text:
Cardin may be mum on details of engagement, but Twitter tells all
Since drawing public ire over his elaborate engagement using police resources, Maryland Del. Jon Cardin has been virtually mum on the circumstances of his proposal — even though it was, apparently, a tale he shared freely with fellow politicos at an Ocean City conference earlier this month.
In an interview with fellow Sun reporter Julie Bykowicz, Cardin declined to answer detailed questions about the mock raid staged by on-duty marine and helicopter officers as part of his Aug. 7 proposal of marriage to Megan Homer in the Inner Harbor. And while the Baltimore County Democrat acknowledged the incident was "a stupid thing," he wouldn't say who owned the boat or provide more information.
That doesn't mean the details won't eventually emerge. The Baltimore City Police Department is investigating, and Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III has said he would release the names of the officers involved.
Until then, there's Twitter.
The Web site allows the free world to publicly post every waking thought in 140 characters or less. And wouldn't you know it, Cardin's brother-in-law Scott Lowe appears to have been posting Tweets with his BlackBerry that fateful evening. His account doesn't provide all the details, but it gives you a flavor. According to Twitter archives, this is what Lowe posted at 7:01 p.m.:
"Ok. Weather in baltimore isn't supposed to be perfect this time of year. On a boat in the harbor looking at ft mchenry. Wow."
And then at 8:08 p.m.:
"My bro in law #maryland del. jon cardin proposed 2 his fiance megan on a boat in the harbor w/ a group of friends and fam tonight #baltimore."
As the whole world likely knows by now, Cardin's fiance did agree to be his bride. (But still no word on what she thought of the way Cardin asked.)


text:
33 Kent Street Barrington, RI 02806 401-247-1397
baby name signs birth announcement pottery baby prints in clay wedding guestbook platters wedding favors
special occasion pottery summer art camp art enrichment girl & boy scout workshops potter's wheel instruction parties & groups
view cart
items in your bag: 0
subtotal: $0.00
Your cart is empty.
About Us/Hours
Art Classes-Clay-Wheel-Design and Sew-Private drawing-Tiles to GO
Auction Pottery
Baby Prints & Gifts
Baby dinnerware
Baby Hand Print Impressions in clay
Baby raised hand or foot print ornament
Hand or foot single print Impression ornament
Nursery Decor Baby Name Sign Personalized Ceramic Wall hanging
Baptism & First Communion
Birthday Parties & Groups
Bridal Party Activity/Shower
Christmas Ornaments
Fundraising/Capitol Campaign
Gift Certificates
Girl/Boy Scouts "try it" badge
Hand made plates, platters and bowls
House Number Tile
Paint Your Own Pottery
Paintings and Wall Art
Pet Pottery
Pottery TO GO
Summer Camp
Teacher Gifts
Tile and Ceramic Wall hangings
Tra$hy Bow Couture
Wedding-Guestbook Plates, Favors, Platters
Weirdgirl Creations
Baby Prints & Gifts
Baby Prints & Gifts
Baby hand print impressions make a wonderful keepsake or gift. We also create personalized baby dinnerware in a variety of designs.
Unicorns, elephants, owls, sports theme, flowers, polka dots, anchor, monkey, rocket ship, giraffe-just to name a few!
Our one of a kind baby name signs are truly unique and make a perfect gift for any newborn. Baby name is impressed in the center with our signature textured border offered in a variety of color choices to meet any nursery decor. Feeling creative? Are you in the Barrington RI area? Then you may enjoy visiting the studio and painting some pottery with your child. Would you like us to create a design or form not shown on our web site? Give us a call, shoot us an email, we LOVE custom orders!
Click on the images below to see a full display of our baby dinnerware, baby hand & foot print impressions, and baby nursery signs.
Baby dinnerware
Personalized baby dinnerware- a great gift to welcome new babies and congratulate new parents!
