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Situated on a tall sea cliff above pounding waves, the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant enjoys the kind of stunning ocean view typical of Central California's rugged coast. Rolling hills – bright green in winter, fading to gold by summer – surround two Westinghouse reactors that generate electricity for 1.6 million homes. Pacific Ocean waters cool the uranium rods that power the plant's 4-Loop turbines. Voles, coyotes, and bobcats roam the meadows and oak glens stretching for miles behind the power station. The sound of the surf obscures any electricity hum.
A generation ago, the scene wasn't as calm. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Diablo Canyon was at the center of a national grassroots movement against nuclear power. Inspired by the mass protests organized at the Seabrook power plant in New Hampshire, thousands of California residents struggled for years to halt the construction of Diablo, which they said was too dangerous, given that a major geological fault lies just three miles away. In 1978, some 1,500 people demonstrated at the plant gates to demand a halt in construction; a year later, the number of protestors had tripled. By September 1981, the crowds had swelled to 20,000, and 1,960 people were arrested as they sought to occupy the construction site. It was the largest mass arrest in the history of the US anti-nuclear struggle.
Today the mood toward nuclear power may be changing. Atomic energy – once the bête noir of the environmental movement – is receiving a second look from many dedicated ecologists who are suggesting that, in a world threatened by climate change, splitting the atom may be preferable to burning the carbon. Many people are beginning to wonder: Can nuclear power be green?
Nuclear industry officials, who have long sought to resuscitate their flagging businesses, are eagerly fueling the debate as they seek to position their reactors as a solution to global warming. Nuclear power promoters are feeling more bullish than they have in years. Industry insiders expect that utilities will file applications with federal regulators for about 30 new atomic reactors by the end of the year.
The possibility of a nuclear power renaissance is causing strains in the environmental movement as organizations and individuals grapple with the pros and cons of using nuclear power to check carbon emissions. A number of prominent environmentalists – among them Whole Earth Catalog founder Stewart Brand, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jared Diamond, and Gaia-theory promoter James Lovelock – have come out in favor of atomic energy as a response to climate change. Among mainline US environmental groups, there is nearly unanimity that nuclear power remains as bad an idea today as it was during the heyday of the Diablo Canyon protests. But at the grassroots level, opinion is split. As one green blogger has written: "We environmentalists must rethink our opposition to nuclear power. Those who have opposed the building of new nuclear power plants in the US over the past twenty years have actually forced the use of a filthy alternative – coal combustion – that releases millions of tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere."
Such sentiments reveal the degree to which the all-consuming threat of planetary climate change is altering green politics, forcing dedicated environmentalists to re-examine their beliefs about how best to defend the Earth. Since any deliberation about trade-offs is fundamentally a discussion of priorities, the debate over nuclear power is, at its heart, part of a much larger argument about how to balance ecological sustainability with our lifestyle expectations. Whether environmentalists decide to support nuclear power will play a large role in influencing the shape of the emerging 21st-century green economy.
"I think it's a metaphor for how our country will move into the future," says Betsy Taylor, the former head of the Nuclear Information and Resource Service and founder of The Center for a New American Dream. "It gets back to the debate about whether we want an economy and an energy system that is highly centralized and benefits the few, versus an economy and an energy system that is more locally rooted and that unleashes the creativity and the economic ownership of our energy by many more small owners, businesses and even households. … There has been a fight over who benefits and who matters. With nuclear power, there was this idea that a small group of people would take care of everything."
By the mid-1990s, it appeared that the US nuclear industry was destined for a long, steady funeral. Federal officials had not licensed a new plant since 1973, and the last plant to come on line, Watts Bar in Tennessee, had taken 22 years to build. Memories of the 1979 Three Mile Island scare, combined with the long shadow of the Chernobyl disaster, had the industry on the defensive. Public support for nuclear power was near an all-time low, with just 40 percent of respondents to an industry poll saying they were in favor of atomic energy. Major cost overruns in plant construction had made the industry unpopular on Wall Street, which wasn't enthusiastic about funding any new multi-billion-dollar power stations.
Then the Bush administration threw nuclear power a lifeline. Embedded in the 2005 Energy Bill was a provision granting the nuclear industry $10 billion in new tax credits and loan guarantees; $200 million was set aside for the first utilities that filed applications for new plants. The subsidies allowed utilities, insurance companies, and investors to begin rethinking nuclear power's future.
The industry now had the money; what it needed was an argument. According to a 2005 ABC News survey, only one-third of Americans approved of "building more nuclear plants to generate electricity." Nuclear proponents needed a way of convincing people that atomic energy deserved a second shot.
Enter climate change. While nuclear power generation isn't entirely carbon neutral – uranium mining, and especially uranium enrichment, require vast amounts of fossil fuel energy – atomic plants are certainly cleaner, at least from a carbon standpoint, than natural gas or coal-fired power stations. Posing nuclear energy as a response to global warming seemed a useful way to re-introduce nuclear power to a public that hadn't been forced to think about it for years.
"It's nuclear versus coal. Climate change is the worst thing that can happen to biodiversity. It puts the environmental movement in a different position. Suddenly, worrying about radiation 6,000 years from now kind of goes down the list."
— Stewart Brand
"If you're serious about carbon emissions, you have to be serious about nuclear power," says Craig Nesbit, a spokesman for Exelon Energy, a Chicago-based company that is planning to submit applications for new reactors. "You can't meet carbon goals without nuclear power. It cannot be done. There is no other technology that can do what nuclear does, and that's produce large amounts of electricity 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with no carbon emissions."
To help make this argument more compelling, the Nuclear Energy Institute, an industry group, gave PR firm Hill & Knowlton an $8 million contract to reframe the issue in the media. The PR consultants created an organization called the "Clean and Safe Energy Coalition," and enlisted former EPA chief Christine Todd Whitman and Greenpeace co-founder (and corporate consultant) Patrick Moore to chair it. Hill & Knowlton helped Moore and Whitman pen opinion essays that found their way into influential newspapers such as The Boston Globe and The Washington Post, which in turn ignited a torrent of other media stories.
Moore has been an especially effective voice for the nuclear industry. By highlighting his rabble-rousing days with Greenpeace, Moore has been able to portray his embrace of nuclear power as a Damascus-road style conversion. "Yes, I was an opponent of nuclear energy all through my Greenpeace years," Moore says. "But when I do the math, it's very clear to me that renewables can't do the job themselves, and that's why nuclear has to be part of the mix. … As an environmentalist, I choose nuclear."
Moore's pretensions to high-mindedness may be disingenuous; he is, after all, a paid flack for the nuclear industry. And – as his public support of pesticide spraying, genetically modified organisms, and logging make clear – he is a long way from his Rainbow Warrior days. Some in the environmental community have labeled Moore an "Eco-Judas," to which he responds that no one has "any right in the world to define who is and who is not an environmentalist."
Regardless of Moore's green credentials, the fact is that in politics, perception is everything, and Moore's carefully calculated stumping in favor of nuclear power has succeeding in shifting discussion on the issue. Twenty-five years ago, the buzzwords in the nuclear debate were "safety" and "sustainability;" today they are "coal" and "carbon."
That, at least, is how Stewart Brand sees it. While Moore's support of nuclear energy seems like little more than sophisticated greenwashing, it's more difficult to dismiss the carefully considered arguments of Brand, who is a founder of the Whole Earth Catalog.
"Some people have said it's nuclear versus renewables or it's nuclear versus conservation," Brand says. "But it's the [electricity] grid we are talking about, so it's nuclear versus coal. Across the board, comparing the problems of spent nuclear fuel and spent coal fuel, it's 1,000 or 100 to one, in terms of nuclear being more safe. … Climate change is the worst thing that can happen to biodiversity. It puts the environmental movement in a different situation. It changes priorities. Suddenly, worrying about radiation 6,000 years from now kind of goes down the list."
Among leading environmentalists, Brand is not alone in his cautious embrace of nuclear power. Dr. Bill Chameides, chief scientist at Environmental Defense, also says that nuclear energy deserves a fair shot. While careful to say that the nuclear industry must be able to compete without government subsidies, Chameides is open to keeping the technology an option. "Given the potential of generating energy carbon-free from nuclear, I think it's disingenuous for someone concerned about climate change to say it should be taken off the table," he says. "My feeling is: If you want to build a couple of new plants, I think it's foolhardy. But I don't see it as being a disaster."
These voices, among others, have had a demonstrable impact in influencing opinion. A chorus of pundits, among them New York Times columnists Thomas Friedman and Nicholas Kristoff, have said it's time to expand nuclear power production to head off carbon emissions. Some members of Congress are rethinking their position. Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) has long been a skeptic about nuclear energy. But she appears to be shifting, and recently said in a statement that, "If we can be assured that new technologies help to produce nuclear energy safely and cleanly, then I think we have to take a look at it." Al Gore says nuclear should be a "small part" of the climate solution.
Even as debate churns in the newspapers, there is a striking amount of unanimity among the leading environmental organizations that nuclear power does not represent a smart way to address climate change. The National Wildlife Federation, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) are among the many groups arguing there are quicker and cheaper ways to reduce greenhouse gases. What the industry heralds as a "revival," these groups dub a "relapse."
"Nuclear power is the most expensive way to make minor emissions cuts," says Michael Mariotte, executive director of the Nuclear Information and Resource Service. "You add this to all of nuclear power's other problems – safety and proliferation and radioactive waste – and it's not a good solution."
Josh Dorner, a spokesperson for the Sierra Club, agrees. "It's kind of like the industry is putting lipstick on a pig here," he says. "Solving one problem and creating another problem really isn't a solution that's very durable. It doesn't make sense to solve global warming by creating a ton of nuclear waste that we don't know what to do with."
More than 50 years after the establishment of the civilian atomic energy program, the country still lacks a way to safely handle the radioactive waste formed during the fission process. All of the radioactive materials created during electricity generation are stored at the individual power stations, an arrangement that no one – including the nuclear plant operators – believes is a long-term solution. "Long-term" in this case means 10,000 years, the amount of time the government says a waste repository needs to contain spent nuclear fuel. Many environmentalists say even that mind-boggling geological time frame is too short, since some waste will be dangerous for hundreds of thousands of years more.
Industry representatives and federal officials have fought to build a single national nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain in the Nevada desert. Recent studies, however, show that the mountain, formerly believed to be bone dry, may leak water, which would make it an unacceptable vault. Another major concern about waste storage is the problem of relocating tons of spent fuel to Yucca Mountain, a logistical nightmare that invites deadly accidents. The most optimistic scenario doesn't envision Yucca Mountain's opening until 2021.
The industry could reduce the need for waste storage by "reprocessing" the fuel, but that would lead to another problem – the creation of weapons-grade radioactive material. While the industry has made real improvements in plant management and design since the Three Mile Island near-meltdown, post-911 fears have created a new set of safety worries. There is, first, the possibility of a terrorist attack on a plant. Then there's the worry about nuclear materials falling into the wrong hands. Spent nuclear fuel can be used to make so-called "dirty bombs." Reprocessed fuel in the form of enriched uranium or plutonium can make atomic weapons. More plants means more opportunities for atomic materials to slip out of a reactor unnoticed.
The challenges around waste storage and safety force a third and more pressing issue: cost. Even with the government subsidies, nuclear power is not cheap. The complicated reactors cost between $2.5 and $4 billion each; the Watts Bar plant was years behind schedule and ended up with a price tag of $7 billion. The capital costs of atomic expansion are so high that one nuclear executive told The New York Times that his CFO "would have a heart attack" if he proposed constructing a new reactor.
From a market standpoint, constructing new plants does not appear economically competitive. Most estimates put nuclear-generated electricity at around 8 to 11 cents/kilowatt-hour (kWh). By comparison, wind prices currently average 5 cents/kWh. Energy efficiency improvements – for example, swapping out incandescent lightbulbs for compact fluorescents – cost less than 4 cents/kWh.
"Just financially, it won't happen," says Geoff Fettus, a senior attorney at the NRDC. "The question we pose to people is not whether you are for or against nuclear power, but whether you are for or against new subsidies for nuclear power. We think they are a terrible waste of money. If you move away from the subsidies for nuclear, the debate ends right there."
The very challenges of financing and building new reactors reduce the potential for atomic energy to make a meaningful dent in carbon emissions. Currently 104 nuclear power plants produce about 20 percent of the United States' electricity. To make a real reduction in US carbon emissions would require building as many as 250 additional power plants. To make significant cuts in global greenhouse gas emissions, the world's nations would need to build 21 new reactors every year for the next 50 years. Given that it takes about 10 years to build a nuclear reactor, the first new nuclear plants wouldn't start contributing to carbon reductions until 2017. Too late to be effective, if you accept NASA Climate Scientist James Hansen's prediction that we have a decade to take action.
A June 2007 statement by the Union of Concerned Scientists sums up the sentiments of the major environmental organizations: "There are faster, safer, and significantly cheaper ways to meet our energy needs. Nuclear power is not a current solution for global warming."
The anti-nuclear consensus among environmental policy professionals, however, does not extend to the grassroots. Rank-and-file environmentalists are divided on whether building new reactors can serve as an antidote to spiraling greenhouse gas emissions. While there is not quite a vocal grassroots movement in favor of green nuclear power, the ambivalence among many environmental activists shows that the nuclear industry's hopes for convincing Americans to embrace atomic energy are not unwarranted.
A review of some of the most popular green news and opinion Web sites reveals a lively discussion about the merits of expanding nuclear power generation. For example, when Grist.org asked readers, "In the light of the mounting threat of climate change, does nuclear power deserve another look?", 54 percent of respondents voted "Yes." A poll on Treehugger.com showed 59 percent of readers conditionally in favor of atomic energy.
Whenever the issue comes up in green forums, an energetic back-and-forth ensues. During one online discussion, a visitor to a blog hosted by Earthjustice Legal Defense wrote: "I have been an ardent foe of nuclear power generation for over three decades. … However, in the last two years I have reversed my position, and now support the building of a new generation of nuclear plants in the USA. The reason is that global warming is such a huge and imminent issue, that I think we must accept the lesser evil of nuclear power generation."
When the subject came up on the Web site WorldChanging.com, readers were split roughly 50-50. One wrote: "Folks, the 100,000 year fear of nuclear waste … is a non sequitur when we hold the fate of our children's future in our hands before 2040. … Centralized nuclear power is our children's option and we have a responsibility to help them prepare for whatever they will have to do to survive."
The willingness of some environmentalists to expand nuclear power production can be explained, in part, by the fact that the issue has been out of mainstream debate for so long. The environmental policy analysts' arguments – however well-honed they may be – have not received a hearing from the public in decades. The industry's arguments, on the other hand, have earned a great deal of attention lately. The nuclear industry's media offensive means that green groups are playing catch-up.
"It's difficult when you are going up against a well-financed PR campaign," says Jim Riccio of Greenpeace USA, which is staunchly opposed to building any new reactors, "especially when most of the major groups are focused on climate change right now, and not focused as much on nuclear power. It has been the nuclear industry's attempt to play up on that."
The green grassroots' interest in nuclear power can also be explained by demographics. For an entire generation of environmental advocates, nuclear power is an unknown. The vanguard of the climate justice movement largely comprises college activists who have never had to confront the arguments for and against nuclear energy.
"I think the issue is off the radar for a lot of people," says Tyler Dawson, a student at Ohio University and an active member of the Campus Climate Challenge. "I would say that a lot of students, if they don't understand how nuclear works, they at least know there is a danger to it. But I've heard from a lot of students who say, 'You know, Europe and France run a lot of nuclear.' They have heard that nuclear power doesn't produce any greenhouse gas emissions. … The issue is received differently by different people."
When not studying for a degree in political science, Dawson is busy campaigning to stop mountaintop removal coal mining and to increase his campus's use of renewable energy. Until very recently, nuclear politics did not touch his activism. Dawson was born in 1986 – the same year as the Chernobyl disaster.
"I work with a lot of young people, and they don't have the same kind of experience and memory of working with nuclear power," says Matt Reitman, 23, a recent Syracuse University graduate now employed by the Energy Justice Network. "The people I'm working with have never formed an opinion on the issue because they have never been confronted with the issue. So now they are saying, 'I want to learn about it, I want to talk about it and hear the pros and cons.'"
Climate activists' nuclear curiosity presents a real challenge to the country's environmental leadership. Thanks to its PR attack, the nuclear industry appears to have the rhetorical advantage for now. If the debate is carbon-heavy coal versus carbon-light nuclear, the atomic argument will win. The task facing the environmental movement, then, is to start a different discussion. Environmental groups need to shift the conversation away from an argument of specific carbon reduction strategies and toward a broader discussion about long-term ecological sustainability. Given the urgency of the climate crisis, that won't be easy.
