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Interview by Quintin Smith
Introversion's gorgeous-looking sim Prison Architect is out now! Sort of. A range of Kickstarter-style rewards has been made available , with $30 getting you access to a current alpha of the game itself. The real question, of course, is whether this game is fit for a place among the law-abiding citizens of polite society. The answer to which is a lackadaisical "Probably not?" Not only is the alpha feature incomplete, it's also a bit buggy. The good news is, you'll be able to shape its development.
But why now? And what's their end goal with the game? The alpha announcement trailer and a big ol' interview with Mark Morris and Chris Delay await you after the jump.
PCG: Why is paid alpha the way to go for this project?
Mark Morris: There comes a period in... well, certainly any game that we've launched, where you're the furthest away from your previous source of income, which was the last game launch, and you're still a reasonable away from finishing the current project, and that's the point in the cycle where it's toughest for developers to continue.
So with all of our games in the past, except with Darwinia+, we've had to rush it out there rather than get it to the standard that we want it to. And we've made some pretty critical mistakes, the gesture system in Darwinia was a good example. We completely bollocksed up the control system in Multiwinia, and all sorts of major patches that should really have gone in on launch day.
So we knew that was coming up, and we looked at what was going on in the industry, with Kickstarter, Minecraft, Overgrowth, the Humble Bundle, and everything seemed to add up. We deal with this funding gap, but also engage with the hardcore fans to create a game where the development is much more driven by the community.
PCG: In another world, might you be calling this Prison Architect "alpha" the finished game?
MM: We're not quite there yet. We couldn't launch this game on Steam, for example. There's a lot of bug reports and it's not finished yet, but there's a lot of gameplay in there, and it's a lot of fun. But it's not fun to be had by people that just want to come along, sit down, and play the game with no interest in how it works.
PCG: People taking their food into the shower in the trailer makes me happy. It seems like such an aspirational lifestyle.
MM: Yeah!
PCG: Isn't $30 a little higher than normal for alpha or beta access?
MM: There are a couple of reasons for that. We've got a pretty close relationship with the Humble Bundle guys, and we were talking to them a lot about how they do things. Another is that we're more interested in a smaller number of players that are more engaged in what we're doing, than a huge audience that want to pay less. There's a quality bar we're putting in there.
Imagine the [alpha] went on sale for $10. This is all "ifs", right? But imagine it goes on sale for $10 or $20, and people chose to buy it, and it doesn't work for them, and they say, "This is bollocks. I hate this. It's crap. It's broken. It doesn't work."
PCG: What's the structure by which fans will be able to shape development of the game?
MM: We've got a forum that's up and running, we've also got a wiki, and probably the bulk of it will be going through those mechanisms. We also did an Ask Me Anything on Reddit for the last Humble Bundle, so we might do something like that. "We'll be available to chat for an hour, from now." That sort of stuff. And if we think a fan's got a really good idea, then obviously just email.
We've not really written down a formalised idea for communication. We don't really have any idea how successful this is gonna be, so we're going to let it evolve and find the best way of doing things as we go forward.
PCG: Something you mention in the Alpha video is the inspiration of Dwarf Fortress. It seems to me like Prison Architect has more in common with that than with "theme" or "sim" games.
Chris Delay: I think that's fair. I got heavily addicted to Dwarf Fortress, and it took me a long time to get into that game. It's a really dreadful learning carve. One of the hardest games in the world to play, I think.
What I love about it the most is that it's the opposite end of the sprectrum to most game design projects. He doesn't really do any game design. A better name for it would be a Dwarf Fortress Simulator, in which you just happen to be able to have fun because it's an inherently fun scenario. I love that style of game design. It's the same game design we tried to use for Subversion, but ultimately failed because we couldn't find a core game that'd be fun to play on its own.
But we've applied the same thing to Prison Architect, with a detailed simulation of what's going on in your world, which results in amazing things. The bug reports that you mentioned, the guys going and eating in the shower block – those are the results of really complex systems interacting. There are rules that say prisoners need to sit on a bench when eating, and there are benches in the shower block, but there's a rule that says when they enter the shower they need to take their clothes off. It's not even technically a bug.
Dwarf Fortress has had the same problems for years on end, but also never managed to solve its user interface and accessibility problems. [Prison Architect] is heavily influenced by Dwarf Fortress but much more accessible, and then by constraining it to prisons – which are such a rich, thematic area anyway – it creates a really interesting world. In Dwarf Fortress, you're building an army and fending off repeated attacks. In Prison Architect, you've got this really weird scenario where there's base building, and there's army building, but there's no enemy army. It's all within.
PCG: Are you pursuing Dwarf Fortress' powder keg gameplay? The more you build, the more unstable your holdings get?
CD: There's two sides to Prison Architect. There's the Story side, then there's Sandbox. The Story mode is objective-based levels, one after another, that teach you the game and give you, hopefully, a fun experience. At the moment, Sandbox mode is that you start on a fixed plot of land which is initially large and empty, but every morning, at 8am, more prisoners are delivered. And every now and then you get a random event where you get, like, 20 in one day. But they just keep coming. It's like a pressure cooker. Eventually, the overcrowding will be just too great, and you lose control.
That said, it's still an alpha. I think that pressure cooker is a good motivator for sandbox mode, but it might end up as one particular game mode.
PCG: How did the polaroid-style cutscenes come about? It seems like you're trying to make your prisoners sympathetic.
CD: In the first chapter, definitely. Every film you've ever seen about prisoners lives or dies by how much you care about the prisoners themselves. And prisoners often are very fascinating people who've led very different lives. Originally, Prison Architect was just a sandbox, but we realised pretty early on that since we were dealing with something as emotive, and potentially political and prisons, we'd have to deal with some of these issues... we couldn't have made Prison Architect as an abstract game.
MM: If we're brutally honest, we hadn't really given it a lot of thought until we announced Prison Architect, and the first builds and videos were going out, and we realised what a contentious issue prisons are. Especially to people in the States. I think they have a very different view on incarceration than we do in the UK... We're not trying to stamp down on our own views of prisons and incarceration, but we want to make an accurate-ish model where you can explore punishment vs. rehabilitation, those sorts of things. Learning quite quickly that we didn't have an understanding of all this, we reached out to quite a prevalent rehabilitated prisoner and currently serving prison officers to talk to them about whether there was anything ridiculous in our game.
We're not trying to make a serious model for the Home Office. It's a game. But it's also an interesting and in-depth project.
PCG: Is it set in an American prison?
MM: It's not! We try to be quite careful around that. Obviously the orange jumpsuits and the capital punishment imply it's a US prison, and a lot of the language is US derived, there's no particular time or place Prison Architect is set in. Probably as the development goes on we'll throw in more British cultural theming, to make it a little more ambiguous.
PCG: So, in summary- You guys have stumbled upon something unwittingly huge, and you want the money and time to do it justice.
MM: Exactly. We want systems that are fun to play, but that are also a nod to particular issues. A great example is the Prison-Industrial Complex. One side of that says that prisoners should be put to work and pay for their crimes. The other says that it's slave labour, the human race is better than that, and that in getting prisoners to bash out number plates we actually undermine the wider economy.
At the moment, within Prison Architect, there's no ability for the prisoners to work. To put that in there, we'll need AI routines for the prisoners to understand how to produce work, and workshops, which need inputs and outputs and resources. So we have to write that system, but we have to do it in the context of this broader moral issue... We've got this list of systems that we want to go through and implement, that are fun, engaging and that ask interesting questions.
PCG: Wow. I think people might have imagined the game would be focused more on preventing escapes.
MM: That's interesting too. We have an embryonic escape system in there, and escaping and tunneling out is going to be quite an important part. What we don't understand right now is how strong to push that. If you suddenly find out all your prisoners are tunneling out, all the time--
CD: It's a tower defense game.
MM: It's a different game, yeah. At the moment we've got this system where when someone's just come in, and they're doing 10 years for murder or whatever, they're going to try and escape. But if a prisoner's relatively happy and they're due for parole, they're not going to get involved in escape plans.
But these are problems that are almost impossible to tackle on paper. You can only balance them when everything's done. We need all of these things in place. Then there's the actual juggling act to ensure the game's fun.
PCG: Finally, after watching that alpha video- all the prisoners armed with drills? Really?
CD: Yeah! Prisoners can be carrying something, but it's hidden. So they can be carrying a knife, but you can't see it. It's just a bit of data. In that case it got corrupted, and everyone ended up with the drill that the workmen usually carry. They don't have a clue what to do with them, mind you.
Prison Architect early access, and a host of other rewards, can be purchased here: www.introversion.co.uk/prisonarchitect
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Shelby Miller tossed five scoreless innings and Yadier Molina provided a key two-run double Monday in Atlanta's rain-delayed 5-2 win over the Chicago Cubs.
Miller (8-4) shook off a 2-hour rain delay to start the contest, baffling the Cubs on two hits. The right-hander issued two walks and struck out five.
Edward Mujica allowed one run over 1 1/3 innings to pick up his 20th save for the National League Central-leading Cardinals, who took the first of a four-game series.
Molina snapped a scoreless tie with a two-run double in the fourth, while Allen Craig and Shane Robinson each added an RBI for St. Louis.
Cubs starter Travis Wood (5-6) was saddled with the loss, allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits over seven full frames.
Darwin Barney socked a solo homer for Chicago.

subset: commoncrawl


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If you haven't seen this blog and this YouTube video from the OLPC Contributors Program project run by Talat Kahn and Carol Ruth Silver in Pakistan, you need to check it out! Watch the video and explore some of the creative ways the teachers and students are using XOs in their school.
This began as a 10 XO Contributors Program project and I was privileged to be their mentor. (Since then they found funding for over 100 XOs and are looking to grow.) And their class experiences and blog have been an inspiration to other teachers around the world. I did give them some help getting started and a couple of "lessons" via Skype, but after that, they ran with it! Notice the enthusiastic local community involvement that has helped make this project the success that it is.
P.S. Carol and Talat are members of the OLPC San Francisco Community. They are also the ones that introduced many of us (myself included) to the Khan Academy videos. We all learn from each other!


