – Receivable because these accounts are impacted identically. Therefore, we would expect the balances to be identical. We now have a routine monitoring process that ensures their balances are indeed identical. This effort has reviewed 2.5 million transactions and is currently 98 percent complete.
Fiscal Year 2006 Financial Audit Statistical Sampling
We are planning to conduct FY 2006 statistical samples similar to what we performed at the end of FY 2005 because we want to measure and prove the effectiveness of our corrective efforts. Additionally, we want to review sample results by region in order to gain additional feedback as to which regions are paying the most attention to financial integrity.
Improving GSA's Federal Managers Financial Integrity Act Program
GSA has developed a new assurance statement application, which incorporates questions covering the Federal Managers Financial Integrity Act (FMFIA), Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), Federal Financial Management Improvement Act (FFMIA), as well as specific questions relating to the finance, budget, contracting and procurement. Managers are asked to respond to questions based on their Service, Staff Office, or area of responsibility. All managers completing an assurance statement are required to answer questions regarding the five standards of internal control. The project is being conducted in two phases:
- Phase I is the development of the assurance statement application.
- The redesign of the assurance statement is 75 percent complete.
- We met the June 2, 2006, deliverable date for testing.
- We are on schedule to meet the June 30, 2006, launch date of the Phase I live application.
- Phase II is the development of the internal control application.
- We are developing an "A-123 database" which will track all A-123 identified internal control weaknesses. Development of the A-123 internal control database is being conducted in conjunction with the assurance statement application.
The final product will offer GSA a comprehensive tool to complete assurance statements, review and monitor the internal control plans, conduct risk assessments, internal control reviews, and track the implementation of internal control recommendations. Additionally, the application will provide extensive reporting and analytical tools for assessing internal controls at GSA.
OCFO Performance ManagementGSA has instituted a robust Performance Management Program and has implemented a performance measurement tool (PMT) that tracks various performance measures across GSA and within the CFO's office. Monthly, we track the following financial management measures:
- Percentage of Approving Officials that have reviewed credit card holder statements
- Number of delinquent credit card holders
- Percentage of invoices paid on time
- Percentage of invoices received electronically
- Percentage of invoices paid electronically
- Percentage of available discounts earned
- Number of Invoices over 30 days old
- Number and value of delinquent receivables
- Size of reconciliation balances
- Intragovernmental trading partner differences
We also track performance measures of our financial systems operations
- Systems Integrity Index
- Systems Availability
- Earned Value on Development, Modernization and Enhancement Projects
- Monthly Closeout Cycle
- Transaction Timings
OCFO Management of Financial Policy and Operations
We are confident that these efforts will be sufficient to regain a clean audit opinion on ALL GSA funds in FY 2006 and we are highly encouraged by OMB's scorecard progress rating for Financial Performance of GREEN. However, we are pursuing other endeavors as well to ensure financial excellence. Specifically:
- GSA's OCFO is holding quarterly meetings, attended by the entire GSA financial community, for the purpose of presenting the status of corrective efforts for each fund, as well as sharing of best practices.
- GSA OCFO is reinforcing the concept of strong internal controls via posters, constant emails, and even our daily coffee mugs that are imprinted with the OCFO's mantra: "Good data in the system all the time!" We have produced and distributed executive and employee internal control guides that summarize the essentials of internal controls. The guides are being used extensively in training which is being offered throughout GSA's Regions, Services, and Staff Offices.
- I have created a team to design and test new reports that will clearly represent the status of open audit issues. The project has been successfully completed and the reports are available to users. The reports graphically depict the percentage of action steps completed and remaining for each audit issue.
- GSA OCFO has developed an internal controls handbook. The handbook incorporates the requirements of the revised OMB Circular A-123 and includes system controls as required by FISMA.
- GSA OCFO and Office of the Chief Information Officer has placed increased emphasis on strengthening Information Technology (IT) security and financial system controls by:
- Initiating specialized IT security awareness training on an annual basis.
- Completing certification and accreditation reviews for financial systems.
- Ensuring the update of all Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M). Ensuring that system contingency plans are documented and tested.
- Initiating actions to promote compliance with Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) requirements.
- Initiating a wide series of actions to enhance system operational and technical controls in accordance with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidance.
Actions taken in this area contributed to GSA's recent A- grade for FISMA compliance.
- GSA OCFO is promoting a "Financial Excellence Award" that will be awarded to the GSA region which displays the highest regard for internal controls and financial excellence at GSA. The award will be given at the end of this fiscal year based on A-123 test results, financial statement audit results, and aging report results.
OMB Circular A-123 Implementation
The challenges we faced in "cleaning up" our disclaimer have driven us to embrace and quickly implement the revised OMB Circular A-123, Management's Responsibilities for Internal Control across GSA. We have established a strong program to assess internal control over financial reporting to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of GSA operations, the reliability of our financial reporting, and compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Our program closely follows the guidance provided by OMB in Circular A-123, Appendix A, Internal Control Over Financial Reporting, and the implementation guide issued by the Chief Financial Officer's Council for the assessment, documentation, and reporting on our internal controls over financial reporting. I should note that GSA staff actively contributed in the drafting of the implementation guide.
The GSA program for internal control over financial reporting consists of a five-step process of:
- planning,
- evaluating internal control at the organizational entity level,
- evaluating internal control at the process level,
- testing at the transaction level, and
- concluding, reporting and correcting deficiencies and weaknesses.
I lead our Senior Assessment Team (SAT), a group of experienced senior executives who provide leadership and oversight of our assessment of internal control over financial reporting. Senior members of the GSA Office of Inspector General serve as advisors to our SAT. The SAT has completed the planning process for our assessment, which includes: the scope and materiality assessment; determination of key processes supporting material line items; risk analysis; integration and coordination with other control related activities; evaluation of our IT infrastructure; and determination of our testing approach.
We have completed our evaluation of controls at the organizational entity level. Using the Internal Control Management and Evaluation Tool developed by GAO, we developed an evaluation process for controls at the organizational entity level. Our evaluation included the five standards for internal control: control environment; risk assessment; control activities; information and communication; and monitoring.
In our evaluation of controls at the process level, we cross-walked our key business processes to our material financial reporting line items. We documented our most important key financial reporting processes and conducted a risk assessment. The assessment team reviewed the control design for adequacy and identified key controls.
The SAT evaluated our key controls and made the decision to test all key controls during FY 2006. To ensure coverage of all key controls, we selected five regional offices, a warehouse operation, and several headquarters locations to perform testing. Testing teams were established consisting of SAT staff, business line staff, and contractor staff. Testing has been completed in all locations and we are currently completing follow up work and evaluating the results of our testing.
In June 2006, we will prepare a final report on our test results and the SAT will complete their assessment. We will analyze the findings to determine if internal control deficiencies, reportable conditions, or material weaknesses exist. If so, we will develop and implement corrective action plans. We are monitoring progress on existing corrective action plans. We will formulate our recommendation on the level of assurance the Administrator should provide on our internal controls over financial reporting. GSA will be providing a statement of assurance over the effectiveness of internal controls over financial reporting as of June 30, 2006, in our Performance and Accountability Report. Any changes in the status of our assessment of the effectiveness of internal control between June 30 and September 30, 2006 will be in our Annual Assurance Statement.
Going Forward – the FY 2006 Financial Reporting and Audit Opinion
The efforts I have described are an aggressive approach to cleaning up our financial house. If carried out effectively, we should regain a clean audit opinion. However, I cannot guarantee a clean audit opinion in FY 2006. As noted above, GSA calculated statistical projections of our UFCO and obligation issues at the end of FY 2005. Statisticians from three separate firms, including our external auditors, all agreed on the sampling and projecting methodology but ultimately, our projections were estimates. If our review efforts this year find errors materially different than what we estimated last year, then our FY 2005 projections were materially misstated, which means our FY 2005 ending balances were materially misstated and, therefore, our FY 2006 beginning balances are materially misstated. In the event that we are unable to quantify the differences between our reviews and statistical projections, a clean FY 2006 opinion will not be possible. All current indicators are that this is unlikely, but I would be remiss in not acknowledging this possibility.