"It's entirely possible to close the nuclear plants, close the vast majority of fossil fuel plants, and use renewables and energy efficiency to meet our energy needs to reduce carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050, and nobody's lifestyle has to change."
— Michael Mariotte
Embedded in the energy debate is a deeper discussion of expectations and ecology. That is, what kind of world do we want to live in?
The argument over nuclear power reveals a long-standing tension in the environmental movement between those who say there are technical fixes to the greenhouse gas challenge, and others who believe that we need a wholesale restructuring of society if we are to avoid global meltdown. To embrace a new round of nuclear reactor construction is to say that we can have our climate and eat all the energy we want, too; it is, in some ways, a maintenance of the status quo. To oppose nuclear power is to suggest that we need to reform the ways in which we live. For if we can find a way to create lifestyles that don't demand as much electricity, then the nuclear question is moot.
The notion of reducing the US's energy usage is laughable to those in the industry. "We have never seen a decrease in electricity use," Excelon Energy's Nesbit says. "To think otherwise is just putting your head in the sand. We can slow the growth of demand, but we are not going to reverse it."
Many environmentalists, however, see reducing electricity use as the easiest – and cheapest – way to cut carbon emissions. For example, Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute has convincingly demonstrated that we can maintain many of our modern conveniences while using a fraction of the energy we currently expend.
"I would argue that it's entirely possible to close the nuclear plants, close the vast majority of fossil fuel plants, and use renewables and energy efficiency to meet our energy needs to reduce carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050, and nobody's lifestyle has to change," says Mariotte of the Nuclear Information Research Service.
The dilemma for environmental organizations is that the word "conservation" is sometimes interpreted to mean a "compromise" – and asking Americans to sacrifice some of their lifestyle has become the untouchable third rail of US environmentalism.
"If you say something like that [cutting back on energy consumption], you sound almost un-American," Greenpeace's Riccio says.
When asked whether energy conservation would require Americans to change their manner of living, Josh Dorner of the Sierra Club was careful to distance his organization from any suggestion of discomfort: "I think it's about changing the backdrop as opposed to changing the fundamentals. Instead of people having a ton of lights on in their house that are wasting a ton of energy, they will have a lot of efficient lights on that are wasting less energy. … People will be able to continue living their lives without having to make big sacrifices."
Other environmental activists aren't so sure. They say that long-term sustainability – a vision that doesn't include radioactive waste stored for hundreds of generations – will require some deeper changes. If we want to preserve the climate without relying on atomic energy, we will need to re-think many of lifestyle assumptions – our modes of transportation, our ways of eating, the size of our houses, and the generation and distribution of our energy.
"As we make the arguments over nuclear energy, I think we're about to re-enter the historic debate about how power is structured," says veteran activist Betsy Taylor, author of Sustainable Planet: Solutions for a 21st Century. "If you look at the nuclear story in particular, it was always this utopian vision that we would take care of everything – we could have our American way of life and not worry about energy. And when we got into that dream, it had some real darkness to it. … I do think we are coming back to the old celebration of self-reliance and alternative technology at the local level. If we have a future with less oil and less nuclear, we will live differently, with less stuff and less energy consumption, but with more joy and more security. But we will have to rethink the McMansions and the two SUVs in the garage."
Energy Justice Network organizer Reitman agrees. "I think we are going to have to face some kind of cultural shift," he says. "I think the culture we have created for ourselves, a society based on a lot of excess and consumerism, really has let a lot of people down. I think the prospect of getting together in a serious way as a country [to stop climate change] is a great opportunity to get back to the roots of what it means to be an American, which is to be neighborly. It's a great way to re-energize our culture, as well as our economy and our power grid."
That kind of vision makes nuclear power irrelevant. If we can reach a societal consensus that what we desire is a slower and smaller way of living, a re-conceived notion of success, then we can fundamentally reformulate our energy system. In any discussion involving a redefinition of "progress," nuclear power is not simply dangerous or dirty – it's pointless. That's a conversation the nuclear industry is unlikely to win.
"If we're going to make it safely into the future," Taylor says, "we want to reclaim the vision of energy production and of an economy that is primarily rooted locally, even though there will be and should be a global system of trade and the most amazing technological developments. But above all there should be energy production and economic production that is controlled by people in their communities."
Jason Mark is the editor of Earth Island Journal. His second book, Building the Green Economy: Success Stories from the Grassroots, will be published this fall.
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Plato had a love-hate relationship with the arts. He must
have had some love for the arts, because he talks about them often, and his
remarks show that he paid close attention to what he saw and heard. He was also
a fine literary stylist and a great story-teller; in fact he is said to have
been a poet before he encountered Socrates and became a philosopher. Some of
his dialogues are real literary masterpieces. On the other hand, he found the
arts threatening. He proposed sending the poets and playwrights out of his
ideal Republic, or at least censoring what they wrote; and he wanted music and
painting severely censored. The arts, he thought, are powerful shapers of
character. Thus, to train and protect ideal citizens for an ideal society, the
arts must be strictly controlled.
Plato's influence on western culture generally is a very
strong one, and this includes a strong influence on the arts, and on theories
of art. In the case of the arts and aesthetic theory that influence is mostly
indirect, and is best understood if one knows a little bit about his
Plato saw the changing physical
world as a poor, decaying copy of a perfect, rational, eternal, and changeless
original. The beauty of a flower, or a sunset, a piece of music or a love
affair, is an imperfect copy of Beauty Itself. In this world of changing
appearances, while you might catch a glimpse of that ravishing perfection, it
will always fade. It's just a pointer to the perfect beauty of the eternal. The
same goes for other Essences, like Justice. Anyone knows that Real Justice is
too much to hope for in this corrupt world. The best you can find is a rough
approximation. To take a third example, the most carefully drawn circle turns
out to be irregular if you inspect it closely enough. Like The Point, The Line,
and all geometric shapes, The Circle is a mathematical ideal. It is not
possible to draw a
Beauty, Justice, and The Circle are all examples of what
Plato called Forms or Ideas. Other philosophers have called them Universals.
Many particular things can have the form of a circle, or of justice, or beauty.
For Plato, these Forms are perfect Ideals, but they are also more real than
physical objects. He called them "the Really Real". The world of the
Forms is rational and unchanging; the world of physical appearances is
changeable and irrational, and only has reality to the extent that it succeeds
in imitating the Forms. The mind or soul belongs to the Ideal world; the body
and its passions are stuck in the muck of the physical world. So the best human
life is one that strives to understand and to imitate the Forms as closely as
possible. That life is the life of the mind, the life of the
Philosopher (literally, the lover of wisdom). Self control, especially
control of the passions, is essential to the soul that wants to avoid the temptations
of sensuality, greed, and ambition, and move on to the Ideal World in the next
Of course there is a lot more to Plato's philosophy than
this; but this is enough background to begin explaining his views about the
arts. (For more on Plato's philosophy, visit the library, or check out the
online Encyclopedia
of Philosophy.) Plato had two theories of art. One may be found in his
dialogue The Republic, and seems to be the theory that Plato himself believed.
According to this theory, since art imitates physical things, which in turn
imitate the Forms, art is always a copy of a copy, and leads us even further
from truth and toward illusion. For this reason, as well as because of its
power to stir the emotions, art is dangerous. Plato's other theory is hinted at
in his shorter dialogue Ion, and in his exquisitely crafted Symposium.
According to this theory the artist, perhaps by divine inspiration, makes a
better copy of the True than may be found in ordinary experience. thus the artist is a kind of prophet. Here are some features
of the two theories:
Art is imitation
This is a feature of both of Plato's theories. Of course he
was not the first or the last person to think that art imitates reality. The
idea was still very strong in the Renaissance, when Vasari, in his Lives of the
Painters, said that "painting is just the imitation of all the living
things of nature with their colors and designs just
as they are in nature." It may still be the most commonly held theory.
Most people still think that a picture must be a picture of something, and that
an artist is someone who can make a picture that "looks just like the real
thing". It wasn't until late in the nineteenth century that the idea of
art as imitation began to fade from western aesthetics, to be replaced by
theories about art as expression, art as communication, art as pure form, art
as whatever elicits an "aesthetic" response, and a number of other
So art is imitation. But what does it imitate? Here is where
Plato's two theories come in. In the Republic, Plato says that art imitates the
objects and events of ordinary life. In other words, a work of art is a copy of
a copy of a Form. It is even more of an illusion than is ordinary experience.
On this theory, works of art are at best entertainment,
and at worst a dangerous delusion.
A moment's thought will suggest a way of building a more
art-friendly theory out of Plato's philosophy. What if the artist is somehow
able to make a truer copy of the Forms than our ordinary experience offers?
This theory actually appears in Plato's short early dialogue, the Ion. Socrates
is questioning a poet named Ion, who recites Homer's poetry brilliantly but is
no good at reciting anything else. Socrates is puzzled by this; it seems to him
that if Ion has an art, or skill, of reciting poetry he should be able to apply
his skilled knowledge to other poets as well. He concludes that Ion doesn't
really possess skilled knowledge. Rather, when he recites Homer, he must be
inspired by a god.
The Ion drips with sarcasm. Plato didn't take the "art
by divine inspiration" theory very seriously. But many ancient, medieval,
and modern artists and aestheticians have found it irresistible. After all,
aren't artists often inspired? Doesn't their creative genius often produce
wonderfully surprising results, about which the artist will say, "I don't
know how I did that?" Most important, don't artists show us the essence of
things, and reveal truths that we wouldn't otherwise see?
The view of the artist as inspired revealer
of ideal essences fits well with the spirit of Plato's Symposium, a dialogue
full of speeches in praise of Love, in which Socrates gives a compelling
picture of the ascent from sexual love, to the aesthetic appreciation of
beautiful bodies, to the love of beautiful souls, and finally to the the contemplation of the ideal Form of Beauty
itself. The same spirit fills much classic Greek art. Late classical
sculpture presents gods and heroes as ideal bodies, built in perfect
proportions, and filled with a cool repose, as if they inhabited a perfect and
changeless divine world. The classical ideal of the artist as capturing an
essence has continued to exert great power, from the Renaissance rediscovery of
the Greek canons of proportion to the twentieth century sculptures of Constantin Brancusi, the paintings of Piet Mondrian, and
the color theories of Vasily
Kandinsky and the Blue Rider (der Blaue
Reiter) group.
The idea of the artist as divinely inspired, or even
possessed, has also persisted to the present day. Some of our most common art
vocabulary derives from this idea. For example, the word "music"
derives from the Greek Muses, the demigods who inspired an artist's work. The
notion of "genius" is originally the same; your genius was your
personal daimon or inspiring spirit. There are
countless paintings from the Renaissance which depict a genius of this sort, or
an inspiring muse; and there are some which combine the ideas of inspiration
and imitation, showing an artist or musician contemplating a divine ideal, and
producing art as a result. An example, which may appear a bit differently to
modern eyes than to Renaissance ones, is Titian's "Venus and Music" (Venere,
Amore e Organista). The idea of genius was strong
in the Romantic period, and has certainly not gone away since that time!
There are, however, problems with the imitation theory. In
either of its two versions, as imitations of the world or imitation of an
ideal, the imitation theory has problems. It is at least plausible as a theory
about representational painting, drawing and sculpture; and it can be stretched
to fit some abstract work, as in the case of Brancusi and Mondrian. But even
with such work it leaves a lot out. With an artist like Jackson Pollack it
leaves out everything; what do his drip paintings imitate? And how is the
theory supposed to work for music? What does music represent? Plato spoke about
music representing natural sounds, and emotions, as did Aristotle. but even if one agrees that music imitates emotions, could
one build a theory of music out of this fact alone?
Art is powerful, and
therefore dangerous
Poetry, drama, music, painting,
dance, all stir up our emotions. All of the arts move people powerfully. They can strongly
influence our behavior, and even our character. For
that reason Plato insisted that music (especially music), along with poetry and
drama and the other arts, should be part of the education of young citizens in
his ideal republic, but should be strictly censored to present, at first, only
the good. (That stories and images can shape character may seem obvious enough;
but how does music do this? Plato was much impressed with the theories of
Pythagoras, and his number mysticism. Early thinking about geometric ratios was
partly inspired by noticing the series of overtones connected with the
vibration of a string. A string, when plucked, vibrates along its whole length,
but also in halves, giving the octave, and in other divisions which give the
fifth, the third, and the rest of the overtone series. These are the bell-like
higher tones string players produce when they play "harmonics". Plato
thought that the right sort of music would help to set the soul in harmony
rather than discord. But that meant excluding certain musical modes from the
Republic, and keeping only those that were conducive to a properly ordered
soul, i.e., one whose will ruled its passions at the direction of its reason.
Only when young people were ready should the strength of their character be
tested by exposing them to depictions of evil, and to the more promiscuous
modes of music.)
From Plato to New York Mayor Rudolf Giuliani, influential
people through the centuries and across cultures have worried about the power
of the arts to influence, and potentially to corrupt. It can be hard for a
twenty first century westerner to sympathize with Plato's severe censorship of
the arts. Little if anything is more valuable to us than our freedom; we don't
take kindly to others telling us what we can watch or listen to or read. We
believe in the free exchange of ideas, and let the best idea win. We might even
try to justify this idea from Plato's own dialogues. Of course, Plato did not
value freedom so highly as do we; he thought that
freedom with no limits and no proper training would result in no good. In fact,
he thought it would leave the mass of people vulnerable to deception,
manipulation, and eventual enslavement by a tyrant. In spite of this, he agreed
with modern people about the free exchange of ideas. There was no other way to
arrive at truth, in his view. His problem with the arts was that they operated
by images rather than by ideas, and thus that they might cloud the truth rather
than clarifying it.
Perhaps a bit of "sympathy for the devil" is
possible here. The most famous summary of Plato's philosophy is the allegory of
the Cave, found in Book VII of his Republic. There Plato asks readers to
imagine prisoners chained to a bench, facing the wall of a deep cave. Behind
them is a six-foot wall, behind that a fire, and in between the fire and the
wall walk actors carrying puppets on sticks. All the prisoners can see are the
shadows cast by the puppets. That is their world, and they think it Reality.
Imagine that a prisoner is somehow released. At first he or she will stumble in
the dark, and be blinded by the fire, but then come to realize that the shadows
are copies of the puppets. The liberated prisoner stumbles further up, all the
way out the mouth of the cave and into the sunlight. There, when the sunblindness goes away, the prisoner sees the real things
of which the puppets themselves are copies. Finally, he or she is able to see
the sun, by whose light the real things are visible.
Why would Plato have seen the arts as shadows on the wall of
the cave, rather than as shining symbols of the true spiritual world outside?
The answer is that he saw both potentials. If he did not see the possibility
that art could reveal truth and form character in a good way, he would not have
recommended music and stories for the young. But why so much emphasis on the
seductive shadow potential of art? Put the Allegory of
the Cave into its obvious 21st century version, and one answer begs to be
given. The prisoner becomes a couch potato, tied to the television, and taking
the images and myths purveyed by the ads and the shows as the way things are.
Are those images and myths powerful? Do they shape our picture of ourselves and
the world? Do they distract us from knowing who we really are, what is really
best for us, who would be a good political leader? The questions answer
themselves. (But for a particularly powerful, detailed description of just how
they do so, see the works of Stuart Ewen, particularly
All Consuming Images and PR!) Plays and public oratory were the media and
propaganda of Plato's day, and painting, statuary and music often served
similar ends. Think "media", "propaganda", and
Entertainment Tonight, rather than "fine art", and it is easier to
gain some sympathy for Plato's views. It is surely a chief challenge of our
time to enable free, honest, challenging communication while resisting the
unreasoned power of advertising imagery and media hype. Whatever one thinks of
Plato's solution to this problem, I suggest that this is one of the problems
that elicited his proposals for severe censorship of the arts he so obviously
loved and had been trained in. The solution may not appeal, but the problem is
a real one.
Plato's influence came into the medieval European tradition
through the filter of Neoplatonism, a much later
modification of Platonic teachings that flourished in the centuries just before
and after the time of Jesus. The most famous neo-Platonist was Plotinus.
Plotinus and the other neo-Platonists made much of the idea of Beauty, and the
soul's quest for it, as described in the Symposium. Through neoplatonism, Plato's second theory (art as imitation
of eternal Beauty and eternal Truth) became the channel of his influence on the
western middle ages and the renaissance.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Projekt x Pan After - 'Flared Neck Vase' 001
A collection of crochet vases and botanicals from 'Projekt' by Peta Becker and Pan After.
Established in 2006 by creative director and artist Peta Becker, 'Projekt' is a design-based fair trade initiative that employs, supports and empowers women and their craft. Based in Cape Town, South Africa the project allows women a safe working environment and a secure income while equally nurturing, teaching and providing ongoing support and skills in the art of crochet and sewing.
Each vase, leaf and bud is handcrafted with incredible skill and patience and no two are alike. Crocheted finely on a very small hook from 100% cotton with wire and small stones for structure which are not visible.
Vase measures 38cm high x 14cm wide + 23-32cm leaf.
Total height of object measures approximately 70cm.
* Leaves are removable.