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Give your Tablet devices a safe and secure hold: The Universal Tablet Holder can be adjusted variably to accommodate different tablet sizes without needing tools and holds the devices securely and effectively for many different situations. Be it on stage, in rehearsal rooms or at home - thanks to the 3/8" female thread the holder can be attached to for example any microphone stand quickly and simply. The individually adjustable support arms can accommodate the use of tablets ranging in height from 222 to 334 mm and width from 128 to 232 mm (for example iPad, iPad Air, iPad Pro, Amazon Fire HDX 8.9, Samsung Galaxy Tab from 9.7, Google Nexus 9, Asus Transformer or Microsoft Surface as well as Surface Pro). The depth of the tablets can vary between 6 and 11 mm. For the first use of the tablet holder the support arms settings are made by adjusting the clamp screws to the size and depth of the tablet. For other uses the tablet can be attached and detached quickly and simply through a snap lock. This provides maximum flexibility and mobility. A handy wing nut allows one to adjust the angle, so that each user will easily be able to find their ideal individual position. The tablet can switch between portrait and landscape positions. The tablet is kept in place, there is no danger of the tablet switching position by itself.
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As a career coach, I talk to a lot of people who are dissatisfied with their job for a variety of reasons – pay isn't competitive, work imposes too much on personal life, skills are stagnating, interest in the work has waned, etc. How do you know if you should try to make things work where you are or go elsewhere? There is really only one good reason to quit your job: you should quit your job when quitting is the next step to a better life. For many of the common job complaints, quitting typically isn't the ideal response.
If you feel underpaid
Quitting your job will not make your life better in the short term. You will be even more underpaid, as your salary drops to zero. Your market value also drops, as you have less leverage with future employers now that you're unemployed. A better solution would be to research your true market value and try both to negotiate a raise where you are and to find an alternative higher offer. You may need to quit eventually for that better paying job, but get the new job first.
If you feel undervalued
Decide first what would represent the appreciation you are seeking – is it words of praise, is it a promotion, is it a raise? Quitting your job will not satisfy any of these conditions, as you don't give your employer the opportunity to demonstrate its appreciation. A better solution would be to ask for what you want. Your boss may not realize you feel undervalued. You also want to make sure your boss understands your value and what you have recently accomplished.
If you no longer enjoy the work
Quitting your job will take you out of the work you don't enjoy but it also ends whatever part of your job you still did enjoy. Furthermore, if finding another more enjoyable job is what you really want to do, quitting your job doesn't immediately help you there and in fact might hinder your search as employers prefer the currently employed. A better solution would be to pinpoint exactly what you do enjoy and try both to arrange your current job to include more of this and to find an alternative more enjoyable workplace. Sometimes an employee is so unhappy that she can't successfully find another job amidst all the negativity. In this case, quitting your job is a necessary interim step to a better attitude which leads to the better job and life. I've seen people quit without a job and still do well, but it carries the risk that the stress of looking for a job might lead to even more negativity.
If you are no longer challenged
You may need to quit your job eventually to get a more challenging job, but you also may find more challenge in the same company by moving to a different group or changing your role. You could also find more challenge outside your immediate job by taking a class or stepping up your role in a professional organization. If you determine the next ideal challenge requires returning to school or other extended preparation, then quitting your job might be a necessary step to better preparation to a better life.
If the environment (your boss, colleagues, company culture) no longer fits
You might be able to move elsewhere in the company. You might experiment with building relationships outside of work and seeing if this is enough. But we spend a lot of our waking hours in our work environment, so if you are unable to make a change where you are, quitting your job and moving elsewhere could yield a significant life improvement.
If your values feel out of alignment
If your employer engages in behavior you don't believe in (it doesn't have to be illegal but let's say it's a competitive, cut throat atmosphere and you expected a more collaborative environment), then you have to decide if this value is something you'll learn to deprioritize or if you need to go elsewhere. You don't have to right away, and burn your bridges. Hold onto your job while you conduct your search
If your work/ life balance feels out of alignment
Quitting your job may tip the scales too far in the other direction! As with the enjoyment, the challenge and the appreciation factors, first decide exactly how you define work/ life balance. Is it being able to telecommute? Is it changing the start or end times of your day? Is it being able to have weekends away from email and phone? See if you can change your current situation and look at alternatives elsewhere. It might be that your industry or role doesn't lend itself to the work/ life balance you now seek, and you have to focus on a bigger career change, not just change employers. Or it might be that a small tweak where you are will be enough of a change.
If you get an unexpected offer elsewhere
Don't just stay out of loyalty. Don't just quit because you're flattered. Determine how you would define your ideal next step, both professionally and personally, and weigh your unexpected offer against the prospects exactly where you are.
There are many reasons why you might be dissatisfied with your current situation. But, before you quit, ask yourself if the reasons for your dissatisfaction will actually be cured if you quit your job. Quitting your job could very well be an excellent response to a bad career situation. More likely, it is several steps away from what you need to do right now. Sometimes, it is even unnecessary, and your energy spent on quitting could be better used to improve your situation right where you are. Instead of asking yourself whether you should quit (or fantasizing about how you'll quit!), ask yourself what the very next step is that you can take right now. The only good reason to quit is to improve your immediate situation. Before you quit, research how you can improve your situation further. Focus on how to improve the overall situation, not whether or not you should quit.
Caroline Ceniza-Levine is a business and career expert, having launched a range of eclectic businesses from SixFigureStart® (career coaching) to FBC Films (independent film production). Caroline welcomes your comments and questions.


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Leaves and lawn clippings are a major source of phosphorus. When they are swept or washed into the nearest street or storm sewer, they end up in your local lake or stream. Keeping your leaves and lawn clippings out of the streets and gutters will have significant benefits for your local lake or stream.
A soil test will tell you how much-if any-fertilizer your lawn needs. Excess fertilizer may harm your lawn or pollute surface water. Fertilizer applied to your streets or sidewalks will get into the nearest lake or stream. Phosphorus from fertilizers can cause algae blooms. Use only low-phosphorus or phosphorus-free fertilizers.
When soil is left bare, rainwater will run quickly over it. The moving water picks up soil particles. These soil particles have phosphorus attached to them. Some soils are high in phosphorus and are another source of phosphorus in storm water runoff. The soil in storm water runoff will end up in your local lake or stream and contribute to algae growth.
Show All Answers
A watershed is the surrounding land area that drains into a lake, stream, or river. It includes natural and artificial drainage systems, such as ditches and storm sewers. Even if your home is not next to a lake, stream, or river, you still live in a watershed. Every water body has a watershed that surrounds it. Each of us lives in a watershed and shares its water quality.
If we pollute the watersheds surrounding a lake, stream, or river, we are directly affecting the water quality in that lake, stream, or river. Everything we do in a watershed, from caring for our lawns and gardens to picking up our leaves, affects the local water body. Caring for your watershed is caring for your local lake or stream.
You can help your watershed by understanding that you are part of the solution to water quality problems. Your actions affect the water and environment around us. Keeping your lawn healthy is beneficial to water quality. Try the following:
It all adds up to better water quality. And that means water that is fun and safe to swim in, live by, and enjoy.
Many events that occur in a watershed affect water quality.
In a natural watershed, rain falls on grassy or vegetated areas. Grass allows the soil to soak up most of the rain that falls. In an urban watershed, rain falls on hard surfaces such as streets, driveways, and rooftops. The rainwater runs quickly over these hard surfaces and is not soaked up. This moving water is called storm water runoff. Storm water runoff is a result of rainfall and melting snow. As this water flows to storm sewers, it picks up pollutants.
Pollutants in storm water runoff include oil and antifreeze from streets and driveways, leaves and grass clippings from gutters and streets, animal wastes from lawns and gutters, and fertilizers and pesticides from lawns and gardens. The loss of vegetated areas due to urbanization and development dramatically increases the volume of storm water runoff. Urbanization also increases the amount of pollutants available to be picked up by storm water.
Storm water runoff is carried directly to lakes and streams through storm sewers. Storm sewers are designed to prevent flooding, but also provide direct routes for pollutants to lakes and streams. By controlling the pollutants in storm water runoff, we can control the amount of pollution entering our lakes and streams.
Phosphorus is one of the most troublesome pollutants in storm water runoff. Phosphorus comes from many sources, and it is the primary cause of water quality problems in our lakes and streams. Everything that is or was living contains phosphorus. It is in leaves. It is in lawn clippings. It is in animal wastes. It is an ingredient in most lawn fertilizers. It is even attached to soil.
When leaves, lawn clippings, animal wastes, fertilizers, and soil are picked up by storm water runoff and are carried directly to our local lakes and streams, they provide the lakes with excess phosphorus. This excess phosphorus causes increased algae growth. Algae are small green plants that live in lakes and streams. Increased algae growth is observed as green algae blooms or scums on lakes. Too much algae is harmful to a lake system. It blocks sunlight and prevents other plants from growing. When it dies and decays, it also takes much needed oxygen away from fish. Limiting phosphorus reduces algae blooms.


