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Division of Strategy and Policy Staff
Andrew P. Kelly, Ph.D
Senior Vice President for Strategy and Policy | 919-962-6082
Dr. Andrew Kelly serves as the Senior Vice President for Strategy and Policy. Kelly leads the newly formed Division of Strategy and Policy which is charged with enhancing and furthering the UNC system's strategic goals. In addition to serving as a higher-education policy expert to the President and the Board of Governors, he is tasked with developing a robust performance measurement system and proactively identifying new initiatives to promote system goals.
Prior to joining UNC, Kelly was a resident scholar in education policy studies and the Founding Director of the Center on Higher Education Reform at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). In his roles, Dr. Kelly conducted research on college affordability innovation in higher education and federal and state policy and advised members of congress, state policy makers and presidential candidates. Kelly has published work in academic journals and in popular outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Chronicle of Higher Education, Education Week, The Atlantic, and National Review.
Dr. Kelly is a summa cum laude graduate of Dartmouth College, where he earned a degree in history. He holds a master's degree and Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, Berkeley.
Cameron Howell, Ph.D
Vice President for Strategic Initiatives | 919-962-2228
Dr. Cameron Howell is Vice President for Strategic Initiatives in UNC's Strategy and Policy Division. He analyzes and advances policy on behalf of UNC, while assisting UNC institutions with the management of accountability measures designed to assess progress toward the fulfillment of UNC's Strategic Plan.
Howell's professional career and graduate studies have focused on higher education. He served as Director of Strategic Planning at the University of South Carolina before joining the staff of UNC. In other previous roles, Howell was Assistant Vice President for Higher Education Development at the National Student Clearinghouse and Assistant to the President at the University of Virginia.
Howell earned his undergraduate degree at Washington and Lee University. He completed masters and doctoral degrees at the University of Virginia—where his studied assessment, policy, and economics as these apply to colleges and universities.
Shun Robertson, Ph.D
Assistant Vice President for Policy Development and Analysis | 919-962-5663
Dr. Shun Robertson serves as a state policy expert for the Strategy and Policy Division, researching key higher education issues to advance the system's strategic goals.
Prior to joining UNC, Robertson was a program director at MDC and Jobs for the Future, providing senior-level policy and research support to education and community-based projects. She also served as a policy analyst for the South Carolina Technical College System (SCTCS). In her role with SCTCS, Robertson provided ongoing analysis of education and economic trends affecting community colleges. She also has several years of experience working in admissions offices at colleges in Georgia and South Carolina.
Dr. Robertson received her bachelor of science in business administration and doctorate in educational administration from the University of South Carolina; and her master of business administration from Augusta State University. She earned a certificate in nonprofit administration from Duke University.
Julie Kowal
Associate Vice President of P12 Strategy and Policy | 919-966-9523
Julie Kowal is Associate Vice President of P12 Strategy and Policy and head of the P12 Policy & Partnerships Division at the UNC System Office. She serves as a P12 policy expert to senior University leaders and the primary liaison to North Carolina's public schools, and supports educator preparation programs across the system to strengthen the P12 educator pipeline.
Prior to joining UNC, Kowal served as Vice President of Policy and Research at BEST NC, a business-led education advocacy organization focused on improving teacher and principal quality in North Carolina public schools. In that role, she led the organization's research agenda and championed the development of nation-leading approaches to teacher and principal preparation. Prior to BEST NC, Kowal worked nationally in education policy and management consulting, advising federal and state policymakers and non-profit leaders on P12 teacher and leader talent and school governance, and publishing more than a dozen nationally-distributed reports.
Ms. Kowal received her bachelor's degree in literature and language from the University of North Carolina - Asheville and her law degree, with honors, from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill.
Elizabeth Reilley
Director of Data Analysis and Policy Research | 919-962-4549
Elizabeth Reilley serves as the Director of Data Analysis and Policy Research in the Strategy and Policy Division at the UNC System Office. In this role, she analyzes and summarizes data and researches issues in higher education in support of the UNC System's Strategic Plan and other relevant policy initiatives. Prior to joining the Strategy and Policy Division, Reilley worked in data warehousing in Information Technology at the UNC System helping to implement technology solutions that are related to data and reporting needs such as the Student Data Mart, Reverse Transfer, Academic Program Inventory, and many others. She has worked in a variety of other roles in higher education including positions in admissions, career services, marketing, and student affairs assessment. Reilley received her bachelor of arts in philosophy and community and justice studies from Guilford College and her master of business administration from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in educational research, measurement, and evaluation from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She also is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP)® and ScrumMaster® (CSM).
Sherri Cloyd
Executive Assistant | 919-962-6082


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subset: commoncrawl


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After a hugely successful first year, the Burbank YMCA again will host the "Turkey Trot" fundraiser on Thanksgiving Day, with proceeds earmarked to help pay the cost of memberships for people who could not otherwise afford them.
Philip DiNova, the YMCA's Financial Development Director, said he expects 1,500 people, including Mayor Jess Talamantes, to take part in the run.
Last year, DiNova said, the YMCA raised $400,000 from the Turkey Trot and with that money, was able to reduce the cost of memberships for 1,800 people.
Depending on the individual or family, DiNova said, people can receive anywhere from 10% to 90% off the cost of membership through the financial assistance program.
"We don't turn anyone away," DiNova said.
A family membership to the YMCA costs $84 per month, or $56 per month per single adult.
The 5K and 10K run begins at 8 a.m. Nov. 24 at the YMCA at 321 E. Magnolia Blvd. Runners and walkers will make their way down Third Street, around the Cambridge Park Recreation Center and back to the YMCA.


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One could write the history of Christianity as a series of efforts by some of the greatest human beings who ever lived to rescue Christ from Christians. We're now treated to the baleful effects of dogmatic, intolerant fundamentalism in Islam and, now, in Judaism, all three of the Abrahamic religions. An eight year old girl, walking to religious instruction, was spat upon in Israel by ultra-orthodox Jews holding her insufficiently covered. And, too, they demand separation of the sexes on buses and elsewhere in the public sphere. Things have gotten bad enough that an orthodox rabbi takes them to task in the Times this morning:
...It seems, then, that a religious tenet that begins with men's sexual thoughts ends with men controlling women's bodies.
This is not a problem unique to Judaism. But the Talmud, the basis for Jewish law, offers a perhaps surprising answer: It places the responsibility for controlling men's licentious thoughts about women squarely on the men.
Put more plainly, the Talmud says: It's your problem, sir; not hers...
So the responsibility is now on the women. To protect men from their sexual thoughts, women must remove their femininity from their public presence, ridding themselves of even the smallest evidence of their own sexuality.
All of this is done in the name of the Torah and Jewish law.
But it's actually a complete perversion. The Talmud, the foundation of Jewish law, acknowledges that men can be sexually aroused by women and is indeed concerned with sexual thoughts and activity outside of marriage. But it does not tell women that men's sexual urges are their responsibility. Rather, both the Talmud and the later codes of Jewish law make that demand of men.
Just about every belief system, or absence of belief, that human beings have ever come up with can coexist with humanism, decency, generosity, courage and love, or with bigotry, dogmatism, hatred, greed and lust for power over others. Naziism, and other ideologies based on racism, are perhaps an exception, and they, too, have arisen out of a religious as well as an atheistic framework. In so noting, I take issue with Sam Harris and other militant atheists, who hold even liberal religion as oxymoronic, inevitably legitimizing fundamentalist evil. Liberal religious believers have, in fact, fought evil in their religion's name for thousands of years, with courage and at the risk or cost of their own lives. Some have even held Jesus Himself such a one.
The vitally important lesson of Naziism is that we all, all of us, being human, can be Nazis, and that we must recognise and fight that, accepting that none of us is immune to the temptations of evil. The first thought should never be about the failings of others, but, rather, of those of oneself. That, too, is a lesson of the history of just about any religion. Liberal believers, and liberal unbelievers, can share a common ground worth defending, one which recognises a common humanity even amongst pagans, in Israel, in Saudi Arabia and in the United States. During the Republican primary season, the appalling rhetoric over abortion and the rights of women and gays remind me, yet again, that American exceptionalism doesn't extend to proof against the evils of belief. And reviling all Jews, or Christians, or Muslims, based on their fundamentalists' rhetoric and actions, is not only wrong on its face, but extends and ossifies the hatred which allows spitting on children, and sometimes killing them.


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Sure Fit strives on bringing pet-friendly homes and automobiles stylish solutions. All the covers being offered are machine washable. That's a added benefit for pet owners.
Good Luck!!