Views on OMB's financial management line of business initiative
Both the private sector and Federal Government have proven time and again that a shared services model for back office functions works effectively, saves money, and allows organizations to focus their resources on achieving their primary missions. We fully support the vision of Federal Management Line of Business (FMLOB) initiative and the four FMLOB work streams that OMB has initiated. Standardization of common processes and data, coupled with disciplined, proven approaches toward data migration, project management, and information technology management makes good business sense. A strategically-focused and balanced set of performance measures, capturing FMLOB outcome goals at the strategic level and tiering down to operational service level metrics, will help drive change in the right direction, while ensuring there is accountability for results.
OMB's roadmap toward achieving FMLOB goals starts with IT consolidation of services and products but progresses toward achieving improved integrity, stronger controls, increased productivity through streamlined processes, and integrated financial and program data. Achieving the goals envisioned by the FMLOB initiative is a long-term effort and one that will surely evolve as the initiative matures. There is tremendous potential to avoid costs through consolidation of IT services, by requiring agencies to migrate to a Shared Service Provider (SSP) for data center hosting and application management services. Yet, FMLOB should be viewed as much more than just an IT Initiative that considers financial management services as commodities.
From the GSA OCFO perspective, the FMLOB success hinges upon maintaining the critical and governmental role of ensuring regulatory and policy compliance, effective internal controls, financial data integrity, integration of data with mission-critical programs, and security and protection of our Federal assets and data. The importance of this role cannot be understated and will only increase as the scope of FMLOB services expands over time -- which they will. Today, the focus is on financial management systems; in the longer term, increased numbers of agencies will look to FMLOB providers for transaction processing and financial analysis and reporting support services. Significant financial management improvement opportunities and cost avoidance/savings exist by leveraging the Government's expertise and controls and economies of scale that a Federal SSP can provide. For example, the FMLOB shared services concept can be extended to include audit and compliance reviews support services, security support services, contract management services, joint procurement opportunities, access to Federal financial management, accounting and financial systems expertise, and additional lessons learned as we gain further understanding of our capabilities.
Migrating agencies want GSA, as an SSP, to ensure we are competent, compliant, and cost-efficient. A market-driven, competitive framework for the FMLOB initiatives is a good approach to selecting a SSP. We believe competition is healthy and must include appropriate mechanisms for accountability once a provider is selected to ensure good stewardship of taxpayer dollars, irrespective of whether the selected source is a public or private provider. We are working closely with OMB to ensure policies facilitate competitions that are fair and transparent as well as accountability for results.
Lastly, while the FMLOB effort is on the right path, there are two areas that I believe require additional attention:
- Integration and coordination, at a tactical planning level, across the eGov and Line of Business initiatives can be improved. Our concept of operations for FMLOB envisions a stronger portfolio-based approach to planning and managing these initiatives. Combining the efforts of Financial Systems Integration Office (FSIO) and the Federal Enterprise Architecture Program Management Office (PMO) should help clarify and give increased visibility to interdependencies between program areas and financial management. We understand that the scope of financial management reaches into many other "lines of business" and cannot – and should not – be viewed as silo efforts. Within each eGov or LOB "stovepipe" the plans and milestones are sound but often, when the requirements are presented to agencies, the efforts have conflicting timeframes, are difficult to adequately fund when taken in total, and have interdependencies that are not always taken into consideration.
- To date, FMLOB discussions have primarily focused on Chief Financial Officers Act agencies. We continue to have conversations with OMB about the importance of accommodating the needs and cost constraints for small and mid-sized agencies. As a provider for more than forty small agencies, boards, and commissions, we understand the services they require, the level of support they need, and what they can afford to pay.
Status and operations of GSA's shared services center
Serving other Federal agencies is the core mission of GSA. GSA's Federal Integrated Solutions Center (FISC) provides financial management services and products to our clients, allowing them to concentrate on their core missions and utilize their limited resources where they will best support expending taxpayers' dollars on effective programs. This allows our client agency's primary focus to be on achieving program outcomes.
Our motivation is to serve the public taxpayer by providing best value, Federally focused financial management services that deliver results and reduce cost and risk to the Government and public. We are ready to share our expertise and lessons learned, and to help agencies leverage the combined resources of the Government to attain and sustain high-performing, cost-efficient financial management systems, and service solutions.
Through our more than 30 years of cross-servicing experience and expertise in financial services, government rules and regulations, Treasury requirements and OMB mandates, we provide our client agencies with a partner that is not only expert in governmental accounting, reporting, and internal control, but is in a position to bond seamlessly with a sister agency. This combination of financial "know how", customer service, and systems and process expertise, allows us to help our clients meet their current and future missions as well as the public laws and mandatory requirements of regulatory agencies.
Our current client base includes GSA Services and Staff Offices as well as 47 independent agencies, boards and presidential commissions that receive a full range of governmental financial and accounting services, and 37 agencies receiving payroll services. We actively participate in cross-agency working groups and councils to ensure we are cognizant of current and emerging issues, are positioned to positively contribute to Federal initiatives and meet Federal requirements, and continuously improve our capabilities and maturity of our service delivery to better meet our customers' needs. The FMLOB initiative created the opportunity for us to build upon our cross-servicing experience and provide financial management shared services to a broader base of agencies. We have carefully and deliberately planned a business model that continues to deliver high quality and customer-centric services to our existing base of customers even as we transition to providing services to larger agencies. Our FMLOB services are built upon a Financial Management Enterprise Architecture (FMEA) foundation that reflects the Federal Systems Integration Office (FSIO)-compliant financial management requirements; recognizes at the business process and data levels the interconnections between financial management and programs; and at the technology level, the common infrastructure elements that can be commoditized, reused, and leveraged across multiple lines of business.
Working in partnership with the OCIO, the OCFO has been a leader in defining GSA's target enterprise architecture. Our FMEA work is being used by FSIO as the foundation document for defining common business processes and data. Further, we are using our methodology and documentation for internal control purposes and are ready to leverage this work to address client agencies needs as well – highlighting high risk processes, segregation of duties across activities, and business rules.
We have placed a priority focus on fundamentals. We know that we must continue to provide sound financial management stewardship, quality-focused and disciplined service delivery, and maintain our reputation for excellence in customer-care in order to achieve our customers' desired results. For our external clients, we offer a FSIO-certified financial management system as well as an annual Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS)-70 audit to provide assurance that we have effective financial management systems and process controls in place for our external clients. We also have multi-layered security in place, and a rigorous and disciplined approach to project and contractor management.
We have recently completed a full-scale go-to-market analysis to ensure we understand current and future market needs and are positioned to effectively compete and provide services to our Federal client agencies for the long-term.
Either with our in-house resources alone, or through our public-commercial partnerships, we can provide a wide range of services, tailored to meet the needs of a particular agency depending upon where it is in its life cycle, its size, and the scope of services it may require. GSA can provide a menu of point or portfolio solutions at various service levels – ranging from data center hosting and application management, to transaction processing support, to fully integrated end-to-end back office systems and services encompassing human resources, payroll, travel, acquisitions, and financial management systems.
GSA is committed to doing what is best for the Federal Government and for our individual client agencies. We believe there is value in developing long-term relationship with our customers so that we are able to do more than just provide services – we want to work with our customers to collaboratively develop and deliver sustainable, integrated solutions that allow them to focus on their missions while we focus on ensuring their back office needs are met. We know that providing financial management services is much more than just providing a data center and some software. By working together, we can identify and act upon opportunities to leverage economies of scale related to people, processes, and technology in order to achieve improved Federal financial management results.
