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|Eddy Cosmas (centre) at NUS LGBT conference
An African gay activist, Edson 'Eddy' Cosmas, has had his first appeal for UK asylum turned down by a judge in a hearing 26 May at Harmondsworth detention centre, where he is being held.
Judge S. Chana accepted the UK Border Agency (UKBA)'s argument that Eddy's story was not 'credible' and that he has no reason to fear persecution in Tanzania even if he was gay, which he isn't.
A lawyer for Eddy, who had only been instructed for the case the previous night, asked for the case to be removed from the 'fast track process' so a psychological and physical assessment (to establish whether he had been tortured) could take place. This was refused, in part because the judge accepted UKBA's evidence on the absence of persecution of homosexuality in Tanzania and "I took the view that I would not be assisted by the additional reports." A reason that Eddy was not credible and she rejected the appeal was because the judge thought a Tanzanian homosexual should know more about developments on homosexuality in Tanzania.
In other words, her argument was: 'if you are a gay activist, as you say you are, you are not a very good one.'
Last week, we examined the problems with the initial decision on Eddy's case which has led UKBA to place him in 'fast-track' (which leaves him with vastly reduced time to make his case). In particular we pointed to how evidence on Tanzania had been found by UKBA to back their argument that gays are not persecuted there, contrary to guidance, and how various aspects taken to undermine Eddy's credibility were in fact based on, at best, cultural misreadings or misunderstandings or, at worst, willful ignorance.
Most pointedly, the UKBA initial decision maker, found the evidence Eddy gave about how gay men meet each other in Tanzania 'not credible'. So did the judge, saying: "I found these answers to be vague and unimpressive in demonstrating a knowledge and experience of how gay men in Tanzania find gay partners for one night stands [sic]. I would have expected a person with genuine experience to have given more detailed and coherent answers." Like UKBA, the judge believe they could not be persecution in Tanzania if two LGBT organisations and an underground gay scene on the island of Zanzibar exists. The judge said that Eddy "would be expected to know more" about Zanzibar, or more than that the Tanzanian government is 'against homosexuality', because Eddy has had 'one night stands' (the judge's pejorative phrase, and my emphasis).
The judge then makes much of a lack of prosecutions for homosexual offences reported in human rights reports (such as that of the State Dept.). She said that the Nigerian gay activist Rev. Jide Macauley, who was giving evidence, said that the "only risk for homosexuals is from Tanzanian society and not from the government." This is contrasted by her with Eddy saying that he had read of people being convicted and sentenced in Tanzanian newspapers.
However Macauley told us, "that's not true. She didn't take all my evidence into consideration [he had submitted a statement] and the process didn't allow me to provide an analysis of how the legal situation in Tanzania does persecute gays."
Macauley was not accepted as an expert witness by the judge, despite having testified to the United Nations.
The judge makes much of a report highlighted by UKBA of discussions on homosexuality within the Anglican Church involving Tanzania and says that "if the appellant was a homosexual, he would have more knowledge about [such] developments taking place in Tanzania on the issue of homosexuality as it would have affected him personally."
We explained before how the UKBA decision maker could not accept how an African family could 'disown' a gay son by sending him away and paying for UK studies, as opposed to never seeing him again. The judge agrees with this argument and goes further by not accepting that Eddy's struggles to explain this to UKBA have a lot to do with English not being his first language and his evident difficulty in explaining African attitudes to gay sons to the UKBA agent.
Rev. Macauley said that language misunderstandings can be the basis for very clear misunderstandings - which are then taken as discrepancies and seen as undermining someone's credibility. Something like 'elder brother' means something totally different in Swahaili to what it does in English, for example - and Eddy's discussion of his brothers is in the eyes of the judge and border agent was 'not credible'. Macauley questioned the translation provided by the Swahili interpreter present at the court. He felt that the interpreter was not neutral and was supporting the UKBA case: "we felt uncomfortable," he said. Stonewall's 2010 LGBT asylum report discusses problems with translators, including blatant homophobia.
Talking about one incident where Eddy was beaten after a French student kissed him in a bar, the judge cannot believe why the student would do that in Zanzibar "which was 90% Muslim". So that's another mark down for Eddy's 'credibility'.
There is much more which speaks to the aim of the judge and the initial interviewer to find inconsistencies which an understanding of the situation of African LGBT would explain. For example, Eddy talked further at the hearing about having stones thrown at him at night by unknown people. Stonewall's LGBT asylum report last year explained and the UKBA's own guidance covers why they may not volunteer all information immediately and other reports have explained how those suffering persecution (and torture) may not immediately volunteer details to a representative of the state. Yet the judge says: "I find that this is disingenuous in the extreme given that his claim is based on persecution in Tanzania on account of his homosexuality... this evidence that he was constantly attacked in Tanzania is an afterthought by the appellant to bolster his asylum claim."
Threats from a Tanzanian Bulletin Board, in particular one which says "..bring him, he will die at the airport!!!", are ignored, instead the judge focuses on other posts in that Board's thread which say Eddy is not gay. Since the hearing, Eddy's supporters have received further evidence (see below) from Tanzania on what threats Eddy may face if returned.
Macauley said in his statement:
"Cosmas's cases and fear highlighted in his personal statements are in line with homophobic activities throughout Tanzania. Cosmas clearly understands the Tanzanian culture and tradition that is largely restricting generally on human sexuality, however for his family to find out that he is gay has placed a lot of pressure on him, most African male is expended to introduce a bride. Any sign or admission of being gay would be considered an aberration, taboo and abomination, The fact that his uncle is now aware of his sexuality has dire consequence."Macauley says that the common African attitude is:
"If it were possible to determine the homosexuality of a child before birth many African parents would repudiate their homosexual child before they have the chance to live".Macauley adds that Tanzania provides no security for her citizens and has a high level of Police corruption. This "undermines the brutality of the crime against sexual minorities. There is an increasing and genuine fear of further risk of shame and stigma by friends, relatives, colleagues and employers."
"Gay people are described as an abomination and our actions are an attempt to corrupt the nation, a threat to national security and the young people."
"It will be both difficult and challenging for Cosmas to live his life safely and with dignity if deported to Tanzania.Stonewall's report explains why people may not immediately claim asylum on sexuality grounds because of fear and shame, yet the judge says that a delay of three months (my emphasis) between finding out about and attending a UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group (which helps LGBT asylum seekers) meeting and claiming asylum is not 'credible'.
All the evidence submitted by a dozen people that Eddy is gay is dismissed by the judge. She actually accepted that Eddy has been 'active in the gay rights movement in the UK' but says that this does not prove he is gay.
The judge, looking at the appeals from supporters and the petition on his behalf, says there is no evidence that Eddy would be 'out' in Tanzania. However, as we pointed out before, UKBA is supposed to establish whether someone would be 'discrete' if returned and why at interview - this was not asked.
Judge S. Chana summarises that Eddy's "claim to be a homosexual is an invention by the appellant and a ploy to remain in this country."
As we explained before, this case appears to have been considered with only cursory and dismissive reference to the Supreme Court decision last year and subsequent guidance on consideration of LGBT asylum claims issued by UKBA. This decision is yet another textbook example of how not to judge a gay asylum claim and - as we said before - undermines the promises of change on LGBT asylum made by the British government.
His supporters have said that:
"If the UK proceed on a track of deportation for Eddy, we call on other nations to step forward and offer Eddy the protection and safety he needs."This has happened before. Both Mehdi Kazemi and Pegah Emambakash - Iranian cases which became massive international campaigns in the teeth of Home Office attempts to remove them to certain imprisonment and likely death - were offered Italian sanctuary (subject to legal process) by senior Italian politicians.
His supporters have lobbied various British embassies around the world and have secured the support of Peter Tatchell, John McDonnell MP, the Mayor of Richmond, California, and organisations including the National Union of Students (NUS) Black Students Campaign, NUS LGBT campaign, and Gays without Borders (San Francisco).
Movement for Justice (the main group supporting Eddy): Timeline for Eddy on Fast Track
9 May: Eddy attends initial screening interview at the Home Office in Croydon; he submits claim for asylum based on sexual orientation. He is taken into detention, removed to Harmondsworth detention centre.
13 May: Eddy starts a grueling, adversarial interview process while being held in detention. He is appointed a solicitor he has never met before who only has 30minutes to get to know Eddie.
16 May: Interview continues, after 1 week in detention Edson is confused & scared, he has become even more scared over the weekend, feels he is being tested, cannot hold on to what had happened on 13 May.
18 May: The decision: key points are all based on confusion displayed by Eddy in the interview process (inability to remember details, timeline etc) taken, not as a natural response to being wrongly imprisoned or an expression of someone who is traumatised; but as meaning he lacks 'credibility'. Decision also stated that TZ really was not that bad for LGBT people, citing a quote from one TZ bishop as 'key' evidence. All witness statements from Eddy's friends& fellow MFJ members are completely dismissed.
23 May 2011: Eddy is examined by a doctor from Medical Justice who has been asked to provide a medico-legal report for Edson's appeal. Report cannot be completed until 31 May.
24 May: Eddy has psychological assessment. With less than one days notice the assessment cannot be carried out in a private room. Psychologist gathers enough information & observations to provide an interim report stating clearly that Eddy was not fit to appear on his own behalf at an appeal, that his mental health is deteriorating in detention and that she needed at least two more sessions to be able to complete the assessment. Eddy's appeal hearing is scheduled for 26 May
25 May: Today is spent trying to finalise Edson's witness statement, gathering other evidence and ensuring witnesses could attend, key witnesses, including an ex partner could not attend at such short notice. Gay activist in Tanzania gets in touch to say it is not at all safe for eddy to go back.
26 May: Edson's appeal hearing - application made to take Eddy off fast track and adjourn the hearing so medical and psychological assessments could be completed, death threats from Tanzania could be translated and two key witnesses could attend. Judge S Chana, disregarded all this & refused to end Eddy's detention or adjourn the hearing, he is subjected to almost two hours of gruelling cross examination.
25 May, Movement for Justice received a reply from a gay activist in TZ in response to our search for people who can talk about the real, lived experience of LGBT people in TZ. Below are extracts from his response, unfortunately we cannot disclose this source's name publicly because it would endanger his life. We hope to organise telephone interviews as long as his anonymity can be protected.
"Edson will face a lot of trouble (beaten, or death) if he will be returned back to Tanzania. Tanzania is not safe at all, especial for gays. Edson Cosmas who was publicized in magazine and documented in some websites in UK and most of the people here in Tanzania heard about him and main discussion is negative thought so for him it will not safe."
"I had experience some cases concern gay people who had been deported back to Tanzania, when they arrive at the airport some conservative people and religious who hate the gays are just waited outside the airport with slogan of disdain and stigmatize the person and also the police are usually waiting for them to arrest, absolutely. Edson has become quite well known because of the campaign to stop his deportation this will make him to be arrested."