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Friday, October 31, 2014
Happy Halloween!
This week, I'm loving photos of pumpkins. These are the last of the patch from Jockey Hollow's colonial garden.
Posted by Stacy at 8:30 AM No comments:
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Favorite Places
Over the weekend, T and I made a trip to Jockey Hollow, the place where we had our first date. Things are lovely there this time of year.
We took a walk in the colonial garden planted at the farm and T reminded me that the first time we visited this garden, I sampled a gooseberry. I'd never eaten one before and all those years of reading about gooseberries in English cozy novels tempted me to try. Let's just say that I now know why gooseberries need a lot of sugar. Let's further note that T requested a second date after she knew I was the sort of woman to eat strange items growing in someone else's garden.
This time around, the gooseberries are well past season, but we saw plants that thrive in the cooler weather. There was mint, still abundant in the cooler fall weather.
And parsley.
The pumpkins had mostly been picked.
There was charming broom corn, which I've never seen before.
Then we made the walk to the apple orchard. This time, I got a kiss under one of those trees.
That's happy!
Posted by Stacy at 8:30 AM No comments:
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Your Weekly Dogwood: October 29
As predicted, it took just one windy storm to clear most of the red leaves off of the dogwood tree. Now the morning view of my dogwood from the back window doesn't offer much color. Outside, it's clear that just a few more leaves remain.
Old man tree has also gotten in on the fall action in a big way.
The forecast calls for a cold snap this weekend but the rest of the week promises a few more days of the pleasant fall we have been enjoying for the last few weeks. I love these days of blue sky and the light in the sunrises and sunsets. I'm embracing them before the cold arrives to stay.
Posted by Stacy at 8:30 AM No comments:
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
This past weekend, T and I made trip to one of our favorite places in New Jersey. On the way home, we stopped by the madness that is a New Jersey apple and pumpkin farm on the weekend before Halloween. Amongst the chaos, the pile of pumpkins charmed me.
That's happy!
Posted by Stacy at 8:30 AM No comments:
Monday, October 27, 2014
Tricks and Treats
Halloween decorations at Sassafras House made their appearance soon after the lights went up on the porch. It's not really scary, though visitors are warned.
And another by the front door.
On the table are pumpkins and mums with a ghost and a Halloween cat. I may carve the pumpkins before the trick-or-treaters arrive on Friday evening or I might just set out lights. Either way, we've laid in a supply of candy and little ghosts and goblins are welcome at our door.
Happy Halloween!
Posted by Stacy at 8:30 AM No comments:
Labels: front porch, Halloween, me
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Finding Hope
The other night as I was moving laundry from the washer to the dryer, I had the idol thought that the third laundry basket I bought a few weeks ago makes this process easier. After I carried the laundry upstairs, I went to my journal and made note of that basket. That seems like a small thing and I guess it is, but it reflects a very big deal for me.
Eight years ago my world blew up and I started life as a single mama. Happiness seemed like it was in painfully short supply. In the midst of the sadness and the heartache that followed I decided that I had better be on the look out for the small blessings in my life. My plan was simple: each day I would find one blessing and honor it. Some days, that blessing seemed damned hard to find. But find it I did. One of things that grew out of my search for blessings was the monthly "About Me" notation to the right on this blog. Regular readers may know that "About Me" changes at the start of every month. The things that I note that "I love" are a list of some of the blessings that make up my life and my world in the last month. They aren't the only blessings in my life; some are small while others are big. Some are shared, others are mine alone.
What they have in common is the fact that they are things that help me to find and embrace happiness. There are no rules for these blessings; they simply are. While I try not to list the same blessings each month, there are some repeats. Some are silly and some are serious. All of them help remind me to look for hope in my world. And when hope seems hard to locate, I have a look at my list and feel just a bit better.
Posted by Stacy at 9:30 AM No comments:
Labels: blessings, changes, daily life, happiness, me
Thursday, October 23, 2014
The Leaf Collection Curve
The past few weeks have brought a lot of leaves down in my yard and though plenty remain, I started collection operations last weekend.
Raking leaves is not a native sport to me, having grown up in California. There, my dealings with leaves were fairly rare and included one time in the 5th grade when a reporter from the local weekly newspaper came to our school and made a picture of girls throwing leaves at the camera. I thought of that this past weekend and had a good laugh because we actually struggled to get that many leaves together to make the picture. In New Jersey, we'd have no trouble finding leaves.
I enjoy the seasons here in New Jersey and they exact their price in the form of leaf-raking in the fall and snow-shoveling in the winter. I am not that neighbor with a powerful leaf-blower and the willingness to remove every leaf from the lawn. But practicality and the desire not to shovel snow and leaves when winter arrives mean that some leaf removal is necessary.
This weekend's shoveling started in the driveway, basically an effort to clear a path for the snowblower when that day comes. This is the after-picture and clearly I'm not done. But it's a start.
The backyard leaves will be raked into the garden when I put it to bed for the season. When I do set out to rake, I organize a goal (this weekend was 6 bigs) so I don't grow to dislike the task. Last weekend, I even rewarded my raking efforts by planting some tulip bulbs when I was done. I'll probably fill another two dozen bags before it's over, but at least I made a dent in the task. And really, given the fact that the first 21 years of my life were spent with no leaf-raking responsibility at all, I'm still well ahead of the leaf-collection curve.
Posted by Stacy at 8:30 AM No comments:
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Your Weekly Dogwood: October 22
We had a frost warning on Sunday evening and the mornings this week have been cool. There are plenty of leaves to be raked in the backyard and given all the green that remains, plenty more will still come down.
The dogwood has begun to drop its leaves. Those that remain are most lovely.
This part of fall, before the very early nights set in and while there is still some warmth in the days, they feel like a lucky break and I am determined to enjoy them before winter takes its hold of us.
Posted by Stacy at 8:30 AM No comments:
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Moment of Fall Zen
Posted by Stacy at 8:30 AM No comments:
Monday, October 20, 2014
Last Call
Last night's weather forecast included a frost alert. I turned on the furnace, poured myself a drink, and then took a walk outside to cut all the flowers that remained. The result was a riot of colors on my countertop.
Vases were readied and this week the dining room table will feature a rather garish display as we say a final goodbye to the summer of 2014.
Naturally, I'm already thinking about what I will plant next spring.
Posted by Stacy at 8:30 AM No comments:
Friday, October 17, 2014
Food Friday: Caramel Pie
Back in my misspent youth, I lived in Nashville where there was a chain of restaurants known as O'Charley's. Among other things, they made something called caramel pie. It was delicious and this week I tried my hand at making it myself. It's easy enough to do but it takes time, so this is a plan-ahead sort of treat to be made the day before you intend to serve it.
2 cans of sweetened condensed milk, wrappers removed
1 graham crack pie crust (you could make your own or just get the Keebler elves to hook you up)
whip cream
chocolate chips
chopped pecans
Fill a large pot of water and drop in both cans of sweetened condensed milk —— unopened —— bring the water to a boil and boil the cans for 3 hours. You will need to check regularly and add water. After three hours, let the cans cool off completely before you open them. This will take 2-3 additional hours (and now you know what I mean by plan-ahead).
Spread the caramel around the graham crust so that the crust is filled. Then refrigerate, preferably overnight. The day you plan to serve the pie, whip the cream. My whip cream formula is to add 2 tablespoons of sugar to each cup of whipped cream I intend to make. I whip the cream for about 2 minutes on high…..but keep a close watch, as this process can go awry.
Cut the pie into slices and plate them. Sprinkle some pecans and chocolate chips on top of each slice. Place a generous dollop of whip cream on the slice of pie.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
The Heart of the Matter
I've been teaching American history and American politics for more than 20 years and I've grown to be experienced at explaining the very complicated story of slavery and race. I say explaining as if I can help students to make sense of America's tangled racial history; that's rather an overstatement. But I can help them to wrap their minds around the ways in which race has played out in our story. I can help them to be aware of these questions as they move into the world.
Nowhere has this task been as difficult as it is at my school. It has nothing to do with the minds of the students I teach. These children are bright and capable. However, the diversity of the school and the racial tolerance the children routinely demonstrate toward one another and expect from the world is a complication. Many of them truly can't imagine that the color of another person's skin would cause you to treat them differently. It seems so obvious that such a view is sheer ignorance that they struggle to understand a world that is intolerant.
If something like slavery in the Americas were as simple to understand as a demand for labor solved by the short-term use of slaves, it might be easier to teach. But of course, that's not at all how it played out. Enslaved people arrived in the American colonies as early as the 1600s and the institution didn't formally end until 1864. We've been living with the legacy of slavery and the racial prejudice that drove it since then. More than 400 years of racial prejudice and animus can't be easily explained away to students who see such views as outdated and ignorant.
So I take time to set the stage for this topic that will run as a significant thread through the American story. In my diverse classrooms we pause to process the feelings that slavery and its legacy generate. Though I wouldn't say that I enter into these conversations easily, I do take for granted my ability to manage them.
Last week, we were at the start of the journey to think about slavery and its legacy in the United States. It's our first go-round with this topic in the 7th grade. They aren't too young to handle it, but the topic is potentially alienating so I had spent some time thinking about where we would start our discussions. We had earlier explored the demand for labor in Jamestown and now it was time to think about the Middle Passage transportation of newly enslaved Africans. We discussed the journey and the horror of the experience. There were thoughtful questions as 12 and 13 year olds began to get their mind around what happened. Things were going well and then one question caught me off-guard. It came from a 12 year old of mixed race parents; a bright, organized, and sensitive student who likes her world in literal and exacting terms. A raised her hand and when it was her turn to speak she looked right at me and with her heart on her sleeve asked, "Didn't anyone understand how wrong it is to treat people this way?"
I paused at this heartfelt question. Then my eyes filled with tears. Because, honestly, isn't this really the heart of the matter? Was there not one passionate leader who could speak to people and lead them to reject the madness that is slavery?
Posted by Stacy at 8:30 AM No comments:
Labels: me, prep school, teaching
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Your Weekly Dogwood: October 15
Fall is upon us in all of its splendor. Despite the fact that this week has brought warmer days, the cool nights seem here to stay. In my yard, there are leaves everywhere underfoot.
The dogwood is afire with red leaves and bright berries.
