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Holden to cease manufacturing in 2017
The Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union won a last-minute injunction on Thursday that stops Toyota from holding the vote on Friday.
Toyota Australia President
Judge Mordecai Bromberg said Toyota should go through a "two-step" process. It first has to ask workers to approve a new process for changing their wages and conditions.
Then they can vote on the changes.
That process could not be completed until well into the new year.
Toyota insists the clock is running on the selection of next-generation models due to be built from 2018 and it needs to show head office it can cut the cost of production by $3800 per vehicle.
Toyota will be the last car maker in Australia when Holden exits in 2018 and Ford in 2016. Their departure puts Toyota at risk.
The AMWU was unrepentant. "There is no great victory in this for us," assistant national secretary Wayne Butler said outside the court.
"We have never accepted this rushed process from what we think is a number of ideologues around this issue."
Mr Butler said he did not believe the union's court action would threaten Toyota's future and criticised the company for not following Holden's more co-operative approach to cutting wages and conditions. "Toyota took a very, very different view, which was to crash or crash through, they have failed on that today," he said.
Toyota wants changes to boost productivity and cut costs such as reducing the Christmas shutdown from 21 days to 10 days, changing the conditions for new contractors, tightening rules on sick leave and removing the ability to take time off to give blood.
Mr Yasuda said the company believed it was within its rights to vary the agreement "provided the majority of our employees support the changes through a formal vote".
"The company is doing everything that it can to secure the future for our employees and their families," he said.
"GM Holden's planned closure in 2017 will put our manufacturing operations and the local supplier network under unprecedented pressure, so it is now more important than ever before that we make urgent changes."
Victorian Premier
"This sends a strong message to all manufacturing in Victoria and Australia we need a more flexible and competitive operation," he said.
"It sends a strong message to workers at Toyota", he said adding that also applied and also to the managers and everybody else.
Justice Bromberg upheld the union's claim that Toyota had sought to improperly change the company's workplace agreement and breached a "no extra claims" clause in its enterprise agreement with the AMWU.
The judge said the clause was not set in concrete and could be varied or removed by agreement.
Clause four in the agreement states a "no extra claims" provision, preventing either side from making any further claims in relation to wages or any other terms and conditions of employment throughout the agreements duration. The agreement stands until March 6, 2015.
Toyota said on Wednesday Holden's exit from local manufacturing had forced it to put its local operations under review because of the "unprecedented pressure" the departure of Ford in 2016 and Holden in 217 would put on suppliers.
Dave Smith, the secretary of the vehicle builders unit of the AMWU, had urged members to vote against the deal and launched the Federal Court action because he said Toyota's managers were not been willing to negotiate with the union as equals.
Toyota has accused the union of putting the future of the Australian manufacturing operations at risk by opposing the cost cutting deal.
Holden had sought to partially close a $3750 gap between its local manufacturing operations and other General Motors plants in Asia before it became clear that more subsidies would not be forthcoming and GM decided to stop making cars in Australia.
Mr Smith has made clear that there is no love lost between the union and Toyota's management in recent weeks.
He told the Productivity Commission last week that the relationship is not as good as that between the union and Holden, and accused the company of wanting the union to negotiate with one hand tied behind its back.
"I'd have to say to be quite honest with you that sometimes the relationship with Toyota is not as good as it could be," he told commissioners Mike Woods and Philip Weickhardt.
"I think it's very good with GM, and it's demonstrated by the fact that last year GM got a decision with their union, which required a lot of pain, and to which workers didn't want to agree to to be quite honest," Mr Smith said.
"They didn't want to give up any of their conditions of employment but they chose to because the relationship with the company allowed that to occur."
The Australian Financial Review


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Computer World –
The novelty of having a digital human read your e-mail aloud will attract Facemail's first users, but its effectiveness as a business tool will retain users, say spokesmen for LifeFX.
The company last month released its first commercial product, Facemail, which lets users select one of five stand-ins, as LifeFX calls its digital avatars, to deliver their e-mail.
LifeFX is negotiating with two Fortune 100 companies to license the 3-D talking heads for use on their Web sites, says Lucie Salhany, CEO and co-president of LifeFX.
"Shopping-cart abandonment is a big problem," she says. "Supposing there's someone to help you through the process, or even to say, 'Are you sure you don't want to buy this?' "
Perhaps, says Jackie Fenn, an analyst at Gartner Group. "But if you're at work and you're busily buying a sweater online, you may not want someone on your screen announcing it," Fenn says.
And although Facemail's inflection and visual cues may cut down on misunderstandings engendered by e-mail, as LifeFX claims, "it may prove disruptive in an office full of cubicles," according to Fenn.
But e-mail is only the beginning, says Mark Sagar, vice president of research and development at LifeFX. By linking the visual technology to artificial intelligence and an English discourse engine, a lifelike digital human can interact with users.
"Think of a HAL-like creature," Sagar says, referring to the computer in Stanley Kubrick's film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
"It's a natural for telemarketing, call centers, help desks, any repetitive tasks," Sagar says.
It can also cut costs, adds Salhany. "The average customer service call costs $25 to $33 per incident. Think of the savings if you can automate that," she says.
Much of what its avatars can do can also be done "in text, but it's cold," Salhany says.
"The biggest difference [the technology offers] is in adding sound," Fenn says. But in "online retail, for a help desk, it could work. People react differently when a machine is humanized. Look at speech recognition -- people start saying please and thank you, and they know they're talking to a machine."

subset: commoncrawl


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Gawker Wants To Offer More Than Snark, Gossip
British Journalist Nick Denton is giving his Gawker media empire a facelift and unveiling it later this month. His family of websites has helped make snark a defining feature of the blogosphere. Denton says there will still be plenty of "nasty" left on his blog but he says readers want more than just brief caustic postings.
STEVE INSKEEP, host:
Those messages, by the way, were made public by Deadspin, a sports blog that is part of the Gawker empire. Gawker websites obsess over celebrities, mocking media, fashion, politics, sex, Hollywood and Silicon Valley. They often get celebrities into trouble, and sometimes get Gawker into trouble.
When Gawker posted a leaked excerpt from Sarah Palin's new book, a judge ordered the site to take it down. Now Gawker's founder, Nick Denton, is working on a redesign that he hopes will alter its reputation.
Jesse Baker reports from New York.
JESSE BAKER: There's an office party going on for Gawker's West Coast tech writers. They're just some of the 130 people working for Nick Denton around the country. But Denton doesn't want to get me a drink. He wants to show me what he calls the big board.
Mr. NICK DENTON (Founder, Gawker): It's like a NASDAQ for content.
BAKER: It's a massive, flat-screen monitor, constantly updating, in real time, Gawker Media's top stories.
Mr. DENTON: It's a scary prospect for some people. It's exhilarating for most of our staff.
BAKER: And it's a board Denton tracks even more obsessively than he would, say, a child star on an ankle monitor.
Jessica Coen is editor of Jezebel, a Gawker site for women that considers itself the antidote to glossy magazines. Coen says getting page hits is crucial, but so is getting the story first.
Ms. JESSICA COEN (Editor, Jezebel): Nick is very much of the mind that you do it now. And the emphasis is to get it out there and be as correct as you can, but don't let that stand in the way of getting the story out there.
BAKER: The idea for the original site came to Nick Denton when he was working at that most respectable old-school newspaper: The Financial Times.
Mr. DENTON: The stories that I would like to read about are not the stories that appear on the FT's front page or inside pages, but the stories that journalists tell each other after hours.
BAKER: Denton would have you believe that after work, journalists dish about the latest Hollywood starlet to be dumped. And OK, maybe he's right.
Denton is in his mid-40s, British, and so unimpressed by American journalistic ethics that he'll go where most American journalists wouldn't dare: Denton will pay his sources.
Mr. DENTON: Blogs have developed a reputation for being fun, quick but also nasty, exposing unpleasant truths about people, saying things which upset people.
Ms. GABY DARBYSHIRE (COO, Gawker): We get a lot of complaints.
BAKER: That's Gaby Darbyshire, the chief operating officer and the lawyer who fields all Gawker media's legal threats.
Ms. DARBYSHIRE: There's no publisher in the world that will take down a story simply because a subject doesn't like what was said about them. So most of them go nowhere.
BAKER: So, despite objections, Gawker posted the Scientology recruitment video Tom Cruise didn't want you to see.
(Soundbite of Scientology video)
Mr. TOM CRUISE (Actor): My opinion is is that, look, you're either on board or you're not on board. OK? But just - if you're on board, you're on board just like the rest of us. Period.
Mr. DENTON: Sarah Palin's private e-mails, Brett Favre's stalking of a sideline reporter - we have made our names for the wider public on these stories.
BAKER: For years, Gawker's empire has built an audience of millions of monthly readers, largely by posting a flurry of caustic takes on stories pulled from other places. But now there'll be just one big story splashed across the front of each of Gawker's sites. Denton is intending to showcase writers who do deeper, original reporting.
Mr. KEN DOCTOR (Outsell): It makes a lot of sense for 2011.
BAKER: Ken Doctor is a digital media industry analyst for the consulting firm Outsell.
Mr. DOCTOR: It's actually right in line with what we're seeing from other older, legacy-branded media.
BAKER: Denton wants the Gawker sites to draw in upscale readers who see themselves interested in more than just gossip, and the advertisers who want to reach them.
Mr. DENTON: I would like to show the full range of content, from scurrilous and sensationalist through to beautiful and uplifting, because people can't live on snark and viscous gossip alone.
BAKER: As it turns out, even the bad boy of online snark is starting to sound suspiciously grown up.
For NPR News, I'm Jesse Baker.
Copyright © 2011 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio record.