Finally, I would like to assure you, Mr. Chairman, and the other members of the Subcommittee, that the loss of GSA's financial audit opinion has NO impact on GSA's ability to provide excellent financial services to other agencies. As noted previously, the primary reason behind the loss of a clean audit opinion was residual balances from past IT projects (i.e., a business practice) and NOT our financial system software or reporting practices. This is further supported by the fact that our financial system received a clean SAS 70 opinion in FY 2005 and is on track to receive another clean opinion in FY 2006. Additionally, the manual internal control processes that service our current customers are independent of the internal controls in GSA's 17 business lines.
Update on the implementation of GSA's planned financial systems framework
GSA is successfully operating and maintaining a secure, stable and FSIO-certified Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) financial management system, known as CGI Momentum Financials, or "Pegasys". In October 2002, Pegasys became GSA's core financial system of record and reflected the culmination of a huge effort that involved migration from the GSA NEAR legacy system to a modern FSIO-compliant system.
GSA has repeatedly demonstrated that a phased approach leads to success. GSA first implemented functionality not residing in the legacy system and then, made the changes necessary for Pegasys to become GSA's system of record. GSA has a sound and secure infrastructure in place, remains current on all minor releases, and is on a two-year refresh cycle for upgrading to the next major version release of the Momentum application. In 2004, my office successfully upgraded the system from version 3.7 to 5.1, on time, on budget and with the desired results. A current upgrade (to Version 6.1.2) is underway and is scheduled to be completed in July 2006. Version 6.1.2 moves Pegasys from a client-server application to a web-based application.
Over the last several years, the OCFO has intensely focused time and resources on maturing our system development life cycle processes, building up a cadre of certified project managers, strengthening our contracts and contract management controls, and institutionalizing a culture of continual quality improvement.
Our implementation of eGov Travel is being successfully managed by an integrated team of finance, systems, and business line representatives, working collaboratively with the eGov Travel PMO and GSA's selected eGov Travel vendor. Again, GSA has taken a methodical, risk-based phased approach as we implement this eGov initiative. Our disciplined project management and systems development approaches has allowed us to identify – and work with the vendor to correct - problems before they create a large-scale impact to the GSA business lines. Although not required, we have also enhanced the security controls related to this eGov Travel application, a benefit we are passing along to the external agencies we serve.
Security and privacy protection of data has also been a priority. We, at GSA, believe that our system controls have been strengthened considerably over the past few years, as evidenced by our recent scorecard grade of an "A" - for FISMA compliance in this area.
The OCFO maintains a comprehensive and proactive IT security program for its financial management systems. IT security program goals are to ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data and systems resources to support daily business needs while adhering to Federal IT security requirements and commercial best practices. We regularly assess our controls to ensure compliance with the Federal Financial Management Improvement Act, Federal Information Security Management Act, and Section 4 of the Federal Managers' Financial Integrity Act and OMB Circulars Nos. A-127 and A-130.
As with our quality processes, we seek to continually improve upon the controls we have in place. Security activities include, but are not limited to:
- conducting System Certification and Accreditation Reviews,
- conducting annual IT security awareness training,
- updating, reviewing and testing of system contingency plans at least annually,
- conducting E-authentication risk and Privacy Act impact assessments for all major systems,
- ensuring compliance with HSPD-12 requirements relating to personnel security,
- performing system scans on a quarterly basis to identify and correct any system vulnerabilities identified,
- completing annual SAS 70 reviews of our payroll and financial accounting systems,
- devising system interconnection security agreements to effectively safeguard OCFO-managed systems that interconnect with other organizations,
- conducting an annual FISMA assessment of each major OCFO-managed system to improve compliance with NIST requirements, and
- maintaining intrusion detection monitoring systems, firewalls, and other controls to safeguard and restrict access to OCFO-managed IT system resources and data.
GSA's management of our financial management applications and the supporting infrastructure technology is sound and secure. Now, in accordance with FMEA standards and to ensure internal GSA alignment to FMLOB and GSA's "to-be" architecture, GSA is ready to move forward on the next phase of our planned financial management systems framework. Our FMEA defines improved business processes and strong integration of GSA's procurement systems to our core financial system. Successful implementation of this FMEA begins with recognition that GSA's business line processes generate financial information that is often initially recorded in acquisition systems outside of Pegasys. Because of the complex nature of GSA's business, acquisition processes are tightly coupled with financial management processes and, absent system integration controls, require substantial people-based controls and resources to ensure proper recording and reconciliation of data.
The strong business process improvement and standardization efforts that are already well underway, coupled with GSA's strengthened internal control programs in our business lines, implementation of a fully integrated acquisition and core financial system at GSA will resolve existing integrity and control deficiencies, meet the business needs of GSA, now and into the future, decrease costs, and provide the ability to perform improved financial and business reporting and analyses.
GSA lines of business:
Federal Acquisition Service - Federal Supply Service
- Commercial Acquisition
- GSA Global Supply
- Vehicle Acquisition and Leasing
- Travel and Transportation
- Personal Property Management
- E-Gov
Federal Acquisition Service – Federal Technology Service
- Long Distance
- Regional Telecommunications
- Regional Information Technology Solutions
- National Information Technology Solutions
- Other
Public Buildings Service
- Space Rentals
- Installment Acquisition Payments
- Building Operations
- Basic Repairs and Alterations
- Major Repairs and Alterations
- Construction and Acquisition
Revolving Funds
- Federal Buildings Fund
- Information Technology Fund
- General Supply Fund
- Federal Consumer Information Center Fund
- Panama Canal Revolving Fund
- Working Capital Fund
General Funds
- Allowances and Office Staff for Former Presidents
- Electronic Government Fund
- Excess and Surplus Real and Related Personal Property Holding Account
- Expenses, Presidential Transition
- Election Reform Payments
- Election Reform Reimbursements
- Office of Inspector General
- Operating Expenses, General Services Administration
- Policy and Citizen Services Fund
- Real Property Relocation
Special Funds
- Expenses, Disposal of Real and Related Personal Property
- Expenses, Transportation Audits
- Expenses, Acquisition Workforce Training Fund
- Operating Expenses, Disposal of Real and Related Personal Property
- Other Receipts, Surplus Real and Related Personal Property
- Receipts of Rent, Leases and Lease Payments for Government Owned Real Property
- Receipts, Transportation Audits
- Receipts, Acquisition Workforce Training Fund
- Transfer of Surplus Real and Related Personal Property
Miscellaneous Receipt and Deposit Funds
- Budget Clearing Account
- Credits for Withholding and Contributions, Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund
- Employees' Payroll Allotment Account, U.S. Savings Bonds
- Fines, Penalties, and Forfeitures, Not Otherwise Classified
- Forfeitures of Unclaimed Money and Property
- General Fund Proprietary Interest, Not Otherwise Classified
- General Fund Proprietary Receipts, Not Otherwise Classified, All Other
- Proceeds from Sale of Surplus Property
- Reserve for Purchase Contract Projects
- Suspense
- Suspense, Transportation Audits
- Unconditional Gifts of Real, Personal or Other Property
- Withheld State and Local Taxes
This example illustrates the budgetary financial events surrounding a customer agency's request for a $100 good or service and when the good/service is actually provided by a vendor for $98.
|Financial Event
|Customer Agency
|1. A $100 order is placed by the customer and accepted by GSA.
|Customer records a $100 obligation of budget authority to GSA.
|GSA records a $100 unfilled customer order from the customer.
|2. GSA contracts with a public vendor to provide the good or service to the customer agency.
|No effect.
|GSA records a $100 obligation to the vendor upon signing of an agreement/contract.
|3. The public vendor bills GSA $98 for the good/ services provided and receives payment.
The customer maintains a $100 obligation. However, $98 is moved from undelivered orders to delivered/expended orders. Both of these are components of obligations. However, there is now a residual $2 undelivered order that will never be delivered.
Assuming the customer used an annual appropriation and the fiscal year has now passed, a return of the $2 requires a deobligation and a return of funding back to Treasury because the $2 is no longer available for any new obligations.
|GSA also maintains a $100 obligation but moves $98 from undelivered orders to delivered/ expended. However, there is now a residual $2 undelivered order that will never be delivered.
Additionally, GSA reduces unfilled customer orders by $98 and leaves a residual $2 unfilled customer order that will never be filled.
This leaves the GSA project manager with the choice of: 1) return the $2 that the customer agency really doesn't want; or 2) work on urgent priorities of other customers? Additionally, if this is a time and materials contract and the obligation and unfilled customer order are closed out before ALL vendor invoices are paid, GSA could very likely have to pay the additional bill with its' own funding. Therefore, there are strong incentives to leave these balances on the books 'just in case'.


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If the manual scanner starts every time you turn on your computer, this is most likely the result of the PC being turned off when it was scheduled to run the scan.
To disable this, open Norman Security Suite, click on "Tasks" and disable the Scheduled Virus Scan. Alternatively you can adjust the scheduled scan to start at a time when the PC is normally powered on.
Visit our AVG Support Community or contact us here:


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Message Board
Gerald Kersh Message Board
Talk about the novels, new and used books that Kersh has written!
Author Kersh's Book Reviews
Faces in a Dusty Picture
The year is 1940 or '41, the place is Cairo and the surrounding desert. Rommel is on the march, and the British are trying to decide whether to attack or retreat. This slim "slice o' life," written only a year or two after the scenario it evokes, shows what it was like to be in the British army -- from the general to the privates, from a Lieutenant whose father's passing has just made him a lord to a venal quartermaster -- as panic rises and the battle c...
Night and the City
Kersh's best-known and most-respected novel, published in 1946, is a Dickensian "slice o' life" look at London's underworld. Harry Fabian is a fast-talking con artist and kept man (read: pimp) who claims to have been a successful songwriter in America and tries to put together funding for all-in wrestling matches. We meet his girl, Zoe, and several comely dancer/prostitutes (Vi and Helen) as well as the criminal financiers and tough guys of postwar Engla...
The Angel and the Cuckoo
Ranging from Hungary and Italy to France and England, but placed mostly in London between 1911 and 1934, this novel tells the story of a variety of Dickensian characters, from the idealistic and kind Hungarian Steve Zobrany who owns a cafe (the title refers to its name) in a grimier part of the city, to Tom Henceforth the bright but not entirely honest English youth who's very much on the make, and the shadowy figure known as Perp -- who's somewhere betw...
The Secret Masters
Narrator Albert Kemp, the successful author of thriller novels, and his old friend George Oaks, a war hero (First World War) and journalist, stumble on a drastic plot by wealthy and powerful British lords and scientists to alter the planet. The plotters, who call themselves Sciocrats and propose to rule the world via "unadulterated Reason," have hired an insane but brilliant physicist to design nuclear devices that will enable them to melt the polar icec...
Kersh booklist
The Thousand Deaths of Mr. Small
Charles Small, the son of Jewish parents in post World War I London, wants to be an actor. He actually has some talent, but his folks will never countenance that. They also won't let him marry the love of his life, Ivy Narwhal. The novel tells the story not only of Charles and his screechingly abusive parents (actually his father is a nice enough sort, but utterly terrorized by his mother), but the parallel fortunes of Solomon "Solly" Schwartz, a clubfoo...
They Die With Their Boots Clean
Set mostly in England in 1940 or 1941, this slim novel is Kersh's tribute to the Coldstream Guards, an elite British military outfit with whom he served during that period. Although war (the First and the impending Second) and the Germans surround the story, there really isn't any battle on stage here: Most of the book describes the transformation of average British guys into fighting trim during their basic training, although we hear the stories of old ...


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Then all it takes is Madara clenching his fist to stabilize it: http://www.narutobase.net/manga/Naruto/589 This takes 1-2 seconds.
The sword swing takes like 1 second: http://www.narutobase.net/manga/Naruto/589/2 http://www.narutobase.net/manga/Naruto/589/3
Madara has a Mokuton to pressure Naruto so he can't charge up the Bijuu Dama before he swings his sword.
And I like how you ignored the fact that Bijuu Dama is absorbed using Preta Path.


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Herald staff
MARYSVILLE — A man who died in a motorcycle collision on Wednesday in Marysville has been identified as Christopher Wiebe, 25.
His death was ruled an accident, according to the King County Medical Examiner's Office.
The crash happened about noon Wednesday in the 12700 block of Smokey Point Boulevard.
The motorcycle collided with a SUV and then a pickup truck travelling in the opposite direction, according to Marysville police report. Wiebe was flown to a Seattle hospital, where he died.
Marysville police are investigating.


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Noon Recital
When Thursday November 21, 2013 @ 12:10 PM (1344 days ago)
Where Lehman Auditorium-Recital Hall
Duration 50 minutes
The noon music recital series at EMU provides an informal opportunity for music students to showcase their studies and accomplishments. The recital sessions are open to anyone. Length of the presentations vary, depending on the number of students who sign up to participate and the pieces they choose to perform.
Today's performers are:
- Katie Miller, piano
Sinfonia No. 2 in C Major – Johann Sebastian Bach
- Heather Evans, soprano with Anne Waltner, piano
Gretchen am Spinnrade from Così fan tutte – Franz Schubert
- Heather Evans and Anne Marie Baer, sopranos; James Richardson, baritone; Lauren Sauder, piano
Soave sia il vento – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Jacinda Stahly, violin with Anne Waltner, piano
Violin Concerto No. 3 in G Major – W.A. Mozart
- Erin Hershey, flute with Chloe Raber, piano
Sonata for Flute and Piano – Francis Poulenc
- Brandy Clark, soprano with Chloe Raber, piano
Die Forelle – Franz Schubert
- Giulio Garner, piano
Rhapsody in B Minor, Op. 27, No. 1 – Johannes Brahms
Intended Audience General Public
Contact Information
Name Music Dept
Phone # 540.432.4225