Some morning soon, I will wake up and find that the dogwood has lost all of its leaves. The day is not yet upon us. For now I plan to enjoy all that the fall has to offer.
Posted by Stacy at 8:30 AM No comments:
Sunday, October 12, 2014
The Pumpkin Season
Almost as soon as I swapped out the summer flowers on the front porch, the weather grew cool enough for me to get some pumpkins and gourds to set out. So I did just that last weekend.
They join the mums and make for a lovely porch to greet us when we come home each afternoon. The older I get, the more I find that embracing the season at hand helps remind me to enjoy the moment I am in right now. That's happy!
Posted by Stacy at 8:30 AM No comments:
Labels: fall, front porch, me, seasons
Friday, October 10, 2014
Bright Idea
Early next month, we'll turn back the clocks. I'll enjoy the extra hour of sleep that weekend but will not enjoy the early darkness that will come the next afternoon. For the next two months, the daylight will get shorter and the sun will be set by 5 pm. That means we'll be coming home in the dark.
As I get older, the less I enjoy shorter days of late fall and early winter. Last December, coming home to twinkling Christmas lights on the porch made the dark cold nights more cheerful. I put those lights up with a timer and that timer can be used year round so this past weekend, T helped me hang some cafe lights on the porch.
Equipped with a timer, they will come on in the late twilight and shut off at dawn.
I could leave the porch light on, of course, but it's not on a timer and it seems lonely to leave the light on all day. The cafe lights won't come on until they are needed and will add some cheer to our evenings when the sunlight is shorter than our days.
It feels good to take command of this; as if I needn't mourn the loss of the longer days and have instead embraced a new way to manage to chilly darkness. That's happy!
Posted by Stacy at 8:30 AM No comments:
Labels: daily life, fall, front porch, home, me, winter
Wednesday, October 08, 2014
Your Weekly Dogwood: October 8
JT is running cross country this fall. Our school competes in a rather large athletic conference so each week this fall I have driven to a new place in the state to watch the boy run. Though most people's impressions of New Jersey feature a picture of noxious fumes spilling from chimney stacks in factories along the 8-lane New Jersey Turnpike, in fact this is a state packed with dense woods. So most journeys to a cross country match feature a drive through the woods. It's a perfect opportunity to take a deep breath and admire the changing season. We aren't quite at peak fall viewing, but as the dogwood in my yard shows, we are well on our way.
Posted by Stacy at 8:30 AM No comments:
Monday, October 06, 2014
Dressed for Success
The Upper School has a dress code which requires that boys wear either a school polo or a shirt and tie with their trousers. Having endured years of complaints about any occasion that required him to wear a tie, I went ahead and acquired several of the necessary polo shirts.
Then JT realized that he could wear a St. Louis Cardinals tie to school and not be in violation of the rules. Said tie was duly acquired. He wore it to class today, convinced that he got one over on the rules.
When the St. Louis front office calls, he'll be ready for the interview.
Posted by Stacy at 8:30 AM No comments:
Sunday, October 05, 2014
Early Fall Porch
The arrival of cooler mornings motivated me to get some mums and make some changes on the front porch, the sort that spell fall. The fall tablecloth, squirrel flag, and the mums I set out last weekend invite in the next season. That's happy!
Posted by Stacy at 8:30 AM No comments:
Labels: fall, front porch, me
Friday, October 03, 2014
Real Life Conversations with JT: Jersey Pride edition
The backstory: Like every place, New Jersey has its own particular culture. It is a running joke in my family that you can't go to a public place in New Jersey without hearing the music of either Bruce Springsteen or Bon Jovi on the radio. In the great Springsteen vs. Bon Jovi debate, we're Bon Jovi people. The other day, JT and I were at a diner (another New Jersey tradition) when the matter of Jersey tunes came up.
JT: Really? We're leaving the diner and now Bon Jovi comes on?
Me: Our timing is poor, son.
This wouldn't have happened if we were natives; the kind of people who ate pork roll or Taylor ham at the diner.
Thursday, October 02, 2014
Your Weekly Dogwood: October 2
The dogwood handed over its Wednesday spot to the front yard flowerbed this week. But even one day late, the tree is well on its way to fall splendor.
The dogwood grows under the protective canopy of old man tree, whose leaves are slower to embrace fall.
So the dogwood leads the way into the colder season, looking more lovely each week.
Posted by Stacy at 8:30 AM No comments:
Wednesday, October 01, 2014
Front Yard Flowerbed: October 1
We are having a rather lovely fall around here and though we are a bit behind on rain, we are way ahead on cool nights and sunny days. The morning chill now requires me to grab a sweater when I take my dawn tour of the garden. The last of the green tomatoes are fighting a mighty battle to ripen before the first frost. The flowers and plants in my flowerbeds look a bit ragged, as if they are ready for a well-earned rest in the months ahead.
But there is splendor of its own in the colors of these days and I am ready to trade in impatiens, geraniums and begonias for mums and pumpkins. The busy squirrels amuse me when I take the time to sit and watch the backyard. I am reminded again that the four seasons provide well-timed reminders to appreciate all that Mother Nature has to offer.
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Now entering our third year, we're excited to announce our incoming class of new and returning members. Our incubator program brings together a cross-disciplinary community of artists, designers, filmmakers, curators, computer scientists, data scientists and entrepreneurs working at the intersection of art, design, and technology to experiment with new models and modes of cultural production. While this new class continues to produce creative work and products inspired by, responding to, or leveraging the tools of emerging technologies like 3-D printing, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence, among others, they are distinguished by doing so with a greater focus on social impact.
Projects this year tackle a range of pressing issues related to pressing social issues such as income inequality, privacy, diversity, the refugee crisis, climate change, and disability, among others. Many of the new ventures take the form of social enterprises, non-profits, and public benefit corporations, and several have a strong focus on serving communities through education.
NEW INC has also introduced a new residency program designed to bring additional expertise to the community and engender a culture of peer-to-peer mentorship. Residents are seasoned artists, entrepreneurs, and researchers who are embedded within the NEW INC cohort. While they develop ventures of their own, they will also serve as in-house mentors and community catalysts, hosting office hours, organizing programs, and contributing content to NEW INC's digital channels.
Please take a look through the brief biographies of our new members and help us welcome them to our community!
Ida C. Benedetto is an experience designer and strategist who works on real world adventures, game design, and digital media. She is often at the helm of a fair bit of creative chaos, and she is currently researching the design of transformative social experiences through encounters with primal risks.
Taeyoon Choi's art practice involves performance, electronics, drawings, and storytelling, often leading to intervention in public spaces. He collaborates with fellow artists, activists, and professionals from other fields to realize socially engaged projects and alternative pedagogy. Choi cofounded the School for Poetic Computation in 2013, where he continues to organize and teach.
Stephanie Dinkins is an interdisciplinary artist and associate professor whose art employs lens-based practices, the manipulation of space, and technology to grapple with notions of consciousness, agency, perception, and social equity. She teaches digital art and interactive media at Stony Brook University, where she is an associate professor.
DIS is a New York-based collective composed of Lauren Boyle, Solomon Chase, Marco Roso, and David Toro. Its cultural interventions are manifest across a range of media and platforms, and it explores the tension between popular culture and institutional critique, while facilitating projects for the most public and democratic of all forums—the Internet.
Founded by Francis Tseng and Fei Liu, Public Science is a loose interdisciplinary conglomeration that uses storytelling, games, and satire to reconfigure new technologies for social and political purposes. Their current work is centered around building tools to encourage counterfactual systems of thinking and the cognitive mapping of the complex world.
A world traveler, designer, storyteller, and entrepreneur, Anders Sendall is the founder and CEO of TANK & BEAR and the creator of Aiko. He is passionate about using play as a vehicle for learning and creativity, and he has over a decade's worth of experience designing products for mobile devices and the web.
A child of the internet, Danielle Strle is a senior technology and creative professional, as well as a producer, investor, and adviser to a diverse array of creative projects and businesses. She likes building new things and working on many projects simultaneously.
Artiphon is a creative technologies company designing adaptive instruments for everyday music-making. Their first product, the INSTRUMENT 1, launched on Kickstarter, where it became the #1 highest-crowdfunded musical instrument. The INSTRUMENT 1 was named one of TIME's 25 best inventions of the year, and is available at artiphon.com and MoMA Design Stores.
Erica LAUREN Bernhard is a bicoastal experiential architect and multimedia artist who connects people using space and technology in high-production environments. Constantly on the forefront of new trends, Bernhard cultivates a vision for the positive potential within emerging technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence.
Jonathan Bobrow is an artist, designer, and developer. Strongly informed by the idea that our minds are shaped by the toys and tools we grow up with, and our design spaces are limited by the coordinate systems with which we are most comfortable, his work offers new tools and perspectives to address these limitations.
BOFFO is a nonprofit organization that presents innovative and experimental art, architecture, and design. It has exhibited the work of over 400 creative professionals, through artist residencies; digital and social media commissions; and the creation of spaces, experiences, and exhibitions.
Penelope Jagessar Chaffer is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, artist, and environmentalist. She is the first black female director to have been nominated for a British Academy Film Award. She is the director, producer, and technologist behind Toxic Baby (2016) and the Detoxed Project, the world's first customized interactive documentary app and digital health platform.
Andrew Chepaitis leads ELIA Life Technology, which develops assistive products for people with visual impairments. The company is developing a suite of products that will enable its consumers to achieve greater levels of education, employment, literacy, and independence.
DATA X is a creative studio that works at the intersection of data, society, and education. They believe in information transparency, online consumer protection, and the democratization of the internet. Their work blurs the lines between art, social critique, and consumer products.
Whitney Falk founded the design startup ZZ Driggs with a curious eye and a vision for reimagining how we furnish our homes, offices, and the places we dwell for a new economy. ZZ Driggs is an online marketplace featuring sustainably-produced contemporary furniture available via a subscription platform when you want and for as long as you need.
HAWRAF INTL. is a concept-focused studio founded by Andrew Herzog, Carly Ayres, Pedro Sanches, and Nicky Tesla. They are designers, writers, strategists, artists, and creative coders. The studio's work deals with creative accessibility and interaction, and involves experimenting across a range of mediums and disciplines to create work that challenges expectations.
Vincent Houzé uses modern computer graphics techniques to create interactive art, performances, and large-scale multimedia installations. His practice centers on dynamic simulations and systems in which simple rules give rise to complexity, richness, and realistic motion in his work.


