text: App Watch: Hamilton Mobile CapTel - Digits - WSJ Losing your hearing doesn't mean you have to stop using your cellphone. A free smartphone app that provides captioning for phone conversations debuted in the Android Market late last month. Called Hamilton Mobile CapTel, the app also is available on iPhones and BlackBerry devices and comes from Nebraska's Hamilton Relay, a provider of traditional relay services for the deaf and hard of hearing since 1991. The app works like this: The user dials a number via the app's touchscreen display. A captioning service is looped in—a process that takes several seconds—and the app then calls the original user's device. Upon answering the call, the user is connected to the other party, and the app then captures the text of the conversation. To work, the device must be on a network that offers simultaneous voice and data access. The idea itself is not revolutionary; caption calls have long been available. In fact, Hamilton Relay's signature product, the CapTel 800i, is a traditional desktop phone, with a built-in caption screen. Yet the app is representative of an important trend–a growing ecosystem of smartphone technology aimed at easing traditional barriers of communication for the deaf and hearing impaired. Given Hamilton Relay's customer base, the eventual development of a smartphone app was a no-brainer, said Hamilton Relay vice president Dixie Ziegler. Thirty six million Americans experience some degree of hearing loss. Of that number, the majority first encounter problems with old age, Ziegler said. "So many have been able to use a telephone or mobile phone their whole life" but then face the prospect of having to give that up, she said. The company's bulky 800i was not going to cut it for those used to mobile phones. Hamilton Relay was encountering more customers who were familiar with mobile technology, so the company looked for an answer that married its established closed captioning service with a smartphone's ease of use. App development was done in house. While the team consulted developer forums—finding developer community support very helpful—it "didn't need a tremendous amount of help," said Ziegler. The app took 90 days to build. The main challenge, said Ziegler, was making sure that Hamilton Relay's technology integrated with the device's contact list application—meaning that the experience of finding a number and then making a call through the app had to be as seamless as possible. Ziegler says the company does not have a complete sense of how many new customers it has picked up from its app store listings. The largest set of app customers are those who were already using, or will soon start to use, Hamilton Relay's telephones. But it's not a stretch to predict that the demand for similar apps will increase. Last October, President Obama signed into law a video and telecommunications act encouraging the development of improved hearing aid compatibility for Internet phones and captioning of television programs. Some businesses are taking initiative on their own. Already some movie theaters are installing digital closed-captioning systems that use handheld devices. On the app front, the deaf use the iPhone 4's video functionality to sign to each other. People with hearing problems, and particularly those having issues later in life, are getting vocal. "With Grandmom—the older generation—if something didn't work, no one thought about going to technology. You were just deaf." said Lise Hamlin, director of policy for the Hearing Loss Association of America. "But this generation is really demanding answers and looking at technology."


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Bret Michaels Flips Off the Grim Reaper, Leaves Hospital in Stable Condition
After experiencing more than his share of thorns in the last couple of weeks, everything is coming up roses for Bret Michaels.
Barely a week after being hospitalized with a brain hemorrhage, the Poison frontman and Rock of Love star has been discharged from the Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital, and is expected to make a full recovery. While Michaels' surgeon, Dr. Joseph Zabramski, says that the singer is "still very sick right now," he says that Michaels' prognosis looks overwhelmingly positive:
"Mr. Michaels was indeed a lucky person, a very lucky person…He's improving. I really expect that he will fortunately make a 100 percent recovery. He's just one of those lucky people – 10 to 20 percent who make a complete recovery and can resume all of their normal activities."
While "normal activities" may be a relative term in Michaels' case, it appears that means he'll be hitting the road once more: Recently it was announced on the singer's Web site that he'll be resuming his Roses & Thorns tour, which was postponed due to his hemorrhage, later this month.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Jesse, I just added your gl-117 module. Thanks! ~Ken Moore On Sat 27/11/10 8:13 AM , Jesse Smith wrote:Please find attached my PBI module for the flight simulator/combat game gl-117. The game built without any problems on my system, so I forsee no problems here. This wasn't a requested PBI, just something I put together for fun. - Jesse _______________________________________________ Pbi-dev mailing list http://lists.pcbsd.org/mailman/listinfo/pbi-dev [2]" target="_blank">http://lists.pcbsd.org/mailman/listinfo/pbi-dev ------------------------- Message sent via Atmail Open - http://atmail.org/ Links: ------ [2] http://webmail.ixsystems.com/parse.php?redirect=<a href= -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://lists.pcbsd.org/pipermail/pbi-dev/attachments/20101129/3cc68037/attachment.html>


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Multiprog 2001 XL Programmer
| Review date before March 2003
The MultiProg 2001 XL programmer (Category Universal Programmers)
Some resellers advertise the Multiprog 2001 XL (or Multiprog XL for short) as the ultimate programmer. Well maybe it was at the time of introduction (years ago) but at this moment it certainly doesn't deserve that title anymore. Mind you, it is a good programmer with lots of possibilities, but there are quite a few drawbacks too, when compared to other modern universal programmers.
I have tested the Multiprog 2001 XL with several software packages like ChipCat, CardWriter, DMSSC, MKF, ISVedit, ICprog etc. and they all work flawless. But there is also some nice software that is purpose built for use with the Multiprog 2001 XL. That software is Twoprog which is in fact a modified version of Chipcat if you ask me.
I have upgraded the programmer BIOS to version 2.0 (you can find it in the download archive).
Twoprog version 2.4 works great for me. The programming of any card is just effortless as the software controls the whole programming process fully automatic. But more about Twoprog in the Software chapter.
There is 1 point that I especially disliked when working with the Multiprog:
LCD displays, however nice to have such gimmicks on your programmer, are only functional if you can read what is displayed. And the readability of this display is very poor. In my opinion, the display should be mounted at an angle.
OK then, let's name the pro's & cons:
- will work with almost every popular programmer software
- is able to read/program all popular card types
- can even program loose chips via chip sockets
- selecting the right programmer mode is awkward (3 seperate buttons)
- the display is very poorly readable
- no enclosure which makes the programmer vulnerable
- enclosures is available only at a cost
- the price
Below I have listed an overview of all available programmer modes of the Multiprog 2001 XL. Where the modes match those of the MasterA/MasterCRD programmers, I have mentioned that as an extra. That way you know what mode to select at any given moment while programming.
These are the available programming modes:
0. Smartmouse 6 MHz Normal
- Similar to mode 0 on de MasterA/MasterCRD/VX Multi
0. Smartmouse 6.0 MHz Inverted
1. Phoenix 3.5 MHz Normal
- Similar to mode 1 on the MasterA/MasterCRD/VX Multi
1. Phoenix 3.5 MHz Inverted
2. PIC processor mode for PIC cards
- Similar to mode 2 on the MasterA/MasterCRD/VX Multi
2. PIC processor mode for seperate PIC chips
3. PIC Eeprom mode for cards
- Similar to mode 3 on the MasterA/MasterCRD/VX Multi
3. PIC Eeprom mode for seperate chips
4. AVR processor mode for AVR cards
- Similar to mode 4 on the MasterA/MasterCRD/VX Multi
4. AVR processor mode for seperate AVR chips
5. Chipcard mode (for GSM cards f.i.)


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In order for the People to be able to exercise their rights to reform government and to vote, they must first know what kind of entity is controlling those processes that can block those rights. We're referring specifically to getting J.A.I.L. passed by lawful means. J.A.I.L. is still the only remedy for the People. The People will have to determine, based on evidence, the nature of the power in control in order to decide what method is necessary to carry out the mandate set forth in the Declaration of Independence: "But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security." (Id.)
J.A.I.L. (Judicial Accountability Initiative Law) www.jail4judges.org
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We are a ministry in great need of your financial support. Please donate to this important work at "J.A.I.L." P.O. Box 207, North Hollywood, CA 91603
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He has combined with others to subject
us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our
laws; giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation.
- Declaration of Independence
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RKF announced that it has arranged two new leases at the Grace Building in Midtown for chef Gabriel Kreuther's first solo restaurant and Bluestone Lane Coffee.
An energy project undertaken for The Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. by Bluestone Energy Services has been recognized as the Best Multi-Site Retail Energy Program in New England by the Association of Energy Engineers New England (AEENE).
Bluestone Energy Services has helped The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company substantially reduce energy consumption in hundreds of store locations and warehouses, enabling the supermarket operator to meet aggressive sustainability goals, cut costs, and receive over $4 million in utility incentives.


text:
Author has written 42 stories for Dark Angel, and Supernatural.
Currently, real life is eating away at any and all free time I have, and I've taken a somewhat temporary hiatus from fandom related things. If you do wish to contact me, please feel free to email me at the given address. I try to check it as often as possible, so if you want to say anything, that's the best place to get a hold of me.
Note: As I've been going through my old stories, I see that some of my formatting has been lost--such as line breaks that were inserted way back in the day. I apologize if this makes the stories difficult to read. I would like to get around to reformatting those, but lack of free time makes that difficult. All Supernatural stories can be found on my LiveJournal master story list in their intended format. Thanks.


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Welcome to King County's Department of Executive Services (DES).
I am pleased to introduce you to our department and the services we provide to the residents of King County. DES provides a variety of services, such as vehicle/marriage/ animal licensing, voters registration and elections, emergency and disaster planning, civil rights enforcement, cable, data and voice communication, employment, risk management services and lobbyist registration. Additionally we manage the county procurement process and receive property tax payments.
Our goal for this website is to provide you with the most current information about the services you need, and to solicit feedback from you about the quality of our services. Please send us your comments, suggestions and concerns. Thank you.
James J. Buck
|Dept. of Executive
701 Fifth Avenue, Suite 3210
Seattle, WA 98104
Phone: (206) 296-3824
Fax: (206) 296-3829
Updated: April 8, 2008
King County | News | Services | Comments | Search
Links to external sites do not constitute
endorsements by King County.