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FreshWater Stefani Equivalent Replacement Filter
Is it time to change your Stefani Water Filter yet?
Filters should be changed every 4 months
FreshWater's British made Stefani equivalent replacement filter fits all Stefani Gravity water filter systems. The filter removes 99.99% of all particles larger than one micron including dirt, rust, sediment, hamrful bacteria and parasites. The filter also improves taste and odour, removes chlorine, organic pollutants such as agricultural pesticides, herbicides, oestrogens and other chemicals. The cartridges also reduces dissolved heavy metals, such as cadmium, lead and mercury.
Filters should be replaced every 4 months - you can download instructions on how to do this by
clicking here.
Solar, Wind-Up or even Wind Powered Gadgets
A Selection of Energy Saving Eco Gadgets
Hundreds of Kids Toys & Gifts to choose from
Logmakers, Water Butts & Solar Lights etc.
Recycled Slate, Clocks & Reusebale Bags etc.
Journals & Notebooks, Photo Frames & Albums
Choose from Journals & Notebooks, Photo Frames & Albums and Tableware.
The Fairtrade label is an consumer label which appears on products as an guarantee that disadvantaged producers in the developing world are getting a better deal.
We've taken extracts from the excellent Oxford is My World
guide on how to reduce your impact on the environment. The guide is designed to help people make choices that benefit both our local and global environments by reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.
Here you can read all about our Customer Feedback on our Service & Delivery.
Click here for the full list of our testimonials
These are all from REAL customers!
Oxford is My World - Your Guide to Saving the Planet
The Guide includes sections on environmentally friendly Energy, Food, Lifestyle, Recycling, Travel and Water. It is divided into very easy, fairly easy and not-quite-so-easy steps.
You can learn more by reading the excellent "Climate Science Explanation Guide"


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I am happy that this organisation is working with all zeal for this great cause. I have met one of their member "Samar Yazdan Parker" who told me and showed the work that they are doing and I am very much impressed by the efforts she and her organisation is taking. She is a hard work (which I could see) who is travelling around the nation, away from home just to make this task swccesful. Blessings Samar Yazdan Parker. Keep it up
This organisation is providing a yeomen service to the nation, especially to the poorer section of this country. They have excellent people and commitment for the cause. I really appreciate their targeting the school level neo smokers to spread the awareness and prevent newer generation from addiction. My best wishes will always be with them.
Since I am working 5months. It's pleasure to serve for cancer.i had a great time In Cancer aid society.feeling proud to be part of it.
Cancer Aid Society is a national level social organization working for the control of Cancer and other non communicable diseases it is an ISO 9001-2008 organization having consultative status of UN ECOSOC also got an award of best cancer awareness program from TATA memorial hospital Mumbai.
I am working here from Las 6 years and Organizing an cancer awareness program in educational institutions and declared public places Tobacco free zone.
By doing this work I feel happy and blessed by god.
Cancer Aid Society is doing such a good work.
Previous Stories
The N.G.O. working from last 28 years
creating awareness among masses on cancer control ,tobacco control and NCD's
Cancer Aid Society an Iso 9001-2008 national level social organization having consultative status of UN ECOSOC working under the guidelines of WHO and NCCP since 1987.
I am working here from last two and half year organising Free cancer awareness camp in school and colleges I enjoyed my work and feeling blessed
Previous Stories
The N.G.O.working from last 28 years at National level with having consultative status of United Nation ECOSOC.........creating awareness at school , colleges and corporates on Cancer and NCD's.
My experience is wonderful while see the work of Cancer Aid Society. It's work is commendable. I would like to appreciate the effort of Social workers for generating awareness on Cancer & other NCDs for the community.
Previous Stories
I love the way Cancer Aid Society works. At each & every step they give excellence in output. Salute to it's Founder and Board members who started at a grass root level & reached at International level. Sky is the limit for Cancer Aid Society.
With Best Wishes


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Water heating accounts for up to 20% of the energy costs in a typical home. By finding ways to conserve water use and improve the efficiency of your hot water appliances and equipment, you can save substantially on your utility bills.
Solar water heating is a cost-effective way to provide hot water for your home. Systems include storage tanks and solar collectors, which are typically mounted on the roof. Solar water heaters often require backup for cloudy days or periods of high demand. The backup is usually a conventional storage tank unit, which often comes as part of the solar water heating system installation. There are two basic types of solar water heating systems, active and passive. Active systems include a pump to circulate water throughout the house. Passive systems are less expensive, but not as efficient. However, they typically require less maintenance and may last longer. An ENERGY STAR qualified solar water can reduce your water heating costs by 50%.
Get up to $1,000 in ESP rebates when you switch to tankless water heating or up to $800 in ESP rebates on tank water heater upgrades. For more information click here or call 850-436-5050.
This message was sent by Pensacola Energy - 180 Governmental Center - Pensacola - FL - 32502


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Here's our review of noteworthy links for the data center industry for May 14th:
- White House moves Recovery.gov to Amazon's cloud – Smartronix, chose Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) to host the site. NASA has used EC2 for testing, but this will be the first time a government website – a ".gov" – has been hosted on Amazon's EC2. From O'Reilly Radar
- Thoughts on the Likelihood of a LVLT/GLBC merger – Lately there have been various research reports hinting or outright speculating about a consolidation event between Level 3 Communications (LVLT) and Global Crossing (GLBC). Whether or not there is fire under all that smoke or not, there is a steady buzz of speculation going on right now. From Rob Powell at Telecom Ramblings.
- Cray looks to extend leverage even further into enterprise space – Cray is getting harder and harder to define as a high end pure play HPC company. as the company continues to diversify its hardware offerings, it becomes ever clearer that Cray wants a piece of the enterprise compute market as well. From John West at Inside HPS.
- Data Center Design: Achieving a Dim Data Center – One of our readers requested examples of solutions which can help to achieve a dim data center. As such, here are some key things to consider. From Pete Sacco at PTS.
- Cincinnati Bell Eyes Global Data Center Expansion – Cincinnati Bell hopes its impending purchase of data center operator CyrusOne will help launch the company into a global data center business serving Fortune 1000 customers, Cincinnati Bell CEO Jack Cassidy told participants in a conference call Thursday.


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Please excuse me.
What is the current status with regards to Intel 4965agn support in BK3 final 700mb.
Does it support injection?
I am working on a Dell D430 with this card and Id like to spend some time with Backtrack, I have a personal router Id like to test which is wep and also take the time to learn more about Linux.
Thanks for your help and support.


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When Carolina Ramos arrived at the UNM School of Law, she brought along an interest in critical race theory and international human and civil rights, particularly in Mexico, where she has family roots.
Choosing a multi-disciplinary approach to her interests, she is pursuing a dual degree in law and Latin American Studies. This option is one of a number of dual-degree programs offered to UNM law students.
Already, Ramos, a 3L, has been published. Earlier this year, she co-authored an article titled, "Human Trafficking on the U.S.-Mexico Border," which was published in the inaugural issue of Freedom From Fear, a magazine published by the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute and the Max Planck Institute.
Her co-authors were Susan Tiano, director of UNM's Latin American and Iberian Institute, and Billy James Ulibarri, a UNM doctoral student in sociology.
"We combined elements from papers Billy and I had written," she says. "Susan formed it into the final product, but we all did research and decided the focus and position the article would take."
Ramos' paper compared anti-trafficking policy and legislation approved by the UN, Mexico, the United States and New Mexico.
Through the dual-degree program, Ramos has broadened her knowledge of indigenous, legal and immigration issues in Mexico.
"The combination has given law more context and deepened my understanding about how policy and legislation affect real people," she says. "Whether I pursue policy or academic work after law school, this training will allow me to take a more multi-disciplinary approach to my work."
Ramos is also helping organize an April 1-3 conference titled, "Modern-Day Slavery in the Americas: A Regional Approach to a Global Epidemic." The Albuquerque conference will bring together researchers, policy makers, law enforcement officials and service providers from Mexico and the U.S. to discuss the $10 billion industry of human trafficking.
Conference attendees will discuss a broad range of topics surrounding the issue of human trafficking, particularly along the U.S.-Mexico border, which an estimated 17,000 people are transported across against their will from Mexico into the U.S. every year.
The conference is being sponsored by the University of New Mexico's Latin American and Iberian Institute, the Mexican Consulate of Albuquerque, the United Nations Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) and the UNM School of Law.


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|A guide for Real Estate buyers/purchasers in Bangladesh: Listed primarily the agreement issues to grow awareness, and to improve the sufferings of the common people.
Emergency Guide for Real Estate Buyer/purchaser in Bangladesh
India's river diversion plan: Its impact on Bangladesh. Bangladesh: Impacts of Dams by India.
Bangladesh India Water Problem
|Dear Banglapedia.search.com.bd visitor,
You are looking for information on Dhaka Club . We are sorry to announce that because of the notice of withdraw of authorization from the Asiatic Society we are unable to provide you the service. Before you we said sorry times.
|Your questions and comments (on Dhaka Club ) are always welcome.
|ID:53139 Date: - 08/09/2009 : 05:44:34 -
Kamlesh amodia - India
- Can you please provide me with the telephone nos of your two members. Kamran chaudhary and Niaz chaudhary.
|The longest natural sea-beach of the world, where you'll be lost in amazing beauty of nature!


