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Fundraising stagnant for RI nightclub fire park
Nov 15, 2013, 2:24 PM
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) – The nonprofit group working to build a memorial at the site of a 2003 nightclub fire that killed 100 people is having trouble raising money for the project, even as work has already begun to build it.
The Station Fire Memorial Foundation estimates it needs to raise $1.4 million. It has less than $200,000 in the bank, according the group's president, Gina Russo.
"We're not sure what we're doing wrong," Russo told The Associated Press this week.
The Feb. 20, 2003, fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick was started when the band Great White set off pyrotechnics that ignited flammable foam used as soundproofing inside the club. It was the fourth worst nightclub fire in U.S. history.
Hopes were high last year when the foundation secured rights to the land after years of trying. A temporary memorial composed of homemade crosses and weather-beaten mementoes had occupied the land for more than 10 years when the longtime owner transferred the land to the foundation in September 2012.
Plans call for individual memorials for each victim, a pavilion and a 30-foot-high entrance gate topped by an Aeolian harp.
The land transfer meant work on the memorial could finally move forward and fundraising could begin in earnest. The group said at the time it had around $100,000 in the bank and hoped to raise $5 million in five years. Today, it has around $185,000, Russo said.
The group has had numerous fundraisers in the last 14 months, but many have raised only a few thousand dollars each. They include a private event at an Alex and Ani jewelry store, which raised around $1,000, and a golf tournament that raised $1,200. A comedy show with national acts that was hosted by Dee Snider of Twisted Sister and NBC's "Celebrity Apprentice" raised a disappointing $3,000, well short of its $50,000 to $100,000 goal.
The foundation is now pursuing some new avenues, including meeting with a professional fundraiser and trying to get some help from the state. After consulting with state Sen. Adam Satchell, who represents West Warwick, the foundation is preparing an application for a Department of Environmental Management grant for parks that could bring in tens of thousands of dollars if it qualifies.
Satchell said there are a lot of misconceptions among the public that could be hampering the group's attempts to raise money.
"It's tough, because they got a lot of money from the settlement, and they got money from corporate entities for the Station Family Foundation," he said, referring to the group established immediately after the fire to help the injured, children of those killed and others.
The $176 million total in settlement money was divided among the families of the 100 who died, the 200 who were injured and lawyers.
Paula McLaughlin lost her brother and sister-in-law, Michael and Sandy Hoogasian, in the fire. She raised more than $20,000 for the foundation this year with a photography show of survivors and loved ones of those killed and from sales of a commemorative pin she designed.
She thinks there could be many reasons why they are having trouble, including that some people have the mistaken impression that all they have to do is "clear the land, put up a couple of trees and call it a day."
"People don't realize that a lot of money needs to be raised to make this come true," McLaughlin said. "It needs to be the big digits now."
Russo said she hopes several hundred thousand dollars of the $1.4 million cost to build and maintain the memorial could be defrayed if materials or work is donated. Developer and construction company Gilbane Inc. is among those that have donated services to the project.
But that still leaves hundreds of thousands of dollars to raise and few big donors stepping up to write checks. Some of the money must be set aside to maintain the land in perpetuity. As part of the transfer agreement, the land will revert back to the original owners if the foundation is unable to maintain it.
Initial work on the memorial, which has widespread support among the victims and their families, began in September. Workers put up a fence and cleared the land of the crosses and other items that dotted the site. Some plants have been removed and test holes have been dug at the site.
Russo said she doesn't want to scale back plans for the memorial, but she said they will have to consider that if all else fails.
"No one owes us anything, and I know that. But this fire affected the entire community," Russo said. "Over the last 10 years, I've heard so many people and companies say, `When it's time, we're going to be there. We're going to build it.' Now's their opportunity."
Follow Michelle R. Smith on Twitter at
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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Best Dates to Retire 2013
Your annual guide to picking the best day to call it a career.
Download the Calendar: Best Dates to Retire 2013
It's that time of year again. Are you thinking about setting your retirement date for 2013? This column is designed to help you find the most advantageous date for your departure.
If you're planning to retire sometime this year, you can read my Best Dates to Retire 2012 column.) Also, if you need a primer on what times of the month are generally best to retire (depending on what retirement system you're in), see my March 9 column, Best Date to Retire Tips.
In general, the last day of the month is good under both the Civil Service Retirement System and the Federal Employees Retirement System, and the 1st, 2nd or 3rd of the month are good under CSRS, too.
The end of a leave period also is an opportune time. That's because leave accrual is not pro-rated. Retiring in the middle of a leave period means you don't accrue any sick or annual leave for that period. In 2013, three months end at or next to the end of a leave period: May, June and November. Notice that for some of these months, the last day is a Friday and in others, it's a Saturday or Sunday. It doesn't matter, as long as you've completed your full work schedule. If you are covered under CSRS (or CSRS Offset), you might also consider May 3, Aug. 2 or Nov. 1.
If you work a flexible schedule and Friday is your regular day off, then you might be able to retire on a Thursday after completing 80 hours of work for the pay period and accrue your final leave accrual. For CSRS employees, Oct. 3 is a Thursday. This might be a good date if Friday is your regular day off.
For those under FERS, sometimes there are benefits to retiring in the middle of the month. You can earn some extra days of salary to offset the retirement benefit you will forfeit, and gain some other advantages. For example, if you choose to retire at the end of a leave period, you get an additional leave accrual and more days of service than you would have if you retired at the end of the previous month.
For example, let's say you're planning to retire on April 30, 2013. If you do, your retirement benefit will be based on the amount of service you have on April 30, and your first FERS retirement benefit will be computed for the month of May. But suppose you have 20 years, 6 months and 20 days of service and you are 61 years and 11 months of age. And suppose your 62nd birthday is May 6. The next leave period ends on May 18. You would not receive your May retirement check, which, if your high-three average salary is $70,000, would be in the amount of $1,195. But here is what you would gain by moving your retirement date to May 18:
Agency payroll offices are responsible for paying lump sum payments for all accumulated and accrued annual leave. In some cases this comes as early as two weeks after retirement, but it could take up to eight weeks. Still, it definitely will arrive before the final processing of your retirement claim and might help pay the bills while you are in interim retired status and receiving partial retirement payments.
For those retiring at the end of 2013, FERS employees will probably choose Dec. 31, 2013 or possibly Jan. 10, 2014, and CSRS employees will find that Jan. 3, 2014 would be their best date.
Are you ready to look at what specific dates will be the best throughout next year? Click on the link below to download a calendar highlighting them, month by month.
Best Dates to Retire 2013
Correction: The second-to-last paragraph in the original version of this column said, "CSRS employees will find that Jan. 3, 2013 would be their best date." The correct date is Jan. 3, 2014. The column has been updated to correct the error.
NEXT STORY: House passes fed pension hike

subset: commoncrawl


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Mr. Fisher became justly infamous for his supremely ill-timed prediction of permanently high share prices just days before the Crash of 1929. What is less well known about him is that he lost his fortune in the Depression; not because he speculated heavily before the Crash, but because he kept buying all the way down afterwards and eventually had to be bailed out by his wealthy in-laws.
Well, as the saying goes, a recession is when your neighbour loses his money and a depression is when you lose your own, so it doesn't surprise me that Mr. Fisher finally "got religion" about debt's corrosive powers in 1933, four full years after the Crash.
Despite his claim of breaking new ground with his above study, the conclusion that over-indebtedness leads to liquidation, distress selling, a fall in the level of prices, unemployment and economic malaise was, in fact, very very old hat. Think of the Sumerians (5000 BC) and organized agriculture, spot and forward grain markets, loans of silver, the Code of Hammurabi fixing interest rates to avoid usury, etc.
Mesopotamian Contract For A Three-Month Loan Of Silver (1800 BC)
In any case, Mr. Fisher eventually figured out the cause of the Great Depression. Bravo, but what does that have to do with today's troubles? Enter Mr. Bernanke..
The current Fed chairman - himself an academic theorist from Princeton - is a great fan of the late Yale don and his remedies for debt-deflation depressions. Here is a revealing paragraph from Mr. Fisher's 1933 opus:
In other words, Mr. Fisher claimed that depressions could be prevented, or remedied once they were under way, "simply" with monetary policy. I strongly believe this to be utter nonsense.
The main reason is this: the production, distribution and consumption of real goods and services cannot be ultimately controlled by an artificially imposed mechanism such as money, which is, after all, a measurement and exchange convention. Claiming that money controls the real economy is like saying that how far we travel depends on how many miles we make available to measure distance with. Or, as a friend is fond of saying: "It's only money".
(In Mr. Fisher's defence, however, I must also note that he probably couldn't in 1933 imagine a currency regime so completely devoid of reality anchors; i.e. today's purely fiat money, which can be issued at will by the mere act of borrowing. Neither would he conceive of authorities so narrow-minded, so perniciously attached to free market dogma, that they would completely disavow their legally mandated regulatory and oversight responsibilities.)
My position is that the massive debt bubble created a similarly massive amount of malinvestment in surplus (and now useless) physical stock: housing, ships, office buildings, shopping centers, factories in China, call centers in India, vacation homes in Spain, and much more. Excess capacity is a common enough phenomenon of all run-of-the-mill recessions, being the result of fallible human beings optimistically extrapolating demand too far out of reality's reach. Usually, it is soon absorbed after a few quarters of creative destruction and increased demand from a rising population.
But this time it's different - very different - precisely because the huge global credit bubble blew this extrapolation, this excess capacity creation, way out of all previous experience. For example:
- Between 2000 and 2008 there were a total of 14.8 million new housing units completed in the U.S., versus the formation of only 5.7 million new households.
- Orders for new dry bulk ships and tankers zoomed, so that deliveries are scheduled to reach a combined 1,700 vessels in 2010 and 1,400 in 2011, versus 734 this year.