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Thunder Cup Competition
Both large and small organizations of every kind are invited to compete in the first ever Thunder Cup Competition. This event will be made up of several fun challenges throughout the Homecoming week. The small and large organizations with the highest amount of points at the end of the week will receive the Thunder Cup and all monies collected during Penny Wars in their respective categories.
In order for your organization to be eligible in participating, you must attend one of our informational meetings:
September 3, 2014 – Information Meeting, 10:00 a.m., MSC 2W22
September 8, 2014 – Information Meeting, 9:00 p.m., MSC 2E37 John Spotts Room
September 11, 2014 – Information Meeting, 1:30 p.m., MSC 2W22
Questions? Contact us at email@example.com.


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In the space of three days, fantasy owners may have just seen the best hitting and the worst pitching performances of the 2012 season.
Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun had a career day on Monday – at Petco Park no less – when he clubbed three home runs and added a triple to go with his six RBI and three runs.
Then Wednesday night, pitcher A.J. Burnett of the Pirates was torched by the Cardinals for 12 earned runs in 2 2/3 innings. It was only the fifth time in the live ball era (and first time since 1918) that a starting pitcher allowed that many earned runs in less than three innings.
After two excellent starts that are likely to earn him the trust of fantasy owners, Burnett's season ERA vaulted from 1.38 to 8.04.
On a personal note, I own Burnett in NL Tout Wars and had missed getting him in my lineup for his first start of the season (7 IP, 0 ER, 7 K), so just as I'd moved into third place in the overall standings ... BAM! My team's overall ERA went from 3.38 on Wednesday morning to 3.99 on Thursday.
As bad as Burnett's outing was though, it wasn't even the worst fantasy performance by a pitcher in the past calendar year.
How soon we forget about Vin Mazzaro of the Royals coming in as a reliever on May 16 last season and giving up 14 earned runs in 2 1/3 innings. Or Madison Bumgarner yielding eight earned runs in only 1/3 of an inning on June 21.
Perhaps it's a morbid curiosity, but I've been tracking the ugliest fantasy performances of each season for the last several years -- and Burnett doesn't even crack the top five worst since 2007. My unofficial list:
1. Jason Jennings, Rockies (7/29/07) - 2/3 IP, 11 ER, 8 H, 3 BB, 0 K ... ERA: 148.50
2. Vin Mazzaro, Royals (5/16/11) -- 2 1/3 IP, 14 ER, 11 H, 3 BB, 2 K ... ERA 47.25
3. Brian Bannister, Royals (8/17/08) -- 1 IP, 10 ER, 10 H, 3 BB, 0 K ... ERA: 90.00
4. Bronson Arroyo, Reds (6/24/08) -- 1 IP, 10 ER, 11 H, 1 BB, 1 K ... ERA: 90.00
5. Madison Bumgarner, Giants (6/21/11) -- 1/3 IP, 8 ER, 9 H, 0 BB, 1 K ... ERA: 216.00
6. A.J. Burnett, Pirates (5/2/12) -- 2 2/3 IP, 12 ER, 12 H, 1 BB, 2 K ... ERA: 40.50
7. Johnny Cueto, Reds (7/6/09) - 2/3 IP, 9 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 1 K ... ERA: 121.50
How would you rank these disastrous outings? And are there any others that should be included?
Steve's been with USA TODAY in one form or another since 1993. He started at USATODAY.com in 1996, becoming the website's baseball editor in 1999, and has written the fantasy baseball column for Sports Weekly since 2006. Follow him on Twitter: @sgardnerUSAT.
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text:
ZURICH – Yohann Diniz of France smashed the world 50-km walk record at the European Athletics Championships on Friday in a time of 3 hours, 32 minutes, 33 seconds.
The previous record of 3:34:14 was set by Russia's Denis Nizhegorodov in Cheboksary in May 2008.
The ecstatic 36-year-old Diniz even had time to stop for a few seconds to collect a Portuguese flag from a fan and also waved a French flag as he crossed the finishing line for his third successive European title in Zurich.
"I started off cautiously, with the rest of the pack and as usual I had pins and needles in my legs. I caught the Russians and asked myself if I had made a mistake because I did the same thing at Moscow (10th at 2013 world championships)," said Diniz, who won the fourth gold medal at the Championships for France.
"I felt very fluid with my technique and very relaxed and I could see that the Russians were not walking very consistently so I preferred to pull away a bit and get my times down to 4 minutes, 20 seconds a kilometer which I knew I had in my legs.
"I knew I could go a lot faster and I worked on everything from the fifth km to the 50th," he added.
In changeable weather conditions, Diniz had to cope with rain, sun and wind as he seized control of the race with 14 km to go.
He strode away to finish 3min 48sec in front of Slovakia's Matej Toth with Russian Ivan Noskov claiming bronze, a further 1min 20sec back.
Diniz's previous best time and the French record dated back to 2009 at Dudince, Slovakia when he clocked 3:38:45.


text:
F1, Formula 1, NASCAR, IndyCar, MotoGP, ALMS, And More!
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Aug 22, 2014 - 03:50 PM
Top News!
Rumors Edition!
Upcoming Racing! (Updated)
Top Stories
2014 Bristol II: NASCAR Sprint Cup Final Practice Results - Stenhouse Jr, Ford Fastest!
(Aug 22, 2014)
2014 Bristol II: NASCAR Sprint Cup Practice One Results - Larson, Chevrolet Fastest!
(Aug 22, 2014)
2014 Belgium GP (Spa): Formula One F1 Practice Two Results - Hamilton, Mercedes Fastest!
(Aug 22, 2014)
2014 Belgium GP (Spa): Formula One F1 Practice One Results - Rosberg, Mercedes Fastest!
(Aug 22, 2014)
2014 Bristol: NASCAR Truck Race Results - Keselowski, Ford Win!
(Aug 21, 2014)
Previous Top Stories!
Hot Rumors!
F1: Rumours tip Lotterer for Caterham race debut ?
(Aug 19, 2014)
F1: Toro Rosso next team set for 'nose news' ?
(Aug 19, 2014)
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(Aug 18, 2014)
F1: Verstappen To Get 2015 Toro Rosso seat ?
(Aug 14, 2014)
F1: Nasr to Sauber seat 'possible' for 2015 ?
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More Rumors!
ZF Motorsports Virginia International Raceway Newsletter
Posted by: newsla on Aug 22, 2014 - 03:50 PM
ZF Motorsports Virginia International Raceway Newsletter
An international racing globe trotter for the last ten years, Jeroen Bleekemolen runs 35-40 race weekends per year. In the TUDOR United SportsCar Series, he is teamed with Ben Keating in the No. 33 Viper Exchange Dodge Viper in the GTD Class.
"Sometimes I do more than one race per weekend, which makes it probably over 50 races every season," Bleekemolen said. "I have been doing four to five 24 hour races over the last couple of years. I have a total of 32 24 hour races so far in my career."
Logging that many race miles, Bleekemolen has a few favorite circuits. "Le Mans, Monaco and Nurburgring are among favorites. But there are around 10 to 15 tracks I really like, so it is very hard to just pick one or two. I also list Bathurst, Road America, and Road Atlanta up at the top as well. There are just too many great tracks around the world to list."
In addition, the Dutchman also appreciates the race weekend as an event. "The 24 Hours of Le Mans is definitely a stand out. I love the whole event. The big 24 hour races are always great. But, I have also had great times racing in the states. I love the atmosphere at the track. The same goes for V8 Supercars in Australia. And this year, I raced in the Brazil V8 Stock Cars, which was also a lot of fun."
Driving so many races Bleekemolen never lacks for motivation. "I love racing and competing - just can't live without it. Every time I go to the next race, I feel as excited as I'm still 16 years old going for my first race. I just love to compete, drive a car at the limit and getting the best result possible out of the situation."
Is having a young family with two children, the downside to racing? "I spend way too much traveling. I spend more than three weeks straight in the sky. That equals flying about eight times around the world."
Tony Rizzuti Racing Fuel in his Veins
Tony Rizzuti, MRN and ZF Race Reporter, has spent more than 25 years covering athletics across the United States. From college sports with the Iowa Hawkeyes and UCF Knights, to the NBA hardwoods with the Orlando Magic, on the NFL gridiron with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and on pit road with NASCAR, Rizzuti has helped to bring the excitement of sports into the homes of the American fan. Tony can be seen on Fox Sports 1, Three Wide Life and of course heard on the Motor Racing Network.
How did you get interested in racing? "I grew up in a racing family. My Dad raced a little when he was younger, but primarily worked as a crew chief on a dirt and asphalt late model that a good friend of his owned. So they would take me along and I would watch from the stands or from our van in the infield. Several years later, my Dad decided to buy an SCCA GP Austin Healey Sprite and went regional and national racing across the Midwest. I helped worked on the car and began a good friendship with John Doonan, who now runs Mazda's racing efforts in North America. Eventually, that background led to my switch from covering 'stick and ball' sports to motorsports on MRN."
What do you like most about covering sports car racing? "This is probably the same answer you would get from a driver or crew member, but the people and friendships I have made along the way. Certainly the coolness of the cars, the speed and competition draw you to the sport, but it's the people you meet along the way that keeps you in it."
Which NASCAR event that you have covered stands out the most in your mind?
"Tough question with so many good ones to choose from. I covered a Cup race at Darlington Raceway in which Dale Earnhardt Sr. had to be pulled from the No. 3 car after blacking out at the initial start. He was replaced by Mike Dillon that day. But the one that stands out most was the Brickyard 400 in 2007. I covered that race on television for DirecTV HotPass with FOX Sports' Larry McReynolds. We followed the 20 car of Tony Stewart exclusively all day long right into Victory Lane. Knowing what the race meant to Tony and the team and seeing what it took to get everything right, was incredible. At the end of our broadcast, I was told by the producer to kiss the bricks on camera. I refused because that should be reserved for the competitors not the media."
What is your favorite event to cover? "The Rolex 24 at Daytona. I used to camp at the race when I was in college, so I have seen the technology of the cars expand throughout the many years I have been going there as a fan, and the six years I have covered it for MRN. The effort it takes to win with the elite level of drivers and teams is incredible. The pre-race grid walk is an absolute mob of humanity. You can't help but feed off the energy and that's what keeps you going around the clock."
VIR and the Oak Tree
Virginia International Raceway (VIR) opened in 1957 as one of the country's first permanent road racing circuits. The 3.27-mile track has remained exactly the same since, with the only change being widening some places to offer safer run-off room.
A fixture in nearly every photo of the track is its signature shot that includes the majestic Oak Tree that lived at the apex of the turn that bore its name, the Oak Tree Turn.
On July 2, 2013, VIR lost its beloved Oak Tree which fell after breaking at its base. The news resonated throughout the racing community garnering sympathy notes on social media. Like losing an old friend the memorials poured into the VIR offices.
"The outpouring of love and support we received surrounding the Oak Tree was unfathomable and we can't thank the racing community enough," Connie Nyholm, VIR owner and CEO said. "In its place, a tree was re-planted in its honor outside Oak Tree turn. The new tree will not serve as a replacement, but as a hallowed memorial to the tree that held such a special place in our hearts. In addition, we're working with the incredible team at the Institute for Advance Learning and Research in Danville to clone the oak tree. Assuming they're successful, the cloned saplings will be offered for purchase, so our fans can replant them in their own communities and celebrate the iconic tree for years to come."
ZF Motorsports Race Reporter Video Library
The ZF Race Reporter series is in full production. The videos, hosted by Motor Racing Network's Tony Rizzuti, show race, event, and technical features from the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, including the popular ZF Fan Reporter segment. Past and future editions can be viewed at www.Facebook.com/zfmotorsport. Look for new content from TUDOR Championship events at Daytona, Sebring, Detroit, Watkins Glen, Indianapolis, and Road Atlanta.
PaddockTalk Perspective
Also in USCR News:
Team Camp Boggy Creek - VIR Preview
8star Looks To Break Wins DC In Oak Tree Grand Prix At VIR
SRT Motorsports Pre-Race Report - Oak Tree Grand Prix at VIR
Ostella Searches For Clear Track, Podium Finish In Virginia
Oak Tree Grand Prix at VIR. Porsche Motorsports Event Notes
Michael Lewis Joins GB Autosport for TUDOR at VIR
IMSA News And Notes: Virginia International Raceway
Risi Aiming To Repeat 2013 VIR Success
Michael Shank Racing with Curb/Agajanian Set to Launch 'Fan Shots' Car at Petit Le Mans
Who Says You Canât Go Home? GB Autosport's Scrogham Back to VIR This Weekend
Michelin Momentum Means Chance For Overall Tudor Championship Win
BMW Team RLL - Oak Tree Grand Prix at VIR Preview
Team Seattle-The Heart of Racing is Ready for VIR
WeatherTech Racing Headed for VIR
CAMARO Z/28.R AT VIR: Down the Stretch in GS Championship Run
CORVETTE RACING AT VIR: Championship Stretch Run Begins
Freedom Autosport: VIR Homecoming, Staff Sgt. Liam Dwyer Ready to Race
Stevenson Motorsports Preview: VIRginia International Raceway
After Road America Podium, Michael Shank Racing with Curb/Agajanian Looks to Fans for Team to Win Award
Podium for Snow and Heylen Highlights Season-Best Dempsey Racing Finish at Road America
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50th Anniversary Rolex 24 At Daytona A Race For The Ages
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text:
Fortunately for US residents tracing Canadian ancestors, an
abundance of resources is available—but where do you
Why, with our next webinar, Canadian
Genealogy for Americans.
Author and lecturer Lisa A. Alzo will introduce you to major
Canadian genealogy resources and websites, key record groups and
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Here are the Canadian
Genealogy for Americans webinar details:
Our Canadian
Genealogy for Americans webinar will enable you to formulate
a solid research plan for discovering your Canadian kin. Register
at ShopFamilyTree.com.