text:
By Rebecca Keegan
Los Angeles Times
As part of a broader gun control plan he announced last month, President Obama said he will push Congress to fund research into the causes of gun violence – including, potentially, the role of entertainment.
Researchers have been tackling the subject of links between violent entertainment and violent behavior for years, often coming to divergent conclusions.
Here are a few intriguing findings:
In a 2009 study called "Comfortably Numb," psychologists at the University of Michigan, Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam and Iowa State University found that exposure to violent media numbs people to the pain and suffering of others.
In one part, 320 college students played a violent or a nonviolent video game for 20 minutes. Afterward, while they completed a lengthy questionnaire, participants heard a loud fight in which someone was injured outside the lab.
Those who played the violent games took 450 percent longer to help the injured victim, rated the fight as less serious and were less likely to hear the fight in comparison to participants who played nonviolent games.
In the second part of the study, 162 adults attending violent and nonviolent movies witnessed a young woman with an injured ankle struggle to pick up her crutches outside the theater.
Those who had just watched the violent movie took 26 percent longer to help than those who hadn't.
In 2008, economists at UC Berkeley and UC San Diego presented a paper that credits violent films with actually making the nation safer, because of a phenomenon they called "voluntary incapacitation" _ essentially, when potential criminals were in dark theaters chomping on popcorn, they were less likely to commit acts of violence.
Studying crime data and film release schedules between 1995 and 2004, the researchers found that on weekends when violent films were in theaters, the number of assaults in the U.S. decreased by about 1,000. "The results emphasize that media exposure affects behavior not only via content, but also because it changes time spent in alternative activities," the researchers wrote.
In 2008, psychologists at Texas A&M University studied 428 undergraduate students, measuring their aggression levels, video game habits, exposure to family violence and violent criminal behavior through a series of questionnaires. The strongest predictors of violent criminal behavior were a male gender and exposure to physical abuse. Once those factors were controlled for, playing violent video games was not a predictor of criminal violence. But, researchers wrote, aggressive individuals already prone to committing violent acts may use games as a "stylistic catalyst," effectively modeling their violence on a game they've played.