text: Spring is here and you know what THAT means… It's time for SPRING CLEANING! While the process can be tedious and tiresome, there's nothing more satisfying than sitting in a sparkling space that's just been freshly cleaned… right? Okay, so you're still not sold on the prospect of picking up a dustpan? How about if we throw in an amazing Arm & Hammer Spring Cleaning Supply Package to get your spring-cleaning mojo going?! This week we're giving away FIVE of these awesome packages (worth $72) to FIVE lucky readers to get their clean on! AND if the dust bunnies align, ONE grand prize winner will also walk away with a $300 Electrolux Vacuum!


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"Happiness is downtime with a good book"
-- unknown
The topic of Delphi books has come up again, and I thought an update might be in order.
About a year ago I was impressed by all of the Delphi books that were being published and I posted as many recent examples as I could find.
Not long ago, David Intersimone listed a bunch of Delphi related books, e-books and other learning resources. Including this one that I hadn't noticed before.
And now there are a few updates that are worth mentioning. If you have any other examples, please let me know.
btw, electronic versions of both Nick's and Marco's books are available for free to registered users of the latest version of Delphi. I seem to remember that this might include people who have registered the trial.
More Coding in Delphiby Nick Hodges
This is a worthy successor to his earlier book Coding in Delphi.
In a recent partner spotlight, he spoke about the Command Pattern from the book.
Nick mentioned that a third book is in the works. I'm looking forward to hearing more about it.
Object Pascal Handbookby Marco Cantù
Marco has released an update to the definitive guide to the Object Pascal language as it exists in Delphi today.
Now available in print.
Parallel Programming with OmniThreadLibraryby Primož Gabrijelčič
While not strictly a book about Delphi in general, it does include some interesting information about threading. However, it is primarily focused on the open source OnmiThreadLibrary. Which was also presented in a partner spotlight.
I received an update notice for this book not long ago. I love printed books, but this is one of the advantages of subscribing to an electronic version.


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I finished the preliminary Jython Podcast website last week and I thought that it would be a good idea to release it to the world for your thoughts and opinions. I wanted to create and deploy the website as a Django site running on Jython. However, as it turns out I am unable to deploy a Django on Jython site to a server running on JDK 1.5 (at least I haven't figured out how to do it as yet). Therefore, I have had to postpone the deployment of the Django site until I can upgrade to JDK 1.6.
It is my plan to begin the podcast with an episode near the end of December. Hopefully once I get the first episode released, iTunes will not have any problems updating to include it.
Check out the Jython Podcast site here. I also would like to thank HostJava.net for providing the domain name and sponsoring the podcast.


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Beat the heat and come to the monthly Detachment meeting on 11 July at 0830 for a buffet breakfast and Marine fellowship. Meeting follows at 0900.
Tickets for the Birthday Ball on November 10th will be available at this meeting. Take advantage of the opportunity to write out a check for $30 per ticket and get your reservation in place before we are sold out. Please see Steve Handy who will have a table chart so you can make a great selection.


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No need to press the panic button, says Dhoni
Bikash Mohapatra reports from The Oval.
It's a situation MS Dhoni usually does not find himself in. Never before in his stint as captain had India lost a Test series. Never before was he forced to do so much explanation.
In fact, it is the first time under Dhoni's charge that India goes into the final Test of a series aiming to avoid a whitewash, England having already pocketed the series 3-0, and the No.1 ranking.
- Can India bounce back at the Oval?
To his credit, though, India's captain came prepared.
"It is a sport at the end of the day," he said, the tone more philosophical than pragmatic.
"There will be tough times," he continued, adding, "But it is these challenges that make things interesting.
"We are expecting to put up a good show at The Oval."
Image: India coach Duncan Fletcher and Sachin Tendulkar at The Oval
Photographs: Reuters
'We didn't put runs on the board'
Considering the margin of each of the three defeats -- at Lord's, Trent Bridge and Edgbaston respectively -- was bigger than the previous, has the team jotted down the causes for the same? Who's to blame ?
"Frankly speaking, we are not getting into blame game," asserted Dhoni.
"We have to realize where we failed as a team. I personally believe we didn't put runs on the board because of which our bowlers didn't have the liberty to bowl without any pressure."
He explained the embarrassment of the defeats, notwithstanding no time to keep brooding over them. Neither was it the right time to ponder over the reasons.
"It is not about feeling let down. If you look at it, in the first two Tests we had only three bowlers.
"We tried our best with whatever resources we had," he explained.
Image: R P Singh works out during practice at The Oval
Photographs: Getty Images
'You need to stick to the basics'
Having lost his first series, Dhoni was adamant that no change of approach is required for the upcoming outing.
"We do not need a wake-up call," he explained, elaborating the point he was trying to make.
"We have had very good results in the recent past [last two years or so]," he continued, adding, "Yes, you also need to look at the future, but I believe there is no need to press the panic button.
"Whether you win or lose, you need to stick to the basics and try and keep things simple.
"When you are desperate, the chances of preparing [and performing] to potential becomes less."
Image: Virat Kohli during training
'Putting runs on the board the only way to put pressure on English batsmen'
Dhoni seemed certain about what his team needs to do to make a match of it at The Oval -- where the last five Tests between the teams ended in stalemates.
"We are a side known for our batting. Putting runs on the board is the only way to put pressure on the English batsmen.
"There are things, like the toss, the injuries, weather, which is beyond our control. So we can't do anything about them."
He, however, remained evasive when asked about the chances of Praveen Kumar, who sustained an injury in the third Test, playing.
"We are not 100 per cent sure about the fitness of players.
"The physio hasn't traveled with us. We will have a clear picture only in the evening," he said.
Image: Team India players go through a drill at The Oval


text:
New wastewater facility to meet Albany growth
Opus provided a superintendent representative for construction of the Albany Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade.
We set out to supervise the construction of a new wastewater treatment facility with capacity to meet Albany's growth over the next 25 years.
This work was to be undertaken within the existing wastewater treatment site and that facility had to continue to operate while the new plant was built.
Works were carefully planned by the project team allowing the construction of each of the two primary ponds alternately. One would be constructed while the second continued to operate at an increased capacity to cover for the shutdown.
Once the new pond was commissioned, the second could be built. Improved aeration process and de-sludging increased the facility's capacity. A collaborative approach between contractors, client and our superintendent representative meant we could add a lot of value to the project.
Our role in the project included keeping the contact well managed, provided civil engineering advice and environmental management. We even helped with the rehabilitation of the site by overseeing the revegetation of the surrounds, which saw local schools get involved with planting.


text:
We simply asked some of our pleased clients what kind of experiences they had with other providers before coming to serveradmins.us and how they like our services. We can provide phone and email references upon request. Below are our server management reviews.
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Kevin P.
We run a small business with mission critical machines and need our data to be safe at all times. Before using server admins we had [redacted] which ended up formatting our entire raid array when they was only supposed to do a SMART check. Then we went on to use [redacted] who was supposed to be the best in the business and all this only to hear their only solution to anything as reformatting. So we went to serveradmins.us who was able to fix a problem server without reformatting and then helped make our overall setup finally redundant which we had asked and been promised by so many others to do yet could not. I found out that most so called server management companies hire $3 an hour sweat shop workers who simply google everything in hopes of winging it. With serveradmins, their admins and techs already have all the knowledge and can put it to use. We dont have time to worry about our server management when we are busy staying in business so we trust serveradmins and that is that!
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text:
Flush Mount Rectangular Ceiling Loudspeaker with quick fit clamp system for easy installation.
6.5" Loudspeaker with 1" Dome Tweeter
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Great ceiling speaker for music & home theatre surrounds. Ideal for installation in homes, restaurants, entertainment areas.
100V Line Transformers can be added if required to run on a 100V line system.