- In Dubai 3 million square meters of additional new office space is to be completed by 2011, versus 3.25 sq. mts. in existence today.
- In Spain, I saw with my own eyes hundreds of new "luxury" multi-unit vacation home developments, sprouting like mushrooms along the coast from Gibraltar to Almeria and further. One of them was, incredibly, located right around a polluting cement factory and the coal-fired power station of (aptly-named) Carboneras.
What needs to be done? I have laid out my proposals several times, so I will only provide the headlines here:
- Straight debt cancellation for a portion of debt, particularly for the "bottom" 80% of the population.
- Anchor the dollar and money supply to the real Green/Sustainable economy via The Greenback.
- Focus government action on income creation, instead of asset/credit/debt protection.


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An email message sent to subscribers on a regular schedule with relevant information on a topic. Often used to capture Web site visitor's email addresses, they can also be used to keep in touch with existing customers, or simply as a means of distributing new information on products.
An email newsletter is probably the most effective way to communicate with your target audience. One of the main considerations before you create and deliver an email newsletter is what format to use: HTML or Text.


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so fresh and so clean: future cities of earth
Innovative Gameplay
This city is a personal favorite of mine and founded on an infrastructure and economic system based around interactive game play, both between people and elements of the city. The idea is to create a city that is rich in interactivty, engaging person and city and ultimately providing an emotional, educational, communal or other reward. Game play engenders friendship, community and bonding, and when approached in a reasonable manner the possibility exists for team building and healthy competition.
This is a basic goal when introducing game play within cities, positive reinforcement and social bonding. The next is for the game play to be engaging and innovative. It is easy to imagine a team of game developers set loose in a city would generate creative ideas. The key idea here however is that the possibility exists through the technology of television, gaming, computers, WIFI and more to create a city with a positively rewarding game infrastructure. How this is implemented and the degree to which it is implemented successfully would be determined by the mind behind the craftsman.
A current and simple example is the Barclay's Wheel-U-Wait in London. The link provided is to an online re-creation of the interactive queuing wheel. http://neave.com/barclays/
Even more creative and revolutionary ways to interject gameplay into city life are possible and, to my knowledge, barely explored in current cities.
City Landscapes, embracing what is natural
This idea occurred to me sitting on an early morning train in Berlin, Germany. Sitting in the train, watching the city go by in the distance, I realized the separation between the train environment in front of me and the natural one outside. With a simple vision I brought nature into the train; how striking it would be to embrace nature within a city. A train car interior designed in jungle leaves and branches. Waterfalls playing on the television between announcements. Street signs in taxonomy. Murals teaching about the use of medicinal plants and the dangers of poison. A group of city people embracing nature. Plants abound, morning glories bloomed on early morning street lights, ivory covered exteriors, cherry trees for picking and herbal tea on every street corner. A modern and sophisticated natural urban landscape of the future; this is the idea.
The idea comes in two parts and two cities. One, Berlin. The other, Athens.
The idea above is themed in nature, but in every way a modern city. The above embraces nature. The next idea immerses itself in it.
The trees remain standing, lanterns fed by underground gas lines fuel the night. It is a small town of a city, the first natural city on earth, more reminiscent of a tribal village or mountain town than a modern city. The people wear modern fashion, naturally themed and plain in color. The pharmacy is a quarter mile walk through the woods, following a path dead in the winter and bloomed in a profusion of color in the spring. There are no roads within the city limit and certainly no cars. Roads to the city remain unpaved. There was no need. 4-wheel drive vehicles transport potential city-goers and visitors to the outskirts of the city for the hike in.
Inside the city is navigated through a complex system of hiking trails, replacing city roads. The modern-tree house is a primary feature of the architecture here. 3-stories high attached to oak and housing a cafe where people spend the night cozy, drinking chocolate and reading.
Education is more balanced and the outdoors included more so in the process than within the cities.
This is as far I can go. My ideas end here, mainly and are better explained in a simple analogy. Walk along a trail in a state park, or a national forest. Implement elements of the city, everything you need for your daily life. Clothes, cosmetics, health-care, food and education. Envision walking the trails and coming upon everything you need. When you go hiking, at one point or another you leave modern society behind. Hunger is satisfied through foraging and water drunk from streams. The idea here is to bring together city and nature, without destroying wildlife in the process, without separating from it. There is no need for trees to be cleared in massive scale, no need for roads to be paved and streets created, and certainly no need to return to the city in need. This is not the future of every city but the possible future of one or many in the world. My point here is that natural landscapes hold enormous potential for integrative design and living a creative modern life.
Global Society, meet the World City
Feeling Based Economics
Positive Feedback-
This idea is founded on the awareness that there is no separation between our internal thoughts and our external environment. This applies to the city as well as nature and implies that our thoughts are connected with what is happening around us. This observation occurred to me walking through the streets of Amsterdam. In Amsterdam bikes are prevalent and each bike is fitted with a bell, creating a classic, bright and happy chime. I spent my time in Amsterdam smoking and eating small amounts of cannabis and observing, meditating, listening and learning about life in the city along with and my interaction and effect on this urban environment. What I observed is that my thoughts were connected to my environment, in a way that is understood as positive and negative feedback, and this realization was triggered by the bells (among other things). The idea is simple: entertain a positive thought, receive positive feedback. Entertain a negative thought, receive negative feedback. The same applies to behaviors performed and their immediate effect on the people around us. Feedback includes car horns (negative, with an implication to Stop), ambulance sirens, smells, chimes, laughing, people speaking around you, etc.
Amsterdam isn't unique in this respect. All cities and human interactions function on positive and negative feedback. Perhaps a friend left you with a brilliant feeling. Or a stranger left you with a bad taste in your mouth. Nature both follows and sets this rule. Bitter foods indicate potential danger and human beings universally prefer sweet foods for taste, nutrition and energy. The basis of communication itself is through feedback with our internal awareness and our external environment. To put it simply, we are in constant communication with the world around us, and through observing the feedback we receive we can gain an understanding of our effect on and place in our environment.
A rainy day is relaxing, dark, and with it comes a certain mood, feeling, and thought pattern. People who live in the often rainy and cloudy Pacific Northwest may develop a melancholic personality with accompanying depressed thought patterns. The same can be applied each unique environment we experience. To reiterate, there is no separation between our thought patterns and the goings-on of our environment, any environment, and every person is connected in with this thought-feeling matrix of constant communication.
Example One, a negative feedback loop.
You are sitting in a cafe working. You sit in quiet silence in a vacant room that smells pleasantly of coffee (a hint of positive feedback). You accomplish much because of your distraction free environment. Your productivity is affected and positive in outcome. Gradually, people enter the room and begin talking. Harsh metal music begins playing. The first twinge of frustration is felt. The volume increases. The chatter is annoying. Your mind jumbles. Someone laughs, a cackle. Your stomach cringes. Your trying to work. You have to finish. A person sits next you, smelling unpleasantly. He speaks to you. By now your frustrated and your productivity is nearing zero. Soon, you leave the cafe more angry than you intend and head straight for fresh air, a well-lit park, and soft light so you can finish your work. You experienced a negative feedback loop.
Example Two, a positive feedback loop.
This example is recent, and to my understanding an appropriate, realistic, and organic example of positive feedback. They were sitting having a conversation on a terrace overlooking the Acropolis in Athens. I arrived independent of the group talking behind me. Ten minutes of sitting alone, halfway admiring the view and observing my tiredness after a long bus ride during the day I speak up and with a simple question and introductory banter I'm included in the conversation. This continues pleasantly for an hour and a half. As my interest dies down, and my hunger and tiredness increases I decide to shower and find food in this late night city. I wait. And wait. Continuing the conversation, waiting on the right time. I've all but decided it's time to go, and as I picture myself standing and leaving a thought-feeling occurs to me, "Stay." Simultaneously a deliciously pleasant smell drafts my way from the flowers on the terrace, a first for the night, confirming my intuition. I stay. This is positive feedback between thought and environment. Had a rotten, sour smell drifted my way as the thought occurred I might have known not to stay.
Examples in the city are equally as intuitive and subtle, with some examples being easier to understand than others. The message is simple, however. The way out of negative feedback loops (and experiences) is through creating and embracing positive feedback, and the way to understanding feedback mechanisms within the city and your own life is through cultivating awareness.
Where this can be of benefit is when it is observed, understood on both an intuitive and intellectual level and then applied, essentially harnessed by a city and city-dwellers. All personal relationships depend on knowing when to stop, when go, when to speak louder, etc. Gain an awareness of when to stop, when to go, when to speak up, when to stay quiet and you benefit not only yourself but the group as well. The same applies to interactions within a city involving personal and group interactions.
Further, city sounds tend to be harsh and abrasive, creating a negative feedback loop, and if one lives closely to the city long enough, thoughts, feelings, and eventually the personality can become abrasive. This is seen through a longing for the peace of nature sought by the modern city-goer, along with the quiet tranquil sounds and the feelings accompanying natural surroundings.
In contrast pleasant sounds, smells, and experiences are universally preferred. Flowers are an excellent example of this. Roses could be said to exhibit little purpose than to be beautiful and fragrant, both creating a positive feedback loop between the human and his environment, creating positive psychology, and positive feelings to his life and surroundings. This idea remains virtually unharnessed on a creative and practical level by city planners, with art and architecture being the only notable example, and is the purpose of this writing.
Where this can be applied is universal in possibility, and the greater degree with which it can be applied skillfully the more refined the result. Creativity and understanding are the key here, and observation of patterns and connections within daily city life are the foundation for further understanding and progress. The opportunity here is for a city environment to make you feel good, to give you positive feedback and reinforce healthy interaction between itself and people. Like a warm smile versus a cold shoulder, or a pleasant Ka-Ching! at the sound of a purchase versus crashing plates or a dull Thud, the right sights, sounds and smells at the right moment can transform daily life in any environment, the city being no exception.