text:
Well I am using my Nexus 7 when suddenly I need to use headphones. I plug, or at least I try to, in the headphone jack. I lightly force it in, leaving about a millimeter sticking out. It just won't go through! I plugged in a 3.5mm gold-plated jack. Seriously, it won't go in.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums


text:
Beyonce Knowles & Jay Z: Brooklyn Nets Courtside Cuties
Treating themselves to an evening of sport, Beyoncé Knowles and Jay Z attended the Brooklyn Nets vs Houston Rockets basketball game on Tuesday night (April 1).
The "Single Ladies" songstress sported a blue-and-tan striped dress with a blazer as she and her hubby sat courtside at the Barclays Center to cheer on the home team.
After the exciting game, the officials of the Nets shared an adorable photo of the couple at the game and dished about the Nets making it to the 2014 NBA Playoffs.
"Big #Brooklyn welcome to Jay-Z & @Beyonce back at @barclayscenter to catch tonight's @BrooklynNets game! It's no April Fools. The Brooklyn Nets have clinched a spot in the 2014 @NBA Playoffs!"
Photo Credit: Twitter


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Four councilmen consider bid for mayor in 2013
As Aspen City Council members reflect on the past year, four of them are considering a run for the mayor's seat in 2013, which will be vacated by Mick Ireland due to term limits.
Councilmen Derek Johnson, Steve Skadron, Adam Frisch and Torre have all said they are considering the two-year post. The four-year posts that Johnson and Torre have held since 2009 will be up; Skadron and Frisch will still have two years left on their terms.
Skadron said he will decide in mid-January. Johnson said he is giving himself until a day after the Superbowl to make a decision. Torre said he will make an announcement sometime early next year. Frisch also will make the call in early 2013.
Election issues that they predict will be part of the campaign include leadership styles; restoring civility between City Hall and the community; the size of local government and its budget; strengthening relationships with the business community; building more affordable housing; downtown development and building heights; growth; fostering new lodging; historic preservation; whether to pursue the now-tabled hydroelectric project and the Entrance to Aspen, among other topics.
When asked for all five elected officials to reflect on their accomplishments and disappointments in the past year, there were some common themes, and some that were unique to each councilman.
Frisch said he's proud that council was able to sort out issues related to the city and county's affordable housing program in a two-day summit, which hadn't been held since 2007, and the fact that the municipal government was able to finish an analysis on the current lodging inventory, which is aging and disappearing.
"The goals are based on outcomes that are measurable," Frisch said of the housing summit, and that the second phase of the city's Burlingame housing complex is on track.
The work done by a citizen board related to affordable housing issues, specifically capital reserves in the inventory's homeowners' associations, was deemed a success by Frisch in terms of educating homeowners on the challenges they face and providing them with more financial expertise.
Frisch, Torre and Ireland cited the plastic bag ban as an accomplishment. Johnson said he considered that a disappointment, and voted against the ban. He said the effort should have been focused on educating the public on recycling and minimizing waste.
Johnson, Torre and Ireland said the city serving as a host for the USA Pro Cycling bike race in August and securing a spot for next year was an accomplishment. Johnson noted that the municipal government's financial contributions to secure American Airlines to fly here and a two-year contract to keep the Winter X Games at Buttermilk also were highlights of 2012.
For Ireland, he believes that the biggest accomplishment of council this year was that it helped turn the economic orientation of town from a real estate boom-and-bust model to a sustainable, tourism-based economy, through things like funding special events.
Torre looked at the saving of Little Annie's Eating House and Benton Building on Hyman Avenue from being torn down as a major accomplishment, but noted that there were some trade-offs in doing that, namely allowing a large building to be developed in the parking lot next door.
Skadron and Ireland said instituting a 28-foot height limit on new downtown buildings was needed, although regulating development is an ongoing process.
Others, like Frisch, said the height limit is problematic, and forced building owners to put in applications before the law went into effect, resulting in 11 new development proposals.
"With all due respect, bringing this forward was not the best thing for this community," he said. "I think we have a lot of buyer's remorse."
Ireland said the new law did prove that the market is still pushing for development, as indicated by the new applications.
"In retrospect, one of the outcomes is that the market told [us] what would happen, over time, given the opportunity," he said.
Skadron said limiting heights of downtown buildings is important to him because it's reflective of what the collective community wants, which is driven by preserving small-town character.
"Development issues should be in the hands of the community," he said, adding that protecting that value is why he was elected and why he serves. "The long-term interest of the community is not served by tall buildings."
Johnson said while the council will take up building heights and restrictions on future development early next year, he characterized the 28-foot limit as a disappointment.
"We had a little bit of a knee-jerk reaction to building heights," he said. "We didn't completely think that through."
Johnson said he was pleased with securing funding to offer free bus service to and from Snowmass; moving forward with developing phase two of Burlingame; city voters approving a .3 percent sales tax to fund schools; capturing additional revenue from a lodging tax to market the resort; approving plans for an overhaul of Galena Street Plaza; placing synthetic turf at Iselin Field; building stormwater systems and upgrading John Denver Sanctuary; and the city contributing to the purchase of the former Droste land for open space.
All council members said approaching the city budget conservatively was a major accomplishment for 2012.
"I don't spend your money differently than mine," Skadron said of his fiscal conservatism on a personal level, as well as an elected official in the city of Aspen. "The reality is that you are dealing with people's lives."
Torre said while the council has done quite a bit of work in the areas mentioned, there's plenty more to do, including dealing with downtown development restrictions and creating downtown vitality.
"We moved the needle a little," he said. "I know 2013 will be better than 2012. ... We need to take a deep breath and put our best foot forward."
Most of the city's elected officials say they are disappointed with the November "no" advisory vote on the government's hydro plant proposal on the banks of Castle Creek, and the division in the community leading up to the election.
"I think all sides of the community lost out on hydro," said Frisch, who vocalized his opposition to the project partly because of its cost overruns. "When you are multi-millions of dollars over, you are going to lose support."
Frisch added that the city was "tone deaf" to the opposition's concerns, and some within the administration spent too much energy bashing rich people who were unhappy with how the government advanced the project.
"Process matters, especially in the eyes of the moderates in town," he said.
Ireland's take on it is that anonymous financiers of the opposition's campaign, representing some landowners along the banks of the creek, was what fueled the community division.
"Scare tactics were used, the law was violated and people were lied to," he said.
Skadron said the process was so overly complicated that perhaps council members didn't have enough oversight of the project and signed off on aspects of it without enough vetting.
"That's the frustration I have, that I can't fulfill that community expectation," he said. "There were legitimate issues on both sides."
Johnson agreed.
"We got knotted up in this issue and it shouldn't be that hard," he said. "We need to go through all of the facts and take a collective breath as a community and take another stab at it."
Torre said he doesn't view the hydro vote as a total disappointment since the public had a chance to weigh in on the proposal.
"We gave the public a chance to speak on the issue and I like that," he said, adding he is comfortable with the majority of the electorate directing the city to refine the proposal and pursue other renewable energy sources.
Both Frisch and Johnson said the fact that council didn't give proper scrutiny, because of time constraints, to the Aspen Area Community Plan after years of it being developed was a disappointment.
Torre said he wishes that council would have solved the years-old problem of pedestrian safety on Main Street, and vowed to make it a priority next year.
He also said he thinks the city could have a better relationship with the Aspen Chamber Resort Association and the lodging community.
"I feel we still have a way to go in our communication with the community," Torre said.
For Ireland, he sees some disturbing trends in the community that haven't been fully addressed: the displacement of local-serving businesses, the erosion of a vibrant commercial district, and a declining population of local workers and an aging demographic.
"We're not going to have a workforce base to sustain a tourist economy," he said.
Ireland said he also is disappointed that there isn't an adequate funding source for health and human services, and the city is still being relied on to fund some of the need, despite that there is a dedicated property tax in the county for it.
The four council members said they are looking forward to creating an elevated and civilized tone from government toward the community; unity through respect, said Torre.
Frisch and Johnson said they believe council members have gotten along well in the last year, even during disagreements and spirited debates on policies, but it hasn't always translated down to the community.
"I think the town is ready for a less divisive tone," Frisch said.
Skadron said whether he runs for mayor or not, an opportunity exists for council to approach issues differently in 2013.
"I'm excited about a new generation of political leadership carrying on the good work this and previous councils have done," he said.