text:
"Friends in Low Places"
Garth Brooks is a country pop singer-songwriter. His eponymous first album was released in 1989 and peaked at number 2 in the US country album chart while climbing to number 13 on the Billboard 200 album chart. Brooks' integration of rock elements into his recordings and live performances earned him immense popularity. This progressive approach allowed him to dominate the country single and album charts while crossing over into the mainstream pop arena.
Brooks broke records for both sales and concert attendance throughout the 1990s. Troubled by conflicts between career and family, Brooks officially retired from recording and performing from 2001 until 2009. During this time, he sold millions of albums through an exclusive distribution deal with Walmart and sporadically released new singles. In 2005, Brooks started a partial comeback, and has since given several performances and released two compilation albums.
On October 15, 2009, Garth Brooks announced the end of his retirement. In December 2009, he began a five-year concert deal with the Encore Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. Following the conclusion of his residency in Las Vegas, Brooks announced his signing with Sony Music Nashville in July 2014. In September 2014, he began his comeback world tour. His most recent album, Man Against Machine, was released on November 11, 2014 via his online music store GhostTunes.
Brooks was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on October 21, 2012.
Garth Brooks
Major Bob Music, Inc.
1111 17th Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37212


text:
You're reading an outdated article. Please go to the recent issues to find up-to-date content.
Advances in lighting technology have produced a variety of new retrofitting methods and components that are transforming existing high-volume facilities and transportation infrastructure.
By their very nature, retrofits are designed to enhance performance and provide significant energy savings. Yet some of the most beneficial features of today's lighting upgrades may lie in updated circuitry designed to meet modern power demands for illumination that provides safer, more secure environments for occupants.
Over the years, the combination of growing lighting consumption and aging structures has allowed retrofitting to become the driving force behind utility efficiency efforts, with the emphasis on commercial facilities.
Offices, retail and warehouses are the largest consumers of energy in the United States, and lighting accounts for more than 40 percent of the commercial sector's overall electricity consumption according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy in Washington, D.C.
Adding greater incentive, utilities developed rebate programs to complement retrofit efforts. These energy-saving rebates continue to be the mainstay of demand-side management initiatives aimed at reducing consumption and recycling materials. Although utility-rebate programs peaked in the early 1990s, it is estimated that around 40 utility-sponsored rebate programs in 20 different states are still helping customers accomplish their retrofit missions.
Innovation Paybacks
With increased electricity costs and the growing interest in energy conservation, facility managers have turned to new lighting technologies to provide high-quality, energy-efficient lighting options for multiple applications. These products include occupancy sensors, dimmers with automatic shutoff controls, ceramic metal halides, inductive lamp systems, one-lamp linear fluorescent fixtures, high-intensity T5HO fluorescents and super T8 lamp systems.
For instance, lighting manufacturers estimate a new electronic T8 lamp and ballast system burns approximately 30 to 50 percent less energy, operates cooler and reduces maintenance costs. In addition, it can generate up to 20 percent more light with improved color rendering. A typical payback on the newer technology is one to three years based on annual operating hours and kilowatt-per-hour cost.
Over time, these cutting-edge technologies and new regulatory policies are expected to set the pace for all future retrofits and new construction. Statistics show fluorescent lamps and electronic ballast combinations haven't taken the spotlight as the new standard in lighting systems. According to the Lighting Controls Association, trend-setting designs that are smaller, smarter and more flexible have allowed electronic ballasts to eclipse magnetic ballasts in both dollar volume sales in 1995 and total unit sales volume in 2001.
In addition to market demand, two new regulatory developments are expected to reshape the industry:
The Department of Energy (DOE) has adopted new ballast efficacy standards for F40T12 and F96T12 lamps to be phased in beginning in 2005.
A provision of the DOE's Energy Policy Act of 1992 will require all states to adopt energy codes as stringent as ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-1999 or justify their noncompliance.
Transportation Sees the Light
Retrofitting lamps and fixtures is a routine consideration in facility plans from energy-intensive hospitals and hotels to seaports, professional ballparks and roadways. Retrofits do more than just decrease energy use. Projects also enhance the visual quality and appearance of high-traffic facilities and infrastructures, while increasing productivity and safety.
Security and job site safety at the sixth-largest seaport in the world recently prompted a major petroleum storage facility to upgrade lighting for its Houston ship channel terminal. Surveys of the Magellan Midstream Partners L.P. facility, which holds approximately 8.8 million barrels of oil and services up to 12 ships and 200 barges a month, confirmed that it had less than one foot-candle of light in many critical operating areas.
A high-mast system manufactured by General Electric replaced scattered floodlights with 1,000W high-pressure sodium lamps to eliminate dangerous glare and shadowy conditions for employees, security cameras, ship pilots and the U.S. Coast Guard. The project also helped the terminal secure major grants for additional lighting from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Department of Homeland Security.
A relatively new inductive highway sign lighting method is providing brighter, more uniform light for millions of motorists on high-volume roadways. A partnership between San Diego-based Allied Lighting Systems and Philips Lighting's QL induction lamps has produced a retrofit kit consisting of long-life, 85W inductive lamps and a reflector system that is adaptable to existing 175W mercury vapor fixtures.
The California Department of Transportation is reportedly saving approximately $260,000 annually, or 60 percent in energy costs, on more than 3,000 sign lights and retrofit kits using the system in San Diego County alone, according to Allied Lighting.
Transportation officials in Arizona, California, Nevada, New York and Washington have approved the Media Star technology to meet their photometric requirements, and several are beginning to contract the installation to local electrical firms.
Officials say the technology provides a safer, more efficient alternative over changing fixtures frequently in dangerous, hard-to-reach locations.
Take Me out of the Ballgame
In recent years, NECA member E-J Electric Installation Co., a full-service electrical company established in 1899 whose headquarters are in Long Island City, N.Y., has performed a series of large exterior and interior retrofits at Shea Stadium that is designed to help light a path to the new millennium. Home of the New York Mets and host to historic events such as a Beatles' concert and an appearance by Pope John Paul II, Shea Stadium opened its doors in 1964.
"There's no other option but to retrofit them to meet modern facility lighting standards. That's not just fixtures, but also power distribution," said Angelo Economou, E-J Electric project manager. "With new fixtures, there's the benefit of more efficient lighting and higher-level light output, so you also need to look at increasing the lighting circuitry."
A major three-phase retrofit allowed the 57,405-seat facility to become a more modern entertainment mecca with brighter lights and better power distribution for players and fans.
In the early 1980s, the facility underwent a lighting retrofit for the field, the exterior infrastructure and the interior four-level concourse systems. The Flushing Meadows, N.Y., facility received a significant upgrade again starting in 2000-2001 with the roof-mounted field lighting system.
Players, especially outfielders, discontented with low light were introduced to a retrofit solution that significantly increased lumen levels despite approximately 50 fewer fixtures. Deep in the winter, an E-J Electric crew of 12 electricians accessed the roof's catwalks to remove old fixtures and lamps and install a high-wattage system. Manufactured by Iowa-based Musco Lighting, the SportsCluster2 system added custom-built brackets to hold 25 clusters of eight 2,000W lamps.
To correct light levels below typical stadium standards, a crew of 80 E-J Electric electricians equipped with 20 scissor lifts simultaneously retrofitted Shea's concourse and emergency backup (egress) lighting systems during the winter of 2002-2003.
According to Economou, Shea Stadium's interior lighting was originally outfitted with incandescents but was retrofitted 20 years ago with metal halide technology. The current two-part project called for the installation of fluorescent lamps in fixtures similar to high-bay metal halide sports fixtures.
The Mets lease Shea Stadium from the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. Said Economou: "The reason the city's architectural and electrical engineering firm, STV Inc., selected fluorescent over metal halide was not only for energy efficiency, but for faster response for the egress system. There would've been a short downtime between the generator starting and the lights starting. With fluorescents, it's instant."
He noted that the four-level concourse received 127 new Sportlite fixtures fitted with four 26W lamps, 206 fixtures containing six 42W lamps and a total of 49 fixtures containing four 42W lamps.
In the event of a power failure, the original egress design did not provide sufficient light for emergency evacuations. The new egress system offers 75 fixtures containing four 42W lamps for the ramps, while the concourse gained 106 fixtures with four 26W lamps each.
With the upgraded egress system in place, the stadium was equipped to handle emergency lighting had the Aug. 14, 2003, blackout occurred after dark during the scheduled game between the Mets and the San Francisco Giants. The game was cancelled that afternoon.
Increased capacity to meet life safety needs amounted to more than new fixtures and a 500kW generator. "It was not only a retrofit, but also additional power. We added branch circuiting and a total of 16 new panels on eight risers throughout the stadium to redistribute the power and increase the load of the egress lighting and normal concourse lighting. It's a lot safer now," said Economou.
The most recent retrofit phase involved brighter bullpens and improved security lighting for the stadium's gates with newer "necklace lighting" that was completed before the 2004 season's first pitch. The bullpens received six 1,000W fixtures on each to replace the previous 750W lamps, while the wall-mounted necklace lighting was upgraded again with Musco's 1,000W lamps in clusters of two lamps for each of the 22 fixtures.
"We estimated that levels for the security lighting were raised 30 to 35 percent using the same circuitry and same wattage because of Musco's system," added Economou. EC
MCCLUNG, owner of Woodland Communications, is a construction writer from Iowa. She can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].
About The Author
Debbie McClung, owner of Woodland Communications, is a construction writer from Iowa.