Alcohol Free and Clean
In the evolution of cities we must become alcohol-free and clean. It must be a personal choice. Outside obstruction through laws and regulations causes unrest. Like mommy taking the bottle away from the baby, forced governmental restriction of alcohol would create disharmony and outcry. Forced restriction is not the solution for personal and global alcoholism. The way forward is for humanity itself and each one of us to put down the bottle and release ourselves from the addictive behavior pattern and ill personal and social health that alcohol creates. The resulting sobriety will bring a more balanced personal and social atmosphere and the reality of the stumbling drunk gone with it. Alcohol engenders low-awareness, imbalance, and uncivilized behavior among a population and from a sober perspective is foolish, self-destructive and a symptom of deeper unrest between the user and his standing in the universe. Where and when alcohol use and alcoholic behavior became socially acceptable and encouraged is downright questionable.
October 12, 2012 7 Comments
from the archives: southern skillet beans
03 July 2012 I don't know why I didn't post this at the time. It's one of my favorite bloggings and, although it's been hidden away for nearly two years now, it feels proper to post it, thousands of miles, far from home, nostalgic and remembering childhood dreams of travelling the world. from Greenwich, London, England
When I first received my copy of The Flavor Bible, a now favorite resource on mine, I immediately turned to green beans without thinking twice. Now, you may be thinking, "Green beans? Why, of all of the great ingredients in the world, would you turn to the simple and plain green bean?" In truth, even I found it a bit curious until the reason came to me in a moment of realization. The reason, it's simple, is nostalgia.
See, canned green beans form a better part of my childhood food memories. My dad loved them– they're inexpensive, relatively healthy, fairly tasty, and are an acceptable side item for just about anything from fried chicken to pork chops, a hamburger, or a grilled steak. All of which, in some way or another, formed my other earliest memories of food, with the only missing pieces needed to fill in the puzzle being copious amounts of creamed corn, black eye'd peas, fried Tilapia, and macaroni and cheese. Oh… and mashed potatoes. We can´t forget my mom's thousand varieties of mashed potatoes!
Now, while I don't eat green beans everyday or have them with every meal, like I did when I was a kid, I still have a deep appreciation and love for them. Thankfully, in the interest of keeping things exciting, I've thought up a few ways to spruce them up after a few years of trial, error and, at times, radical experimentation. What I've learned is that different cooking methods can coax a range of flavors out of such a simply flavored bean. Long, slow-cooking in a deeply flavored broth courtesy of a smoked ham hock produces a tender bean with a deep richness; a quick boil followed by a high-heat sauté in bacon fat brings out a slightly smoky, meaty caramelized flavor; gently steamed and shocked in ice water and paired with fresh herbs, a little butter, and a tangy vinegar will accentuate their freshness. Regardless of how I choose to cook them, eating a bowl of green beans transports me back to childhood like only comfort food has the power to do.
Which, again, is why I turned to green beans when I first opened the book; the simple, yet infinitely sweet taste of nostalgia, the unexplainable force that memories have to drive our lives, continuing living, if only in a subtle way, to recapture or reexperience our fondest memories– of childhood, of holiday gatherings, of family, friendships, first loves, and food.
Written December 20th, 2010
Love and Memories,
Thomas Chase
July 3, 2012 4 Comments
from the archives: the art of cooking
When I stopped blogging I didn't stop writing. I went underground in a sense, deep within myself and allowed what I had learned through the years to come pouring out. What emerged in a few short months was a framework for a book with the working title, "The Conceptual Cook." Its writing came at a highly inspired time in my life and, though it is incomplete, and likely incomprehensible, it is purposefully so. I fully intend for my understanding of cooking and eating to mature and for this framework to be refined and in time for a full book to emerge, as a family heirloom, a personal keepsake, or as a published work remains to be seen.
For now, the book is comprised of three main sections; The Concepts, The Senses, and The Abilities, with an added chapter that will explore the virtues of drawing skill and cooking. The purpose of the book is not to directly teach you how to cook. Instead, the intention is to enable you to explore and create your own food, to think about, visualize, and approach food outside the confines of recipes. The intention is also to help you see more deeply into the world around you, to explore and develop your capacities of sense and perception. The approach is conceptual in nature rather than technical. Feedback is both welcomed and encouraged. Please, forgive the excess of quotes, they are my road map back to writing.
From Amsterdam, Noord-Holland
In the Netherlands,Chase
June 29, 2012 1 Comment
life is sweet
Within the opening paragraph of The Tao of Pooh is the story of The Vinegar Tasters.
"We see three men standing around a vat of vinegar. Each has dipped a finger into the vinegar and tasted it. The expression on each man's face shows his individual reaction. Since the painting is allegorical, we understand that these are no ordinary vinegar tasters. They are representatives of the "Three Teachings" of China. The vinegar they are sampling represents the Essence of Life. The three masters are K'ung Fu-tse (Confucius), Buddha, and Lao-tse, author of the oldest existing book of Taoism. The first has a sour look on his face. The second wears a bitter expression. The third man is smiling.
To K'ung Fu-tse and the Confucianists life is sour. They believe that the present is out of step with the past, and that the government of man on earth is out of harmony with the Way of Heaven, the government of the universe. Therefore, they emphasize reverence for the Ancestors, as well as for the ancient rituals and ceremonies in which the emperor, as the Son of Heaven, acts as intermediary between limitless heaven and limited earth. Under Confucianism, the use of precisely measured court music, prescribed steps, actions and phrases all add up to an extremely complex system of rituals, each used for a particular purpose at a particular time. A saying was recorded about K'ung Fu-tse: "If the mat was not straight, the Master would not sit."
To Buddha, the second figure in the painting, life on earth is bitter, filled with attachments and desires that lead to suffering. Through Buddhism, the whole world is seen as a setter of traps, a generator of illusions, a revolving wheel of pain for all creatures. In order to find peace, the Buddhist consider it necessary to transcend "the world of dust" and reach Nirvana, a state of "no wind." Although the essentially optimistic attitude of the Chinese altered Buddhism considerably after it was brought in from native India, devout Buddhist often see the way to Nirvana interrupted all the same by the bitter wind of everyday existence.
To Lao-tse, the harmony that naturally exists between heaven and earth from the very beginning can be found by anyone at anytime, but not by following the rules of the Confucianists. As he states in the Tao Te Ching, the "Tao Virtue Book," earth is in essence a reflection of heaven, run by the same laws—not by the laws of men. These laws affect not only the spinning of distant planets, but also the activities of the birds of the forest and the fish in the sea. According to Lao-tse, the more men interfer with the natural balance produced and governed by the natural laws, the further away the harmony retreats into the distance. The more forcing, the more trouble. Whether heavy or light, wet or dry, fast or slow, everything has its own nature already within it, which can not be violated without causing difficulties. When abstract and arbitrary rules are imposed from the outside, struggle is inevitable. Only then does life become sour.
To Taoists, the world is not a setter of traps. It is a teacher of valuable lessons. Its lessons must be learned, just as its laws must be followed; then all will go well. Rather than turn away from "the world of dust," we encourage y'all to "join the dust and dirt of the world." What we see operating behind everything in heaven and earth we call the Tao, "the Way." A basic principle of Lao-tse's teaching is that the Way of the Universe can not be adequately described in words, and it is insulting both to its unlimited power and to the intelligent human mind to attempt to do so. Still, its nature can be understood, and those who care for it, and the life from which it is inseparable, understand it best.
Over the centuries Lao-tse's classic teachings have been developed and divided into philosophical, monastic, and folk religious forms. All of these are included under the general heading of Taoism. The basic Taoism that we are working with here is simply the way of appreciating, learning from and understanding everything that happens in everyday life.
From the Taoist perspective, the natural result of this harmonious way of living is happiness. Happy serenity is the most noticeable characteristic of the Taoist personality, and a subtle sense of humor is apparent in the most profound Taoist writings, such as the twenty-five-hundred-year-old Tao Te Ching. In the writing's of Taoism's second major writer, Chuang-tse, quiet laughter bubbles up like water in a fountain.
"But what does that have to do with vinegar?"asked Pooh.
"I thought I had explained that," I said.
"I don't think, so," said Pooh.
"Well, then, I'll explain it now."
"That's good," said Pooh.
In the painting, why is Lao-tse smiling?
Through working in harmony with life's circumstances, Taoist understanding changes what others perceive as negative into something positive. From the Taoist point of view, sourness and bitterness come from the interfering and unappreciative mind. Life itself, when understood and utilized for what it is, is sweet. That is the message of The Vinegar Tasters."
—Benjamin Hoff
Tao'n to The Beatles—Get Back
October 16, 2010 6 Comments
oh, aldous, baby, sing it sweet and true
"Literary or scientific, liberal or specialist, all our education is predominantly verbal and therefore fails to accomplish what it is supposed to do. Instead of transforming children into fully developed adults, it turns out students of the natural sciences who are completely unaware of Nature as the primary fact of experience. It inflicts upon the world students of the humanities who know nothing of humanity, their own or anyone else's.
Gestault psychologists, such as Samuel Renshaw, have devised methods for widening the range of and increasing the acuity of human perceptions. But do our educators apply them? The answer is, No.
Teachers in every field of psycho-physical skill, from seeing to tennis, from tight-rope walking to prayer, have discovered, by trial and error, the conditions of optimum functioning within their special fields. But have any of the great Foundations financed a project for co-ordinating these empirical findings into a general theory and practice of heightened creativeness? Again, so far as I am aware, the answer is, No.
All sorts of cultists and queer fish teach all kinds of techniques for achieving health, contentment, peace of mind; and for many of their hearers many of these techniques are demonsratably effective. But do we see respectable psychologists, philosophers and clergymen boldly descending into those odd and sometimes malodorous wells, at the bottom of which poor Truth is so often condemned to sit? Yet once more the answer is, No.