Baby Hand Print Impressions in clay
Baby hand print and foot print impressions make a wonderful baby shower gift. We can also mail you a gift certificate with our web site and information to give with your gift. We recommend making an appointment for prints in wet clay so we are prepared
Baby raised hand or foot print ornament
Baby raised hand print
Hand or foot single print Impression ornament
Baby single hand or foot print impression in wet clay reminiscent of an ink print!
Ceramic Owl Mobile
Nursery Decor Baby Name Sign Personalized Ceramic Wall hanging
Baby Name Nursery Signs and Ceramic Wall Tile. Personalized with your baby's name and colors to match your special nursery theme. Baby name wall hangings make a wonderful gift and keepsake for years to come.
About Us
Contact Us
My Account
Shipping Policy
Return Policy
Privacy Policy
Cart Help
© 2013 Network Solutions E-Commerce Web Site
Powered by Network Solutions Online Store

subset: commoncrawl


text:
If your home has been damaged by Hurricane Sandy, there are ways to avoid getting taken by unscrupulous contractors.
Following a major disaster, persons known as "gypsies" or "storm chasers" will go door-to-door in communities where homes have been damaged, and offer their services. They may say they have leftover material from a "job down the road" and are willing to work on your home. These individuals don't have a permanent location or place of business, and could say that your house is unsafe.
The President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Greater Maryland, Angie Barnett, says they often will ask for money upfront, and usually do shoddy work, or no work at all. Then they disappear, and you can't find them. "They collect as much as they can, and then they're off," she says. "And by being off, I mean they are out of state, on the next disaster."
The BBB advises consumers not to let their emotions get the better of them when it comes to repairing their home following a disaster. Citizens should only use legitimate contractors, and get three or more estimates before work begins. "Those estimates need to include a breakdown of both the materials to be used and the labor so you know a bottom line price," she says.
No more than one-third of the cost should be offered as a down payment before the work begins, Barnett says.
The BBB also says be sure the contractor is licensed by the Maryland Home Improvement Commission. "This is a competency exam as to their knowledge of doing home repairs," says Barnett. A MHIC license also means the contractor has a good credit rating, and that company is bonded and insured in case a worker is injured on the job. Barnett says a "gypsy," "storm chaser" or other unscrupulous contractor may not be bonded, and you'd be liable if someone is injured while working on your home.
If you see anyone in your neighborhood who may be a "gypsy" or a "storm chaser," contact your local police. Barnett says these individuals may need a solicitation permit if they do door-to-door sales.


text:
Reblogged from Mr. Johnson's Blog:
After "liking" my post for the 10th consecutive time and seeing his gravatar on everyone else's posts, it became pretty obvious that Patrick Latter who has a photography blog was liking without reading for the purpose of exposure for his blog.
My assumption is that he "follows" a crapload of people and "likes" every new post they have. I guess it's working for him cause he seems to be getting the exposure he's looking for.


text:
Whenever I upload lots of photo in Blogger.com, I always end up resizing the
photos from small size to its original size. There are times that I want my
photos to appear bigger and not the automatic default –small size after an
upload via Blogger and host it automatically in Picasa.
Resizing it
manually with a few clicks is okay,but what if I uploaded 20 or 30 photos in one
blog post and I want those photos to appear in its original size? My time will
be eaten the photo loading after resizing and clicking and selecting photos one
by one is not convenient. I like the old photo uploader of Blogger that you can
select the photo appear bigger and fit resize to your blog content space, but
the bad thing is that you can upload only 5 photos and here at the new photo
uploader of Blogger, we can upload as many as we want in one batch.