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Ambrose's work "On Virgins" is beautiful. For those clergymen that actually were Virgins when they were ordained Celibate, I applaud and revere them. Even the one's that were not but remained pure afterward, I applaud their beautiful commitment also, that witnesses to Christ and His Gospel.
As for my comments on Celibacy, you (and maybe others) misread my spirit. This is commonplace with regard to online comments like the ones here.
I acknowledge that any normal human being that chooses to make the faithful step of being ordained celibate, is truly making a huge sacrifice. Respect should be given.
Being, and remaining, celibate is a sacrifice with the intent to pursue a truly spiritual life. I think St. Paul refers to it as being like the Angels.
It is not, however, something that should be used as evidence of accomplished authority and knowledge. And while it might be an indicator of a proven character, it is not a litmus test for character, nor character necessarily itself.
The same can be said for marriage. It is a beautiful state. The union of 2 people is a sacrament of the Church ordained by God. The crowns that the bridal couple put on are the crowns of martyrdom. You really give up living for yourself.
Celibacy is not proof of being a loving priest, anymore than being married is.
Celibacy is not proof of being extra holy, anymore than being married is.
Holiness can be found in the Monastery.
Holiness can be found in the local parish too.
There are examples of "celibate" priests that are scandalously disgusting. The same can be said for a few married priests too. Conversely, there are examples of celibate priests that are a deep inspiration and manifest the loving presence of Christ. The same can be said for some married priests too.
I do not think it reasonable to start saying one priest is better than another because he is married or celibate. How low have we sunk to start judging the holiness of a man because he is celibate or married?
I believe that part of the reason our Church is in such a turmoil is because of the following:
1. We have a critical absence of true Hierarchical leadership that proactively involves itself with issues of today in a substantive manner. "Feed my sheep" the Lord said to Peter. We get platitudes and cliches, not nutritious enough. I am saddened to say that I would not want any of my sons to emulate any of our Hierarchs. Had our Hierarchs been parish priests for 20 or 30 years, I feel they would have a keener understanding of their flock, and the real world we all live in, and therefore would have been a better leader.
2. Spiritual arrogance has run rampant in our Church under the banner of Ephraim's movement, which does NOT represent true Athonite Monasticism. Ephraim's monasteries have undermined the local parish. The irrational excuse is that this-or-that clergymen at the parish is not spiritual enough. Had Ephraim and his followers just had their monasteries and not undermine the local parish, and, exploit and divide us, I don't think there would have been any problem. But this was not the case. The line was drawn with statements such as "only true Orthodox Christians worship like Ephraim and his followers" For the sake of brevity, I will refer to them as fundamentalists. This arrogance and divisiveness has done a great disservice to our Lord's Church.
3. People have left our Church in disgust because of the uncanonical and unscriptural teaching of Aerial Tollhouses that insults the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. It dismisses the notion of Divine Grace. It is not in the funeral service. It is not in the Liturgy. It is a notion that is not Christian. Fr. Maximos Constas is clearly against it. Common sense and logic see it for the nonsense it is. It has so little credibility that obscure citations are made and mischaracterized as "universal". Our Church has very few proclaimed Ecumenical Fathers and Theologians. Fr. Rose is not one of them. I do not disrespect his piety. Nor do I disrespect the piety of any Saint, no matter how obscure. But the Church has not always agreed with the writings of every saint that ever existed. In typical fashion, our Hierarchs are woefully silent and inarticulate on this and other real matters.
4. I started speaking up against the Ephraimite Fundamentalist movement and its many outspoken arrogant adherents because of their critical and judgmental statements. When asked to go deeper, their arguments are self-referencing, circular, or just ridiculous. As evidenced with some statements I have read here, they cannot articulate a deep thought with substance. I am not speaking about the sincere pious ones that attend a monastery service. I am talking about the big-mouths that like to condemn clergy and laity alike.
I have witnessed these people damage their own families and divide communities with their shallow and myopic arrogant statements. Not one of those people could ever hold a candle to the accomplishments of Mr. Stotis, and yet they assassinate his character with great zeal and vigor. Disgusting. I see what kind of Christians they are. They have shown me.
I am short and pointed with them, because I do not like loud mouthed bullies that are basically stupid. They have no clue how blessed our Church was to have men like Mr. Stotis.
Mr. Stotis was personally asked by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios to serve on the Archdiocesan Council, to participate on the Monastery Review Committee, and help our Church address some of its problems. Mr. Stotis is a remarkably successful businessman, trial attorney, bank founder with stellar reviews, Greek basketball team owner, and CEO/Partner of a large reverse logistics company where just one of its buildings is over 600,000 square feet. Here we have a man that has excelled in life, and the self-possessed and self-acclaimed super-Orthodox cast his name out as evil, when they should be grateful that such a man wants to serve our Church. He is not celibate, but has been married to his one and only wife of many years, and has raised a beautiful family. I did my homework. That is more than his critics could say. Mr. Stotis is a man of faith and action. I hope my sons turn out like him.
How many other such people, like Mr. Stotis, have we chased away? Wait, I can here their predictable rationalizations "oh but we are not the 'country-club' Orthodox". What bullies and character assassins! Yeah, we have chased away a lot of people – just look at the Pew report. Of course "they are not Orthodox" could be their rebuttal. I would reply, your doctor (or surgeon) is probably not either. I know who I would go to in a time of need. As for our Church's time of dire need, may our Lord save us.
For the past 114 years, the Epiphany celebration in Tarpon Springs, Florida, has been a cooperative effort of the hard working members of the local church of St. Nicholas Cathedral, and also a great deal of assistance from the local city government. Unfortunately the cooperative relationship was dealt a harsh blow this year when the Parish Council and the Epiphany Committee of the St. Nicholas Cathedral (with the guidance, leadership, blessings and support of Fr. Haros and Metropolitan Alexios, the only Hierarch present this year) decided to prohibit laymen (politicians in particular) from standing on the platform that overlooks the bayou where the young men dive for the Cross, thus breaking the long standing practice of clergy and lay leaders being together. Amidst a downward trend of the membership in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOA), this is another sad day.
In a dramatic scene, as the Mayor of the City (the host) tried to go up the few steps to go on to the viewing stand (as has been the practice for the past 114 years), in full view of Metropolitan Alexios and Fr Haros, he was physically blocked by a councilman and prohibited. Also prohibited from being present on the viewing stand were U.S. Congressman Gus Bilirakis, the Counsel General of Greece, Mr. Dimitrios Sparos, and others civic leaders.
There were 2 reasons given for prohibiting these laymen from being on the viewing stand – safety and liturgical protocol. Both of these reasons are highly suspect. Because it was cited as a "liturgical event" it was concluded that only clergy should be there. Yet the Holy Water was already blessed in the Church. One is left to wonder how this was indeed liturgically exclusive to clergy only. In previous years when there actually were numerous people, many of the lower ranked clergy and general laity refrained from being on the viewing stand. To state that this prohibition of laymen on the viewing stand was purely a safety decision, vividly appears inaccurate, if not suspect. According to one city official, the Tarpon Springs Police Department and the Tarpon Springs Fire Department have not issued any official statements regarding safety concerns (thereby prohibiting laymen), even though it was suggested in the Church's bulletin that they did. To add insult to injury, there were at least 3 laymen on the viewing stand, they were not politicians. Politicians and lay leaders appeared to be the target of this exclusion.
The Church's bulletin suggested that it did not want anyone with "titles" by their name to be grand-standing in order to be seen. However it appears that the clergy themselves gave the appearance of grandstanding. Dozens of priests are not needed for this simple event. After all, this is not a divine liturgy, nor a sacrament, but a simple service wherein only laymen were targeted for exclusion.The question then arises: is this the onset of clericalism in the GOA? Is clericalism a by-product of the fundamentalism that has swept the GOA? Is this the reason attendance is so dreadfully down since the onset of fundamentalism? It appears that clericalism has now reared its divisive head. We will will lose more membership. It is sad.
In one fell swoop, the peace of the community of St. Nicholas Cathedral was stained and will inevitably result in a divided, if not polarized, community. It has already begun. Some support what happened. Some do not. The net result is division. When frivolous and ridiculous positions like this are made, enthusiasm deteriorates and even more people will leave the Church. Pew research has already reported that the GOA national membership is down about 37% over the past 5 years. This will only make matters worse.
It is one thing to verbally proclaim that "we are one", but if the Church starts alienating people, especially elected officials who are the representatives and the servants of the people, a rift is made in the community and it will only get worse. City Councilmen are not pleased with what happened, neither is anyone else. After all, tax-payer dollars were used. Consideration, one would think, should have been shown by Cathedral.
One would think that this action MUST have had the blessing of the Dean of the Cathedral, Fr. Haros, and also his superior, Metropolitan Alexios. It is foolish to think otherwise. The Church has many examples of communities ripped apart by priests who are subsequently transferred while the community is left to try and pick up the pieces, and hopefully, heal. Epiphany 2018 has revealed the gaping disconnect of our ordained leaders from the laymen entrusted to their spiritual care. It seems to many that this disconnect reveals a self-aggrandizing clerical ego emanating from our executive leaders. This kind of stubborn insistence appears to be born more of insecurity and pride, than matters of safety and protocol.
The question is then naturally raised as to the caliber of the clergy today, and especially the Hierarchs who direct them. By the way, the day started with Divine Liturgy, where the police were called to remove a priest from the Altar, who did not have the Metropolitan's permission to be there. They also removed his son who is a chanter. While we are not taking a position here on who is right and who is wrong, we can all agree that this day of festivities was tarnished from the beginning.
While Epiphany (aka Theophany) is very much about the revelation of the Holy Trinity, this year revealed just how broken we are, clergy and laity alike.
Yianni Pappas
In the same day that we see the scathing letter to the editor of TNH regarding the catastrophe of the Greek Orthodox Church in America (Archdiocesan wide AND Metropolises wide), we then get a letter from Metropolitan Alexios asking for money for a new liturgy book that he sanctioned, because HE did not deem the one put forth and endorsed by the Seminary and the Archdiocese to be worthy.
Think about that for a moment.
Within the context of our church's shameful nationwide administrative disarray, with the scent of financial catastrophe freshly tainting our senses, we have a Metropolitan who publishes a letter that in effect disrespects the Seminary and the Archdiocese, and is unchallenged by the Patriarch. Is this not the epitome of avarice? Is this not evidence of Metropolitans disrespecting, if not exploiting, the Archbishop – the primate of the GOA? By having our bishops made into Metropolitans, it appears that it has become an administrative free-for-all in the USA.
We have become a spectacle of foolishness and are doomed the bane existence of a religious ghetto (or as some have graciously called it: a boutique religion). By mis-using the phrase "not of the world", our executive leaders in America have illustrated their ineptness as they plunder us into irrelevant oblivion
Will the Patriarch care?
