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We currently operate the following web sites (the "Sites"):
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From time to time, we may add new sites that may not be listed above, but they will provide a link to this Privacy statement and will be governed by its terms.
Information Logged Automatically
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The ASP uses cookies to customize your experience with our sites and services. Personal information collected through the use of these technologies will be handled according to this Policy.
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Irene Kopelman's exhibition entitled "The Challengers Report" opened on 10 Feb at the Gasworks Gallery and features artwork inspired by a visit to the micropalaeontology collections at the Museum. The glass slides of Antarctic radiolarian specimens used by Irene have been loaned for display as part of the exhibition, and two tours of the micropalaeontology collections were provided just after the exhibition opened.
Irene Kopelman in front of two of her acrylic on canvas works based on Radiolaria. Pelham Miller makes a guest appearance in the picture on part of his rapid tour of the gallery!
Irene's work borrows patterns from nature or techniques of observation and classification from the history of science. Her inspirations include the expeditions of renowned explorers such as Scott and Shackleton; the title of the exhibition refers to the Challenger Expedition of 1872-76 which laid the foundations for modern oceanography. The exhibition includes large scale paintings of Antarctic radiolarians (see two of them above).
Gasworks Curator Robert Leckie demonstrating the display of slides loaned by the Museum.
The slides loaned were transported in a purpose built carrying box made by Palaeontology Department Loans Officer Noemi Moran Lorengo from Plastazote inert foam. Noemi also processed the reams of paperwork associated with the loan and carried out a condition survey of the slides prior to their transport.
The purpose built carrying case made from Plastazote and conservation grade card by Noemi (photo provided by Noemi Moran Lorengo).
The slides of Antarctic radiolarians loaned to the exhibition (photo provided by Noemi Moran Lorengo). The specimens themselves are less than half a millimetre in size and are encased in Canada balsam that has turned brown in the roughly hundred years since the slides were created.
Two tours of the micropalaeontology collections were also included in the Gasworks events associated with the exhibition. We were able to showcase some of the amazing artwork associated with our collections including the 1889 Blaschka radiolarian models created from glass. Other materials included specimens and documents on an Antarctic theme including Heron-Allen's bound Terra Nova study volume and some radiolarian slides from the same expedition.
Demonstrating slides and artwork as part of one of the two tours to the Micropalaeontology Collections (photo courtesy of Robert Leckie).
It was great to be able to visit the opening of the exhibition with my family - our daughter Blossom was born shortly before Irene first came to the Museum.
My thanks go to Lil Stevens who pointed Irene in the direction of this material while I was on paternity leave. We are hoping that Irene can come again in March and we can maintain links with artists from Gasworks following the Museum tours.

subset: commoncrawl


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A very basic tool to generate the MD5 hash of a given string.
Need a quick
Timestamp Date
converter tool from unix timestamp to MySQL datetime?
Try timestampdate.com!
A very basic tool to generate the MD5 hash of a given string.
Need a quick
Timestamp Date
converter tool from unix timestamp to MySQL datetime?
Try timestampdate.com!
MD5 is an acronym for Message-Digest 5-- a fast and powerful method of increasing security to file transfers and message request transfers.
The way it works is the user enters an input string, and the md5 algorithm will generate a 32-character string in hexadecimal characters. The characters will always be hexidecimal, and the string will always be 32 characters in length.
Once a string is hashed into an md5 hash, it cannot be unhashed via any "un-md5" algorithm. The only way is to use an MD5 cracker tool, which queries a large database of strings and their associated md5 hashes.
Once your md5 hash code is generated, you can deliver it to the expected receiver and they can use that hash to match against their result of performing an md5 hash on their own values. If the hashes match, then you can be confident that the data was sent correctly.
There are several useful applications for using an md5 hash generator when interating with other people or machines, including api integration. If you and another company agree on a secret API key, you can generate an md5 hash of a concatenated string of the variables you post to the partner's website, along with the api key. Then the partner can use that agreed on api key to validate that the incoming request in fact came from your website. You can in turn ask them to send a hashed concatenated string with the api key to ensure that the incoming request came from them.
Let's say you and a partner website agreed on the following API key:
If you were posting the following data to the partner, and that the "firstname" and "lastname" fields were generated via php:
The hash in this case is constructed by simply concatenating every mandatory field you are sending, appending the api key after it, and getting the md5 hash of that resultant string.
The partner on their end can check to ensure the request is a valid one and came from your website by performing a similar process, since only you and them know the secret key:
You can do the same when accepting incoming requests from them as well to verify that you are not accepting a fraudulent post.
There are many other useful applications of the md5 hash, including password generators. Take the time to experiment and find more ways to use this simple and effective tool!


text: French brand A.P.C. presents its new Spring/Summer 2014 collection as part of Paris Fashion Week. Known for its minimal approach to fashion, the new collection seems even more subtle. While silhouettes have always been modeled accordingly, previous collections usually featured the occasional splash of color and patterns. Aside from a few graphic T-shirts, that is not at all present in the new collection. Judging from the lookbook images, a few more eye-catching accents would have been welcomed by us, but we can of course only really make up our mind once we see the line in-person.


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A module that re-exports all the parts of the library related to tracing.
The idea of tracing is to record the concurrent events (i.e. channel communications and barrier synchronisations) that occur during a run of the program. You can think of it as automatically turning on a lot of debug logging.
Typically, at the top-level of your program you should have:
main :: IO () main = runCHP myMainProcess
To turn on the tracing mechanism of your choice (for example, CSP-style tracing) to automatically print out the trace after completion of your program, just use the appropriate helper function:
main :: IO () main = runCHP_CSPTraceAndPrint myMainProcess
It could hardly be easier. If you want more fine-grained control and examination of the trace, you can use the helper functions of the form runCHP_CSPTrace that give back a data structure representing the trace, which you can then manipulate.
The Doc used by the traces is from the Text.PrettyPrint.HughesPJ module that currently comes with GHC (I think).
For more details on the theory behind the tracing, the logic behind its implementation, and example traces, see the paper "Representation and Implementation of CSP and VCR Traces", N.C.C. Brown and M.L. Smith, CPA 2008. An online version can be found at: http://twistedsquare.com/Traces.pdf
|module Control.Concurrent.CHP.Traces.CSP
|module Control.Concurrent.CHP.Traces.Structural
|module Control.Concurrent.CHP.Traces.TraceOff
|module Control.Concurrent.CHP.Traces.VCR
A globally recorded event, found in CSP and VCR traces. Either a channel communication (with a unique identifier of the channel) or a barrier synchronisation (with a unique identifier of the barrier). The identifiers are per channel/barrier, not per event. Currently, channels and barriers can never have the same Unique as each other, but do not rely on this behaviour.
The type became parameterised in version 1.3.0.
|Added in version 1.3.0.
|Added in version 1.3.0.
|Produced by Haddock version 2.4.2


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Brazil top attorney denies Silva investigation
Brazil's attorney general's office on Wednesday denied newspaper reports that it has decided to open an investigation into whether popular former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva knew about the biggest corruption scheme in the country's history and financially benefited from it.
The Estado de S. Paulo newspaper reported that Attorney General Roberto Gurgel had decided to open the investigation into Silva. The publication, which last month was the first to report that testimony existed implicating Silva in the scheme, didn't cite its sources.
The Folha de S. Paulo newspaper carried a similar report Wednesday, also without citing sources.
But the attorney general's office said in a statement posted on its website: "There is no decision regarding a possible investigation of the case."
The statement also indicated that Gurgel wouldn't make any decision until all the paperwork connected to the massive corruption trial taken on by the Supreme Court is officially filed, which could take two months or more.
Silva remains a big political force in Brazil and any decision to investigate him could damage the ruling Workers Party. He could run for the presidency again in 2014 and has left the door open to that possibility, though he says he would do so only if his chosen successor, President Dilma Rousseff, decides not to run for re-election.
The trial surrounding the "mensalao," or big monthly allowance, corruption scheme saw 25 people convicted. Among the guilty were one-time top aides to Silva and businessman Marcos Valerio, who sought out prosecutors in September, after his conviction but before his sentencing in the case, to testify that Silva knew of the scheme and received payments.
It was the first time since the corruption scheme became public in 2005 that any of the accused had broken ranks to accuse Silva, who has always denied any involvement and was never charged in the case.
Valerio was sentenced to more than 40 years in prison and fined $1.3 million for being what the Supreme Court called the "operator" of the scheme that gave legislators cash handouts in return for their support of Silva's policies after he took office in 2003.
Valerio's detractors say the timing of his allegations against Silva indicates his testimony cannot be taken seriously.
Last month, Gurgel said that he would closely examine Valerio's September testimony, but stopped short of promising a full investigation into Silva.
"Marcos Valerio has frequently made statements that he considers bombastic and when we analyze them in depth, there's nothing there," Gurgel said last month. "But we're going to see what's behind this statement and whether it could be the basis for other investigations."
No allegations connected to the corruption trial have ever stuck to Silva, who left office after two terms in 2010 with an 87 percent approval rating.