here's a tip and technique on how you can save time in resizing lots of photos
in Blogger.com
1. Upload a batch of photo using the new photo
2. After the upload, photos will be automatically selected and
posted on your blog content space
3. Go to the upper left corner and press
HTML (that's near the Compose button)
4. Copy all html codes and paste it to
your Notepad
5. In your Notepad, click EDIT and then REPLACE
6. Type
"s320" at the "Find what" field and then type "s1600" at the "Replace with"
field then click REPLACE ALL
7. Then go back again to REPLACE
8. Type
height="240" and replace it with a space and do it the same with width="320"
then click REPLACE ALL
9. Copy the html code and paste it again to your
Blogger content space
10. Click Compose and see the resize into original
** Just make sure that the orginal photo size you uploaded is fit to
your content space, if you uploaded a photo more than 800px, it will appear
bigger and cover the entire space of your blog. I just convert and resize my
photos into 600px for the best fit size for my blog and looks okay for viewing
sample photo upload below ( I selected this photo from my mobile phone uploads album in Picasa)
Monday, July 02, 2012
Blogging tips:Batch resizing of photos in Blogger
TweetThe blogger
Azrael Coladilla is the blogger behind Azrael's Merryland since 2003. Main topics of this blog is about Pop Culture, Events, Entertainment, Lifestyle, Food, Travel, Technology, Gadgets, Music, Concerts, Toys, Comics, Anime, Movies, Fashion, Motoring,Internet and Social Media. Awarded as the 2009 Most Influential Blogger for Luzon, Philippines awarded by The Philippine Blog Awards, he's a full time blogger , and a freelance photographer, events organizer, social media manager and digital marketing consultant.
He is the founder of The Manila Bloggers Network, a community of active bloggers in Manila and nearby cities. He loves traveling, eating, watch movies, meet new people, photography and collects Transformers toys.
Featured Links
Pop Culture
Concert Tickets


text:
- Recorder Online - http://www.berthoudrecorder.com -
It is Scarecrow time again
Posted By Editor On September 22, 2010 @ 12:25 pm In Area News,Local News | Comments Disabled
Enter the Main Street Scarecrow Parade!
Bring old clothes, hats, anything to make your scarecrow, and we supply the head and frame.
Come alone or as a group — open to all ages.
At the Library, after school as follows:
Berthoud Elementary, Monday, September 27, 3:40 pm
Turner Middle School, Tuesday, September 28, 2:50 pm (Art Room)
Ivy Stockwell, Wednesday, September 29, 2:10 pm
You don't need to be a student to participate. Create your scarecrow, and then join the Parade on Thursday, September 30.
[2]The Parade starts at the Berthoud Community Library and ends at the Farmer's Market where scarecrows will be judged and prizes awarded.
Sara Wright, Director
Berthoud Community Library District
236 Welch Avenue
Berthoud, CO 80513
Article printed from Recorder Online: http://www.berthoudrecorder.com
URL to article: http://www.berthoudrecorder.com/2010/09/22/it-is-scarecrow-time-again/
URLs in this post:
[1] Image: http://www.berthoudrecorder.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/scarecrow2.png
[2] Image: http://www.berthoudrecorder.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/scarecrow7.png
Click here to print.
Copyright © 2010 Berthoud Recorder. All rights reserved.


text:
As promised from my last post, I have added a dessert recipe on my recipes page for your Thanksgiving menu! Go get my Gingered Pear Crisp from Vive le Vegan! This dessert is easy to make, and also offers a sweet finish to a meal that isn't heavy or rich. Be sure to serve this crisp warm, with either non-dairy ice cream... or better yet, Celestial Cream!
As you can see, I don't have a photo to share with you for this recipe. boo. If YOU have a good-lookin' pic of this crisp, or manage to snap one off during Thanksgiving, please e-mail me and YOUR photo could be featured with this recipe. :) Enjoy your vegan feast! |
Write a comment:


text:
I don't usually blog the meme du jour but this one is kind of cute so I thought I'd join in. So here it is, a letter to my sixteen-year-old self:
Hey Lauren,
You are rad. I know that you feel bad about yourself sometimes but trust me- you are awesome. Your personality is magnetic and you have friends even though you don't always feel like anyone 'gets' you.
