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I hastened to buy Local Dollars, Local Sense by Michael Shuman, because I was attracted to the title and had high hopes for the emphasis on localization. Shuman's book represents a small step in a needed direction, but I was yearning for much deeper.
The cover claims that it is "a Community Resilience Guide" -- I don't think so: not at face value, not without plenty of caveats and sidebar explanations to adapt Shuman's recommendations to a dramatically changing economic picture. Certainly, Go Local. But do so ready to adjust to the radically different landscape we now face. This new era of economic contraction alters many long-held presumptions.
The book's subtitle lends insight into my hesitations: "How to shift your money from Wall Street to Main Street and achieve real prosperity." First part great, I'm there. Second part ... if only Shuman didn't mean the phrase so conventionally, in the style of Mr. Buffett who wrote the Forward. If only he understood "prosperity" as do Dave Wann, Cecile Andrews, Jeremy Rifkin, and Tim Jackson in his TED talk.(6) While Shuman highlights many, many examples of The Right Stuff, he doesn't seem to get it that the grow-grow-grow economic paradigm is dead-dead-dead. His enthusiastic text repeatedly sounds like a conventional business book gone small-scale: Prosperity. Rate of Return. Profit. Stimulus. He has missed the indicators of the new world.
I applaud Shuman's anti-globalization approach. He has carefully researched and presented plenty of statistics -- should you be looking for some -- to document how Local has been gaining competitive advantage and how small and home businesses are providing real and valid livelihoods. He has feretted out plenty of niche examples of community-based financing. The holes in his enthusiastic recommendations come in that he continues to work within a conventional paradigm.
The new economic paradigm begins with the understanding that humanity is currently navigating peak oil and peak everything, that we are facing energy descent(4). The conventional economy has grown to nosebleed heights fueled predominantly by cheap, abundant, presumably inexhaustible petroleum -- a substance for which we have no easy substitute. In the past few decades, our consumption levels have zoomed out-of-sight. North Americans currently consume world resources at a level that -- if everyone on the planet consumed the way we do -- would demand five planets to provide for. (And some still think we will "grow this economy" ... ) This fantasy-driven growth paradigm has been compounded by easy credit.
Now phase one of the credit bubble has popped, oil is fibrillating in price, the costs of climate repercussions are becoming evident, and biocapacity issues are gradually easing into view. The route forward is inevitably one of powerdown, energy descent, economic contraction, and an adjustment to something more in line with one-planet's-worth-of-consumption.
Expectations of business volume will have to adjust -- sales volume, throughput, profit, and yield, as well as consumption volume. For true resilience, it's not simply "go local" -- we must also pay attention to the types of local businesses which are needed to make up the fabric of that resilience(3). In a landscape of economic contraction, taking on debt isn't the advisable thing it was during economic expansion(2). Shuman skips over those parts.
In a recent post at this blog I wrote about my dawning realizations that just as the grow-grow-grow paradigm in business is flawed, so too might be the presumption that our money/investments should "grow." The business world has, for several decades, been focused entirely on maximizing profit and rates of return. Shuman writes from this older paradigm.
A lot of his proposals are versions of conventional credit and micro-credit (which Charles Eisenstein capably debunks(1)). For true economic resilience, every time Shuman mentions conventional interest-bearing credit structures, I recommend that readers keep in mind the vastly altered understandings about debt and credit that must come with economic contraction(2). Debt and leveraging makes sense in an expanding economy. But in a contracting economy, it DECREASES resilience. I would not encourage our desperately-needed resilience-building local businesses to sign on to interest-based financing.
Shuman praises B Corporations. While B Corp principles begin to head in the right direction with respect to waste, water, carbon, and fair wage; they are largely about greening conventional businesses. They skate lightly or skip over globalization, appropriate scale/volume, biocapacity, assets of the commons, democratic voice, and post-petroleum resilience-building. For building true economic resilience, watch the principles emerging from groups like the UK's REconomy; they are revealing broader wisdom.
Schuman's recommendations in the subchapter "become your own landlord" are scary to me -- I wish he had heard what Stoneleigh and Robert Prechter forecast as the long-term future of real estate values before he wrote that part. Yes, we have seen one burst bubble, but we have a bathtub full of 'em yet to pop.
Shuman advocates for resurrecting regional stock exchanges and recommends community banking. My understanding, enlightened by analysts such as Stoneleigh, is that even these more local cousins are deeply immersed in a financial world that is crumbling on the verge of collapse. Unless these local exchanges and banks can shift their underlying investments away from conventional financial vehicles and petroleum-dependent businesses, and shift their income structure to the new economic paradigm, it seems to me they are in every bit the same jeopardy as the big guys. We, who are working hard to build community resilience and create an economic safety net, should be very, very cautious.
Shuman does include material on cooperatives, although even this section contains a subtle adulation that bigger-is-better. But the star chapter in Shuman's book is "Unaccredited Investing in SEC-land." It may well be that these brief pages alone are worth the book's cover price. Shuman outlines multiple ways to achieve local-scale investing without the oenerous reporting requirements, accredited investor rules, and limitations imposed by the SEC.
The subchapter "Zero Returns," which highlights networks like Kickstarter.com and other crowdfunding ideas, is awesome. "Micropatronage" is a great term which pops out of this subchapter. Yes, we the 99% do need to invest in Main Street, and ideas like these show How. These will support local business without undermining it.
Shuman examines the Port Townsend, Washington network LION investing (their interview on Peak Moments is "must-see TV") The subchapter on direct public offerings looks promising, although its celebration of investor dividends makes me cringe.
In my understanding of what lies ahead, the ideas in chapters "Zero Returns" and "SEC-land" represent the cutting edge. A redefinition of investing is going to emerge from this new era(5).
Repeatedly, Shuman holds his reviews to a standard of "beating Wall Street's 5% long-term performance." And in the new economy -- which is appropriately headed for degrowth -- this standard is flawed. Firstly, we cannot hope to achieve the "performance" Shuman promises as the conventional economy implodes. But much more importantly: Charles Eisenstein's explanation proves that if we attempted to reap that exceptional rate of return, we would drain the lifeblood from the very businesses that are our survival network.
In his final chapter, Shuman refers to "the illusions sold to us by Wall Street," yet Shuman's approach reveals he is still subscribing to those same illusions. Shuman still stands upon the growth paradigm and the expectations inherent in a growth economy even though his book was released into an era of energy descent and economic contraction where all of those assumptions and expectations have been turned upside down.
I had hoped Local Dollars, Local Sense would unroll radical, root-level change, that it would be a book that might address localization within the changed economic landscape. I was disappointed that Shuman has written mostly about conventional paradigm interest-based financing and conventional paradigm rate-of-return-driven investing, that in most cases is distinguished only by smaller scale and taking place much closer to home.
I know Shuman's book was focused on investing, but there is so much more to the Localization picture. It is not merely a case of taking the old capitalism model that has failed us and replicating that, small and local scale.
To develop resilience within our local communities -- resilience which will enable us to weather the storms of post-peak, of climate change, and of economic upheaval -- we must put in place an economic "safety net." In the same way a circus performer uses a safety net, we need to have something to catch us when we fall.
First and foremost, we need to set in place the bare-bones tools for economic survival through collapse, things like getting in place the needed kinds of local businesses -- resilience-building ones, that provide the basics for sustaining local life. Releasing our personal attachments to the old ways, to old models of spending, and to the corporate style of "job." Setting up sharing networks and time banks and local currencies and gift circles to open up the neighborhood "money supply" so that local transactions can flow.
As we put in place the safety net, we need to be aware that we are weaving the threads which will become the new economic system of the future. What might those threads be? I have been wrestling with these ideas for some time, and you can read some of my explorations here(7). In Transition Los Angeles' "Transition Enterprise" working group, we have been discussing ideas about ownership structure and democratic voice. Most recently, I have been grappling with ideas about debt and interest, and what borrowing money means in a contracting economy. Other important threads for that safety net and ingredients of the economy of the future would include new economic indicators -- that focus on the right stuff. An end to corporate personhood -- many places are embracing this at the city level and that is a great thing. Full cost accounting, in other words ending the externalization of costs -- carbon counting is the bare beginning; there is so much else that needs to be considered. An end to limited liability. Getting corporations out of politics.(8)
In my opinion, we need to put all these things in place at the local level. That way, as we bring our economic centers back home with the end of the age of energy plenty, our fallback becomes the new, improved system. As we localize, we have the opportunity to effect the grand transformation, The Great Turning for the economy. That, to me, is Community Resilience and "Local sense."
Joanne Poyourow is active in Transition Los Angeles. She is completing her third book, under the working title "Economic Resilience: What we can do in our local communities." She is an economist and a Certified Public Accountant by training.
(1) see chapter 20, subheading "Robbing Peter to Pay Paul," Charles Eisenstein, Sacred Economics, http://sacred-economics.com/read-online/
(2) see "Borrowing money in times of economic contraction" http://economicresilience.blogspot.com/2011/10/borrowing-money-in-times-of-economic.html and "Debt and the Transition Economy" http://transitionus.org/blog/debt-and-transition-economy
(3) "Resilience-building businesses and industries" http://economicresilience.blogspot.com/2011/10/resilience-building-businesses-and.html
(4) for extended explanation of Economic Contraction see http://economicresilience.blogspot.com/2011/10/understanding-economic-contraction.html and related pages
(5) "Community-based investment" http://economicresilience.blogspot.com/2011/10/community-based-investment.html
(6) a new idea of "Success" http://economicresilience.blogspot.com/2011/10/redefine-success.html
(7) http://economicresilience.blogspot.com/p/table-of-contents.html
(8) developing ideas for the "safety net": http://economicresilience.blogspot.com/2011/10/crafting-shadow-structure.html and http://economicresilience.blogspot.com/2011/10/what-might-it-look-like.html The framework http://economicresilience.blogspot.com/2011/10/framework-from-new-economics-foundation.html The work of Transition Los Angeles' "Transition Enterprise" working group https://sites.google.com/site/latransitionenterprise/ ideas about debt and interest http://transitionus.org/blog/debt-and-transition-economy and borrowing money http://economicresilience.blogspot.com/2011/10/borrowing-money-in-times-of-economic.html