text:
Read on to find out who took home bonuses from Fight Night Dublin!
Eight fighters joined the UFC president Dana White at the UFC Fight Night Dublin post-fight press conference: Patrick Holohan, Ilir Latifi, Ian McCall, Diego Brandao, Norman Parke, Neil Seery, Cathal Pendred, Gunnar Nelson, and Irish superstar Conor McGregor.
McGregor and training partner Nelson were awarded Performance of the Night bonuses. Hometown hero, McGregor, controlled his bout with Diego Brandao from the bell, finishing the Brazilian impressively in the opening round. Nelson got off to a slow start but rebounded nicely in the second en route to his 13th career win.
Fight of the Night went to The Ultimate Fighter: Edgar vs. Penn teammates Cathal Pendred and Mike King. The fight opened as a brawl, with King taking control over the final 2:30. King and Pendred exchanged blows to open the second round but Cathal's resilience helped him come out on top.
Each winner was awarded $50,000. Watch the full press conference here!


text:
VirtualBox is brilliant. You can set up Windows XP, Ubuntu Jaunty etc and test installations into them. Then reset to snapshot and rinse and repeat. Installing onto systems that are not "clean" is never as certain – perhaps you have already installed comtypes or whatever.
One tip for sharing files between a host OS and a Linux (Ubuntu) guest OS (see http://www.virtuatopia.com/index.php/VirtualBox_Shared_Folders).
Within the guest OS, make a directory e.g.
sudo mkdir /transfer
Then mount the shared folder you set up externally in VirtualBox using:
sudo mount -t vboxsf sharename mountpoint
in my case:
sudo mount -t vboxsf transfer /transfer
It is then easy to grab files from the host OS e.g. a deb package that needs to be installed.