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Sunday School: 10:00 am
Morning Worship: 11:00 am
Evening Service: 6:00 pm
Kids 4 Truth: 6:45 pm
(during school year)
Prayer Meeting: 7:00 pm
Nursery available at all services.
Ferndale Baptist Church
2154 North Center Street, Suite D-403
North Charleston,
Phone: 843-744-3307Fax: 843-737-4861
The words in our text (Philippians 4:21-23) are far more than just mere expressions of "My friends say hello to you" or "Say hello to everybody for me" as Paul concludes his epistle to them. What we have are evidences of The Triumph of the Gospel - concluding words of encouragement for the Philippians to reflect upon the gospel, the effects it has had on them and other believers, and to live in the power of that gospel.
The dramatic changes evidenced in their lives had begun by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ (v. 23) and would be sustained by that same grace. Whether at 1st century Philippi or Rome, The Triumph of the Gospel was evident and it can be in our 21st century lives as well.
This message is the first of two parts.
The Gospel changes lives and changes our perspective on life. One of the areas in which great change can take place is in the area of fractured relationships. What is the answer to strife, division whether in the family or in the church? As Paul deals with the rift in the relationship between two key women who played a vital role in the Church at Philippi (chapter 4:2-3), God's Word gives us the steps to take in mending broken relationships and the good news is the answer is time-tested and true.
The key to freedom from the bondage of bitterness and an agitated spirit due to a fractured relationship is found in the Gospel of Christ. It is to be our pattern for thinking and living; it's the basis for how we treat others and mend broken relationships. Will you allow the Gospel to change your life today?
Ferndale Baptist Church
2154 North Center Street, Suite D-403
North Charleston,
Web site design by Your Creative People (Greenville, SC). Easy site updating through Backstage CMS.


text: I hear that I have to install Realtek RTL8188RU for the Alfa AWUS036NHR to work but I'm running into some issues. The Install.sh gives me an error saying "Compile make driver error: 2, Please check error Mesg". I heard I had to edit a few files but when I do it says it's in "read mode" so I can't change any of the files. So I don't know if I have to run as root or I'm already in root once I enter Backtrack. I'm running this in VMWare I'm on a Win 7 64-bit the Backtrack is a 64bit as well.


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Choose an event to see photos of our pack in action!
Posted in Photo Gallery
You are currently browsing the BSA Pack 96, Ringwood, NJ weblog archives for June, 2008.
Choose an event to see photos of our pack in action!
Who: All scouts & perspective scouts are welcome to attend. Perspective scouts must be boys entering Grades 1-5 in Sept. 2008
Title: Pack Meeting & Open House
Location: St. Catherine of Bologna, Ringwood
Description: Pack Meeting & Recruitment Night
Start Time: 7:00pm
Date: Friday June 20, 2008
End Time: 9:00pm
For more information, download our flyer
Title: Rocket Launch
Location: Stonetown Rec Field, Stonetown Road, Ringwood
Description: Rocket Launch
Start Time: 5:30pm
Date: Friday, July 11, 2008 (weather permitting)
Be sure to bring the rocket you built!


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It sounds like Ravens head coach John Harbaugh is trying to correct a fairly large. Or offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell's error. It doesn't really matter who is to blame as long as they understand that somebody screwed up in calling just five rushes for running back Ray Rice in Week 4. Harbaugh stressed Wednesday that can't happen again.
"We need to get Ray involved in every single way," Harbaugh said. "Passing game, run game, every single way. It's definitely important for us, we want to do that every week, and obviously we did not do a good job of that on Sunday."
Fantasy Analysis:
This week, the Ravens and Rice face the Dolphins. The matchup isn't as fearful as one would have thought a few weeks ago; the Dolphins have allowed four touchdowns to running backs in their past three games, and each of those players finished the day with at least 12 fantasy points. With Bernard Pierce dealing with a strained calf muscle, and a renewed commitment to their leading rusher, the Ravens will see to it that Rice gets plenty of opportunities to have at least as good of an afternoon. He is FFToolbox's No. 9 RB this week.