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Texas seen last in voting
AUSTIN — If Texans abide by the mantra, "if you don't vote, don't complain," they should be the least-complaining bunch in the nation.
Texas ranked 51st in voter turnout in 2010 — behind the other states and Washington D.C. — and 49th in the number of citizens who contact public officials, according to the study released by the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life at the University of Texas at Austin and the National Conference on Citizenship.
The state's slacking continues when it comes to civic participation rates, ranking 43rd in donating and 42nd in volunteering, according to the Texas Civic Health Index.
"Some of the numbers are really surprising — maybe even shocking," said journalism Professor Regina Lawrence, director of the Annette Strauss Institute.
She pointed in particular to figures showing that 61.6 percent of voting-eligible Texans reported being registered to vote in 2010 but just 36.4 percent reported voting.
That means a "really active one-third" of the voting-eligible population is exerting "outsized influence, if you will, on the future of the state," she said.
The study gathered data primarily from the 2011 U.S. Census Bureau Current Population Survey on Voting, Volunteering and Civic Engagement.
Lawrence said participation is linked to education, with the most educated people most likely to be engaged.
She said Texas' comparatively noncompetitive elections also may play a role, since Republicans are so dominant that people may not feel they have as much of an incentive to get involved.
An example of an effort that has increased voter participation in other states, but not passed here, is same-day registration, allowing qualified people to register and vote on election day, she said.
More Information
Texas rankings
51st in voter turnout in 2010, behind the other states and the District of Columbia.
61.6 percent of Texans reported being registered to vote in 2010
36.4 percent reported voting
Voting gap
43.8percentof Anglo Texans reported voting in 2010
That compared with 38.7 percent of African Americans and 23.1 percent of Hispanics.
Southern Methodist University political scientist Cal Jillson called the study a "very good compilation" of the data.
Jillson contended that Texas hasn't made a real effort to drive voter registration or turnout, and has tamped down participation through an aggressive purge of voter rolls, a redistricting plan found to intentionally discriminate against minorities and passage of a voter ID law that also has been blocked as discriminatory.
Jillson said those efforts, pushed by the GOP majority, keep voting low among those least likely to vote and also least likely to support Republicans — Hispanic and African American voters.
"Texas is a red state, and so the Republican Party has relatively little interest in actively working to increase voter registration among minorities, who tend to vote principally for Democrats," Jillson said.
His point coincided with a furor over remarks made by a tea party leader in Dallas, Ken Emanuelson, who in an audio clip (which was publicized and labeled "disgusting" by the Democratic Battleground Texas) said the GOP "doesn't want black people to vote if they're going to vote nine to one for Democrats."
Emanuelson later said in a statement that he was expressing a personal opinion and has no authority in the GOP.
He said his opinion is that it's not in the GOP's interest to increase the number of Democratic voters, but he also believes the party should build bridges to all communities.
Republican Party of Texas Chairman Steve Munisteri said the GOP has spent time and money on outreach and turnout in the Hispanic community that's focused on Republicans.
"My own personal view is it's immoral to ignore whole communities," Munisteri said — and it's not good politics, either. "We cannot win elections in this state without Hispanic voters."
Democratic consultant Hector Nieto said involvement will increase when people are informed, citing as an example a successful effort by Democratic lawmakers in the recent regular session to force the GOP majority to restore more of the funding cut from public schools.
"It's issues like that, that will get people motivated," Nieto said.


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UK's Eee Transformer Android 4.0 Update Due Today
Greta news for those who currently own one of the original Transformer tablets, as Asus has just said its "Ice Cream Sandwich" update for the TF101 should hit the UK today. That makes Asus the best of any Android maker, ever, at releasing a continual stream of updates. Keep checking your notifications, it's very near. [Asus UK]


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Looking for a creative way to incorporate that "something new" into your wedding? How about hiring a food truck?
Many couples are foregoing traditional wedding dining and instead opting for food trucks to cater their big day. They say it brings something unique to the event that highlights their personal tastes as well as the local cuisine.
"We've been big fans of the food truck scene in Atlanta and elsewhere — their food is usually so creative, which was really important to me. And the fact that it's supporting a local business is a great bonus," says Martha, an Atlanta bride-to-be who requested that her last name be withheld.
Some couples hire trucks in place of a buffet or sit-down dinner, while others simply want to keep guests happy between the ceremony and reception. Still, others schedule the truck to arrive a few hours into the reception to provide late-night fare for guests who could use a pick-me-up after a night of champagne and dancing.
"Our food truck came to the reception around 8 p.m. after dinner, so it was a 'late-night' snack, even though it wasn't late," says Joslyn Lawhead, who got married in 2010. "We knew we wanted The Varsity to cater at some point in the night because it's an Atlanta icon and a favorite of my husband's and mine. The food truck was the best option and a unique experience."
Not only is this trend an inexpensive and creative way for newlyweds to celebrate their special day, but it's also a lucrative alternative for food-truck owners who often have to fight local laws for the right to park their vehicles on downtown streets during lunchtime.
"If I offered any truck that they'd never have to be on the street again and they only had to do catering, every single one would do it," Matt Geller, co-founder and CEO of the Southern California Mobile Food Vendors Association, recently told NPR.
In addition to often being substantially less expensive than traditional catering services, food trucks also offer a lot of flexibility when it comes to sampling. Instead of scheduling appointments with caterers, couples can simply wander from truck to truck on their own time.
"We tried a lot of food trucks to see who might be a good fit for our guests. We wanted something creative, but upscale enough to satisfy our parents, and mainstream enough to satisfy a wide range of palates and ages. We stumbled on the grilled cheese truck accidentally and loved the idea of closing out the night with surprise comfort food," says Martha.
Despite their many advantages, food trucks do have their downsides. Lindsay Pitt, a certified special events professional and owner of Toast, an event-planning company, says parking can often be a drawback.
"There is not always a perfect place to park the vehicle where guests can have easy access. For example, if the wedding is to take place in a ballroom, there typically is not a prime space for the truck. Often we do this as the send-off at the end so it can be near the place guests gather to send off the couple," she says.
Also, most food trucks don't coordinate rentals or offer a full-service staff. Still, that's not deterring many food truck lovers.
Also on MNN: 8 surprising places to find organic food
"At first I was worried that our truck wouldn't be able to accommodate a large number of people or that the small staff would be overwhelmed with guests wanting food, but I've worked with my vendor to organize everything and put together the perfect menu and I'm confident everything will go as planned," says Jamie Hoffman, who will get married next year in Columbia, S.C.
Personalized menus are another feature that many food trucks boast. Have a favorite food truck but just aren't sure if it's right for your wedding? Many truck owners say you shouldn't hesitate to ask for what you want.
Andy Grimes, whose Atlanta truck The Pickle has catered more than 50 weddings, says a custom menu is just one of the many advantages of having a food truck cater your wedding.
"The weddings we have done have always been menus created for the specific reception. We have never just done a reception with our truck-vending menu, but if someone wanted us to do the truck menu, we could do that as well. In catering if you have a kitchen with you, there isn't nearly as many limits on what you can do," he says.
Also on MNN: Wedding superstitions from around the world
Considering having a food truck at your wedding? Pitt offers these words of advice: "Have fun with it, serve a late-night snack or dessert as the final surprise for the night! Do make sure that the truck has insurance and will provide all of the items needed to serve like napkins, cups and utensils."
Check out this video from The Knot to learn more about the food truck wedding trend.


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Parabens and their links to breast cancer are in the news again. Widely used as preservatives in many cosmetic and toiletry products like antiperspirants, parabens have been found to have an estrogen-like effect in the body, and estrogen is an established risk factor for breast cancer. Numerous studies have questioned whether parabens can be linked to the development, growth and progression of breast cancer. Most recently, the University of Reading, in England, studied 160 tissue samples from 40 women who underwent mastectomies between 2005 and 2008. This month, the findings were published online in the Journal of Applied Toxicology.<PREVIEWEND>
Ninety-nine percent of tissue samples were found to contain at least one paraben and 60 percent of samples were positive for five of the most common parabens (methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben and isobutylparaben). Most importantly, women who said they never used deodorant--most deodorants are known to contain parabens--had measurable parabens in their breast tissue. The implications of this study seem to indicate that parabens are entering the breast from sources other than deodorant.
The study's chief researcher, Dr. Philippa Darbre, did a similar but smaller study in 2004. The levels of parabens found in her most recent study were four times higher than the 2004 study. "Since 2004, many manufacturers, although not all, have been removing parabens from the underarm deodorant/antiperspirant products and so I was rather surprised when we found higher levels of parabens in these (more recent) breast tissues," Darbre said. Dr. Michael J. Thum, vice president emeritus of epidemiology and surveillance research for the American Cancer Society was quick to point out that just "because parabens were detected in the majority of the breast tissue samples cannot be taken to imply that they actually caused the breast cancer."
So, where does this most recent study leave us? Should we avoid products that contain parabens or should we wait until more and larger studies are conducted? Dr. William Goodson, principal researcher at the California Pacific Medical Center says that methylparaben can also interfere with the effectiveness of drugs used to fight breast cancer. Goodman took noncancerous breast cells from high-risk patients, grew them in a laboratory and found that once the cells were exposed to methylparaben, they started behaving like cancer cells. Tamoxifen, a drug designed to prevent or treat cancer, slows down the growth of both healthy and cancerous breast cells and ultimately leads to their death. However, when tamoxifen was introduced in the lab, the cells exposed to methylparaben kept growing and didn't die. "Methylparaben not only mimics estrogen's ability to drive cancer, but appears to be even better than the natural hormone in bypassing the ability of drugs to treat it," Goodson said.
Clearly more paraben/breast cancer studies need to be conducted. The FDA believes that "at the present time there is no reason for consumers to be concerned about the use of cosmetics containing parabens." If parabens are winding up in breast tissue in ways other than deodorant, and parabens can interfere with chemo's ability to kill cancer, I'm not waiting for "the ultimate study" to tell me to avoid parabens.
There are lots of great body care and cosmetic products on the market that don't contain parabens. If you have a Whole Foods in your area, ask the sales clerk to advise you. I've bought, and used, almost every deodorant, shampoo, facial cleanser and moisturizer Whole Food's carries and have found my personal favorites that work best for me.
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The family of a Maryland teenager is suing Monster Beverage Corp. after the girl died of caffeine toxicity. According to Washington Examiner, Anais Fournier drank two 24-ounce Monster Energy Drinks within a 24-hour period and went into cardiac arrest last December. She died several days later. This is what the Examiner wrote:
The Maryland Medical Examiner's Office determined Fournier died of cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity, which complicated a condition Fournier suffered from called mitral valve regurgitation, according to court records.
My heart goes out to Anais' family. I'm sure they didn't realize that the amount of caffeine the girl consumed could harm her, and they are trying to make sense of her death. I have a son just about Anais' age, and I don't always know everything he eats and drinks outside the house.
But I'm certainly going to bring this story up to both of my boys. Maybe, just maybe, if they know there is a possibility that overconsumption of caffeine can kill, it will make a difference with their independent decisions.
Just how much caffeine did Anais Fournier consume within 24 hours? The Monster website doesn't seem to want to give up the caffeine information (at least not that I could find), but according to an Amazon page where the regular Monster Energy Drink is sold, there are 80 milligrams of caffeine in each 8-ounce serving of the drink. If she drank 48 ounces of the regular-flavored drink, she consumed 480 milligrams of caffeine in 24 hours from the Monster drinks alone.
I couldn't find any government recommendations for daily caffeine intake. I did find several sources, including Teens Health from The Nemours Foundation, that said the recommended intake of caffeine for teens should not exceed 100 milligrams a day, and that adults should stay within the 200-300 milligram range. Anais exceeded both of these recommendations, although she probably didn't know it.
I have several thoughts running around my head right now. The first is that I'm a horrible example to my boys when it comes to drinking coffee. I drink a lot of it in the morning. I don't seem to have any adverse reactions to the caffeine in it, but I know they get a strong impression from me that caffeine is a bit of a miracle worker. I need to work on changing that perception.
The next is that parents need to be educated about the amount of caffeine that is safe for children and be aware of how much their children are drinking. They also need to educate their children about caffeine and its effects — especially the most dangerous effects it can have, even if those dangerous effects happen rarely.
My last thought is to wonder if the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should step in and do something about the amount of caffeine in these drinks. I always think that personal responsibility and parental responsibility should come first when it comes to the consumption of food or drinks, but one of the FDA's jobs is to make sure the ingredients in what we consume are safe. If the 160 milligrams of caffeine in one can of Monster Energy (which is two servings, but most people drink the entire can as if it was one serving) is considered unsafe for teens, perhaps the FDA should do something. The agency already regulates the amount of caffeine in soft drinks to no more than 71.5 milligrams of caffeine per 12-ounce; Monster Energy Drinks exceed that level, but they aren't considered soft drinks. They're considered dietary supplements, and therefore don't fall under the same guidelines.
Perhaps it's time they should fall under the same guidelines or have guidelines written specifically for them. What are your thoughts?
Related on MNN: Is coffee your friend or your foe?


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Farmingdale State - 51, Neumann - 46
Pomona, N.J. - The Farmingdale State men's basketball team opened the season at the Stockton Tip-Off Tournament with a 51-46 victory over Neumann University on Friday evening. The Rams will now face Stockton in the Championship game on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.
Farmingdale held a 26-17 advantage at the halftime break, behind 17 points and seven rebounds in the first half from senior forward AJ Matthews (Brooklyn, N.Y.).
The Rams led by as much as 13 in the second, before Neumann made a comeback and trailed by only three points with 43 seconds left in regulation. Farmingdale answered with a basket and would hold on for the win.
Matthews finished with 23 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks. Junior guard Terence Henderson (Bronx, N.Y.) had nine rebounds and six points.
For Neumann, Rich Whitten led the Knights with 14 points and 13 rebounds, while Dom Gibson netted 10 points.
Watch the Championship game on Saturday at: http://new.livestream.com/StocktonAthletics/events/1681652
Or follow on the live stats at: http://www.sidearmstats.com/stockton/mbball/scoreboard.aspx


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We all love laughing at old team photos. There's the passé fashion and the awkward facial expressions, and some dude's dumb dog is always the "team mascot." The photo above is no exception. Look at those short shorts! The bad haircuts! The gigantic tank and semi-automatic weapon! What a bunch of dweebs—wait, what?
According to tipster "Arty In Buffalo," this picture was taken in 1988 and depicts the Federal Way High School basketball team from Federal Way, Wash., and it raises a lot of questions. Actually, it raises just two questions: 1) How the fuck does a high school basketball team get access to a tank and an Uzi?, and 2) Why the fuck would said high school basketball team want to include those two items in its team photo?
I put in a call to Federal Way High School to try and get some answers about the picture, but was unable to reach anyone. We may never know how this photo came to exist, but I do know that I'm now starting a Tumblr called "Awkward Team Photos on Top of Tanks." Please send me your submissions right away. I need a book deal.


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LOS ANGELES - An AIDS activist group is bringing a complaint against Larry Flynt, accusing the porn king of compromising the safety of his adult film stars by not having them use condoms.
The AIDS Health Foundation said Thursday it delivered a complaint and 100 DVDs of hardcore Flynt films to the state Division of Occupational Safety and Health office.
Cal-OSHA officials did not return calls for comment. Larry Flynt Productions issued a statement saying fans of X-rated films don't want to watch people using condoms.
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
Earlier this year, the AIDS group brought similar complaints against nine talent agencies it says promote actors willing to have unprotected sex on camera. Cal-OSHA has said it is investigating those complaints.


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Chicken, meet egg. The classic problem with alternative vehicles -- if I drive a car fueled on French fries, where do I feed it? -- is beginning to resolve itself, in the form of companies like Project Better Place, which peddles infrastructure in the form of battery-recharging stations for electric cars. In January, the company announced that it would begin installing an electric recharging grid across Israel. Now Denmark is hopping on the electric bandwagon with a similar agreement.
The Danish electric car-charging network will involve thousands of charging stations built in parking lots and near homes by 2011 (the International Herald Tribune says 20,000 stations, while the Register says 500,000). In Israel, the company plans to build 500,000 stations for drivers to recharge their vehicles or swap batteries. Both countries make logical broad-scale test beds for EVs: short drives don't push the limits of the vehicles' batteries, and both Denmark and Israel are too small to provide anything but short distances. Most of Israel's drivers cover about 70 kilometers a day, for example, and all its major cities are less than 150 km apart, a company press release says.
Project Better Place is partnering with Renault for the electric vehicles, Nissan Motor for its lithium-ion battery pack, and the Israeli and Danish governments, which are offering tax credits on zero-emissions vehicles.
Denmark has made unique progress in embracing alternative energy, and the EV initiative will piggyback on the Scandinavians' established lead in wind-energy production. The country plans to use its wind-generated electricity to charge the vehicles, which will mostly be plugged in at night, when wind turbines perform their best.
Those windmills are key to Denmark's reinvention, over the last decade, as one of the most energy-forward countries in the world. For example, Samso, a Danish island twice the size of Manhattan, is both carbon-neutral and completely energy-independent, earning it its title as an eco-wonderland. Wind is responsible for the island's electricity, while furnaces still burn wood and some cars are still fueled by petroleum. But the island has enough offshore wind-generation capacity to ship electricity back to the mainland to more than compensate for the handful of dirty emitters that remain. At first, Samso seemed like an oddity, a one-off futurist dream made real. But maybe we should be looking at Denmark itself for proof that anything is possible.
This article originally appeared in Plenty in March 2008. The story was added to MNN.com.


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Fortinet RSS Feeds
What are the benefits of using RSS?
RSS is an easy way to be notified about new Fortinet content. Instead of having to visit a particular web page RSS will automatically send a notification when the subscribed section has been updated.
How can I sign up to RSS feeds?
To subscribe to an RSS feed, select the location of the website of interest and click the link to subscribe to the RSS feed. Next, simply follow the instructions for the particular RSS reader being used.


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WASHINGTON, April 13 (UPI) -- Most U.S. adults say they disagree with the Supreme Court allowing strip searches of citizens entering jail, a Brazilian survey indicates.
Suspects arrested and detained in jail or arrested, charged and jailed are not guilty under the law until proven otherwise in a court of law; however, the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled those citizens may be strip searched.
An IBOPE Inteligencia online survey of 1,978 adults conducted April 5-9 found 54 percent of adults overall disagreed with the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on the matter of strip searching suspects upon entering jail, while 46 percent agreed with the decision.
About 66 percent of Democratic respondents and 58 percent of independents disagreed with the ruling while 59 percent of Republicans agreed with it, the survey said.
The poll also indicated 18- to 29-year-olds are much more likely at 60 percent than those over 65 (48 percent) to disagree with the decision.
The margin of error was plus or minus 2.2 percentage points.
IBOPE Group identifies itself as a Brazilian multinational company specializing in media, market and opinion research.


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Susancrayne brauchte ein neues Button oder Icon Design und hat einen Wettbewerb auf 99designs gestartet.
Aus 70 Designs von 23 Designern wurde eine Gewinner gewählt.
Next Train
I am a software developer and have been doing web development, UI and back end, for several years. I have decided to leverage my software knowlege (e.g. Java) to specialize in Android apps. This is my first. Although I am a somewhat serious person, I would like my icon to be whimsical, in the style of other Android icons.
My target audience is commuters on the Metro North Railroad (possibly other railroads to come).
The Next Train app has a simple goal: to tell a commuter when the next 3 trains to their destination will leave. So let's say someone is in a taxi going to Grand Central station. They can launch this app and instantly see the times of their next 3 trains. They can click on one of those times to send a message to a person of their choice, asking that person to pick them up at their destination.
The train transportation icons that I have seen show a train either head-on or sideways. I would like to stay away from that image if possible -- if not, sideways would be better. I would prefer to go in the direction of something like train tracks. I am open to other ideas.
The icon should not be entirely blue -- that is the color of a competitor.
Android icons come in packs of 3: 36x36, 48x48, and 72x72, so that is what I need.


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I learned that a long walk and calm conversation are an incredible combination if you want to build a bridge.
Local Area
Early Check-In Available
Express Check-In Available
Late Check Out Available
Accessible Parking On-site
Wheelchair Available
Service animals are allowed
Learn more about the IHG Green Engage™ system
Slender bamboo trees reaching towards our glass roof will draw your eye as you step into the spacious Lobby at Crowne Plaza Shanghai Pudong. Our efficient Front Desk staff will get you checked into your stylish room or Suite in no time. Head to the 24-hour Windows restaurant to network with colleagues and to see fresh seasonal favourites prepared before your eyes.
Doing business in Pudong couldn't be easier, the hotel is easy access to the Pilot Free Trade Zone Administration Waigaoqiao International Exhibition and Trading Center for Wine & Beverage, SUNLAND Waigaoqiao Commercial Business District. Enjoy the stunning views of whole Pilot Free Trade Zone with our extensive Club Lounge. Just around 35 minutes drive from Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, we are an excellent support base for business travelers. Hangjin Road subway station is around 10 minutes' walk away, with easy connections into Shanghai city centre.
You can be confident of sound planning and successful execution when your events are placed in our dedicated Crowne Meetings Director's capable hands. Our separate meetings annex is fit for events of all sizes in 15 modern rooms, including 2 ballrooms and an exclusive VIP reception room.
SPA, Yoga Class, Swimming


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Ayyyyy! Es Muy Bueno!
America: Land of the Bear Claw with Coffee, the 9 to 5, the Freedom Fry and the dubiously named sport of football. Since the advent of organized sports, Americans have always regarded soccer as a Big Mac with no cheese — not worth paying for. Well, it's time to trade in that Whopper for a nice, fat helping of rice and beans because Winning Eleven 7 will show you why the rest of Earth watches Futbol'and loves it.
The multiple game modes in WE 7 take you from wearing jammies with little footballs on them to Pele in a Stealth Suit. Training Mode includes an effective Beginner's Tutorial as well as Challenge Training, which contains numerous shooting, passing, and dribbling drills that all play like great mini-games in their own right. Have fun while you learn: what a concept! Match Mode allows quick start Exhibitions for practicing your new slick skills or Two-player games. League Mode is your essential round robin Tournament and Cup Mode is where teams compete for new flashy trophies to woo the Brazilian ladies.
These are all fine and dandy, but it's the Master League Cup where the simulation and customization aspects of WE 7 really shine. Apart from the vast array of selectable countries in the other modes, Master League Mode lets you choose from 64 lesser provinces, choose their flag from loads of designs, and change the flag and team uniform colors. You can then acquire and train young talent or trade your players with other teams, weighing their skills and their salaries against your team's needs. Assemble the best team you can and lead them through the higher divisions all the way to the championships.
Still lacking a license to feature real players, Konami more than compensates by striking the perfect balance between arcade and simulation gameplay while keeping it realistic and true to the sport's spirit. Direct and lob passes, shots, and headers can be done with a touch of a button. The controls are simple enough to allow you to jump right in and play, get addicted, and then dig deeper into the instruction manual to master the finer controls of the game, which are plentiful.
Organizing team-wide attacks to the opposition's goal and splitting the defense through some tight passing is the name of the game. However, a PhD in Analog Stick Tilting can dribble and feint his way past numerous defenders and pass across the field to his man in the goalie's box to go for a header. Defensive slides and tackles are tight and fouls are entirely believable, due to the collision detection being so accurate.
The player who wants to be the Michael Jordan of soccer will be trounced, while the team player has a much better chance of success. Though soccer is very much a team game, it's amazing how much a midfield steal can lead you to either thrust your fist in the air or choose a target to hit. The gameplay balance is, in a word, masterful.
There are multiple, well-placed control assists dependant upon your player's situation. For example, in the case where the opposing team has the ball deep in your goal box, a quick tap of the pass button will clear that ball straight out of the danger zone. However, after a couple of matches, you'll wonder why you just got flabbier.
The only reason you may consider putting the controller down and physically running a lap for change is the tough default A.I. Initially, the game can get frustrating; you'll play a stellar game but lose focus for twenty seconds and let that bogie juke your defense to score on your head. All that will be worthwhile, though, when you chalk up your first goal, even if it only leads to a tie. WE 7 demands your full attention throughout any match, which is what soccer is really all about.
The player and field graphics are beautiful. The animations seem to be limitless while being realistic to the ball's position. Passes can be played off the head, chest, chased down and fielded or trapped in a dribble depending where the pass lands in respect to the player's orientation. This kind of variability is found throughout any match and keeps them dramatic and memorable. Facial expressions are detailed when the camera zooms in during goal celebrations as the players dive and perform back flips. The menu interface is by and large slick and intuitive. As you get deeper into the menu options, such as in player trading, the menus break down to basic gray boxes favoring function over form. Just smart design through and through.
The stadium sound effects are great and add to the excitement of the match. The crowd cheers whenever a team forms a promising strike against a goal or when a diving save is performed. Unfortunately, this grating electronic music plays during the menus and game highlights shown at halftime and at the match's end. The same track is played for all the highlights for every match, which is disappointing. The commentators' match analysis is intelligent, but also gets redundant after three matches or so.
There's really not much of a comparison between this and EA's FIFA 2004, as WE 7 trumps it in most major areas. However, if you want to play online, you'll need to swtich to EA's team as Konami has not included support for online play. It's a bit disappointing.
Minor problems notwithstanding, Winning Eleven 7 is the best soccer game available on the market. Deep, intuitive and engaging gameplay, as always, is king. Channel surfing gamers, flipping one by one through their infinite cable streams, may very well keep a soccer game on 'last channel viewed' after playing WE 7. And who knows, maybe by Winning Eleven 14, the wee ones playing WE 7 now will end up training and put an end our nation's embarrassments at the World Cup. Viva!


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Kadri might be lacking, but not in confidence
TORONTO — Maybe it is because he was a top-10 draft pick on a team that tends to trade away its first-round selections, but there has always been a higher level of expectation with Nazem Kadri.
No question, the 21-year-old feeds into it. From the moment the Toronto Maple Leafs called his name with the seventh-overall pick in 2009, Kadri has straddled the line between confident and cocky. As a rookie, he once told reporters that he was looking forward to buying his first Ferrari. And despite having just 45 games on his NHL resume, he still says things like, "I'm the type of person that rises to the occasion."
As refreshing as it might be to hear a hockey player speak honestly, that type of talk will not always attract positive attention.
But beyond the false bravado is a talented young hockey player who has so much natural skill and creativity that he could very well be a star in this league if he ever puts it all together.
It is still a pretty big if. But to see Kadri spin around and bat a puck out of the air for a goal, as he did in a 4-1 win against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday, is to see the potential for something special.
"Obviously, it takes some skill to put it into the back of the net," he said. "With a little luck, I guess."
Sure, Kadri might have been lucky to get his stick on the puck. But he was even luckier to be on the ice in the first place. After recording no goals and one assist in his previous seven games, he had been a healthy scratch earlier this week and was bracing himself for what he thought might be another demotion to the American Hockey League.
But with the entire team in a funk, head coach Ron Wilson decided to juggle the lines and inserted Kadri on a line with Leafs leading scorer Joffrey Lupul and Tim Connolly. The youngster made the most of the opportunity by scoring his first goal in three weeks.
"It's a bit of a confidence boost," Kadri said. "With me being a healthy scratch, I wanted to come out and make an impact right away. No better way to do that than score 50 seconds into the game."
The forward lines did not change during practice on Friday. But his spot on the team is far from permanent. He still sits by himself at one of the auxiliary stalls at the end of the dressing room. And though Kadri joked that he "needs to get upgraded" to a seat with the rest of the team, he understands that he has to earn it through consistency.
"This is my opportunity to kind of make myself a full-time NHLer," said Kadri, who has four goals and two assists in 15 games. "Really, fate is in my hands. As long as I keep doing what I'm doing, and keep listening to the coaching staff and working as hard as I can in practice, the transition is going to be smooth."
In the last two years, Kadri has been the Leafs' yo-yo, bouncing back and forth between the minors and NHL. His longest stint was 16 games in 2010-11. And even though this latest run has lasted about four weeks, Kadri cannot help but look over his shoulder.
Darryl Boyce, who is day-to-day with back spasms, is hoping to return next week. Colby Armstrong, who has been out with a concussion, is not far behind.
"It's always in the back of your head," Kadri said. "Even when you're playing well, there's that little bit of doubt. Healthy guys are coming back, so you never know what's going to happen. It's just that we've got great depth on this team and so many guys can come in and contribute.
"I just try to think positively. I knew I was going to get another opportunity and when that opportunity came I knew I wasn't going to waste it."
National Post
© Copyright (c) canada.com


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Read latest COVID-19 advice for parents and childcarers here
Start by entering your postcode to set up your FREE
account and read reviews about childcarers local to you.
You can then book childcare online – just select the
date, time and address for your booking.
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to first and we'll keep you updated of progress by email.
Your childcarer will call you before the booking and you should pay
her for her time at the end. Rates start from just £8.75.
Pay nothing until after you have used Sitters - guaranteed. A booking
fee (£4-£6) and quarterly membership fee (£14.95) will only be
charged to your credit card after your booking has taken place.
Read reviews of approved Sitters local to you
Noreen was delightful from the moment she arrived. Our 3 year old daughter warmed to her immediately, and they settled down to read some stories - we left without her looking up to say goodbye! She was unphased by looking after both our 3 year old and our little 10 week old daughter. She texted us whilst we were out which was very reassuring, especially as it was the first time we had been out since the little one was born. We would love to have Noreen back, but we're only temporarily in London, so we won't be able to! We'd recommend her to any family.
We have not had a babysitter before so this was a big step for us. All of us (myself, partner and children) were very happy with Jane. In fact my one-year-old was practically pushing us out of the door after ten minutes with her! She seemed very calm, experienced and unfazed by my three-year-old's usual tantrums at bedtime. Extremely satisfied with the whole thing and will use your service again - it opens up whole new vistas of possibilities for us!
Gayle came and sat for our two daughters aged 4 and 2 for the first time last weekend. She was prompt, absolutely delightful, had an immediate rapport with both of the girls. She played some lovely games with my older daughter until bedtime, and has been declared the "best babysitter ever"! She was very flexible about us getting back a little later than originally booked. We hope to have her back soon.


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Turns out the White House has one of the slower download speeds in the city.
For that moment when you're trying to access your online Zagat guide from your iPad on the National Mall, you've now been rescued. Sorta.
Washington, D.C.'s Office of the Chief Technology Officer launched a "newly improved" version of their interactive broadband map Friday, which allows users to see internet connectivity data in bright, friendly colors — part of the office's overarching goal of collecting data to help increase access.
The city was awarded over $4 million from the State Broadband Initiative (SBI). From the emailed announcement from D.C.'s Geographic Information System:
The map includes the ability to visualize broadband themes for technology types, download/upload speeds and the number of providers within a given location. It uses the District's Master Address Repository search tools to identify services offered at a residential and business address, or click anywhere on the map to display information for the location.
The new Broadband web map is collaborative and engages community anchor institutions around the city, public WiFi access points and surveyed results from individuals in DC. Users may print maps, share links and provide feedback with the Broadband Use Survey and Test Your Speed tools within the District of Columbia.
You'd obviously need an internet connection to view the site in the first place. Still, for the data-geeks among us, there are ample filters to keep yourself entertained, like download speeds and number of wireless providers. We immediately noticed that the White House has one of the slower download speeds on the Mall. Does that mean President Obama has to wait for YouTube to load like the rest of us?
Here's what looks like their old broadband map, still accessible here:
And here's the new one:
So they don't look all that different (although the second one is admittedly prettier), but the new filters are pretty neat.


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Analyst believes Domenici's political legacy will remain intact
Domenici reveals fathering love child
Former Sen. Pete Domenici has admitted to fathering a child out of wedlock.
In the early 1980s, Domenici was on his way to becoming one of the most powerful politicians in the country. He told the Albuquerque Journal he regrets what he did and hopes his accomplishments outweigh his personal transgression.
"I think everyone's initial reaction is shock," KOAT-TV political analyst Brian Sanderoff said.
Sanderoff called Domenici one of the state's most powerful leaders in Washington.
"He was viewed as a man with political vision and integrity," Sanderoff said.
The woman with whom Domenici had the affair told the Journal it was "one night's mistake."
Biographies on Michelle Laxalt show she's the daughter of a senator, served in the Reagan administration and became a lobbyist with her own consulting firm two years after her affair with Domenici.
But Sanderoff said unless it's revealed that Domenici's affair influenced his decisions on Capitol Hill, his reputation will remain intact.
"Pete Domenici's political legacy as one of the most prominent politicians in the state's history will not be affected by this. However, it's his personal legacy that will be tainted," Sanderoff said.
Domenici said he hopes that doesn't happen, and he apologized to his family and the public.
"The big losers are the families involved in both sides of this situation. It's tragic for Pete Domenici's wife (and) children to have to succumb to this negative publicity and the pain of this disclosure," Sanderoff said.
Domenici told the Journal someone was about to expose the affair, and he decided it would be smart to speak up before that happened.
KOAT-TV tried to contact Domenici and his family Wednesday, but the calls were not returned.


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California, because of its governance and budget crisis, is often described as a weak state. It isn't. Indeed, California is covering the weaknesses of the rest of the country.
That's true when it comes to the federal budget -- California gets back far less for what its taxpayers send to Washington DC than other states do. (Before the federal stimulus and big deficits threw such figures out of whack, California got 81 cents on the dollar).
It's true when it comes to venture capital -- California gets about as much in venture capital investment as the other 49 states combined.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
And it's true again when it comes to the Olympics. Figures show that Californians are responsible for 17 Olympic medals -- nearly twice as many as the next highest medal-producing state, Florida, which had 9 as of last count. (Thanks to Denver Post for its tabulations).
Yes, California has its problems. But when America wants to innovate, to push the limits, or to win at the highest levels, it depends on Californians.
Lead Prop Zero blogger Joe Mathews is California editor at Zocalo Public Square, a fellow at Arizona State University's Center for Social Cohesion, and co-author of California Crackup: How Reform Broke the Golden State and How We Can Fix It (University of California, 2010).
Send us your thoughts via Twitter @PropZero or add your comment to our Facebook page.


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What is the DNSSEC chain of trust?
The DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions) chain of trust is a verified electronic signature, or handshake, at each DNS lookup node. In other words, it is a chain of lookups validated by the domain name's digital signature that secures the request through all lookup nodes. This ensures that no rogue or illicit player can slip into the lookup path and redirect the lookup to a bogus site.
Here's an example of using your browser to visit coolexample.org:
- Your lookup request goes to the domain name's root server and asks for the location of .org domain names. The root server, which is DNSSEC-aware, indicates the registry for .org domain extensions, PIR.
- The lookup asks PIR, the .org domain name registry and currently DNSSEC-aware, for the location of coolexample.org.
- PIR points the lookup to the authoritative DNS server for coolexample.org. This authoritative nameserver must also be DNSSEC-aware to continue the chain.
- The authoritative DNS server provides the requested address to you and your computer.
From your local computer to the authoritative nameserver for the requested URL and back, a digital signature (or handshake) at each node insures that your request provides the website you requested and that the request is not intercepted by rogue operators along the way.


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252 members
158 members
Done! Thanks a lot :P
Don't worry about finding out how much it will cost - it will only be a few dollars. If you like just send it and ill transfer the cost to your bank account :)
Awesome! My address is - 7 Trent Avenue, North Dunedin, Dunedin.
Hi Shaye
I read on your profile that you might have some water kefir grains to give away. Would it be possible for me to have some of your culture? I am a student in Dunedin and would be happy to pay for postage.
© 2020 Created by Pete Russell. Powered by


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Let's play two, Durrell says of stadium debate
At times during Jim Durrell's stint as mayor of Ottawa, some might have confused his role with that of a sports promoter or a minister of sport.
Durrell was passionately involved with the Ottawa Rough Riders and Ottawa Senators, and worked to bring the Lynx Triple-A baseball club to Ottawa. He even helped Brian Kilrea recruit players for the Ottawa 67's, once travelling to Hamilton to sell the merits of the franchise to a talented prospect.
So, when it comes to the current heated debate over the future of sports stadiums in the city, it should come as little surprise that Durrell is still fully engaged.
And if his tenure as mayor was marked by a fair share of controversy, so, too, are his opinions on how the city should proceed on the stadium front. He believes the city should accept a proposal to revitalize Lansdowne Park and work with Senators owner Eugene Melnyk to build a new soccer stadium in Kanata. On top of that, Durrell says any suggestions to sell the baseball park, Ottawa Stadium, to developers are "very short-sighted."
Durrell, currently Ottawa Convention Centre board chairman and president and owner of a car dealership in Kanata, argues that the stadium debate should not be reduced to an argument about the merits of one sport versus another.
"It's not about the Canadian Football League or baseball or soccer, it's the bigger issue of building a G8 city," said Durrell, who was mayor from 1985 to '91 before resigning to become full-time president of the NHL Senators.
"There are cornerstones involved in building great cities. One is arts and culture, one is sports. Is our city going to die without a baseball stadium? Of course not. But, once you tear something down, you never get it back.
"I remember when there used to be a snow dump on the site. Because of the land swap with the National Capital Commission (the $16.9-million stadium project was part of a land exchange with the NCC, involving Colonel By Drive), we got lots of property taxes back.
"That's a strong commercial strip."
In the beginning, Triple-A baseball appeared to be a home run for the city as crowds flocked in droves to watch the International League franchise. Then, crowd support dropped off dramatically, and eventually the Lynx disappeared completely, replaced last season by the Ottawa Rapidz in the independent Can-Am league, but that franchise also struck out, in part because of ownership issues.
On Monday, the Can-Am league decided against keeping a franchise alive in Ottawa for 2009. (Another ownerless team in Atlantic City was also shut down.)
The Ottawa move prompted Orléans Councillor Bob Monette to say that the city should sell the 10,000-seat Ottawa Stadium to developers, recouping perhaps $20 million, which could help finance the re-development of Lansdowne Park. That proposal includes a renovated Frank Clair Stadium to house a CFL franchise.
Durrell doesn't think much of Monette's idea, saying "that would be a very short-sighted move by the city that is desperate for cash, and that's no way to run a city, by selling off pieces."
He believes a minor-league team will be back and the stadium can be used to support concerts and children's baseball programs.
While councillors are scheduled to receive a staff report recommending whether the city should support either the Lansdowne Park proposal, Melnyk's stadium plan -- or neither -- Durrell has a unique spin. He firmly believes both plans could be successful because of revenue resulting from tourism and property taxes.
"To me, it's not a football-versus-soccer issue," he said. "It's more about a 'what the city could have' issue. The soccer stadium proposal would be a huge success. Just look at the growth in that end (Kanata) of the city. If a private businessman wants to invest in the city, I think that's great ... but not at the expense of taking away a part of the city's history. The Lansdowne Live idea is outstanding. This is a bigger issue than about sports. It's about longer term visions of building a city."
At the same time, he recognizes the debate is a difficult one and he understands the economic issues the councillors are dealing with.
"The times are odd, unprecedented, really, since the depression. But, when you get unprecedented times that result in unchartered waters, you need reasonably strong leadership. I appreciate that the city council has a lot of challenges in front of it."
In some ways, Durrell will be considered a voice of Ottawa's past. On the topic of stadiums, however, he wants the citizens of Ottawa to think about the long-term future.
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen


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Sep 21, 2010 | ISBN 9780375711978
Sep 21, 2010 | ISBN 9780307273499
Sep 21, 2010 | 420 Minutes
"A rich concoction of narrative, essays, and photos [that] dazzles the eye . . . In so many ways you are reminded that rooting for baseball is like breathing." —Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, The New York Times
"Stirring and reflective . . . A beautiful book that stands on its own in any league." —David E. Jones, Chicago Tribune
"Glorious nuggets are set amid the clear, warm narrative and hundreds of classic images . . . Highest marks for browseability, but the true reward comes from the longer essays by folks still smitten by the game." —Jerry Shriver, USA Today


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Image Number: 0266-0707-1812-4306
This image is available for editorial and educational use only. Contact Customer Service to inquire about additional uses.
This image is available under
'Rights Managed' licensing and is available for immediate download.
Keywords: art print, art prints, clipart, clip art, graphic, graphics, image, images, picture, pictures, photo, photos, photograph, photographs, poster, posters, stock photo, stock photos, stock photography, web graphic, web graphics , blue, boat, boats, creta, cretan, crete, europe, european, fishing boat, fishing boats, grc, greece, greek, harbor, harbour, herakleion, heraklion, holiday, holidays, irakleio, irakleion, iraklio, iraklion, mediteranean, mediteranean sea, mediterran, mediterranean, mediterranean sea, nobody, noone, port, , ship, ships, sky, south of europe, southern europe, summer, tourism, tourist, touristic, tourists, travel, traveling, travelling, vacation, venetian
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- Focus on Funds
Risk Parity Funds Have Risks, Too
- Order Reprints
- Print Article
Josh Charlson of Morningstar gets at the subject in a plain-English read on a complex topic, and his conclusion is this: Yes, risk-parity funds themselves pose a few risks you should understand.
Charlson argues risk-parity funds are best used as a small, diversifying piece of the core of your portfolio, and not as a replacement for 60/40 stock-and-bond portfolios.
But let's back up for a second: What are risk-parity funds, whose leading members include Invesco Balanced-Risk Allocation (ABRZX), AQR Risk Parity (AQRNX), and the most famous, Bridgewater All Weather hedge fund, run by giant hedge-fund operator Bridgewater Associates?
Start with their creators' argument that 60/40 portfolios get too much of their risk premium from a relatively risky asset class -- the stock market.
Stocks' long-run return may be somewhere in the range of 6-9% annually, but they surge and plunge on a year-to-year basis, which reduces their risk-adjusted return. You have to retire at some point. You don't want to lose a large double-digit chunk of your nest egg right before you start using it.
From here, risk-parity proponents argue, if you apportion your risk-taking more evenly across major asset classes, you get what is hopefully a smoother stream of returns, not to mention a very different asset allocation, with a smaller stock-market exposure.
Sounds like a steady-eddy strategy. Except, these days, this: Risk parity funds often leverage up their bond holdings, "to increase the volatility to a desired level and therefore improve the expected return of the portfolio," Charlson writes.
Leveraging up bond holdings works well in a bond bull market and might even make up a lot of the ground lost to rising stocks. But is it really what you want at this moment of low interest rates? The question that's raised is whether risk-parity investing looks better historically than the likely future returns:
If bond yields, as expected, begin to climb from their historically low levels, then 100%-plus gross exposure to the asset class seems like a poor strategic bet. Indeed, critics of risk-parity funds have questioned the timing of such a strategy since their initial rollout, and it's reasonable to wonder whether the back-testing on risk-parity funds was biased by bonds' decades-long bull market. Commodities, meanwhile, for all their inflation-hedging traits, are a notably volatile asset class that, as last year highlighted, can play havoc with the most reasoned asset-allocation plans.
Moreover, Charlson notes commodities -- another asset class owned by risk-parity funds -- haven't lived up to the inflationary playbook lately:
Commodities were another story. Many of the models likely assume that rising inflation usually accompanies falling bond prices, a positive for commodities. But that wasn't the case last year. Not only did inflation remain tame, but demand in key markets such as China continued to slacken. In contrast to the merely de minimis returns of the Barclays Aggregate Bond Index last year, commodity indexes generally lost money (the Dow Jones-UBS Commodity Index lost 9.5%, for example), and the active strategies used by certain risk-parity managers in some cases lost even more than the indexes.
The last risk is another interesting one: The risk of missing out. From Charlson:
As much as investors in theory may favor the notion of curbing downside risk and improving diversification, when they see the S&P 500 rocketing skyward they are likely to wonder, "Where's my beta?" Thus, it's incumbent on fund companies and advisors to properly educate investors on the purpose of vehicles like risk-parity funds, and to point investors to a wider array of benchmarks and risk-adjusted metrics (such as Sharpe ratio and beta) than the standard stock-only comparisons.


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Gerard appears on the cover of Fitness First magazine with The Ugly Truth co-star Katherine Heigl. Thanks to mjbooklady for the heads up! Larger version in the gallery.
Esquire has now posted the interview with Gerard in their website. Read 300 Things You Didn't Know About Gerard Butler.
Gerard is scheduled to appear on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on July 21, 2009. This appearance has been added to the calendar.
The Sony Pictures Japanese website for The Ugly Truth has an extended trailer for the film available.
A very sweet video of fans from Argentina meeting Gerry in Central Park, just hours before they went to see Phantom of the Opera on Broadway:


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BANDI Wear was created by two busy moms in order to provide a unique way for stashing in daily essentials of every woman on-the-go. With their strong desire to develop a product that will be possible to carry basic necessities hands-free backed up by their professional backgrounds in creative and apparel industries, co-founders Beverly Perrea and Beth Koenig finally launched the brand in May 2012 after 18 months of product development, refinement and testing. The result is a new line of stylish apparels such as pocketed belts and headbands all manufactured in the United States.
BANDI Wear comes in a variety of functional yet fashionable accessories such as the classic pocketed belt, which can hold a cell phone, cash, credit cards, driver's license and keys; and a larger pocketed belt, which can hold a passport and a tablet-sized cell phone. Headbands are also available, which can conceal a house key or a small amount of cash. Each product can be utilized in the busiest situations, even the most pressing ones!
"They are great for vacation, biking, hiking, attending sporting events or concerts, or anytime a woman does not want to carry a handbag or wallet," explains Perrea. "They do not bounce or ride up, so they are awesome for runners. There are other running belts on the market, but they are not stylish enough to wear with everyday clothes."
The pocketed belts and headbands have 48 colorful prints and eight solids styles to choose from. The larger pocketed version is also available in several prints and solid colors. The classic belt is reasonably priced at $14/wholesale or $28/retail, while the larger belt is priced at $16/wholesale or $32/retail. The headband wholesales for $4.50 and retails for $10.
"We began this journey about three years ago," recalls Perrea. "Beth is a runner and I am a walker, and we are both busy moms. We were looking for a sleek, modern way to carry our essentials when we were out and about. We couldn't find anything on the market other than bulky pouches with zippers and Velcro that were not at all stylish. We set out to create something we would wear, knowing there must be other women out there searching for a similar product."
The minimum order quantity is around 18 pieces for belts, and may include a mix of classic and large pocket styles. The minimum order for headbands is 12 pieces in addition to belt orders. For headband-only orders, the minimum is 24 headbands.
BANDI Wear also offers a foam core easel back sign with images at the bottom for product display, which includes a display phone that can be tucked into the pocket for product demonstration. "The in-store signage helps customers see at a glance how the belt functions," explains Perrea. "Retailers can also display a belt on a mannequin with a phone inside the pocket." The company's ecommerce site offers a clear overview of the products, and the colors and patterns available, as well as a video that shows the belt in use.
For more product information, visit the company website at www.bandiwear.com.


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What We Do
At RPA, our professional researchers and regional planners seek to improve the prosperity, sustainability and quality of life in the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut metropolitan region through work in transportation, economic development and real estate, environment and open space and more. We also provide leadership on transportation, environmental and economic-development issues in the Northeast and across the U.S.
Community Design
Economic Development
We fight to protect the landscapes and water bodies of the metropolitan region. We work to establish and preserve vital open spaces and improve access for residents. We also research and promote strategies to cut greenhouse-gas emissions and reduce our region's vulnerability to climate change and severe weather.
National Issues
We conduct research and provide leadership on a range of transportation, sustainability and economic-development issues in the Northeast and in the U.S. We focus on optimizing the use of high-speed rail, the need for improvements in Northeast Corridor rail service and the growing influence of large regional economies.
Transit-Oriented Development
We propose and advocate for innovative approaches to transportation that will improve the ability of residents and visitors to travel to and within the region. We analyze travel behavior, study new technologies and press for resources to upgrade our aging highways, bridges, airports, ports and transit networks.


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PPT On Android
Android Presentation Transcript:1. 1. Introduction (1)
What is Android? A software platform and operating system for mobile devices Based on the Linux kernel Developed by Google and later the Open Handset Alliance (OHA) Allows writing managed code in the Java language Possibility to write applications in other languages and compiling it to ARM native code (support of Google? No) Unveiling of the Android platform was announced on 5 November 2007 with the founding of OHA
2. What is the Open Handset Alliance (OHA)?
(2) Devoted to advancing open standards for mobile devices Develop technologies that will significantly lower the cost of developing and distributing mobile devices and services License Android is under version 2 of the Apache Software License (ASL)
3. 2. Platform (1)
2.1 Hardware Android is not a single piece of hardware; it's a complete, end-to-end software platform that can be adapted to work on any number of hardware configurations. Everything is there, from the bootloader all the way up to the applications.
2.2 Operating System(s) Android uses Linux for its device drivers, memory management, process management, and networking. The next level up contains the Android native libraries. They are all written in C/C++ internally, but you'll be calling them through Java interfaces. In this layer you can find the Surface Manager, 2D and 3D graphics, Media codecs, the SQL database (SQLite), and a native web browser engine (WebKit). Dalvik Virtual Machine. Dalvik runs dex files, which are coverted at compile time from standard class and jar files.
4. 2.3 Network Connectivity
It supports wireless communications using: GSM mobile-phone technology 3G 802.11 Wi-Fi networks
5. 2.4 Security
Android is a multi-process system, in which each application (and parts of the system) runs in its own process. Most security between applications and the system is enforced at the process level through standard Linux facilities, such as user and group IDs that are assigned to applications. Additional finer-grained security features are provided through a "permission" mechanism that enforces restrictions on the specific operations that a particular process can perform, and per-URI permissions for granting ad-hoc access to specific pieces of data.
6. 2.6 Future possibilities Google Android Sales to Overtake iPhone in 2012 The OHA is committed to make their vision a reality: to deploy the Android platform for every mobile operator, handset manufacturers and developers to build innovative devices Intel doesn't want to lose ownership of the netbook market, so they need to prepare for anything, including Android Fujitsu launched an initiative to offer consulting and engineering expertise to help run Android on embedded hardware, which aside from cellphones, mobile internet devices, and portable media players, could include GPS devices, thin-client computers and set-top boxes. More Android devices are coming and some will push the envelope even further
7. 3. Software development (1)
3.1 Development requirements Java Android SDK Eclipse IDE (optional)
8. 3.2 IDE and Tools
Android SDK Class Library Developer Tools dx – Dalvik Cross-Assembler aapt – Android Asset Packaging Tool adb – Android Debug Bridge ddms – Dalvik Debug Monitor Service Emulator and System Images Documentation and Sample Code Eclipse IDE + ADT (Android Development Tools) Reduces Development and Testing Time Makes User Interface-Creation easier Makes Application Description Easier
9. 3.3 Programming Language(s)
Java – officially supported C/C++ – also possible but not supported 4. Overall evaluation (1) 4.1 Advantages There are a host of advantages that Google's Android will derive from being an open source software. Some of the advantages include: The ability for anyone to customize the Google Android platform The consumer will benefit from having a wide range of mobile applications to choose from since the monopoly will be broken by Google Android Men will be able to customize a mobile phones using Google Android platform like never before Features like weather details, opening screen, live RSS feeds and even the icons on the opening screen will be able to be customized As a result of many mobile phones carrying Google Android, companies will come up with such innovative products like the location In addition the entertainment functionalities will be taken a notch higher by Google Android being able to offer online real time multiplayer games 4.2 Limitations Bluetooth limitations Android doesn't support: Bluetooth stereo Contacts exchange Modem pairing Wireless keyboards But it'll work with Bluetooth headsets, but that's about it Firefox Mobile isn't coming to Android Apps in Android Market need to be programmed with a custom form of Java → Mozilla and the Fennec won't have that 4.3 Conclusion We can only hope that the next versions of Android have overcome the actual limitations and that the future possibilities became a reality
10. Thanks.


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woow! this argies can play! awesome 80´s heavy metal form this young band! Get it!
alex (10/12/2014)
Vatican Metalmorphosis is awesome!!
Mark Oosterwijk (13/06/2015)
Another great release from Cult Metal Classics AWESOME!!
This band was formed during the 1977 in Toronto, Ontario. Rapid Tears has always been ahead of their time, offering up a good mix of rock and early metal, influenced by NWOBHM, that hasn't lost any of its punch with the passage of time. These guys weren't afraid of playing fast, with an alarmingly crude production that gives it a dose of credibility and proves these guys had studied their British counterparts well. Songs like the fast opener "Survival", the anthem "Headbang", the epic "Tomorrow" and the hard rock influences of "Keep Runnin'", worth listening to. The American heavy metal passes here too.
Pietro La Barbera (01/11/2016)
2nd album from this amazing Brazilian Thrashers. If you like modern melodic thrash, thi is a MUST!!
Alex (08/01/2015)
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Welcome to Showbizjobs
A career center dedicated to matching professional candidates and media enterprises since 1996.
Our focus is on job disciplines that drive the Entertainment business. Operations, accounting, finance, marketing, sales, legal, graphic arts, production, post-production, production management, internships and administration to name a few. Come on in and explore.


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We have three main campaigns in Africa: tackling climate change, stopping the looting of the continent's fish and saving the forests.
Let's not beat about the bush. All these threats are serious, but climate change might just be the biggest threat mankind has ever faced, particularly in Africa. Africans aren't responsible for climate change; the industrial nations are the worst offenders. But it is Africans who will pay the steepest price.
The energy sector is the worst offender, creating almost 66 percent of all greenhouse gases. Yet in South Africa, where the government is faced with a major energy supply problem, their answer seems to be the building of more coal-fired energy stations, a 'solution' which only serves to worsen the problem.
Greenpeace is locked in a desperate struggle to change people's minds, especially the minds of the country's leaders. We need to change the view that nuclear power is a cheap and effective solution to our energy problems -- it's not. We want to start a revolution in the thinking around energy, promoting the use of renewable energy sources, and saving the continent and creating jobs in the process.
Find out more about the climate campaign
In central Africa, the rainforests in the Congo Basin provide the livelihood for 40 million people. These communities depend on the forests for their food, their medicines, as well as the materials used to build their homes. Additionally, this region is home to 270 species of mammals, among them the endangered gorillas, Bonobo and chimpanzees. The okapi and forest elephant are just two of the 39 species of animals found only here. These forests aren't being protected for the people living here, they're being destroyed.
Now Greenpeace is working locally and internationally to protect this special environment before it is too late. Called 'Forests for Climate', the initiative will teach the world how it can make financial sense to leave the forests as they are, rather than chopping them up forever.
Find out more about the forest campaign
Off the west coast of Africa, the battleground is underwater. African governments have been selling the right to fish in their waters to hi-tech, foreign industrial fleets. The hope is that increased fish production will help local economies by providing more jobs, more money and more food.
However, in the almost total absence of monitoring, control, surveillance and management plans, too many fish are taken from African waters.
Over-fishing is emptying the seas faster than nature can replenish it, threatening the food security of hundreds of millions of people.
Greenpeace is campaigning to stop the theft of fish from African seas and to develop viable alternatives to overfishing, that will help develop a sustainable, locally operated and financed fishing industry.
Find out more about the oceans campaign
Greenpeace urges the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) government to cancel the artisanal permits that are being used for industrial logging operations, an illegal practice that clearly circumvents the moratorium on new industrial logging...
The latest E-version of our supporter newsletter is now available here for download.
The latest issue of our supporter newsletter, The Oceans Issue, has just been sent out to our supporters. You can download a copy below.
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