text:
VIKING skeletons buried beneath an Oxford college were the victims of brutal ethnic cleansing 1,000 years ago, archaeologists have discovered.
Experts were mystified when they discovered a mass grave beneath a quadrangle a St John's College, St Giles, in 2008.
But, after two years of CSI-style detective work, they believe they can pinpoint the exact day in 1002 AD that Danish settlers were rounded up on the streets of Oxford and murdered, before being carted out of the city gates and dumped in a ditch.
Thames Valley Archaeological Services (TVAS) uncovered the remains of 34 to 38 young men in March 2008, during excavations for a new college building.
Bone experts realised they had been murdered as their skeletons were left with cracked skulls, stab wounds in their spines and pelvic bones, and there were signs of burning.
Five had been stabbed in the back, and one had been decapitated.
Tests dated them to between 960 and 1020 AD, and archaeologists first thought they were the remains of executed Saxon criminals.
But when the chemical composition of the bones was analysed, they revealed the men ate far more fish and shellfish than Anglo-Saxons, suggesting they were Viking settlers from Denmark.
Project leader Sean Wallis, of TVAS, believes they were killed on St Brice's Day, November 13, 1002 AD, when King Aethelred the Unready ordered Englishmen across his kingdom to murder their Danish neighbours.
Documentary evidence shows Oxford residents rounded up the Danes and massacred them, burning down a wooden church where they fled for safety.
Mr Wallis said: "Obviously, we can never be 100 per cent definite, but everything points to these skeletons being the remains of the men murdered in the St Brice's Day massacre.
"The level of the collagen in the bones suggests that they came from North West Europe, and their skeletons suggest they were big, muscular guys. I basically read this as ethnic cleansing.
"There were totally different circumstances 1,000 years ago, but basically the order went out that this particular race should be exterminated.
"It is the find of my career so far."
Now some of the bones are being studied by forensic science students at Oxford and Cherwell Valley College, Oxpens Road.
Science lecturer Amy Dawson said: "The students are really excited to have something that is real and can be linked to a specific event.
"We can see the wounds inflicted at the point of death and prior to death."
What will happen to the remains is not yet decided.
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text:
President Trump and congressional Republicans have said now that they've gotten their tax bill through, the next priority is to overhaul entitlement programs. And we are seeing the first steps in that. Yesterday, the Trump administration announced it will allow some states to require Medicaid recipients to get a job. Jeff Colyer is the lieutenant governor of Kansas, one of the states that supports the idea of implementing this kind of work requirement. He's also a practicing physician, and he joins me now. Lieutenant Governor, thanks so much for being with us.
JEFF COLYER: Good morning.
MARTIN: So you like this idea of requiring Medicaid recipients to work, explain why.
COLYER: The health benefits of work are very obvious. You're going to have lower rates of depression, for example. It gives you an opportunity to work, to have somebody else involved with your life so that we make sure that you're taking your medications and that you have better general health. There's a lot of data that suggests that this can be a very protective effect.
MARTIN: So this is supposed to be for able-bodied people only. Those are the ones who are supposed to be required to get a job under this. But what if people don't have a physical disability but an intellectual one, would this apply to them?
COLYER: No, it would not apply to people with intellectual disabilities. For example, in Kansas, we are - of the 430,000 Kansans that are on Medicaid, this would apply to about 12,000 people. What we're talking about is using this only for able-bodied adults. But if you're a pregnant mother, if you're a child, if you're somebody that has a disability or if you're somebody that has a substance abuse disorder and you're receiving treatment for that, we certainly wouldn't require you to work.
MARTIN: So it seems to me that the art in this is going to be able to discern who is able-bodied and who is not. How do you make those choices?
COLYER: Well, we make those choices in a lot of different programs as well such as Welfare to Work and in - which is called TANF. We also do that with the food stamp programs. And it is something where the states can work very closely and very individually. In our Medicaid program, where we work very closely on these different types of programs, they are called waivers. And individuals, say, that are in the developmental disability waiver are not required to work in this. We're talking about only able-bodied adults.
MARTIN: So you are confident that no one's going to fall through the cracks here, that no one who is physically disabled or mentally unable to work will be deprived of benefits or forced to get a job unnecessarily?
COLYER: Oh, no. And there is also a process that people can appeal, you know, these issues with it. It also gives people an opportunity to sign up for additional programs. So what you can do is you can actually go and have additional work training. You can have apprenticeships. You can work in a variety of different options in your community. If there's a community where there may be a special volunteer situation, you can work with them. If you have a disabled person at home that you're helping with, you're not going to be forced to work. We want you to work with your child, with your family member.
MARTIN: So you're taking that in consideration, people who are full-time caregivers?
COLYER: Oh, absolutely.
MARTIN: Is - do you get the sense that there are a lot of Kansans who are out there gaming the system and living off Medicaid money on unnecessarily? I mean, why does this change need to happen?
COLYER: What this does is it promotes health benefits for people. I think when we look at an individual and we're trying to help them, we're trying to help them to independence. And so there are a lot of different programs that are available to somebody such as work training and health care and different educational benefits.
MARTIN: But critics would say that in order - that the order's reversed here, that you should have - you should secure health care for someone before they can actually get a job. Otherwise, is there a chance they might get sicker?
COLYER: Oh, no. People that are sick are, of course, going to be excluded from this. There are certainly exemptions, you know, that if, you know, let's say you had a serious cancer. Of course we wouldn't do that. It's not that it's backwards. What we're trying to talk about is only people who are able to work. And we're going to - when the results of this - when we see this in our other programs, we're seeing their incomes increase 240 percent over the next couple of years.
MARTIN: OK. This is something we are going to continue to look into. Thank you so much for joining us. Jeff Colyer, lieutenant governor of Kansas. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Republicans Not Sold on Boehner's Debt-Ceiling Plan
Speaker John Boehner attempted Thursday morning to sell House Republicans on a debt-ceiling plan that would delay the implementation of Obamacare, jumpstart the Keystone Pipeline, and introduce other conservative reforms in hopes of uniting the GOP conference ahead of tough votes on the continuing resolution and debt-ceiling.
But reaction from members was mixed, at best.
"We shouldn't even be talking about the debt-ceiling until we get [the Senate] to vote on a good CR for America," fumed Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas, who plans to vote against the debt-ceiling bill when it hits the floor, which could happen as soon as Friday.
Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama said he was undecided on the debt-limit package, even though "it definitely has a lot of goodies in it." Brooks added: "It does not cut spending and does not solve the problem."
Asked if it could pass the House, Brooks replied, "In my judgment, no."
Others Republicans, though, were more optimistic. Rep. Tom Price of Georgia, who has been working with leadership to craft a comprehensive strategy to deal with the CR and debt-ceiling fights, said members seemed satisfied that Boehner's proposal meets the criteria they have long demanded for a debt-ceiling increase.
"It meets the Boehner Rule -- any increase is met by dollar-for-dollar decrease in spending as well as reforms," Price said. "It will delay Obamacare for a year. ... And it keeps the House moving in a direction where the Senate has to respond, which is important."
But does it have enough support to pass the House? "I think so, yeah," Price said.
Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas agreed, saying conservatives should rally behind the Boehner plan. "We should be unified in bringing this debt-ceiling proposal out of the House," said Brady, noting that the package includes "very strong, pro-growth policies that will help reduce the deficit."
Brady said of a potential floor vote Friday: "There should be more than 218."
The prospect of a quick floor vote, however, did not sit well with undecided Republicans like Rep. Jim Bridenstine of Oklahoma. "I'm looking forward to seeing what leadership puts on the table," he said. "I think there's a lot more to be discussed."
Rep. Randy Weber of Texas agreed: "I have decided not take a position as of yet," he said. "I want to hear more."
Meanwhile, conservative leaders wouldn't bite when asked whether the debt-ceiling proposal has the votes to pass.
"You must confuse me with the whip," said a smiling Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas. Pressed to analyze the support within his conference for Boehner's plan, Hensarling repeated three times: "I expect Republicans to be united."
Even Rep. Steve Scalise, chairman of the Republican Study Committee, seemed uncertain of whether Boehner's presentation had won over a sufficient number of conservatives. "We're going to find out," he said. "You'll have to ask the whip."
Shane Goldmacher contributed to this report.


text:
An official website of the United States government
Alert 2008-45 | November 6, 2008
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Chief Executive Officers of All National Banks; All State Banking Authorities; Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; Director, Office of Thrift Supervision; Conference of State Bank Supervisors; Deputy Comptrollers (districts); Assistant Deputy Comptrollers; District Counsel; and All Examining Personnel
The above-named bank has reported that counterfeit cashier's checks issued in the bank's name and using a correct routing number of 122106222 are being presented for payment nationwide in connection with a mystery shopping scam.
The counterfeit checks do not resemble the authentic items and may be identified by the following traits: the instruments are of unknown color and contain the words "CASHIER'S CHECK" in the upper-left corner. The bank's logo and name appear in the top-center portion of the check along with a telephone number of 1-888-366-0361. This telephone number is not associated with the bank but rather with the fraudsters. The following security statement is located within the top border of the instrument: "FOR SECURITY PURPOSES THE FACE OF THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS A COLORED BACKGROUND AND MICROPRINTING IN THE BORDER." Both the Pay to the Order of and payable dollar amount sections are underscored. The following security statement is located within the bottom border surrounded by padlock icons: "SECURITY FEATURES INCLUDED. DETAILS ON BACK."
Items presented to date have been made payable in the amount of $4,820, include a remitter name of "Market Vision Inc.," and include a 9-digit check serial number.
Due to possible variations in the appearance of the bank's official items and differing scams associated with the counterfeit items, officials of West Valley National Bank suggest they be contacted to verify authenticity of the bank's cashier's checks if received from an unknown or questionable source.
Correspondence accompanying the counterfeit checks may contain the letterhead of "Market Vision Inc. Shopping Business Solutions, 283 Orenda Road, Brampton, ON L6T 5S3, Tel/Fax # 1-289-888-2859." The letter may be signed by Susan Hollands, Human Resources Manager. The correspondence informs the recipient that he or she has been selected to represent the company as a secret shopper. It is explained that the enclosed cashier's check is to be used during the assignment to make purchases at various merchants and to transfer money using a nationally known wire service. Recipients are instructed to contact 1-289-888-2859 Ext 200, press 1, state his or her name, and to wait for the call to be answered. Note that this telephone number originates from Ontario, Canada.
For additional information and guidance and to verify the authenticity of West Valley National Bank's cashier's checks, please contact Nicole Mackesy, Operations, West Valley National Bank, 12725 W. Indian School Road, Ste C-108, Avondale, AZ 85392, by telephone at (623) 536-9862, by fax at (623) 536-8412, or via email at [firstname.lastname@example.com].
Consumers who receive counterfeit or fictitious items and associated material should file complaints with the following agencies, as appropriate:
Additional information concerning this matter that should be brought to the attention of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) may be forwarded to
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency Special Supervision Division 400 7th St. SW, Suite 3E-218; MS 8E-12 Washington, DC 20219 Phone: (202) 649-6450 Fax: (571) 293-4925 www.occ.gov email@example.com
For additional information regarding other types of financial fraud, please visit the OCC's anti-fraud resources page.
Daniel P. Stipano Deputy Chief Counsel


text:
House of Commons
Session 2012-13
Publications on the internet
The Register of Members' Financial Interests: Part 1
As at 1st October 2012
LLOYD, Stephen (Eastbourne)
2. Remunerated employment, office, profession etc
Speaking engagement for Capita Business Services, 2nd Floor, 17-19 Rochester Row, London SW1P 1LA, on 24 April 2012. £200 paid direct to charity on 29 May 2012. Hours: 1 hr. (Registered 7 June 2012)