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The Penn State sexual abuse scandal has shown there are horrific consequences when adults fail to take action to protect children. When NCAA President Mark Emmert announced the sanctions against the university, he said they should serve as "a stark wake-up call for everyone involved in college sports."
I would like to think this not only wakes up college sports, but all of us as well. We need to recognize that we all are responsible for protecting children from sexual abuse. To keep the kids in your life safe, remember to:
- Learn the facts. More than 90 percent of children who are sexually abused know their abuser, and as many as 60 percent are abused by people the family trusts. Abusers often try to form a trusting relationship not just with the child, but also with the family.
- Minimize opportunity. More that 80 percent of sexual abuse cases occur in one-on-one situations. Many of us have kids involved in clubs and activities. Ask questions about the group's policies and procedures regarding one-on-one interaction with your kids, and make sure they have guidelines to protect them.
- Act on suspicion. If you suspect abuse or believe someone is building a relationship with a child that could lead to abuse, you don't need proof. Your reasonable suspicion is enough to make a report to local law enforcement or your county's department of human services. By honoring your suspicions, you are making a choice to put children first.
Visit Awareness to Action to learn more about how you can keep the kids in your life safe. Awareness to Action is an initiative focused on protecting children from sexual abuse by helping adults and communities take action to protect them.
~ Mary Kleman, prevention manager, Child Advocacy Services, Children's Service Society of Wisconsin
Awareness to Action is a program of Children's Service Society of Wisconsin with funding provided by the Child Abuse Prevention Fund and the Wisconsin Children's Trust Fund.