When it comes to finding out how you and I, our children and grandchildren, may become more perceptive, more intensely aware of inward and outward reality, more open to the Spirit, less apt, by psychological malpractices, to make ourselves physically ill, and more capable of controlling our own autonomic nervous system […] no really respectable university or church will do anything about it."
-Aldous Huxley "The Doors of Perception" 1954
Listening to Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds Live at Luther College – One Sweet World
October 12, 2010 2 Comments
follow that sweet bright light: i walked in a desert, a poem by stephen crane
Perception affects our personal and collective reality.
September 20, 2010 2 Comments
gone fishin'
A quote to change your mind to:
"In the 16th Century, Shakespeare said, " The world is too much with us." What better way to describe the never ending hustle and bustle of life in the 21st Century. To be busy constantly and to socialize with other people as much as possible is encouraged, expected and easily accomplished in this age of communication. Plans, worries, hopes, and fears fill our minds. Entertainment, telephones, televisions, and computers are always there to take up "empty" time. We are taught from the beginning that idleness is wrong while being alone is boring. In other words, the society is based on continuous planning, productivity and activity. From bright colored-mobiles for the day old infants to senior activities for the dying, no allowance exists for doing nothing.
-Joan Bello
Originally posted July 31st, 2010
Gently cared for June 12th, 2011
July 31, 2010 3 Comments
Food Cart Crawl – Austin, Texas
Within moments of entering the Austin city limit's it is clear to see that these people are awesome.
Austintonians love their food carts and it's not hard to see why. What's not to enjoy about a freshly prepared meal out of a truck on the side of the road– a wonderful truck that uses fresh corn tortillas for their expertly prepared tacos or fresh blackberries for their sorbet or who bakes their cupcakes each day, fresh, instead of sticking them in a fridge for a week. Who wouldn't want their food cooked that way?
To explore the mouthwatering and mind-changing possibilities of the food cart, we set out on a local tradition known as the food cart crawl, whereby we selectively mapped out "top-tier" food carts throughout the city aiming to sample a piece of what each had to offer, without exploding from excessive food intake, of course. What happened as we tasted our way through the city was part epic, food-lust fueled experience and part life-altering, taste bud entrancing magic, but ask those who enter into the food cart crawl and live to tell the tale and they'll tell you, more than any of that, it's a whole lot of super tasty, Austin-themed awesomeness.
"The Crawl"
After a midday trip to Barton Springs Pool, a wonderful 900 foot natural limestone pool in Zilker Park, of which I unfortunatly have zero pictures, we headed out on our "crawl." As is the case with all tasting experiences, like tapas or tasting menus, we wanted to start off with lightly flavored dishes and progressively move towards more heavily flavored items as the day wore down.
As it turns out, we couldn't have picked a better place to start than Edible Earth, a newly opened vegan food cart, where we chatted with the owner, sipped sun tea, and ate fresh blackberry sorbet, all of which were perfect compliments to the continuously glaring and, at times, over-bearing mid-morning Austin heat.
"Edible Earth"
"Sun tea made with green tea, lemons, and oranges"
"Fresh Blackberry Sorbet"
After our refreshing visit to Edible Earth, we headed off on a harrowing, death-defying journey across the parking lot (hey, I said we mapped them out not that they were far apart) to Izzoz Tacos, a new age Tex-Mex taco trailer run by John who serves an assortment of tortas n' tacos spiced up with a little attitude and more than enough knowhow.
"Izzoz Tacos"
To call these tacos "good" is not only wrong, it's downright insulting. These tacos defy words and are, without a doubt, among the most delicious street food we had in the entire country, in competition with only The Odd Duck, a farm to trailer establishment located, oddly enough, only miles away in Austin. In fact, these freshly inspired tacos, like the Fried Avocado, with its layers of perfectly peppery arugula, wonderfully tangy and smoky chipotle sherry sauce, Cotija cheese, and flash-fried avocado, and The Padre, a traditional carnita pork taco, topped generously with rich slices of avocado, sweet roasted pineapple, and tangy tomatillo salsa, make me quiver with excitement just thinking about them. Not to mention the fact that it literally pains me that I can't visit for lunch more often, as in, everyday. So, John, until we meet again some day or you kindly accept my begs and pleas for you to allow me to work for you (hint hint), I proudly salute to you for making, what is, without question, one hell of a taco.
"Fried Avocado Taco"
"The Padre"
Looking for something a little different following our terrific Tex-Mex taco tasting, we headed over to a popular Vietnamese cart known as Me So Hungry!, a feeling which, as it turns out, is perfectly captured by the scheming oriental woman plastered on top of the Ninja Turtle green paint job of the truck.
"Me So Hungry"
Me So Hungry is famous for their Banh Mi, a traditional Vietnamese sandwich made with a french baguette and filled generously with pickled carrots, cabbage, cucumbers, cilantro, chili peppers and a meat, usually pork, chicken or ham which has been grilled, roasted, or charbroiled.
While this was my first time tasting a Banh Mi, I'm not at all unfamiliar with the flavors of grilled meat and vegetables and I happen to know a great sandwich when I see one. This is a great sandwich. The contrasting flavors and textures of the crunchy baguette, caramelized pork, and super fresh vegetables are the kind of stuff unforgettable food memories are made of and, conversely, what food related crime will be committed for if I don't get my hands on another one of these very soon.
Amidst chatting with the owner of Me So Hungry and asking for a refreshing drink to cool me and the now sun burnt Brittany down from the unbearable Texas sun, I learned that Cheer Up Charlies, a nearby bar with more than enough lesbian appeal, specialized in a fermented mushroom drink known as Kombucha.
Now, I consider myself to be a pretty adventurous person. Can I be a little timid, at times? Sure. Am I off climbing Everest, swimming with sharks, or trying to tickle bears? No way. In truth, I might hesitate to do more than a few things that might put myself into even possible mental or physical danger, but some things are just worth it. New food experiences happen to be one of those things. So to satisfy this craving, alone, without trepidation, and in clear violation of the rules of the "crawl," I headed off into the mystical void of experience to track down the mysterious mushroom drink they called Kombucha.
As I walked into the bright white and turquoise brick building I was met by an unmistakable menacing glare. It was the glare of young hipster women, artfully inked and sporting trendy 'alternative fashions', and only young hipster women, that resided in this low-key and surprisingly not very cheerful bar. Welcomed was the opposite of how I felt. In fact, really the only vibe that I got was one that screamed in an all-to-stereotypical, startled, husky female voice, "woah, what the hell is he doing in here?!"
But before you wrongfully accuse me of being even the slightest bit intolerant, let me be clear. Seeing as no one specifically told me, I have absolutely zero proof that Cheer Up Charlies is a lesbian bar nor do I have even the slightest problem with it if it is. All that I ask is for a little warning next time. That way I can make Brittany go, for the comic appeal, that's all.
According to Wikipedia, Kombucha is "a fermented tea that is often drunk for medicinal purposes," Although there's currently no scientific evidence to support the purported benefits of the mushroom tea, I believe in them.
The drink– lightly carbonated, tart, slightly sweet and lacking in any noticeable fermented flavor– is served on tap at Cheer Up Charlies and is loaded with healthful items like Yerba mate, green tea, a small amount of vinegar from the fermentation and, I'm sure, more than enough antioxidants to count.
The flavor is pretty intense, though, and certainly not for the faint of heart. To me, you have to really want to be healthy to get more than a few sips of this stuff down. Although the sun melting the ice down did make this one easier to palate, unlike a few others we've now tried without ice.
Surprisingly refreshed from the Kombucha experience, we headed off to what would be our last destination on the crawl and, not surprisingly, the only one that Brittany really lobbied for– the cupcake place. And when I say lobbied, I mean lobbied hard. Repeatedly reminding me that, before days end, we're getting cupcakes! … or else.
To match her excitement and save me from the … or else part, we headed over to Hey Cupcake! to take a bite out of their famous red velvet cupcake.
What we found was not only a place that was passionate about serving gourmet cupcakes, but also one that has become rooted in Austin culture, sitting as the silver bullet trailer lined up alongside other food stands, restaurants, bars, and shops which cover the curbs of the district known as South Congress, in South Austin.
"Hey Cupcake!"
I'm not sure if there's a better way to end a limestone pool and fantastic food filled summer Austin day than to sit down and eat a couple of freshly baked cupcakes, sip on a bottle of cold milk, and listen to the rustic twang of a beat up acoustic guitar. I'll let you imagine…
"Red Velvet Cupcake (front) Strawberry and Chocolate Cupcake (back)"
"Guitar Man"
Music to "crawl" to Matt the Electrician – Made For Working
July 20, 2010 3 Comments
Austin, Texas – Shipping Box Pastries and Tacos Served From a Truck
To be honest, I'm really not sure where to start with my description of our time in Austin and, in a way, I've been avoiding this post because of it. I know that it's more than a bit cliche to say that I'm hardly ever left speechless after a great experience, but with Austin, it's just true.
'Meeting Austin' was a lot like running into someone who's strikingly familiar and gives you a weird, intuitive sense that maybe I've met them before? Simply put, Austin was too familiar. The food? Fresh, locally sourced and prepared in a variety of styles by the coolest, most passionate people on the planet. The wildlife? Diverse, beautiful, and scattered throughout the city. The music? Let's just say that more than a few of my favorite musicians are from Austin. The people? As cool, laid-back, and unbelievably friendly as they come. Pardon the personal depth, but for the first time in my life, I felt like I actually belonged in a city.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that I just can't find the words to explain why I love something. Words lack the meaning and depth to translate the feeling, the connection. Even the most impassioned of efforts come up inevitably short. As one of my favorite lyricist, Jeffrey Foucault, writes, "the finest pen could never hold a butterfly." To me, it goes to show that there's something about beauty that's above words– above silly adjectives and washed out clichés. It must be experienced. It must be felt. In it's simplest form, it just is. To me, Austin just is.