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(from an 1872 newspaper)
One egg well beaten; one tablespoonful of sugar; one yeast cake dissolved in a cup of warm milk; two teaspoonfuls of salt; flour enough to make a stiff batter; set to rise; when risen, work in a large spoonful of butter, and flour enough to roll; roll out an inch thick, spread over with butter or lard; fold in half; cut with biscuit cutter; let rise and bake. ( Western Rural)
VINEGAR OF THE FOUR THIEVES: Recipes & curious tips from the past This book is a compilation of some of the funny and helpful tips from our past history. Some recipes and tips date back to 1770s. One or two sound a little dangerous and I would never try them myself, but I've included then in this book for their humorous and historical value. A few are useful, especially for our 'green' society today
About Donna R Causey
Donna R. Causey, resident of Alabama, was a teacher in the public school system for twenty years. When she retired, Donna found time to focus on her lifetime passion for historical writing. She developed the websites www.alabamapioneers and www.daysgoneby.me All her books can be purchased at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. She has authored numerous genealogy books. RIBBON OF LOVE: A Novel Of Colonial America (TAPESTRY OF LOVE) is her first novel in the Tapestry of Love about her family where she uses actual characters, facts, dates and places to create a story about life as it might have happened in colonial Virginia. Faith and Courage: Tapestry of Love (Volume 2) is the second book and the third FreeHearts: A Novel of Colonial America (Book 3 in the Tapestry of Love Series) Discordance: The Cottinghams (Volume 1) is the continuation of the story. . For a complete list of books, visit Donna R Causey

subset: commoncrawl


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Travel Guide
Save time and find the lowest cost airfare!
The island of San Andres is located off the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, but comprises, with the island of Providencia, a province of Colombia.
Those who find their way to the island come for the tropical relaxation that its pristine white sand Caribbean beaches can provide. There are large hotels, but it retains a Latino flare because its clientele is mostly from the mainland. The snorkeling and diving is perfect.
Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport serves the islands. Copa, Avianca, LAN, Viva Colombia and Air Transat fly to San Andres, while Satena offers flights to Providencia from here.
Save on cheap flights from San Andres Island. See below sample of San Andres Island airfares and airline ticket deals.
Top departure cities and airlines offering cheap airline tickets to San Andres Island.


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Wembley Arena – 24th April, 30th April and the 1st May
Fantastic set of concerts. Best i've ever seen them. Went backstage after the 30th April show and met Roger for the first time in 18 years! What a sweetheart! I also met Jake from the Scissor Sisters.
I met Ana from the Scissor Sisters on the 24th show. She was so lovely. So I called her over on the 30th's show too and she introduced me to her best friend Christy. We had a great time.
On the 1st May show – it was a fantastic night. It was the last show of the tour and the atmosphere was superb. Met Ana again and Christy and we chatted for a while. Then we went backstage and we found out we can use our passes to go to the party to celebrate the end of the tour at the Cafe Royal on Regent Street.
It was so cool. Got a smile and a wink from John but the place was so full up – it was like a cattle market! Simon was huge headed, Roger was cool and Nick was laid back.
Met up with Rocks which was lovely. Fantastic set of gigs. Superb!
Notes About This Entry
The five dates of the Wembley tour was supported by Goldfrapp for the first few and the Scissor Sisters the last. For my birthday that February my husband Gary had bought me the Scissors CD. He had heard Comfortably Numb on Jo Whiley and thought – 'My Michelle would love them!' He was so right. No-one else had heard of them in my circle of friends except perhaps Frank so I, for once, was so excited to see a support act. It was amazing to meet Ana for the first time. She had finished her support set and came to the side of the stage to watch Duran – she is a MASSIVE Duran fan. I was standing at the front left of the stage on the barrier so called her over for a chat. She was so lovely. The following gig she did the same but this time came over to chat to me! She had been so excited to meet Duran – even got things signed! It was so refreshing!
Another after show party – I was so lucky to go to them I can tell you. In reality there really isn't much reason for going. Duran aftershows are normally jam packed to the rafters with industry people, models (of course), some fans (how the hell did they get in!!) and sometimes the band themselves. Not all band members would go to some aftershows. This one was attended by all although I don't remember Andy being there…..I sat and talked to Rocks (DD's roadie from the 80's) and his girlfriend Elena most of the night!
(I have also written a small piece on the back of this entry where there once was a backstage pass – it had been ripped off and some of my diary entry was missing too. I had gone to see the Scissor Sisters perform in Brighton at the Concorde 2. All I can make out of the entry was that it was a sweaty gig. Ana came out to say hi, we spent half an hour chatting and she persuaded me to never get a tattoo! She also gave me an email address to keep in touch.)
There is another gap of nearly a year or so in my diary. The next entry will be from 2005 – the year I get to fulfill one of my dreams!!


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Bought this Fleur de lis bundt pan at an affordable price few weeks ago. This is the second time I have used this pan. The first time using it, my cake stucked to the pan. I guess it really need thoroughly grease/butter and flour all over it the pan in order the cake can be removed easily after cooled.
Today I have baked this Neapolitan Marble Cake....which is an everyday cake.
Neapolitan Marble Cake
Recipe from Rima of Bisous A Toi
250g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing the cake tin
250g caster sugar (I only used 200g)
Pinch of salt
Seeds of 1 vanilla pod
5 medium eggs
250g self-raising flour, sifted
25g cocoa powder
25ml milk
Pink liquid food colour (I used 1 tbsp raspberry paste + Wilton gel color)
Plain flour for dusting
Icing sugar for dusting
150ml water
150g caster sugar
30cm (12 in) Kugelhupf or Bundt cake tin
1. Preheat the oven to 175°C/Gas mark 4. Prepare the cake tin by greasing with softened butter and dusting with plain flour.
Aiiii...........forgot to dust some icing sugar on top for final touch........