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First report of the International Narcotics Control Board
Importance of controlling narcotic raw materials
CONTROL OF LICIT PRODUCTION - Opium
Coca leaf
Uncontrolled and illicit production of cannabis
Uncontrolled and illicit production of opium and coca leaves
Pages: 33 to 38
Creation Date: 1969/01/01
First report of the International Narcotics Control Board
The Board came into existence on 2 March 1968 as the successor body to the Permanent Central Narcotics Board. The Commission on Narcotic Drugs took note with great satisfaction of the Board's first report which was presented to it last January, and in which the Board reviews the whole field of narcotics control underlining the various problems that exist in this domain.
In presenting the Report of the Commission, the President of the Board welcomed the adoption by the General Assembly of resolution 2434 (XXIII) which is reproduced elsewhere in this number of the Bulletin, and which will have a direct bearing upon the problem of raw narcotic drugs flowing into the illicit traffic.
The President of the Board expressed doubts before the Commission as to the wisdom of Iran resuming opium production as a counter-measure to the illicit supplies of opium which were coming into that country.
The following extracts from the report give the Board's views on the importance of controlling the narcotic raw materials, and also in the problem of drug addiction.
Recent developments have added to the problems posed by opium, coca leaves and cannabis; and the problem of the hour is the widespread abuse of sedatives, stimulants and hallucinogenic substances such as L.S.D. The easy availability and self-administration of psychotropic drugs, some of which are quite dangerous, call for specific measures of control at the national and international level, lest Governments be faced with an unmanageable situation in a few years.
The Board agrees with its predecessor body, the Permanent Central Narcotics Board, that timely and adequate measures are essential if this problem is to be contained within tolerable dimensions. Like its predecessor body the Board emphasizes the urgent need for adequate corrective measures, including the early adoption of international legislation on the lines now being considered and its experience is at the disposal of those who are actively concerned with this task.
The proper functioning of the international narcotics control depends to a large extent on the quality of the reports and statistics submitted by Governments in accordance with treaty provisions. It is essential that this information and data should be precise, complete and furnished regularly and on the dates prescribed.
The Board welcomes the recommendation of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs that efforts be made to strengthen the penal provisions relating to international illicit traffic in narcotic drugs. There is room for improvement in two particular respects: (a) the imposition of deterrent penalties on convicted offenders, and (b) the need to prevent traffickers from escaping prosecution on purely technical grounds of lack of jurisdiction. This latter loophole could be closed if trafficking in narcotic drugs were made an extraditable offence or if arrangements were made for the expulsion of such offenders from the country in which they have taken refuge. Because much of the illicit traffic in narcotic drugs is international it is necessary to improve the machinery for direct, informal and rapid co-operation between national enforcement agencies. Co-operation between adjoining States should be strengthened wherever and as soon as possible.
Importance of controlling narcotic raw materials
An important and necessary check to illicit traffic would be to curtail the supply of narcotic raw materials, particularly opium and coca leaves destined for the illicit manufacture of morphine, heroin and cocaine. This can be approached in two ways:
By tighter control over licit production with a view to prevention of leakage; and
By the eventual elimination of the uncontrolled or illicit production which is the major source of supply for clandestine manufacture.
CONTROL OF LICIT PRODUCTION - Opium
Need for adequate surveillance
Any consideration of the economic future of opium as the primary raw material for morphine and for the consequent manufacture of codeine must take into account the increasing competition from poppy straw. The possibility that an acceptable synthetic substitute for codeine may appear should not be excluded. While opium continues to be produced, however, there is always a danger of leakage from legal cultivation into the illicit market, and in view of the difficulty of controlling an agricultural product of this nature it is of the utmost importance that everything possible should be done to maintain a high standard of surveillance.
It is beyond doubt that a disquietingly large quantity of opium is diverted each year from licit production. The Board appreciates that control over an agricultural product like opium is by no means easy. Nevertheless the situation could be substantially improved if all the authorities concerned would more closely apply the relevant provisions of the 1953 Protocol or the 1961 Convention, for example by restricting production to districts specified by the National Opium Monopoly and to licensed farmers.
To facilitate and strengthen the control, the licence of each cultivator should specify the measurements and location of the plot he intends to sow. These particulars should be verified by inspection and measurements after the poppy has begun to grow, to ensure that additional opium is not produced for sale to traffickers.
The granting of licences should be strictly controlled: if a cultivator is suspected of withholding part of his crop from the monopoly his licence should be withdrawn. In this connexion the Board commends a practice which has been adopted with excellent results in India, whereby licences are refused to cultivators whose opium yield per acre is comparatively low and a premium is paid to those who achieve a high yield. This tends to eliminate both inefficient farmers and those who sell part of their produce on the illicit market.
Delays in the collection of opium give rise to theft and diversion and it is essential that immediately after the harvest the crop be delivered to the Opium Monopoly. Severe penalties should be imposed on traffickers found guilty of buying from farmers, and on farmers convicted of selling to anyone other than the Monopoly.
Constructive measures by Turkey
It has been particularly gratifying therefore to learn of the decisions of the Government of Turkey to terminate opium production in its outlying border areas where there was a continual risk of leakage over the frontier into neighbouring countries, and to concentrate the cultivation of the opium poppy in the centre of the country where it could be more adequately controlled. This measure and the prospective improvement of the control administration are commendable and should show good results. The Board welcomes this co-operative attitude on the part of the Government of Turkey and will follow the results of these reforms with close interest.
Plan to eliminate remaining opium production in Burma
It also felicitates the Government of Burma on its decision to extend its prohibition of opium poppy cultivation to the area east of the Salween River where opium smoking is still practised and it hopes to receive reassuring reports on the progress of this extension of control.
Inadvisability of new opium production
The difficulties inherent in applying effective control over an agricultural product make it most inadvisable that opium production should be undertaken outside the existing areas of licit poppy cultivation. The Permanent Central Narcotics Board drew attention to the fact that certain countries had been contemplating such action and that agricultural advisers to developing countries had sometimes recommended opium as a possible cash crop to diversify or expand a limited agricultural economy.
The present Board feels it should be made abundantly clear that any country embarking on the production of opium would find itself faced with legal, administrative and economic difficulties. For example, the 1961 Convention requires that before commencing (or increasing) the production of opium a Party must first ensure that this would not result in over-production in the world at large; and it would not be possible to satisfy this condition since the present production level is already sufficient for legitimate needs.
Moreover the control measures prescribed by the 1961 Convention and the 1953 Protocol would be costly and difficult to administer. It has taken many years for the traditional opium-producing countries to develop and consolidate their control structure; and even so they have not been wholly able to prevent the diversion of opium into the illicit traffic. Obviously therefore a country embarking on opium production might quickly become a centre of the illicit traffic endangering the health and well-being of its own inhabitants and those of neighbouring countries.
From the economic standpoint also such a venture is unattractive in view of the low market price of opium and particularly if there should be increasing resort to poppy straw as an alternative source of morphine.
It has further to be remembered that 90 per cent of the morphine obtained from opium is used for the manufacture of codeine, so that opium's long-term economic future is continually threatened by the possibility, alluded to above, that a synthetic codeine substitute might be evolved which would be generally adopted by the medical profession.
Increasing use of poppy straw
Looked at solely from the standpoint of control, the growing recourse to poppy straw is welcome since it is too bulky to be a raw material for the clandestine manufacture of morphine and heroin, and if in the course of time the world's legitimate requirements of morphine should be still further met from poppy straw, international narcotics control will to that extent be eased.
Advisability of reassessing the economics of traditional opium production
The foregoing considerations also provide cogent reasons for the traditional producing countries to re-examine the validity of opium as a feature of their agricultural economy and to explore the possibility of replacing it by other and more profitable crops.
In its Report for 1966 1 the Permanent Central Narcotics Board commented on the field costs of opium production in some countries and pointed out that where the standard of living has risen or is rising, the financial return to the farmer in real terms is so slender that it is doubtful whether the activity is at all economic. In blunt fact it only becomes lucrative for the farmer if he sells part of his crop on the illicit market. Replacement of opium by other and more freely marketable crops therefore would be in the interest alike of the farmer and of the agricultural economy of the country, and would also benefit international narcotics control.
Coca leaf
Organized cultivation of the coca leaf is at present only permitted in Peru and Bolivia: the small-scale licit production in Indonesia ceased in 1967. Production is now prohibited in Colombia and Ecuador but coca leaves nevertheless continue to be harvested there.
If production of coca leaves were to be authorized only for the manufacture of flavouring agents and cocaine the control problem would be manageable and capable of solution, since the annual requirement for these purposes is no more than 200-500 tons. Authoritative medical opinion holds that coca leaf and its preparations have no place in modern medicine and that cocaine itself, though still used, is more and more becoming regarded as obsolete and is being replaced by effective local anaesthetics without liability to produce dependence. Statistics confirm that the medical usage of cocaine has been diminishing over the years.
Document E/OB/22, paras. 50 and 51.
Coca cultivation in Peru and Bolivia however is not directed only to the authorized manufacture of cocaine and flavouring agents: the vast bulk of the leaf produced goes to satisfy a long-established and deleterious habit amongst the Andean Indians, many of whom live in precarious economic conditions and resort to chewing the leaves to quell the pangs of hunger.
Prima facie it could be argued that the coca-chewing habit is a local public health problem of concern only to the countries of the Andean Highlands since it hinders the economic and social progress of these regions. However it carries serious international implications.
To meet the demand created by this habit the cultivation of coca leaves has expanded considerably. Because of the physical impracticability of surveillance over the extensive areas of production, clandestine manufacturers of cocaine have been able to locate themselves conveniently near and to obtain ample supplies of their raw material. The cocaine so produced then passes through international illicit channels to several victim countries.
Lines of action
It is in the international interest as well as in the economic and social interest of the Andean regions that coca leaf production should be reduced and brought under control. Action is required on two fronts: to reduce the areas of organized production to manageable proportions and, in parallel, progressively to reduce and eventually eliminate the coca-chewing habit.
The Board recognizes that this twin course of action presents serious socio-economic difficulties. Traditional agricultural patterns will need to be re-orientated and coca cultivation replaced by nutritive and readily marketable crops produced under more modern methods of cultivation; and the Andean Indians must be weaned away from the chewing habit by intensive and sustained public health and educational programmes and by improving their standard of living. In an area poorly endowed by nature the task is clearly a formidable one and will take years to accomplish. The authors of the 1961 Convention were conscious of this and allowed a period of 25 years-from the date of the entry into force of the treaty in 1964-for the progressive elimination of the non-medical use of coca leaves. This presupposed however that reform should begin at once and should be consistently and increasingly pursued throughout the 25 years. The Board emphasizes this assumption since it would be unrealistic to expect that a task of such dimensions could be achieved if action were postponed until the latter part of the allocated period.
Major role to be played by the Governments of Peru and Bolivia
Although uncontrolled coca cultivation in Colombia and Ecuador also gives cause for concern, the international community must continue to look principally to the authorities of Bolivia and Peru if substantial progress is to be made.
The Governments of Peru and Bolivia do not dispute that coca leaf chewing is harmful and the Board recognizes their desire to eliminate the habit and to reduce the production of coca leaves for this purpose.
The Board understands that constructive measures were launched in Peru some time ago with the aim of reducing the areas of organized coca cultivation by as much as 10 per cent every two years. The Board would be very interested to learn what progress has been so far achieved. It is vitally important that the momentum of the campaign should be maintained and the Board earnestly requests the Peruvian authorities to concentrate their efforts in this endeavour.
The Board would address a similar appeal to the Bolivian authorities. It attaches importance to the agreement concluded between Bolivia and the Permanent Central Narcotics Board[2] which envisages the gradual elimination of coca chewing and the production of the leaves, and it will follow with the greatest interest the measures to be taken under the terms of the agreement. In particular it hopes that useful progress is being made in the current studies directed towards replacing the coca leaf by other crops and it trusts that it may very soon be informed that a practical plan of action has been drawn up and set in motion.
The Board is anxious that the authorities should not allow themselves to be daunted by the magnitude of the problem and thereby undermine such progress as has so far been made. A vigorous momentum must be built up and maintained and the Board calls upon the Governments of Bolivia and Peru to continue to concentrate their immediate efforts in the following sectors: firstly the active prohibition of any new coca leaf planting; secondly the application of measures whenever and wherever possible to restrict authorized cultivation to specified districts; and thirdly a strengthening of the enforcement services employed in the drive against clandestine cocaine manufacture and in the pursuit and prosecution of illicit traffickers.
Economic advancement and the elimination of the chewing habit however continue to be the key to an effective solution of the problem and they are interrelated. Coca leaves are often, perhaps mostly, chewed to alleviate the pangs of hunger, and it has been observed that when coca chewers change their environment and receive an appropriate and balanced diet, they give up the habit.[3] It is evident therefore that economic uplift and public health programmes must proceed hand in hand.often
On the educational front a substantial contribution could be made by both public and private institutions.
Need for international aid
The effective replacement of coca cultivation by other crops will in fact entail a radical change in the agricultural economy, for which substantial administrative, technical and financial resources will be needed. Such a major change can only be achieved with the support of external assistance based on a comprehensive plan drawn up after careful study.
It is gratifying to know that the Altiplano area in Bolivia is scheduled for economic improvement with the assistance of the United Nations Development Programme. Although this area is slightly outside the coca-growing regions, the Board hopes that when the programme is implemented the Bolivian and UNDP authorities will be able to extend its purview so as to take account of the coca leaf problem, which calls urgently for attention. In its resolution 1105(XL) the Economic and Social Council invited the United Nations and the specialized agencies to give such assistance, which should not be delayed if the intentions of the 1961 Convention in this respect are to be fulfilled.
Relatively to its illicit production, the organized cultivation of the cannabis plant for its fibre and for its oil-bearing seeds is not on a large scale and the plants are not in general used for extraction of the drug content.
There is also a certain licit production of cannabis for traditional medical and non-medical purposes in India and Pakistan and adjacent northern countries, but otherwise the non-medical use of cannabis is almost universally prohibited. Both India and Pakistan have prohibited the use of cannabis resin and have undertaken to bring the non-medical use of cannabis to an end within a period of 25 years from the entry into force of the 1961 Convention. Although in the opinion of the World Health Organization cannabis preparations have no intrinsic medical value, certain countries continue to use cannabis for medical purposes.
Uncontrolled and illicit production of cannabis
Illicit production of cannabis is widespread and its elimination presents great and complex difficulties.
The plant can grow almost anywhere and the drugs obtained from it appear increasingly in the illicit traffic. Bearing in mind the grave social ills which can and do result from this traffic, it is clearly incumbent on all Governments concerned to take every means at their disposal to eradicate the illicit production of cannabis.
In some areas, however, much of the local population now depends for its livelihood on the sale of cannabis. Where this is the case, the elimination of production will call for economic and social measures to raise the standard of living of the cultivators, and in some instances international assistance will be needed.
The Board welcomes the decision of the Lebanese Government, as part of its "Green Plan", to eliminate cannabis cultivation in its territory.
Successful completion of this programme would undoubtedly represent a major advance in the campaign against the international illicit traffic in cannabis.
Uncontrolled and illicit production of opium and coca leaves
The illicit traffic in cannabis, in cocaine and in the opiates have a common feature in that by far the greater part of the raw material of all three groups comes from uncontrolled or illicit production. The Board has indicated the benefits which would certainly flow from more efficient control of the legal production of opium and coca leaves, but it endorses the opinion of its predecessors that no real progress will be made in the international narcotics campaign until the uncontrolled and illicit production of these substances is substantially reduced. The coca leaf situation is indisputably grave. As for opium, illicit and uncontrolled production in different parts of the world offers an enormous source of supply, actual and potential: indeed the total yield from South East Asia alone is confidently estimated to exceed the total licit world production for legitimate purposes.
The gravity of this situation has been set out in the Permanent Central Narcotics Board's last two annual reports.4 The lack of control in the areas in question chiefly derives from an inadequate administrative structure or from the fact that they are difficult of access and are therefore beyond the effective authority of their Governments. In many of these areas, moreover, opium production is of very long standing and is closely bound up in the social practice of the local populations; and it is often of critical importance to them as being the only cash crop in a desperately poor agricultural economy.
In such circumstances, the only hope of achieving substantial progress would be by means of a broadly based programme of economic and social advancement and the present Board agrees with its predecessors that an essential first step is to undertake a study of the financial and administrative implications of such a programme, so that the practicability of undertaking it, perhaps by stages, can be further explored.
Document E/OB/22, para. 56-125, and document E/OB/23-E/DSB/25, para. 87-89 and 92
New perspectives in the campaign against drug abuse
The Board appreciates that in the present troubled state of the world the attention and energies of Governments are absorbed by events which over-shadow the phenomenon of drug abuse and dwarf the importance of this abuse as a social problem. While in some countries conscientious efforts, both public and private are being made to cope with the problem, in others the impact of more urgent considerations may cause it to be displaced in the governmental scale of priorities and thereby hamper the national authorities concerned in their response to the long-term dangers for society inherent in this abuse, which in some parts of the world is rapidly gaining ground particularly in the younger age-groups at all social levels.
Any real or apparent falling-away in active, continuous interest in drug problems, whether on the part of the general public or of national control authorities, is bound to create a climate conducive to increased misuse, both of the better-known drugs such as opiates, opioids, cocaine, and cannabis and of the psychotropic substances.
The Board urges Governments to intensify their measures against the illicit traffic in dependence-producing drugs in their respective territories and to protect the actual and potential drug-dependent persons by providing programmes for the treatment and rehabilitation of those already dependent and by furthering educational and other social measures designed to prevent the development of drug abuse in the first instance.
The basic factors in the social problem of drug abuse are the demand created by those who abuse or are dependent on drugs, the supply by the illicit trade to meet that demand, and the reaction of society in defending itself against the harmful effects of drug abuse. The first two of these factors, though complementary to each other and indeed inseparably intertwined, spring from entirely different motives, the drug-dependent person being driven by a compulsive need while the trafficker is actuated by the prospect of a calculated material gain at whatever cost in human misery.
Yet, because these two closely linked factors appeared to constitute a single social problem, it was assumed that the problem could be adequately met by the simple application of traditional defensive measures aimed at safeguarding the legitimate interests of society and penalizing activities which are antagonistic to these interests. In the context of dependence-producing drugs this meant on the one hand to restrain normal trade to quantities sufficient to satisfy medical and scientific needs, and on the other hand to prohibit supplies for non-medical purposes and treat any infraction of this prohibition as a crime.
This approach indeed achieved dramatic results. As related in the reports of the Permanent Central Narcotics Board for 1966 and 1967,5 the implementation of the 1925 Convention establishing control over international licit trade and the 1931 Convention imposing a quantitative limitation on drug manufacture stemmed the previous spate of manufactured narcotic drugs from authorized factories into illicit channels and thereby checked the spread of drug addiction, which in the twenties and early thirties had assumed epidemic proportions. Since then the illicit manufacture of drugs has been progressively narrowed down to clandestine manufacture in a few regions where the raw materials are locally produced or can be readily imported; and, more recently, close control over these raw materials too has been introduced first by the 1953 Protocol and then by the 1961 Convention, which has outlawed the production, trade and use for non-medical purposes of all narcotic substances including narcotic raw materials.
The striking success of the 1925 and 1931 Conventions, subsequently extended by the 1948 Protocol, created a feeling of confidence that drug abuse could be held in check and ultimately eliminated by strict implementation of the 1961 Convention, subject to the proviso that in certain parts of the world some non-medical uses of narcotic substances, which it would be impracticable to terminate immediately, should be eliminated within a prescribed period.
This feeling of confidence encouraged the view in some quarters that a legal-administrative approach based on prohibition and punishment would not only check the illicit traffic but would also lead to the eradication of drug dependence. Drug abuse was in general treated as a crime and the drug-dependent person as a criminal. Defensive strategy was mainly directed towards control of production and distribution of drugs and the suppression of illicit traffic; and relatively few efforts were devoted to the treatment and rehabilitation of those already dependent and of educational measures to counteract the spread of abuse.5
Document E/OB/22, para. 33-38 and document E/OB/23-E/DSB/25, para. 47 and 48.
This optimistic assessment was not borne out by experience, and increased knowledge dispelled the previous misapprehension of the very different motives which actuate the drug-dependent person and the trafficker.
At all levels the trafficker is motivated by material gain, a gain calculated and measured in terms of money; and in planning his transactions he carefully balances his prospective profit against the risk of arrest and possibly severe punishment.
On the other hand, eminent professional opinion holds that persistent abuse of narcotic drugs is often associated with psychic disabilities or socio-economic disadvantage on the part of the user. Whatever the cause the dependent person's demand is not of the kind to which the laws of the free-market economy apply. It is a craving that has to be satisfied whatever the price, including the risk of conflict with the law.
The basic differences between the personalities of the drug-dependent person and the non-dependent trafficker obviously call for the application of different means to restrain their activities and this view is gaining ground in countries where there is a serious degree of drug abuse. There is in some countries a discernible shift from the punitive method of dealing with drug-dependent persons to a psychiatric or other medical approach and to the study of the entire problem using methods of scientific research involving many professional disciplines. This school of thought recognizes that the treatment of drug-dependent persons requires the use of specialized techniques adapted to different types of dependence and different causes of such dependence; and in a few countries different methods are being tested empirically.
The limitation now imposed on remedial action by lack of adequate knowledge would be eased if more active support could be provided from public or private sources towards the extension of research facilities and trained personnel. There is in fact in a number of countries a gratifying spread of research into various aspects of the phenomenon of drug dependence and there can be no doubt that in due season this public-spirited work will yield valuable data which will help to determine the future patterns of preventive and redemptive measures. What is needed at the moment is a means of collecting, collating and interpreting the results of the research, of stimulating further research in sectors where it is most urgently needed and of making the fruits of these investigations more readily available to those concerned with the upbringing of the younger generation and with the emergence of a public conscience in these matters.2
Documents E/OB/20, para. 32 and E/OB/22, para. 95, 96 and 97.3
See Statement of the representative of the World Health Organization at the 22nd Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (document E/4455, para. 303).