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Nie Serano Photographer
JCDigitalRetoucher Male Los Angeles, California, US
My Website: JC DigitalMy MM URL: http://www.modelmayhem.com/jcdigital
Mayhem # 1216745
About MeI have a thorough knowledge of the photo industry and have worked on set for years. Back in 2001 I started assisting photographers full time and worked on shoots for clients such as Neiman Marcus, Frederick's Of Hollywood, JC Penny, The Gap, Fox, ABC, Us Magazine, People, Premiere, Flaunt, etc. Then in 2004 I made the switch to Digital Tech and kept the same clients.
Over the years I have developed retouching skills that gave me the opportunity to work for several cosmetics clients such as Revlon, Pevonia, American International industries, Brazilian Peel, as well as magazines such as Us, Hollywood Reporter, C Mag., etc.
Please check my website as it's more likely I will update it more often than MM. I probably won't answer messages from this site, please use my email found on my site.
My rates start at $30 per image for MM models for their portfolio for basic retouching. Please contact me for estimates and more info. I haven't had a good experience with people from MM, so please serious inquiries only, I don't want to work on something and then the person doesn't want to pay or disappears...
Have you worked with JCDigital? Add Credits for JCDigital! >>
Nie Serano Photographer
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EmilyMakeu... Makeup Artist
Stephanie Loayza Makeup Artist
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A Digby man is facing charges after members of he Digby RCMP and the street crime unit located a marijuana growing operation in a garage at Haines Lake.
Police said 47 mature plants were seized in the early hours of Nov. 1. Also seized was a large quantity of equipment for growing plants.
The man is scheduled to appear in Digby Provincial Court on Dec. 14 to face a charge of marijuana production.
Police said the investigation in ongoing and further charges are anticipated.


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AVRDC – the World Vegetable Center is the leading international center for vegetable research and development worldwide. It is a not-for-profit research institute aimed at working towards reducing malnutrition and alleviating poverty in developing countries through improved production and consumption of safe vegetables.
Please click here to visit the AVRDC website.
The World Vegetable Youtube Channel includes many very informative vidieos such as:
At an AIRCA meeting, hosted by GFAR, in FAO, March 1-2, 2012, the DGs of the nine centers (CABI, CATIE, AVRDC, ICBA, ICIMOD, ICIPE, IFDC, INBAR and CFF) were welcomed by DDG Ann Tutwiler, who acknowledged their long connection with FAO and practical linkages through GFAR. The Centers DGs also held an open house meeting with staff of OEK and the Emergency Program, on the second day of their meeting, before being received by FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva.
The combined expertise of these centers covers a large spectrum of the Research for development continuum including Integrated Pest Management, agroforestry, drought-tolerance crops, agrobiodiversity, NRM and the conservation and use of underutilized species. They are promoting changes in farming practices and sustainable intensification. Their work complements the work of the CGIAR IARCs and national programs with respect to staple crops, and add global expertise in development opportunities species with high economic, social, nutritional and ecological value. >>More
Fresh: News from AVRDC - The World Vegetable Center features short articles about the Center's work in breeding and production technologies, reports from conferences and symposia, updates on new vegetable lines, photos from the field, and more.


text: This article is a stub.Please help add information about this game by editing this article.More Information Coming Soon. Retrieved from "http://80s-video-games.wikia.com/wiki/Space_Invaders?oldid=1238" Ad blocker interference detected! Wikia is a free-to-use site that makes money from advertising. We have a modified experience for viewers using ad blockers Wikia is not accessible if you've made further modifications. Remove the custom ad blocker rule(s) and the page will load as expected. Categories: Stubs Games Games released for the arcade Add category Cancel Save


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L&S Fueling Rumors of Cheating Between Beyonce & Jay Z!
According to the gossip mag Life & Style, there are some serious problems in paradise. Are there some serious infidelity issues between Beyonce & Jay Z?? The meat of the story claims that Jay has hooked up with RIHANNA, RITA ORA, AND RACHEL ROY!
Some of the highlights of the story:
*Their marriage is "in peril" because Jay-Z is a compulsive cheater. Allegedly, he's slept with Rihanna, Rita Ora, Rachel Roy, the former Miss Belgium, etc.
*Beyonce has been "destroyed" by revelations about Jay's wandering dong. She "finally learned the truth after being left alone night after night."
*He also asks ladies for their numbers on a regular basis.
*Beyonce's new album is all about her sex life with Jay because she's desperate to keep him sexually satisfied.
*Jay thinks Beyonce has been banging Julius De Boer. Jay is reportedly "very jealous."


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Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Chevrolet Cobalt Transmission Issues
fixmycobalt Posts: 9My tranny repair was covered under the 5y/100k power train warranty. If you have ongoing records with your dealership, they may still cover the valve replacement inside the tranny. My dealership worked on my tranny 3 times before they got it right.
smch Posts: 1
Well, looks like this is a common problem for Chevrolet Cobalts. I have the same problem with my 2010 Cobalt Vin # 1G1AD5F56A7167702. It is now 68K miles but it started with the revolutions jumping up and down when driving between 35 and 40 MPH more than a year ago. It was probably 58K miles by then. I took the car to Tires Plus for a checkup and they didn't know what he problem was since no lights or codes were on showing any problem. They suggested to clean the injectors and I did without improving the problem. A few weeks ago I took the car to the Chevrolet Starling Dealer in Kissimmee, FL because the "engine light " was on so I thought that was the revolutions problem showing up.
They said the Code that showed up was PO300 misfire detected and PO301 Cylinder 1 misfire detected. So they repaired the cylinder, the exhausted valves, installed new head gasket . The warranty covered the repair. As soon as I got off the dealer the revolutions started shifting up and down again, so that was not related with the engine light on. I asked for another appointment and they said that it could be electrical or the transmission but I needed to pay either check up because no light is on to go under warranty. So here I am, with a car not driving well and no way to repair until another light comes up.
I'm very disappointed with the car, for sure, will never buy a Chevrolet again and would not recommend to anyone. Maybe they are good on trucks but not in cars. The Chevrolet should make a recall if this is happening so often in this model. Not fair that we paid for a good car and we got it with fabric defects.
If someone in Chevrolet can help before the warranty expires, would appreciate, so at least I can sell it in good shape and not pass the lemon to another person.
smittydog Posts: 3Did you ever get the problem resolved? Dealership is giving me the run around. Saying thsts just how they shift and i should try to get throught the shift points faster. Hard to do if speed limit is 35,45 and at 55. Guess i can be a granpa driver just at 30 ,40 or 50.
fixmycobalt1 Posts: 1Has anyone had their Cobalt transmission problem fixed? I have been taking mine to different dealers theing to get mine fixed. I hear the same thing from them, they cant find the problem and have never heard of a problem with the Cobalt. I bought an older, more reliable car becuase i dont feel the Cobalt is safe at all.
jormysky_29 Posts: 1Hey all I was wondering if anyone can tell me what's up with my 2006 colbalt. I've had people look at it and Noone is sure what's wrong. It likes to jerk going down the road. No leaks or anything like that. It don't do it all the time. Some days it don't do it at all. Other days might jerk once or twice. Then some days jerk alot. I don't get it. Any ideas?
willrox Posts: 1My cobalt has had these issues as well. I have noticed the position of the steering wheel determains the issue. Try moving your steering wheel and see if the problem is resolved.