I'm sorry that the guy you have a crush on doesn't reciprocate. He will end up marrying his only girlfriend. Yeah, you know her and don't care for her but it is what it is. Let it go. Also? They both get fat. You're welcome.
Your love for music will remain white hot but as you get older meeting the bands won't become so important to you. But you DO get to meet the lead singer of your favorite band although they aren't your favorite yet.
I know that you're frustrated about being the only one of your friends who hasn't been kissed. Fret not. You not only catch up but you kind of go crazy. Maybe you should pace yourself. You don't have to sleep with everyone. Trust me on this.
High school is fun, right? Unfortunately the real world is just around the corner and it is ROUGH. You are emotionally abandoned by everyone you love and left to fend for yourself. You are stronger than you think you are. Also? Don't stop taking your Effexor.
Believe it or not you get married and even HAVE A BABY! Two things you swore you'd never do. That's what happens when you fall in love. Oh, and speaking of love, the first guy you fall in love with is NOT THE ONE. In fact, you left him break your heart repeatedly over the years. Don't let him do it! Maybe just once. Everyone needs to experience heartbreak. But trust me, you could do without being tortured.
Back to THE ONE. He's tall and geeky and you will meet him while living in a different state. Yeah, you move out of Texas for awhile and it's the best move you've ever made (at least, up until this point). Also? It's love pretty much at first sight. You have always been quick to make decisions but in this case it is totally the right one.
You. Er, Me. Us.
3 Responses to "Let's go back to the future!"
I've seen this little diddy going around… I haven't written to my 16yr old self. Mainly because I feel like I would totally freak her out.
I know I wouldn't listen to anyone back then about much of anything. I wonder if I would listen to future me?
I have so many things I would tell my 16 year old self but like Annabelle I don't think I would listen.
I adore your letter and love that you and your husband were pretty much love at first sight. Awesome.
Love this letter Lauren!


text:
Home |
We greatly appreciate all donations we have received from individuals, organizations, and foundations wishing to support our project. We are currently supported by grants from the federal government and. However, it is quite often the case that we have inquiries about making donations to help find the genetic basis of serious mental disorders. We hear from concerned family members, organizations and anonymous donors, and even families who do not qualify to participate in our studies but still desire to help. Many of our participants have been involved in our research for as much as a decade or more and want to express their gratitude for the long term commitment to the research. Every gift is important to us. Any donations to our program are to be earmarked for Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Epidemiology Genetics Program in Psychiatry, Dr. Ann Pulver's Research Account. If you have a desire to help, please contact Dr. Ann E. Pulver directly, telephone number 410-955-0455. You may also contact Lisa McWilliams, Development Officer for the Fund for Johns Hopkins Medicine, telephone number 410-955-4990. |


text:
An area farm is giving kids a behind the scenes look at where their food comes from.
Aplin Farms is hosting school tours this week.
They have a "fake farm" set up for education.
Kids get to see chickens, collect eggs, milk a cow and dig potatoes.
John Aplin explained that it gives children a better understanding of how a farm operates and where their food comes from.
Aplin Farms will be doing school tours through Nov 3.
Get the ingredients you need to cook with Rach all week long. | |
Full length exclusive concerts from hot artists. | |
Take a break! Classic Pacman, Frogger, Asteroids and more. |
FREE Listings Sell almost anything locally. |


text:
To become a media partner or supporting organization, please contact:
Annie Ng, Marketing Manager, firstname.lastname@example.com, +852 3175 1981.
Dow Jones & Company is a global provider of news and business information and a developer of technology to deliver content to consumers and organizations across multiple platforms. Dow Jones produces newspapers, newswires, Web sites, apps, newsletters, magazines, proprietary databases, conferences, radio and video. Its premier brands include The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones Newswires, Factiva, Barron's, MarketWatch, SmartMoney and All Things D. Dow Jones & Company (www.dowjones.com) is a News Corporation company (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV; www.newscorp.com).