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Press Release
Release Date: October 1, 2009
For immediate release
The Federal Reserve Board on Thursday announced the execution of a Written Agreement by and among Coastal Financial Corporation, a registered bank holding company, Coastal Community Bank, a state chartered member bank, both of Everett, Washington, and the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.
A copy of the Written Agreement is attached.
Last update: October 1, 2009


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The Kruger National Park has almost 2,000 km of roads and 6 permanent rivers that cross the savannah within the park. It is home to a vast number of different animals and countless species of all kinds. It is the habitat of countless species, and tourists here will have the ideal opportunity to observe at close quarters the "Big 5" - the Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Buffalo and Rhinoceros, not to mention 336 types of tree, 49 species of fish, 114 types of reptiles and 507 species of birds, and innumerable giraffe, monkeys, zebras and antelopes.
9km from the Lodge is the town of Malelane which developed as a result of the building of the railway line that was started in 1828 to link the old Transvaal to Maputo as this was an independent port. In 1884 the Portuguese started building the line in their colony. Due to various occupations and wars the line could only be completed in 1894, and the then President Paul Kruger opened the "Oosterlijn".
M13913 is an hour drive from Swaziland and two hours from Maputo, making it an ideal location to visit 3 countries in one day! The cosmopolitan city of Nelspruit is a 45km drive and offers a wide range of shops. The Lodge is a wonderfully relaxing location where you will scarcely hear the animals but have the opportunity to be surrounded by Nature.
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What is the best way to remove cape from form after drying for two weeks? After two weeks of drying the hair still comes out when you touch it. I used AFG Hide paste and Epo-Grip on the earliners. McKenzie form.
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Fred, what kind of tan? how wet was cape when mounted? could it need more drying? but if it just falls out you can try some stop slip it sometimes works. but if you can't save it don't panic there's plenty of capes around. to romove cut stitch and peel hide off (rehydrate in barrel of water if it won't budge!)post size of cape if you need one.
Fred, If this is a heavy thick haired cape I wouldn't give up yet. It may be no good but I would give it some more time. I mounted a cape that I bought out of Montana a while back which shed hair at an alarming rate, Like you, I was about to tear it down but instead put it in my attic where it was very warm and a week later all looked much better. Try it in the warmest dry area that you have . The very thick hair is a great insulator and will hold moisture enough to prevent drying around the hair roots where all this problem originates. After all of your work to mount the critter try once more for a week or 2. You may get lucky--Aaron H.