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Party Banners Costco Photo Center UK
Party Banners
Just select a suitable theme for the occasion whether it be engagement, anniversary or birthday and then upload your favourite photograph. Text can also be added to create a unique Party Banner. Our banners are printed on professional photographic paper and are intended for indoor use only.


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B-B-Bad To The Loan
This story appears in the February 2000 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »
When Mike Schwartz, 40, walked into an ailing Harley-Davidson motorcycle dealership in 1992, he could smell the opportunity. The dealership was located in a part of Wilmington, Delaware, that had seen better days. And when he was told the bike he ordered would take two years to arrive, it was clear service was a problem. Management, a throwback to an era that owed more to the racing circuit than the business circuit, didn't seem to have its heart in the business anymore. Schwartz told the owner to contact him if he ever wanted to sell.
Two years later, in the winter of 1994, Schwartz got a call from the owner, who was ready to unload the business. Schwartz bought the company, which consisted of a note from the seller and about $300,000 in equipment and inventory, for less than $1 million. Working as both owner and general manager,Schwartz returned the dealership to robust health within a year and a half, a period during which the Harley nameplate enjoyed a popular resurgence.
But he didn't have long to rest on his laurels. His lease was set to expire, and Schwartz was about to make some big decisions.
Rather than staying put, or moving to the other side of town, Schwartz set out to create a "destination" dealership. To realize his vision, Schwartz bought land in nearby New Castle, Delaware, razed the existing buildings, and started building from the ground up. The result was Mike's Famous Roadside Rest, a 42,000-square-foot complex complete with a restaurant, dealership and museum, all just off the main artery of the northeast corridor of Interstate 95.
And a "destination" is exactly what it became. On some weekends in the spring of 1999--the dealership's first spring season since completion--upwards of 5,000 Harley faithful (as well as the merely curious) made the pilgrimage to Mike's Famous to bask in the glow of one of America's great cultural icons.
No Guts, No Glory
But vision takes guts. Schwartz displayed his by taking out a $6 million loan from the financing arm of Harley-Davidson to bring his vision to fruition. And while things look great today, that can change overnight, and Schwartz is well aware of the risks. "Harleys," he says, "are essentially a luxury item, not a primary means of transportation. Rises in interest rates or a change in economic conditions could significantly change the demand for our product." Or, he adds, the cyclical nature of the market could turn against him before the business is ready to handle it.
So what happens to entrepreneurs who take out a business loan under one set of circumstances, only to have things turn bad down the road? Do they have to lose their business? That depends on how well the entrepreneur manages the process of a so-called loan workout with the lender, says A. Barry Cappello, a borrower's rights attorney in Santa Barbara, California, who has more than 19 years' experience representing businesses.
Prep Time
Cappello says that approaching the bank about a loan workout assumes the bank is ready to deal when you're in trouble. Unfortunately, what you may find when you inform your lender you're anticipating money problems is that the bank may call in your loan early. If this happens to you, a loan workout is probably no longer an option and you may have to seek a legal remedy against promise to pay the lender to protect yourself.
In truth, however, most lenders don't want to foreclose on a loan. A foreclosure involves litigation. There may be environmental liabilities involving repossessed property. Collateral will have to be sold at fire-sale prices. Indeed, the situation can be a lot harder for the bank than simply working out new terms with the borrower.
Before even suggesting a workout to your lender, however, you've got to decide whether the problem that's making your loan difficult to repay is temporary or permanent. If the problem is permanent, the workout may not help, and bankruptcy may be your only alternative. But if the problem is temporary, you've got wiggle room.
The first step in the process is to meet with the lender to let it know you see a problem coming and that some changes to the loan will be necessary to prevent the situation from getting worse. "It's important to talk to the lender as soon as you can," says Cappello. "Obviously it's better to see a tidal wave on the horizon than it is to see it on the beach."
Letting the lender see the stark reality, however, might spook it into moving against you. Cappello suggests two strategies to prevent this.
First, let it drop in the initial meeting that you've met with counsel, and based on financial projections, he or she thinks a workout is viable. It's the old velvet hammer. "Basically," says Cappello, "by meeting with counsel and letting the lender know it, you're telling [the bank] you have the ability and the inclination to fight a foreclosure."
Now that you have your lender's attention, it's time for step two: Bring to the meeting a financial forecast showing what sales you expect the business to generate during the next year or next several quarters, how you plan to cut back on costs and how the bank can help. And don't forget to document your financial assumptions with footnotes.
Zigs And Zags
After getting your lender ready, there are a number of different kinds of workout structures you can propose. So-called skips are the easiest to understand. They're just what they sound like, an agreement to skip a negotiated number of payments. If the problem is small, you may only have to skip three payments. If the problem is thornier, you might try to negotiate a six-month skip.
Another tack is to get the loan recast. An 11 percent five-year loan for a $250,000 principal balance will cost a borrower $5,345 per month in principal and interest. Let's say, after a year, when the balance is $211,455, the borrower runs into trouble. If the loan is recast, say, with a seven-year term, a tough but attainable time frame, then the monthly payments would go down to $3,620. One point to keep in mind about recasting: A lender may not want to do it, but it may still be preferable to writing down the value of a loan on its books. You've got to use your persuasive powers to get the lender to agree.
As part of a workout, you might promise to pay the lender off in a few months with the proceeds from another loan or equity financing. In return, you get some breathing room to try to solve your financial problem or to find another lender. Of course, if you're in trouble with one lender, why would another step up to the plate? Because there are all sorts of lenders with differing appetites for risk. What makes one lender shriek may be just the kind of deal another lender is looking for.
Finally, Cappello says the gutsiest move you can make is to ask for over-advance financing. In short, what you're doing is asking for more money--at a time when you're having trouble paying what has already been borrowed. Crazy? Maybe. But there may be several plausible situations--say, if a big overseas customer delays, but doesn't cancel, a large order--when an additional dollop of working capital can make the whole problem go away.
Of course, none of this is going to come cheap. You can pretty much count on your lender giving you the cold-blooded squeeze, which is fine as long as you don't take it personally. Cappello says that, as the result of a workout, you can expect to pay points and a higher rate of interest, and to surrender more collateral. Points are usually added to the balance of the loan and are often calculated on the amount of foregone payment the lender is enduring. For instance, if you're skipping six months of payments at $10,000 per month, expect to pay one to three points on the $60,000 you'll owe.
As for a higher interest rate, you shouldn't balk too much (unless rates have come way down since you took out the loan) because you have in fact proven your business loan to be more risky. Cappello says you should never offer to pay a higher interest rate because the banker will get around to raising it sooner or later anyway. Just be prepared for it and recognize that if you are trying to reduce costs, and the lender is trying to help you get there, there's a price to pay somewhere down the road.
Although the process is never pleasant, Cappello says the resolution should be satisfying to all. "In a good workout," he says, "the borrower gets over the hump, the business gets back on track and the lender still has a borrower."
Over at Mike's Famous Roadside Rest, Schwartz is pretty comfortable. Projected sales of $12 million for his dealership--a figure presumably upon which the loan was negotiated and approved--turned out to be conservative. Schwartz estimates he'll do nearly $20 million in his first full year. Still, he says, you just never know what the future might bring.
David R. Evanson's newest book about raising capital is called Where to Go When the Bank Says No: Alternatives for Financing Your Business(Bloomberg Press). Call (800) 233-4830 for ordering information. Art Beroff, a principal of Beroff Associates in Howard Beach, New York, helps companies raise capital and go public and is a member of the National Advisory Committee for the SBA.
Contact Sources
Cappello & McCann, (805) 564-2444, firstname.lastname@example.com
Mike's Famous Roadside Rest, (800) FAMOUS-HD, email@example.com


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We host on-campus events throughout the year and invite you to experience Simon alongside your peers, current students, alumni, admissions counselors, and faculty.
If you can't come to Simon, be sure to take a look at our off-campus event schedule. We may be coming to a city near you. Admissions representatives host student-outreach events year-round in the US and selected international locations. The opportunities to conduct formal admissions meetings and meet Simon alumni are offered at many of these events.
If you can't travel to campus in person, we encourage you to stay connected with Simon through our interactive webinars. Topics include application tips, program reviews, student discussions, and more. If you can't attend an upcoming session, view our extensive library of archived webinars for recordings of our most popular and recent sessions.
To schedule a visit or tour, please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com or (585) 275-3533.


text:
Front Porch Punditry » News » Science & Medicine » Doctors Break Down COVID Response and the Demonization of HCQ, DOCTORS TELL ALL
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#1 | Doctors Break Down COVID Response and the Demonization of HCQ, DOCTORS TELL ALL Thu Jul 09, 2020 9:22 pm
Fauci Downplays Lower Coronavirus Death Rate as 'False Narrative' » « Dr. Richard Bartlett | ACWT Interview 7.2.20


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In Josef Frank's Baranquilla print, four lovingly detailed lianas are crafted into a beautiful whole full of lush fruits, flowers and leaves. The print was designed around 1943-45 during Josef Frank's stay in New York – a place where many of his imaginative designs, with trees of life growing freely, flowers and fruits took form. By delaying the pattern repeat Josef Frank was able to get the design to flow. This gives the feeling of no real direction, and it therefore becomes just as beautiful from any angle.
Baranquilla was named after the Colombian port city by the Caribbean Sea, which Josef Frank and his wife Anna passed on the exile from Sweden to America in 1941, in the midst of World War II.
Read more about screen printing in Svenskt Tenn's magazine.