text:
little dance steps Big & Small
Artist description:
did you try dancing on the beach, where water just touches your feet, and droplets sparkle under the sunset lights, on your skin?when the breeze is still warm and pleasant, and far away sounds celebrate life,and your song is free to reach the sky?
Created Mar 01, 2012. Unless noted Copyright 2012
magamagoh .
We encourage you to submit a comment and let the artist know what you think of this drawing. Please log in or join to post a comment.
Post a comment
It sounds so fun!..Gorgeous drawing!! I love the expression of happy feelings on your draw...
Super drawing and description...not danced on the beach since I was a child so the next time I'm there going to give it a go! :) 5♥s
dancing is cool dancing on the beach is something i would refrain from.. since i might have a wardrobe malfunction
Free drawing tools
All drawings on our website are created with our free web based drawing tools.
Drawing tools
Top draws this month
Check out some of the hottest drawings created by our members this week.
View top drawings
Draw and chat live
DrawChat is a chat room where you can draw and chat live with other members.
Start DrawChat


text:
The tenth session of the Committee on Statistics was held at Bangkok from 25 to 29 November 1996.
The session was attended by representatives of the following 30 members and associate members of ESCAP: Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, China, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Fiji, French Polynesia, France, Guam, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Japan, Kiribati, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam. Two members of the United Nations - Canada and Sweden - attended in a consultative capacity.
It was also attended by representatives from the United Nations Statistics Division, ECLAC, UNICEF, UNIFEM, UNDP, UNEP, UNFPA, ILO, FAO, UNESCO, WHO, the World Bank, ADB, the Commonwealth of Independent States, Mekong River Commission, OECD, SPC, International Council on Social Welfare and SIAP. The Committee session was opened by Mr Likit Therdsteerasukdi, Permanent Secretary, Office of the Prime Minister of the Government of Thailand.
The Executive Secretary of ESCAP, Mr Adrianus Mooy welcomed the participants attending the tenth session of the Committee on Statistics and thanked Mr Likit Therdsteerasukdi for finding time to address the inaugural session of the Committee. He also welcomed Mr Hermann Habermann, the Director of the United Nations Statistics Division, New York. Mr Adrianus Mooy noted that the Committee on Statistics was one of the six committees within the current conference structure of ESCAP and that the role of the Committee in promoting statistical development in the region dated back to 1951. He mentioned that the meeting would have the opportunity to propose to the Commission at its fifty-third session the revised terms of reference of the Committee, which emphasized its role as the focus of regional statistical development. The Committee could play a significant role in the exchange of useful experience and the development of collective approaches to help meet the challenges which were continuously confronted by the official statisticians.
In his opening statement, Mr Likit Therdsteerasukdi welcomed the participants on behalf of his Government and mentioned that the Committee on Statistics and its predecessor bodies had long provided a unique forum for discussing statistical development in the region and that the work of the Committee continued to be as important as ever. Noting the growing interest in data shown by various circles, including the local and foreign analysts and media, he emphasized the need for the statisticians to improve their abilities to deliver the statistical results faster and to develop new indicators for changing circumstances.
The Permanent Secretary remarked that the use of information technology was becoming important in enhancing the competitiveness and effectiveness of services both in the public and private sector. In the field of statistics, information technology had made more data readily available in electronic formats nationally and internationally. He mentioned that the Thai Government had recently formulated an information technology strategy which, among other things, highlighted investment in people.
The Committee on Statistics recommended to the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific the adoption of the following terms of reference of the Committee:
As part of its major decisions, the Committee adopted the terms of reference for its Bureau as follows:
The Committee decided that the Bureau should comprise six members and set the term of office at four years, with three members retiring every two years. It took other decisions on necessary transitional measures at the tenth session, the nature and geographical distribution of representation on the Bureau, and financial arrangements for Bureau meetings. It also decided that a Working Group of Statistical Experts should be convened, preferably in November 1997, and should discuss specific substantive topics, with content of an administrative nature pruned to the minimum. The Bureau would decide on and inform members about the agenda 3-4 months prior to the meeting.