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As a travel guru, I'm obsessed with racking up points and miles. I did a destination wedding in Ireland, and fabulous though it was, I'm bummed that I missed this awesome opportunity. Have your wedding at one of 42 Marriott, Renaissance, or JW Marriott properties, in all sorts of fabulous locations (Hawaii! California! Costa Rica!) and you'll earn 150,000 Marriott Rewards points—that's good for a six-night stay. There is a catch. You have to spend a minimum of $25,000 on catering, if your wedding is held on a Friday-Saturday. But think of the cash you'll save on the honeymoon hotel.
—Jacqueline Gifford


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To many, development performance of Bangladesh appears as puzzling. Puzzling it may appear, yet, overwhelming evidence, showing concurrent improvement in economic, social and political indicators suggest that the performance, particularly under democracy, is a stylized fact. A recent article (in Nov. 14, 2011 issue of the outlookindia.com) by Jean Dreze and Amartya Sen illustrating comparative performance of South Asian countries indicates that the gains in many areas even surpass those of its peers in the region.
The question is, what explains such impressive performance amid so many barriers (high corruption, unaccountable political establishment influenced by special interest groups, frequent military intervention, chronic bottleneck to complimentary inputs, frequent strokes of natural disasters) troubling the country since its independence. I attribute much of the gains to the emergence of three democratic institutions, namely (1) a competitive electoral process, (2) a relatively free media, and (3) a relatively independent upper judiciary.
I strongly believe that these institutions combined with a thriving civil society have played a significant role in incentivizing people and businesses in pursing enterprising ventures through the elevated status of freedom and security of property rights.
True, when evaluated in historical context, one would surely recognize robust performance under democracy than those under military rule. Yet, the democracy advantage argument would likely be a hard sell, especially, to those who:
(1) fail to see noticeable shift in their economic status;
(2) encounter severe and chronic obstacle to accessing public services such as electricity, roads, highways, ports;
(3) confront, in every step of the way, constant bickering of a cohort of unaccountable political hierarchies; and
(4) put up with the thriving special interest groups, skilfully, redistributing hard-earned savings through their access to power structure.
And, there are reasons behind such scepticism. In fact, despite making significant progress during the first-half of the democratic rule, economic gains clearly fail to dramatically transform the overall standard of living like those seen in the transition of the East Asian countries, more recently, of China, India, and Vietnam to the middle income country status. With nearly unchanged income inequality, considerable increase in the percentage of households receiving benefits of social safety nets from 13.1% in 2005 to 24.6% in 2010, low growth in purchasing power, low income level, and low share of manufacturing sector in GDP and the dominant service sector being heavily dependent on speculative activities, wholesale trade and commerce, Bangladesh economy can hardly be viewed as dynamic as also seen in the social and economic transformation of other emerging countries.
For instance, per capita real GDP growth at a 5.3% annual rate during 2000-10 can barely be termed as phenomenal compared to those observed in China, India and Vietnam (at 15.1%, 8.3%, and 8% rates respectively). Overall economic growth seems to be stalling around 5.5-6% (compared to 7.4%, 10.3% and 7.2% in India, China and Vietnam respectively) during the same period. The quality of institutions, which sustained improvement during the 1991-01 compared to those during the military rule, declined during 2001-08 period. A modest gain which reported during 2009-10 has also started to reverse course at the end of 2010.
The qualities of infrastructure and education have been the weakest links since ages and do not show much sign of discernible progress, even under democracy. In the recent (2011-12) Global Competitiveness report, Bangladesh is ranked near the bottom of the scale in four critical areas, thought to be a must for attaining competitiveness in the global economy. Among 142 countries, Bangladesh is ranked 134, 126, 124, and 122, respectively, in quality of infrastructure, quality of higher education and training, state of innovation, and technological readiness. The report does not bode well for future prospect. While Bangladesh stagnates in these areas, many emerging economies are leapfrogging to catch up with the more advance countries.
Adding woes to the future prospects are recent murder of a Saudi diplomat at the secured diplomatic zone, murder of a high-profile journalist couple, stock market debacle, and the culture of impunity. All seem to attract quite undue attention of the international community and will surely downgrade Bangladesh's status as an attractive destination of investment and tourism in the years to come, if not addressed immediately and effectively.
ABM Nasir is an Associate Professor of Economics at the North Carolina Central University, USA.


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US Department of Labor's OSHA assistant secretary concerned
some oil spill workers not receiving proper training
WASHINGTON – ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂU.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels today issued the following statement regarding training for Gulf Coast oil spill clean-up:
"Employees hired to be supervisors in the onshore and marine cleanup are required to receive extensive training. A rigorous 40-hour program is required under OSHA's Hazardous Waste Operation and Emergency Response Standard.
"In order to meet the certifications of this 40-hour training, a combination of classroom and hands-on, applicable experience is required. This includes instruction on the makeup and risks associated with the hazardous material(s) involved, and experience with the equipment needed for the work, safety gear and local environment.
"We have received reports that some are offering this training in significantly less than 40 hours, showing video presentations and offering only limited instruction. This training cannot be shortened to anything less than 40 hours. Moreover, computer-based training, which could be offered over the Internet, can be used as part of an overall 40-hour HAZWOPER training course. However, such training alone does not meet the full course requirements.
"OSHA also recommends that the trainer-to-student ratio for this type of training be one trainer for every 30 students in the class.
"If a worker feels the training he or she received by a private company or organization does not meet the HAZWOPER training requirements, he or she may contact the closest OSHA area office to file a complaint or call 800-321-OSHA (6742) for more information.â€


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your bag
Your bag is empty.
Sorry, this product has sold out!
If you would like ARCHFASHION to try to and find it for you complete the form below.
Fitted maxi skirt with curved hemline that leads into right side split with two pockets in black stripe burnout. Fabric: silk burnout colour: black stripe
The first rate JADE MAXI SKIRT from Maurie & Eve has sold out. We did have it inBlack Stripe / 8 & Black Stripe / 10.
Start a "Find It For Me" to notify hundreds of Australian Boutiques that you're looking for it and then be notified if it comes back in stock.


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/ Skirt-F21 / Shirt-Michael Star / Jacket-Urbanwear / Tights-Nordstrom Rack / Shoes-Forever Young Shoes / Scarfs-Chic Style /
Who loves their pink tights? ME ME!!
I've been dying to wear these and I have felt its been too cold outside for just tights. Today it's been 36 degrees and sunny, which is way better conditions than 12 degrees and overcast for tights. Hope you guys have an amazing day!
PS can you find which picture makes me look like an indian? Hii-yaa-ii-aa :)


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Submission Guidelines
Don't have time to write and entire article or note?
Head over to the Law Blog to see how you can publish a blog article!
The Journal is pleased to accept submissions from members of the legal and scientific communities with experience and insights into issues at the intersection of the Law and Technology. Submissions should be within the range of 10 to 45 pages and should use standard bluebook citation form. Submissions may be emailed to email@example.com as an attached Word document. Please also attach the author's resume and, if available, an abstract of the article.
In an effort to better inform our understanding of the field from the author's perspective, we ask that authors submitting articles to us kindly mention how they decided to submit to our journal in particular. A sentence or two to that end would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your interest in the Virginia Journal of Law & Technology.
Student Notes
Student notes are 5 - 20 page articles written exclusively by UVA law students. If you are a student interested in writing a note, please email an abstract of your proposed note, summarizing the topic and your arguments or positions. You can email a proposal to email@example.com as a Word document.
You do not need to submit a resume, but please include in your proposal email your name and class year.
If the editorial team decides to accept your proposal, they will contact you to establish a time frame for completing the note and publishing it.
Formatting Guidelines
Although adherence to the formatting guidelines is not required, it is encouraged. It makes our job much easier, and therefore it makes us much happier to receive your submission.
Font: Times New Roman, Size 12 (Size 10 for footnotes).
Margins: 1 inch on all sides.
Paragraphs: Single-spaced lines, 12 pt. spacing after paragraphs, first line indented 0.5", alignment justified.
Primary: Roman numerals (I, II, III), Times New Roman font, size 16, bold, small caps, no indent. 36 pt. spacing before, 18 pt. spacing after.
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Tertiary: Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3), Times New Roman font, size 12, bold, no indent. 12 pt. spacing before, 6 pt. spacing after.
Block quotes: 6 pt. spacing before, 0 pt. after. Indent left and right 0.5".


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Prime Years: Bealtaine Festival
April –
May 2011
Presented as part of Bealtaine, the national festival celebrating creativity in older age. Prime Years explores the many aspects of aging through images made from the individual perspectives of 12 artists from around the world.
From the editorial to the personal, the work in Prime Years depicts centenarians, artists, relatives, and other individuals enjoying, enduring, and living their lives beyond the age of 60, reflecting the values of individual artist's culture and their own personal idiosyncrasies.
'Prime Years provides a vision of ageing that will positively inspire ageing and non-ageing people. The exhibit moves from idiosyncratic ways of depicting elderly people to straight forward documentation. The twists and turns in perspective of the exhibit attempt to match but do not exhaust the complexity of the ageing process itself.'
Fernando Castro R., Curator, Houston Center for Photography
Artists include: Cynthia Morgan Batmanis (US); Miloushka Bokma (The Netherlands); Edmund Clark (UK); Kaylynn Deveney (US); Theresa DiMenno (US); Norma Holt (US); Eileen Kennedy (US); Margot Quan Knight (US); Gaby Messina (Argentina); Blake Ogden (US); Jane Paradise (US); and Mark Story (US). Prime Years was curated by Houston Center for Photography, Texas, US.
For further information on the Prime Years exhibition, image scans etc, please contact: Trish Lambe, T: 3531 6714654 or email email@example.com
Opening hours: Tuesday – Saturday 11–6; Sunday 1–6. Admission is free, donations are welcome.
Bealtaine, the national festival celebrating creativity in older age, is coordinated by Age & Opportunity and includes events organised by hundreds of partner organisations. Bealtaine festival May 1 to 31 2011 – all over Ireland. For further information on the Bealtaine festival please contact T. +3531 805 7709 or email firstname.lastname@example.com or visit www.bealtaine.com


text: Hi guys! I am here to introduce you to Bloglovin'! Bloglovin' is a place where all you favorite blogs are in one place. You can add the blogs you want to follow and will get notified when the post something new on their website.. I have added my blog to Bloglovin' so now you can follow me (if you are interested, of course!). I have a button at the bottom of this post that you can click to go to my profile and another button on the sidebar. I hope you love Bloglovin'!


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Myanmar Visa
Do I Need a Visa for Burma?
Yes. US citizens must have a visa to enter Burma, and this visa can be obtained from the Embassy of Burma or via an online system. Travel to, from, and within Burma is tightly controlled by the government, and you will be required to show your visa at all airports, train stations, and hotels. If you arrive in Burma without the proper travel documents, you will be denied entry. In addition to a visa, travelers to Burma must be in possession of a valid passport with at least six months of validity remaining after your departure date.
|Is A …
|A Burma Entry Requirement?
|Passport Validity
|Minimum 6 months validity
|Blank Passport Pages
|One page for entry stamp
|Tourist Visa
|Other Visa Types
|See below
Sources: Embassy of Burma and U.S. State Department
Can I Obtain My Visa for Burma on Arrival?
Some business travelers may obtain a visa on arrival. However, this type of visa is only available if the traveler has already obtained a letter of invitation from a business that is registered with the Ministry of Commerce in Burma. On arrival visas are not available for tourist travel.
Does Burma Offer an eVisa?
Yes. Tourists may apply for a visa to Burma via an online portal. The eVisa needs to be used within three months of being issued, and you must print out the Approval Letter that is electronically sent to you and carry it with you at all times in Burma. Note that the online visa system can be confusing and difficult to understand as it was not written by a native English speaker. Therefore, it is best to have a travel document expert submit the online visa on your behalf so that incorrect answers do not result in your visa request being denied. Tourist visas can also be obtained via the Embassy of Burma, and these typically have a longer validity.
What Types of Materials Support My Burma Visa Application?
To apply for a Burma visa, you will need:
- Valid Passport
- Passport Photos or digital copies of passport photos
- Properly Completed Burma Visa Application Form
Depending on the details of your trip to Burma, you may also need:
- Business Introduction Letter
- Invitation Letter
- Certificate of Incorporation
- Money Order
Confused by the document requirements for travel to Burma? Let the Burma visa experts help! Call for expert advice.
How Do I Obtain My Visa for Burma?
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Steve Osaduik scored his second win in the 2012 Timex BC Road Race Series, crossing the line first at the Kajaks Icebreaker 8K in Steveston. His winning time of 24:53 was seven seconds slower than he cloecked at the Harriers Pioneer 8K three weeks ago.
Participants encountered a strong headwind for the first 4K, on the out-and-back course, resulting in negative splits for most.
Sam Pawluk was 13 seconds behind Osaduik at the finish, improving both his time and his position from Pioneer, clocking 25:06. Jerry Ziak completed the podium in 25:18.
The womens race produced a close finish, as Shauna Skinner held on to win in 28:44, just one second ahead of Catherine Watkins, who was also first master. Sabrina Wilkie was not far behind in 28:57.
Top master was Kevin O'Connor in fifth place, who bested Graeme Wilson, 25:57 to 26:08.
Complete results here: http://www.raceheadquarters.com/results/2012/run/IceBreaker2012OA.html
Many of these athlete will challenge each other again at the "First Half" Half Marathon, the third race in the 2012 Timex BC Road Running Series, on February 12.
The Icebreaker was also the first event in the 2012 Lower Mainland Road Race Series.


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Nicolantonio Capurso
Sustainable Gourmet
Our quality vision
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Nicole Lobis
Simon Moroder offers a glimpse into the secrets of the cosmos
How are stars born? How long do they live and why do they die? Is that tiny dot over there a planet? Where is the Milky Way? And how far away is all of this?
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Carmen Hofer
From my desk to the runner's paradise
For me, running is the ideal balance to my work, it reduces stress and permits to leave all the thoughts behind me after a hard day in the office.
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Arik Oberrauch
Latte Art - In the heart of coffee
Coffee has always been more than a simple drink for me. A good espresso is a pleasure connected to the art of fine living.
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Erich Kostner
Sauna for body and senses
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Nicole Lobis
The magic alpenglow
One of my favorite moments here at the Lodge is when...
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ADLER Pralines
A delicious hay praline, an AETOS Sangiovese praline or would you prefer to try the AETOS olive oil praline?
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Hannes Pignater
Where the celery tastes like vanilla
Oat roots, hedge nettle bulbs, vegetable amaranth, friar's beard, mountain spinach, cloddy pea vine, Abyssinian cabbage…
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Elisa Kostner
Inspired by nature
The nature surrounding us is the source of inspiration for the desserts I create.
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Erich Kostner
The legend of the Pale Mountains
The Dolomites did not always shine in their present color. Don't you believe that? Read here what happend long time ago.
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Hannes Pignater
Happy goats'milk
The origin of the ingredients we process at the ADLER Mountain Lodge is important to us, because only good things lead to good results.
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Sometimes we want Orders in certain areas to be assigned to specific Drivers. At the same, we want to make sure that Drivers can also serve further Orders if they are left with any residual availability after completing their area.
This is exactly the reason why the Driver Regions feature has been added to the Route Planner: all the Orders included within a certain Driver's region are forcedly assigned to that Driver, but the Driver is still eligible for serving Orders outside his/her region. This way, no chance to generate efficiency is lost.
Click on the My Fleet tab (top left) and access a Driver's Default settings (see below for assigning/modifying a region for a specific Route Plan):
By clicking on the Assign to a region tab and on the drawing button on the map, you can start defining the region's borders. Other Drivers' regions are shown concurrently and each region has the Driver's color code to distinguish it from others (blue in the example below). Regions can be deactivated by pressing the on/off button. When they are not active, only their borders are shown (yellow and red in the example below).
After all regions have been defined, you can add Orders and click on Plan Optimal Routes. All Orders are assigned to Drivers on the basis of their regions, Orders in overlapping regions or on borders are assigned automatically. The best efficiency is guaranteed by the fact that Drivers, after serving their region, are utilized even for Orders outside of their regions if they have any residual availability.
Please note that like all other Driver Settings, Driver Regions can be assigned/modified from under the tab My Fleet or from under the tab Route Plans (by clicking on the Driver's name in the lower part of the screen).
Remember that if you change a Driver's settings from the tab My Fleet, the new settings will be applied to all future Route Plans whenever this Driver is utilized. If you only need to modify settings only for a specific Route Plan, you need to do it from the tab Route Plans.


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Counties in South Carolina and West Virginia.
LST-279 was laid down on 2 July 1943 at Ambridge, Pa., by the American Bridge Co.; launched on 19 September 1943; sponsored by Miss Marion Ruth Warsack; and commissioned at New Orleans, La., on 25 October 1943, Lt. Charles A. Palm, USNR, in command.
After fitting out at the Naval Station, Algeris, New Orleans, LST-279 loaded supplies and ammunition before proceeding to St. Andrew's Bay, Panama City, Fla., for her shakedown cruise. While there, her crew practiced beach maneuvers and held communications and gunnery drills. In mid-November, she returned to New Orleans where the tank landing ship (LST) received minor alterations at the Pendleton Ship Yards. She then proceeded independently to New York; and, from there, on to Davisville, R.I., to load supplies and cargo. Moving on to Halifax, Nova Scotia, in early January 1944, she got underway in convoy for Europe later that month.
After arriving at Plymouth, England, on 7 February and unloading tank deck cargo, the LST engaged in various training maneuvers between Plymouth, Salcombe, and Dartmouth off the southern coast of England. Assigned to Flotilla 28 in May, the tank landing ship was placed under British operational control for the upcoming landings in France. She then spent the days immediately before the Normandy invasion in the western Solent, Southhampton, undergoing further training with British troops.
On 6 June 1944, LST-279 moved from Southhampton to Portsmouth, where she loaded British troops and vehicles before joining a convoy for Normandy. On the morning of 7 June, the tank landing ship beached and unloaded her charges in the Green sector of Juno Beach. Casualties then came on board for the return trip to Portsmouth. On her next convoy run, however, the tank landing ship ran into trouble. German E-boats, operating from Cherbourg, torpedoed ocean tug Partridge (ATO-138) and closed the LST convoy. Before nearby escorts drove off the attackers, one E-boat torpedo narrowly missed LST-279--passing 20-feet from her bow--but went on to damage LST-538 instead. Over the next two months, LST-279 made over a dozen more shuttle trips, carrying troops, ammunition, and supplies from England to the beachheads in France.
Starting in August 1944, she made routine operational trips from Portland, England, to the Normandy beaches and to the French ports of Rouen, Le Havre, Cherbourg, and St. Michel-en-Creves. By the time she departed for home in June 1945, LST-279 had made 74 Channel crossings in support of the Allied armies in Europe.
After unloading cargo at Norfolk, Va., the tank landing ship proceeded to New Orleans for maintenance availability and repairs. Following a short post-repair cruise to Galveston, Tex., LST-279 moved to Green Cove Springs, on the St. Johns River in Florida, where she joined the Atlantic Reserve Fleet on 12 October 1945. LST-279 was decommissioned there on 27 June 1946.
On 20 July 1950, in consequence of the June 1950 invasion of South Korea by communist North Korea and the ensuing mobilization of units in the reserve fleet, the tank landing ship was tapped for activation the following year. On 5 April 1951, LST-279 was recommissioned at Green Cove Springs and reported to the Atlantic Fleet for duty. The tank landing ship operated out of Norfolk for the next three and a half years, carrying out a variety of training missions and hauling cargo up and down the east coast.
In January 1955, she sailed south, passed through the Panama Canal, and steamed to Long Beach. There, LST-279 commenced inactivation procedures after being transferred to the Pacific Reserve Fleet on 1 February. LST-279 was decommissioned at Long Beach on 14 June 1955. On 30 June 1955, the tank landing ship was transferred to the Nationalist Chinese Navy, in which she served as Chung Chih (216). Although named Berkeley County (LST-279) on 1 July 1955, she never return to Navy service, and her name was struck from the Navy list on 25 April 1960. The tank landing ship served in the Taiwanese Navy until scrapped sometime during 1978.
LST-279 earned one battle star for World War II service.
Timothy L. Francis
15 February 2006


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Breakfasting with George Kimball and his mother
It was Patrick Stack I went to meet in the dining room of the Listowel Arm hotel.
Feeling delicate and fortunate to have been lifted into town by Malcolm Payne, my b&b host.
Patrick and I were getting sorted when George Kimball arrived. I was quick to say 'good morning, George. Would you like to join us?'
He did and, shortly later, Sue Kimball arrived. She's from Louisville, Kentucky. George was in a Kansas sweatshirt.
Like me, Patrick Stack hasn't read a word of George's work. I introduced them, and George was interested to find out how he could get to see the blog. He wanted to know how much of his session yesterday we had captured.
In case I forget it: if you are ever going to blog a festival, have a business card made specially for the occasion. Carry them and give them out to everyone so that they can find the blog after. It's a mouthful to say "you can find it by googling 'listowelwritersweekfringe.com'. I wouldn't be able to remember whether you have to put the Listowel in or not, and, if you don't get thru quickly you probably give up looking and do something simpler.
Jenny Dorn joined us. She lives in Colorado and visits London, England, to see her mother who is 92. Mine is 83, so she a teenager in comparison.
John Sheehan stopped to have a few words with George.
Across the room I watch the poet from Cavan, which he pronounces like "quavan". He's with four others, all conversing.
Better split this experience into short bits, rather than try to present it in one fell swoop.
Remember your readers Paul.


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It is our belief that the most favorable results can only be obtained when negotiating from a position of confidence and strength, which is obtained by demonstrating that when forced to try cases because of unreasonable demands, such cases can, in fact, be successfully defended.
McCumber Daniels advises and represents both national and regional insurance companies relating to complex issues of insurance coverage, policy interpretation in today's legal environment, and the appropriate application of policy exclusions. Our first party and third party experience encompasses all types of insurance lines, including property, casualty, commercial general liability, professional liability, auto liability, umbrella and reinsurance. Our skilled attorneys combine our practical experience in the courtroom with novel legal challenges to efficiently find sound business solutions for our clients in the insurance industry.
McCumber Daniels attorneys represent insurance companies in legal disputes with their insureds. These matters are resolved through vigorous investigation, arbitration, contractual appraisal, mediation, trial and appeal. Our dedicated insurance attorneys handle many property insurance claims relating to:
When any of these various types of first party claims implicate suspicious or fraudulent activities, McCumber Daniels attorneys routinely conduct comprehensive Examinations Under Oath (EUO) and request document production from the claimants, which often leads us to working closely with SIU departments. Many times, these investigations lead to the claimants completely abandoning their claim during the pre-suit period. McCumber Daniels also represents auto insurers in defense of uninsured motorist claims (UM) in addition to our third party auto liability defense.
In the current insurance litigation environment, bad faith claims drive much of the insurer's exposure and expense. McCumber Daniels' relationship with the insurance industry includes the prevention of, and defense of, bad faith claims. The attorneys at McCumber Daniels frequently defend against first party Notices of Insurer Violation relating to various theories of unfair trade practices and improper claims handling through the Department of Financial Services and in the courtroom. Our attorneys are also called upon to defend against third party extra-contractual liability (ECL) claims. These ECL cases, often relating to excess judgments and the insurer's alleged failure to defend, require a proactive early comprehensive assessment to determine how to manage the carrier's potential exposure. McCumber Daniels' understands these needs and partners with its clients to manage these risks.
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Private meetings + public business = bad business for taxpayers
You might say I crashed a private party Monday night in downtown New Albany, Mississippi. I have done it before, and I promise, if given the opportunity, to do it again — and again. As is usually the case with such behavior, those who had arranged the private gathering weren't thrilled to see me. Rude? I [Continue Reading]


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Having fun at the Taccle2 Conference
This week we are in Brussels for the final meeting and conference of the Taccle2 project. More info and ideas to come but for now, here's a sneak peek of what went on!
GoogleTranslate Service
This week we are in Brussels for the final meeting and conference of the Taccle2 project. More info and ideas to come but for now, here's a sneak peek of what went on!
Zero Hours Contracts
Figures from the UK Higher Education Statistics Agency show that in total almost 11,500 people – both academics and support staff – working in universities on a standard basis were on a zero-hours contract in 2017-18, out of a total staff head count of about 430,000, reports the Times Higher Education. Zero-hours contract means the employer is not obliged to provide any minimum working hours
Separate figures that only look at the number of people who are employed on "atypical" academic contracts (such as people working on projects) show that 23 per cent of them, or just over 16,000, had a zero-hours contract.
Resistance decreases over time
Interesting research on student centered learning and student buy in, as picked up by an article in Inside Higher Ed. A new study published in PLOS ONE, called "Knowing Is Half the Battle: Assessments of Both Student Perception and Performance Are Necessary to Successfully Evaluate Curricular Transformation finds that student resistance to curriculum innovation decreases over time as it becomes the institutional norm, and that students increasingly link active learning to their learning gains over time
Postgrad pressure
Research published this year by Vitae and the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) and reported by the Guardian highlights the pressure on post graduate students.
"They might suffer anxiety about whether they deserve their place at university," says Sally Wilson, who led IES's contribution to the research. "Postgraduates can feel as though they are in a vacuum. They don't know how to structure their time. Many felt they didn't get support from their supervisor."
Taught students tend to fare better than researchers – they enjoy more structure and contact, says Sian Duffin, student support manager at Arden University. But she believes anxiety is on the rise. "The pressure to gain distinction grades is immense," she says. "Fear of failure can lead to perfectionism, anxiety and depression."
Teenagers online in the USA
According to Pew Internet 95% of teenagers in the USA now report they have a smartphone or access to one. These mobile connections are in turn fueling more-persistent online activities: 45% of teens now say they are online on a near-constant basis.
Roughly half (51%) of 13 to 17 year olds say they use Facebook, notably lower than the shares who use YouTube, Instagram or Snapchat.
The survey also finds there is no clear consensus among teens about the effect that social media has on the lives of young people today. Minorities of teens describe that effect as mostly positive (31%) or mostly negative (24%), but the largest share (45%) says that effect has been neither positive nor negative.
Our Wikispace for teaching and learning
Join our Sounds of the Bazaar Facebook goup. Just click on the logo above.
We will be at Online Educa Berlin 2015. See the info above. The stream URL to play in your application is Stream URL or go to our new stream webpage here SoB Stream Page.


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We've just returned from an amazing two weeks in England and Scotland – I can scarcely believe it's happened already! Time spent traveling flies by so quickly, but the time on the front end of things, well that's another story. Before I unpack our trip (literally – bags are waiting for me upstairs), I wanted to share a little behind the scenes of everything that went into us getting there.
Let's back way up to when Joe and I were engaged. We spent the first four months of our engagement separated by an ocean because of my love for travel – I chose my college experience based on the travel exposure it would allow, and worked hard to create those opportunities for myself. I'm firmly in the idealist camp when it comes to travel – I really and truly believe that gaining experience outside of ourselves makes us better human beings and citizens of the world. This is one of those mountains I'm willing to die on, and my hopeless optimism on the subject has carried over to my darling husband, who is the perfect exploring partner.
When I returned from study abroad and we began planning our wedding and our life together, we had a lot of space to dream and decide what some of our family priorities would be. We worked together to determine our own family model and what those values might look like, and sure enough, travel fell high amongst the ranks. With everything else in stride, we began tackling our first few years of marriage and started saving away money for our untitled travel fund – we didn't know where we would go with that money or when it would be used, but we saved anyways, letting it grow year by year. We let all of our travel for the next four years be family based (read: family funded) and decided to forgo vacations for just the two of us in order to keep adding to that little travel fund. We were faithful in protecting that money, even when we bought our house last year and I wanted to put every dollar we had into a decent sized downpayment (and also wanted new furniture, let's be real). We kept our heads down and just kept on saving.
Last year it finally felt like time to do something with our travel savings. We daydreamt of Greek ruins and Norwegian coastlines, but when our friend Joseph began studying at Cambridge, we thought it would be a perfect opportunity to visit the British Isles. I began reading up on Scotland and quickly fell in love with the thought of the place, so we decided on England and Scotland as our visit. Since we're both teachers with sizeable summer breaks, June made the most sense for our trip, and I quickly got to work booking and planning and researching. I made a six page itinerary, with more detailed notes to add now that the trip is over, and I practically memorized the London transport system. I logged countless hours scouring Tripadvisor and blog reviews. I began packing in my head at least one month prior to the trip. Finally though, it all fell into place, and we left our familiar lives behind for two weeks while exploring some of the most beautiful new places.
If I'm being totally honest, there was a fair amount of internal conflict that came along with this trip. I worried that I was posting too much about it, that maybe it would all seem like a brag. I worried that we could have been better stewards of that money, putting it to work outside of our own gain instead. I worried about what people might think of my experiences or my priorities. I worried that I might need to add a thousand disclaimers – about our finances or how we haven't taken a vacation since our honeymoon four years ago. I worried that I would regret not going to more cities or different countries. I worried that I would wish we went to Copenhagen instead. I worried that I should have done more research on those anti-theft wallets. I worried about what my hair would look like without being able to style it at all for two weeks. Hell, I worried about what I would look like in pictures, whether I'd feel good about myself in all of the photos we'd surely take.
And let me just say, those worries melted the moment our feet hit foreign soil. I remembered all the reasons why Joe and I chose travel as a priority for our family. I remembered what it was like to navigate a new place with just a map, to be unplugged (between free wifi spots), and to be in a new place. I wouldn't describe myself as a thrill-seeker by any means. I'm scared of a ton of stuff. But I love new places. I love learning their history, their secrets, and their streets. I love the interactions with people who have a different view of the world and grip on life. I love finding the rhythm of a new place and, for a brief moment, adding myself to that flow. I love the experience of it all, and I especially love experiencing it all with my partner by my side (or slightly behind, since I tend to walk quickly through streets and crowds when I'm excited).
So that's how we got there. A lot of time spent waiting and saving and dreaming. Even more time reminding ourselves that this is our priority as a family and that it's right for us. A couple months of planning all the details. Then, finally, two weeks of spending it all, seeing it all, eating it all, walking it all, taking in the sheer wonder of it all.
Over the next few days and weeks, I'll break down our trip into a few more posts, because #allthephotos. And in the meantime, a million thanks for all of the support and encouragement along the way!


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Paul Krugman and other respected observers have come out strongly against Tim Geithner's latest plan to fix the banking system, which is a slightly modified version of Geithner's original plan to fix the banking system.
Krugman also lays the blame at Obama's feet and wonders whether it will destroy his political capital.
Krugman made his despair known in his blog on Saturday. Today, he lets fly in his New York Times column:
[T]he Geithner scheme… isn't really about letting markets work. It's just an indirect, disguised way to subsidise purchases of bad assets…
[T]the real problem with this plan is that it won't work. Yes, troubled assets may be somewhat undervalued. But the fact is that financial executives literally bet their banks on the belief that there was no housing bubble, and the related belief that unprecedented levels of household debt were no problem. They lost that bet. And no amount of financial hocus-pocus — for that is what the Geithner plan amounts to — will change that fact. Read all >
As we explained on Saturday, here's what Krugman is so upset about:
Remember the crux of the problem: Banks say their assets are worth 60 cents on the dollar. The market says they are worth 30 cents on the dollar.
Geithner continues to accept the banks' argument that this huge bid/ask spread is just a temporary condition: The market just doesn't understand that the assets are actually worth 60 cents on the dollar. When it realises this, everything will be fine. The majority of smart economists (at least the ones we read) think this is a crock. The banks are hallucinating (or worse), and most of the assets are worth what the market says they are worth.
In any event, the only way banks can be induced to sell those assets is if someone agrees to pay 60 cents (or more) on the dollar, because otherwise the banks will have to take more writedowns and require more capital. The only way someone will pay 60 cents or more on the dollar is if someone gives them a boatload of free money to be reckless with. That's where Geithner and the taxpayer come in.
In effect, Treasury will be creating — deliberately! — the functional equivalent of Texas S&Ls in the 1980s: financial operations with very little capital but lots of government-guaranteed liabilities. For the private investors, this is an open invitation to play heads I win, tails the taxpayers lose. So sure, these investors will be ready to pay high prices for toxic waste. After all, the stuff might be worth something; and if it isn't, that's someone else's problem. [The taxpayer's]…
This plan will produce big gains for banks that didn't actually need any help; it will, however, do little to reassure the public about banks that are seriously undercapitalized. And I fear that when the plan fails, as it almost surely will, the administration will have shot its bolt: it won't be able to come back to Congress for a plan that might actually work. Read all >
Calculated Risk and Yves Smith slam a different part of the plan. Keep reading here >
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Red Herring Knits is the culmination of the idea that when a knitter creates a sweater or other knit design, the tangible process involving yarn and needles is a diversion from what is actually happening.
Every design begins with a concept–an idea of how it should look, fit, feel. What thoughts and emotions it should evoke.
This leads to a technical evaluation. How do the sleeves fit into the armhholes? What size gauge is required? Where does the shaping happen? What stitch patterns are used?
The final stage is execution–the actual knitting–hopefully culminating in a finished object.
Knitters find the above process so familiar as to be unnoticeable, and most knitters have probably dabbled with design in one form or another.
But we like to take knitting one step further.
Knitting in its truest sense is a form of technology—the making, modification, usage, and knowledge of knit fabric in order to solve a problem, improve a pre-existing solution to a problem, achieve a goal, or perform a specific function.
Knitting also has deep roots in mathematics. Most knitters just scratch the surface when they follow a pattern stating "cast on 32 stitches" or "knit two stitches, purl two stitches."
The language used for knitting (all the abbreviations, the formatting, the numbers mixed with letters) has strong ties to mathematical notation. Not only does a finished knitting pattern resemble a computer algorithm, the pattern "knit two stitches, purl two stitches" resulting in a double rib stitch is a tangible application of the concept of mathematical functions we learned in school.
Every knit shape possible can be described and classified with a branch of mathematics known as topology, just as each individual stitch has topological qualities.
Knitting is also an application of mathematical knot theory. Every closed cable design is a mathematical knot, and every piece of knitted fabric is an unknot.
When a knitter sits down with needles and yarn—between the adding, subtracting, dividing, multiplying, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, functions, topology, knot theory, graph theory, and who knows what else—they are manipulating over two thousand years of mathematics.
So while we at Red Herring love our yarn and needles, and our goal is to make every design attractive and unique, we must make a confession:
The knitting is just a red herring for the math.
Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and Ravelry
We'd love to hear from you!
Our patterns are of the highest quality and are thoroughly checked for any typos or errors. However if something slipped past us after publication, please let us know! Links to errata will be posted here.
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There's probably no more hotly contested or controversial issue in IT than the question of whether there's an IT skills shortage in the U.S. One side claims adamantly that while we have plenty of IT workers, there's a definite shortage of the particular skills that companies increasingly need. The other side fires back that it's ludicrous to suggest that a skills shortage exists when so many IT professionals are unemployed or underemployed. So the answer to the question depends entirely on whom you ask.
I posed the question to a couple of IT executives who will attend the IT Business Edge Midmarket CIO Forum in Orlando In March, and both responded that they basically see no skills shortage. In both cases, it was a qualified "no."
I spoke with Tina Serio, manager of information and sales technologies at Spartan Chemical Co., a cleaning products manufacturer in Ohio, and she said that for the most part, she can find the skills she needs locally:
We have network services that we use locally. We outsourced the rewrite of a software program that we offer to our customers last year, and all of those skills were local. So I don't see, at least in our market, a big shortage.
But again, there were qualifiers. The first one came when Serio recalled her experience last year when she was interviewing recent college graduates for a summer intern position:
None of them had the skills that I expected. I mean, these are people coming right out of college with information systems degrees, and they had no programming skills-none. ... It's almost like they go get a four-year degree, and then you train them to do what you need done.
The second qualifier stemmed from Spartan's ERP rollout three years ago. The ERP vendor was CDC Software, a unit of CDC Corp. in Hong Kong, and the CDC consultants were hardly locals. According to Serio:
Most of their consultants were international, and we had to use them because we needed people who were experts in the system. [The consultants were] from Yugoslavia, Germany, Poland, Canada. I mean, we went with a global company for the ERP system, so it makes sense.
I wondered aloud whether that reflected a lack of sufficient ERP skills in the U.S., and Serio made it clear that the rigors of an ERP implementation leave little time to ponder such questions:
I don't know if they come cheaper, or that just because CDC is a global company that's where their most experienced people came from. I didn't ask them that question. Believe me, during an ERP rollout that's the last thing I was thinking about.
Meanwhile, in my "Note to Feds: Outsourcing Hang-Ups Are So Three Years Ago" post last week, I wrote about a discussion I had with David D'Agostino, IT director at Advanced Technology Systems Corp., regarding the reluctance of government contractors to take advantage of cost savings made possible by outsourcing. I also asked D'Agostino for his thoughts on the skills shortage question. His response was a "no" to a skills shortage, qualified by a "yes" to a shortage of people with multiple skills:
I'm not sure there's a skills shortage, per se. In my position, running a relatively small department, and having a fairly sophisticated infrastructure-a Cisco phone system, EMC, VMware for all our machines-I think there's a shortage of combined skills. I've got one guy, my network manager, who has certifications in VMware and EMC storage; he knows enough about Cisco to get everything done that we need to get done. If he left, it would be hard for me to find somebody like that-it would be hard to replace him.
If there's a moral to the story, it's that the question of whether there's an IT skills shortage in the U.S. simply can't accurately be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." There are so many variables and ill-defined yardsticks that a definitive answer will always elude us. The best answer we'll ever get is, at least, accurate: "It depends."
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When you use the phrase "labor shortage" or "skills shortage" you're speaking in a sentence fragment. What you actually mean to say is: "There is a labor shortage at the salary level I'm willing to pay." That statement is the correct phrase; the complete sentence and the intellectually honest statement.
Some people speak about shortages as though they represent some absolute, readily identifiable lack of desirable services. Price is rarely accorded its proper importance in their discussion.
If you start raising wages and improving working conditions, and continue doing so, you'll solve your shortage and will have people lining up around the block to work for you even if you need to have huge piles of steaming manure hand-scooped on a blazing summer afternoon.
And if you think there's going to be a shortage caused by employees retiring out of the workforce: Guess again: With the majority of retirement accounts down about 50% or more, most people entering retirement age are working well into their sunset years. So, you won't be getting a worker shortage anytime soon due to retirees exiting the workforce.
Some specialized jobs require training and/or certification, again, the solution is higher wages and improved benefits. People will self-fund their re-education so that they can enter the industry in a work-ready state. The attractive wages, working conditions and career prospects of technology during the 1980's and 1990's was a prime example of people's willingness to self-fund their own career re-education.
There is never enough of any good or service to satisfy all wants or desires. A buyer, or employer, must give up something to get something. They must pay the market price and forego whatever else he could have for the same price. The forces of supply and demand determine these prices -- and the price of a skilled workman is no exception. The buyer can take it or leave it. However, those who choose to leave it (because of lack of funds or personal preference) must not cry shortage. The good is available at the market price. All goods and services are scarce, but scarcity and shortages are by no means synonymous. Scarcity is a regrettable and unavoidable fact.
Shortages are purely a function of price. The only way in which a shortage has existed, or ever will exist, is in cases where the "going price" has been held below the market-clearing price.Reply
"None of them had the skills that I expected. I mean, these are people coming right out of college with information systems degrees, and they had no programming skills-none. ... "
IS degrees aren't heavy in programming. They are focused on administration and management of enterprise systems, and higher level activities. If they want students with a better foundation in development, look at CS departments.
However, the business of IT is what business asked universities to focus on. They are getting exactly what they asked for, so I find it interesting that they are now complaining. They begged for the softer skills because there were many developers unable to communicate with the business.
As far as development skills, as a senior level developer I think it is unreasonable to expect someone to be even close to proficient out of college with no experience. Yes, companies should be training them. People who don't understand this don't understand software development themselves.
Companies have become use to not investing in the training. Train your people or your business will suffer. It is that simple.Reply
The Night of the Living Dead
The reason why the is unemployment in the IT sector is the same reason that so many IT project fail.
Recriuters invent job descriptions requiring combinations of skills that simply do not exsist.
These combinations are caused simpy by mashing together several postitions into one, as desired by skin-flinted CFOs (zombies).
This requirement for "multitasking" causes the shortage of postions.
Just have a hard look at IT job descriptions on recruitment boards. They are fantasies, fabrications and the merest tissues of lies.
As a result, these misrepresented positions generally go a few people who are willing misrepresent themselves.
In the end, the required skills are absent and projects fail. Succesful IT projects are so lucrative however, that this approach eeks by, because it seems to support the bottom line required by zombies.
How can any project be successful under these conditions? A SEI CMM analysis would indicate a reliance on "Heroes".
These are usually young and artificially stimulated individuals who, for brief intervals, can actually perform the multitasking required.
This usually results in traumatic burn out and dismissal, but this is external to the bottom line. The zombies have had their fill of fresh brain, and move on the next project and potential victims.Reply
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News Coverage on EffectiveNY
Study casino fees to reform campaign financingEditorial
The financing of political campaigns in New York State is ugly. The contribution limits are so high and the rules so loose that grassroots campaigns not backed by big money rarely have any hope of succeeding. And now, the growing influence of gambling concerns, as the state considers a constitutional amendment to legalize non-Indian casinos, is likely to make it even worse.
Seen in that light, a proposal to dedicate some of the money gambling brings in to campaign finance reform is worth exploring. The proposal, to be put before the State Legislature by Sen. Liz Krueger(D-Manhattan), would dedicate $56 million per year in casino licensing fees to matching funds for political candidates, under limits similar to those in place in some New York City elections.
Gambling revenues are often earmarked for education, as is the case with lottery proceeds in New York. But experts say that rather than increasing overall school aid, such revenues often allow politicians to cut education funding from nongambling sources. So education funding might not be bolstered with more gambling revenues -- although arguing that it will is a main tactic of those in favor of gambling expansion.
Krueger's plan would still send the vast majority of gambling revenue to education, anyway, but it would divert this chunk to try to do a different bit of good. It's too early to say whether her plan is ideal, but the core concept behind it is certainly a good one.


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Last night, the Obama administration announced that they're going to freeze non-security discretionary spending between 2011 and 2013:
On a conference call last night, the administration announced that its upcoming budget would freeze non-security discretionary spending between 2011 and 2013. That's like freezing non-defense discretionary spending, but it also exempts the Department of Homeland Security and the Veteran's Administration from the cuts. Education, Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, and pretty much everything else that's not Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security can be knifed.
The devil is in the details here–I can't really form a strong opinion on the freeze until I know which programs are going to end up under the knife.
My biggest concern is that, if the government can't spend then they can't create jobs. Unless December was an aberration and January is a banner month for job growth, we're going to need to pass a jobs bill in order to bring down unemployment.
Thus, with the freeze in place we run the risk of a double-dip recession–if we need to spend money to keep the economy growing, but can't because of the freeze, the recession is going to worsen again. If that happens, Obama will be blamed and he will deserve it.
From a political perspective, I can't really see what the administration gains from this. Conservatives aren't going to rally around Obama because of this–in fact, they're already mocking him.
Independents may care about getting the deficit under control, but they probably care more about jobs and unemployment. So, if the freeze causes the recession to worsen again, Obama will end up bleeding even more support.
This strikes me as a gimmicky gamble with a high risk of failure. And, as Brad DeLong points out, Obama didn't even get anything in exchange for the freeze:
As another deficit-hawk points out: it would be one thing to offer a short-term discretionary spending freeze (or long-run entitlement caps) in return for fifteen Republican senators signing on to revenue enhancement triggers. It's quite another to negotiate against yourself and in addition attack employment in the short term.
[All emphasis mine]


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Hair Pin Lace Shelf Runner
Designed by Julie A Bolduc
This little runner could be made any length and also can be made wider. It is just the perfect runner for a mantel or a small shelf you may have in your home.
Thank you for visiting this page. You can download the PDF version, of this pattern, from the pattern page only. Please, if you are going to link to this pattern, make your link, on your page, link directly to this page and not to the actual pattern page. That way other visitors can see what other patterns are in this category at a glance.


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On Friday, I tried to get some information on the state government's official website to be used for another exclusive report on IBPulse.com. However, I saw a notice informing visitors that the site is down for maintenance.
Being familiar with the word 'maintenance' in the tech world, and knowing the importance of the state government's official website, I thought the site would be live as soon as few minutes but at the time of drafting this story (Monday, 9am), the site is still unavailable.
The notice however urged allowed visitors to read Oyo state news. But when you click the link, you would notice the news platform was last updated on August 11th – that's about 14 days ago.
Maybe that was when the site went offline and maintenance work began.
In this new age of online media, this action is summarily ridiculous. Individuals from across the world would first visit a state government's website for information before getting to the state. But if a state government's website is unavailable for days and weeks, then it suggests the state may not be serious or committed about moving forward.
I run 4 websites and I can't imagine one of them being offline for 30 minutes. Let's just hope the state government approves funds on time for the maintenance project. By the way, a goof web developer would not pull down a website for days just to carry out maintenance works. Those could be done offline and implemented when complemented.
That way, the switch would be instantaneous and very few people would notice something was done in the first place.
Have you ever heard the WhiteHouse's website is down? Never. Yet they also carry out maintenance works on the website.
This is what technology-friendliness is all about.


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And then the words, flew out of me -- she has Alzheimer's disease.....By Bob DeMarco
Alzheimer's Reading Room
Over time, I came to believe that these feelings are more then just an idea. Knowing that you are not alone is one of the first steps to reaching that place deep inside you that often lies dormant. It is a spiritual place. Alzheimer's caregiving unleashes a heightened sense of the world around you -- you become connected.
Click above to Listen. You are welcome to recommend, share, or embed this audio on to your website.
- 60 Good Reasons to Subscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading Room
- Alzheimer's CareGiving -- Insight and Advice
- Test Your Memory for Alzheimer's (5 Best Self Assessment Tests)
- Communicating in Alzheimer's World
- Worried About Alzheimer's Disease -- You Should Be
- What is Alzheimer's? What are the Eight Types of Dementia?
- Does the Combination of Aricept and Namenda Help Slow the Rate of Decline in Alzheimer's Patients
- Alzheimer's Disease Statistics
- Is it Really Alzheimer's or Something Else?
- Ten Symptoms of Early Stage Alzheimer's
- Ten Tips for Communicating with an Alzheimer's Patient
The Alzheimer's Action Plan
300 Tips for Making Life Easier
Bob DeMarco is the editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room and an Alzheimer's caregiver. Bob has written more than 2,101 articles with more than 271,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.
Original content Bob DeMarco, the Alzheimer's Reading Room


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Perfect reflections of one of the many tanks in Kaludiya Pokuna Forest
A thousand-year-old "mountain monastery", lost in the Kaludiya Pokuna Forest, east of Dambulla; forgotten by many, and seemingly by time itself. For the visitor seeking something literally off the beaten track, the Dakkinagiri Viharaya is an intriguing but serene detour away from the well-trodden sites of Sri Lanka's Cultural Triangle.
Words and Photography: David Blacker
The road through the Kaludiya Pokuna Forest to the Dakkinagiri Viharaya really is just a jeep track. There's a signboard by the main road, right next to the Thimbirawa Reservoir and, if you aren't driving a jeep, it's best to leave your car here and walk the 2.5km into the jungle. The track is deceptively smooth at first, but it gets progressively narrower and uneven the further one goes.
Road conditions aside, walking is certainly the best way to experience the area. At first the land is relatively open and cultivated with bright green fields of rice interspersed with patches of jungle and grassland. But after a kilometre or so the jungle was crowding in close to the track, long grass brushing my legs and the branches of ebony and other hardwoods drooping overhead. I knew that the Dakkinagiri Viharaya was at the base of the Erawalgala Ridge, over 600m high, but now hidden from view by the enclosing jungle. The trail slopes gently upward, but is an easy stroll in the mild morning weather. Big tufted grey langurs crash through the branches above me, angry at my intrusion.
The Kaludiya Pokuna Forest is rich in wildlife, and I had been advised to delay my visit to the viharaya so as to not encounter the herds of elephants attracted to the jungle's edge by the fertile farms immediately to the north. While the early mornings and evenings are the best time to sight wild animals, it is probably not the best time to be on a narrow jungle trail.
The Pabbata Viharaya
Translated as "mountain monastery", this form of viharaya first appeared around the seventh century; its label based on the nominal fact that mountains were often chosen for monasteries in India. This is rare in Sri Lanka, where most pabbata viharas are not on mountains. They are, however, all located outside the ancient urban centres. In short, the pabbata viharayas are suburban or rural monasteries, architecturally distinct from those in the cities; their sacred precincts consisting of four structures on elevated rectangular land enclosed by a moat.
It is here that I finally come upon the Kaludiya Pokuna, or "Black Water Pond", that has lent its name to this place and, indeed, to the forest itself.
The small reservoirs on both sides of the trail are the best place for spotting the area's avian life, and my approaches to the water's edge would send these birds splashing or flapping for safety regardless of my attempts at stealth.
My destination is marked by a small Archeological Department building, and the short climb beyond brings me to the edge of the Dakkinagiri Viharaya complex. The ruins are an example of a pabbata viharaya, comparable to better-known sites like Menikdena in Dambulla, and Toluvila in Anuradhapura.
Inside the characteristic rectangular wall and protective moat, Dakkinagiriya's brick stupa is all that is instantly recognisable. A barely legible inscription on a guardstone flanking the stupa's steps attribute it to King Sena II, dating it to the ninth century, towards the end of the Anuradhapura Period. Other inscriptions range from the mundane - a slab with a set of rules for monastic life - to the amusing - a warning carved on the wall of a meditative cave, by a certain Mr Dathanaga, that if the monks fought over the rice and curd donated by him the food would instead be given to the cows and dogs.
The vihara grounds are in fairly neat and tidy condition, the ancient trees having been allowed to stand while the undergrowth has been cleared away. There is a great air of calm, but also a sense of isolation.
As I walk on past the stupa, the stone columns of the patimagharaya as well as the upasathagharaya are locked in eternal battle with the trees that have grown up through the ruins; stone and wood sometimes indistinguishable from one another. The fourth element in a traditional pabbata viharaya - the bodhigaraya, a structure enclosing a sacred bo tree - has long disappeared. Beyond the viharaya, a path leads up the lower slopes of Erawalgala, through thick undergrowth and gigantic trees. It is here that ascetic monks spent lives of meditation in shallow kutis - recesses in the rock, often deepened with hammer and chisel - perhaps long before the Dakkinagiriya was created.
It is here that I finally come upon the Kaludiya Pokuna, or "Black Water Pond", that has lent its name to this place and, indeed, to the forest itself. Unlike its more famous and picturesque namesake close to Mihintale, the Kaludiya Pond is shallow, still and black; overhung with underbrush and covered in reeds and lotus pads. If the monks of Dakkinagiriya had relied on this pond as a water source, life would have been hard indeed.
I follow the path's circuitous route back down the hill, crossing several streams and smaller rocky pools. As I walk on into the sunlight, breakfast is on my mind.


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FP7 was the European Union's Research and Innovation
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Europe needs to exploit its research potential, particularly in the less advanced regions that are remotely situated from the European core of research and industrial development. A strategy of inclusiveness can potentially benefit the social fabric as well as the research community and the industry, locally and at the level of the European Research Area.
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