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Caroline, 13, was on a school trip from Cornwall in 1996 when she was raped and killed in Pleine Fougeres, Brittany.
Ann Jasper, 22, was testifying in St Brieuc where Francisco Arce Montes, who admits killing Caroline, is appealing against his conviction for her murder.
Ms Jasper was sleeping in the same room as Caroline when she was attacked.
"I could see her wriggling in bed but I thought she was dreaming and I went back to sleep."
She said she had been woken up in the middle of the night by the sound of banging.
"It was something banging against the wall," she said, "I thought it was a bottle top hitting the wall," Ms Jasper added.
Earlier, the court heard from Melissa Hutchings, 22, also giving evidence for the first time in court.
She was sleeping on the bottom of a bunk bed next to where Caroline was lying on a mattress, so she could stay with her friends.
Student Ms Hutchings broke down in tears as she told how she was woken by the sound of Caroline coughing and wheezing in the middle of the night and a sleeping bag zip being undone.
"It sounded like somebody was having difficulty breathing and these noises went on for a couple of minutes," she said.
"I didn't take much notice. I thought she was hot or having a bad dream or something."
She also said she saw a figure standing up in the room shortly after but assumed it was Caroline and went back to sleep.
Both girls described how everyone in the room had woken up the next morning by 0800 except Caroline.
Ms Hutchings said they gave their friend a few extra minutes in bed then they tried to wake her by shaking her and calling her name.
"She looked blue and was very cold to touch," she said. "I grabbed hold of her sleeping bag and flipped it over to wake her and I could see she wasn't wearing pyjama bottoms."
The girls then rushed to get help and were told to leave the room when their teachers arrived.
Teacher's 'shock'
Earlier Elizabeth Baker, the teacher who organised the trip for the group of students aged between 12 and 17, said she was shocked at finding Caroline, who died of asphyxiation, unconscious after she was called to help.
"I was very shocked," she said. "This was a girl who last night was fit and well and laughing and now she was unconscious."
The former waiter from Gijon in northern Spain was jailed for 30 years last June for the murder and rape of Caroline but is appealing against his conviction - an automatic right in France.
Caroline was on her first trip away from home with 40 students from Launceston Community College when she was killed.
Montes, who declined to give evidence at the first trial, told the court that he had attacked Caroline but had not meant to kill her and when he left her room he did not think she was dead.
The case continues.


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Repertory Guides (ML 128, 1100)
Challis, Natalia. The Singer's Rachmaninoff.
Coffin, Berton. Singer's Repertoire, 2d ed., 5 vols.
Classical Vocal Music in Print
Kagen, Sergius. Music for the Voice.
Challis, Natalia. The Singer's Rachmaninoff. New York: Pelion Press, 1989. ML 54.6 .R18 S52 1989 (Stacks NOT Music Reference)
Use: A guide to the background, translation, and pronunciation of Sergei Rachmaninoff's art songs. Intended for the singer of teacher of Russian art song.
Coverage: The complete published art songs of Rachmaninoff.
Organization: The book is divided into four chapters: Russian Pronunciation and Diction, Rachmaninoff and his Time, Rachmaninoff and the Russian Poetic Tradition, and Songs. Song entries are grouped by Opus number. Background and description of the songs in the opus are given at the beginning, followed by the songs. Each song is entered with dates of composition, publication, publisher, dedications, source of the text, and the text in Russian with international phonetic alphabet transliteration and English translation. Appendixes include a chronology of Rachmaninoff's life and a catalog of the songs. Bibliography. Index of titles, index of first lines, and index of names.
Pros: Clear and logical typographical layout. Helpful pronunciation guide, and song texts are all fully transliterated into IPA.
Cons: Full annotations for songs are not given (such as key, range, voice type, and accompaniment difficulty).
Review: Freeman, Kevin A. Notes: Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association XLVII/2 (December 1990): 399-400.
Coffin, Berton. Singer's Repertoire, 2d ed., 5 vols. New York: The Scarecrow Press, Inc.,
1960-62. Mus Ref ML 128.V7 C67 1960
Use: Extensive guide to classical solo repertoire for all voice types. Useful to teacher, student, and performer for finding appropriate music and programming recitals.
Coverage: Vocal repertoire for all voice types including recital songs, arias, and other American, British, French, German, Italian, and miscellaneous art songs.
Organization: First four volumes include repertoire listings by composer. Volume1 for Coloratura, lyric, and dramatic soprano, volume 2 for mezzo soprano and contralto, volume 3 for lyric and dramatic tenor, volume 4 for baritone and bass. Each entry includes voice type, range, and publisher code. Volume 5–program notes, includes brief poetic translations, and a small descriptive paragraph for the more major composers.
Pros: Easy to use.
Cons: Not all foreign songs from first volumes are listed in the program notes–only more well-known pieces. Translations in program notes are not word for word. Out of date for more modern classical works.
Classical Vocal Music in Print
Nardone, Thomas R., ed. Classical Vocal Music in Print. Philadelphia: Musicdata, Inc., 1976. Mus Ref ML 128 .V7 N335
Eslinger, Gary S. and F. Mark Daugherty, eds. Classical Vocal Music in Print–1985 Supplement. Philadelphia: Musicdata, Inc., 1986. Mus Ref ML 128 .V7 N335 Suppl.
Daugherty, F. Mark, ed. Classical Vocal Music in Print – 1995 Supplement. Philadelphia: Musicdata, Inc., 1995. Mus Ref ML 128 .V7 N335 1995 Suppl.
________. Classical Vocal Music in Print–Master Index. Philadelphia: Musicdata, Inc., 1995. Mus Ref ML 128 .V7 M335 1995 index.
Use: Intended for the vocal artist in finding music to use in recital, religious, or concert stage performance. Includes all styles of music except popular. Purpose is to supply current guides and comprehensive coverage of editions available from publishers. The master index gives a good panoramic view of composer's vocal works in print.
Coverage: All styles of classical vocal music for one or more voices including many folk songs (due to demand in recitals), but excluding popular music and composers. Also covers music from international and domestic music publishers. (1976 edition includes 34,030 entries).
Organization: Entries are alphabetically integrated by title and composer (titles are cross referenced to composer listings). Entries listed by composer include title, voice and instrumentation, publisher, and publisher number (for the author's future cataloguing reference). Some entries also contain collection information, catalog number or opus, edition information, arranger, original language, difficulty rating, publishers number, availability and prices. The master index is in 2 sections: first, alphabetical by composer with works listed below, and second, alphabetical by title. Reference number following index entries indicates the volume in which the work is found.
Pros: Extensive cross-referencing.
Cons: Some operatic arias indicate med-hi or med-lo voice instead of exact voice type. No methods or studies included.
Kagen, Sergius. Music for the Voice. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1968. Mus Ref ML 128 .V7 K3 1968
Use: An extensive annotated guide listing of classical vocal solo music for singer, teacher, coach, and amateur.
Coverage: Songs and airs of major composers in major European languages. Dates from the 17th to 20th-century. Also includes folk songs in English, and opera arias and duets.
Organization: Sectioned according to genre. Subsections are alphabetical by composer. Entries begin with short descriptions of the composer's contributions, then list title, role (if an aria), range, tessatura, voice type, and comments.
Cons: Short annotation of every piece (a few annotations seem inaccurate–the author doesn't seem to have looked at the music). Opera and folk songs are poorly represented.


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The national TV schedules have been released in both Canada and the United Staetes and the results are fairly predictable. The Sens feature heavily in Canada on CBC, TSN, RDS and TSN2, while they get a big fat ZERO games south of the border nationally. No real surprise there.
Ther local broadcast schedule will be releasing soon, so then you will be able to see all the games on Sportsnet and pencil them into your own personal schedule.
Thoughts on the TV schedule?


text: Brilliant 3-light overhead pool table light with Tiffany stained glass and beautiful vintage bronze finish. This pool table light captures the beauty of the Sonoma Valley with its deep greens and brown finish. Grape vines meander across the lamps pleasantly adding hues of purple and blue to the mix. Overall this light is the essence of the valley and illustrates its beauty to the fullest.


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WASHINGTON (Jun. 23)
The White House acknowledged today that the Pentagon blocked co-production of a radio communications system for military use by American and Israeli companies but it declared it was for "security reasons" and not an action directed against the government of Israel.
Requests from West Germany and France to join in the production of the system, Presidential Press Secretary Jody Powell said, also were turned down for the same reason. He pointed out they do not have a "memorandum of understanding" with the United States regarding co-development and co-production of items within a certain "highly classified" range of items. When the Jewish telegraphic Agency, which questioned Powell on the subject, observed that the Pentagon apparently does not trust Israel's security, the Press Secretary said the request for the joint production was not from the government of Israel but from the Sylvania Electronics System group. This company is engaged in a project with an Israeli company, Tadiran Israel Electronics Industries, Ltd. Sylvania is a subsidiary of General telephone and Electronics which also is said to be part owner of the Israeli concern.
Great Britain and Canada have the memoranda of understanding, and a British bid to join in the communications project is under U.S. consideration. Canada, Powell said, has not entered a request. Germany and France are seeking such memoranda, but Israel, he thought, has not entered such a request.
Powell said he personally inquired at the Pentagon about a published statement that an unidentified senior Pentagon official told Sylvania "not to do business with Israel" and Powell said he was informed to "specifically deny such a statement was made."
Emphasizing that "the allegations and insinuations" that the Pentagon acted against Israel are "totally untrue," Powell said that "we already have co-production" agreements with Israel on parts for the F-15 warplane, and that the U.S. is considering co-production for additional elements for the F-15 as well as for the F-16 fighter, a hydrofoil, and the Israeli "Chariot" tank. He said that decisions on some of these considerations will be made "within the next several weeks" while others will take longer.
Congressional sources characterized the Pentagon's "security" reasons as a "lame excuse." They said that Administration officials in the State and Defense Departments are deliberately stymieing Israeli requests for co-production, at least partly towards inducing Israel to give up occupied areas. They noted Israeli Premier Menachem Begin will be visiting President Carter July 19 and 20 and that at that time the prospects of economic benefits for Israel through military contracts might be used as pressures to move Begin to accept diplomatic tactics desirable from the U.S. point of view, including movement from the West Bank.
Carter was presented with a memorandum last month by leading members of Congress that pointed out various requests by Israel for joint production arrangements have been rejected.


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John Thomas, a health law professor at the Quinnipiac University School of Law, is available to discuss Detroit's controversial plan for slashing part of the $5.7 billion it owes in retiree health costs.
"Detroit's hope of saving costs by relying on the Affordable Care Act presents both a possible path to community economic salvation and a significant challenge to the Act and the Obama Administration," Thomas said. "It will be an experiment in social structure and health economics."
A Quinnipiac University School of Law faculty member since 1988, Thomas teaches law and medicine, advanced law and medicine, civil procedure and commercial law. Before teaching at Quinnipiac, he was a litigator for seven years at Miller, Pitt and McAnally in Arizona and Wiggin and Dana in Connecticut. His research interests include health policy, politics, juvenile justice and mental health treatment. His recent publications include "Play It Again, Hillary: A Dramaturgical Examination of a Repeat Health Care Plan Performance," and "Is It Safe to Talk Yet? The Evolution of Electronic Privacy Law."
Categories: Hot Topics, News, School of Law


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Mt. Bolivar Trail
Just about any place you find on TravelOregon.com can be added to your own Oregon Roadtrippers Account. Find out how.
Get on the road with Roadtrippers
We've partnered with Roadtrippers to provide a great way to plan a trip around Oregon. So start planning your next road trip to here, there or pretty much anywhere in Oregon.
Mt. Bolivar Trail, located in the Wild Rogue Wilderness, offers 1.4 miles of hiking. The trail provides no water, and the vegetation varies from slopes of Manzanita and scrub oak to stands of old growth timber.
What's around here? Location & Nearby Things to See & Do
These maps and directions are for planning purposes only. You may find that construction projects, traffic, or other events may cause road conditions to differ from the map results. For travel options, weather and road conditions, visit tripcheck.com, call 511 (in Oregon only), 800.977.6368 or 503.588.2941.
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China amid weird, wacky building boom
YANJIAO, China – The apartment blocks rising skyward entice buyers by using foreign names such as "Oriental Hawaii," the European-style "Provence" and "Olive Valley." But the most exotic, eye-catching architecture in this Beijing suburb is very Chinese.
"It was voted one of China's ugliest buildings," Zhao Pingping says of the bizarre Emperor Hotel, which offers accommodations in the shape of three 10-story, bearded deities representing the Chinese gods of good fortune, prosperity and longevity.
"Some older residents hope the gods can bring good luck and security to our neighborhood, but I prefer modern styles. I could never stay there," says Zhao, 30, shuddering as she walks past the hotel with her infant son.
An urbanization drive perhaps unparalleled in human history has turned China into a continent-sized construction site. Some of the new buildings have won international acclaim, such as Beijing's "Bird's Nest" stadium built for the 2008 Olympics. But far too many are eyesores, complain architects and online critics.
When the architecture website www.archcy.com asked readers to vote for China's top 10 ugliest buildings, Li Hu, a Beijing-based partner at U.S. Steven Holl Architects, said, "Choosing 10 is very hard, choosing a million is perfectly possible.
"Development is too quick. Architects don't have time to reflect," says Li, who blames the ugly edifices in part on interference by government officials, a lack of imagination by architects and corruption. "A more serious problem than the visual impact is that old buildings are being torn down and new ones built blindly."
China's imperial palaces, temples and Great Wall help make this country of 1.3 billion people one of the world's top tourism draws. But cities, where more than 50% of the population lives, have lost their historic hearts. Traditional structures have been shorn from cities and replaced by nondescript, blocky modernity.
Like the kitsch found along roadways throughout the USA, the more unusual new buildings in China were designed as calling cards for towns thirsty for attention from tourists and investors. Giant liquor bottles, teapots and lumberjacks may hardly shock Americans who've been to Las Vegas, but they rile some Chinese.
Developers copy designs ranging from Beijing's Tiananmen Gate to the U.S. Capitol and the Sydney Opera House, says Sun Lei, an architect and teacher in Shandong, east China.
"Many cities excessively pursue strange and unique buildings because leaders believe they are good for raising their city's renown and speeding the development of related industries," he says.
"Some designs can't be realized even in the West, but places in China spend hugely on them," Sun says, citing "foreign rubbish" such as the CCTV headquarters designed by Rem Koolhaus somewhat in the shape of a boxy upside-down pair of pants.
Exploiting China's rich heritage can be tricky.
The Fang Yuan building in northeast Shenyang resembles an old Chinese coin: round with a square hole in the middle. It won no accolades. In January, a CNN website named the building one of the 10 ugliest buildings in the world.
"Beauty is different to different people," said Wang Zhanshan, chief engineer of another giant coin-shaped building underway in Guangzhou, the Guangdong Plastics Exchange. "If the building is discussed before and after its completion, it will have already proved it is a successful piece of architecture."
Among the most dramatic designs are the luxury hotels sprouting nationwide. Futuristic buildings are under construction on man-made Phoenix Island, a resort in Hainan Province. One developer is assembling hotels shaped like giant trees.
"Developers here are not constrained by preconceived notions of what a five-star hotel should look like," says Canadian John Jeakins, whose company, Hospitality Associates, helps Chinese clients design, decorate and manage hotels. "If your color scheme is purple, let's make a purple hotel. In the U.S., people might want to open a restaurant; here, people have more money, so they want to open a hotel."
One reason for the structural oddities is that the profession of architectural design has a limited tradition. Architect Wu Lianyong told the China Daily that China's architectural style was greatly influenced by the Soviet Union, which discouraged charismatic individual design before its demise in 1991.
"It has now led to an outburst of fancy for the avant-garde, chic and novel," Wu says.
Many Chinese see the expenditure on excessively large official buildings, of sometimes bizarre design, as a problem, especially in poorer parts of China.
"So much money is wasted on fancy public buildings, when many people are still so poor," Yanjiao's Zhao Pingping says.
Other residents have warmed to the Emperor Hotel's three gods, now dwarfed by a development over the road.
"I was shocked at first," says Li Shuang, 27. "But now I'm used to it. I don't think it's ugly, and my 4-year-old daughter loves it!"
Contributing: Sunny Yang
Posted | Updated


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Pangea Seed has released our new print, "Vegans: Manatees n Bunnies". Exciting!
Find out more info about the print and buy it HERE!Title: "Vegans: Manatees'n'Bunnies"Edition Size: Edition of 150 (signed & numbered)Print Details: Fine-art Giclée print archival Somerset watercolor paperDimensions: 30" x 24" plus 3-inch border with hand-deckled edgesPrice: $300.00 plus shipping & handling
Now available in our web shop is a new limited edition COLOR version of our popular "Spirit Animal Collective" image.
"Spirit Animal Collective (Tinted)" is a limited edition of 150 signed and numbered archival digital prints on Somerset watercolor paper with deckled edges. Its 28 x 22 inches plus 3 inch white borders.
The print is based on kozy's 2009 drawing "Spirit Animal Collective". The drawing was the culmination of kozy's 4 year-long "Unknown Portraits" project, which involved Kozy's nearly obsessive search through old photographs in junk shops from Australia to Spain to Northern England to San Francisco to our own backyard in Venice Beach (and more!). Most of the drawings were the size of playing cards, but for the final artwork Kozy create a massive graphite rendering of a 1940's-era New Zealand primary school class photo. In it she imagined the camera to reveal the spirit animal within each of the students. This summer we decided to produce a colorized version reminiscent of old tinted photos (Dan's grandmother used to tint photos as a side job while raising her children) and this is the result.
If you are coming down to Comic Con on Friday we will be there...
This is a bone china cup & saucer made in Stoke-on-Trent, England. There are only 250 to ever to be produced Each cup, saucer and art print is sequentially numbered. This design has a hidden bunny at the bottom of the cup. Included inside the presentation box is an artist signed & sequentially numbered art print, plus a certificate of authenticity with Artist Bio. The Cup stands 60mm (2 1/2") high and 87mm (3 1/2") across. Whilst the saucer is 160mm (6 1/4") across. Each Cup & Saucer retails at £39 ($60 US). CLICK HERE TO BUY IT NOW!
Each bag is sequentially numbered (1-300) on the lining Certificate of Authenticity and the laser engraved handles.
Dimensions - 62cm x 33cm x 25cm. This is a unique piece of art that is proudly made in the United Kingdom.
Available at Click4Art.com
Luggage has never been so cool or collectible! Or so painstakingly designed, developed and delivered.
Featuring 6 designs from International artists. Each holdall is printed with a different front and back plus the artist's design is then carried through to the specially printed lining. At the bottom of the lining is the uniquely printed Certificate of Authenticity - this is sequentially numbered - so each bag of the edition is unique.
Additionally the leather handles are laser engraved with the number of the edition - so 300 total means 300 total.
Each Holdall comes with a shoulder strap and Gold printed Dustbag - PLUS matching MiniBag & EyeMask included too.
This is our first (and probably only) silkscreen edition of our popular "Bunny Blossom" image.
It is an edition of 200 signed and numbered prints. 5 metallic colors on Coventry Rag Vellum 320 gm/wt paper. The final paper size is 37 x 28 inches. The edition is produced here in Los Angeles by the famed Modern Multiples. Each print comes with a Certificate of Authenticity also signed by us.
NOW AVAILABLE in our webshop!


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With the economy in the dumps, it makes sense that live online video learning site eduFire would go after those looking to refine or learn new business skills. The company announced today that it is launching a new Business Channel to provide courses for the wannabe entrepreneur, or those looking to transition to a new career.
Some of the sample business classes eduFire will offer include "How to Choose Your Business Idea," "10 Failures of a Startup," and "How to Raise Capital for Your Company." Classes will be taught by working professionals from across the business landscape. Like other eduFire offerings, classes will be held via live online video where students can interact with the teacher and each other. Classes are capped at 100 students.
Courses can be purchased on an a la carte basis, or students can purchase a subscription for $29 per month to take an unlimited number of classes.
eduFire recently raised $1.3 million in funding. The site has been slowly expanding beyond its language lesson roots into areas like standardized test preparation and technology classes like introductions to Facebook and Twitter.
Mindbites, another player in the online instructional video space, recently completed a $350,000 extension to its Series A round of funding. (Disclosure: Mindbites is backed by True Ventures, a venture capital firm that is an investor in the parent company of this blog, Giga Omni Media. Om Malik, founder of Giga Omni Media, is also a venture partner at True.)