La Boite
After a night camping in the McKinney Falls State Park about 20 miles south of Austin, we headed to La Boite, a local eatery serving high quality french pastries, coffee, and other breakfast goodies out of a shipping box on the side of the road. Pretty cool, huh? A lady and fellow customer inside remarked that the pastries were as beautiful and tasty as any she had in Paris. Now, I'm a skeptic so I'm going to take that with a grain of salt until I make my way to Paris, but I do know that La Boite serves food as beautiful and tasty as anything I've ever eaten.
We had really just planned on ordering their famed Almond Croissant and a Cafe Mocha to satisfy Brittany's insatiable appetite for coffee, but upon seeing the range of food they offered, I couldn't help but satisfy my insatiable appetite to to try as many delicious-looking things as possible.
Amidst chatting with the remarkably tattooed and helpful (both common traits among Austintonians) young girl at the register, I pointed out that I'd like to try every macaron they had. See, I consider myself somewhat of a rube in the world of desserts. I'm more of a savory food lover, choosing to endlessly gorge myself on as many salty and fatty foods as I can cram into my mouth. Because of this, macarons are completely new to me. So much so that I pronounced them 'mackaruune." Which is just plain embarrassing. Though, I quickly learned through my keen observational skills that it's actually pronounced 'mackaRON'. Though, after some detective work, there may be more to it than I ever imagined (see discussion on Chowhound – "Macaron vs. Macaroon")
Whatever the case, these delicious little cookie-like contraptions are beyond delicious. I had heard of them, seen them, and read recipes to make them before trying them, never with the intention of actually doing so because I falsely imagined them to be rock hard little cookies with filling in the middle. As it turns out, they're perfectly crispy on the outside, tender on the inside with a melt in your mouth filling that leaves you craving just one more bite. If I could only eat one cookie-like-thing for the rest of my life, it would be a macaron with a drop of hesitation.
"Left: Pistachio with chocolate ~ Middle: Lemon and ginger ~ Right: Fluer de sel salted butter caramel"
Since I'm not a huge coffee fan, and Texas is frankly the hottest place I've had the pleasure to step foot on, I decided to quench my thirst with a cup full of lavender lemonade. Lemonade– an already perfect combination of sweet and tangy was only heightened by the slightly floral qualities of the lavender. It wasn't too far off from a recipe for honeysuckle lemonade that I was tinkering earlier in the summer.
Torchy's Tacos
Tochy's is an Austin institution, famous for it's creative and extremely delectable Tex-Mex tacos served out of a spruced up catering truck. It goes without explanation that when you stop in Austin, you stop at Torchys, likely more than once.
It's hard to decide what to eat as you're perusing the chalkboard menu littered with selections like slow roasted pork simmered in green chilies, onions, and cilantro, hand battered shrimp topped with cooked cabbage slaw, pickled onions, and jalapeños, and the ever-famous fried avocado taco with pico de gallo and a poblano ranch sauce.
Okay, actually, it's not that difficult of a decision, being that no matter what you choose it's going to be delicious and all. There certainly could be worse predicaments, I'm sure.
To satisfy this new found hunger for great Tex-Mex, we chose a heavily spiced seared albacore tuna taco with cilantro, slaw, and the always appropriate lime wedge.
Along side that, and my personal favorite, was a taco filled to the brim with chunks of slow-roasted chicken, grilled jalapeños, gently roasted mango, sour cream, cilantro, and a spicy, spicy, spicy Diablo sauce, which is okay, because I like it spicy.
More on Austin to come!
June 9, 2010 3 Comments
Road Trip 2010: First Stop, New Orleans, LA
As of yesterday, we've embarked on a month long, sixteen state road trip traversing the central and western United States with no itinerary, a tent for 'lodging,' and a 2 door Honda Civic worth of luggage. Insanity, you say? Adventure, we respond.
I will say, though, that for all of my ability to simply "go with the flow," there is a certain way to start a trip of this magnitude, the adjectives of which sound something like stress-free, relaxed and methodical, with the ultimate goal of being as prepared as possible for whatever obstacles lie ahead. What you shouldn't hear the day before you leave is, "Mr. Blackwell, that car you're planning on driving across the country needs new front tires, a left front axle, front brakes, adjusted rear brakes, air filter and a serious alignment after you hit that truck tire driving down to New Orleans some odd months back." Oh, really? You don't say? How 'bout we fix that axle when I get back? Right…
Here's where I insert my sincere and much needed public apology for allowing my wonderful parents to 'handle' the potentially trip ruining repairs. Mom and Dad, I am so very grateful.
Anyways, after a torturous amount of stress, tirelessly waiting around, and getting on a first name basis with the fine folks over at the Honda Service Center, we finally set off for our first stop, New Orleans, Louisiana, at 5 p.m. in the afternoon with dinner reservations at our favorite spot, Boucherie, four hours later. Which, as it so happens, is the exact amount of time that it takes to get there. Lucky us, huh?
Boucherie is our favorite spot in town for three reasons—it's absurdly cheap, the food is awesome, and James, a server and part owner (I think), is a seriously knowledgeable beer geek who will, upon the slightest request, immaculately pair any chosen dish with a beer from Boucherie's stellar beer list. In fact, he's so good at pairing beer with food that I consider him a good friend, but only in a kind of weird and slightly creepy "he doesn't even know who I am" kind of way, of course.
For this visit we went with a shared appetizer of Boudin balls, a heavily spiced rice sausage of traditional Cajun cuisine that is rolled and deep fried, with a creamy garlic aioli served alongside a bowl of perfectly fried pomme frites, aka French fries, topped with herb butter and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Both of which were delicious down to the very last scrapings on the plate, though the Boudin balls were missing the peppery crunch of arugula that had made them so delicious on numerous occasions before.
For an entrée, Brittany decided on seared scallops served with crunchy green beans alongside what I would consider a meaty and heavily acidic hybrid between tomato gravy and chutney. Whatever the case, the acidity of the tomato paired nicely with the richness of the impeccably seared scallops while the green beans provided a crunchy and remarkably fresh contrast to the meaty tomato sauce. For my entrée, I went with a pan seared duck breast, smoked black-eyed peas, duck cracklings, and a foie gras milk gravy—no further explanation necessary, if you ask me. To cut the richness and support the gently spiced duck, James recommended a Triple Karmalleit, a full-bodied, moderately carbonated, and distinctly "Belgian-tasting" beer brewed with a combination of three grains that results in a slightly spicy, herbal, and crisp compliment to the rich duck dish. Thanks James, I owe you one.
"Boucherie – sorry for quality, Iphone photo"
After dining at Boucherie we set off for the first night of our many planned nights camping at state parks in and around the cities where we'll be exploring. Now, midnight in the pitch black of a riverside Louisiana state park probably isn't the best time for a first time 'tent pitching' experience. Hell, a bright incandescent light bulb lit living room would have been perfect for a test run. But in an effort to make things as difficult as possible during a day when everything else had gone wrong, pitch black seemed like the right move.
Luckily and contrary to popular belief and movie portrayals, pitching a tent really isn't all that difficult, even in the dark with way too many bugs around. The tent was set up in a mere twenty minutes thanks to Brittany's intense and quite inspired workmanship. To be honest, I had fully expected the tent pitching to be a solo experience for myself, wrought with frustration, anger, and likely a few echoing obscenities. But what happened amazed me. Throw a special someone in a situation they absolutely don't want to be in, but otherwise have no choice, make sure there's a ton of bugs, a stress-filled day, and the urge to get a good night's sleep and watch them go. It was like an experiment in human psychology at its finest, mainly because I was the observer and not the subject.
"Fairview Riverside State Park – Madisonville, Louisiana"
The next morning, on our way to head out for Austin, Texas, we set off on a "greatest hits" tour of New Orleans, featuring two of our favorite New Orleans specialties: Po-boys and Chocolate Azteca Gelato.
For the first, we went to the very place where we first experienced the meat packed, incredibly messy, and perfectly dressed Po-boy sandwich: Crabby Jacks. The small and eclectically decorated eatery is a local favorite for Po-boys, Boudin sausage, red beans and rice, and nearly every other New Orleans specialty you can think of, and with good reason, it's delicious. For this visit we decided to share a 12" stewed Cajun pork Po-boy. It actually went by a more complicated, "French-like" name, but I can't remember what it was, but who cares. It was good.
For dessert, we headed over to La Divina Gelateria for their Chocolate Azteca Gelato. There really isn't much to say. La Divina, as we call it, is locally sourced, artisan quality, and basically the best gelato this side of Italy. And if you've never eaten chocolate ice cream spiced with Mexican spices like cayenne pepper, cardamom, ginger, etc. then you're missing out. The sweet heat is to die for.
"La Davina Gelateria – Chocolate Azteca"
Now we're off to explore Austin, Texas! Wish us luck!
June 3, 2010 3 Comments


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Founded by Jacob H. Schiff of New York in 1889, at Cambridge, Mass. Its objects are to gather, preserve, and exhibit all known kinds of material illustrating the life, history, and thought of the Semitic peoples, to increase the knowledge of the Semitic past by taking part in the exploration of Semitic countries and ruins, and by publishing the results of such investigations to show what have been the Semitic contributions to civilization. The founder gave in 1889, $10,000 to the university to purchase objects illustrating the subjects of Semitic instruction. On May 13, 1891, the collection thus purchased was formally opened to the public in a room of the Peabody Museum; in the winter of 1902-3 it was transferred to the Semitic Museum Building, also the gift of its founder.
The ground floor contains the library (the gift of the same donor) and three lecture-rooms; the second floor comprises a large hall, the Assyrian Room, containing the Babylonian, Assyrian, and Hittite exhibits, and the curator's room. The Palestinian Room is on the third floor.