text:
[176 words]
Whatever you give away today
Or think or say or do
Will multiply about tenfold
And then return to you.
It may not come immediately
Nor from the obvious source,
But the LAW applies unfailingly
Through some invisible force.
Whatever you feel about another
Be it love or hate or passion,
Will surely bounce right back to you
In some clear or secret fashion.
If you speak about some person
A word of praise or two
Soon tens of other people
Will speak kind words to you.
Our thoughts are broadcasts of the soul,
Not secrets of the brain.
Kind ones bring us happiness,
Petty ones, untold pain.
Giving works as surely as
Reflection in a mirror,
If hate you send, hate you'll get back
But loving brings love nearer.
Remember as you start this day
And duty crowds your mind
That kindness comes so quickly back
To those who first are kind.
Let that thought and this one
Direct you through each day
The only things we ever keep
Are the things we give away!
Jerry Buchanan


text:
A group of San Diego high school students from Scripps Ranch High School have been suspended and banned from graduation and prom for participating in a twerking video. The dance involves the popping of the hips in a sexually suggestive fashion. SEE ALSO: White Middle-Aged Suicide Rises Sharply The video features 32 female Scripps students twerking while doing handstands to a song by YG, a 23-year-old California rapper. A student videotaped the dance outside their media class with a school camera. The student then edited the video with music and placed it on YouTube. After going online, Scripps officials suspended the students Tuesday through the end of the week, including the poster. While the school has yet to comment on the situation, students involved have reportedly vented their frustrations.
Suspended, banned from prom, and prevented from walking at graduation all because of an awesome twerk video. I don't understand, one student said via Twitter.
Watch the Scripps High student twerking video here:
According to another student, however, the girls may be able to get their prom and graduation back. "The seniors involved are on senior review and have to ask for their prom and graduation back in front of a panel," the teenager informed NBC 7. Scripps' student handbook has a detailed policy against sexual harassment, banning any "verbal, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature made by someone from or in the educational setting."At Scripps Ranch High school there is zero tolerance for students who cause major disruptions at school or school activities. Any student who causes a major disruption will receive a five (5) day suspension, a possible new school placement and may be arrested.
High School Students Suspended For Twerking Video [VIDEO] was originally published on newsone.com


text:
As everyone talks about the Spurs as a "dynasty" for winning their 4th title in 9 years, I'd like to self-servingly point out that I called the Spurs a dynasty two years ago, after they won their 3rd title in 7 years. Many readers mocked me for that, actually.
I didn't think the "dynasty" label was premature then, just as I affirm the "dynasty" label now, before they have even clinched that fourth title. In fact, it's not just a dynasty, but we'll look back and know it as the "Duncan Dynasty."
And, by comparison, it was nearly as impressive and dominant of a dynasty as the "Showtime" Lakers in the 1980s, who won five titles in 9 years. (With this title, the Spurs eclipse the 1980s "Simmons" Celtics, who won three titles in 6 years... though arguably that team probably would have won more titles if the Lakers weren't so good.)
However, given the infinitely greater competitive pressures of this era versus that era, I'd say these Spurs are even MORE impressive and dominant.
(We have mythologized those Lakers and Celtics teams, but they would have never survived playing in this century of flattening competitive forces. For starters, Red Auerbach would have never been able to have "snuck in" the Larry Bird draft pick. With that simple idea: That ends any chance the Celtics had of winning any titles.)
It was two years ago that these "Duncan Dynasty" Spurs passed the mid-90s "Hakeem and Co." Rockets and the late-80s "Bad Boy" Pistons, each of whom only won two -- though back-to-back -- titles.
The most relevant competition, though: The Spurs have now passed the early-2000s "Shaq/Kobe" Lakers, who won three titles in a row, but can't match Duncan's Spurs for total titles won.
The team these Spurs are still eclipsed by, obviously, is the 6-time champion Bulls of the 1990s. (But only in titles... could this Spurs team have beaten any of those Bulls teams? See below.*)
NBA's Top Dynasties since 1980:
1. 1990s Bulls
2. 1980s Lakers
3. 2000s Spurs
4. 1980s Celtics
5. 2000s Lakers
6. Mid-90s Rockets
7. Late-80s Pistons
(As longtime Quickie readers know, I qualify two titles in a row as a "dynasty," because the pace of change and disruption in sports has become so accelerated, but multiple titles in any decade -- or less -- also obviously qualifies.)
You might not like where these uninspiring Spurs will rank on the list ahead of the mythologized heroes of your innocent childhood and hormone-jacked adolescent memories, but you can't deny they won't deserve it.
"Dan, Dan, DAN. Come on babe, you know I love you; but you have to wait a week before writing that. Let your tummy settle before jumping in the pool.
In theory the Bulls had no answer for that PG/big combo -- but in practice, it made little difference. Watch the tapes of that 1998 series against Utah. Phil Jackson left Ron Harper on the bench too long of Game 1, his body stiffened up, and Steve Kerr was left to guard Stockton down the stretch of the end of regulation and overtime. Stockton killed Kerr, even hitting the game-deciding shot in the lane during overtime.
Jackson then went to the same defense he used to slow Stockton down during the 1997 Finals and 1996 Finals with Gary Payton. On elbow-extended S/R on the right side of the court, he had Harper go over the screen to deny the jump shot -- even though that meant Stockton would have an easier chance at driving into the lane. But, by Game 2, the rest of the Bulls were prepped to cover for Harper going over the screen. Only a career-best game from Antoine Carr in Game 5 put a chink in this, only because he was able to pop up to the top of the key (Ostertag being unable to hit that jumper) and either nail low-percentage jumpers that the Bulls were happy with him taking, or drive to the hole (as a charge/turnover waiting to happen, the Bulls were quite happy in spite of his success rate).
If the S/R took place on the left side of the court, the Bulls forced the guard baseline; where he could either try an out of rhythm 19-footer with Harper to his right and a big in front of him, or bounce the ball out to a wing and start the possession again. The defense didn't completely decimate the PG, but it came close.
Also, check Gary Payton's stats from the 1996 Finals. He was horrid. Then check the stats from Games 3, 4, and 5 -- Ron Harper was out for those games. The Bulls lost two of three, and Payton went off. Harper could lock you up.
I agree, again in theory, that the Bulls were weak on the interior defensively. In spite of this, they were one of the top teams (1st, 4th, and 3rd) in defensive efficiency during their latter run, with the Rodman/Longley combo long underrated. Look at the litany of centers they had to guard in the 1996 playoffs -- Alonzo Mourning, Patrick Ewing (still in his prime), and Shaquille O'Neal. Rodman (mostly) and Longley went at those guys with single teams, as Holzman-product Phil Jackson was loathe to double-team. Three Hall of Fame centers, and the Bulls lost once in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Once. Solid. Those guys could defend.
Shawn Kemp had a fine series against the Bulls in the Finals, but he also fouled out of most of the games and let Rodman set offensive rebounding record for a Finals. It went both ways. And Kemp couldn't be any more different than Duncan -- they're not exactly running any lob-and-dunk plays for TD, as they did with Kemp. Duncan is more the traditional center.
Most analysts tend to look at these hypothetical matchups like the newspaper layouts that precede the Finals or Super Bowl (SF, Advantage: Bulls, SG, Advantage: Bulls, PG, Advantage: Spurs), as if the strong statistical offensive advantage in certain areas is enough to counter the solid offensive advantage in others. It doesn't work that way. On paper, a name like Ron Harper doesn't mean much to people anymore; but I have the tapes -- Tim Hardaway
had twice the season Tony Parker did this year during 1996-97, with Mourning and Ike Austin up front, and the Heat could barely take a game from Chicago during the '97 EC Finals. The "awesome PG + awesome big man = Bulls can't keep up" bit works on paper, but time and time again they shot that idea all to hell.
My concern for those Bulls teams would be its ability to SCORE on the Spurs, not defend them."
Thanks for the reply, KD. I consider myself schooled.


text:
Belgium – Brussels
KARL STORZ Endoscopy Belgium N.V.
Information on the marketing subsidiary
Since its establishment in 1994, this KARL STORZ marketing company has been responsible for providing optimal customer support, consultation, and service to the Belgian market.
As a full-range supplier in endoscopy, KARL STORZ Endoscopy Belgium also supports medical training and participates in important congresses and continued education events.
In close collaboration with a national sales partner (dealer), Belgian customers receive direct and reliable sales support and customer service.
The Belgian subsidiary also supports and consults veterinarians at practices and animal clinics, who benefit from the advantages of the KARL STORZ endoscopy portfolio as well.


text:
Remaking the first video game
At the Revision 2011 demo compo, a museum project called [MEGA] won first place in the "Wild" category with their zero bit recreation of "tennis for 2". Entirely made of analog electronics, the retro game completes its presentation on a round o-scope screen. You can see a video of it after the break.
Mint-tin bicycle computer
[Alexdlp's] newest instructable is a attractive and compact bicycle computer running off of an Arduino, and sports the usual bike features. It does not stop there, adding in a 16×2 LCD gives more room for data in both numeric form and bar graph form, and adding in a pair of radio modems allows that data to be fed back home where it can be logged and compared, perfect for the more serious biker.
8085 Reference Card
If you enjoy retro computers, or would like to make your own, you will find this Intel 8085 reference card is a real treat. Based on a original reference card, it has been expanded to give more detail for additional interrupts, electrical reference, T-State timing, and undocumented instructions.
Connect a SNES controller to your Android phone
[Bruno] wanted to be able to use a real SNES controller with the emulator on his HTC Android phone, packing in an Arduino, 6 AA batteries, and a breadboard and mission accomplished! Hardly as portable as the phone, but we commend the "get it done" sprit. Join us after the break for a quick video.
Remaking the first video game
Connect a SNES controller to your Android phone
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/22722692 w=450]


text:
EY Alliance and Ecosystem Relationships
Unlock new value with EY Alliance and Ecosystem relationships. Together, we help organizations find answers to the world's toughest challenges.
Get in touch
Talk to one of our professionals about how EY Alliance and Ecosystem relationships spark true business transformation to build a better working world.
In this age of disruption, the pace of change has never been faster, the need for resiliency has never been more critical and embracing transformation has never been more vital. Achieving digital transformation is extremely difficult for a single organization to achieve on its own. In collaboration with our Alliance and Ecosystem relationships, EY teams help companies rapidly and digitally transform with minimal risk. Together we provide the technologies and insights that our clients need to create new forms of customer value helping them achieve the transformational outcomes to be more agile, innovate at speed and be more resilient and better equipped to respond to disruptive change.
Driven by people and powered by technology, EY Alliance and Ecosystem relationships spark true business transformation to build a better working world. That's Ecosystem Value. Realized.
The future will belong to those companies that weave ecosystem relationships into the fabric of how they create value.
Our latest thinking
Contact us
Like what you've seen? Get in touch to learn more.