Personally, I am glad the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church is here. Hopefully not all the work of our forefathers in America will be for naught.
I feel sorry for the few Metropolitans that are actually worthy. To the 4 or 5 others I say "Shame on you".
Mr. Steve Johnson
In another stunning article, Theodoros Kalmoukos of The National Herald published a scathing piece in the October 6, 2017 edition.
Click to read:
Vourvoulias Secretly Campaigns for Bishop Demetrios to Βecome Chicago Metropolitan
by Mr. Steve Johnson
Everyone loses in the blame game. The only ones who don't know this are the ones who play it. The financial problems of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOA) have caused numerous articles in national publications to appear. The Titanic is sinking because no executive leader in charge has heard the screams of those trying to warn us of our impending demise.
Reports of alleged improprieties, perpetual suspicions, the quest for the next scapegoat – what do these have in common? There are intentional (i.e. contrived) results, and there are unintentional byproducts. The intentional effect of those who contrive to put blame on others is that they hope to take attention off the root cause(s) of the problem. The unintentional byproduct is that people get disillusioned and will simply leave, taking their money with them (that is what happens when people are not inspired by their church leaders). The financial crisis of the GOA, in every Metropolis, is evidence of that.
To address it, no in-depth and substantive examination is pursued, rather, more blame is put on a new round of scapegoats, even "sleeper" scapegoats (those who have been given enough rope to be hung out to dry when the need arises, then the noose is pulled tight). So very byzantine (not Byzantine). The vicious saga replays itself. Those in charge hope that there will be a different outcome, and that the new scapegoat will catch everyone's attention longer. Inevitably after a brief view of each new scapegoat, the critical attention of the masses again returns its focus to where the root cause ultimately lies: the executive leaders of the GOA, our Hierarchs, who again remind us of how woefully inept they are in functioning in today's world in a meangingful way.
Case studies often involve painful incidents of real people suffering because of some stimulus. It is no different within the Church. In his article in the Greek News (page 38), Mr Bill G. Stotis, a proven and successful attorney, business man, and long time servant of the Greek Orthodox Church (at the local parish level as well as the Archdiocesan level), offers his insightful reflections on the sad state of affairs within the Metropolis of Chicago.
Click to see Title Page, Article, and names of its staff members.
Click to see article only. Click to see entire paper.
Ignoring the Laity, Again.
by Yianni Pappas
It is no wonder that when the voices of the laity are routinely ignored and looked upon as foolish disruptions coming from the presumed unlearned, non-elite class (i.e. non-clergy) of Orthodox Faithful, some parishioners are starting to be more vocal and outspoken. Who is doing the ignoring? Our Hierarchs. While we should respect the office of the Hierarchy, it would seem to be in the best interest of the Church that Hierarchs should give evidence that they indeed hear the "Voice of the People". The voice of the people sometimes brings with it the wrath of God." Φωνή Λαού, οργή Θεού. The video below shows the fervent love a community has for the priest, Fr. Nicholas Kastanas. It also shows their anger toward their ruling Hierarch, Metropolitan Methodios, for removing Fr. Nick.
It is not known why Fr. Nick was removed after 28 years of faithful service. There are no known whispers of any kind of indiscretions. The only suggested "issue" is that Fr. Kastanas was too popular and too powerful. No Hierarch would want that of course – in spite of the fact that perhaps that particular Priest is so loved because he is actually doing a good job. As far as Ephraimite fundamentalism, it is not known if Fr Kastanas subscribed to this type of Orthodoxy.
In the video above, Fr. Nick Kastanas spoke lovingly and with class. Once upon a time, older generations grew up in a culture that believed that all Bishops and Priests were good and wise men. It seems that the good and wise clergymen are now the exception to the current standard. No wonder Fr. Nick was so loved. He gave that very impression of being a good priest. He was so loved that people had an outdoor vigil, in the rain, to show their love for him.
The parish has over 800 families and is considered one of the best parishes of New England, and even the entire Archdiocese of America. In 2005 the parish moved to its current location after an entire hill of buildings including the church was purchased from the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston.
The parish has taken a big loan that it repays every month. Is the loan perhaps a ploy to hold back revenues from the Archdiocesan assessment? Is this the petty reason Fr Nick was removed?
No matter how gracious Fr. Kastanas was in his last message (encouraging people to still support the Bishop and the St. Athanasius community), we can promise you this: the community of Arlington, MA will not recover from this anytime soon. The next decade or two will show a drastic reduction in Stewardship and attendance. This has happened in many other Greek Orthodox Churches across the United States. It will now painfully inflict the St. Athanasius Greek Orthodox Church of Arlington, MA.
I have stood by and supported the Patriarch and the Ecumenical Holy Synod time and again, but if the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Ecumenical Holy Synod can flippantly "change their mind" and go back on their word, then Orthodox Christianity worldwide has another major crisis of integrity.
I have stood by and supported the Patriarch and the Ecumenical Holy Synod time and again against the fundamentalist Ephraimites who are more concerned with the outward form rather than content of substance. They have accused the Ecumenical Patriarch of betraying the faith because he said "all people under God are brothers and sisters". That is not betraying the faith. The Ephraimite traditionalists show their arrogant, elitist, and superficial beliefs with this. I stood up and defended the Patriarch. But I am not blind either, and I could never be a sycophant. If the reports today in the National Herald are true (July 13, 2017) then we have bigger problems than anyone can ever have imagined. In this instance, I cannot support the Phanar.
The National Herald reported today (7/13/17) that the Patriarchate approved the list of candidates in March of 2017. Now the Patriarchate is saying that the list is incomplete. Were they not happy with the election results so they contrived a "do-over"? Where is the integrity in that? Can it be that The National Herald has it wrong? I don't think so. I believe The National Herald has more integrity and honor than the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
It is possible that the Phanar caved in to a great deal of pressure from camps lobbying for hierarchs that were not on the previously approved list of candidates. These orchestrated lobbying events are biased toward a personality and may not be the will of the Holy Spirit. Barabbas emerged victorious and was released because of well-organized lobbyists that shouted his name to Pontius Pilate. The result is that Jesus was crucified. Innocence and purity were cast asunder. The same thing is now happening in our Church. Another possibility is that Turkey has pressured the Patriarch to not have a Cypriot Metropolitan. Who knows? What we do know is the word of the Phanar is compromised.
Let me add that I am involved in the business world. A man's word must be his bond. If someone you're doing business with does not keep his word, even only once, his credibility is shot, and no one (at that level) will deal with him ever again – at least no one who actually has integrity and honor. This is why I am so very deeply disturbed and saddened by the Patriarchate approving the list, but now going back on its word. Is the leadership of the Greek Orthodox Church that incompetent or manipulative? Whatever the answer, it illustrates that integrity and honor at the Phanar are optional.
The Patriarch and the Patriarchate are supposed to represent the cream of the crop. Instead, the Phanar seems to be operating like a bunch of Yiayias and right now Metropolitans are being summoned to the Phanar to huddle and come up with the company lines to disseminate to us. Forgive me for sounding disrespectful, I do not mean to be. I am merely giving you honest sentiments that many have, but few will speak. After all, who wants to admit they are disillusioned?
The actions of the Phanar again suggest we are being treated like a bunch of buffoons, or, that we are all hostages with the hierarchical attitude "what are they (the laity) gonna do?". Leadership is not thuggery. Leadership is not so insecure and afraid that it insists on surrounding itself with sycophants. Leadership is engaged and not aloof to the needs of those who depend on them. Except of course in the Greek Orthodox Church. In my opinion, Niphon and others influencing the Phanar appear to me to be shallow sycophants that do not have the capacity nor character to objectively look at themselves, let alone to look after the needs of millions worldwide.
Margaret Thatcher once said "Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't." The Phanar needs to adapt this to their leadership, for example: "If you have to tell people you know best, maybe you don't."
Pray for our Church. We need it.
Yianni Pappas
July 2017
For a printable version, please click here.
This reinforces the need for autonomy.
One of the most experienced, wise, respected, and loved lay leaders of the Greek Orthodox Church of America (GOA), Mrs. Elaine Jaharis, had an open letter published in the July 2017 first week's issue of The National Herald.
In this letter she warns that the future executive leader of the Chicago Metropolis must actually be a loving and ethical shepherd to heal "the grievous wounds of recent years", otherwise the negative impact of a bad selection will impact the GOA across the country. As it is, she states that the current state of affairs earmark the Chicago Metropolis as "unsustainable".
Additionally, she states that the future Metropolitan of the Chicago Metropolis must address the concerns emanating from the fundamentalist Ephraimite movement which has divided and damaged the Church. What makes this letter so very powerful is that Mrs. Jaharis is not known for being outspoken.
Typically modest and reserved, Mrs. Jaharis' words reverberate with the weight of the concerns for the well being of the Metropolis of Chicago. Indeed, her open letter illustrates the concern she has for the GOA in America. There are many lay-leaders throughout the country that have voiced concern behind the scenes. We are grateful that Mrs. Jaharis carries on the leadership by integrity model of her late father-in-law, Mr Michael Jaharis, the former Vice-Chairman of the GOA.
We pray that the truths she has spoken are heard by our Holy Synod of the GOA, and our Patriarch Bartholomew.
To view the letter in an easy-to-print format please click here.
To view a pic of the actual article as seen in the publication click here.
Please call our Patriarch first, and also our Archbishop. Insist that there is a completely new change of leadership in the Chicago Metropolis by a proven leader known for his love, integrity, non-fundamentalist agenda, and pro-active leadership. If such a man exists, we need him there now.
Archbishop Demetrios
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
8-10 East 79th St. New York, NY 10075
Tel: (212) 570-3500 Fax: (212) 774-0251
His All-Holiness BARTHOLOMEW
Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch
Rum Patrikhanesi
342 20 Fener- Haliç
Tel.: +90 212 5319670 – 6
Fax: +90 212 5349037
Thank you for your witness. Remember to pray for our Church. There is power there.
On June 5th, The National Herald published an article about the recent death of the ruling Hierarch of Chicago, Metropolitan Iakovos. In a nutshell, this Metropolis is no stranger to controversy and scandal. Some have stated there is more controversy and scandal in this Metropolis than in any other one in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The fact is that this Metropolis is at a crossroads. One hopes that the path to cleansing, healing, and rebuilding will be chosen, as will be evident by "who" will be the next Metropolitan of Chicago. More than a few people are hopeful that the path of further dismay and deterioration will NOT be chosen, as will be evident by "who" will be the next Metropolitan of Chicago. To the gratitude of many, Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit was appointed as "locum tenens" for the Chicago Metropolis, and not the controversial Bishop Demetrios of Mokissos (Demetrios Kantzavelos). This may be because of proper protocol, or some other reason. Many can think of other reasons. Many also feel strongly that the way the Metropolis of Chicago is dealt with, will reflect what lays ahead for the entire Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. God help us.
GOCCL calls all to participate and help resolve the Chicago Metropolis! See http://goccl.org/click-here-to-find-out-how-you-can-improve-the-future-of-the-greek-orthodox-metropolis-of-chicago/