The growth of the collection has been continuous, through both gift and purchase. In 1899 about $20,000 was raised by subscription for the purpose of further purchases.
The Assyrian Room contains casts from the Babylonian, Assyrian, and Hittite monuments and from bas-reliefs in the museums of London, Paris, Berlin, and Constantinople; original Babylonian and Assyrian inscriptions on stone and clay; stone seal cylinders; statuettes; and building-bricks. The Palestinian Room contains, from Palestine (including the Merrill Collection), Phenicia, Palmyra, Damascus, Moab, Arabia, and Philistia, monuments, inscriptions, and coins; geological specimens; specimens of flora and fauna; glassware, pottery, and utensils; costumes and ornaments; books, manuscripts, and photographs. It contains also objects from Egypt and Persia, illustrating the important connections of these countries with the Semitic peoples.


text:
Volunteer Couriers transport documents and other light-weight items between Culbertson Memorial Hospital and its clinics in Astoria and Beardstown, helping to free hospital staff for other duties.
Couriers drive a Culbertson Memorial Hospital owned vehicle once a day, starting at 10:00 a.m. Their route usually is completed by 11:15 a.m. depending on each day's schedule. Couriers must be 18 years of age, have a good driving record and be trained in patient confidentiality.


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Porsche Design Towers by OMA/Porsche Design
OMA in the Middle East: Office for Metropolitan Architecture have sent us some new renderings, plans and sections of Porsche Design Towers I and II, which they are jointly designing with Porsche Design.
The two towers, one cylindrical and one a hollow slab, are being built at Business Bay in Dubai.
Below is the press release issued by OMA when the project was announced in October last year:
OMA and Porsche Design jointly design towers in Dubai
(Munich, 23 October, 2006) – Porsche Design and Dubai Properties announced today that the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) has been commissioned to design, in co-operation with Porsche Design a high quality office tower and a luxury residential tower in Dubai. Completion is due 2009.
Dubai Properties, one of the largest real estate developers in the Middle East, has commissioned OMA to design a 85,000sqm office tower and a 30,000sqm residential tower in Dubai. The buildings will be situated next to each other at the waterfront of Dubai's Business Bay development.
The office building will also comprise retail, recreational spaces and a parking garage whilst the residential building will be situated above a sunken plaza with retail and cafes. OMA's designs of both towers take into account the climate conditions in Dubai and are designed to allow minimal impact of the sun. The office tower is framed by side wings and an overlap to create its own shadow, thereby protecting the tower from sunlight and reducing the need for air conditioning. The centred external wall is of reflected glass as an additional feature for the Dubai climate. The residential tower adjacent to the office tower will be cylinder shaped, an interior atrium following the entire height of the tower will provide natural air circulation and additional light.
OMA will work in partnership with Porsche Design Studio – a 100% subsidiary of the Porsche Design Group. While OMA will be responsible for the design of both buildings, the Studio will have a consulting role for the outside architecture and be in charge of designing public areas such as the lobby, restaurants and passenger lifts. Upon residents' request, apartments may be equipped with furniture, lighting units and kitchens by Porsche Design.
Following four masterplan projects in Kuwait, Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah, the "Porsche Design Buildings" (Porsche Design at Business Bay by Dubai Properties) will be the first built project by OMA in the Middle-East and is due for completion by the end of 2009.
The project is lead by OMA Partner Rem Koolhaas and Senior Associate Fernando Donis who is a principal designer at OMA. Their previous collaborations include the new China Central Television Headquarters, the Cordoba Congress Center, and the new cruise terminal and science centre for Hamburg Hafencity.
PORSCHE DESIGN TOWERS I and II
Project: Porsche Design Towers l and ll
Status: Completed in 2009
Client: Dubai Properties Ltd
Location: Dubai, UAE
Budget: -
Site: site at the waterfront of Business Bay District
Program: The site consists of two parcels of 12400 m2 in total. Office tower (Porsche I) gross floor area: 85,000 m2. Residential tower (Porsche II) gross floor area: 32,000 m2
In-charge: Rem Koolhaas, Fernando Donis
Team: Katrin Betschinger, Michel van de Kar, Daan Ooievaar, Martti Kalliala, Berit Bessell, Richard Sharam, Daniel Zarhy, Ola Strandell, Uli Herres, Jin Hon Jeon, Mauro Parravicini, Alexander Giarlis
Design Consultant: Porsche Design
Structure: Kling Consult


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Originally published on O'Reilly Network
In a case that tests a key provision of the U.S. CAN-SPAM law, Microsoft has scored a legal victory against a Washington man alleged to be one of the top ten spammers in the world.
A King County (Washington) superior court judge ruled that Robert Soloway, operator of Newport Internet Marketing (NIM), was in default on the spam lawsuit originally filed by Microsoft on December 18,
2003, against NIM and 20 "John Doe" defendants.Soloway, 25, is ranked the world's eighth largest spammer by the Spamhaus spam tracking and blocking service. Soloway and NIM have been listed on the Spamhaus Register of Known Spam Operations (ROKSO) since the list's inception in October 2000.
Soloway had argued that NIM's subcontractors -- otherwise known as spam affiliates -- and not his company, were responsible for waves of illegal spam cited in Microsoft's complaint. The messages included "from" lines forged to make the messages appear as though they were sent via Microsoft's MSN and Hotmail services.
Besides asserting that he was unaware that the subcontractors were operating illegally, Soloway also claimed he didn't know their actual identities, since his dealings with affiliates were conducted exclusively over the ICQ chat service.
Microsoft filed a request for a default judgment against Soloway on March 31, 2005, complaining that Soloway was playing "a shell game" during the protracted, 15-month discovery process. Microsoft said Soloway had failed to produce documents and other information regarding NIM's dealings with subcontractors.
Soloway turned over a list of 67 ICQ numbers used by his affiliates, but he provided no names, addresses, phones, or email addresses, according to Microsoft.
"The evidence withheld by defendants ... goes to the heart of Microsoft's case ... the only witnesses who can corroborate or contradict Soloway's testimony are the subcontractors," stated Microsoft in its filing.
Also read: Spam Kings The Real Story behind the High-Rolling Hucksters Pushing Porn, Pills, and %*@)# Enlargements By Brian McWilliams
Table of Contents Sample Chapter
Under the rules of civil procedure, a court can order a default judgment against a party who fails to appear in court or to respond to charges against him.
Judge William Downing agreed to Microsoft's request on April 8. "The only issue that remains is the amount of damages Plaintiff Microsoft is entitled to," stated the default judgment.
Microsoft's head anti-spam attorney, Aaron Kornblum, said Tuesday that Microsoft is "finalizing our pleadings to include the damages amount."
But in an online interview this week, Soloway brushed off Microsoft's apparent courtroom win.
"The fact is, they have no case, and I can honestly say with the utmost confidence that there will not be a monetary damage awarded," said Soloway. He declined to elaborate on why he was so confident of his position versus Microsoft.
Soloway claimed that he has always removed any MSN.com and Hotmail.com addresses from his mailing lists and that he instructed affiliates to do the same.
"One of my subcontractors ... clearly did not do what I hired them to do. They broke the rules, and violated my policy," said Soloway.
"Should I be responsible for the actions of someone that didn't follow the rules I gave to my advertisers?" he asked.
Under both federal and Washington State anti-spam statutes, the answer apparently is _yes_; companies are liable for illegal spam sent on their behalf by third parties.
In the case of CAN-SPAM, a firm is responsible if it "procured the transmission" of the unlawful email. Under Washington's Commercial Electronic Mail Act, companies are liable if they "assist the transmission" of the illegal messages.
Many large spam operations rely heavily on affiliates, who are typically paid a commission for any sales leads or purchases they generate on behalf of the "sponsor."
Soloway testified to Microsoft that he has fired all his subcontractors and now sends email himself using the Dark Mailer spam program and proxies.
Soloway declined to comment on a recent bout of spam from his firm that offered, "we email your web site to 2,500,000 opt-in email addresses for free." A disclaimer in the spams stated, "the above emailing is only free if you are a nonprofit organization that aids child abuse victims."
Soloway disputed Spamhaus' appraisal of NIM as a top source of spam, and he noted that Spamhaus director Steve Linford has publicly admitted to assisting Microsoft in its litigation.
"Steve is making plenty of money from certain large corporations in relation to PR," asserted Soloway, "so Microsoft could go 'look, we've won a judgment against the top [spammer].'"
In October 2004, O'Reilly Media, Inc., released Spam Kings.
a.. Sample chapter 1, "Birth of a Spam King" (PDF), is available free online. b.. You can also look at the Table of Contents (PDF) and the full description of the book. c.. For more information, or to order the book, go to our site.
Brian McWilliams is the author of Spam Kings and is an investigative journalist who has covered business and technology for web magazines including Wired News and Salon, as well as the Washington Post and PC World, Computerworld, and Inc. magazines.
Copyright 2005 O'Reilly Media, Inc.


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[Eduard Ros] wrote in to show off the latest version of his Arduino powered autonomous rover (translated). You may remember seeing the first version of the build back in June. It started with a remote control truck body, adding an Arduino and some ultrasonic sensors for obstacle avoidance.
The two big wheels and the pair of sensors look familiar, but most of the other components are a different from that version. The biggest change is the transition from four wheels to just three. This let him drop the servo motor which controlled steering. At first glance we though this thing was going to pop some mad wheelies, but the direction of travel actually drags the third wheel being the larger two. The motors themselves are different, this time depending on gear-reduced DC motors. The motor H-bridge is the same, but [Eduard] used a simple transistor-based inverter to reduce the number of pins needed to activate it from two down to just one. He also moved from an Arduino Uno to a Nano to reduce the footprint of the controller.