text:
Y & Y Event and Party Rentals
Eastvale and Corona, CA Event and Party Rental
Y&Y is a family-owned and operated business serving Eastvale and surrounding areas with over 10 years of experience in the industry. We work hard to make our customers' events great experience. Our mission is to provide clean, sanitize, and safe equipment to the customers we serve! Y&Y ensures that all of your party rental needs are handled in a professional, timely manner including on-time deliveries and pick-ups. We have adjusted our rental pricing as well as all delivery fees. All of our inflatables are commercial-grade.
Eastvale is a city located in northwestern Riverside County, California, in the Inland Empire region of Southern California. The area transitioned from a dairy farm enclave to a developed community starting in the 1990s and was formally incorporated on October 1, 2010. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 69,757. The city's name is derived from "East Vale" as a listed school district in 1893 by the Riverside County Board of Commissioners.The city's boundaries extend from Hellman Avenue to the west (the San Bernardino County line), State Route 60 to the north (also the San Bernardino County line), the Santa Ana River and Norco to the south, and Interstate 15 to the east. It is surrounded by the cities of Chino, Ontario, Jurupa Valley, Norco, and Corona.
99 Cents Only Stores, American Heroes Park, Ballou, Bushfire Kitchen - Eastvale, Cedar Creek Park, City of Eastvale Economic Development Department, Clara Barton Elementary, Crossover Health @Eastvale, Dairyland Park, Deer Creek Park, Don Day Neighborhood Center, Eastvale City Hall, Eastvale Community Center, Eastvale Community Park, Eastvale Downs


text:
Shipping + Orders
Available to our store customers! Free In-Store and/or Curbside Pickup. Just select the In-Store Pickup Ancaster or Burlington shipping options during checkout to collect your online order at the store. For more info, see our full In-Store Pickup Policy. |
Canada Shipping Rates
Our standard shipping rate for orders under $69 is a flat rate of $12.97. Orders over $69 receive free standard shipping.
Free Shipping Over $69 | FREE | |
Standard Shipping | $12.97 | |
In-Store Pickup Ancaster* | FREE | |
In-Store Pickup Burlington* | FREE | |
In-Store Pickup Etobicoke* | FREE | |
Local Same Day Delivery (Mon - Fri)** | $9.99 (orders over $69) | |
Local Same Day Delivery (Mon - Fri)** | $14.98 (orders under $69) | |
Express Shipping | $40 |
*In-store pickup options are visible to postal codes located in our retail store areas only. You can only pick up items that are currently in-stock at the location.
**Local Same Day Delivery is visible to select postal codes in select delivery areas only. Orders placed after 11 am will ship the next day.
We currently ship within Canada only. Some surcharges may apply for addresses in remote locations. Please see our Shipping & Orders page for our full shipping policy.
Still have questions?
For additional shipping information & our return policy, check out our Shipping Policy and our Return Policy pages.
If you have any other questions, please email firstname.lastname@example.com or call us toll free at 1-800-263-3890. We will be happy to help!


text:
Climbs and descents make or break
cycling races, according to cycling coach Robert Panzera. In his upcoming book, Cycling Fast
(Human Kinetics, June 2010), Panzera covers hills and all elements that
can make a cyclist faster, from conditioning to nutrition and key skills.
Panzera says even small climbs make a difference the closer a cyclist gets to
the finish line. "Climbs are additive, meaning a 200-foot gain in
elevation may not seem like much in the first few miles, but near the finish,
it can seem like a mountain." He advises cyclists to take special note of
hills toward the end of the race because these hills split the race into two
groups-the leading group going for the win and the chasers trying to pick up
the remaining places. In Cycling Fast, Panzera offers 10 tactics for managing hills and staying in
the lead:
- Be near the front for corners that are followed immediately by
hills. "This helps you prevent being gapped," explains Panzera.
- Shift to easier gears before approaching hills. "This
prevents dropping the chain off the front chainrings when shifting from the big
front ring to the small front ring," he notes. "Quickly go around riders
who drop their chains."
- Close gaps on hills immediately, but with an even, steady pace.
"Once the group starts riding away on a hill, it is nearly impossible to
bring them back," Panzera warns.
- Keep the pace high over the crest of the hill, because the leaders
will increase speed faster than the riders at the tail of the group.
- Relax and breathe deeply to control heart rate on climbs.
- Dig deep to stay in contact on shorter climbs. "Once a group
clears the top, it is difficult to catch up on the descent," says Panzera.
- On longer climbs, ride at a consistent pace that prevents
- Always start climbs near the front. If the pace becomes too fast,
cyclists will be able to drop through the pack and still recover without losing
contact with the pack.
- Hills are a good place to attack. "Know the hill's distance
and location in the course before setting out on an attack or covering an
attack by a competitor," advises Panzera.
- Try to descend near the front, but not on the front. Being near
the front, as opposed to the back, gives cyclists a greater probability of
avoiding crashes.
Panzera also advises noting all the descents
before a race begins. "Long, straight descents may require work to stay in
the draft, and twisty or narrow descents may require technical skills,"
Panzera says. "If the descent seems technical in review, it will definitely
be technical at race speeds."
Cycling Fast covers the latest information on new high-tech racing frames, training with a
power meter and heart rate monitor, and coordinating tactics as part of a team.
Readers can learn how to periodize training and use the numerous tips, charts,
and checklists to maximize effort.
For more information on Cycling Fast or any other cycling resources, visit www.HumanKinetics.com or call 800.747.4457.


text:
Get to Know Your Watershed at Southwest Sunday Parkways
Sep 26, 2013 at 3:34 PM 0 Comments
On Sunday, September 29 from 11 am – 4 pm, ride or walk in the neighborhood and watch for watershed health projects along the way.
This year's Southwest Sunday Parkways route goes through the Vermont Creek, Tryon Creek, and Stephens Creek Watersheds. Check out the green streets in MultnomahVillage, the recently completed Multnomah Arts Center lower parking lot stormwater swales, Gabriel Park's skate park raingarden and Vermont Creek streamside restoration projects.
Multnomah Arts Center Stormwater Swales
Check out the map below (click for a larger image). Make sure to stop by the SW Neighborhoods Inc.'s booth in the Village to pick up a watershed tour map and guide so you can visit these cool watershed projects along the route!
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I am a complete sucker for old architecture…homes, buildings, barns, cabins. (Regarding the last two, the more decrepit the better.) Maybe it had to do with growing up in older homes, ones with creaking floors, out-of-plumb walls and door jambs and hidden nooks and crannies. The first home Dave and I owned in Sellwood turned out to be the oldest in the neighborhood, with support beams made of logs (including bark) that had been cut from trees on the property.
House-cured gravlax, crumpets, winter chicories.
So it was no wonder I was taken with the story of the Ladd Carriage House, built by William S. Ladd to house his horses and the carriages they pulled through the streets of what was then jokingly known as Stumptown. He arrived three months after Portland was incorporated with a load of alcohol on consignment from a college pal in San Francisco. Ladd then proceeded to make a fortune selling liquor to the new city's thirsty inhabitants and, with that same college pal, set up the first bank north of San Francisco (take that, Seattle). He was elected mayor twice and built a grand home on Southwest Broadway with his horses lodged across the street.
Jasmine and Blood & Sand in the Rookery.
His house didn't survive but the carriage house, amazingly, did. In 2005 the First Christian Church, which had bought the property in 1971, got a permit to demolish it to build a parking lot. (Proving Joni Mitchell was right.) A group, Friends of the Ladd Carriage House, quickly formed to save the building and arranged to move it several blocks away while an underground parking garage was built. The Carriage House was then moved back to its original site.
Mr. David Shenaut.
Restored with the help of historic photographs, the building was subsequently bought by the Mygrant family of Hayward, California, when their daughter, Lisa, who was looking for a spot to open her first restaurant, saw the building was for sale. Long story short, she recruited David Padberg of Park Kitchen as her chef and David Shenaut of the Oregon Bartenders Guild to run the bar program. The restaurant is scheduled to open Jan. 4.
Braised shortrib, horseradish cream, Yorkshire pudding.
I was invited to attend a test dinner recently, and jumped at the chance to preview the space and see what was in the works. While certainly not intended as any kind of review, the dinner went off without a hitch, the bar was spot on and the food was terrific. According to Padberg, the menu will be similar to a European gastropub with "a nod to the British isles." It will feature as many local ingredients and suppliers as he can cram onto it, including eggs from Lisa Mygrant's own chickens. In the initial phase, Padberg said, they'll open with a limited menu of spot-on entrées featuring Northwest ingredients like sturgeon, salmon, mussels and short ribs accented with seasonal produce like root vegetables, chicories and greens.
Working the wood-fired oven.
On the beverage front, the two bars, one in the restaurant dining area and another called The Rookery Bar in the former hayloft, will have a list of house specialties along with classics, as well as an extensive wine and beer selection. I plan on going back in the near future, and I suggest you should, too.
Details: Raven & Rose, 1331 SW Broadway. 503-222-7673.
Look for an upcoming episode of Food Farmer Earth featuring my interview with Mygrant and a tour of the building.