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Free Market or Flea Market?
This struck my mind when I was searching for more info about Hongdae for the first time. So, the fact is, it's actually called "Hongdae Free Market" and not Flea Market. The booths selling handmade products by mostly university students, are arranged in a way like those in a flea market and held during every Saturday throughout March ~ November ever since year 2002.
Hongdae, which is well known for it's artistic side, as well as a night club heaven in Seoul. The name derived from a famous arts school Hongik University (Hongik Dae hak-gyo), short name of Hong-Dae.
Each item displayed at the stalls representing the creativity of the seller, unique and one-of-a-kind. Not only they sell pouches, bags, clothing, shoes, handmade toys, and key rings, there are booths which sell the live drawing of your portraits as well.
Since it is held on a Saturday, crazy huge crowds will be expected, where walking eventually became a squeezing through "war" just to pass a spot. "It's now or never", either you squeeze through first or you will have to wait until you had the chance to escape that area.
To get there
Take Line 2 (Green line), get off at Hongik University station, and follow the map below.


text: This paper describes a new maximum-power-point tracking (MPPT) method focused on low-power (< 1 W) photovoltaic (PV) panels. The static and dynamic performance is theoretically analyzed. In order to extract the maximum power from a photovoltaic (PV) panel, several maximum-power-point-tracking (MPPT) methods have been proposed and used for high-power systems .Their application to low-power PV panels (< 1 W) has just recently been proposed and poses new challenges to achieve a net power gain. In contrast to high-power applications, the power consumption of the MPPT control circuit can contribute significantly to the final power efficiency. This paper proposes and implements a new MPPT method that is particularly suitable for these low-power source levels. The method does not require complex operations and can be implemented with low-power components. This method is feasible due to the low power consumption of the MPPT controller.


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Anguilla Airport to Guesthouse
GPS Coordinates for Anguilla Airport
18 Degrees 12.410 North
063 Degrees 03,147 West
105 Feet Elevation
I walked to the airport again more or less by accident, just started walking and that is where I ended up. However, this time I had my Magellan Explorist 100 GPS or Global Positioning Satellite toy with me.
Now I am back trying to remember how to put these little degree marks into my website, I am able to type them in this page, however if I blog by email, or blog on blogger.com I believe they appear as funny marks or characters.
The distance from HERE:
GPS Coordinates for Anguilla Airport
18 Degrees 12.410 North
063 Degrees 03,147 West
105 Feet Elevation
To here is 1.6 Miles
GPS Coordinates for Casa Nadines Guesthouse in Anguilla
18 Degrees 13.152 North
063 Degrees 03.720 West
83 Feet Elevation
I really enjoy figuring out this type of organization, I do not like entering or figuring out how to navigate from one point to another, as it seems insanely boring. However, I enjoy learning a way to capture data; I say capture, as data or information is an allusive type of information. There is no end to the ways of losing it, inaccurately logging it in, or the ability to be sloppy.
I believe I am very good, I know I am very good at entering data; checking, double-checking, quadruple checking my information. I used to layout with a transit 100,000 square foot building for large construction jobs, one mistake would cost thousands of dollars. I do not remember making any mistakes in two years or layout for concrete work.
This information above could be used in this way, a person gets off a plane, and they already have created a coordinate to the Casa Nadines Guesthouse. The person turns on the GPS and lets it warm up, track a few satellite, this takes about 5 minute or less, then they can get their bearings. With the GPS toy they can then figure out, it is close enough to walk, do I want to walk, which direction do I walk, and then make a choice. Now a good map would or could stop all this deliberation, however a map is many times missing what I want, has what you want, for sure it has a 5 Star Hotel on the map, however for the 20 Dollars hotel, nobody seems to care, a few guidebooks, however, generally it appears the little people like me on the planet are going to have to capture this data and enter it for the cheapies hoboes to share.
It is very easy to find anything if you PAY your way there, one of the arts of travel is to figure it out. 1.6 Miles as I walk at about 2.4 miles per hour as I have learned with my GPS means it would take maybe around one-half hour for me to walk to the Casa Nadine Guesthouse. I am paying myself now about 16 U.S. Dollars and hour to walk. There are very good reasons not to walk and one is the risk of getting robbed with everything you own on your back, for me this is a lot of money, computer, cameras, hard drives, memorabilia, cash, etc. However, 90 percent of backpacker probably has less than 500 Dollars worth of hard to replace gear.


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Malware that Forges Bank Statements
This is brilliant:
The sophisticated hack uses a Trojan horse program installed on the victim's machine that alters html coding before it's displayed in the user's browser, to either erase evidence of a money transfer transaction entirely from a bank statement, or alter the amount of money transfers and balances.
Another article.
If there's a moral here, it's that banks can't rely on the customer to detect fraud. But we already knew that.
Posted on October 6, 2009 at 6:40 AM • 35 Comments


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When I was a child, I never associated St. Nicholas with demons or scary beings of any kind. Sure, St. Nick might leave coal and switches for a naughty child, just as Santa Claus was rumored to do. However, I wasn't naughty enough to worry about that kind of treatment.
Some stories described a little black boy named Peter who accompanied St. Nicholas, carrying the big sack with all the toys and goodies. My impression of "Black Peter" was he was sweet and helpful, not frightening. Actually, I was a little jealous of him. I wouldn't have minded traveling around with St. Nicholas, going to parties with him to distribute oranges and playthings, helping fill those intriguing wooden shoes the Dutch children left on their doorsteps instead of hanging up stockings.
I first learned of the Devil, or Krampus, that supposedly traveled with St. Nicholas when I took some traveler's German classes. When Mom and I made a trip to Germany and Austria in 1990 to visit some of the Christmas markets, we saw for ourselves how much the Devil is associated with the celebration of St. Nicholas.
In Innsbruck, I saw foil-wrapped chocolate devils in a candy store window among the chocolate Santas and marzipan. In fact, while we were out strolling near the Golden Roof one afternoon, we saw two teenage girls dressed in red tights, plastic horns, and pointed tails walking toward us. They had baskets and were passing out treats. It was two days before the Feast of St. Nicholas.
The incident that truly brought the full impact of the Krampus home to me was in Salzburg the next evening. It was after dark just off the main square where the market was set up, and we stood waiting for the tour bus to arrive to take us back to the hotel.
Suddenly there was a ruckus coming from one of the narrow medieval streets, a racket of tinny clanging and shouting. We turned as one just in time to see a cherry bomb explode, and then the approach of some appalling-looking creatures. They were tall, covered with long fur, and had winding antlers protruding from either side of their horrific faces. There was an entire crowd of them marching around, taunting the people along the street, clanging their noisemakers and doing their best to make a nuisance of themselves.
I think we were all flattened against the front of the building where we stood as the krampus riot passed by, although we certainly were laughing as well. One gentleman in his late 60s, a veteran, proclaimed in his Texas drawl, "I'm not scared of anything, and that scared me!"
Later our tour guide explained this was a tradition on St. Nicholas Eve. I was pleased to have witnessed an actual "krampus attack." Before we boarded our bus in downtown Salzburg, we saw a big truck with a crowd of krampus loaded in back. The tailgate was up, and as the truck drove away, a swarm of boys gleefully charged, plastering the truck (and a few of the demons huddling inside) with snowballs.
I never got any photos of the krampus parade, but if you go to YouTube and put "krampus" into the search field, you'll pull up all kinds of videos of some terrifying (and often hilarious) creatures.
There's also background information on the krampus here and here. And this site shows some very interesting (and very weird) early 20th century postcards featuring krampus.
Note: The photo at the top of this post is of a little krampus figurine I got for my mother from Silver Crow Creations, purveyers of the wonderous and unique. I bought one for the Hooligans as well, hiding it in the branches of the small pink aluminum tree Diamonqueen keeps in the kitchen. When we went out driving to see Christmas lights one evening last week, I suggested maybe the krampus would visit while we were gone to check on the Hooligan children and report back to Santa if they were being good. I said maybe he'd leave a sign. When the Krampus figure was discovered lurking among the pink shimmery branches of the kitchen tree, it gave even J.Hooligan pause (although I can't detect any improvement in his behavior because of it.)