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Science, Health & Environmental Reporting
Start Exploring Now
Start Exploring Now
The Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program (SHERP) at New York University is a globally renowned science journalism training program operating in the world capital of science communication: New York City.
Aspiring reporters, authors, editors, producers, videographers, podcasters, coders and social media managers (and various permutations thereof!) who complete the intensive 16-month program receive a Master of Arts degree in Journalism with a concentration in Science, Health and Environmental Reporting. They join an extended family of graduates (452 so far!) committed to covering scientific, medical and environmental topics with precision and passion.
SHERP alumni have diverse backgrounds and beliefs and work in many types of digital, print and broadcast media in more than 25 countries. What unites them are two deeply held convictions: science is too important to leave only to scientists, and journalism is too important to leave only to the scientifically illiterate.
Our track record of launching graduates into high-level jobs in science journalism is unequalled, but please don't take our word for that. Instead, judge for yourself by taking a close look at where our alumni (all of them!) are working, and even more importantly, what kind of work they are producing.
The SHERP community is tightly knit, and never frays. Our alumni are the heart of New York City's vibrant science journalism community, the world's largest. Many are involved in SHERP programming, serving as guest speakers, attending evening events and networking with colleagues and students for staff jobs and freelance work.
SHERP's current students are the newest links in a chain that stretches back to the program's founding in 1982 by Bill Burrows. Its director now is Dan Fagin, a longtime science and environmental journalist who was awarded the 2014 Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction for his best-selling book, Toms River: A Story of Science and Salvation.
COVID-19 Update: The ongoing pandemic is a fresh reminder of the essentiality of accurate, impactful science journalism for mass audiences. SHERP alumni are playing leading roles in covering all aspects of the global pandemic, and our current students are too. We're also focused on making sure students and faculty are following public health guidelines as we do the important work of teaching and learning science journalism. Our plan for Fall 2020 is to offer most of our classes remotely.
In other news, we're thrilled to report that our two newest foundation supporters, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Felsten Fishman Family Foundation, are sponsoring generous fellowships for SHERP students. Combined, these fellowship programs, along with the new Harold Jacobs SHERP Fellowships, will support 20 fellows over the next 10 years and will be worth more than $1.1 million in aid (including matching funds from NYU's Graduate School of Arts and Science). Please see the How to Apply page for more details on SHERP's extensive financial aid arrangements. For the three most recent SHERP classes, the average financial aid award per enrolled student was approximately $56,500 (not counting outside scholarships and loans).
Now in their fifth year, the Kavli Conversations on Science Communication at NYU are interactive, live webcasts (join us!) featuring conversations between leading science journalists and eminent scientists. We also recently hosted Laura Helmuth as our fourth Simons Visiting Science Journalist. Previous visitors were Mary Roach, Kathryn Schulz and David Quammen, each of whom spent three days at NYU meeting with SHERP students, alumni, and faculty as well as participating in events, including a pitch slam for SHERP students and alumni.
With Donald Trump as president, science journalists in the U.S. are navigating in an altered landscape. Five current and three former SHERP faculty members spoke at a forum on the topic, and SHERP sponsored its own discussion as well. (Follow the links to watch.)
Humans are a storytelling species, and the scientific enterprise is the wellspring of many of our greatest contemporary narratives. But how many of us possess the skills to make these narratives our profession? SHERP's customized curriculum is tailored to develop world-class science storytellers at a time of unprecedented change, challenge and opportunity in journalism. Our faculty of nationally prominent science journalists offers rigorous instruction in research, reporting, writing and editing through coverage of cutting-edge science, from nanotechnology and epigenetics to global climate change and cosmology. Coursework is built around case studies and learning by doing, not academic theory or rote memorization.
A key focus is reporting, writing and editing features and news for magazines and online sites, but students also dive into all forms of modern journalism, from books and long-form narratives to blogs, videos, podcasts, data visualizations and social media. Entrepreneurial skills, including self-marketing, are emphasized throughout the SHERP sequence. Investigative science journalism is also an important curricular focus, as evidenced by an investigation conducted by Professor Charles Seife and his SHERP students into fraudulent drug studies submitted to the Food and Drug Administration. The powerful results of this faculty-student collaboration were published in JAMA-Internal Medicine and Slate.
Visual and audio science journalism is woven into the curriculum from the first semester, when every SHERP student learns to produce videos and podcasts under the tutelage of expert teachers. There is also a class on data mining and analysis. The curriculum reflects our philosophy that effective journalism education today must be platform-agnostic: the content of the story should dictate its form, not vice versa. Whether they're working in print, online or over the air, our graduates thrive in the fast-changing world of science journalism because they are comfortable telling stories in many ways and on multiple platforms.
Prof. Fagin also directs the Science Communication Workshops at NYU, four-week short courses in which more than 800 NYU doctoral students, post-docs, medical students and faculty have learned the basics of communicating scientific research to the lay public. We encourage interaction between SHERP and SCW students, including collaborative publishing in our publications Scienceline and The Cooper Square Review.
The culture at SHERP is challenging but never cutthroat. We emphasize cooperative learning in an informal, intellectually rich environment. SHERP students work hard and love what they do. Thanks to the specialized curriculum and intimate atmosphere, "sherpies" form lifelong bonds during their time at 20 Cooper Square, including nine marriages so far!
SHERP takes full advantage of its home base at the center of the science journalism firmament: New York City, where there are more journalism job opportunities than anywhere else in the world. Our neighborhood is a particularly fertile one for science storytelling because 20 Cooper Square is right in the middle of Lower Manhattan's booming Silicon Alley; Facebook and IBM's Jeopardy!-winning Watson computer are one block away. A small program nested comfortably in a large research university, SHERP utilizes the vast intellectual resources of New York University, including the NYU School of Medicine, to enrich student experiences. We also reach well beyond the university community. In addition to two full-time professors with many years of experience in professional science journalism, Dan Fagin and Charles Seife, the program's superb faculty includes current or former editors and writers at Scientific American, The New York Times, Science, Reuters, Nature and The Wall Street Journal, among other outlets. SHERP faculty work at the very highest levels of science journalism but are also deeply committed to the hard work of teaching well, with long track records of success in the classroom as well as the newsroom.
The curriculum also draws heavily on a roster of guest speakers constituting a who's who of science journalism and science research. In a typical year, nearly one hundred journalists and scientists visit SHERP to speak in classes or at evening seminars that have become gathering places for the New York science journalism community. There are also yearly field trips to Brookhaven National Laboratory, The New York Times, the American Museum of Natural History, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and CNN. When SHERP students go on a field trip, they do much more than tour; they pitch stories to editors and participate in seminars with leading researchers.
Science journalism internships at leading publications, programs and web sites are a crucial part of the SHERP experience and are fully integrated into the overall curriculum, not a tacked-on appendage. Every student completes two for-credit internships during the final eight months of the program, but the internship process actually begins much earlier. Starting in the first semester, SHERP's internship coordinator provides personalized support and advice, assisting students in landing positions and then making sure they get the most out of their internship experiences. SHERP interns don't get coffee, except for themselves; they get clips. Many choose to intern at outlets that have worked closely with SHERP for years; their supervisors are often alumni or current or former faculty. Others take advantage of the flexibility of the our internship program to secure internships at exciting new digital publishing ventures or places a little farther off the beaten track for science journalists.
To thrive in today's convergent media environment, science journalists need diverse skills and a broad portfolio of published work. SHERP delivers both. By graduation, a typical SHERP student has written and edited dozens of stories of all lengths and types, produced several video and audio pieces, built data graphics and slide shows and even authored a book proposal — all prepared in close collaboration with highly accomplished professors who are leaders in science journalism.
The stories SHERP students produce for their classes are of such high quality that every year many are published in professional media. In addition, students gain invaluable experience by assigning, reporting, writing and editing stories for Scienceline, an award-winning webzine run entirely by SHERP students. Scienceline's mix of news, features, profiles, blogs, videos, audio podcasts and data visualizations attracts approximately 7,000 visitors per day (more than 2.5 million per year) from around the world. In addition, Scienceline stories are regularly syndicated to the web sites of Scientific American, Popular Science, LiveScience.com, Space.com, OnEarth, The Scientist and other outlets, generating even more clips, exposure and opportunities for SHERP students. Finally, SHERP's unrivaled internship program puts students in position to publish their work in places like The New York Times, Wired and dozens of other globally prominent outlets.
Job placement is a proven strength of SHERP. Every year, several graduating students go to work full-time at places where they were SHERP interns; other job-seeking graduates tap the close-knit and extensive SHERP alumni network, which operates its own busy email list. Over the years, editors have come to trust the SHERP "brand," so graduates fare very well in the extremely competitive market for staff jobs and freelance work in science journalism.
SHERP alumni regularly return to Cooper Square to attend Kavli Conversations and other special events, serve as guest speakers in classes, and simply catch up with colleagues. There's a busy private Facebook group where alumni share job opportunities and other news. Alumni also assist their successors by generously contributing to the Bill Burrows SHERP Scholarship Fund. The tight bonds between current and former students and faculty (both present and past) are a distinguishing feature of SHERP and a crucial asset for "SHERPies" new and old. (Long after they've graduated, SHERPies love to collaborate with each other, whether on serious editor-writer partnerships or this parody video.)
If you think our program is right for you, we look forward to introducing you to our students, professors and alumni and showing you the unique, convivial culture of SHERP. Please see the How to Apply page for full details on how to proceed. All SHERP students start in September and are expected to complete the program by December of the following year. We are not able to enroll part-time students.
Please note that the formal application deadline is January 4 but we will consider late applications. We make admission decisions on a rolling basis starting in February. For 2021 applicants, the GRE test will not be considered by the admissions committee due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We expect to restore the GRE requirement for 2022 applicants.
Our work preparing the next generation of great science storytellers is advanced by the generous support of the Simons, Robert Wood Johnson, Kavli and Felsten Fishman Family foundations, as well as our alumni and friends. We are deeply grateful to them all.
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Spain (10/20/10)
For the most current version of this Note, see Background Notes A-Z.
Area: 504,750 sq. km. (194,884 sq. mi.), including the Balearic and Canary Islands; about the size of Arizona and Utah combined.
Cities (2009 census): Capital--Madrid (3.5 million). Other cities--Barcelona (1.6 million), Valencia (814,208), Seville (703,206), Malaga (568,305), Zaragoza (674,317), Bilbao (354,860).
Terrain: High plateaus, lowland areas such as narrow coastal plains, and mountainous regions.
Climate: Temperate. Summers are hot in the interior and more moderate and cloudy along the coast; winters are cold in interior and partly cloudy and cool along the coast.
Time zone: Spanish mainland and Balearic Isles--local time is 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) in winter and 2 hours ahead in summer. Canary Islands are on GMT.
Nationality: Noun--Spaniard(s). Adjective--Spanish.
Population (National Institute of Statistics (INE), January 1, 2010): 46,951,500.
Ethnic groups: Distinct ethnic groups within Spain include the Basques, Catalans, and Galicians.
Religion: Predominantly Roman Catholic (approx. 75%); Protestant and Islamic faiths also have a significant presence.
Languages: Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan-Valencian 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%.
Education: Years compulsory--to age 16. Literacy (INE, third quarter 2008)--97.6%.
Work force (first quarter 2010): 18.4 million.
Unemployment rate (first quarter 2010): 20.05%.
Type: Constitutional monarchy (Juan Carlos I proclaimed King November 22, 1975).
Constitution: 1978.
Branches: Executive--president of government nominated by monarch, subject to approval by democratically elected Congress of Deputies. Legislative--bicameral Cortes: a 350-seat Congress of Deputies (elected by the d'Hondt system of proportional representation) and a Senate. Four senators are elected in each of 47 peninsular provinces, 16 are elected from the three island provinces, and Ceuta and Melilla elect two each; this accounts for 208 senators. The parliaments of the 17 autonomous regions also elect one senator as well as one additional senator for every 1 million inhabitants within their territory (about 20 senators). Judicial--Constitutional Tribunal has jurisdiction over constitutional issues. Supreme Tribunal heads system comprising territorial, provincial, regional, and municipal courts.
Subdivisions: 47 peninsular and three island provinces; two enclaves on the Mediterranean coast of Morocco (Ceuta and Melilla) and three island groups along that coast--Alhucemas, Penon de Velez de la Gomera, and the Chafarinas Islands.
Political parties: Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), Popular Party (PP), and the United Left (IU) coalition. Key regional parties are the Convergence and Union (CIU) in Catalonia and the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) in the Basque country.
GDP (2009): $1.461 trillion (€1.051 trillion); seventh-largest economy in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
Per capita GDP (2009): $31,700 (€22,800).
GDP annual growth rate (2009): -3.6%.
Natural resources: Coal, lignite, iron ore, uranium, mercury, pyrites, fluorspar, gypsum, zinc, lead, tungsten, copper, kaolin, hydroelectric power.
Agriculture and fisheries (2.3% of GDP, 2009): Products--grains, vegetables, citrus and deciduous fruits, wine, olives and olive oil, sunflowers, livestock and poultry, dairy products, seafood.
Industry (11.7% of GDP, 2009): Types--processed foods, textiles, footwear, petrochemicals, steel, automobiles, consumer goods, electronics.
Services (2009): 51.5% of GDP.
Trade (2009): Exports--$220 billion (€158 billion): automobiles, fruits, minerals, metals, clothing, footwear, textiles. Major markets--EU 69%, U.S. 4%. Imports--$290 billion (€208 billion): petroleum, oilseeds, aircraft, grains, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, fish, consumer goods. Major sources--EU 58%, U.S. 4%.
Average exchange rate (2009): 1 euro=U.S. $1.39.
Spain's population density, lower than that of most European countries, is roughly equivalent to New England's. In recent years, following a longstanding pattern in the rest of Europe, rural populations are moving to cities. Urban areas are also experiencing a significant increase in immigrant populations, chiefly from North Africa, South America, and Eastern Europe.
Spain has no official religion. The constitution of 1978 disestablished the Roman Catholic Church as the official state religion, while recognizing the role it plays in Spanish society. According to the National Institute of Statistics (April 2009), 74.7% of the population are Catholic, 2.3% belong to another religion, 13.8% are agnostic, and 6.9% are atheists.
Educational System
About 70% of Spain's student population attends public schools or universities. The remainder attends private schools or universities, the great majority of which are operated by the Catholic Church. Compulsory education begins with primary school or general basic education for ages 6-14. It is free in public schools and in many private schools, most of which receive government subsidies. Following graduation, students attend either a secondary school offering a general high school diploma or a school of professional education (corresponding to grades 9-12 in the United States) offering a vocational training program. The Spanish university system offers degree and post-graduate programs in all fields--law, sciences, humanities, and medicine--and the superior technical schools offer programs in engineering and architecture.
The Iberian Peninsula has been settled for millennia. Some of Europe's most impressive Paleolithic cultural sites are located in Spain, including the famous caves at Altamira that contain spectacular paintings dating from about 15,000 to 25,000 years ago. Beginning in the ninth century BC, Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, and Celts entered the Iberian Peninsula. The Romans followed in the second century BC and laid the groundwork for Spain's present language, religion, and laws. Although the Visigoths arrived in the fifth century AD, the last Roman strongholds along the southern coast did not fall until the seventh century AD. In 711, North African Moors sailed across the straits, swept into Andalusia, and within a few years, pushed the Visigoths up the peninsula to the Cantabrian Mountains. The Reconquest--efforts to drive out the Moors--lasted until 1492. By 1512, the unification of present-day Spain was complete.
During the 16th century, Spain became the most powerful nation in Europe, due to the immense wealth derived from its presence in the Americas. But a series of long, costly wars and revolts, capped by the English defeat of the "Invincible Armada" in 1588, began a steady decline of Spanish power in Europe. Controversy over succession to the throne consumed the country during the 18th century, leading to an occupation by France during the Napoleonic era in the early 1800s and a series of armed conflicts throughout much of the 19th century.
The 19th century saw the revolt and independence of most of Spain's colonies in the Western Hemisphere; three wars over the succession issue; the brief ousting of the monarchy and establishment of the First Republic (1873-74); and, finally, the Spanish-American War (1898), in which Spain lost Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines to the United States. A period of dictatorial rule (1923-31) ended with the establishment of the Second Republic. It was dominated by increasing political polarization, culminating in the leftist Popular Front electoral victory in 1936. Pressures from all sides, coupled with growing and unchecked violence, led to the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in July 1936.
Following the victory of his nationalist forces in 1939, General Francisco Franco ruled a nation exhausted politically and economically. Spain was officially neutral during World War II but followed a pro-Axis policy. Therefore, the victorious Allies isolated Spain at the beginning of the postwar period. The country signed the Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement with the U.S. on September 26, 1953 and joined the United Nations in 1955. In 1959, under an International Monetary Fund (IMF) stabilization plan, the country began liberalizing trade and capital flows, particularly foreign direct investment.
Despite the success of economic liberalization, Spain remained for years the most closed economy in Western Europe--judged by the small measure of foreign trade to economic activity--and the pace of reform slackened during the 1960s as the state remained committed to "guiding" the economy. Nevertheless, in the 1960s and 1970s, Spain was transformed into a modern industrial economy with a thriving tourism sector. Its economic expansion led to improved income distribution and helped develop a large middle class. Social changes brought about by economic prosperity and the inflow of new ideas helped set the stage for Spain's transition to democracy during the latter half of the 1970s.
Upon the death of General Franco in November 1975, Franco's personally-designated heir Prince Juan Carlos de Borbon y Borbon assumed the titles of king and chief of state. Dissatisfied with the slow pace of post-Franco liberalization, he replaced Franco's last Prime Minister with Adolfo Suarez in July 1976. Suarez entered office promising that elections would be held within one year, and his government moved to enact a series of laws to liberalize the new regime. Spain's first elections since 1936 to the Cortes (Parliament) were held on June 15, 1977. Prime Minister Suarez's Union of the Democratic Center (UCD), a moderate center-right coalition, won 34% of the vote and the largest bloc of seats in the Cortes.
Under Suarez, the new Cortes set about drafting a democratic constitution that was overwhelmingly approved by voters in a national referendum in December 1978.
Parliamentary democracy was restored following the 1975 death of General Franco, who had ruled since the end of the civil war in 1939. The 1978 constitution established Spain as a parliamentary monarchy, with the prime minister responsible to the bicameral Cortes (Congress of Deputies and Senate) elected every 4 years. On February 23, 1981, rebel elements among the security forces seized the Cortes and tried to impose a military-backed government. However, the great majority of the military forces remained loyal to King Juan Carlos, who used his personal authority to put down the bloodless coup attempt.
In October 1982, the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), led by Felipe Gonzalez, swept both the Congress of Deputies and Senate, winning an absolute majority. Gonzalez and the PSOE ruled for the next 13 years. During that period, Spain joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Community.
In March 1996, Jose Maria Aznar's Popular Party (PP) won a plurality of votes. Aznar moved to decentralize powers to the regions and liberalize the economy, with a program of privatization, labor market reform, and measures designed to increase competition in selected markets. During Aznar's first term, Spain fully integrated into European institutions, qualifying for the European Monetary Union, and participated, along with the United States and other NATO allies, in military operations in the former Yugoslavia. President Aznar and the PP won reelection in March 2000, obtaining absolute majorities in both houses of parliament.
After the terrorist attacks on the U.S. on September 11, 2001, President Aznar became a key ally in the fight against terrorism. Spain backed the military action against the Taliban in Afghanistan and took a leadership role within the European Union (EU) in pushing for increased international cooperation on terrorism. The Aznar government, with a rotating seat on the UN Security Council, supported the intervention in Iraq.
Spanish parliamentary elections on March 14, 2004 came only 3 days after a devastating terrorist attack on Madrid commuter rail lines that killed 191 and wounded over 1,400. With large voter turnout, PSOE won the election and its leader, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, took office on April 17, 2004. Carrying out campaign promises, the Zapatero government immediately withdrew Spanish forces from Iraq but has continued to support Iraq reconstruction efforts. The Zapatero government has supported coalition efforts in Afghanistan, including maintaining troop support for 2004 and 2005 elections, supported reconstruction efforts in Haiti, sent troops to UNIFIL in Lebanon, and cooperated on counterterrorism issues and many other issues of importance to the U.S. Zapatero was re-elected for a second term as President on March 9, 2008.
Local Government
The 1978 constitution authorized the creation of regional autonomous governments. By 1985, 17 regions covering all of peninsular Spain, the Canaries, and the Balearic Islands had negotiated autonomy statutes with the central government. In 1979, the first autonomous elections were held in the Basque and Catalan regions, which have the strongest regional traditions by virtue of their history and separate languages. Since then, autonomous governments have been created in the remainder of the 17 regions. The central government continues to devolve powers to the regional governments, which will eventually have full responsibility for health care and education, as well as other social programs.
The Government of Spain is involved in a long-running campaign against Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA), a terrorist organization founded in 1959 and dedicated to promoting Basque independence. ETA targets Spanish security forces, military personnel, Spanish Government officials, politicians of the Popular Party and the Socialist Party (PSOE), and business people and civilian institutions that do not support ETA. The group has carried out numerous bombings against Spanish Government facilities and economic targets, including a car bomb assassination attempt on then-opposition leader Aznar in 1995 in which his armored car was destroyed but he was unhurt. The Spanish Government attributes over 800 deaths to ETA terrorism since its campaign of violence began. In recent years, the government has had more success in controlling ETA, due in part to increased security cooperation with French authorities.
In November 1999, ETA ended a cease-fire it declared in September 1998. Following the end of that cease-fire, ETA conducted a campaign of violence and has been blamed for the deaths of some 50 Spanish citizens and officials. Each attack has been followed by massive anti-ETA demonstrations around the country, clearly demonstrating that the majority of Spaniards, including the majority of Spain's Basque populace, have no tolerance for continued ETA violence. In March 2006, ETA declared another cease-fire, which it ended in June 2007 as a number of bombings and assassinations continued. In December 2007, two undercover Spanish police officers were killed in Capbreton, in France's southwestern region, by suspected ETA gunmen. Days before Spain's general elections in March 2008, former councilman Isaias Carrasco was murdered outside of his home by an ETA gunman. It was seen by many as a political move by ETA to try and influence the elections. Ignacio Uria Mendizabal, head of the Altuna y Uria company, was assassinated on December 3, 2008. The company was involved in the construction of a high-speed rail network in the region, a project opposed by ETA.
The government pursues a vigorous counterterrorist policy and has worked closely with its international allies to foil several suspected ETA attacks. In May 2008, Francisco Javier Lopez Pena, the political-military head of ETA, was arrested in Bordeaux. In November 2008, French authorities arrested reputed ETA military chief Miguel De Garikoitz Aspiazu Rubina, alias "Txeroki", closely followed by the arrest of his successor on December 8, 2008. These arrests struck a severe blow to the leadership of ETA. France and Spain have stepped up cooperation to crack down on ETA since a special accord was signed in January 2008 allowing Spanish agents to operate in southwestern France.
Radical Islamic terrorists are known to operate cells in Spain. On March 11, 2004, only 3 days before national elections, 10 bombs were detonated on crowded commuter trains during rush hour. Three were deactivated by security forces and one was found unexploded. Evidence quickly surfaced that jihadist terrorists were responsible for the attack that killed 191 people. Spanish investigative services and the judicial system have aggressively sought to arrest and prosecute suspected Al Qaeda-linked members and actively cooperate with foreign governments to diminish the transnational terrorist threat. A Spanish court convicted 18 individuals in September 2005 for their role in supporting Al Qaeda, and Spanish police disrupted numerous Islamist extremist cells operating in the country. The trial against 29 people for their alleged participation in the Madrid March 11, 2004 terrorist attack started in February 2007. One of the 29 was absolved during the trial. The prosecutor asked for sentences as high as 30,000 years of jail for some of them. In October 2007 three of the suspects were convicted of murder for their roles in the 2004 attack and received over 42,000 years in prison. Overall, 21 of 28 defendants were found guilty of some offense for their role in the bombings. In July 2008 the Spanish Supreme Court announced the acquittal on appeal of four of the 21 convicted defendants. The Supreme Court also upheld the lower court's acquittal of the suspected mastermind of the attacks, agreeing with the lower court's decision that because he had already been sentenced in Italy for belonging to a terrorist organization he could not be tried for the same crime twice. In a separate case, the Supreme Court overturned 14 of the 20 convictions, and reduced four other sentences, of a cell sentenced in February 2008 for plotting to truck-bomb the National Court.
In January 2008, Spanish authorities in Barcelona arrested 14 people believed to be connected to a Pakistani terrorist cell allegedly sympathetic to Al Qaeda. The group, potentially linked to Islamic terrorist activities, was believed to be on the verge of a terrorist bombing campaign against Barcelona's transportation network and possibly other targets in Europe. An informant working for the French intelligence services notified Spanish authorities of the pending attack.
In 2009, ETA marked its 50th anniversary with a series of high-profile and deadly bombings. On July 29, ETA detonated an explosive-laden, stolen van outside a Civil Guard barracks in Burgos. The blast injured more than 60 Civil Guards, spouses, and children. The following day, ETA murdered two Civil Guards in Mallorca with a car bomb. ETA had claimed its first victim of the year weeks earlier when it used a car bomb on June 19 to assassinate a national police officer in the Basque Region.
Also in 2009, the Basque regional government underwent a change of administration. The Socialist Party, under Patxi Lopez's regional leadership, assumed power as the first non-Basque nationalist government to administer the Basque country since the restoration of democracy in Spain three decades earlier. Lopez's administration implemented a more unequivocal counterterrorism policy to confront ETA. Meanwhile, Spain was pleased to see that the European Court of Human Rights in June upheld Spain's 2003 ban on the political party Batasuna for its ties to ETA.
Principal Government Officials
Chief of State, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces--King Juan Carlos I
President of the Government (Prime Minister)--Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero
Minister of Foreign Affairs--Miguel Angel Moratinos
Ambassador to the United States--D. Jorge Dezcallar
Spain maintains an embassy in the United States at 2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 (tel. 202-452-0100) and nine consulates in U.S. cities.
Spain's accession to the European Community--now European Union (EU)--in January 1986 required the country to open its economy to trade and investment, modernize its industrial base, improve infrastructure, and revise economic legislation to conform to EU guidelines.
These measures helped the economy grow rapidly over the next two decades. Unemployment fell from 23% in 1986 to a low point of 8% in mid-2007. The adoption of the euro in 2002 greatly reduced interest rates, spurring a housing boom that further fueled growth. The strong euro also encouraged Spanish firms to invest in the United States, where several Spanish firms have significant investments in banking, insurance, wind and solar power, biofuels, road construction, food, and other sectors. The end of the housing boom in 2007 and the international financial crisis led to a recession that began in the second quarter of 2008. Housing sales and construction declined dramatically, and the unemployment rate was more than 20% in the first quarter of 2010, the second-highest in the European Union after Latvia.
The Spanish economy grew by 0.1% in the first quarter of 2010, the first positive growth in 2 years. This is mostly attributed to an increase of public demand, while private demand dropped. The GDP growth for all of 2010 is predicted to be slightly negative. The budget deficit has been growing rapidly since the Zapatero government introduced high spending on public works and unemployment benefits to combat the recession, though the debt-to-GDP ratio is low due to a surplus maintained several years before 2008. The EU, IMF, and U.S. urged Spain to take the steps necessary to restore confidence in the Spanish economy. In May 2010, the Zapatero government introduced austerity reforms aimed at reducing the fiscal deficit to sustainable levels that reduced government employees' salaries, froze pension funds, and suspended public works. This legislation is designed to reduce the deficit to 7% of GDP in 2011, and Spain has pledged to reduce it to below 3% by 2013. In mid-June, the government issued a decree implementing labor market reform to reduce rigidity in hiring and firing workers. Due largely to outstanding bad loans to the construction sector, Spanish regional saving banks (cajas) have been undergoing a series of mergers to increase liquidity and put the sector on a sound footing.
After the return of democracy following the death of General Franco in 1975, Spain's foreign policy priorities were to break out of the diplomatic isolation of the Franco years and expand diplomatic relations, enter the European Community, and define security relations with the West. Spain assumed the EU presidency in January 2010 and finished its term in June 2010. As a member of NATO since 1982, Spain has established itself as a major participant in multilateral international security activities. Spain's EU membership represents an important part of its foreign policy. Even on many international issues beyond Western Europe, Spain prefers to coordinate its efforts with its EU partners through the European political cooperation mechanism.
With the normalization of diplomatic relations with Israel and Albania in 1986, Spain virtually completed the process of universalizing its diplomatic relations. The only country with which it now does not have diplomatic relations is North Korea.
Spain has maintained its special identification with Latin America. Its policy emphasizes the concept of Hispanidad, a mixture of linguistic, religious, ethnic, cultural, and historical ties binding Spanish-speaking America to Spain. Spain has been an effective example of transition from authoritarianism to democracy, as shown in the many trips that Spain's King and Prime Ministers have made to the region. Spain maintains economic and technical cooperation programs and cultural exchanges with Latin America, both bilaterally and within the EU.
Spain also continues to focus attention on North Africa, especially on Morocco, a source of much of Spain's large influx of legal and illegal immigrants over the past 10 years. This concern is dictated by geographic proximity and long historical contacts and more recently by immigration trends, as well as by the two Spanish enclave cities of Ceuta and Melilla on the northern coast of Africa. While Spain's departure from its former colony of Western Sahara ended direct Spanish participation in Morocco, it maintains an interest in the peaceful resolution of the conflict brought about there by decolonization. These issues were highlighted by a crisis in 2002, when Spanish forces evicted a small contingent of Moroccans from a tiny islet off Morocco's coast following that nation's attempt to assert sovereignty over the island.
Meanwhile, Spain has gradually begun to broaden its contacts with Sub-Saharan Africa. It has a particular interest in its former colony of Equatorial Guinea, where it maintains a large aid program.
In relations with the Arab world, Spain has sought to promote European-Mediterranean dialogue. Spain strongly supports the EU's Union for the Mediterranean (formerly called the Barcelona Process) to expand dialogue and trade between Europe and the nations of North Africa and the Middle East, including Israel. Barcelona will serve as the headquarters of the new Union for the Mediterranean proposed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007.
Spain has been successful in managing its relations with its three European neighbors, France, Andorra, and Portugal. The accession of Spain and Portugal to the EU has helped ease some of their periodic trade frictions by putting these into an EU context. Franco-Spanish bilateral cooperation is enhanced by joint action against Basque ETA terrorism. Ties with the United Kingdom are generally good, although the question of Gibraltar remains a sensitive issue.
Spain and the United States have a long history of official relations and are closely associated in many fields. In addition to U.S. and Spanish cooperation in NATO, defense and security relations between the two countries are regulated by the Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement signed on September 26, 1953 and the 1989 Agreement on Defense Cooperation, revised in 2003. Under this agreement, Spain authorized the United States to use certain facilities at Spanish military installations.
The two countries also cooperate in several other important areas. The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Spanish National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA) jointly operate the Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex in support of Earth orbital and solar system exploration missions. The Madrid Complex is one of the three largest tracking and data acquisition complexes comprising NASA's Deep Space Network.
An agreement on cultural and educational cooperation was signed on June 7, 1989. A new element, support by both the public and private sectors, gave a different dimension to the programs carried out by the joint committee for cultural and educational cooperation. These joint committee activities complement the binational Fulbright program for graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and visiting professors, which is among the largest in the world and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2008. Besides assisting in these exchange endeavors, the U.S. Embassy also conducts a program of educational, professional, and cultural exchanges, as well as hosting high-level official visits between officials from Spain and the United States.
Spain and the U.S. are strong allies in the fight against terrorism.
Principal U.S. Embassy Officials
Ambassador--Alan Solomont
Deputy Chief of Mission--Arnold Chacon
Counselor for Management Affairs--Kim Deblauw
Counselor for Agricultural Affairs--Robert Hanson
Counselor for Commercial Affairs--Ellen Lenny-Pessagno
Counselor for Consular Affairs--Peggy Gennatiempo
Counselor for Economic Affairs--Stephen Liston
Counselor for Political Affairs--Elaine Samson
Counselor for Public Affairs--Thomas Genton
Chief, Office of Defense Cooperation--Captain S. Jeff Tappan, USN
Defense Attaché--Captain Stuart Bailey, USN
Drug Enforcement Administration Attache--Richard Bendekovic
NASA Representative--vacant
Regional Security Officer--Lisa Grice
Consul General Barcelona--Greggory Crouch
DHS, Customs and Border Protection, Container Security Initiative--Cecilio Gonzalez
DHS, Transportation Security Administration--Tere Franceschi
DHS, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement--Alex Alonso
DHS, U.S. Secret Service--William Cachinero
Legal Attache--Peter Moore
The U.S. Embassy is located at Serrano, 75, 28006 Madrid (tel. 34-91-587-2200; fax 34-91-587-2303). Consulate General, Barcelona, Paseo Reina Elisenda 23, Barcelona 08034 (tel. 34-93-280-2227; fax 34-93-205-5206). The Embassy website is http://madrid.usembassy.gov.