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Contact CADC Program
Web Site
California Department of Public Health Alzheimer's Program Site
Phone Numbers
916-552-9869 (main)
916-552-9729 (fax)
Alzheimer's Disease Program, MS-7210
California Dept. of Public Health
PO Box 997377
Sacramento, CA 95899-7377
Center Information
Web Site
UC Davis, Sacramento-California Alzheimer's Disease Center
Ellison Ambulatory Care Building
UC Davis Medical Center
4860 Y Street, Suite 3900
Sacramento, CA 95817
Phone Numbers
916-734-5496 (main)
916-703-5290 (fax)
Center Leadership
Director / Principal Investigator
Dan Mungas, PhD is a Professor of Neurology at UC Davis. He has been at UC Davis since 1981 and has been associated with the UC Davis CADC program since it began in 1986. Dr. Mungas has longstanding experience and expertise in clinical care related to cognitive changes of aging, and diseases that cause cognitive decline.
UCD - Sacramento CADC
Web Site
UC Davis, Sacramento-California Alzheimer's Disease Center
Ellison Ambulatory Care Building
UC Davis Medical Center
4860 Y Street, Suite 3900
Sacramento, CA 95817
Phone Numbers
916-734-5496 (main)
916-703-5290 (fax)
History and Background
The California Alzheimer's Disease Center (CADC) at UC Davis in Sacramento, located at the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, has provided ongoing leadership in Alzheimer's disease (AD) clinical care, education, and research since 1985. The UCD-Sacramento CADC builds upon the clinical, research, educational and community outreach base that has been developed over the last 25 years to promote the availability of high-quality clinical services for dementia and cognitive decline in the growing, elderly segment of the population in the northern central valley of California. Our Center has traditionally served a very large geographic area in northern California, much of which is rural, and also has emphasized outreach and service to minority communities, Hispanics in particular. The counties served by the UCD-Sacramento CADC includes: Sacramento, Yolo, San Joaquin, Solano, Sutter, Yuba, Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, Amador, Calaveras, Tuolemne, and Stanislaus counties.
Clinical Services
The UCD-Sacramento CADC provides multidisciplinary clinical care for older persons presenting with concerns about decline in cognition and independent functioning. We routinely perform diagnostic evaluations to distinguish normal changes associated with aging from dementing diseases like Alzheimer's disease, other degenerative dementias, and cognitive changes associated with stroke and cerebrovascular disease. While we do not provide treatment or ongoing clinical care, we do work with patients, their families, and their primary care doctors to establish treatment plans. We have bilingual and bicultural staff who routinely provide service to Spanish speaking patients and their families.
Economic Development and Professional Training
While the CADC program does not directly support research, the clinical infrastructure and expert staff provide an important foundation for research funded by the National Institutes on Health and private foundations to better understand cognitive decline in older populations and to establish best practices for clinical care. The CADC is part of a larger UC Davis Alzheimer's Disease Center that brings external research funding into California at a ratio of about $8 dollars for every $1 invested by the state of California. The research theme of The UC Davis Alzheimer's Disease Center is understanding the protective and risk factors that determine healthy cognitive aging and cognitive decline in the demographically diverse population of older Californians. Our research specifically targets Hispanic and African American communities. Professional training is an important cornerstone of our program. We have a multidisciplinary team with expertise in Neurology, Geriatric Medicine, Psychiatry, Neuropsychology, Nursing, and Social Work. We provide supervised clinical training for physicians, neuropsychologists, social workers, nurses, and geriatricians. In addition, our professional staff routinely speak to professional audiences in communities throughout northern California to disseminate information about normal aging and diseases causing cognitive impairment.
Community Education
Public education about dementia and cognitive impairment is central to our mission. Our staff routinely speak to community audiences to promote awareness of healthy and abnormal cognitive aging, factors that promote cognitive health, risk factors for cognitive decline, and treatment for AD and related diseases. Dissemination of information to consumers about best practices for clinical care is an important part of both our clinical services and educational efforts. We are particularly interested in promoting lifestyle choices that contribute to healthy cognitive aging and delay or reduce the impact of diseases like AD.
Referrals from physicians, other healthcare providers, and agencies are welcome. A referral from a physician is not necessary for a memory assessment, and many patients we see are self-referred or referred by a family member. We specialize in the evaluation of memory loss, Alzheimer's disease and related illnesses such as frontotemporal lobe dementia and vascular dementia, and mild cognitive impairment. We have the expertise for complex or unusual cases, and are happy to provide second opinions. We have bilingual staff who can answer questions of Spanish speaking callers.
Costs for diagnostic evaluations and professional services may vary on an individual basis. Please contact us for more information. Often, tests performed outside of our CADC may be necessary to complete a diagnostic workup, such as laboratory tests and/or brain scans.
- Charles DeCarli, M.D., Neurologist
- William Seavey, M.D., Geriatrician
- Sarah Tomaszewski Farias, Ph.D., Neuropsychologist
- Kathryn Sweeney, RN
- Esther Lara, MSW
- Rebekha Alfaro, Patient Care Coordinator
Opportunities to Participate in Research
Our Center is part of the UC Davis Alzheimer's Disease Center. We have an active research program including clinical trials evaluating new ways of treating and diagnosing Alzheimer's disease. We are involved in many studies of aging, and how different factors may protect against or accelerate mental decline associated with aging. Depending on your eligibility you may be invited to take part in one or more of these studies.


text:
Beginners: please read this post and this post before posting to the forum.
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
I was thinking - if IR can detect colors
but . . . green light isn't IR light . . .
I really don't like using IR for the simple reason that it's hard to debug what you can't see . . .
If you want to be sure you're seeing green, you should use a photoresistor.
you could always use normal colour led's to also detect colours. It isnt a much used thing with led's but it does actually wok on an a2d port
but what color LED would I use to detect aluminum foil?


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'Buffalo got into penalty trouble midway through the third period and Montreal took the lead during the two man advantage as Chris Higgins would get credit for a goal that bounced off Toni Lydman and Ryan Miller before going in the net. Higgins would score on an empty netter to finish off the 4-2 win.'
Higgins Leads Habs To 4-2 Win
October 21, 2007 Submitted by
Via: WGR-AM