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Hello everyone! 🙂
Last weekend, I had a lovely and an exciting time attending a 'Doctor Who' convention at the Arora Hotel in Gatwick. I attended 'The Capitol II' two-day convention, run by the 'Doctor Who Appreciation Society' (DWAS). It was the first time I attended a 'Doctor Who' convention by DWAS!
'The Capitol II' convention was the first convention for me this year in 2017! It was also perfect timing for a convention, as it was my birthday treat for this year! I've never been so lucky to attend a 'Doctor Who' convention for my birthday and also see my favourite stars for that amazing weekend!
Here are some of the highlights of that weekend for me! Continue reading


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The Domesday Book is strongly associated with the aim of William the Conqueror's to control Medieval England. It was created to provide William with a lot of authority within England, along with an array of castles.
William I declared a book should be made with information about the country's ownership, so he could assert his grip on England even more. This would also inform him of tax he was owed and as the information had been recorded, no one could argue over a demand on tax. The book impacted the English population with 'doom and gloom' hence its title Domesday. It contained the final verdict owed by someone, similar to Judgement Day where souls would be judged to enter Heaven or Hell.
William's order of the English survey would happen around 20 years since the infamous Battle of Hastings. According to the Saxon Chronicle it occurred in 1085, however other sources claim it was in 1086. In total, the entire survey was completed in under a year and the Public Records Office now hold the books.
The Domesday Book consists of an impressive record of England's state during the mid-1080s.
Questions asked of landowners in the Domesday Book refer to the number of ploughs they own; the number of villagers, freemen and slaves in the manor; the amount of meadow, woodland and pasture; and the worth of the manor.
Norman officials considered the results and would punish unfairly for giving information which was not true. A type of farm manager from a manor known as the reeve, and six peasants were all asked questions for each manor visited.
These questions were for discovering how much tax was owed to the king by a manor. William could also be informed who owned the sections of land and the cost of each. Overall the book contains a list of the different manors, their owners and values.
The book also includes information about the financial worth of the land before the Norman conquest, and its worth afterwards.
The Domesday Book holds some very interesting facts about Sussex - namely, the section surrounding Pevensey and Hastings which had 15 manors badly attacked, so much that they were called 'waste' (waste land) by men who were sent to collect information to include in the Domesday Book. It can be guessed how severely the area was impacted by Norman invasion from this. Other areas of East Sussex had difficulty surviving too.
The Domesday Book provides historians with a good idea of English life during 1085 and 1086, but it did in fact neglect to mention major cities like Winchester and London. Altogether, 13,418 places were visited and it was a monk who produced the last record in Winchester.
Each person was requested to pay the king taxes, and this meant no other lord or nobleman had the ability to successfully challenge William with an exclusive army, and William could access money to make his army bigger.
William died in 1087 before seeing the Domesday Book's positive benefits. But William II who was his successor managed to since he was aware that once he became king, he would have knowledge of who needed to still give him money and which lords were likely to give him a hard time because of their recorded wealth.
See also: Sussex and the Domesday Book
"Domesday Book". HistoryLearning.com. 2015. Web.


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Today I took my daughter to the 5/12 doctor visits we have scheduled within a three month time span. She went straight to the scale and pulled off her shoes, backed right up to check her height and picked up the crummy hospital gown and shorts and put them on, though she refused to let me tie them. That resulted in giggles as she walked across the room and her drawers went straight to the floor.
But I also love this expression as she waited for this specialist to see her. Even Lotso slumps over like "again? Really?"
Having a kiddo with Down Syndrome means you often have some medical issues to go with it. We have seen cardiology, orthopedics, endocrinology, audiology, ENT, opthomology, geneticists and many, many visits to her pediatrician, not to mention horrendous labs and X-rays.
But recently we moved. Well, six months ago, but we didn't get established with this medical facility until 2017. Once she met her new pediatrician we got the list of referrals.
New clinic means new specialists. And it means that I tell her story to a new doctor every time. Sound like fun? Not unless you're having a giggling session with the sweet girl who patiently waits to say "hi!" to another doctor.
Today was her scoliosis specialist. Back when she was five she was diagnosed with a mild-moderate curvature. And we ended up with…the back brace. She hated it. She cried. She pulled it off. We duct taped the Velcro straps to keep her from removing it. We put zippered footie pajamas on backwards over it to keep her from slinking out of it. Finally, thankfully she outgrew it. And her dad and I weighed the pros and cons. We decided it wasn't worth the torture it put us through (they are NOT designed for a non-potty trained child).
I felt guilt. Every day, hoping that that choice was the right one. Knowing she was comfortable and playing contentedly made it so much better. But I still felt guilt. Because I'm not a medical professional. And what if my choice was hurting her more.
So today, after a long discussion where my husband and I agreed still we didn't want to put her through that when she can't understand WHY we'd put her in that, I braced myself for a new doctor. I was ready to plead and ask for any other solution.
So, to my relief, this provider said "no." He said even if she was a newly diagnosed patient he still wouldn't. And I could have cried. And I laughed saying "Good, because I was prepared to argue against it." And we both smiled as he said he'd rarely dispute a mom's theory.
So we are still watching it. We will still do X-rays and see them again soon. Until then we will continue to meet and explain our girl's story for the thousandth time. But…I have providers that work with me, listen to me and have giggling episodes with my kids. For that, and a million other things, I'm grateful.


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West Town
This event occurred in the past.
Map | Find Parking
In celebration of Memorial Day, 8 Fifty 8 will host an upper elite celebration featuring a glass box for women to dance in and an off-the-runway fashion expose. RSVP via text message (Akira to 69302) and receive free entry and a cocktail reception until 11 p.m. All women in heels and well-dressed men get free entry till 11pm and discounted entry till 12am along with their RSVP texts. Select women in heels will receive Akira gift cards.


text: An eloquent, extraordinarily painful memoir of a father's loss of his baby daughter. The author (a Maryland-based writer) and his wife, Beth, bore a daughter in January 1989. Her name was Anna. Five months later, she was dead, of something called VATER syndrome--a series of congenital anomalies involving her heart and esophagus, as well as her gastrointestinal system. A series of operations brought Anna to the point of functioning without mechanical help, but she died from unexplained complications following what was deemed a successful attempt to repair the valves in her heart. That's the medical picture. Her father paints another--of intense emotion, of loss, longing, and fear, of empty spaces and silence--but also of courage, devotion, commitment, and the revelations about oneself and the world that only a child can bring. He also gives us a portrait of Anna, of a beautiful, brave, happy infant with wild black hair and long thumbs who cooed and cried and smiled at strangers. There are no easy answers here, no mystical or religious surrender to the unknowable ways of the Almighty. There are no answers here at all, and that, in part, is the power of Loizeaux's story. ``I can offer no prescription for dealing with the losses that we all inevitably face,'' he says, ``except to live them and share them as fully as we can.'' On behalf of his daughter, Loizeaux shares his sorrow with heartbreaking honesty.


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Rio 'worse than Athens' - Coates
29 April 2014
RIO 2016: The AOC President and IOC Vice President, John Coates, has described Rio's preparations for the 2016 Olympics as "the worst I have experienced" and "worse than Athens" (2004).
Coates, who has made six visits to Rio as a member of the IOC Coordination Commission responsible for overseeing Games' preparations said today the IOC has been forced to take "unprecedented" action embedding IOC experts in Rio's Organising Committee to ensure the Games proceed.
Attending an Olympic Forum in Sydney he told delegates construction has not commenced on some venues, infrastructure is significantly delayed and water quality is a major concern just two years out from the Games. "The city also has social issues that need to be addressed".
"The IOC has formed a special task force to try and speed up preparations but the situation is critical on the ground. The IOC has adopted a more hands on role, it is unprecedented for the IOC but there is no plan B. We are going to Rio" he said.
Among the IOC Taskforce sent to Rio is a construction project manager.
"We have become very concerned, they are not ready in many many ways. We have to make it happen and that is the IOC approach, you can't walk away from this " Coates said.
Australia's new Governor General, Sir Peter Cosgrove, addressed the coaches and performance leaders attending the Campaign Rio Forum. He told those gathered "he bleeds for the green and gold on the sporting field" and he was a bigger sports tragic than the former Australian Prime Minister, John Howard.
"Australians take enormous pride in our sporting accomplishments, we celebrate the success of our athletes very loudly" he said. "We are tough, fit and strong and skilled and we play fairly. Sport shows we are a peaceful nation".
Campaign Rio, a partnership of the Australian Institute of Sport/Australian Sports Commission, Australian Olympic Committee and the Australian Paralympic Committee, has set a goal of a top five finish on the medal tally in Rio. "I support the initiative" Sir Cosgrove said "we admire our athletes and we appreciate their sportsmanship because win or lose we want to be proud of those representing our country and wearing our national colours".
Mike Tancred