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Catbird turned me onto Airbnb almost two years ago, long before I'd ever heard of the "sharing economy" or "collaborative consumption," terms the tech industry is now using for companies that facilitate peer-to-peer rentals or otherwise take transactions once done through Craigslist to a glitzy new commercial level.
We were working together to build the Temple of Flux for Burning Man 2010 and chatting in the shop one evening. I mentioned wanting to find someone to sublet my apartment for the nearly three weeks that I was to spend on the playa that year, and she sang the praises of Airbnb, which she had recently started using to make some extra cash by renting out a room in the house she owns on Potrero Hill.
"The reason I decided to do it instead of a full-time roommate is it fits my lifestyle better," Catbird, aka Cathryn Blum, told me recently as we discussed her beloved Airbnb in light of recent controversies over whether such rentals should pay the city's 14 percent hotel tax. Catbird loves to meet visitors from around the world and help show them sides of San Francisco hidden from downtown hotel dwellers, as well as being able to keep her guest room vacant for visiting friends or family.
"Airbnb has been a godsend, and it's invigorated a lot of the neighborhoods that tourists might not come and visit," she said. "We're not competing with the hotels, the hotels don't provide that kind of experience."
That's what she and other Airbnb customers argued last month at a San Francisco Tax Collector's Office hearing on the issue, which resulted in the hotel tax [aka Transient Occupancy Tax] being applied to Airbnb and similar companies.
Airbnb was a godsend for me as well, a simple easing of my economic woes. At the time, I was just getting serious with a new girlfriend and spending most nights at her place. So we moved some of my stuff over there to clear space and protect my valuables, took some photos of my small studio apartment in the Mission, and created an Airbnb listing.
We initially listed my place for $75 per night, which more than covered my rent but was cheaper than most hotels, the sweet spot that would create enough demand that I could pick and choose guests to meet my needs. And it worked perfectly. Not only did I find tenants to fill most of my Burning Man vacancy, but I kept it up periodically throughout the fall, moving in with my girlfriend for days or weeks at a stretch and splitting the proceeds with her.
It seemed too good to be true. And as I began to learn, perhaps it was.
Something Airbnb doesn't tell you when you sign up is that you may be breaking the law and/or your lease (its spokesperson says that warning is in its terms of service, but I never saw it). Frankly, I knew that my lease didn't allow subletters, but my building is big, I really needed the money, and I figured that I wouldn't get caught, a calculation that many thousands of customers of Airbnb and other companies regularly make as well.
Later, well into by first foray as a landlord, thanks to Airbnb, I began to learn about some other complications that this business model creates in big, popular cities like San Francisco and New York that have complicated laws regulating landlord-tenant relations. For example, it's illegal in San Francisco to sublet your apartment out for more than you pay in rent.
I felt a little guilty about that one. In a city where almost two-thirds of residents are renters, yet where property owners wield tremendous economic and political power, there are good reasons for rent control, limits on converting apartments into condominiums, eviction protections, and the whole slew of complicated laws and regulations that govern the often-contentious relationship between landlords and tenants.
But nobody seemed to be getting hurt and this was easy money, thanks to an elegantly simple dot-com idea. Sure, there were risks, both from the powers-that-be and from the strangers moving into my home. A good friend of mine in San Francisco who used Airbnb kept his valuables in a locked closet, which his temporary tenants — who had used fake identities and fraudulent credit cards — broke into, stealing thousands of dollars worth of equipment and getting away with it.
By the end of the year, it began to dawn on me that this business model wasn't as simple as it initially seemed, triggered partially when the company sent me a 1099 federal tax form for the thousands of dollars I earned in 2010. Oh yeah, taxes, shit. So I paid my state and federal taxes on what had once seemed like free money, and I began to wonder what this "godsend" really meant for San Francisco, just as various advocacy groups were beginning to explore the issue.
"We began working on this issue a few years ago when we saw a big number of tourist conversions," said Ted Gullicksen, executive director of the San Francisco Tenants Union. He discovered thousands of apartments — sometimes even entire buildings, usually those covered by rent control laws — were being taken off the rental market for use by tourists, sometimes after evictions to clear them of tenants. If I could use these sites to make money, unscrupulous landlords could as well.
"It shouldn't even get to a tax issue because much of this is illegal," Gullicksen said, noting that landlords opposed legislation a few years ago to give tenants more rights to sublet their apartments or add additional roommates. "This talk of shared economy strikes me as the wealthy asking the less wealthy to sacrifice."
Advocates of the sharing economy argue that it's just the opposite, making environmentalist and even socialist arguments that it's a smart way of using fewer resources that empowers working class people.
"This idea of supplementing the formal economy with an economy based on sharing and bartering is very powerful. If you supplement a formal economy with an economy based on sharing you will have a lighter economic footprint and you would rely on relationships with people and actually, with less income, have a higher standard of living," progressive activist Van Jones — whose new book The Green Collar Economy, discusses collaborative consumption — told us last month.
But it doesn't usually feel quite so populist. Ron Conway, the billionaire angel investor who helped funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars in tech money to groups supporting Mayor Ed Lee's election campaign last year, has significant investments in Airbnb and other "shareable" companies that Lee opposes taxing, as The New York Times reported last month.
Around that same time, I, along with many other local journalists, was invited to a fancy round-table dinner hosted by SparkPR to facilitate schmoozing with a half-dozen collaborative consumption start-ups, an event that felt more like the decadent peak of the last dot-com bubble than the launching of a people-powered economic revolution.
Over fine wine and a seated gourmet dinner in a private room in Perbacco Ristorante + Bar, journalists representing the New York Times, San Francisco Examiner, Bloomberg, TechCrunch, and other media outlets chatted with representatives from Love Home Swap, Getaround, Zimride, Event Up, and DogVacay.
This was the latest event in the public relations blitz by advocates of "The Sharing Economy," which was the title of an event at the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association two weeks earlier, which featured representatives from Airbnb, TaskRabbit, Shareable, Vayable, and Getaround (representatives of this car-sharing company do indeed seem to get around).
Our dinner began with introductions, and Love Swap Home founder Debbie Wosskow said she had come all the way from London for this dinner and some related meetings, on the ground just 36 hours. "I thought I could learn a lot from you guys out here," she said in her charming British accent, later calling San Francisco the world hub for this new economic approach.
"Our business model is very simple: it's like online dating for homes," she said, explaining how the company registers people with cool homes that they can vacation-swap with others they meet through the site. Contrasting it with Airbnb, she said, "We're swapping purists…I was less interested in turning my home into a money-making machine than moving my home to places around the world."
The company caters mostly to those with higher-than-average incomes, while others at the table seem to be giving more structure to underground transactions pursued by the average Craigslist or Yelp user. "We have a platform of trusted folks who watch your dogs in their own homes," was how Dog Vacay owner Aaron Hirschhorn described the business he started with his wife, which attracted $1 million in venture capital financing and now has 10 employees.
"I want to be the premiere national pet services company," Hirschhorn said. "That's the long-term play, but in the near-term we're solving an immediate problem. And we're giving people a chance to make money."
As dinner was served, SparkPR's Jamie Walker played hostess and encouraged us to chat about our common issues, so I offered an apparently impertinent topic for guests to address: "How do you all feel about taxes?"
An uncomfortable silence chilled the room, but I asked them to humor me because it was Tax Day and I was curious how they all felt about being required to pay taxes on the economic transactions they were facilitating. Again, silence, before someone finally ventured an answer.
"There are other societal benefits to this collaborative consumption industry," was how Getaround's Avery Lewis answered my question, talking about the many economic and environmental benefits of people being able to share their cars or avoid having to own a car for only occasional use.
And that may be true, but it doesn't really answer the question: Why should these economic transactions be exempt from the taxes charged on most other economic transactions?
Airbnb spokesperson Kimberly Rubey and Airbnb customers who testified at the tax hearing also speak of the wide variety of social and economic benefits of the service, and they make a compelling case that this company — with 100 employees here and 300 around the world facilitating 5 million nights booked in four years, up from just 1 million a year ago — is a boon to San Francisco.
But when you push them on the tax issue, they don't know quite what to say. Rubey abruptly ended two short phone interviews when I pressed for an answer, both times saying she was late for meetings and would get back to me. The third time, she had this statement prepared: "We do not shy away from tax obligations, nor do we believe that all types of private residential rentals should be excluded from transient occupancy tax in all situations. That said, we do think that staying in someone's spare bedroom or in someone's home while they are away is different in a variety of ways than staying in a hotel."
Yet that distinction isn't one made in the city's Transient Occupancy Tax law, says Greg Kato, the policy and legislative manager for the Tax Collector's Office. "When we talk about a guest room under the law, that does include private residences," he told us. "We want to make sure we're taxing everyone properly."
It was a broad and fairly unusual coalition of groups that pushed the city to begin regulating and taxing Airbnb and similar companies — from the Tenants Union and labor unions on the left to Hotel Council and Building Owners and Management Association on the other end the spectrum — making the prospects of a successful legislative challenge to the tax law interpretation unlikely.
Gullicksen said Airbnb may be one of the biggest companies affected by the ruling, but it isn't the worst. He said Vacation Rental By Owner (www.vrbo.com) converts entire blocks of apartments into tourist hotels. By contrast, he said many renters use Airbnb to occasionally supplement their incomes.
"It depends on how often it's used and to what scope it's used," he said.
Mayor Lee and some members of the Board of Supervisors recently created a Sharing Economy Working Group to hammer out those distinctions and make policy recommendations, but it has yet to be constituted or begin meeting. And Board President David Chiu has introduced legislation developed by the Tenants Union to ban the worst "hotelization" of rental units by corporations.
I'll be curious to see how these issues play out, even though I no longer use Airbnb. Advocates for collaborative consumption seem to think they've invented something new under the sun and the rest of us just need to catch on. "When new business models emerge, you're going to constantly be in ongoing discussions with policymakers to educate them about the difference with traditional models," Rubey said.