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For a blog dedicated to art that appears in movies, I made one great shameful mistake. Thus far, I've neglected to mention one of the great artists of the last century, the graphic artist, Saul Bass. Besides, designing some of the most iconic logos of our time, Bass completely redefined the idea of the title sequence. You could say his work can be overlooked in all the action of the film, but I don't think that's true. Instead, his art seamlessly becomes part of the film.
I saw a documentary once that included clips of Bass discussing his work. He said that he saw the opportunity to set the mood of the piece in the very first seconds of the film with an exciting title sequence. And in movies like, The Man with the Golden Arm (his first big movie success), Vertigo, and Psycho, he certainly accomplished this. The list of movies that he helped advise artistically and did the title sequences for is truly impressive.
Not only did he create some of the most iconic movie posters for movies, he did the title sequence for It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, Around the World in 80 Days, Anatomy of a Murder, among many more classic films. His late collaborations included Age of Innocence, Cape Fear, and Casino. Hitchcock was a great fan of Bass's, but the Master of Suspense cannot be given credit for discovering Bass. His work was first utilized in film by Otto Preminger, but really he was a very successful graphic designer and artist on his own.
Many of these have the same iconic Bass look: a simplistic, but elegant, design that echoes the design trends of the late fifties and sixties. Bass seemed transfixed by simple shapes and lines and employed them with surprising diversity and success in his title sequences. His credits could contain the same excitement of the movies, or capture the same mystery, in the case of many of his Hitchcock collaborations.
One of my personal favorite Bass introductions is The Man with the Golden Arm. In that movie, all the elements work together in the credits sequence to make this really thrilling (and I'm not just throwing around adjectives- those titles are exciting) scene, if you will. It captures the movement and even some of the disjuncture natures of the movie's themes.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Friday, January 25, 2013
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) Abstract Painting
Recently, there is one movie that has bothered me a lot because it disappointed me so much. I love John Le Carre spy novels and most of the adaptations of his books on the silver screen. Tinker, Tailor Soldier Spy was one of my favorite books for a while, so I was really thrilled for its adaptation last year. It had an amazing cast, with Gary Oldman leading as George Smiley, and Colin Firth and Benedict Cumberbatch supporting, among others. Not only that, but it's such a great story- an amazing complex and deep espionage novel. It was this complexity which ruined the film, because you couldn't cram everything into a two hour feature. So, while I enjoyed certain elements, I was certainly disappointed by the film overall.
Still, there were so elements, like the cinematography, which I enjoyed. I loved how the camera would focus in on certain elements and use so interesting angles to help establish the mood of the piece.
And, of course, I also appreciated the glimpse of artwork that appears in the film.
In the story, one of the central characters, Bill Haydon, fancies himself to be the renaissance man of "the Circus" and considers himself to be a talented painter. Smiley admits that he is, in actuality, quite mediocre. One painting in particular plays a small part in the plot because it serves a reminder of Smiley's unfaithful wife Ann. Bill painted and gave it to her, and it was during this interchange that Smiley discovers a key plot piece, as well as his wife's treachery.
After a long night at work, George walks in on Ann and Bill. Bill claims he was giving Ann a painting (she also claims to be an art lover) and makes excuses for his presence in Smiley's home. Smiley, the quite, but observant, realizes what's going on and says nothing, even prominently hanging the painting in his home. I assume he was trying to make his wife feel guilty, but instead, it's later revealed that it only fills him with constant regret.
It's a very abstract piece, resembling an Abstract Expressionist piece. While I couldn't find the artist, I'd categorize it as Color Field, considering the time it's supposed to be from as well as the content. It's a flat plain of color, but it's supposed to express the emotion of the artist. I don't quite care for Color Field, as a genre. I feel Color Field painters just lack the talent and ability to make a more meaningful piece. I appreciate art, usually, but even I fail to appreciate the nonexistent content of the piece. But, I digress…
Unfortunately, I couldn't find the artist, but in the scheme of things, I don't think that's important. This piece holds depth in the film.
You gradually discover, after agonizing through this unfortunate movie that, to Smiley, the painting represents his wife. So, during the first sequence, where he wanders alone- when he focuses on the painting- he's actually thinking about his wife, who is not there.
Hanging on his wall, it represents not only her missing presence, but also her unfaithfulness to him- an aspect of their relationship which obviously haunts him. The failed marriage, and the painting which symbolizes it, represents the scope of Smiley's regrets.
So, while I can dislike the movie, as a whole, I did greatly appreciate certain elements, including the use of the painting. The symbolism is terrific, as well as the focus given to the painting. It is a classic use of obsessive love appearing in a painting, as well as representing a ghost-like presence. In this case, it is just a more subtle use of this technique and is done quite well, may I concede.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Hitchcock's Rebecca Portrait: The Basis for the Joan Fontaine Costume
Hitchcock, in particular utilizes the idea of the dark portrait to his advantage. So far, we've seen it in Vertigo, Psycho and Strangers on a Train. In the case of the former, the work is given a negative connotation. Without this connotation, the piece would not be essentially unattractive. But when Hitch adds meaning and depth to the piece, the art can take on an emotional context that ranges from the slightly dark to the completely horrifying. We're going to cover one such piece now. In honor of Oscar-season, I'll turn to Hitchcock's only Best Picture winner, Rebecca, starring Joan Fontaine (as the Second Mrs. de Winter) and Laurence Olivier.
Rebecca was made in the wake of Gone with the Wind, when a bestselling book was turned into a hugely successful movie. Hitchcock turned to a British counterpart, Daphne Du Maurier (who also authored the original short story that was the basis of The Birds). In Rebecca, the middle-class, second wife of British millionaire, is haunted by the presence of his first, deceased wife, the titular Rebecca. The second wife is never named in the book or the film, and gradually she discovered terrible secrets of the giant country home, Manderley (which was actually a model) and of her own husband, Maxim de Winter.
In a key scene, during a costume ball, the late Rebecca's devoted housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers (played to perfection by Judith Anderson), suggests that the Second Mrs. de Winter base her costume on a family portrait of a de Winter ancestor. It is to this portrait that we now turn.
This portrait is of Mr. de Winter's female ancestors, dressed in a magnificent gown that tragically Joan Fontaine's character copies and wears. This is a case where the portrait's subject does not convey it's full meaning. The painting is a reminder of Rebecca, the dead wife. It is revealed that Rebecca originally copied the dress in this painting, just as the second Mrs. de Winter did.
This is a mood piece, as it conveys the presence of the ghost of Rebecca. First, it's shown in dark light and darkness adds creepiness to any mood. I'm going to concentrate on its size though, because this is an important element I haven't touched on before. Size is very important in art, as it conveys importance. However, as in life, something's that is larger than life can repel just as much as it can attract. When given a negative connotation it certainly will create a repulsive feeling. So, in Rebecca, this giant female ancestor who literally towers over the characters shows the monstrosity of the ghost of Rebecca. In other words, Rebecca's presence is as large and prevalent as the sitter of the portrait. A small piece of art is something that, in a film, might not be noticed. But a huge painting, even if attention is not being brought to it, will be noticed purely for the scope of its dimensions.
So, even though the ghost of the unnamed ancestor plays no role in the movie, the ghost of Rebecca certainly does. This painting becomes the ghost-portrait of Rebecca and is a beautiful analogy of her domineering presence in the lives of all the characters.
Finally, the painting also establishes a mood for the set. The large home (again notice size) of Manderley, plays a huge role in establishing the creepiness of the piece. The house is dark and sprawling, full of history and certainly secrets. This pseudo-historic portrait establishes the historically-creepy mood that Hitch desired.In the novel, the portrait is described as more 18th century, but in the film, thanks to the costume's context clues, I'd say it's a wannabe 19th century aristocratic portrait. Like many "false" portrait," it lacks not only the subtlety of an actual period portrait painter, but also much of the background information. It was painted by a certain Mary Beavers, a painter I could find no information about. No matter, it was certainly based on a costume by Irene Lentz, a notorious Hollywood designer. And kudos to Ms. Beavers, as it captures the mood of the film as a whole beautifully.
Posted by The Art of Film at 7:41 PM 4 comments:
Labels: British, British Country House, costume ball, de Winter ancestor portrait, enhances setting, ghost, historical art, Hitchcock, Joan Fontaine, Mary Beavers, Painting, presence, Rebecca
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Alice Alquist Portrait in Gaslight
So, if you recall from a few weeks ago, one of the reasons paintings or artworks appear in a film is to signify the presence of a character who is not present, usually due to a suspicious death. In the next week, I'm going to cover a few excellent examples of "ghost-art."
One of my favorite ghost paintings appears in Gaslight, the 1944 Victorian psychological thriller starring Ingrid Bergman, Charles Boyer and Angela Lansbury (in her debut film). In the movie, Ingrid Bergman's character, Paula Alquist, who is already psychologically frail due to the murder of her actress-aunt, Alice Alquist, is almost driven insane by her evil husband. I'm not going to give away any spoilers, because the film's ending is so deliciously wicked, I can't help but smiling even now.
Anyhow, most of the action of the film occurs in the London townhouse of Ingrid's murdered aunt, Alice Alquist, who was a great star of the stage. When Paula and her husband arrive in the house, it's dusty and full of old furniture- creating a scary ambiance Dominating the sitting room is this gigantic portrait of the dead Alice above the mantelpiece, in full jeweled costume as the Empress Theodora, apparently her most famous role. I can't help but think of that famous Sargent portrait of Ellen Terry in full Lady Macbeth regalia. Most likely, that portrait inspired this movie portrait.
The painting is magnificently creepy, and a constant reminder of the murdered woman. So, it's taken down, so poor Paula (and incidentally, the murderer) is not constantly watched. The portrait is put in the attic, where it also plays a key role near the end of the film.
It's obvious that the portrait is the ghostly presence of Alice Alquist. All the action in the film, in one way or another, surrounds her, even after death. She "watches" the torture of her niece helplessly. She is also a constant reminder of the audience of the murder, of the dark history of the house and its inhabitants and most importantly of her own demise, which sheds light upon the depravity of the killer. As a character, Alice Alquist is never seen, but her presence is larger than life. It dominates the life of Paula and her husband, as surely it dominates the room the painting sits in.
Just like in Laura, in Gaslight, the huge portrait above the fireplace is of a strong-willed, beautiful woman who was killed out of no fault of her own. It creates the "realness" of a character who isn't seen. Apparently there is no ghostly presence as alluring, beautiful or deserving of obsession as a lovely, dead woman.
I could not find the painter who created the portrait. I assume it was done by one of the studio painters. Since it's not based on an actor, it may have just been done out of memory or imagination. Like I said before, it's probably somewhat based on the Ellen Terry portrait, seen above. As far as I know, it's certainly not an actual Victorian portrait. It lacks the subtlety. Still, it creates the perfect mood for the film- opulent, excessive and a bit creepy.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Charles I Painting in Downton Abbey
I apologize for focusing on setting-enhancing art recently, since I've found it persisting in many current films, I felt I had to include it. So, pardon me once more, while I turn to television for my next piece. And where better to look for art that in the historically grand Highclere Castle, the filming location for the hit masterpiece drama Downton Abbey which just entered its third season on PBS.
As the ancestral home of the aristocratic Carnarvon clan, Highclere Castle, an excellent example of Victorian architecture, is filled with art. However, I'm going to focus on one painting which has captured my attention multiple times throughout the series.
In the dining room there is a magnificent portrait of a monarch who looks like Charles that hangs, usually above Lord Grantham, in the dining room. It's most apparent during the breakfast scenes, when light fills the room and the painting creates a glorious air about the room.
The painting is an equestrian portrait of Charles I pained by Anthony Van Dyck in 1633.Titled, Charles I with M. de St Antoine, it is, I believe, the first equestrian portrait of Charles I. It depicts Charles a gallant and grand monarch. It is, I believe, the first equestrian portrait of Charles I and depicts him as a brave and gallant monarch. The painting has a theatrical air and was supposed to impress visitors to St. James Palace where it would have hung originally.
In Highclere (Downton, for you TV viewers), the painting is surrounded by Carnarvon ancestors of who lived during the English Civil War (of the 1640s). It creates an air of history, of grandness that the makers of Downton would to convey. Also, to me, Charles I reminds me of the supremacy (or attempted supremacy) of the monarchy. Charles, of course, was tragically beheaded, after attempting to ignore the changing tides of English politics. Shocker there, as this is a key theme in Downton.
Granted, Julian Fellows didn't have much work to do in including this painting. It already hung there, but nevertheless, it contributes, as does the entire house, to the mood of this stellar series.
Posted by The Art of Film at 5:01 PM No comments:
Labels: British, British Country House, Charles I, Downton Abbey, enhances setting, estate, Filming Location, historical art, Hugh Bonneville, Lord Grantham, Maggie Smith, Portrait, Sir Anthony Van Dyck, Television
Monday, January 7, 2013
The Elephant in Les Miserables
I know that if you just came back from the critically acclaimed motion picture musical Les Misérables- you're probably thinking two things. The first is how great an adaptation the movie is. The second is about that elephant that appears in it. Well, even if you're not thinking about the elephant, you are now- so I'll fill you.
So, in the film, in the turbulent scenes in the Place de la Bastille, amongst the crowd- there's this huge, ruined elephant statue. This Elephant actually existed in the time of the drama; it hasn't just been made up for the show or the movie. It's actually known as The Elephant of the Bastille. And to this sculpture, this excellent example of public art and incomplete art, I dedicate my post.
The Elephant was actually immortalized in Victor Hugo's novel because the street urchin actually lives inside the Elephant. This is not exactly impossible, though it is improbable. I will explain in a second- but first- you need a little history.
In the first decade of the nineteenth century, Napoleon was in charge of France. This is pretty well known. Napoleon, perhaps realizing that power and glory are fleeting, returned to France from his glorious conquests and decided he would transform Paris and fill it with monuments to himself. Unfortunately, he was impatient, and often, mere molds or plans were left and few were complete. The Elephant is one of these.