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By TENNILLE TRACYWASHINGTON -- The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday said it is moving forward with a mandate for corn ethanol in gasoline, denying requests to waive the requirement following a drought that pushed up corn prices.
The EPA said Friday it hadn't found any evidence that its renewable fuel standard is causing economic harm. The agency said suspending the standard would reduce corn prices by only 1%.
"We recognize that this year's drought has created hardship in some sectors of the economy, particularly for livestock producers," Gina McCarthy, EPA's air chief, said in a statement. "But our extensive analysis makes clear that congressional requirements for a waiver have not been met and that waiving the RFS will have little, if any, impact."
Cattle ranchers and dairy farmers, who use corn to feed cattle, have complained for several months that the ethanol mandate was driving up demand for dwindling supplies of corn.
"We are extremely frustrated and discouraged that EPA chose to ignore the clear economic argument from tens of thousands of family farmers and livestock and poultry producers," a coalition of agriculture groups said Friday.
Due to drought conditions in the Midwest, the Agriculture Department predicts this year's corn crop will be the smallest in six years.
In August, the governors of Arkansas and North Carolina formally asked the EPA to waive the standard, triggering a 90-day review by the agency.
The EPA is requiring refiners this year to blend 13 billion gallons of corn-based ethanol into the nation's gasoline supply under a mandate adopted by Congress in 2005 to reduce US dependence on foreign oil. The requirement is expected to jump to nearly 14 billion gallons in 2013.
Ethanol producers applauded EPA's decision to keep the ethanol mandate in place. "A waiver would have likely had little to no impact on commodities prices," said Jeff Lautt, chief executive for Poet, one of the world's largest ethanol producers.
This is the second time EPA has denied a waiver request for the renewable fuels standard. The agency denied a petition from Texas in 2008.
The American Petroleum Institute, which represents the oil industry, said the EPA "applied an improper and unnecessary high bar" when determining whether the standard should be suspended.
The livestock industry says ethanol producers exacerbate problems caused by the drought by consuming 40% of the nation's corn crop.
The ethanol industry says that number is actually less than 26% after accounting for the high-protein ethanol byproducts used for animal feed. It says that ethanol companies are already producing less this year and that ethanol has a relatively small impact on corn prices. Dow Jones Newswires