Clearly, they've convinced Mayor Lee, who unsuccessfully sought a delay in the Tax Collector's ruling, following the tax breaks he extended last year to Twitter, Zynga, and other tech companies. But I'm less convinced. Airbnb once seemed like a simple and harmless way to make extra money, but in San Francisco — where landlords and tenants often battle over the very soul and essence of the city — life here and the policies that govern it are endlessly complicated. And that's nothing new.


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What are chat graphical emoticons?
What are video chat rooms or webcam chat? How to video chat and still stay safe?
How to find other spiritual people like yourself in Christian chat rooms?
How to find new like minded friends in Gay & Lesbian chat rooms?
How to find romance and love in a chat room near you?
How to find and use family friendly chat rooms?
How to customize your avatars?
What are online families and groups, what are their rules and how to become a part of one?
How to find singles chat rooms and how are they different from romance chat rooms?
Are there sites that offer chat while playing backgammon?
What the heck are MMOGs and what role does chat play in them?
Are there sites that offer chat while playing acey deucey?
Are there sites that offer chat while playing spades?
Are there sites that offer chat while playing yahtzee?
Are there sites that offer chat while playing checkers?
Are there sites that offer chat while playing chess?
How to play an online version of battleship and chat at the same time?
How to create your own avatars?
How to find or create your own animated avatars?
Does your avatar have a MegaHead?
How to chat online without having to type?
What events do chat room services typically offer?
What is the difference between regular chat and auditorium chat events?
How to chat online with a group of people without having to type?
How to ditch your long distance service and call your friends and family online for free?
How to travel and commicate to others in the virtual world?
What software do you need for java chat? And we're not talking Starbucks here
How does online radio and chat help each other?
What is the difference between traditional chat and message boards / forums?
What is long and boring and never read by anyone? Terms of service
Need to brush up on your online etiquette?
How can you participate in chat room paint contests?
How to protect your personal information online?
How to recognize and protect yourself from cybercrime?
Is it a good idea to share your pictures online?
How do private rooms allow you to leave the crowd behind?
How to use common sense to avoid unsavory characters online?
How to avoid being conned by posers online?
How to control whatyour kids do online?
What is AOL Instant Messenger?
What is Trillian Instant Messenger?
How to engage in sex chat online?
What are role playing games and how you can play them online?
Are there married people online who like to flirt?
What is a Gaming Ladder and How Does it Work?
What is Virtual Places Chat or VPchat?
How can I participate in Online Tournaments?
Is it okay to share my frustrations I sometimes get with students or other teachers online?
Is it safe to share my writing with people in a chat room? Should I worry about someone stealing it?
I'm creating a new website. Where can I find advice on how to start?
Is it okay to share with a chat room a photograph I sold?
Should I be worried about an agent who contacted me through a chat room?
Is it okay to share chef secrets with others in online chat rooms?
I have a hot stock tip. Should I share it with people in a chat room or keep it to myself?
I'm new to chating, how do I find a chat room for me?
My wife's IM Handle was given to someone else -- how come?
Are religious chat rooms safe?
Are there chat rooms for business owners?
How do you find a sexuality chat room to discuss issues and not an adult sex chat room?
What if you are psychic and want to talk with other psychics?
Where can I create a chat room just for my community?
If I have a question about Scientology, where can I go to find more information?
If I want to learn about how to create quilts, what craft chat rooms should I look for?
Is there a free music chat room online?
Where can I find a chat room that discusses old classic black and white films?
I like to play RPG games, can I find a chat room that actually plays the game?
Will an author visit a reader chat room?
Is it safe to share pet pictures in online chat rooms?
Is it okay to reveal where I may shop with someone I chat with?
If I don't know how to cook, will asking people in a food chat room simple questions annoy them?
If I feel strongly about a topic, is it safe to express my views in a chat room?
I'm having second thoughts about adoption, who can I talk to?
How can I handle three kids all under the age of five without neglecting them?
Can I report some local news in a news chat room?
Where can a journalist go for human interest story ideas?
I wish to join in chat but im a bit shy because I dont know what to ask or say. Please please help me.
Click for the Answer


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A person's identity is established through evidence. Usually that evidence comes from multiple record groups which when studied together either forges stronger links between family members, or weakens links (and confusion reigns.) Sometimes there are records about the same person which disagree. In this webinar, presented by Karen Clifford, you will become familiar with available tools from online family trees that can help to logically build the evidence to strengthen a claim to a specific ancestor.
Join us for the live webinar Wednesday, April 16, 2014 at 2pm Eastern U.S. Register today to reserve your virtual seat. Registration is free but space is limited to the first 1,000 people to join that day. Before joining, please visit www.java.com to ensure you have the latest version of Java which our webinar software requires. When you join, if you receive a message that the webinar is full, you know we've reached the 1,000 limit, so we invite you to view the recording which should be published to the webinar archives within an hour or two of the event's conclusion.
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About the presenter
Karen Clifford develops and teaches multiple online genealogy courses at colleges in California and Utah. She is an Accredited Genealogist® Professional and a Fellow of the Utah Genealogical Association. She has been President/CEO of Genealogy Research Associates, Incorporated since 1997. Her years of professional research work lead to authoring college textbooks and do-it-yourself guidebooks covering both traditional and electronic genealogy research including several books: Becoming an Accredited Genealogist, The Complete Beginners Guide to Genealogy, the Internet, and Your Genealogy Computer Program (updated 2011), and Digging Deeper: Using Essential Pre-1850 Records (2011). She was the founding President of the Monterey County Genealogy Society, a Director of the Monterey California Family History Center, President of the Utah Genealogical Association, a Vice President of the Federation of Genealogical Societies, and a Vice Chair of the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogist (ICAPGen) where she continues to oversee Test Development and Test Quality Control.
- Too Many with the Same Name
- Overcoming Lost Records Using Technology
- Pre-1850 U.S. Research Methodologies
- Organizing for Success
- Genealogy Evidence and Online Family Trees
- Overcoming Destroyed or Missing Records
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We look forward to seeing you all there!


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The parents camped out overnight at Lakeview Elementary School on Grand Avenue where they were going to hold a news conference Monday morning, but police showed up, handed out flyers, and told parents they need to leave. The school has been the site of protests for a lot of parents for the last four days, but Monday morning brought a whole new twist as school district police officers issued the new warning.
Seven Oakland Unified School District police officers went on campus to hand out notices. The flyers asked anyone on school grounds to leave. The school district says the group violated the law by trespassing. "As of this morning, there's been an escalation where the building was entered and the alarm was set off, and that's changed the calculus around the situation to a large degree," said Oakland Unified School District spokesman Troy Flint.
"All's we're doing is handing out fliers," Sgt. Zarhin Bhatts told one parent. "If you take that for being aggressive, then I don't know where your bar is set at."
"Six officers walking down to an elementary school?" the parent replied.
After police showed up, most parents left. "At that point, we told parents that they needed to go across the street and then make a decision on if they wanted to stay based on that, because they did post warnings and we didn't want to put kids in any kind of situation," teacher Alima Catellacci said.
For the last four days, parents have camped out at the school in protest, angry that the Oakland school and four others were shutdown. Lakeview was supposed to close on Friday, the last day of the calendar year, but a group of parents and teachers joined by protesters decided to stay, setting up camp. "These are public buildings. We pay taxes. I've been here for a decade. My children go to school here. You know, they used to tell us to sit in the back of the bus too, and that was OK," said parent Joel Velazquez.
The group also issued a short list of demands. "So, they need to turn around. Tony Smith needs to reopen the schools or resign," one man said. Smith is the superintendent. The district spokesperson says they are willing to sit down with parents, but doubt the school board's decision to close the schools will change. "They made a tough decision and they've stood firm which is the mark of leadership, is making unpopular decisions and standing by them during difficult times, and I don't see why they would change that course right now," Flint told ABC7 News.
Lakeview is set to become offices for district staff. The district did offer to move the students from Lakeview to three other schools. The problem with that is that many families lack transportation and the district offers no bus service. "We're not going to send an 8-year-old or a 7-year-old across town on public transit. That's absurd," Velazquez said.
The Oakland Unified School District blames the school closings on declining enrollment and budget cuts. The district says it has too many schools for its size and the closures will save about $2 million. One 25-year veteran at Lakeview says her former students worry now about their safety. "Now they have to go to other schools, and some back to neighborhoods that are not so great, and they've even talked of shootings, and all," explained first grade teacher Pamela Chinn Schoff. "So, I know that they felt safe here."
In all, 900 students are impacted by the five school closures.
An Oakland Unified School District spokesperson says the police would like people to leave and they would like things to end peacefully, but says they will move people out if necessary. The protesters say they are there to fight for their children's education and they plan to go no where.
Velasquez vowed to stay "until something changes," he said.
Monday evening's rally started at 4 p.m. and wasn't supposed to last as long as it did. It was well attended with about 100 people or so showing up including parents who left in the morning. Even the head of the Oakland Teachers Union was in attendance.
"We want to give protesters a chance to leave on their own," Flint said Monday evening, not stating any specific deadline. He said he was evaluating the situation along with the district police.


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We just added a couple answers to common questions on our page about preventing cheating and keeping a relationship strong, from Dr. Jen Landa.
This is a very specific new tip: Have Sex After Strength Training!
Q.What can I do to spark up my sex drive and have a great sack session with my partner?
A. I tell my patients to try having sex after a workout, especially after strength training. Strength training boosts levels of Testosterone. Higher testosterone levels will help increase arousal, this translates to a stiffer erection for men and more natural lubrication for women.
Higher testosterone levels will also heighten sensitivity and shorten time to orgasm in men and women. Try some hot and sweaty sex with your partner, you'll be glad you did!
Read The Full Article: Why People Cheat And How To Keep A Relationship Strong