Napoleon desired to have a monument that would show his military power and eventually, in 1808, decided upon the Elephant. I'm guessing this is because there was a slight Egypt craze going around Western Europe after Napoleon visited. Remember, this was the time the Rosetta Stone was discovered. I once saw this exquisite set of Egyptian style china that was simply breathtaking. Anyhow, he wanted this giant elephant to fill the Place de la Bastille, which was empty, except for a fountain. If you recall, angry French revolutionaries tore down the old Bastille. So Napoleon envisioned a giant elephant, astride a fountain, at the center of the square. The elephant was supposed to be made of metal made from cannons captured in battle, but, that didn't exactly work out.
In the initial plan, there was also supposed to be an observation platform at the top, from which visitors could ascend and be greeted by a beautiful view of the city.
So, at this point, a few engineers and architects took over. Jacques Cellerier was put in charge initially and had the water pipes organized for the fountain in 1812. Jean-Antoine Alavoine then took over the project and finished the main pool, the base of the Elephant. He realized that the public needed to see what was going on, so he ordered another man, Bridan, to build a plaster model to stand in the square.
Around this time, Napoleon was tragically defeated at Waterloo, and his ambitious plans were put on hold. Alavoine attempted to gain public support for the completion of the project, but the public and the local government weren't interested and it was lost in bureaucratic standstill. Actually, it started to rot and rats started living inside it. Not exactly the magnificent monument to glory… Finally, residents' complaints were heard and it was torn down and replaced by the July Column, which still stands today.
The filmmakers made a model of the Elephant at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, where some scenes were filmed. It is truly impressive and the model is not entirely inaccurate.
It's an interesting piece of historical art that lends itself to the drama, hence why Hugo put it in. It adds scale and magnitude to the great drama. Failed art, but nevertheless, pretty cool and definitely worth knowing about. In this case, it was Napoleon who dreamed the dream- but once again- his dream went unfulfilled.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Orient Express-Lalique Panels
One of my favorite movies is the 1974 classic Murder on the Orient Express. It's hard to hate with its stellar cast (including Ingrid Bergman, Albert Finney, Sean Connery, Anthony Perkins, Vanessa Redgrave, Martin Balsam and Lauren Bacall), its sparkling and witty dialogue and mostly its beautiful, lush scenes. The film itself, in the words of its director Sidney Lumet, is homage to the films of Old Hollywood. It is simply one of those movies that's not the most clever, or most action-packed, but it's a treat for the eyes- one that never tires me.
In case you didn't know, the movie is an adaptation of the classic murder mystery by Dame Agatha Christie. It's a hallmark Christie novel- an exotic locale, a cast of varied stereotypical British and foreign subjects, and Christie's famed Belgian detective- Hercule Poirot. Poirot, whilst traveling in style from Istanbul to London via the Orient Express, has a case thrust upon him by his friend, the director of the train line, when a mystery occurs aboard the train, which incidentally is trapped in the snow- keeping all the passengers and the murderer (!) on the train. The inevitable search for the killer and solution follows, in one of the most famous moments in Agatha Christie fiction.
Interestingly enough, since the almost all of the action occurs on the titular orient express, many of the scenes were filmed on actual Orient Express carriages. If you did not know- the Orient Express was a line that ran trains across the continent in lavish style, most notably in the 20s and 30s when train travel reached the pinnacle of its popularity. The Orient Express has remained famous for a few reasons. The first is that the Orient Express was par none when it came to quality travel, service and elegance. Many of the cars were lavishly and beautifully decorated, each a work of art in itself. These factors are what initially endeared it to the public, or at least the exclusive group that could afford it. Secondly, multiple films and books take place aboard the train, including the Bond classic, From Russia with Love. Finally, and least importantly, in the last forty years or so, the train was completely restored by some wealthy Brits, and now runs its former route at a great cost to its passengers.
Now, when Lumet filmed the movie, the Orient Express was still running, but at a much lower quality than in the 30s (as pictured in the film). However, he managed to get together some old carriages that still reeked of their former glory, prettied them up, and created a lasting impression of the train for those who cannot afford the elegance of the restored Venice-Simplon Orient Express.
In the film, Poirot interrogates the suspects onboard the Pullman Carriage on the train. Specifically, it was Pullman 4146, a former member of the Venice-Simplon Orient Express line. Evident in the film, and in 4146's partner if you will, 4141, are these beautiful panels, to which I, after much introductory work, dedicated my post to.
These panels are known as the Bacchanalian Maidens, and, as you can tell, adorn the carriage throughout. They were designed by the revolutionary glass designer, Rene Lalique, who most famously worked in the Art-Nouveau style. According to the restored train's companion book, Lalique designed multiple items for the train in the "Cote d'Azur" style. These panels, the Maidens, if you will, adorned the mahogany walls of the carriage, as apparent in the film.
Lalique also designed jewelry, clocks, vases, all with a combination of glass and other materials.
Now, obviously, these panels were not created for the film. They were created for the train which appears in the film. Therefore, this artwork serves to further enhance the setting. Originally, they enhanced the beauty and elegance of the Orient Express. But in the film, they help create the ambiance of graceful beauty that was stressed throughout the entire piece.
Still, they are important to appreciate for the artwork they are in themselves. Furthermore, the appreciation of these panels creates a greater appreciation of the bygone elegance of the Orient Express.
Posted by The Art of Film at 4:17 PM 3 comments:
Labels: Agatha Christie, decorative art, enhances setting, Ingrid Bergman, John Gielgud, Martin Balsam, Murder on the Orient Express, Poirot, scenery, Sean Connery, Venice-Simplon Orient Express
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RAF Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England.Description: Gone But Not Forgotten
Keywords: RAF Upper Heyford, RAF Station Upper Heyford, UH, Upper Haystack, USAFE, United States Air Forces in Europe, TAC, Tactical Air Command, 11th MMS, 11th Munitions Maintenance Squadron, 17th TRS, 17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 18th TRS, 18th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 20th AGS, 20th Aircraft Generation Squadron, 20th AMS, 20th Avionics Maintenance Squadron, 20th CBPO, 20th Consolidated Base Personnel Office, 20th CES, 20th Civil Engineering Squadron, 20th CRS, 20th Component Repair Squadron, 20th CS, 20th Communications Squadron, 20th EMS, Equipment Maintenance Squadron, 20th FMS, Field Maintenance Squadron, 20th Medical Group, 20th Med Group, 20th MMS, 20th Munitions Maintenance Squadron, 20th OMS, 20th Organizational Maintenance Squadron, 20th SPG, 20th Security Police Group, 20th SPS, 20th Security Police Squadron, 20th Supply Squadron, 20th Transportation Squadron, 20th TFW, 20th Tactical Fighter Wing, 20th Transportation Squadron, 2130th CS, 2130th Communications Squadron, 2168th CS, 2168th Communications Squadron, 3918th ABG, 3918th Air Base Group, 3918th AIO, 3918th Air Installations Operations, 3918th CDS, 3918th Combat Defense Squadron, Air Police, 3918th CSG, 3918th Combat Support Group, 3918th Fire Department, 3918 Fire Department, 3918th FSS, 3918th Food Service Squadron, 3918th MVS, 3918th Motor Vehicle Squadron, 3918th Operations Squadron, 4th AAA, 4th Anti-Aircraft Artillery, 40th ARRW, Det. 2, 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing, 520th AGS, 520th Aircraft Generation Squadron, 520th Supply Squadron, 55th TFS, 55th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 620th ABW, 620th Air Base Wing, 620th SPS, 620th Security Police Squadron, 620th SPG, 620th Security Police Group, 66th AMS, 66th Avionics Maintenance Squadron, 66th APS, 66th Air Police Squadron, 66th CES, 66th Civil Engineering Squadron, 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 66th SPS, 66th Security Police Squadron, 66th Supply Squadron, 7025 Air Postal Group, 7025 APG, 7320th SPS, 7320th Security Police Squadron, 7509th ABS, 7509th Air Base Squadron, 7551 CSG, 7551 Combat Support Group 77th TFS, 77th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 79th TFS, 79th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Defense Communications Agency (DCA), Det 1, Technical Services Squadron (HQ CMD), Det. 17, 31st Weather Squadron, Det 40, 2nd Weather Wing, RF-101C, Voodoo, F-111, F-111E, F111, FB-111, FB111, EF-111, Aardvark, Main Gate, Sleep Tight Tonight, Sky Kings, Skykings, The Vangard, RAF Croughton, RAF UHHS, RAF Upper Heyford High School, Duty Roster, Duane Park
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Pennsylvania amusement ride website leaves readers hanging
An effort by the state Department of Agriculture to increase the transparency of its amusement ride inspection program gives the public little information about the rides that twirl and thrill them.
A website the department began in the spring shows when a ride was last inspected but offers no details about the ride's inspection or history.
"That's not enough, especially when it's a life-or-death situation," said Elisa Odabashian, director of state programs for Consumers Union, the advocacy arm of Consumer Reports. "It sounds like a website that is just meant to placate people and not meant to let you know when a company neglects its safety responsibilities."
Odabashian said the website should show when rides failed inspections or were cited by the state for maintenance issues.
State inspectors file reports when they find safety issues with a ride, but those reports are not available through the website.
"Every amusement ride or attraction has a day-to-day checklist, but every checklist is different, and that is something by law that we don't require that they submit to us," said Walt Remmert, director of the state's Bureau of Ride and Measurement Standards, which oversees amusement ride inspections for the Department of Agriculture.
"All we can offer the public is that we know they are abiding by it," he said.
For example, if the Citizens Fire Company in Emmaus, Lehigh County, logs onto www.ridesafe.pa.gov before organizing its next annual carnival, it won't see that a state inspector found safety problems with five rides A.E.B. Amusements operated before the department's carnival opened last year.
"I would like to know that," said Patti Diehl, a board member who organized the carnival. "Because my No. 1 priority is the safety of anyone who rides these rides."
Easton-based A.E.B. Amusement corrected the safety issues before the carnival in May, said manager Aaron Brotzman. The company is up to date on its required state inspections.
"There's no cover-up here. We have a fairly good relationship with the department, and if something comes into view, we stop operation," Brotzman said. "If there is something that needs attention, we'll close the rides ourselves."
The bureau oversees about 9,300 rides at the state's 117 amusement parks and traveling carnivals. In 2012, 11 million people visited amusement parks and took 55 million rides, Michael Pechart, executive deputy secretary at the Agriculture Department, said during a hearing last year. Pechart said that for every 1 million rides, there were five injuries.
Rides at amusement parks must be inspected every month. Rides in traveling carnivals must be inspected each time they are set up, Remmert said.
The state employs four inspectors to perform drop-in checks but relies on about 2,100 state-licensed private inspectors to examine rides and submit reports. Those inspectors often work for the amusement park or carnival. If a ride doesn't pass its inspection, or if it hasn't had a recent inspection, it can't legally operate, Remmert said.
The Agriculture Department came under fire last year over criticism that more than half of the state's amusement parks had not submitted the required monthly inspection reports. To address the problem, the state put its inspection report database online for the public to search. It shows when an inspection report was last submitted but little else.
Kennywood in West Mifflin is up to date on inspections for 44 of its 45 rides. The Enterprise, a spinning wheel that takes riders upside-down, was last inspected at the end of May, according to the website. It has been closed since then for maintenance and repairs, park spokesman Jeff Filicko said. Kennywood has 18 state-certified inspectors who check rides daily and submit the monthly reports to the state's Bureau of Ride and Measurement Standards.
Remmert said the website, which drew nearly 28,000 page views by the end of August, is in its early stages. Information will be updated and added, he said without providing specifics on what will be added.
State Rep. John Maher, R-Upper St. Clair, praised the Department of Agriculture for the progress it made since he organized a hearing about the ride inspection program in October. He said the website gives the public access to information to see if a ride is safe or not. He did not think that information such as a ride's history or a checklist of what is inspected needs to be included.
"I think the public has a right to know whether a ride has been inspected and deemed safe or not," Maher said.
Chris Polakovsky, co-owner of Mt. Pleasant-based C&L Shows, a traveling carnival, called the state's website a good step but said that posting checklists and state safety reports might confuse the public. Rides are full of parts with unfamiliar names, he said. A bounce house checklist may have four or five items; a Ferris wheel, dozens.
"Do you even know what cribbing is?" Polakovsky asked. "The public needs to be informed, but some of this stuff, do they even know what it is?"
Aaron Aupperlee is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-320-7986 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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A man inspired and mentored by the terrorist who plotted to bomb a non-commissioned officers dance at Fort Dix has now found his own unique way to get American soldiers killed: deny them the mobility, confine them to base, and strip away the close air support that provides the U.S. a critical advantage against an enemy that knows the terrain like the back of his hand.
I wish I could say I was surprised, but all I feel now is rage.
First, because of the recent green on blue incidents or "insider threats" as the new buzz phrase dictates, all coalition forces in Afghanistan have completely stopped partnering with the ANA, AUP, and ALP in order to prevent the death of anymore CF casualties by ANSF or Taliban disguised as them. This is also greatly spurred by President Karzi's indifferent attitude and lack of action to take measures to prevent further insider attacks.
Second, because of this massive change in policy (and complete change in mission) all U.S. forces are forbidden to actively patrol their AO and are to remain on their respective COPs/FOBs. There are only a few exceptions to this rule and they all pertain to "hardening" highway 1 in our AO. We have received orders that clearly state that all CF will no longer be allowed to drop air to ground munitions within the country of Afghanistan. This preempts Karzi's announcement that will be made shortly that states the above mentioned order, making it a tactical directive that he is ordering.
The soldier that wrote this letter goes on to note that the Obama Administration has confined our men to their combat outposts (COPs) and Forward Operation Bases (FOBs). The country has been conceded to the Taliban on orders from the Obama Administration.
Worse, our feckless Commander in Chief has effectively abandoned our soldiers in-country, with no mission, no mobility, and no supporting firepower. The Close Air Support wing of America's combined arms doctrine—which has saved countless lives—has been done away with in an entirely political move. He has made our military sitting ducks, allowing the Taliban to set up ambushes like that which attempted to kill Britain's Prince Harry.
If I were Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta I would have resigned in a very public display of disgust before implementing such an order, but he's a political beast and not a ma of character nor honor.
This is treason, calculated to needlessly sacrifice American military personal in wartime, hoping to deny the Taliban a few "civilian" casualties that might cause "distractions" just before the election.
I'm beginning to think that the only thing Barack Hussein Obama excels at is getting Americans needlessly killed to advance his political career. I can only imagine what our soldiers feel towards him, and wonder what so many Secret Service members—quite a few of which are operators—feel about protecting a man that is callously setting their brothers up to die.