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Billboard Music Awards Winners + Taylor Swift Acceptance Speech [WATCH]
Taylor Swift was the big winner of the night at the Billboard Music Awards airing LIVE from the MGM Grande in Las Vegas.
Taylor took home 8 of the 11 awards she was nominated for! She told her fans, "You are the longest relationship I've ever had."
The band fun. and Maroon 5 were also nominated for 11 awards and each walked away with one. Rihanna and Gotye were the second runners up with four awards each.
Selena Gomez, Icona Pop, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Jennifer Lopez, Prince, The Band Perry, Bruno Mars, Chris Brown, duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Pitbull, Christina Aguilera, Miguel, Lil Wayne, and Nicki Minaj all gave gossip worthy performances. The awards were hosted by "30 Rock" comedian Tracy Morgan.
The highlight of the night for many was Justin Bieber's less than stellar acceptance speech for the "Milestone" award where he was left flustered and rambling after audience members booed the Teen Superstar.
Check out the complete list of winners below:
Top Artist
Justin Bieber
Maroon 5
One Direction
Taylor Swift – WINNER
Top New Artist
Carly Rae Jepsen
One Direction – WINNER
The Lumineers
Top Male Artist
Bruno Mars
Flo Rida
Jason Aldean
Justin Bieber – WINNER
Top Female Artist
Carly Rae Jepsen
Nicki Minaj
Taylor Swift – WINNER
Top Duo/Group
Maroon 5
Mumford & Sons
One Direction – WINNER
Top Billboard 200 Artist
Justin Bieber
Mumford & Sons
One Direction
Taylor Swift - WINNER
Top Hot 100 Artist
Flo Rida
Maroon 5 - WINNER
Taylor Swift
Top Rap Artist
Flo Rida
Nicki Minaj – WINNER
Top Digital Songs Artist (tie)
Carly Rae Jepsen
Taylor Swift
Top Radio Songs Artist
Top Touring Artist
Top Social Artist
Justin Bieber
Top Streaming Artist
Nicki Minaj
Top Pop Artist
One Direction
Top R&B Artist
Top Country Artist
Taylor Swift
Top Rock Artist
Top Latin Artist
Jenni Rivera
Top Dance Artist
Top EDM Artist
David Guetta
Top Christian Artist
Top Billboard 200 Album
Taylor Swift – "Red"
Top Pop Album
Adele – "21″
Top R&B Album
Rihanna – "Unapologetic"
Top Rap Album
Nicki Minaj – "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded"
Top Country Album
Taylor Swift -"Red"
Top Rock Album
Mumford & Sons – "Babel"
Top Latin Album
Jenni Rivera – "La Misma Gran Senora"
Top Dance Album
Madonna – "MDNA"
Top EDM Album
Skrillex – "Bangarang"
Top Christian Album
tobyMac – "Eye On It"
Top Hot 100 Song
Gotye Featuring Kimbra – "Somebody That I Used To Know"
Top Digital Song
Carly Rae Jepsen – "Call Me Maybe"
Top Radio Song
Gotye Featuring Kimbra – "Somebody That I Used To Know"
Top Streaming Song (Audio)
Gotye Featuring Kimbra – "Somebody That I Used To Know"
Top Streaming Song (Video)
PSY – "Gangnam Style"
Top Pop Song
Carly Rae Jepsen – "Call Me Maybe"
Top R&B Song
Rihanna – "Diamonds"
Top Rap Song
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz – "Thrift Shop"
Top Country Song
Taylor Swift – "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together"
Top Rock Song
Gotye Featuring Kimbra – "Somebody That I Used To Know"
Top Latin Song
Michel Telo – "Ai Se Eu Te Pego"
Top Dance Song
Baauer – "Harlem Shake"
Top EDM Song
Baauer – "Harlem Shake"
Top Christian Song
Matt Redman – "10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)"


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Indians reduce roster, Herrmann sent to Triple-A
(GOODYEAR, Ariz.) – The Cleveland Indians are getting closer to Opening Day and with that comes finalizing the 25-man roster. The Tribe had its third round of roster cuts on Wednesday sending four players from big league camp to Triple-A Columbus.
RHP Frank Herrmann, INF David Adams, LHP Colt Hynes and RHP Preston Guilmet were optioned down to Triple-A Columbus.
The latest roster reduction of the spring brings the total number of players in Major League camp to 42.
The Tribe opens the 2014 season on March 31 in Oakland for a three-game series with the Athletics.
- Nick Camino


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'Sources tell FOXSports.com that Barnes' new deal is worth near $8.5 million over the next three seasons. He will earn $1.6 million this year and was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.'
Sabres, Barnes agree on three-year extension
January 15, 2002 Submitted by
Via: Fox Sports


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Alicia Keys to use BlackBerry to make interactive fan videos
Listen to Alicia Keys on iHeartRadio
Alicia Keys has found a way to blend her music with her latest position as the new global creative director of Blackberry. On Wednesday, the singer announced what she's calling the "BlackBerry Keep Moving Hub," which will allow the tech company's users to help create interactive videos for her "Set The World On Fire" tour.
She is reaching out to fans, asking them to use their BlackBerrys to help her crowd source photos that will play behind her on stage during her U.S. concerts. The interactive videos will be tailored to each city she performs.
In a statement, Keys says that the project will "show the world what's possible when your imagination and BlackBerry's innovative platform collide."
Photo Credit Getty Images


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A 59-year-old Salt Lake City man who is a well-known Republican activist has been charged with making a terroristic threat for allegedly emailing Salt Lake City Marathon organizers about placing bombs at the finish line of last Saturday's race.
George Hodgson Zinn told police who arrested him on Friday that he didn't mean anything by sending the email, but police and prosecutors are taking it seriously.
Zinn was charged in 3rd District Court with threat of terrorism, a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
According to court documents, Zinn on April 17 emailed the marketing director for the Salt Lake City Marathon, asking: "I was wondering if you needed anybody to help place bombs near the finish line on Saturday???"
Zinn is scheduled for an initial court appearance on May 20.
According to Utah court records, Zinn has a criminal record dating back to 1989 that includes several dozen convictions for petty crimes such as criminal trespass, theft of services, interfering with a police officer and disturbing the peace.
When Zinn landed in the Davis County jail last March for failing to pay fines accrued by getting caught numerous times on TRAX and Frontrunner without buying a ticket Salt Lake County Councilman and former GOP State Chairman Richard Snelgrove launched a fundraising drive to pay the $1,700 in outstanding fines to free Zinn.
Zinn habitually shows up to anything to do with the Utah Republican Party, including national conventions, wearing faded jeans, work shirts and tennis shoes to the fancy events.


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Beaver Hills | Downtown | East Rock | East Shore | Fair Haven | Hill | Newhallville | West Rock | Westville
Hill Neighborhood
Completed Commissions:
Ancestral Gate | Growing Together | I Am Order, You Are Chaos | Passages
Hill Neighborhood
Completed Commissions:
Ancestral Gate | Growing Together | I Am Order, You Are Chaos | Passages
Artist: Leila Daw
Date: 2006
Material: Aluminum
Location: Courtland Seymour Wilson (Hill) Library Interior. 303 Washington Avenue.
The work of artist Leila Daw calls attention to the history of immigration in the Hill neighborhood of New Haven. Using a map of the earth divided into two parts, Daw presents the history of American immigrants before the Civil War and after-an event that changed the country. Large shapes reference continents and also suggest ships, while oversized maps of Connecticut and New Haven supplement the globe.
Images of immigrants appear in silhouette form, suspended by steel chain below the globe halves. These new Americans travel with bags to new lives, where, eventually they are "grounded" in the Hill, firmly attached to the exterior shelves of the library's bookcases. The figures are color coded according to their place of origin and appear either in positive or negative form-indicating the loss/gain struggle of the emigration/immigration experience.
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