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Wine Wednesday: Where I'd like be tasting wine today–the Black Rock Wine Cellar
Last year, I hosted two wine tasting events at our camp in Kidsville at Burning Man and attended two others!
via Wine Predator
Last year, I hosted two wine tasting events at our camp in Kidsville at Burning Man and attended two others!
via Wine Predator
Day-colored wine, night-colored wine, wine with purple feet...
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Global wine culture
Wine, Food and History: from the Rhone to Piedmont
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Objects in blog are closer than they appear
A wine blog by Susannah Gold
Adventures & "Bucket" Lists That Keep Life Interesting
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|Type of Event
|Festival, Fair, Exhibition, Show
East El Camino Real
Boca Raton, FL
United States
|First Year of Event
The events include an elaborate Dinner Under the Stars, the transporting Vineyard Party, the exclusive Perfect Pairings, the elegant Grand Tasting and the chic, European influenced Jazz Bubbles and Brunch.
The Boca Raton Wine and Food Festival is South Florida's largest outdoor culinary affair and brings together over 100 South Florida Top Chefs for a weekend of palate pleasing events. Perfect Pairings makes its debut at this year's festival, providing an incredible experience for wine and food aficionados of all levels. This exclusive event will feature tables for each wine varietal, paired with an array of dishes that complement the flavors, acidity and nuances of each wine. Guests will learn about wine and food pairing while indulging in these delicacies; giving them endless entertaining skills.
The festival has also implemented for the first time, The Culinary Team, an extraordinary collaboration of Executive Chef Lee Blakley and four of the country's top chefs. The Culinary Team will manage each hand crafted aspect of this three day, multi-sensory festival. Second year veteran Executive Chef Blakley's pursuit of The Culinary Team will give the festival a enormous stride forward, enabling the details of each event to be managed and executed by culinary experts, setting this festival apart from the rest.
Nov 14, 2014 - Nov 16, 2014


text:
Company Overview:
Duman Workshops operates under the company ownership of Duman Creative LLC
Basis of Rates: All prices and fares are quoted in U.S. dollars. The rates are based on tariffs, currency values, airfares and third-party charges as of catalog publication date and are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances. While Duman Workshops will do everything possible to maintain the listed prices, if it is necessary to levy a surcharge, Duman Workshops reserves the right to do so, and notification will be given at the time of final invoicing.
Eligibility: Participation in a Duman Workshops for anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian for the entire journey.
Included in Expedition Cost: Accommodations and meals as indicated in the itinerary; educational materials; pre-departure information; entrance fees, excursions, and sightseeing noted as included in the itinerary; all gratuities except those for train or ship's crew, unless otherwise noted on the itinerary page; ground transportation during the expedition; transfers to and from group flights where applicable; services of Duman Workshops experts and/or local guides, lecturers, expedition leaders, and any other staff; and taxes, port charges, baggage handling, and service charges.
Not Included: Air transportation and related fees (except as indicated in the itinerary); activities noted as optional in the itinerary; gratuities for transportation crew, unless otherwise noted on the itinerary page; passport, visa, and permit expenses; medical expenses and immunizations; baggage/accident/cancellation insurance; personal expenses, such as laundry, telephone calls, and alcoholic beverages; and any other items not specifically noted as included.
Single/Shared Accommodations: A limited number of single rooms are available at an extra cost on a first-come, first-served basis.
Payments, Cancellations, and Refunds: To reserve space on a Duman Workshops Expedition, a 50% deposit is required. Final payment is due no later than 60 days prior to departure. A participant's reservation may be canceled if full payment has not been received by 60 days prior to departure. For reservations made within 60 days of the departure date, full payment is required when the reservation is accepted. All cancellation notices must be received in writing and will become effective as of the date of the postmark. If a participant cancels 75 days or more prior to departure, a full refund of the deposit will be made. Per-person charges for cancellations that occur less than 75 days prior to departure ("Cancellation Penalty Period") are as follows: 61-74 days prior to departure: 100% of the deposit amount; 45-60 days prior to departure: 15% of the expedition cost; 44 or fewer days prior to departure: 75% of the expedition cost. This policy also applies to pre- and post-expedition extensions. Any revisions made within the Cancellation Penalty Period, such as a change in departure date or choice of expedition, are subject to this cancellation policy. Any airline tickets issued are subject to the carrier's refund policy. Arriving late or leaving an expedition in progress, for any reason whatsoever, will not result in a refund, and no refunds will be made for any unused portions of an expedition. Duman Workshops reserves the right to cancel any expedition because of inadequate enrollment that makes the expedition economically infeasible to operate or because of good-faith concerns with respect to the safety, health, or welfare of the participants. If an expedition is canceled prior to departure, the tour operator will provide participants with a full refund of monies paid to the tour operator; except in the event that the cancellation is due to a significant event that makes it infeasible to operate the expedition as planned, in which case the tour operator will provide participants with a refund and/or credit toward a future Duman Workshops equivalent to monies paid to the tour operator. If Duman Workshops cancels the expedition in progress, participants will receive a prorated refund based on the number of days not completed on the expedition. Except as outlined above when Duman Workshops cancels an expedition, Duman Workshops and its designated tour operator has no responsibility for any expenses, including any non-refundable expenses, incurred by participants in preparing for a cancelled expedition or for any additional arrangements should participants embark prior to the scheduled group departure date.
Itinerary Changes: The itineraries and staff presented in the catalog or on the website are subject to modification and change by Duman Workshops or its designated tour operator. Every reasonable effort will be made to operate programs as planned, but alterations may still occur after final itineraries are sent.
Documentation: Participants are responsible for obtaining any documents required for their participation in the expedition such as a valid passport, all visas, vaccination certificates, and any other documents. Failure to obtain documents does not negate the terms and conditions, and any extra costs incurred for rerouting due to travel without the necessary documents will be the participant's responsibility.
Health Requirements: Participants must be in good physical and mental health. Any physical condition, diet, or treatment requiring special attention must be reported in writing when the reservation is made. Duman Workshops encourages participants to consult a doctor for specific medical advice about any activities or destinations. Certain expeditions may require that the participant obtain medical consent prior to departure as a condition of participation.
Medical Authorization and Coverage: In the event participant becomes sufficiently incapacitated as to be unable to direct his or her own care, there is no one on the expedition who can direct participant's care, and Duman Workshops is unable or does not have time to contact participant's emergency contact, the participant, by registering and paying a deposit for a Duman Workshops expedition, authorizes any medical treatment deemed necessary in the event of any injury or illness while participating in the activity including, but not limited to, X-ray, examination, anesthetic, medical or surgical diagnosis, or treatment and hospital care which is deemed advisable by, and is to be rendered under the general or specific supervision of, any physician and/or surgeon licensed in the United States, or, if in a foreign country and no physician licensed to practice in the United States is reasonably available, by a duly licensed physician deemed competent to render the necessary care. In addition, the participant certifies that they have medical insurance which will cover personal accidents, medical expenses, medical evacuation, air ambulance, loss of effects, repatriation costs and all other expenses which might arise as a result of loss, damage, injury, delay or inconvenience occurring to the participant, or that in the absence of this medical insurance coverage, the participant agrees to pay all costs of rescue and/or medical services as may be incurred on the participant's behalf.
Photography: Duman Workshops and its designated tour operator and expedition leader reserve the right to take photographs or videos during the operation of any expedition or part thereof and to use the resulting photography, videos, or recordings for promotional or commercial use. By making a reservation on a Duman Workshops Expedition, the participant agrees to allow his/her likeness to be used by Duman Workshops and the tour operator without compensation to the participant. If the participant prefers that his/her likeness not be used, he/she must notify us in writing prior to departure of the expedition.
Copyright in all photographs, video, and related materials created by the participant ("Expedition Materials") shall belong to the participant upon creation. The participant grants to Duman Workshops a non-exclusive, worldwide, irrevocable license to use any Expedition Materials provided to Duman Workshops and/or the tour operator in any media for the following limited purposes: editorial use, promotion of this editorial use, promotion of Duman Workshop's travel programs, or promotion of the mission of Duman Workshops.
Dispute Resolution: If the participant has a complaint, he/she should first inform the tour operator or expedition leader while on the expedition so that the tour operator or expedition leader can attempt to rectify the matter. If the participant is still dissatisfied, he/she should submit the complaint in writing to Duman Workshops Expeditions within 30 days of the completion of the expedition. Any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement, brochures, or any other literature concerning this expedition, or the breach thereof, including without limitation any claim related to illness, injury, or death, shall be subject to the following conditions: 1) the dispute will be governed by California law; 2) the parties agree that they will attempt in good faith to settle any and all disputes arising out of, under or in connection with this Agreement, including without limitation the validity, interpretation, performance and breach hereof, through a process of mediation in California under the supervision of a mutually agreed upon mediator; 3) in the event that mediation fails to settle such a dispute, the parties agree that they will proceed to arbitration in California using one arbitrator pursuant to the then existing rules of the American Arbitration Association; 4) the maximum amount of recovery to which a participant will be entitled under any and all circumstances will be the published cost of the participant's expedition with Duman Workshops. This agreement to arbitrate does not waive or modify any liability release agreed by the participant.


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The Single Vamp illustration shows the basic true moccasin construction — which is the only way a moccasin can be made to be a genuine moccasin. Note the continuous piece of leather (the vamp) which forms a sort of "hammock" to adjust itself comfortably to the shape of the foot.
The main reason for a double vamp is to keep out water. No moccasin leather boot does a better job of this than Russell. Silicone treatments fall far short because a needle hole is still a hole — and water will get through. Russell's double vamp construction blocks water passage through all needle holes and seams.
The cut away Triple Vamp clearly illustrates the foot surrounded by three layers of leather with no two seams facing one another. Water penetration is completely blocked. Before the outer molded sole is sewn on a rubber or leather midsole is attached but the stitching to attach it is blocked by the smooth inner vamp. Various outersoles (depending upon the style) are then attached.
It takes many years of training for a Russell bootmaker to acquire the skills necessary to construct a genuine pair of moccasin boots or shoes. And there is a good reason for this: all true moccasin construction is a far more intricate process than normal bootmakers care to contend with. The resulting product is more comfortable...more durable...and more satisfying to wear than any conventional pair of boots or shoes you will ever own.
Not only are Russells made in the true moccasin style, they are hand sewn by master craftsmen who must be consistent with every stitch they make.
Each pair of Russell boots and shoes is hand lasted, meaning, leather is stretched over a last like this one, that conforms to the shape of your foot. Your shoe or boot is built around the last. Your foot is cradled all around and under foot by up to three layers of the finest leather. A Russell boot or shoe will mold itself to the exact shape of your foot and toes for unparalleled comfort.
At each stage of the production cycle, pairs of boots and shoes are attended to in various hand operations, making mass production methods impossible at Russell.One of the amazing benefits of this extra work, hand lasting and true moccasin construction is that bones in your feet and your toes can move independently and freely as they were intended to.
Your foot is not "constricted". The need to "break in" conventional shoes is the result of pressure points being applied to your foot. True moccasin construction, combined with custom made to measure Russell techniques, results in boots and shoes that can literally be worn right out of the box.


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Our View
Voters in Jackson County, Ore., will this May decide whether they are pro-choice. They will decide whether a farmer has the right to choose which crop to grow without someone from the county government showing up and forcing him to tear out his crop. Though he may have successfully grown the crop for years, that won't matter. For him, his right to choose will have evaporated, courtesy of a vote of the people.
On the ballot is Measure 15-119, which would ban growing genetically modified crops in the county. Proponents say they just can't get along with other farmers who grow GMO crops and therefore the other guys should be banned. It is a case of trying to elevate a personal problem to public policy.
No matter how you look at it, having voters dictate what shall and shall not be grown in the county is illogical. Farming requires a high level of knowledge about crops, soil and climate to choose a crop that will be successful and profitable. To hand that decision over to a random voter in Ashland or anywhere else makes no sense whatsoever. It turns the science of agriculture into a political football.
GMOs have been shown to be safe, successful and profitable. Though the drumbeat continues that they are somehow unsafe, that position is not backed up by anything other than assertions from those who hope to profit by sowing suspicion and conspiracy theories.
If county voters can ban a legal crop such as genetically modified alfalfa, what can't they ban? The illiterate may demand that no works by Shakespeare be performed in Ashland. Where is this to stop?
The initiative before voters doesn't regulate GMOs, it bans them and requires all farmers everywhere to submit to the power of county officials.
There are many ways to solve whatever real or perceived problems exist in Jackson County. The easiest doesn't require a vote of the people. It requires that neighboring farmers sit down and consider how best to prevent cross-pollination between their crops. A cup of coffee, a plat map and a little common sense are all that's required.
It doesn't take a county official to figure that out. Right now, in 50 states, farmers have already figured this out. The good farmers in Jackson County can certainly do the same.
Other ways of getting along are also under consideration, including insurance that would indemnify organic or other farmers whose crops have been accidentally cross-pollinated.
And don't let the activists fool you. Ask them for proof of the "evils" of GMOs and ask the tough questions. The "proof" boils down to interesting but unproven theories.
And be not mistaken. We're not pro- or anti-GMO, just as we're not pro- or anti-pro-organic. We're pro-farmer. We believe there's enough good earth for all farmers to grow all types of crops.


text:
No one was sure that XCOM: Enemy Unknown would please fans of the original X-Com. The remake's lead designer Jake Solomon counts himself amongst the devotees of Microprose's sci-fi strategy game and even he wasn't certain the team at Firaxis could recapture the appeal of the original.
So, Solomon was understandably chuffed when he heard that X-Com creator Julian Gollop offered praise for the new game. Word of this approval comes from a Eurogamer article, where Gollop says:
"I think Firaxis has done a great job… The game is addictive and absorbing, not to mention quite challenging on the classic difficulty setting."
And Solomon's response is pretty much what you'd expect:
"That's good, man. The guy's a legend. It's a weird situation. You know he's still out there, you know he's going to end up playing it - and you just admire the guy so much."
Gollop finds himself in a similar position as he's working on a new version of 1985's Chaos. Remakes will come and go and quality will vary but it's nice to see creators of different eras able to appreciate and build off of what happens in the past and present.


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The third month of 2014 set a torrid pace of contract awards with Washington Technology covering 65 awards for the month, 20 more than the 43 covered in February.
To make the list, you had to have won a contract worth more than $104 million.
This month was especially good for both Raytheon and SAIC, as both companies nabbed two spots on the top 10.
Also notable is PAE's Navy contract award, which it owed to its acquisition of CSC's Applied Technologies business last year. That deal won PAE the "best divestiture of 2013" title in our recent breakdown of the best M&A deals of 2013.
For more contract announcements like these, visit our new contract database containing all of Washington Technology's contract write ups since January 2013
The top awards for March kicks off at number 10:
10. Boeing wins $104M DARPA project to lower satellite launch costs
The Boeing Co. was awarded a $104 million defense contract to advance small satellite launch systems.
9. Three companies awarded $119M USPTO contract
Three companies will take part in a five-year, $119 million contract to support the Patent and Trademark Office's IT initiatives.
AEEC of Reston, Va., eGlobal Tech of Arlington, Va., and Octo Consulting of McLean, Va., received the award. They will provide independent, objective, and expert technical advice and assistance for the office's ongoing and future IT initiatives.
8. PAE nabs $167.6M contract to provide O&M, logistics to Navy
PAE's acquisition of CSC's Applied Technologies business continues to pay off, winning the company a $167.6 million contract to meet the Navy's operations maintenance and logistics needs.
7. Raytheon wins $199.7M contract for minehunting systems
Raytheon Co. has won a $199.7 million contract to provide the Navy with sonar systems and other equipment for hunting mines.
6. SAIC wins $221M Army task order for lifecycle IT support
Science Applications International Corp. has won a $221 million task order to provide lifecycle information technology support to the U.S. Army Human Resources Command.
5. Six win $461M contract to support Army PEO information systems
Six companies have won a $461 million contract to provide program management in support of the Army's Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems.
The winners are:
4. Raytheon wins $655M Patriot contract with Kuwait
Raytheon Co. has won a $655 million contract to produce fire units of the Patriot Air and Missile Defense System for Kuwait.
3. Northrop wins $750M contract support ballistic missile defense system
Northrop Grumman has won a $750 million contract with the Missile Defense Agency to provide research, development, test and evaluation services to the Ballistic Missile Defense System.
2. SAIC scores $836M Army task order for professional, engineering services
SAIC has won an $836 million task order to provide professional and engineering support services to the Army Aviation & Missile Research Development & Engineering Center Software Engineering Directorate.
1. Air Force makes $5.8B in NetCents awards
Twelve companies have won Air Force NetCents 2 contracts for network operation and infrastructure solutions.
The awards were made under a small business competition that pulled in 29 bids.
The winning companies are:
About the Author
Mark Hoover is a senior staff writer with Washington Technology. You can contact him at email@example.com, or connect with him on Twitter at @mhooverWT.
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