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What constitutes "healthy?"
From marathon runners to raw foodies, meditators to power lifters, what constitutes healthy is all in the eye of the beholder. It's not possible to crown one person (or two) the most healthy of them all. Or is it?
A new competition is attempting to do just that. Weight loss company HYPOXI is launching an online search for Australia's Healthiest Duo.
"There's a strong focus, in mass media and current affairs, on the obesity crisis," says HYPOXI Australia's managing director, Ariana Hendry.
But, through the competition, Hendry hopes to shift the public's perception of good health to wellbeing instead of weight loss. "The competition emanated from a desire to reward those people [who are focused on being healthy] rather than focusing on [being] 40 kilos overweight," she says.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines health in its broader sense as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."
But, how one goes about measuring that is another story.
To enter the competition, participants are asked to share what steps they have taken to live a healthy 2012. After a public vote to narrow it down to ten finalists, a panel of six judges will choose the winning couple (who can be partners, friends or relatives, says Hendry).
One of the judges is Emma Duncan, winner of The Biggest Loser 2011. At the beginning of the show the 25-year-old weighed in at 133.9kg. She says that she and her husband had only cooked half a dozen times in over a year. "We always ate out and ate a lot of junk and take away and deep fried foods."
By the end of the show she had lost a total of 62.1kg or 46.4 per cent of her body weight.
Her health, she says, is now a priority. To Emma that means cooking at home six times a week and avoiding processed foods. "I eat five meals a day and try not to buy packaged foods," she says. "I stick to one area of the supermarket - the fruit, veg and deli section and rarely go down the aisles."
Similarly, Hendry believes a large component of healthy living is good nutrition and appreciating whole foods. She also says health is about sustainability, not short-term fixes. "A long-term commitment to exercise, to good nutrition and ... to cooking for your family [is important]."
Hendry changed her outlook on health after a stint working long hours as an expat in London, where she gained 18 kilograms. She has since lost the weight and now tries to apply a more balanced approach to her life.
"Health is a subjective thing," she says. "[To me] it's not about how many kilometres you run, but how much time you work versus how much time you spend with your friends and family. It's about mental and physical balance and having a positive attitude."
Thomas Whalan, Captain of the Australian Men's Waterpolo team, agrees. "It's not only with how we eat, but how we exercise and rest."
Whalan who is a triple Olympian and is currently training for the London 2012 games will be on the judging panel with his wife, Elka who is also a former Olympian. "We'll be looking for a couple that stands out as being unique and that has a good balance of how they live their lives," he says. "It will be interesting to see what [the public] consider to be a healthy couple. They could have completely different ideas [to us]."
Whatever the public decides, Hendry emphasises that the point is to celebrate those who have achieved a healthy lifestyle: "We're too quick to say the things we don't do well," she says. Rather, she says she wants to encourage those who have wrestled with the mania of modern life and won.
The winners will receive an all-inclusive seven-night Maldives escape staying at the new Club Med! On their return, they can stay in shape with a full course of HYPOXI (12 sessions). For more information on the competition go to: http://www.facebook.com/HYPOXIAustralia