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While many kids take their various deadlines, quizzes and tests in stride, for others the experience of facing any of these can be like a painful, paralyzing nightmare, leading to an inevitable failure. For kids with test anxiety, even a minor challenge can induce such high levels of stress that they virtually shut down, losing their ability to think or even recall what they know.
In our work we have found that test anxiety is an often overlooked or misidentified factor in a student's sometimes surprising under-performance on tests, or at meeting deadlines. Yet the diagnosis these kids all too often receive is that they aren't paying enough attention in class, or that they aren't studying or working hard enough.
Such labeling only raises their anxiety levels, making them feel even more isolated, affecting their self-esteem, their sense of well-being, as well as their relationships. Which is why many children go to school each day feeling as if its only a matter of time before they are discovered to be incapable or incompetent.
So how can a parent help?
First, it is important to recognize signs of test anxiety, which can include a deep need to be perfect, or an intractable lethargy about doing their school work, or a undermining belief he or she is not good enough — all leading to a withdrawal from either doing their class work or handing in it, especially as deadlines and tests approach. You may also notice your kid having difficulty concentrating, paying attention, or an increasing forgetfulness. Restlessness, frequent headaches or trouble sleeping may also be signs of a rising tide of fear.
Second, mom and dad's efforts to be patient, consistent, realistic and flexible can greatly ease a child's tension. By making a child's effort more important than their results-of-the-moment, parents can greatly help to reduce their child's anxieties. In praising what's good about them, and not being overly critical of disappointing results, a mom and dad can also teach their child how pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and make a new start.
Conversely, a parent must also become aware of how they may be contributing to their child's concerns about doing well. While most moms and dads want the absolute best for their kid, grownup worries about which school they will be able to get into, what college they will attend, or what degree they will graduate with, may all be adding to a child's apprehensions, making every test, every deadline, feel like another critical turning point in their lives, when in fact many are simply not. So it is incumbent that we ask ourselves as parents: are our worries about their future unintentionally triggering and worsening theirs?
As with all matters parenting, rearing children continually invites us to reexamine ourselves to see if we may be passing along our own anxieties and fears, even as we hope we are acting to quell theirs. A calm, step by step approach, taking life a day at a time, may well be the key to deescalating their fears and yours, helping to restore a sense of positive possibilities.
On a practical level, should you suspect your child may be experiencing overwhelming anxiety around their school work, it is useful to check with their teacher and deans. Should your child be demonstrating a reasonable grasp of their classes in all ways except on tests or in meeting deadlines, test anxiety may well be the hidden reason.
For much more on this and all things parenting, please see our new Parenting Guides: www.thedancingparent.com/parentguides.


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Like many gays, I've been conflicted about how to reconcile my love of both same sex relationships and chicken sandwiches in the wake of Chick-fil-A's reported anti-gay marriage stance.
My struggle didn't start in the last few weeks following comments made by Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy, but years ago when reports of the company contributing money to initiatives deemed anti-gay first surfaced. As I once noted in a blog entry about the issue: The company never lied to me about who they were. I merely needed to decide if I wanted to keep spending my money there.
That's a right that everyone has, though I am bit bothered at how the debate is currently being framed.
Dan Cathy's inference that those who support marriage equality possess "prideful, arrogant attitude" made me wince, though I do feel there is an irony in so many of the responses to Chick-fil-A being just as sanctimonious as the sanctified folks under attack. I've seen far too many branding the company as a "hate group" full of bigots.
If you want to talk about pulling back funds from corporations with ultra-conservative viewpoints and the money to push them onto the masses, there is quite a lengthy list of companies that span several facets of our daily lives.
I'd love for Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino to take a glance at it considering his recent pledge to ban Chick-fil-A from Boston. According to him, "You can't have a business in the city of Boston that discriminates against a population. We're an open city, we're a city that's at the forefront of inclusion."
No offense, Bostonians, but Boston at the forefront of inclusion? Hardy har har har.
Meanwhile, I completely understand why the Jim Henson Company would part ways with Chick-fil-A, and love that they took money from the company and donated it to GLAAD. Still, they didn't brand them as a "hate group" – an example maybe more ought to follow.
They are not a hate group. As Jonathan Merritt mentioned in a piece for The Atlantic, Chick-fil-A "funds a large foster care program, several schools of a higher learning, and a children's camp" in addition to scholarships for its employees.
The company itself said in a recent statement: "The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect –- regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender."
I can say confidentially that a Chick-fil-A employee has never mistreated me. I've seen plenty of people of various shades, orientations and the like been treated on equal footing at their location in Hollywood. They might not want me to get married, but I've never had the urge to strangle one of their servers the way I have at Popeye's.
Perhaps I am a bit more sympathetic to Chick-fil-A because their opinions on homosexuality and gay marriage don't really differ much from the closet members of my family. I used to maintain a 'you're with me or against me' attitude as to how to handle the conflict, but I've since I've come to the realization that in many cases nuance goes a lot further in debates regarding social issues than instant condemnation and ostracizing.
Dan Cathy's attitude is based on a selective interpretation of the Bible. Instead of people with louder megaphones than mine hurling out insults, I wish someone would have politely asked him what pray tell is the "traditional marriage" and "biblical definition of the family unit" that he speaks of?
One could easily argue to the Bible literalist of convenience that by his own terms, he should be in support of polygamy, dowries, sleeping with one's sister-in-law, and a whole host of things I'm sure he'd condemn if the question were posed in another context.
Same for Cathy's claims that gay marriage is some sort of result of us not giving God enough gratitude or his problem with the government defining marriage as if that's not the way it is and has been forever now.
Maybe hitting the illogical with logic won't immediately change their point of view, but I do find it more successful as a means to challenge to their beliefs than alternate ways that only make them defensive and subsequently emboldened as others jump in. Sort of like Mike Huckabee declaring August 1 "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day" in protest against "bigots."
We don't need a tit-for-tat on who's the bigger bigot. We need dialouge.
Much of this divide is generational anyway as even young conservatives are coming out to fight for marriage equality. I wouldn't be surprised if the younger members of the Cathy family are less vehemently opposed to gay marriage than Dan Cathy is. But whatever luck people have in changing the minds of the Dan Cathys of the world, it all begins with the right attitude and approach.
Michael Arceneaux is a Houston-bred, Howard-educated writer. You can read more of his work on his site, The Cynical Ones. Follow him on Twitter: @youngsinick


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When Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon, he said "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Now what I was wondering was whether he just thought of it when he stepped on the moon, or was it a pre-planned phrase that was thought about prior to launch?
Here's an interesting one...
In 1969, Neil Armstrong placed his left boot on the moon and said, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
When people found out that Neil Armstrong would be the first human to walk on the moon, they kept asking him what he would say when he stepped off the Eagle lander. His mail was full of suggestions. Many people suggested verses from the Bible or words from Shakespeare.
It wasn't until the Eagle had landed on the moon that Armstrong finally decided what he was going to say.
What would you say if you got to walk on the moon?
Submitted by Karin
(August 4,1997)