The Committee asked the secretariat to improve its reporting on emerging trends and topics in international statistical standardization and methodological work, and asked its Bureau to examine how the Committee could increase its involvement in the development of statistical methods and standards. The Committee felt that it should pay greater attention to providing inputs for and views on future agendas for the United Nations Statistical Commission.
The Committee instructed its Bureau and the secretariat to continue to monitor developments in the process of reform of the conference structure of ESCAP. It recommended that the Committee on Statistics be retained in any future revision of the conference structure of ESCAP. Appreciating the approach of inviting papers from national statistical offices for its sessions, the Committee recommended that that approach should be continued for future sessions.
The Committee recommended that, based on the outputs of the project on improving statistics on gender issues, the secretariat should disseminate information on gender issues and continue to give priority to improving gender statistics in the region. It should also compile a list of bibliographic references on research and analysis based on gender statistics.
The Committee noting that the Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS) initiated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had significant resource implications for national statistical offices, regretted that adequate consultations with producers of the relevant statistics in the ESCAP region had not been held, but welcomed the fact that the IMF had devoted resources to assist some countries to meet the standards. The Committee agreed that it should focus on how to proceed in developing national social statistical infrastructure and the Minimum National Social Data Set (MNSDS), and endorsed the idea that some countries in the region should be selected in which to conduct pilot studies.
The Committee welcomed the increase in contributions to the Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific (SIAP) from China, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Republic of Korea, Singapore and Thailand as well as the resumption of financial support from Australia, and called for increased contributions in cash and in kind from other members and associate members as well as new contributions from those countries which had not been contributing to SIAP. The Committee also considered assistance from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to be crucial. It noted that any expanded programmes of SIAP should be additional and complementary to and not in replacement of any activities undertaken by ESCAP.
The Committee asked the secretariat to examine modalities, other than the planned seminar on information technology management for senior level decision-makers in the public sector, that could be used in sensitizing government officials to the importance of adopting information technology. It strongly urged the secretariat to start disseminating its documents, data and services through the World Wide Web of the Internet. The Committee noted the importance of defining a sharp focus to the secretariat's work in the field of public sector computerization, and asked the secretariat to concentrate on those recommodations of the Expert Group Meeting to Review Computerization Development in the Public Sector where the available resources could have a meaningful impact. The Committee considered that greater attention should be paid to applications in statistics rather than to the public sector in general.
For the work programme of the secretariat for 1998-1999 the Committee identified a number of high priority areas, including implementation of the 1993 System of National Accounts, pilot studies and other work on the statistical implications of the global summit conferences held at Cairo, Copenhagen and Beijing, and services statistics. Other priority areas identified included the informal sector, price statistics, and environment statistics. It strongly urged ESCAP to pursue means of providing advisory services in the top priority area of national accounts, for example, through redeployment of resources within the secretariat.
The Committee stressed the fundamental importance of information technology in the work of national statistical offices, not least in the dissemination aspects. The secretariat was encouraged to help countries exchange information on the latest techniques for data processing, presentation and dissemination, including through the Internet.
The Committee reaffirmed its support for the ESCAP Statistical Information System (ESIS) and urged that the resources to operationalize a system as soon as possible be found. It advised the secretariat to, if necessary, reduce substantially the planned data content, simplify and cut the available features of the System to the necessary minimum, and adopt the latest Internet technologies to make its data content available to members and associate members.
The Committee asked the secretariat to continue to collect and collate information from the agencies for the integrated presentation of work programmes, subject to some modifications in the format and content of the presentation. To increase the participation of relevant agencies, the Committee recommended that the secretariat distribute the presentation among agencies working in the region and seek their comments and cooperation. More vigorous follow-up including reminder letters, correspondence and, where possible, consultations, was proposed to further improve participation.