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The Comic Bubble Podcast – Episode 135: Oh, The INHUMANity!
The Inhumans get a TV show! No, you read that right! What does that mean? Listen for details! Plus: stay tuned for another possible comic book property on The CW, important news on DC's Legends of Tomorrow's airing schedule after its mid-season return in January, more synopses, Riverdale's premiere date and much more!


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Columbine Library is closed for remodeling. Services available at 8055 W Bowles Ave. Unit 2T. More...
Wrap up your summer reading accomplishments at our celebrity-style "It's a Wrap!" party.
12–4 p.m. Sunday, August 23Jefferson County Fairgrounds 15200 W 6th Ave Frontage Rd., Golden (MAP)
This countywide event is the perfect way to wrap up your summer before school activities get too crazy! We'll have fun activities for all ages, including:
...And more! Bring a gently used book or two and swap it for another! No need to RSVP, just bring yourself, your smiles, and help us celebrate an incredible summer of reading!
Do you remember the chile rellenos at Casa Mayan or perhaps the cannolis from Carbones? Join authors Robert and Kristen Autobee for a discussion of Denver's culinary past and their book, Lost Restaurants of Denver. The book is full of success stories and recipies from waitresses, chefs, owners, and suppliers.
Authors Robert and Kristin Autobee are taking us on a tour down memory lane. Join us and you'll leave with great memories and a know-how on how to prepare old favorites like the hearty helpings from the Hungry Dutchman or the dainty morsels from the Denver Dry Goods Tearoom.
Robert and Kristen AutobeeThursday, August 13 6 p.m.
As a kid, there was always a cetain feeling of dread combined with excitement when the summer came to a close and my mom and I would go 'back to school' shopping. Whether heading to the first day of preschool or the first day of second grade, I always had butterflies in my stomach and trouble sleeping the night before. Reflecting on my experiences as a child and as a teacher, I thought I would share some books to help prepare your little one for the first day in a classroom or daycare. I also included a few titles to make your elementary or middle school bound child laugh or feel a sense of ease about the upcoming school year.
A cute board book for toddlers, preschoolers and kindergarteners.
See how Dino wins each "match".
Daddy doesn't stick to the list in this funny story.
A new book about overcoming elementary school bullies with a great attitude.
Number 7 in James Patterson's popular middle school series. This book will have boys and girls ages 9 and up laughing!
Image credit: Flickr
Turn on the evening news and you're sure to be overwhelmed with a barrage of complicated issues affecting our world. From digital privacy to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, the controversies and challenges seem never ending. Have you ever wished you better understood what these issues really involve?
Join us for in-depth conversations about some of today's most complicated and important U.S. foreign policy topics. The eight-week program begins August 26 through October 28.Columbine Library is hosting the next series which occurs Wednesdays at 3 p.m. and we provide the materials you need to participate.
Reservations are not required. In order to fully engage, we recommend participants read each article prior to the discussions. Articles and materials will be covered at the August 26 meeting.
Having nine nieces and nephews as well as knowing a lot of friends with children, I have been invited to countless babyshowers. My favorite gift items? Bath toys!! You can never go wrong with bathtime books, foam letters or rubber duckies. Bathtime is a wonderful opportunity to engage your baby, toddler or preschooler in the Five Early Literacy Practices: Talk, Sing, Read, Write and Play.
On pbs.org, they describe many ways you can encourage language and literacy development during bathtime; from naming body parts to asking your child what are they going to need for bathtime. There are even suggestions for first graders. My favorite one was to make up stories about the different bath toys. Once upon a time, there was a Pirate Duck named Orange Beak. He was on a mission to locate the treasure stolen by Princess Barbie and her Little Pony friends...
Ideas that incorporate the Five Early Literacy Practices into bathtime:
TALK- Use different words to describe how toys move in the water: splash, dip, sink, float, rock, glide, etc...
SING- Sing to baby about body parts (ie. Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes). Make up or learn new bathtime songs like the one about the turtle, Tiny Tim, on Jbrary (I LOVE JBRARY!!!)
READ- Read bathtime books to your baby or point out words on your child's bubble bath or shampoo bottle
WRITE- Use bathtime crayons to write baby's name on the tile or use foam letters to spell out words
PLAY- Mix in science and math concepts by adding measuring cups and spoons to your bathtub toy collection
Read a good book before or after bathtime:
A board book. Great for babies and toddlers!
A cute story about an elephant reluctant to take a bath.
One of my favorite characters, the Pigeon! Mo Willems' books make me laugh!
Rub-a-dub! Now get those kiddos into the tub! And keep logging Summer Reading minutes!
STORYTIME: a regular time at which a story is read aloud to children.
Wanna get jazzed for the day? Just come to a storytime at your local library!
I do a weekly toddler storytime at the Evergreen Library and I look forward to it all week! It is my time to shine...use silly voices, see lots of smiling faces, Shake My Sillies Out, and end with a grand finale of the Hokey Pokey...this is not your mother's storytime! Gone are the days of hushed voices and long stories. Instead today's storytimes are interactive and most of all fun!!! Filled with well illustrated and age appropriate books, songs, fingerplays, felt board and interactive activities there is something for everyone at your libraries weekly storytimes.
According to The Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy (CLeL), ECRR (Every Child Ready to Read) highlights EARLY LITERACY STORYTIMES as one of the crucial activities designed to promote early literacy in young children.
Why it's Important:
Literacy-based storytimes offer libraries a way to be partners in education with parents and caregivers. Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy (CLEL) supports the definition of a literacy-based storytime as one that contains the following components:
At the library we LOVE storytime and we want you and your child to LOVE it too! So, drop on by and give us a try, we can't wait to see you!!!
I have a confession to make. I've had the Monkey Preschool Lunchbox app ($1.99 Apple/Android) on every device I've owned since I first discovered it several years ago. It's so simple, so fun, and so rewarding that even though my kids first started playing with it when they were each about 18 months old, they still play at 5 and 3. Here's why:
It's varied: there are 7 different mini tasks - counting, letter recognition, matching, colors, puzzles, shapes and sizes. A sweaty-palmed 2 year old may have trouble with the puzzles at first, but that same child in a few short months will be waving your expensive phone/tablet around in triumph.
It's repetitive: yes, this is also one of its drawbacks, but young children thrive on repetition. It provides opportunity to both practice emerging skills, and gain mastery of the concepts presented in the game. Before she'd perfected the art of the swipe, my daughter would simply hand me the phone when she reached a task she couldn't complete. I would help her do what was asked, and she would take over again. We both win.
It's fun: I mean, it has a little Memory game in it. The monkey does flips when you pack its lunch! Flips! And then you get to choose stickers that dance around because they're so excited that you're such an amazing genius. Or your kid is. Whomever. I also sort of like the calypso/calliope music...for a little while.
Since they've discovered YouTube, Monkey Preschool Lunchbox is no longer the go-to app on any of our family devices anymore. But if we're out at a restaurant, or stuck in a doctor's office, or really anywhere there might be a long wait and no wifi, we are playing this game and loving it. I downloaded the app when it was featured for free, but if you have young kids and smartphones, this may be the best $1.99 you ever spend.
If your kids, like mine, have pretty much mastered these skills, you may want to try Monkey MathSchool Sunshine. It's got 9 more mini-games that teach sequencing, patterning, counting, adding and subtracting. My 5 year old son loves the connect-the-dots to help the baby turtle find the ocean.
I didn't know until right now that they'd also developed a reading game. I'll bet you can guess what I'll be using our next app store credit for...
Colorado summers are so beautiful and children enjoy being outside. So, let's take our books outside and read under the shade of a tree. What if we enhanced this outdoor reading by adding an activity that will help our early readers retell the story?
Retelling a story is an early literacy skill that builds their reading comprehension confidence. This confidence will keep kids excited and motivated to keep reading. This outdoor storytime won't require much.
Here is what you will need:
Once you've found the perfect shady spot in your yard, explain to your children that they can draw the story as you read it. They may need 3-5 sheets of paper in order to continue drawing throughout the entire story.
After you finish reading the book, ask your child this question: "Tell me about your picture". Asking them to tell you about their picture will encourage them to retell the story in their own words.
Stay away from questions like "What is that?" or "Is that a dog?". These questions can be limiting. You could ask: "Who is in this story?","Where did this story take place?","What happened next?", or "How did the story end?" Your child might end up drawing the butterfly that flew over you as you read. That is okay. The idea here is to create a positive experience with you and a book.
Here are a few suggestions of picture books and chapter books that are great for this reading comprehension skill:
Remember to log those minutes!
The Little Red Hen by Paul Galdone
If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Numeroff
Otis by Loren Long
I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
Do you want more than picture books? Check out these chapter books.
Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo
Dinosaurs Before Dark by Mary Pope Osborne
Image Credit: Jeff Golden
Have you ever wondered how that app works on your phone? Do you like solving puzzles and gaming? Register for the Jefferson County Public Library Coding Camp for Teens and learn what it takes to become a computer programmer. At this two week camp, you'll learn computer programming, improve creative problem solving skills and have fun as you explore the basics of writing code. You'll gain an understanding of the basics of computer programming and complete a web page. Take advantage of this experience and work along side some of Colorado's best mentors from the tech industry. No experience necessary! July 27 through August 7Belmar LibraryTeens ages 14 - 18 Monday - Friday2 - 5 p.m. Registration is limited and available online. Or call 303-235-5275.
Have you or someone you know always wanted to join a book club but find it difficult to get to the library to participate?
Check out our new Dial a Book Club. From the comfort of your own home, you can connect with other readers and take part in fun and engaging discussions resulting from reading.
The process is simple. Once a month, you'll use your phone or computer to join a conference call at a prearranged date and time. One of our amazing volunteers will moderate the conversation which lasts about one hour. The groups are kept small so everyone gets a chance to be heard, and conversations get lively as you discuss your favorite authors, choose future books to read, and chat with others.
You'll be matched with people who share similar reading interests and groups vary by fiction and nonfiction, and genre, like biography and history; general fiction, mystery, romance, historical fiction, westerns, and inspirational reads.
Sign up now or share the news with a friend. When we get enough members signed up for a group, we'll assign a volunteer and a new club begins.
For more information about Dial a Book Club, or to volunteer as a moderator, call JCPL's Library2You at 303-275-6173.