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Frontline's Black Money isn't so much a documentary as a position essay by Lowell Bergman, a lone voice shouting in the media wilderness. The subject is international bribery as conducted by corporations in a world business climate where bribery is a given. The focus is on an American investigation, followed by an international treaty in Paris (The Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development) that seeks to curb the practice. But wholesale bribery continues with the added wrinkle that companies now must follow the "11th Commandment": Don't Get Caught. The problem is that wealthy corporations can hide behind the loopholes of international law and the ability to keep their deals secret. The Siemens Corporation avoided scrutiny in England by moving to Switzerland. Enough money is on tap for an arms corporation to bribe the entire political spectrum of a country like Czechoslovakia or South Africa, to grease the purchase of billions of dollars of weapons they don't need. The docu outlines a Department of Justice investigation of BAE Systems, a corporation which has profited mightily from Middle East politics. In the 1980s, Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher conspired to make secret deals to exchange arms for oil with Saudi Arabia. They performed an end run around normal channels to avoid political complications with Israel. It was an $80 billion secret deal, bartered by Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the Saudi ambassador. Huge, unaccounted sums of money were paid out for private purposes in a way that can only be described as bribery. The show quickly settles into its key case, which is still ongoing. Bribery really only became illegal after Watergate, when large corporations made large, secret cash contributions to Nixon's Committee to RE-Elect the President (CREEP). Nixon used the slush money to finance covert dirty tricks and crimes. International bribery was outlawed by the 1977 Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). A Voluntary Disclosure program brought in hundreds of corporations that admitted using bribery to compete overseas. Other companies preferred to take measures to circumvent scrutiny, complaining that the government was making it impossible to do business. The British newspaper The Guardian enticed an ex- travel agent named Peter Gardiner to come forward; he'd handled "accommodation" services for BAE's Saudi contracts. Performing as a "super duper valet", Gardiner took care of royal girlfriends and chartered jets to transport cars and carry purchases from massive Beverly Hills shopping sprees back to Arabia. Bandar's diplomatic passport helped a lot. BAE paid the multi $million tab for Prince Bandar's daughter's round-the-world honeymoon. Gardiner had kept all of his receipts, providing a wedge that unlocked evidence of more dealings that made what was already known look like "a drop in the bucket". BAE Systems was making massive bribery payments everywhere on a much larger scale. These include moving $ billions in cash to accounts within the United States, which brought the Department of Justice in on the deal. They discovered that Bandar had his own personal full-sized commercial jet plane. The secret deals moved massive amounts of money between the Virgin Islands, England, Switzerland and Saudi Arabia. Just as the U.K. investigation was getting somewhere, Prince Bandar had a private meeting with Prime Minister Tony Blair. The British Government shut down the investigation, as a threat to "British-Saudi international cooperation". It is alleged that the Saudis promised all manner of diplomatic trouble if the investigation continued. We're told that Blair's act was in direct defiance of British law. Black Money's coverage of the chain of events is quite convincing. Correspondent Lowell Bergman interviews key people -- Peter Gardiner, corporate reps, investigators in the U.S., Great Britain and France, investigative reporters and even an ex-FBI agent who now does American public relations for the Saudi Royal Family. Standing next to a grinning George Bush, Tony Blair fields a question about the curtailed investigation by simply saying it was against national interests. The show brings on England's Lord Timothy Bell, who ridicules the U.K. investigation. Referring to ongoing U.S. inquiries, Bell continues to describes massive amounts of international bribery as "none of our business". Here in the U.S., the Department of Justice still has 100 cases going. Convictions have been secured against the Halliburton subsidiary KBR for bribes in Nigeria, and against Siemens, which was hit with an 800 million dollar fine. The DOJ has delivered subpoenas to and demanded accounting from BAE Systems for more information on its activities. The investigation continues. PBS Home Video's Black Money is a great-looking enhanced widescreen production with beautifully shot interviews, illustrated with news video and a sampling of animated maps. It's fascinating from one end to the other. Clips from the movie Syriana are used at one point to illustrate the corporate practice of dodging international bribery laws, and the show makes use of soundtrack music from the feature film too. Sometimes the intrigues and secret operations on hand resemble the fantasy thriller The International, without that film's paranoid, Mabuse- like assassinations. But it is a conspiracy, all right. The show is almost brand new; it screened on April 7 of this year. The PBS Frontline website offers a show transcript and says it will update the investigation as it proceeds.
On a scale of Excellent, Good, Fair, and Poor,
Black Money rates:
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State Department Notes on Switzerland
U.S. Department of State Background Note
Switzerland sits at the crossroads of several major European cultures, which have heavily influenced the country's languages and cultural practices. Switzerland has four official languages--German, French, Italian, and Romansch (based on Latin and spoken by a small minority in the Canton Graubunden). The German spoken is predominantly a Swiss dialect, but newspapers and some broadcasts use High German. Many Swiss speak more than one language. English is widely known, especially among professionals.
More than 75% of the population lives in the central plain, which stretches between the Alps and the Jura Mountains and from Geneva in the southwest to the Rhine River and Lake Constance in the northeast. Resident foreigners and temporary foreign workers make up about 20% of the population.
According to the Swiss Federal Office of Statistics, the population in Switzerland increased to 7,507,300 in 2006. Three-quarters of this growth was attributed to migration. Switzerland naturalized 22% more people in 2006 compared to 2005, totaling 46,700 persons. By the end of 2006, there were 850,000 foreigners working legally in Switzerland. The number of German immigrants, as confirmed in earlier reports, increased by 10.6% (+10,000). Portuguese workers also increased by 7.4% (+7000). On the other hand, the number of the Italians continued to drop by 3.2% (-5,000).
Almost all Swiss are literate. Switzerland's 13 university institutes enrolled 111,100 students in the academic year of 2004-05. About 25% of the adult population holds a diploma of higher learning.
The Constitution guarantees freedom of worship, and the different religious communities co-exist peacefully.
Switzerland consistently ranks high on quality of life indices, including highest per capita income, one of the highest concentrations of computer and Internet usage per capita, highest insurance coverage per individual, and high health care rates. For these and many other reasons, it serves as an excellent test market for businesses hoping to introduce new products into Europe.
Originally inhabited by the Helvetians, or Helvetic Celts, the territory comprising modern Switzerland came under Roman rule during the Gallic wars in the 1st century BC and remained a Roman province until the 4th century AD. Under Roman influence, the population reached a high level of civilization and enjoyed a flourishing commerce. Important cities, such as Geneva, Basel, and Zurich, were linked by military roads that also served as trade arteries between Rome and the northern tribes.
After the decline of the Roman Empire, Switzerland was invaded by Germanic tribes from the north and west. Some tribes, such as the Alemanni in central and northeastern Switzerland, and the Burgundians, who ruled western Switzerland, settled there. In 800, the country became part of Charlemagne's empire. It later passed under the dominion of the Holy Roman emperors in the form of small ecclesiastic and temporal holdings subject to imperial sovereignty.
With the opening of a new important north-south trade route across the Alps in the early 13th century, the Empire's rulers began to attach more importance to the remote Swiss mountain valleys, which were granted some degree of autonomy under direct imperial rule. Fearful of the popular disturbances flaring up following the death of the Holy Roman Emperor in 1291, the ruling families from Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden signed a charter to keep public peace and pledging mutual support in upholding autonomous administrative and judicial rule. The anniversary of the charter's signature (August 1, 1291) today is celebrated as Switzerland's National Day.
Between 1315 and 1388 the Swiss Confederates inflicted three crushing defeats on the Habsburgs, whose aspiration to regional dominion clashed with Swiss self-determination. During that period, five other localities (cantons in modern-day parlance) joined the original three in the Swiss Confederation. Buoyed by their feats, the Swiss Confederates continuously expanded their borders by military means and gained formal independence from the Holy Roman Empire in 1499. Routed by the French and Venetians near Milan in 1515, they renounced expansionist policies. By then the Swiss Confederation had become a union of 13 localities with a regularly convening diet administering the subject territories. Swiss mercenaries continued for centuries to serve in other armies; the Swiss Guard of the Pope is a vestige of this tradition.
The Reformation led to a division between the Protestant followers of Zwingli and Calvin in the German and French parts of the country respectively, and the Catholics. Despite two centuries of civil strife, the common interest in the joint subject territories kept the Swiss Confederation from falling apart. The traffic in mercenaries as well as the alienation between the predominantly Protestant Swiss and their Catholic neighbors kept the Swiss Confederation out of the wars of the European powers, which formally recognized Swiss neutrality in the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648. The Swiss remained neutral during the War of the First Coalition against revolutionary France, but Napoleon, nonetheless, invaded and annexed much of the country in 1797-98, replacing the loose confederation with a centrally governed unitary state.
The Congress of Vienna in 1815 re-established the old confederation of sovereign states and enshrined Switzerland's status of permanent armed neutrality in international law. In 1848, after a brief civil war between Protestant liberals seeking a centralized national state and Catholic conservatives clinging on to the old order, the majority of Swiss Cantons opted for a Federal State, modeled in part on the U.S. Constitution. The Swiss Constitution established a range of civic liberties and made far-reaching provisions to maintain cantonal autonomy to placate the vanquished Catholic minority. The Swiss amended their Constitution extensively in 1874, establishing federal responsibility for defense, trade, and legal matters, as well as introducing direct democracy by popular referendum. To this day, cantonal autonomy and referendum democracy remain trademarks of the Swiss polity.
Switzerland industrialized rapidly during the 19th century and by 1850 had become the second most industrialized country in Europe after Great Britain. During World War I serious tension developed between the German, French, and Italian-speaking parts of the country, and Switzerland came close to violating its neutrality but managed to stay out of hostilities. Labor unrest culminating in a general strike in 1918 marked the interwar period, but in 1937 employers and the largest trade union concluded a formal agreement to settle disputes peacefully, which governs workplace relations to the present day. During World War II, Switzerland came under heavy pressure from the fascist powers, which after the fall of France in 1940 completely surrounded the country. Some political and economic leaders displayed a mood of appeasement, but a combination of tactical accommodation and demonstrative readiness to defend the country helped Switzerland survive unscathed.
The Cold War enhanced the role of neutral Switzerland and offered the country a way out of its diplomatic isolation after World War II. Economically, Switzerland integrated itself into the American-led Western postwar order, but it remained reluctant to enter supranational bodies. Switzerland did not join the United Nations, even though Geneva became host to the UN's European headquarters, and the country played an active role in many of the UN's specialized agencies. Switzerland also remained aloof in the face of European integration efforts, waiting until 1963 to join the Council of Europe. It still remains outside the European Union. Instead, Switzerland in 1960 helped form the European Free Trade Area, which did not strive for political union. Following the Cold War, Switzerland joined the Bretton Woods institutions in 1992 and finally became a member of the United Nations in 2002.
Foreign Affairs--Micheline Calmy-Rey - President - (Social Democrat)
Home Affairs--Pascal Couchepin - Vice President - (Free Democrat)
Justice and Police--Christoph Blocher (Swiss People's Party)
Defense, Civil Protection and Sports--Samuel Schmid (Swiss People's Party)
Finance--Hans-Rudolf Merz (Free Democrat)
Economic Affairs--Doris Leuthard (Christian Democrat)
Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications--Moritz Leuenberger (Social Democrat)
Federal Chancellor--Annemarie Huber-Hotz (ex officio)
Ambassador to the United States--Urs Ziswiler
Switzerland maintains an embassy in the United States at 2900 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008. Consulates General are in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco. Swiss national tourist offices are in Chicago, New York, and San Francisco.
Switzerland has a stable government and a diverse society. Quadrennial national elections typically produce only marginal changes in party representation. In recent years, Switzerland has seen a gradual shift in the party landscape. The rightist Swiss People's Party (SVP), traditionally the junior partner in the four-party coalition government, has almost tripled its share of the popular vote from 11% in 1987 to 22.5% in 1999, to 26.6% in 2003, and finally to 29% in October 2007, thus overtaking its three major rivals. In the 2007 parliamentary elections, the SVP picked up an additional seven seats in the 200-seat National Council (lower house). This brings the SVP to 62 seats total--a level reached only by the Free Democratic Party (FDP) in past elections. The Greens gained more than 2% points and seven seats in the National Council, bringing their total shares to 9.6% and 20 respectively. They also for the first time gained at least one seat in the Council of States (upper house). The Christian Democratic Party (CVP) booked modest gains of 0.2% and three seats, for a total of 14.6% and 31 seats in the National Council. This halted a downward trend that had cost the CVP a seat on the Federal Council to the SVP in 2003. The FDP lost 1.7% and five seats in the National Council, dropping to 15.6% of the votership and 31 seats in the National Council. Total voter turnout was 48%, a gain of 2.8% over the 2003 elections. Additional run-off elections for a dozen seats in the Council of States are to be completed by November 25, 2007.