The Committee decided that the provisional agenda for its eleventh session should include as item 3 "Implementation of recommendations of the Committee at its ninth and tenth sessions" and that the report of the Bureau and the report of the Working Group of Statistical Experts should become items 4 and 5, respectively. It noted the proposals that gender statistics, environment statistics and economic statistics should also feature on the agenda, and considered that the provisional agenda could be finalized in due course, and encouraged countries to submit comments to the Bureau of the Committee for its deliberation.
The Third Regional Workshop for Core Members of National Working Groups on Gender Statistics was held at Bangkok from 10 to 12 December 1996. It was attended by one core member each of the national working groups from the six project countries, namely, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam. The project on Statistics on gender issues is being implemented by the Statistics Division of ESCAP with financial assistance provided by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA). The main objective of the Workshop was to discuss experiences in producing the statistical booklets on women and men, and to review the reports prepared under the project with the aim of identifying constraints and making future recommendations.
The meeting was opened by Mr A. J. Flatt, Director, Statistics Division of ESCAP. In his opening remarks Mr Flatt welcomed the participants and expressed his gratitude to their Governments for the support and cooperation extended to the project, and to UNIFEM and SIDA for their financial support. He noted that the meeting had provided an excellent opportunity for reviewing the progress made in the area of gender statistics and for discussing future national and regional activities. He also mentioned about the discussions at the tenth session of the Committee on Statistics, held in Bangkok from 25 to 29 November, which had underscored the significance of the work in the area of gender statistics. Mr Flatt regarded it important to share the experiences of the project countries in producing the booklet, among themselves as a group, with a view of making future improvements, and with other countries as well in order to facilitate their work in the area of gender statistics.
Mr Flatt highlighted the need to reflect on the merits and limitations of the overall approach adopted under the project, as well as to discuss the various stages of work, such as the process of obtaining feedback from the various users and producers of statistics, the role the national workshops played, and the process of determining the final shape of the booklet in terms of the indicators included, tabulations, analysis and graphs.
The exercise of producing the statistical booklets on women and men under the project had also helped in identifying weaknesses and deficiencies in official statistics on gender issues. The Report II, prepared by each country, dealt with that topic; each country was invited to present that report to share their findings, identify common issues and problems and discuss strategies for bridging the gaps. Another major component of the project prepared by each country was the National Plan of Action and its implementation mechanism for improving statistics on gender issues. Discussions on those National Plans of Action assisted in identifying common strategies and approaches. The final session of the meeting was devoted, among others, to the discussion and formulation of major recommendations to be addressed to at least three parties: (a) the countries participating in the project; (b) to other countries in the region; and (c) the secretariat.
One output of the project was the regional publication on women and men, which had fallen behind schedule due to resource constraints of the secretariat. The advice as well as cooperation of the participating countries was sought in ensuring an early completion of that task by the secretariat.
The Workshop adopted a number of recommendations as follows:
The development and improvement of statistics on gender issues should be institutionalized in the NSO, either as a substantive unit or with the designation of specified responsibility to a group of staff in an appropriate section.
The Workshop noted that the ESCAP project had made a significant contributions in the project countries for institutionalizing the work on gender statistics. It recommended that the ESCAP secretariat, SIAP, UNDP, UNIFEM, UNFPA and other international agencies should continue to provide assistance to countries through training and promotion of TCDC arrangements for furthering the work on the improvement of statistics on gender issues.
The Workshop recommended that after its publication under the project, the national booklet on women and men should be incorporated as a recurrent publication in the national statistical office (NSO). The booklet should be launched with widest possible publicity and coverage in the press, and be published both in the English and national languages.