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I have a very thin upper lip and I'm considering getting lip injections.However I'm quite worried that my upper lip when smiling will cover my teeth.Is this possible?
Can Lip Injections Cause Upper Lip to Cover Teeth While Smiling?
Doctor Answers 8
Natural Looking Results of Lip Fillers Like Juvederm Are A Main Critera
Lip enhancement procedures are more complex in nature than one might assume. The outcomes are not a simple matter of just injecting filler to make them look bigger. The right results are not only contingent on quantitative factors like dosage, but also on the different injection zones on the lips. The practitioner needs to be mindful of balance, symmetry aesthetics and how these principles are applicable to the patient's requests. Also it is important that the results look natural. Hyaluronic fillers like Juvederm are good choices as far as this is concerned. There are ways to get a lip enhancement procedure without the top lip covering your teeth. However this really depends on the physician's artistic ability and overall skill. Be sure to choose someone with board certification who has before and after pictures that are demonstrative of these qualities.
Learn more: http://www.finetouchdermatology.com/los-angeles-juvederm/
Experienced Lip Injector Will Maintain Appropriate Aesthetic of the Lip
Experienced lip injectors who understand and appreciate the lip anatomy and proportions (upper to lower) should be able to achieve excellent results for lip augmentation. If in the right hands, concerns that you have mentioned can be avoided. I recommend you consult a board-certified dermatologist or facial plastic surgeon for consultation. Good luck!
Learn more: http://www.barnettdermatology.com/treatments.php?id=26
Seek a good injector and you shouldn't have this problem
When considering lip injections, your best bet is always to seek a qualified injector who is a trained physician. In my experience, people who have problems like what you're describing have them from improperly trained injectors. On the majority of people, the bottom lip is larger than the top lip (usually 2/3 to 1/3). This is important when injecting because you want to maintain this balance. If an injector overfills the top lip, this is when you get "trout pout" or obnoxiously overfilled lips. What you and your injector need to discuss is what you want your lips to look like. My assumption is that you want them to be fuller, but in the same proportion as what you have now. This is easily accomplished if you visit a good injector who understands the balance needed for proper lip filling with injectables.
You might also like...
Thin upper lips and fillers
Fillers can be used to fill the lips and also cover the gums a bit and the upper portion of the teeth for some individuals.
Getting the results you want from your lip injections
You need to carefully set goals and expectations with your physician injector before your treatment. Because this is an art as much as it is a science, it is especially important to remember that the experience and technique of your physician injector is the most critical part to your achieving a beautiful, natural result. Always ask to see before and after pictures of patients they have personally injected. If possible, look for someone who is on the medical education faculty for one of the facial fillers. If they have been selected to train other physicians how to treat the aging face they are likely to be good, experienced injectors. The video link below shows me injecting my wife's lips with Restylane!
Learn more: http://www.dorsetstreetdermatology.com/cosmetic-dermatology/juvederm/
I have a very thin upper lip and I'm considering getting lip injections.However I'm quite worried that my upper lip when smiling
This sounds like a volume issue that's related to swelling from the filler used during the lip augmentation or from the volume of filler used. Be sure that the MD you choose for your lip augmentation, facial shaping and contouring understands and follows the proper aesthetics of facial (and lip) aesthetics to ensure the lips are filled to the appropriate volume and proportions.
Learn more: http://www.thepalmercodeinstitute.com
Proportion is important in lip augmentation
A trained injector who has performed many lip injection augmentations would be able to work with you and contour the lips to your desired fullness. It is important to realize that when we discuss the aesthetic proportions of the lips, the upper lip should have 1/3 of the fullness and the lower lip should have 2/3 of the fullness. I see too many people walkin around with "trout pout" or an upper lip that is overly plumped and filled. Talk to your doctor about your wishes prior to the procedure.
Question regarding lip augmentation.
Lip injections can increase volume of the lip such that there can be cover of the upper teeth with smiling. This can be a desired effect for patient who have gummy smiles or show of their gums with smiling. Ultimately you have to discuss your goals with your treating physician. You can enhance lips with augmentation of mid lip which increases overall lip volume. You can inject along the vermilion border of the lip which frames and defines the lip. Finally you can inject along the wet lip dry lip junction which increase the length and everts the lips. An experienced injector will be able to utilize the above techniques to optimize your lip configuration.
Learn more: http://www.solomonfacialplastic.com/botox-facial-fillers-lasers/restylane-perlane-juviderm-teosyal.php
These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.


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The Washington Post "Style" section has several pieces on liberal blacks today. Fashion writer Robin Givhan devotes much ado to Cynthia McKinney's hairdo, panning both the new version and the old ("The braids made her look as though she should be hiking up the Alps wearing a gingham dress and carrying two milk pails.") She also gets in the usual liberal digs -- talking about "ugly" talk from conservative blogs: "A black woman's hair is an easy, timeworn source of racist mockery." And: "Indeed, plenty of black folks see all kinds of dire race-traitor undertones in Condoleezza Rice's smooth, controlled cap of hair."
In another piece, book-beat reporter Linton Weeks hypes the latest product off the assembly line of PBS talk-show host Tavis Smiley, a new paperback best-seller called "The Covenant With Black America." The Post calls it "The Volume That's Making A Loud Noise." But typically, they cannot bring themselves to describe the contents as a collection of liberals advocating liberalism:
"Covenant" is a collection of pieces by notable contemporary African Americans, including former U.S. surgeon general David Satcher; Marian Wright Edelman, founder of the Children's Defense Fund; Angela Glover Blackwell, founder of the think tank PolicyLink; and Cornel West, who teaches religion at Princeton University.
The 250-plus-page book is divided into 10 core chapters, each plumbing a single subject, such as the right to health care, the unequal justice system or the racial digital divide. Arguments are buttressed with statistics and calls to personal and political action. For example, in the chapter on accessing economic prosperity, the book encourages elected officials to "increase the minimum wage to a living wage" and urges individuals to "open and maintain a savings account, no matter what your family's income is."
Smiley can't seem to decide whether he wants to be a public-television journalist or an advocate, but no one in public broadcasting is expected to make him choose.
UPDATE: Over at The Corner, Roger Clegg had this comment on the book:
I just read the book and was mightily unimpressed. The exhortation in each chapter for what individual blacks can do is generally unobjectionable but incomplete; the political agenda is nothing but predictable liberal/left bromides.
Here's the worst thing though: In the entire 254-page book, there are exactly two oblique sentences that mention what is far and away the number-one problem facing the African American community, namely the fact that 7 out of 10 black children today are born out of wedlock. Fix that problem, and the other socioeconomic disparities will narrow dramatically; ignore it, and it doesn't matter what else you do. Plus, this is something that the African American community could do all by itself, with no legislation and no money. Think of it: We could go from 7 out of 10 to zero out of 10 in nine months, without passing a single bill or spending a dime. But it won't happen, of course—certainly not while so-called African American "leaders" ignore the elephant in the room.