On December 10, 2003, Christoph Blocher--a self-made industrialist and main figure of the right-populist Swiss People's Party known for his strong opinions on asylum and migration and law and order issues--was elected to the cabinet by parliament, replacing the incumbent Christian Democrat Justice and Police Minister Ruth Metzler. The parliament also elected the Free Democrat Hans-Rudolf Merz to replace retiring Finance Minister Kaspar Villiger. Both Blocher and Merz are strong advocates of drastic public spending cuts in order to reduce the country's mounting $102 billion francs state deficit and are staunch opponents to Switzerland's entering the European Union. On June 14, 2006, the Federal Council elected Doris Leuthard of the Christian Democratic Party. Leuthard replaced the retiring Joseph Deiss and has assumed the Economics and Trade portfolio that Deiss managed. Leuthard's election and Deiss' resignation do not change the dynamics of the Federal Council. The current makeup of the government remains fiscally conservative and against further integration with the European Union. The new parliament is scheduled to meet on December 12, 2007 to re-elect the Federal Council (cabinet).
The Constitution limits federal influence in the formulation of domestic policy and emphasizes the roles of private enterprise and cantonal government. However, the Confederation has been compelled to enlarge its policymaking powers in recent years to cope with national problems such as education, agriculture, energy, environment, organized crime, and narcotics.
On May 18, 2003, Swiss voters approved the military reform project "Army XXI" that will drastically reduce the size of the Swiss Army. In January 2004, the 524,000-strong militia started paring down to 220,000 conscripts, including 80,000 reservists. The defense budget of currently SFr 4.3 billion ($3.1 billion) will be trimmed by SFr 300 million, and some 2,000 jobs are expected to be shed between 2004 and 2011. The mandatory time of service will be curtailed from 300 to 260 days. All able-bodied Swiss males aged 20 to 30 must serve. Thereafter, most personnel are assigned to civil protection duties until the age of 37.
A new category of soldiers called "single-term conscripts" will discharge the total time of service of about 300 days of active duty in one go. Recruiting is on a voluntary basis and should not exceed 20% of a year's draft. The armed forces have a small nucleus of about 3,600 professional staff, half of whom are either instructors or staff officers, with the remainder mostly being fortification guards. The army has virtually no full-time active combat units but is capable of full mobilization within 72 hours. Women may volunteer to serve in the armed forces and may now join all units, including combat troops. About 2,000 women already serve in the army but, so far, have not been allowed to use weapons for purposes other than self-defense.
The armed forces are organized in four army corps and an air force and are equipped with modern, sophisticated, and well-maintained gear. In 1993, the Swiss Government procured 34 FA-18s from the United States.
On September 10, 2002, Switzerland became a full member of the United Nations. Switzerland had previously been involved as party to the Statute of the International Court of Justice and member of most UN specialized agencies, as well as the International Atomic Energy Agency. Switzerland has long participated in many UN activities, including the Economic Commission for Europe, UN Environment Program, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UN Conference for Trade and Development, UN Industrial Development Organization, and the Universal Postal Union (UPU). Prior to its formal accession, Switzerland had maintained a permanent observer mission at UN Headquarters since 1948.
Switzerland also is a member of the following international organizations: World Trade Organization, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, European Free Trade Association, Bank for International Settlements, Council of Europe, and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). In 1992, Swiss voters approved membership in the Bretton Woods organizations but later that year rejected the European Economic Area agreement, which the government viewed as a first step toward EU membership.
The Swiss Constitution declares the preservation of Switzerland's independence and welfare as the supreme objective of Swiss foreign policy. Below this overarching goal, the Constitution sets five specific foreign policy objectives: further the peaceful coexistence of nations; promote respect for human rights, democracy, and the rule of the law; promote Swiss economic interests abroad, alleviate need and poverty in the world; and the preservation of natural resources.
Traditionally, Switzerland has avoided alliances that might entail military, political, or direct economic action, but in recent years the Swiss have broadened the scope of activities in which they feel able to participate without compromising their neutrality. Swiss voters first rejected UN membership by a 3-to-1 margin in 1986 but in March 2002 adopted it, albeit in a very close election, making Switzerland the first country to join the UN based on a popular referendum decision. In similar fashion, the electorate rejected a government proposition to deploy Swiss troops as UN peacekeepers (Blue Helmets) in 1994, but Switzerland joined NATO's Partnership for Peace and the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council in 1996 and 1997, respectively, and deployed Yellow Berets to support the OSCE in Bosnia. In June 2001, Swiss voters approved new legislation providing for the deployment of armed Swiss troops for international peacekeeping missions under UN or OSCE auspices as well as closer international cooperation in military training.
Switzerland maintains diplomatic relations with almost all countries and historically has served as a neutral intermediary and host to major international treaty conferences. The country has no major dispute in its bilateral relations. Since 1980, Switzerland has represented U.S. interests in Iran. Switzerland played a key role in brokering a truce agreement between the Sudanese Government and Sudan's Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) for the Nuba Mountain region, signed after a week's negotiations taking place near Lucerne in January 2002.
The Swiss feel a moral obligation to undertake social, economic, and humanitarian activities that contribute to world peace and prosperity. This is manifested by Swiss bilateral and multilateral diplomatic activity, assistance to developing countries, and support for the extension of international law, particularly humanitarian law. Switzerland (mainly Geneva) is home to many international governmental and nongovernmental organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (whose flag is essentially the Swiss flag with colors reversed--the Red Cross historically being a Swiss organization). One of the first international organizations, the Universal Postal Union, is located in Bern.
The Swiss Government on June 25, 2003, eased most of the sanctions against the Republic of Iraq in accord with UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1483. The government lifted the trade embargo, flight restrictions, and financial sanctions in place since August 1990. The weapons embargo and the asset freeze, the scope of which was extended, remain in force, and restrictions on the trade in Iraqi cultural goods were newly imposed. Though not a member at the time, Switzerland had joined UN sanctions against Iraq after the invasion of Kuwait. Switzerland in recent years joined UN and EU economic sanctions imposed on Sierra Leone, UNITA (Angola), Liberia, Serbia and Montenegro, Burma, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Cote d'Ivoire. On October 15, 2003, the Federal Council ended the import restrictions on raw diamonds from Sierra Leone and lifted sanctions against Libya.
Switzerland in October 2000 implemented an ordinance to enforce UN sanctions against the Taliban (UNSCR 1267), which it subsequently amended in April 2001 in accord with tighter UN regulations (UNSCR 1333). On May 2, 2002, the Swiss Government eased the sanctions regime in accord with UNSCR 1388 and 1390, lifting the ban on the sale of acetic acid (used in drug production), Afghani Airlines, and Afghani diplomatic representations. The weapons embargo, travel restrictions, and financial sanctions remain in force. The Swiss Government in November 2001 issued an ordinance declaring illegal the terrorist organization al Qaeda as well as possible successor or supporting organizations. More than 200 individuals or companies linked to international terrorism have been blacklisted to have their assets frozen. Thus far, Swiss authorities have blocked about 72 accounts totaling 34 million francs.
Switzerland has furnished military observers and medical teams to several UN operations. Switzerland is an active participant in the OSCE, its foreign minister serving as Chairman-in-Office for 1996. Switzerland also is an active participant in the major nonproliferation and export control regimes.
Under a series of treaties concluded after World War I, Switzerland assumed responsibility for the diplomatic and consular representation of Liechtenstein, the protection of its borders, and the regulation of its customs.
Switzerland is a democratic country subscribing to most of the ideals with which the United States is identified. The country is politically stable with a fundamentally strong economy. It occupies an important strategic position within Europe and possesses a strong military capability. It has played an increasingly important role in supporting the spread of democratic institutions and values worldwide, as well as providing humanitarian relief and economic development assistance. U.S. policy toward Switzerland takes these factors into account and endeavors to cooperate with Switzerland to the extent consistent with Swiss neutrality.
The first 4 years of cooperation under the U.S.-Swiss Joint Economic Commission (JEC) invigorated bilateral ties by recording achievements in a number of areas, including consultations on anti-money laundering efforts, counter-terrorism, and pharmaceutical regulatory cooperation; an e-government conference; and the re-establishment of the Fulbright student/cultural exchange program.
The United States and Switzerland signed three new agreements in 2006 that will complement the JEC and will deepen our cooperation and improve our relationship. The first of the new agreements is the Enhanced Political Framework and was signed by Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns and Swiss State Secretary Michael Ambühl. The second agreement is the Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum and was signed by then-U.S. Trade Representative Robert Portman and then-Economics and Trade Minister Joseph Deiss. The last agreement is the revised Operative Working Arrangement on Law Enforcement Cooperation on Counterterrorism and was signed by U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez and Swiss Justice Minister Christoph Blocher.
The first official U.S.-Swiss consular relations were established in the late 1820s. Diplomatic relations were established in 1853. The U.S. ambassador to Switzerland also is accredited to the Principality of Liechtenstein.
Principal U.S. Officials
Ambassador-- Peter R. Coneway
Chargé d'Affaires--Leigh G. Carter
Political and Economic Counselor--Stanley Otto
Commercial Officer--Julie Snyder
Consul General--Doria Rosen
Management Officer--Jonathan Schools
Regional Security Officer--Kerry Crocket
Public Affairs Officer--Lisbeth Keefe
Defense Attaché--Dorothea Cypher-Erickson
Legal Attaché--Dan Boyd
Drug Enforcement Agency--Joe Kipp
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Attaché--Joe Catanzarite
The U.S. Embassy in Switzerland is at Jubilaeumsstrasse 93, 3005 Bern, tel: (41) (31) 357-7011.
The U.S. Mission to the European Office of the United Nations and other International Organizations is in Geneva at Route de Pregny 11, 1292 Chambesy, tel: (41) (22) 749-4111. The U.S. Mission to the WTO is in Geneva at Avenue de la Paix 1-3, 1202 Geneva, tel: (41) (22) 749-4111. The U.S. Delegation to the Conference on Disarmament (CD) is in Geneva at Route de Pregny 11, 1292 Chambesy, tel: (41) (22) 749-4407. America Centers and Consular Agencies are also maintained in Zurich and Geneva.
The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program advises Americans traveling and residing abroad through Consular Information Sheets, Public Announcements, and Travel Warnings. Consular Information Sheets exist for all countries and include information on entry and exit requirements, currency regulations, health conditions, safety and security, crime, political disturbances, and the addresses of the U.S. embassies and consulates abroad. Public Announcements are issued to disseminate information quickly about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions overseas that pose significant risks to the security of American travelers. Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel to a certain country because the situation is dangerous or unstable.
For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet web site at http://www.travel.state.gov, where the current Worldwide Caution, Public Announcements, and Travel Warnings can be found. Consular Affairs Publications, which contain information on obtaining passports and planning a safe trip abroad, are also available at http://www.travel.state.gov. For additional information on international travel, see http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Travel/International.shtml.
The Department of State encourages all U.S citizens traveling or residing abroad to register via the State Department's travel registration website or at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. Registration will make your presence and whereabouts known in case it is necessary to contact you in an emergency and will enable you to receive up-to-date information on security conditions.
Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada or the regular toll line 1-202-501-4444 for callers outside the U.S. and Canada.
The National Passport Information Center (NPIC) is the U.S. Department of State's single, centralized public contact center for U.S. passport information. Telephone: 1-877-4USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778). Customer service representatives and operators for TDD/TTY are available Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 midnight, Eastern Time, excluding federal holidays.
Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. A hotline at 877-FYI-TRIP (877-394-8747) and a web site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm give the most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations or requirements, and advice on food and drinking water safety for regions and countries. A booklet entitled "Health Information for International Travel" (HHS publication number CDC-95-8280) is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, tel. (202) 512-1800.
Further Electronic Information
Department of State Web Site. Available on the Internet at http://www.state.gov, the Department of State web site provides timely, global access to official U.S. foreign policy information, including Background Notes and daily press briefings along with the directory of key officers of Foreign Service posts and more. The Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) provides security information and regional news that impact U.S. companies working abroad through its website http://www.osac.gov
Export.gov provides a portal to all export-related assistance and market information offered by the federal government and provides trade leads, free export counseling, help with the export process, and more.
STAT-USA/Internet, a service of the U.S. Department of Commerce, provides authoritative economic, business, and international trade information from the Federal government. The site includes current and historical trade-related releases, international market research, trade opportunities, and country analysis and provides access to the National Trade Data Bank.Revised: Oct. 2007
- Infoplease country profile: Switzerland
- Encyclopedia: Switzerland
- Atlas: Switzerland


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FOOTBALL: Cowboys TE Gathers gets 1-game substance-abuse ban
Published 6:48 pm Friday, June 14, 2019
FRISCO (AP) — Dallas Cowboys tight end Rico Gathers has been suspended for the first game in 2019 for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.
The decision Friday came about 10 months after the former Baylor basketball player was arrested on a marijuana possession charge. The arrest came just before the final cuts of the preseason last year, but he still made the roster.
Gathers' spot could be in jeopardy again after spending offseason practices as the fourth tight end behind Jason Witten, Blake Jarwin and Dalton Schultz.
The 25-year-old Gathers is going into his fourth season after choosing football over pursuing a career in the NBA. The 6-foot-6, 285-pounder played in the regular season for the first time last year, catching three passes in 15 games.
Gathers hadn't played football since middle school when the Cowboys drafted him in 2016. He showed promise in the preseason a year later before a concussion sustained near the end of training camp sidelined him for the season.


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By Karen Parrish – American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, – If something touches the nation's waters, the "multi-mission" Coast Guard probably has some responsibility for it, according to that service's only four-star officer.
Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Robert J. Papp Jr. told the Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service the complex mission set has evolved over the service's 221-year history, since Congress in 1790 authorized the building of 10 vessels to enforce federal tariff laws and prevent smuggling.
"We were the maritime force of the nation when the nation couldn't afford a Navy," Papp said, noting the Coast Guard predates the Navy by four years. Over time, he added, the Coast Guard has amassed a wide range of responsibilities: stopping drugs, saving lives, screening and inspecting vessels, maintaining aids to navigation, enforcing fisheries laws and pollution standards, and even searching foreign ports for sources of harm to the United States.
The admiral said he sums up the service's 11 statutory missions this way: "We protect those who use the sea, we protect the nation against threats from the sea, and we protect the sea itself."
The admiral said to meet those missions, a "good Coastie" needs specific qualities, some of which – such as patriotism and selfless service — are common to service members of all branches. The defining characteristic for Coast Guardsmen, he added, is a love and understanding of the sea in its turbulent moods.
"You have to understand that everything that occurs on the ocean … is multiplied in terms of difficulty, particularly when you're doing it at night or in the midst of a storm," Papp said. "And that's when the Coast Guard gets its work done."
Looping back to the mission mix, the commandant said adaptability is the other Coast Guard essential.
"Rather than be able to focus just on defense, or just on law enforcement, a Coast Guardsman's got to be versatile … and have some level of knowledge and competency in a broad range of activities," he explained.
The admiral noted a Coast Guard cutter crew's January rescue of six Iranian mariners in waters off Iraq highlights one of the service's lesser-known efforts.
"A lot of people say, 'You're the Coast Guard; what are you doing over there?'" he noted. "[But] it's not just U.S. coasts. There are a lot of coasts around the world … [and] we offer the United States options in terms of national security."
Papp said most people don't realize the Coast Guard has operated in the northern Arabian Gulf for nine years, filling "a niche capability for the Department of Defense that Central Command needed."
Iraq has offshore oil platforms that produce 90 percent of the country's wealth, but a territorial dispute between Iraq and Iran means those platforms are under constant threat, he explained. Coast Guard patrol boats, along with Navy patrol craft, provide security for those platforms under command of the Coast Guard's Patrol Forces for Southwest Asia, he said.
"That's just one example of Coast Guard people overseas," he said.
The Coast Guard pushes the boundaries of the United States' maritime security, the commandant said, because port security begins where ships that end up in U.S. ports start out — places like Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, and Singapore.
Papp said since 9/11, the Coast Guard –- as the nation's representative to the United Nations International Maritime Organization — has pushed for treaties to help in increasing America's port security.
"We now are able to send inspectors overseas to verify the security procedures in the ports of countries that wish to trade with the United States," he said. That effort involves a couple of dozen U.S.-based traveling inspectors and small Coast Guard commands, each also about two dozen strong, in Europe and the Far East.
"That is really what I view as a low-cost effort … to help provide security," Papp said.
U.S. ports are the other end of the Coast Guard's layered port security.
"We've done a great job over the last 10 years in restoring and rebuilding our boat fleet in the ports, repopulating our Coast Guard stations and sectors, and creating something we call deployable specialized forces … which are basically [special weapons and tactics] teams afloat," he said.
Papp said he worries about maritime security's "middle layer" — vast expanses of ocean.
"Our country needs to have a persistent presence to intercept any identified threats that might be coming toward the United States," he said. "That's really our weak point right now."
High-endurance ships that can stay on station and survive the weather are critical to that middle range, he said, and
the large Coast Guard cutters built to provide that presence are now more than 40 years old.
"They're falling apart, they're very expensive to maintain, and we need to be about the process of getting those rebuilt," Papp said.
The constricting federal budget will make that "very difficult," he acknowledged.
"We've always liked to consider ourselves a lean and agile force," the commandant said. "But … because people keep pushing responsibilities to [us,] [we] end up doing more with less, which is something that's cursed us over the years."
The Coast Guard's increased missions are within the service's capabilities, but not its funding, Papp said.
"Unless somebody's going to infuse massive amounts of money into the Coast Guard budget, we can't handle this on our own," the admiral said. "We'll do the best we can with the resources we have, and I will identify the resources that are needed for our country, but then we've got to come up with an all-of-government solution."
The Coast Guard has worked hard since 9/11 to build its uniformed strength back to what it was in 1990, Papp said. "But we've taken on a whole lot more responsibilities over the last 10 years as well," he added.


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ARP Omni-2 "Big polyphonic synthesizer sounds.../Allan Zavod" black and white and orange full page advertisement from page 41 in the September 1978 issue of Contemporary Keyboard Magazine.
Halloween is getting closer and closer, and I think I'm finally getting into the spirit. Pumpkin is ready to be carved and boxes of candy have been bought. Even more surprisingly, I still haven't opened any of that candy stash. Usually I'd be on box #2 by now.
That *is* a first. But there is still three nights to go. Let's not get too optimistic. My insulin levels are already rising in anticipation of a will-power breakdown.
Anyways, Just like I'm prep'd for Halloween, ARP was locked and loaded with the new look of their synth front panels - what I have been referring to as their Halloween colours or theme. Usually this term has been used when referring to one of the three colour palettes of the Rhodes Chroma's panel that used orange, red and yellow colouring. But, since it was Philip Dodds, VP of Engineering at ARP and product manager for the Chroma at CBS/Fender, that came up with the term, I'm going to say its okay to use with other ARPs as well. :D
The first ARP ad that used the new colours was an Odyssey advertisement that featured Tom Coster of Santana fame.
The following month, ARP decided to give the same kind of make-over to their Omni-2 ads. And readers of Keyboard would have had the opportunity to come across both of these ads in the September and October 1978 issues of Keyboard. Nice. The more I look at these ads, the more I like 'em (could be all the talk of sugar too).
Now, if like me you found Coster had a spooky jack-o-lantern kinda look to him in that Odyssey ad, you may also have found that Allan Zavod superficially resembled a very happy Frankenstein in this Omni-2 ad.
I'd be a very happy looking person too if I was surrounded not just by Omnis, but those other ARP synths as well. Look to be 2600s to me.
I don't have 2600s surrounding me at the moment (I haven't checked my lotto ticket yet), but thanks to Allan Zavod and this ad, I am still quite happy because of all this ad-copy. Well, actually, just that last paragraph.
"Thanks to Allan Zavod, and more than five thousand other great musicians around the world, the ARP Omni has become the most popular synthesizer in music history..."Unless you are Apple Computers or Nintendo and your quarterly earnings are through the roof, its often quite hard to get a company to cough up real production numbers. Usually companies will try and keep those numbers confidential for as long as possible.
So, after almost a year of ARP bragging that more Omni's have been sold than any other synthesizer, we finally have a number from ARP (over 5000) to back up that claim. 5000 doesn't seem like a lot now, but back in 1978 synths were still falling slowly towards affordability. But it wouldn't be long after that new technologies would make both the power of synths skyrocket while bringing prices to the lowest they have ever been.
The result? Well, after the DX7 was released approximately four years after this ad appeared in CK, it apparently sold over 160,000 units according to Wikipedia. The M1 came out in 1988 and sold 250,000 units. Interestingly, each of these machines sold for $2,000 - more or less.
Of course, you have to take into account inflation. One online inflation calculator tells me that $2000 in 1978 had the same buying power as $3,143.32 in 1983 and $3,717 in 1988. So, costs down, but technology in those machines definitely skyrocketing.
If only I could same for the Halloween mini Mars and Snickers bars where although prices for a box of 90 seem to go down every year, so is the size of the little bars in each little package. I have to eat something like ten now just to get a full chocolate bar fix.
Or at least it seems like it.


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The SaaS project I work on was acquired by a new company back in 2009. We are finally preparing to do a branding/logo change. We are split in-house between whether to do a cold-turkey change, or a gradual change.
The change entails:
- New logo
- New brand name
- New CSS theme
The change will be seen by our direct customers (partners), as well as the customers of our customers (end-users). In any case, we will be notifying our partners of the upcoming changes, but the our partners' ability/willingness to relay the info to the end-users is unreliable. So inevitably, regardless of what we do, some end-users will notice the changes without warning. On the up side, those end users won't be calling us, they'll be calling our partners :)
The two options being bounced around are:
A cold-turkey switch. BrandA becomes BrandB immediately, with the new name, and new CSS theme. No mention of BrandA is ever seen again once the switch is made.
Gradual "phasing in" of BrandB. Probably done in three steps, with probably 3-6 months between phases:
BrandA brought to you by BrandB - Retains BrandA CSS theme and brand name, except for the banner logo across the top of every page in the UI, where BrandB is mentioned in a "brought to you by BrandB" tagline.
BrandB, formerly BrandA - Here we switch to BrandB's CSS theme, the entire product refers to BrandB now, except the banner logo across the top, where BrandA is mentioned in a "formerly BrandA" tagline.
BrandB Now the transition is complete.
Is either method known to provide a better or worse customer experience? Are there mitigating factors that effect which one ought to be preferred?


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Next new post will be on http://www.feelgoodeating.com/. I just have to set up the feeds and we should be good to go. My E-book is almost done and the new site is practically finished. There will be some tweaking over the next month, but my aim is to keep it simple, easy on the eyes and quick access to information.
I hope to see all of you there and please feel free to share your input. I always look forward to all of your comments and emails.
"A fool in love makes no sense to me. I only think you are a fool If you do not love."
I read this quote the other day and it really made me smile. It had no known author.
LOVE....from music to literature to art, philosophy, religion, cooking, raising children etc etc etc........love is possibly (I'm convinced love is all there is, but that's just my opinion) THE key component to finding your slice of happiness. So as I read the above quote, I got caught in a 10 minute thought process about all the areas of life it applies to. So what about you?? Are you in love? Do you love your work? Do you love your parents? Do you love your dog? Do you love doing the dishes? Do you love where you live? Do you love your exercise routine?? Go find that love!!! Or even better...REDISCOVER it, and see what happens.
Anywho ;-) BACK TO FOOD....
Delicious seafood meal;
Smoked salmon and roasted red pepper soup, blanched asparagus tossed with lemon olive oil
sauted shrimp with garlic chili sauce.
Tuna tartare over cucumber salad.
See you on the other side......


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Basics of Exporting
Basics of Exporting
At the best of times exporting can be a complex and challenging process. Yet, when it is approached with careful deliberation, exporting offers you opportunities for growth, increased sales and diversified markets. A marketable product or service is only the beginning. Exporting takes time and effort. It also takes resources and a strong commitment to compete beyond your current borders.
A recent analysis by the Barbados Private Sector Trade Team shows some important common characteristics in the export strategy of some of Barbados' leading export companies:
- They actively sought export opportunities as opposed to depending on other sources to point them out;
- They never considered themselves to be too small to seize opportunities;
- They made use of a number of options to strengthen their businesses which ranged from entering their firms into competitions, which gave them access to additional capital to accessing the more user-friendly local business support funds and schemes;
- They utilised a range of options to gain market intelligence on potential markets, including participating in trade missions and conducting on-the-ground investigations.
- They were not afraid to approach government officials or other business support agencies in the export market to determine how they could best enter the markets and they further used such interfaces to engage in aggressive marketing;
- They were persistent – they were not deterred by initial negative responses to their attempts to enter export markets;
- They were not wedded to one particular type of market entry – if they could not export directly, then they considered using other vehicles to trade such as joint ventures;
- They made it their business to understand the rudiments of trade as they pertain to their particular operations;
- They voluntarily committed themselves to ensuring that their operations complied with internationally recognised standards; and
- Above all, they had a hunger to succeed.
For companies that have made exporting part of their long-term growth strategy, they are familiar with some of the ups and downs for manufacturers just starting to export: concern about the language and cultural differences, not knowing where to start or how to make inroads into new markets, fear that foreign consumers would not pay once the products leave the country.
Breaking into a new export territory requires:
- Long-term commitment
- Relationship development (distributors, local government, joint venture partners)
- Patience (government, culture, use of realistic time frames and budgets)
- A strong domestic client base to leverage (especially if internationally recognised)
- Uniqueness of product and intellectual property protection
- Strong reputation/confidence in one's own ability
- Prior international experience or the ability to recruit experienced people
- In market presence – closeness to customers
- Good interpersonal skills of staff/cultural understanding
- Credibility


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Manufacturers place pumps and blowers in a standard location that works best for most customers. Each tub has a standard location which is listed on the manufacturers spec sheet.
Pumps and blowers may also be placed in a custom location if it works better for your project. A drawing is required for a custom location. Please note drain location on spec. We are happy to contact you after your order for this information.
Soaking and soaker tubs do not have pumps or blowers. For these tubs choose Tub only (No pump and/or blower).
Polished Chrome
Taron Floor-Mounted Bathtub Filler with Hand Shower (WC-AT102340P11)
Height overall 38-1/4" Height to base of spout 32-1/4" Spout Length 8" Bathtub Filler - Max flow rate 6.3 GPM Hand-Shower - Max flow rate 1.75 GPM Includes installation accessories and hoses Solid brass core construction Dripless German cartridge View Spec Sheet View Installation Guide
Toto Single-Handed Tub Filler with Hand Shower (TB100SF)
Solid Brass Construction Ceramic disk valve cartridge Handshower with 60" metal hose included Floor-mount tub filler ADA Compliant Height to base of spout 26-13/16"
Lifetime Limited Warranty for Residential Use View Spec Sheet
View Product Bulletin
View Installation Video
The Darya 6636 tub features a factory installed waste and overflow. The Darya 6636 Freestanding Bathtub is made in the USA. Hand-built using the highest quality acrylic materials, the Darya features a 20 Year Residential Warranty*. Please note, custom orders may not be returned. More information regarding the return policy of your custom-built Americh product is available here. *Electronics and accessories warranted for 12 months from original date of purchase.
Note: Most Americh tubs ship in 14 business days from the manufacturer. Please allow an additional 2-3 business days for order transmittal and verification.
View Spec Sheet
Product Ratings & Reviews


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Handmade necklace "Laika"
Handmade necklace "Laika"
- Brand:Acme Art
- Product Code:Nec166
- Availability:In Stock
- Ex Tax:157.26€
It has an original design as it is 3D.
Made from silver 925 and enamel with matte finish.It comes with a synthetic thread and has a handmade clasp.
- Item Dimensions: 4,8 - 2 cm
- Thread Length: 45,0cm
Hand crafted jewelry with emphasis on emotion and detail. Sad and lonely princes who seek the key to happiness, little girls yearning for love, Little Red Riding Hood flirting with the Big Bad Wolf... mechanisms, motion, color, engraved words, names...
All pieces are crafted by hand, using materials as varied as silver, semiprecious stones, enamel, Plexiglas, liquid glass and titanium.
Free delivery of your order, regardless of the amount within 5 working days.


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About the Show
CNBC takes you into the high-pressure world of infomercials where sales are skyrocketing. Sports Business Reporter Darren Rovell sits down pitchmen and their products for an all-access look at a booming business and it's out-of-this-world profits.
It's a $150 Billion industry, promising people everything from perfect abs to the Perfect Pancake.
Two minutes or less of carefully-crafted commerce aimed solely at making you buy, and buy NOW! A 25-year-old industry whose sales are increasing, despite today's turbulent economy.
CNBC Emmy-nominated Sports Business Reporter Darren Rovell goes inside the big business of direct-response infomercials that's made the Snuggie, ShamWow! and the Ginsu Knife household names.
Rovell sits down with the industry heavyweights like inventor Ron Popeil, the late pitch man Billy Mays and Telebrands CEO AJ Khubani, tests which products are busts or buys, and uncovers the psychology behind why some sales pitches strikeout while others are hit out of the park.
But, WAIT! There's more...


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Cosmeceuticals, one of the first cosmetic hybrids to arrive on the scene, have been drawing attention since their inception. Merriam-Webster defines a cosmeceutical as, "A preparation having both cosmetic and pharmaceutical properties," but anyone in the cosmetic industry knows that a true cosmeticeutical is a little more specific. To truly define the term, one must reference the individual responsible for coining the term, Albert Kligman MD, PhD, physician at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and professor of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Kligman first conceived the term to indicate a topical preparation that is sold as a cosmetic but is able to benefit the skin like a pharmaceutical.
Nutraceuticals may not be a cosmetic hybrid, but because of the recently created nutricosmetics, they are becoming more and more related to the cosmetic industry. The term nutraceutical is often associated with Stephen DeFelice, MD, who defined the term in 1989 as, "A nutraceutical is any substance that is a food or a part of a food and provides medical or health benefits, including the prevention and treatment of disease." DeFelice went on to say that the definition could also include a bio-engineered vegetable food or a functional food.
New to the scene of cosmetic hybrids are nutricosmetics. Shyam Gupta, PhD, president of Bioderm research and director of R&D for Arizona Natural Resources has reported, "Nutricosmetics are an emerging class of health and beauty aid products. They combine the benefits of nutraceutical ingredients with the elegance, skin feel and delivery systems of cosmetics. Nutricosmetics and cosmeceuticals thus differ in the origin of their functional ingredients. Nutraceutical ingredients formulated in cosmetic delivery systems constitute nutricosmetics, whereas cosmeceuticals are cosmetics formulated with pharmaceutical-type ingredients. The nutraceutical ingredients-based topical delivery systems can be formulated as functional cosmetics (nutricosmetics) to complement the efficacy of their ingestion-based counterparts."
In the future, it is almost certain that new cosmetic hybrids will be introduced. Although this article attempts to define some of the main cross-sections of cosmetics and other industries, it is by no means a be-all-end-all. Tomorrow a new delivery system combination could determine a new category, and it is probably already in the works.


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Hot Tubs & Back Pain
For thousands of years, in cultures as diverse as the ancient Greeks, Russians and Japanese, hot baths have been used to reduce pain, encourage blood flow and circulation, and promote relaxation. For back pain sufferers, a hot tub can be one of the few sources of relief from crippling pain, discomfort and stiffness. But you may be wondering whether it would be worth spending thousands of dollars on a hot tub system for back pain relief.
Americans shell out more than $50 billion each year fighting back pain, according to the National Institutes of Health fact sheet on back pain. Back pain is also the most common cause of missed work days and disability claims. A bulging disk, sciatica, an acute injury or osteoporosis can all cause pain in the spinal region.
Helpful Heat
Doctors will prescribe physical therapy, medications, ultrasound and other treatments when back pain strikes. But two of the most vital treatments are ice and heat. Ice, according to the NIH, should be used for 48 to 72 hours, then patients can move to applying heat.
Although heating pads and hot packs are effective, a hot tub or bath is an effective way to apply heat to a large area of the body. Heat works by relaxing surrounding muscles, which can reduce muscle spasms; it also dilates the blood vessels, increasing blood flow and promoting healing in the injured tissue. As the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases states, heat also "alters the sensation of pain"—in other words, it feels good and provides much-needed relief for acute or chronic back pain.
Marketing Health
Hot tub manufacturers are certainly marketing their products directly to back pain sufferers: The Olympic Hot Tub Co., for example, cites studies published in the British Journal of Rheumatology that showed that patients treated with spa therapy showed more improvement, from mobility to reduced pain, than a group of patients treated with medication only.
The company even encourages customers to get a prescription from their doctors for a hot tub; some states will eliminate sales tax on a hot tub with a doctor's note.
If you're buying a tub for hydrotherapy, the Hot Tub Guide recommends you look closely at the following features: jet type, seating, pumps and water pressure, and heating controls.
Look for jets that can be positioned directly onto the back, particularly the area that is in pain. You can also choose from a wide variety of jet types, from massage jets that move back and forth to whirlpool jets that concentrate water pressure in a focused area. With moldable plastic shells, jet position is highly customizable in today's tubs.
Modern fiberglass shells have also moved far beyond the old-style bench seating. Hot tub buyers looking for back pain relief can look for lounge-style seats, with full immersion and jets directly positioned on the lower back area.
Hot tub hydrotherapy is one way to not only treat and relieve lower back pain and other injuries, but also to increase circulation, reduce stress and promote relaxation. However, hot tub users should keep in mind a few simple precautions: Do not use a hot tub for any medical condition without reviewing it with a physician. Do not use a hot tub if you are taking drugs that could make you sleepy or drowsy. Finally, do not exceed the time limit or temperature recommended by the manufacturer. By following those few simple rules, your back pain relief could be just a soak away.


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Rowing – MB Adult Level 3 – T/Th/Sa PM- JUL
- This event has passed.
Rowing – MB Adult Level 3 – T/Th/Sa PM- JUL
July 11, 2020 @ 7:00 am - 9:00 am
Ages 18 and older. Recreational rowing level 3: Rowing level 2B course or equivalent experience is a prerequisite. Join this course to continue to develop your rowing skills, increase your aerobic capacity, and improve your overall fitness level. Safety, coxing and equipment care must be second nature upon enrollment to this course. Sweep and sculling will be encouraged by staff. ***This course requires a float test taken prior to class. The float test cannot be taken at the Rowing Center but can be done at our pools, www.seattle.gov/parks/pools.asp***


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