While affirming that brevity and simplicity were important aspects of the booklet, the Workshop recommended that, without compromising on those attributes, some graphical presentation of subnational, time series and other relevant data might be considered. The use of bullets and highlights capturing the main feature of the tables and graphs would also enhance the value of the information presented. The booklet should also include a note providing information on the nature of data not included in the booklet but available, their sources and the contact point where users might direct their requests for additional data.
The Workshop recommended that the computer database developed for the booklet should be maintained, updated and utilized for future editions of the booklet. It noted that countries needed assistance for acquiring computer hardware and software, for establishing databases and for improving electronic dissemination of data.
The Workshop recommended that concerted efforts be made for improving statistics on such priority areas as violence against women, the measurement of the economic contribution of women, informal sector and migration. In that regard the use of pilot studies, time-use surveys and research were encouraged. Some countries have made progress in improving gender statistics, such as concerning violence against women, whose experience could be shared through study tours or missions by their experts.
It also felt that the experiences of, and the material produced by, the countries participating in the project should be shared with other countries in the ESCAP region. It recommended that the proceedings of this Workshop, along with the report II or similar material submitted, be published by ESCAP and distributed to NSOs and other audience in the region. The participating countries would provide computer files of the report II and the relevant portions of the NPA for inclusion in the proceedings and to facilitate its production. The deadline for such submissions was set as 31 January 1997.
The Workshop commended the quality and wealth of information that the country reports on weaknesses and deficiencies in existing statistics on gender issues contained. It recommended that the findings of those reports be made available to a wider audience within the country, utilizing modality such as a national workshop. It noted that it was important to produce the booklet, the report II and the national plan of action (NPA) in the national or common language of the country. Despite the effort necessary, the preparation of report II was considered an important exercise and constituted an essential input to the NPA.
The Workshop recommended that SIAP and ESCAP Statistics Division should conduct courses on analysis and interpretation of social statistics with a focus on gender issues.
The Governing Board of the Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific (SIAP) held its second session on 20 and 21 November 1996 in Bangkok. The session was opened by the Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and attended by representatives of all the members of the Governing Board: Australia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Singapore and Thailand, and the Chairperson of the Committee on Statistics of ESCAP. Representatives of China, Islamic Republic of Iran, Macau, Mongolia, Philippines and Russian Federation, and representatives of United Nations Development Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the United Nations Population Fund also attended the session as observers.
The Board deliberated on the strategies for increasing cash contributions, as well as mechanisms to increase the financial resources available to the Institute.
In discussing the report of the meeting of the task force established by the Governing Board to chart the future direction of SIAP, the Board had before it the results of a survey of SIAP programmes and training needs and a report of the UNDP on the evaluation mission relating to the project on human development indicators. The Board endorsed the recommendations of the task force for an overall approach to the next phase of SIAP, the implementation of which would depend on the availability of financial resources and an efficient system of staffing arrangements.
The Board asked the Director of SIAP to look for opportunities to incorporate priority subject topics and emerging areas, such as gender statistics, informal sector statistics and statistics on international trade and investments in its activities. The Board recognized that the changes and restructuring of the Institute's programmes should be gradually implemented over a period of two to three years.
Mr A.J. Flatt, Director, Statistics Division, undertook missions to:
Mr M. Khalid Siddiqui, Chief, Statistics Development Section, undertook a mission to:
Mr M.N. Ozsever, UNFPA/CST Adviser of ESCAP on Population Data Processing and Data-base Management, undertook advisory missions as follows:
Mr L.H. Lewis, UNFPA/CST Adviser of ESCAP on Population Statistics, undertook missions to:
Ms Luisa T. Engracia, UNFPA/CST Adviser of ESCAP on Population Statistics, undertook missions as follows:
We are maintaining a roster of statisticians for short-term advisory and other expert services in the ESCAP region. We would like to invite interested and qualified statisticians to send their c.v. and experiences in any specific area of statistics for inclusion in our roster. One copy of our roster questionnaire is being sent with this issue of the Newsletter for interested statisticians. Additional copies are available on request. Completed forms should be sent to the following address: